Phinney dampens BMC-signing rumors

American still undecided on 2011 team

Wide spread rumors have linked American Taylor Phinney to a four-year contract with the US-based Professional Continental team BMC Racing. However, the double world track pursuit champion set the record straight on Twitter today stating that he has not yet signed an agreement for the 2011 season.

"Uhhhh...For the record, I have not signed ANYTHING with anyone yet," said Phinney in recent rebut on Twitter. "When I sign with a team, trust me Tweeps, you will be the FIRST to know!"

One of the first reports was from the Sporza, a Belgian sports channel, stating that Phinney would likely sign a four-year contract with BMC Racing. "I don’t really know how this got on all the websites and I’ve been trying to look into it myself," Phinney said. "BMC Racing denied that they sent a press release to Sporza. But on Sporza it was said that, and I’m quoting them, ‘I would likely be going to BMC.’

"I’m still weighing my options so I can’t say that I’m likely to be going anywhere next year," Phinney added.

The reports continued on the French website, Ciclismag.com stating that the Phinney will not be competing for US-based ProTour Team RadioShack in 2011. The cycling prodigy currently competes for the team’s Under 23 program Trek-Livestrong but recently raced under the RadioShack banner at the Tour of Denmark as a trainee.

The website further reported that Phinney may have changed his mind and is likely to join the US-based Professional Continental team BMC Racing as it makes a bid to step up to ProTour status in 2011. If so, Phinney would be joining the likes of World Champion Cadel Evans, former World Champion Allessandro Ballan and US National Road Champion George Hincapie.

The team recently announced six new signings that included Italians Manuel Quinziato and Ivan Santaromita, Belgians Yannick Eijssen and Greg Van Avermaet, France’s Amaël Moinard and Swiss rider Johann Tschopp.

"I was watching the Vuelta and my Twitter started to light up with all these comments of my signing a four-year deal with BMC," Phinney said. "But, I haven’t signed with anybody and if and when I do sign I will put that on Twitter."

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Changes pay off for new World Champion Engen

Swedish mountain biker caps off season with coveted title

Newly crowned under 23 women's cross country World Champion Alexandra Engen made some big changes this year. First she moved from her native Sweden to Germany, then she joined the Rothaus Cube pro team, and finally, she learned how to manage a lengthy season by balancing her racing with some down time.

Last year, Engen finished as runner-up at the Worlds, a result that motivated her toward a victory on Thursday in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

"I think even if I hadn't been second last year, I would have wanted to win. It's always been a dream," said a beaming Engen in her brand new rainbow striped jersey.

"I've always had big goals and have dreamed of what I wanted to achieve. Winning this race is a reward for all the work I've done. I went out there and rode the ride of my life, and I'm so happy I could nail it when it was really important," said Engen to Cyclingnews.

Engen explained her move from Jonkopings, Sweden, to Freiburg, Germany, during the offseason, crediting it with some of her success in 2010.

"If you're from Sweden, it's hard to be a pro cyclist. It's too small of a country for cycling, and last year, I was riding and doing all the logistics myself, and I had to ask people to feed me at races."

Her move was tied to signing with the Rothaus Cube team. "They're like a family, and it works well for me. When making the decision, I thought, 'Hey I'm 22. I'm moving to a new country and learning a new language.' It's like an adventure, so I figured I'd do it. I'd already been living on my own for a few years."

The transition worked out well for Engen, who was mixing it up in the early season with the elite women in Cyprus for the Sunshine Cup back in March.

"(Racing in) Cyprus was just training after I moved to Germany in January. That transition took a lot of energy, so I've been cautious to spare my energy and use it on the right stuff," said Engen, who sounded wiser than her racing age of 23 years.

To break up what otherwise would have been a long competitive season, Engen, who is also the European Under 23 cross country champion, treated many of her races at training, deciding to save her maximal focus for the top priority events, such as Worlds.

"After the Europeans, I was totally dead, so I didn't do the Val di Sole World Cup. I stayed home with my friends and family and watched movies. I still did my training, but I think sometimes I really need to have time off from the biking."

When it came to the race at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Engen was focused. "There are so many good girls. I knew I had to have the perfect race."

One factor that made a big difference was racing only the Under 23 women - rather than the Under 23 women mixed in with the elite women, as at a World Cup.

"It's a big difference to race the U23s only vs. the elites. I can do my own race with my own strategy. When I'm in the World Cup, all of us U23s are spread out among the elites, and I just end up somewhere in under 23s. Here, I can look at the other riders and see if they are tired or not.

"The start is also different; I had the chance to get on the wheels of the other u23 riders directly and I wasn't guessing where everyone is by where they were ranked on the start line."

Watching the top under 23 women race, it was clear that they they had honed their skills among the elite, racing speedily and smoothly around the course.

Engen will move up to the elite ranks for 2011, a transition she's anticipating. "I'm looking forward to my elite years. I'll give myself some time to get used to it."

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Eurobike 2010: Cyclingnews' complete coverage

Hubs on Reynolds' new off-road wheelsets are sourced from Asia instead of from DT Swiss.

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Eurobike show continues to dominate the world stage

With Eurobike now firmly cementing its status as the world's most important bicycle trade show, this year's 19th running will bring a record-setting 1,090 exhibitors, 35,000 dealers, and 1,500 journalists into a massive 100,000m2 (1.08m ft2) exhibition space in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

Kicking things off will be a one-day demo event in nearby Austria where we'll be able to ride firsthand some of the coming season's newest gear, followed by three days indoors and even a public day on Saturday. While most of the bigger companies have already unveiled their new wares at private events, most of the rest of the industry will be showing items off for the first time here and as always, we'll be sure to bring you full coverage of the hottest bikes, components, accessories and clothing you'll see in the coming months.

