First time visitors to the big mountain passes often ask “what gear do I need“. But unless the question is followed up by a copious amount of personal information, from experience to wattages to ambitions then it’s almost on worth asking. So for those of you going to the mountains of Europe for the first … Read more
Britain produces some very good riders but for a country visible from French shores, it does not have a much a race calendar. After all, only a handful of events are UCI-ranked, I think Slovenia has more. Many of the best British riders come from the track, not the road But thanks to Twitter I’d … Read more
Cyclismag.com is a French website that punches above its weight. It seems to pick up stories before everyone else, and it’s often quick to relay news from other media sources, making it almost a news aggregation service. It’s something I read almost every day and I’m not alone. British-owned Cyclingnews.com seems to collect a lot … Read more
It’s now time for the national cycling championships across Europe. The right to wear a distinctive jersey for a year is something worth fighting for, it brings increased recognition but also extra earnings power as the rider becomes a default invitation for many criteriums. The Italian championship in particular looks hard and anyone other than … Read more
When I wrote how Rapha got the French and Italian colours mixed up on their “Country Jersey”, it became the most popular item on here in March, thousands of people visited these pages, including, I think, some people from Rapha. Well now they have a new item in time for the Tour de France, the … Read more
If you haven’t lived in France – I’m not talking about a holiday – then you probably don’t understand how much life here can be politicised. It has its plus points but it means that even the little things become swept up into the big deal. No exception, the humiliation of the French soccer team … Read more
It might seem odd to talk about cyclo-cross in the middle of the European summer but there’s a good rule change: disc brakes will be allowed. Legalize my Cannondale Disc brakes replaced cantilevers on mountain bikes many, many years ago. But it’s only now that the UCI has got round to allowing discs for cyclo-cross … Read more
Maybe you’ve done it, you’ve told work that you’re not feeling well and in fact just sneak a day off work. Well you’re not alone, it appears Alberto Contador might be up to the same thing. Several news sites have picked up on a press release that Contador will forfeit a ride in the Spanish … Read more
I’ve been keeping a close eye on Radioshack for some time. Not the team… but the company and its stock price because the company is a potential takeover candidate, potential prey to rival electronics retailer Best Buy or to a bid from private equity. It’s an interesting back-story to the team. I wrote about all … Read more
It was a very good weekend for HTC-Columbia. Tony Martin won the final TT at the Tour of Switzerland, scalping Cancellara in front of his public after a strong week-long performance. Note Rabobank demonstrated their unique capacity to throw away stage race wins. Simultaneously Adam Hansen won the Dutch Ster Elektrotoer, a sign that the … Read more