Looking for something in particular though? Along with a small army of Future Publishing staffers, Cyclingnews and BikeRadar technical editor James Huang will be on site with camera, laptop, smartphone, and notebook. Send requests directly to him on Twitter at @angryasian.

Eurobike show coverage:

September 3: FSA creeps another step closer to new complete road group
September 3: Reynolds Cycling revamps road range
September 2: Zipp launches faster 808 Firecrest
September 2: Cervélo's updated road range
September 1: fi'zi:k shoe introduction

Pre-show launches

August 31: Giro Factor and Code shoes
August 30: 2011 Focus MTB introduction
August 29: 2011 Focus road and urban range

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Radioshack signs Cardoso, Sergent and Kwiatkowski

More transfer news from Lampre, AG2R and Skil-Shimano

Team Radioshack announced three more signings for the upcoming season today. The US-based squad brought in Portuguese rider Manuel Antonio Cardoso from Footon-Servetto, New Zealander Jesse Sergent from its Trek-Livestrong U23 team and Pole Michal Kwiatkowski from the Caja Rural Continental squad.

Cardoso, winner of a stage in the 2010 Tour Down Under, has 33 victories to his name as a professional rider including the 2009 national championship.

Sergent has been riding with Radioshack as a trainee since August. He is a silver medalist in the track world championships in the individual pursuit, won the time trial stage in the Tour of Gila over specialists Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie, and has a bronze medal from the Summer Olympics in Beijing in the team pursuit.

Kwiatkowski, 20, is a former junior world time trial champion (2008), a double European champion (road race 2007, time trial 2008) and the current Polish U23 champion.

"All three riders are classy riders. They have a lot of potential," said Radioshack team manager Johan Bruyneel. "We believe in them. These talents will be well surrounded by our experienced riders. We need to work on the future of Team RadioShack and of cycling in general. This is a first step. Currently we are negotiating with other potential future riders for our 2011 team."

Other transfer news

Another Pole will be stepping up into the ProTour. Lampre announced this week the signing of Przemyslaw Niemiec.

Niemiec, 30, has been with Miche since 2004 and with Amore & Vita prior to that. He won a stage of the Coppi e Bartali race this year, one stage of the Giro del Trentino in 2009 and the final overall classification of Route du Sud 2009 and of Giro di Slovenia 2005.

"Each time that we took part in races in which Niemiec was there too, we could see his amazing performances on climbs," said team manager Giuseppe Saronni. "Przemyslaw has outstanding qualities as a climber that allowed him to conquer many classifications as king of the mountain: we wanted to give him the chance to test himself in top level races. We're also sure about his willingness to support the team captains, so his role in the team will became very important".

"Joining Lampre-Farnese Vini means for me reaching the top level of the cycling world," Niemiec said. "I know that I have to give my best in order to give value to this chance: I've always dreamed of competing in the top races, against top climbers on the most important mountains, so I want to give everything for my new team".

AG2R-La Mondiale announced the signing of Italian Matteo Montaguti, 26, from the De Rosa-Stac Plastic team.

Skil-Shimano signed Thomas Damuseau and Thomas Bonnin, both of whom debuted in the professional peloton last month as a stagiaire for the team.

The Dutch team also extended the contract of sprinter Kenny Van Hummel for another year.

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The 2011 Cycling Broadcast Media Challenge

Do my eyes deceive me? Is there a piece critical of Lance Armstrong up on Versus.com? If it weren’t comparing him to Mel Gibson (hard to imagine the phone calls curiously absent from Armstrong’s emails with Floyd and Dr. Kay were anywhere near that bad) or erroneously claiming that Armstrong smashed Floyd’s (or Armstrong’s own non-existant) 2006 trophy, I might actually be impressed about the fact that it’s there.

Over at Universal Sports, BikeSnobNYC has continued his blogging as well. He’s a sharp enough writer that I can almost overlook his misattribution of Sungard’s sponsorship to promises of a Contador Grand Slam; Sungard’s sponsor affiliation with Saxo dates back to the beginning of this year, and their move to title sponsor was pretty much a given long before Contador’s third Tour win, let alone the Spaniard’s (and his most trusted domestiques’) acquisition by Riis.

What it almost seems like is that Versus and US are competing to retain viewer interest at least through the Vuelta a Espana, which begins later this month. It’d be a fairly unprecedented move, especially considering that Team RadioShack (whose marketing machinery all but declared the season over in July) will not be attending. I say “almost” because it appears Versus hasn’t updated their cycling schedule since before the Tour and probably isn’t even broadcasting the race.

While Universal Sports will indeed be offering live video coverage of the event, it’s doubtful, given the criticism of both usability and level of commentary during their Giro broadcasts, that anyone will elect to pay the $15 dollars when so many easier-to-use sites are giving away better commentary for free.

At any rate, since both NBC Universal and Versus are owned by the same cable megalopoly—and have their online video services delivered by the same company—it’s hard to imagine that we, as consumers, would see any benefit from market competition between the two broadcasters.

All of this leaves me scratching my head at why Versus or Universal Sports even bother. I can’t imagine BikeSnob or whoever the heck Gerard Wright is cost much, but they must cost something. Why continue to spend money when you know better professional outlets, fan-based efforts, and a few tech-savvy pirates are going to bury you in terms of both coverage and quality during non-Tour events?

Even with an American winner defending his title at Vattenfalls, or the best-known American squad fighting to make a point at Tour l’Ain, I can’t find anything about either race on either company’s website. I can’t imagine lip-service text posts—without at least a tip of the hat to ongoing racing—are going to convince fans that the two legitimate US broadcasters are in any way serious about the sport.

I’m guessing that Joel Felicio or whoever has his job at Universal Sports would counter by saying that without them, there’d be no cycling for American audiences. But that’s just not true anymore; even Lance Armstrong, who’s made tweets I can’t find about how he never pirates music, knows where to find coverage if legitimate sources don’t make an effort to cover it.

My challenge to both Versus and US is this: take 2011 off. You say you’re tired of having fans tear you down for your hard work, so stop doing it. If it’s too hard to find advertisers, or if too few people are watching, or if no one will pay for anything online, it would make sense to stop, right?

So just don’t bid for exclusive US or online rights to any major cycling events —the only real thing limiting other video to Eastern European dudes with screencast software—for one year, and let an open and competitive market determine the future of cycling coverage.

Then, in 2012, you’ll have your change to come back and prove to everyone that you’re doing the best job possible, and that most criticism against you is levied based on spite and delusion. If you have as much confidence in your opinion as I have in mine, you should be as eager as I am to see this little experiment take place.

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Longer-Term Investments

I’m wondering who’s more surprised about Ricco’s move to Vacansoleil—fans, journalists, or the rider himself. Ricco seemed pretty sure about going to Quick.Step only a few short days ago, but as press agents anywhere can tell you, the great advantage to leaking information rather than making an above-board announcement is plausible deniability.

That said, the not-so-recently-returned Italian’s marriage to either team hardly represents particularly deep planning. Quick.Step is where GC riders have repeatedly gone to die; while plenty of fans and many in the peloton seem to think that wouldn’t be so bad, I’m doubting Ricco is particularly excited about the prospect. Vacansoleil and Ricco do each have an interest in getting invited to higher-profile races, but I just don’t see how an ostracized ex-doper make a second-tier squad with a history of being snubbed improve each others’ appeal.

But then again, maybe I’m not giving the value of a big-name signing the weight it truly deserves. Despite a lackluster season and advancing age, Carlos Sastre still makes a newsworthy title signing for a new team sponsor. Robbie McEwen, 38 years young and barely managing a footnote of a win this year, claims to have at least interest from other teams.

I hesitate to mention Vino’s recently-announced re-signing; unlike Sastre and McEwen, he’s had a fantastic season, and I think most fans were aware the Vino-4-Ever jersey wasn’t merely a statement of Astana’s faith in their homegrown talent, but also the official terms of his contract.

But as a larger trend, it seems that retirement has been going out of style as of late. One wonders if the popularity of Comeback 2.0 didn’t play something of a role in that; Armstrong’s performance at the 2009 Tour certainly may have emboldened a few riders to try and compete at a higher level than they’d otherwise planned, and he certainly didn’t hold back in exploring new technologies to achieve that end.

Lance’s small-door exit at this year’s TdF may have attracted additional interest as well; after years of suffering at the Texan’s hands in head-to-head competition, a generation of riders may find a measure of revenge in being able to carry on with high-level performances at an age where Armstrong was forced to unceremoniously throw in the towel.

Regardless of the motivations of riders and teams, though, one thing seems certain: a second post-Lance recession is unlikely. Fourteen applicants are competing for the remaining eight ProTour spots—a number that does not include Cervelo TestTeam, who will continue their thus-far successful strategy of circumventing the expense and frustration of the UCI’s red tape by focusing on producing results instead of bank guarantees.

Given the runty performance and unsteady funding delivered by the ProTour structure thus far, it’s a model the UCI might want to consider encouraging in the future.

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The International Advantage

There was some dispute in the comments section (#4) of the last post about whether or not nationalism was good business in cycling. While I think there’s something to be said on either side of the issue, I maintain that its influence will become increasingly detrimental in an ever-more-international sport.

Consider Rabobank—though widely considered a de facto Dutch national squad, they’ve made large and successful investments in foreign athletes. Since the retirements of Erik Dekker and Michael Boogerd, nearly all of their major victories have come courtesy of the Spaniard Oscar Freire or the soon-to-depart Russian Denis Menchov. It’s not like the team has suffered for the outsourcing, with the two riders bringing in a Giro, two Vueltas, two Tour podiums, several Tour stages, a Green Jersey, three San Remos and a gaggle of other assorted trophies.

There’ve been more than enough Dutch riders who could have stepped up at Rabobank, but many have chosen to ply their trades elsewhere—Karsten Kroon, Steven de Jongh, Theo Bos, among others. After Servais Knaven became the first Dutchman to win Roubaix in almost two decades in 2001, for a Belgian-registered but thoroughly international squad, I think it was laid clear to a lot of riders that their talents could be more successfully employed—even as lieutenants—on foreign teams that focused on their strongest races.

Given the success both Rabobank and Dutch ex-pats have had following this course over the past few years, it sounds ridiculous that Lars Boom would say his squad should develop more Dutch riders instead of aquiring the most underutilized classics talent of the 2010 season. It’s not like he’ll get a bigger share of the winnings if a Dutch rider is parcelling out prize money, or that Rabobank will get less camera time if a Dane crosses the line with their name on his chest.

Contrast Rabobank’s importation of talent to the approach of the major French squads, who, outside of one high-profile and ill-omened acquisition, have never shown much interest in top-tier foreign riders. While it was nice to see so many French teams and cyclists taking stages at this year’s Tour, the fact remains that at any high-profile event, they’re all still second-level players. And for the few Frenchmen who’ve elected to ride elsewhere—Sylvain Chavanel, Cedric Vasseur, Richard Virenque—the switch to a foreign squad has paid dividends.

The impression I get is that multi-national squads are better run, more focused in their objectives, and just plain tighter-knit. Bjarne Riis’ legendary commando-style training camps seemed to forge a bond stronger than any national affiliation—not really surprising, considering how many times the map of Europe’s been re-drawn over the past few centuries. Jon Vaughters has mentioned that having a core set of values can similarly draw a team together, and the team-building lesson hasn’t been lost on Columbia-HTC, either.

While national affiliation is an important historical constant in a sport where teams, sponsors, and riders reshuffle yearly, the fact remains that it’s an increasingly outdated notion—and not just because the Tour hasn’t been contested by national squads since the ’60’s. Nicholas Roche, Heinrich Haussler, and Guido Trenti have each confounded the traditional notion of nationality, and even artificial changes aren’t hard to pull off when the situation requires.

When riders feel compelled to be the best rider from their country at an event it never ends well, as Paolo Bettini recently pointed out, and as Roche discovered first hand. It’s a problem even in America—lord knows how many US title races have been won by foreigners while Americans mark each other in the battle for least mediocre. Don’t even get me started on the Best Utah Rider jersey.

So while some nationalistic appeal might appear to be good business at first, any benefit will be short term as more professional international squads extend the performance gap. While Team Sky, the first major British outfit in a generation, overspent badly to bring in a home-grown Tour contender, they had the good sense to hedge the bet by placing him amongst a veteran, multi-national team, stocked with riders from similarly diverse squads—a move that paid off almost immediately in their 2010 campaign.

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Worlds And An Open Vuleta

Well, so much for that analysis—I was pretty sure Farrar’s legs were getting soggy after a full plate of classics, three Grand Tours, and some late season one-days. But he got a pretty good amount of daylight in winning yesterday’s Vuelta stage—hardly the victory of a man beaten back by a season’s worth of effort.

Apparently an attempt at the World Title attempt is still in the cards, but unlike some other riders I could name, Farrar’s taking a real wait-and-see approach in sizing up his chances. I suppose it’s encouraging—from an American prospective, anyway—that he taking such a well-reasoned approach, but on the other hand, when a cyclist who can win long one-days is on form, parcours tends to lose relevance, as Cancellara’s Flanders/Roubaix double and Gilbert’s dual conquests at Paris-Tours and Tour of Lombardy last season, show.

Speaking of Gilbert, he’s put forth some pretty solid evidence of form heading into the end of this season—even if today’s setup in the truncated group sprint didn’t go so well. Taking the race lead on a stage tailored to his strengths was good, but far more impressive was his retention of the red kit on a stage that was not. While it’s almost certain that Gilbert will not be sticking around through the end of the event, a very interesting race is shaping up behind him, including several younger riders taking their first real shots in a Grand Tour.

That said, the argument could be made that this year’s Vuelta won’t have any sort of reliable GC picture before Stage 16 since all the prior mountain stages lacking a hilltop finish or multiple climbs, and the only TT doesn’t take place until Stage 17. I’m not quite that strict in my consideration of what makes a “real” mountain stage—especially after the GC changes on downhill finishes at this year’s Tour—but I will say that the this Vuelta will be unusually coy in revealing which riders have a shot at the top step of the Podium in Madrid.

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Guide Dogs Le Tour Challenge - Days 3 & 4, TdF Stage 16 completed

It’s been a mixture of emotions over the past two days, almost as varied as the weather in fact. There have been the glorious highs; seeing the summit of the Tourmalet emerge through the mist yesterday after a gut-busting day of foul weather and three cols. Then today we were all brought pretty suddenly back down to earth when Mac, one of our teammates, overcooked it on a 13% right hander on the descent of the Aubisque. He is fine, relatively speaking and is at this very moment licking his wounds in Pau hospital, typically for a cyclist more frustrated about missing the last two days of the tour than the pain he is in.

Despite our relief when we heard over dinner tonight that he is OK, Mac’s crash really made us all think about the risks we take, all in the name of cycling adventure. There’ll be a few nerves when we make our first descent tomorrow, but the show must go on; the Guide Dogs are counting on us!

So back to that mixed bag that was Stage 16. Tuesday’s weather was typically Pyrenean - wet. We stayed in Luchon on Monday night, which meant that we climbed from the very start on Tuesday morning, straight up the Col de Peyresourde. 5km from the summit we were in the clouds with a fine but steady rain. That in itself wasn’t a problem, in fact it was quite pleasant, but it did make the descent pretty greasy... but not much slower!

Safely across the valley, there was barely time to catch breath before the road kicked up again and marked the start of the Col d’Aspin. I had some knowledge of this one, but from the other direction, as I descended it a few years ago. I had quite a bit of company, mainly due to all the punters from the Centre Cyclisme Laurent Fignon, who were kicked out of the bus at the bottom of the climb and handed their bikes. With one col under my belt I was feeling OK, remarkably much better than I’d felt on the Port de Balès the previous afternoon. My legs felt good and I was able to tap out a steady rhythm in the rain all the way to the top.

Nobody paused for long up there in the mist. A handful of Haribo and a quick banana, jackets on and we headed off for St Marie de Campan and the start of the final and most formidable of the day's climbs, the Col du Tourmalet.

The only thing I really remember about the first 10k of the Tourmalet is rain and pain. Manageable pain though and again I was able to tap it out and actually pull away from my pal Fraser (miracles will never cease as he’s put in a lot of training hours for this). Nonetheless we’d agreed that we all ride our own ride that day and whoever felt good could go.

That fit of enthusiasm lasted until the road kicked up in earnest about a kilometre before La Mongie, arguably the ugliest square mile in the Pyrenees. I knew I had slowed, but didn’t quite realise by how much, as just as I left the last concrete hotel block of the ski resort behind me, I heard a shout. There, appearing out of the mist was Fraser, who, true to form had found his legs and was back!

From that point on we rode together, heads down but trying to keep our spirits up. I can’t tell you how glad I was to see the 1km to go sign, but it was a long time coming. The cafe on top was as warm and welcoming as I remember it, so we stayed for a while, considering our plan of attack for the descent.

Kitted out with yet more wet weather gear, we set off fairly gingerly round the first few steep bends. Now here’s the thing – the weather was completely different on the western side of the mountain – warm, sunny and dry, which made the 20 miles of descending back down the valley to our hotel a far more agreeable business. Just one niggling feeling... in three days I have to come back up this!

As I said at the start, today was a day of two halves really; gorgeous weather throughout with 35 degrees, sunshine and blue skies, some of the most beautiful mountain scenery on the planet and then there was Mac’s rendezvous with the concrete, which gave an altogether more sober tone to the end of the day. Having said that, we all agreed that, as days on the bike go, it was not half bad. Climbing the Soulor was tough, as it’s a long gradual gradient for about 20k with a nasty kick for about 8k at the end. The pain is soon forgotten when you take in the view at the top and the quick descent along the road which hugs the cliff between the Soulor and the Aubisque is simply sublime.

Once we were (mostly) off the mountain in one piece, we joined forces to bang out the last 45k to Pau – merely a formality before close of business for Armstrong and his breakaway group, but for us in all our splendid mix of ability, worth thinking about. We didn’t want to leave anyone stranded in that heat.

So I’m actually doing OK and riding into a bit of decent mountain fitness - I think. I was seriously worried about lack of preparation before I left England, but I’m riding my own tour, sticking to my rules and not chasing the front of the bunch of the man furthest up the climb and I’m really enjoying myself.

Bring on Stage 17, the Col de Marie Blanc and appointment number two with the Tourmalet.

Chris would be pleased to receive online donations in support of his Guide Dogs challenge at www.justgiving.com/Christopher-Williams2

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The world's most important cycle show in Friedrichshafen,Germany

At the beginning of September at the vast exhibition centre in Friedrichshafen, Germany,it will takes place the world's most important cycle show. Virtually every major player in cycle manufacture is there along with many not so big, all of them wanting the kind of exposure that only comes with being present in front of the kind of audience such a show attracts.

Simply walking around the perimeter of the centre (and ignoring the Zeppelin hangar beside the runway of Friedrichshafen airport) takes around 10 minutes, while a thorough investigation of the 12 main halls takes, well, days...

Which means that it is easy to overlook some of the less glamorous stands. These might be offering anything from threaded fasteners produced in their millions to identikit carbon-fibre frames. My favourite so far is the Holland Mechanics stand, on which may be viewed several of the inordinately complex machines that build wire-spoked wheels.

They are not, in truth, pretty. They are not even particularly interesting to look at, the ultimate mysteries of their operation concealed behind myriad critical but anonymous small components. The machine taking pride of place at the front of the stand looked, to the uninformed onlooker, much like its fellows but is, I was told by Holland Mechanics' Maarten van Doornik, state of the art.

Mainly this is because it has been built to work with the latest type of aluminium spoke nipple, which in addition to the conventional square flats on the inboard or hub side has a square head to be accessed from the rim trough. This head allows the application of much greater tightening torque during the building process without risk of shearing the aluminium nipple. Tighter spokes mean more durable wheels and the combination of the new spoke format and machines such as this one capable of finishing automatically a wheel assembled with them is the kind of technological advance that keeps costs down as performance improves.

Finishing a wheel? Another machine is needed to do the initial lacing and tensioning, this one bringing the wheel up to final tension and trueness. It does so in about one minute and, going by the spoke tension in the wheel sitting inside it, does indeed apply a very high tension. Given that the nipple-turning head will have a torque-sensor, it surely does so to a precise setting. And while it does the job automatically, there's a big screen to let the operator know just what's going on in there. Somewhere.

www.hollandmechanics.com

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Thunder Thor Hushovd wins stage 6 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana

Norwegian Thor Hushovd powers to win in stage 6 of the Tour of Spain 2010 for Cervelo TestTeam; Omega Pharma-Lotto's Philippe Gilbert maintains overall 2010 Vuelta a Espana lead.

Cervelo TestTeam's Thor Hushovd claimed the third Tour of Spain stage win of his career earlier today when he won stage 6 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana to Murcia. Hushovd also won stages in Cuenca in 2005 and Leon in 2006. It wasn't just another bunch sprint for Hushovd this time as the Norwegian has not won anything like that since stage 3 of the Tour of Missouri one year ago.

He soloed to claim his second Norwegian champion title in June and he was the fastest in a six-man group at the end of stage 3 in Arenberg at the Tour de France this year. Hushovd also finished second after Fabian Cancellara at Paris-Roubaix in April. His career has clearly switched to one of a rider more geared for the classics. He's no longer a pure sprinter.

Hushovd broke a collarbone in May and wasn't able to work specifically on his sprinting prior to the 2010 Tour de France. "I haven't sprinted enough this year for winning against someone like Mark Cavendish," Hushovd acknowledged.

Pure sprinters Mark Cavendish, Tyler Farrar, Alessandro Petacchi and Oscar Freire were missing in the 70-men peloton that contested the stage victory in Murcia today because of the 2nd category climb of Alto de la Cresta del Gallo located 17 kilometers from the finish.

A proud Thor Hushovd on the podium in Murcia. Photo copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti.

"When I saw that Bennati was also there for the sprint, he was the man for me to watch", Hushovd commented after the stage finish and added "I also feared Philippe Gilbert and Filippo Pozzato who are fast finishers in small groups."

"When I came to the Vuelta, my first goal was to get back in race rhythm", Hushovd continued "The second goal was to win a stage." Now that he has reached these two goals, he can focus solely on the 2010 road cycling world championships.

At the start of stage 6 in Caravaca de la Cruz, Pozzato identified him as one of the very few sprinters who can survive the repetition of the climbs on the course of Geelong to claim the rainbow jersey in Australia on October 3rd. Hushovd's disadvantage will be the small number of teammates he'll have as Norway can line up with three riders only.

32-year-old Hushovd looked worried when he arrived in Sevilla for the 2010 Tour of Spain. He hadn't imagined that his Cervélo TestTeam team sponsor would close the business prematurely. He was still contracted with them for next year. On Monday he sealed a deal for joining Team Garmin-Cervelo for 2011, whose team manager Jonathan Vaughters was on his side as a teammate when the Norwegian first discovered what it's like to win a stage at the Tour de France. That was the team time trial won by Crédit Agricole in 2001.

Philippe Gilbert still leads overall 10 seconds ahead of Euskaltel's Igor Anton. Photo copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti.

Hushovd insisted that six of his current teammates at Cervelo TestTeam would have to follow him to Team Garmin-Cervelo - the team that had already recruited another of his former faithful teammates, Frenchman Christophe Le Mével. "I need them for the classics," the Norwegian God of Thunder said when asked about Roger Hammond, Heinrich Haussler, Daniel Lloyd, Andreas Klier, Gabriel Rasch and Brett Lancaster. That means the main focus of his career is on the classics now.

Omega Pharma-Lotto's Philippe Gilbert maintains the overall 2010 Vuelta a Espana lead before tomorrow's stage, leading Igor Anton by 10 seconds.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for extensive 2010 Vuelta a Espana coverage including news, results, interviews and video highlights from every stage. Spread the word and please support our advertisers - they make our Tour of Spain 2010 coverage possible! When on the move, visit our mobile cycling magazine Roadcycling.mobi from your mobile phone or download our new cycling app for Nokia phones.

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BMC Teammachine SLR01

Roadcycling.com reviews the BMC Teammachine SLR01 road bike.

Since I started road biking in 1998, most bikes I've owned have been from the same company. Testing a bike from a different manufacturer was appealing to me. Even better, the test bike is made by BMC, known for its cutting edge technology and top of the line performance.

The model I tested was the BMC Teammachine SLR01 equipped with SRAM's Red groupo, Easton's EA90 SLX wheel set and EC90 handlebars and Selle Italia's SLR XP saddle. I even had a chance to race using the SLR01, more about that later.

One thing I really appreciated about the BMC Team machine SLR 01 which I have not seen on other bikes was the seat post. It was very easy to move up and down. When you have a proper seat height position it was extremely easy to lock in place. The seat post doesn't have a collar like other bikes. It has an internal mechanism that expands and contracts with a quick twist with an allen wrench.

I don't baby my bikes. I push them hard and expect a lot back. My first time out on the BMC SLR01 I practiced high speed corners criterium style. The "course" I picked was in my neighborhood. I hit the first corner about 20 mph and the SLR01 was stable and true so I decided to push the pace a little. I hit a number of corners at 30 mph plus and didn't feel any pushing or skipping. The SLR01 steered easily and smoothly. It wasn't twitchy and I didn't have to muscle it through the turns unlike other bikes I've ridden

By this time, I had an audience of the neighborhood kids. I was feeling good so decided to throw in some sprints while cornering. Coming out of the corner, I punched it out of the saddle. It felt like the bike launched when I stood on the pedals. I rocked the bike laterally and it was rigid. All the power was distributed directly where it needed to be. I'm not a sprinter but felt like I could be one with the SLR01 under me!

My next test was a section of road where I could ride hard without a break to see how the SLR01 would time trial. I put my power meter on so I could compare the output with other bikes I ride when at my lactate threshold (LT). One thing I had noticed about the SLR01 was how thin the seat stays were. Therefore, I wondered if it was rigid enough.
Well, once I hit the throttle, I was surprised how quickly the SLR01 responded. I was at 130% of my LT within seconds I had to back off numerous times to bring it into my LT zone. This was enlightenment for me. It was easier to ride in my LT zone on the BMC Teammachine SLR01 than with my other bikes. This is a huge benefit to anyone, less energy spent at LT means more reserve and feeling better at the end. The SLR01 has excellent lateral rigidity.

Another day brought me to the climbing/descending portion of my test. The climb was 2.5 miles with grades of 5 - 15%. I started conservatively hoping to increase my speed as I went. I rode in and out of the saddle for extended periods of time. Just as it did on the flat roads, the SLR01 seemed to jump forward when I put more power into the pedals. It surged even more when I stood on the pedals. It seemed effortless as I stood and moved forward.

The SLR01 wasn't sluggish even on the steepest grade. I had a great ride to the top and felt really good. After I hit the top, I thought now the fun really starts. I headed down the way I went up. I started at about 20 mph and quickly increased into the high 40's with a max of 49 mph about half way down. I was really impressed with how the SLR01 descended. It seemed to take off on its own. I again have to describe the feel of the BMC road bike as stable, smooth, and effortless. There wasn't a bit of frame chatter or head tube shaking.

There was only one more test I could do with the BMC. I was generously offered the opportunity to race with the SLR01! The Rockerville Gold Rush was a 60 mile road race with over 4,000 feet of climbing. What was I thinking? A race! Everything I had put the SLR01 through was in the race course: short steep climbs, flat roads, long technical descents and long climbs. I felt great and was in the lead pack for the first 40 miles. The last 20 miles were brutal with a long climb and steep rollers the last 3 miles. I was cooked but the SLR01 didn't let me down. It responded efficiently to what power I could muster. I just didn't have legs and finished in 7th place (5 seconds back from 4th).

BMC Racemaster SLR01 frame close-up.

Overall, I would rate the BMC Teammachine SLR01 near the top of my list of bikes I have ridden. It might even be #1. The SLR01 can do everything you ask for in a high end bike by performing above average in all areas. It handled well at high speeds, cornered like an Indy car and was responsive while out of the saddle in climbs and sprints. It dampened road vibration. The SRAM Red component group works well with the SLR01.

The BMC Team Machine SLR 01 also has very distinctive look being primarily black with red accents. In addition to the cool color scheme, BMC has placed its logos in highly visible areas on the top tube, down tube and chain stays which often catch your eye. I would recommend this bike to anyone who wants a high end bike that is lightweight and super responsive. If you would like more information about the BMC Teammachine SLR01 road bike, visit www.bmc-racing.com.

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Stage 3 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana lead by Philippe Gilbert

Philippe Gilbert looked very focused on the sea side of Marbella at the start of stage 3 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana. He even tried to hide that he had gone to the Castillo de Gibralfaro and scouted the uphill finish by car in the morning but the news was broken by his team-mates. However, the other riders in the bunch didn't need to know that for naming him as the hottest favourite for the stage victory.

The Belgian specialist for the classics added to the stage win his first leadership in a Grand Tour. He was delighted to get the red jersey. "It's a nice surprise", he commented. "I had been second on the results sheets of the Tour de France once behind Alejandro Valverde after stage 1 in Plumelec (2008). It was also an uphill finish. I was once classified sixth at the Giro. I've been close to the jersey before but I didn't get it. Now I'll do my best to respect this red jersey."

The 28 year old won in Malaga in the same way he claimed the Amstel Gold Race in April. "This one was a similar climb as the Cauberg", he analysed. Gilbert is a happy man. Three weeks prior to his first stage win at the Vuelta, he married his girlfriend Patricia on August 7 in Belgium. Their first baby is expected in two months from now. When he crossed the line, he kissed a jewel to send her a message of love. But he has set his sight on another event as well. "I came to the Vuelta for gearing up for the world championship and with the ambition of winning a stage", he said. "The second goal is already reached."

Philippe Gilbert celebrates his stage win and overall Tour of Spain 2010 lead on the podium in Malaga. Photo copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti.

Gilbert doesn't hide his ambitions to become the world champion at the 2010 Road Cycling World Championships in Geelong, Australia, on October 3rd. "The toughness of the course has been underestimated by many favourites", he noted. "If it's a sprint at the end, there'll be a maximum of 25 to 30 riders. We might see the same riders who usually perform well at the World's. I've seen that [Russia's Alexandr] Kolobnev is here with the same aim as me, which is working for the team and training well. [Filippo] Pozzato and [Daniele] Bennati should be there for Italy, [Simon] Gerrans will play at home and of course [Oscar] Freire is always a man to watch."

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for extensive 2010 Vuelta a Espana coverage including news, results, interviews and video highlights from every stage. Spread the word! When on the move, visit our mobile cycling magazine Roadcycling.mobi from your mobile phone or download our new cycling app for Nokia phones.

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Trek and Brian Nygaard signed a long-term partnership agreement

Waterloo, WI USA : Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Trek Bicycle and The Luxembourg Pro Cycling Team Project have signed a long-term partnership agreement, announced today at Eurobike by Trek and Brian Nygaard of the Luxembourg Team. The new team, featuring brothers Frank and Andy Schleck, will be part of the Trek Family for 2011 and beyond.

As the official Equipment Supplier and Advisor of the Luxembourg based team, Trek will not only be responsible for supplying all team cycling equipment, but will also be day-to-day technical advisors, integrated into the foundation of the team. Trek will use its experience gained in winning 9 of the last 12 Tours de France to supply the team with technical direction ranging from race day wheel and component selection to fit and sizing guidance on its Madone and Speed Concept time trial platforms.

Though the full roster and title sponsor are yet to be announced, both Frank and Andy Schleck have confirmed that they are racing for the newly formed team, headed by Director Kim Andersen. Andersen elaborated: “We looked at a number of equipment suppliers, but our goals are to win the Tour de France and be the #1 team in the World. Trek has the best equipment, along with more experience and expertise to help make that happen.” Team General Manager Brian Nygaard continued: “We know Trek can help us go faster. Their expertise in aerodynamics and performance can make an appreciable difference in results. It is the right move to help the Schlecks and the whole team.”

Trek will be the complete bicycle supplier, using the full arsenal of Bontrager wheels, bars, stems and saddles to meet the specific needs of each rider. The team will also be wearing new Bontrager performance road helmets. The drivetrain/brakes will be Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. Hennie Stamsnijder, Shimano’s Sports Marketing Manager relayed, “Shimano is known for its reliability and precision, and that is something this new team and Trek identify with and will rely upon when the stakes are high. We look forward to working with Trek in this endeavor to support this highly anticipated team.”

John Burke, Trek President, added: “We have had great success at the Tour de France over the past decade, and this new team will help continue that legacy. This is the right team for Trek to partner with in Europe. From day one we realized that this team is full of Trek guys.”

The partnership with the Luxembourg team is in addition to Trek’s current relationship with Team Radio Shack. Both teams will be riding Trek for 2011.

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2011 Archon C1R Released

C1R Boasts Lighter Weight and 12% increase in head tube stiffness

Ooltewah, Tennessee – Performance bicycle manufacturer Litespeed today announced the release of the 2011 Archon C1R, the flagship frameset in their acclaimed line of aerodynamic carbon bikes. Material upgrades to the peleton-grade 2011 C1R include 100 gram reduction in weight as well as a 12% increase in head tube stiffness over the 2010 Archon C1.

The C1R also features Reactive Pressure Molding, or RPM, a new carbon manufacturing technique used to carefully control the frame’s internal form and wall thickness during construction. Greater control during manufacturing process allows the frames to be lighter in weight and more rigid than their predecessors. The all-new C1R boasts dramatically increased torsional stiffness in the headtube, notable increase in stiffness in the bottom bracket area, and the full array of the Aerologic features including cross-section aero-tuning and proprietary water bottle shroud.

“This bike represents a package of features unparalleled in the market,” said Peter Hurley, CEO of American Bicycle Group. “Our entire team has worked exceedingly hard to construct a carbon aero road bike that rides like no other and I couldn’t be more pleased with the end result. I have no doubt the C1R will be warmly welcomed by our dealers, industry press, and the avid cyclist alike. ”

Hurley also noted the company’s long tradition of design innovation: “The value of taking the time and energy to develop material-specific technology has long been evident in our experience with titanium. As the Litespeed carbon range has become more and more recognized in the global market, we see it as both a challenge and obligation to continue that tradition of excellence. We have every intention of holding true to that standard with every pro-grade bike we produce, regardless of material.”

The 2011 Archon C1R will officially launch at Eurobike in September 2010. The Archon C1R will be available as a frameset only and is available in five sizes, including model-year 2011 XL.

Background: The C-Series, in development for over 3 years and introduced by Litespeed in 2010, features Aerologic smart frame design which allows for the capture of “free speed.” Wind tunnel qualified data verifies a reduction of over 20 watts compared to a standard, non-aero road bike and a 16% advantage across all yaw angles. The shrouded water bottle mount reduces turbulent airflow and drag at 20(degree) yaw by upwards of 8%. The C-Series range features 2 stand-alone framesets and 3 full bike builds, including both SRAM and Shimano.

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The New Partnership between Edge Composites and Smart Aero Technology.

Ogden, UT, USA – Utah based ENVE Composites, formally Edge Composites, announces their year-long development partnership with top UK aerodynamicist Simon Smart of Smart Aero Technology.

Smart, an ex Formula One aerodynamicist with fifteen years of engineering experience at the highest level of motor sport, earned global recognition from his design and development of the Giant Trinity and Scott Plasma 3 TT frames in the wind tunnel – both manufacturers realizing overnight success in the ProTour with wins in team and individual time trials. Smart Aero Technology is based at the Mercedes GP – Petronas team headquarters and wind tunnel in Brackley, Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom.

Now renowned as the most successful time trial frame designer in the world with no less than six bikes in the top ten at this year’s Tour de France individual time trial in Bordeaux alone, Smart also co-developed the new Scott F01 aero road frame as ridden by HTC-Columbia team members and his distinctive designs have influenced a number of time trial/triathlon bicycles on the market today.

When asked about the timing of the partnership, ENVE Founder, Jason Schiers said “We had already established our reputation as a manufacturer of wheels with the highest strength to weight ratio in the industry and we were really looking for that aerodynamic edge to make them truly superb. Strength and integrity are woven into our foundation and something we’ve always been extremely proud of – the fact that we already have the world’s number one mountain bike team in Syndicate and other world-class individuals like Brian Lopes actively going after our products solely based on their strength, stiffness and durability is testament alone to that. Simon’s expertise in aerodynamics specific to cycling is the perfect compliment, so as a company with a passion for innovation and leadership; we just had to get this done.”
Brett Satterthwaite, fluid dynamics engineer and co-owner of ENVE agreed. “We were obviously impressed with Simon’s knowledge and experience that he brought from his days in Formula One, but his resume in the cycling industry is also impeccable. His experience in frame development and rider testing has given him a solid comprehension of the range of wheels currently on the market which has in turn allowed him to really drill down on areas for improvement. The development of the Drag2Zero test protocol for optimizing aerodynamic rider position and equipment setup is something else that makes him so unique in this industry and this is exactly the kind of insight and understanding of an athlete’s requirements that makes him such a great partner.”

Taking the fundamentals of the Drag2Zero design protocol, Smart has developed a world leading test facility, incorporating proprietary hardware and software specifically for ENVE/Smart Aero Technology wheel development at the Mercedes Benz wind tunnel. A novel rapid prototyping technique together with iterative testing has been implemented to ensure a high level of testing fidelity with reduced the lead times between tests in order to evolve a new range of aero products. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis has also been used to provide and enhance development direction throughout the course of the program, enabling numerous prototype wheels to be manufactured for use in the field between wind tunnel tests to evaluate performance properties such as aero stability, stiffness, weight and drag through a range of riding conditions and speeds.

The upcoming range of ENVE/Smart Aero Technology wheels will be the culmination of over a 1,000 test runs and hundreds of hours at the Mercedes wind tunnel throughout 2010. All prototypes have been individually tested by pro riders and have already been used on the road in various races throughout Europe and the USA.

Satterthwaite added “The new testing methodology will revolutionize wheel aerodynamic and field testing; ultimately setting a new industry standard. We’re incredibly excited to be spearheading such aerodynamic, technological and manufacturing advances with Simon because at the end of the day, this partnership beyond any doubt defines what true teamwork is all about in making the absolute best product available to the consumer.”

Of the collaboration Smart commented, “I became fascinated in wheel aerodynamics when I started developing the Giant Trinity three years ago. Our product development work with leading manufacturers and teams, and one to one experience with over 150 riders at Drag2Zero has given me a unique and invaluable insight into wheel aerodynamics and market requirements. With this wealth of knowledge and the Mercedes GP wind tunnel at our disposal, our natural progression was to develop a range of wheels. We recognized that wheel manufacture is a very specialized field and therefore we needed to find a partner who could develop and produce wheels with the highest quality and mechanical performance – ENVE obviously tick all of those boxes. Our development program has already exceeded expectations and the development wheels currently being ridden by professionals in the field show a great synergy between the combined composite and aerodynamics skills of our two businesses.”

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Kay Gets to Grips with Her Garmin

khodgins | Blog, Cycling Plus | 27/08/2010 12:43pm

Team Member: Kay Bowen

36 year old Kay from Southampton is a very active person. She overcame thyroid cancer last year which has inspired her to try a whole host of new activities, including sailing, tennis, skiing and triathlons. As a triathlete, she already does a lot of cycling, but is keen to work on this aspect of her training. Her goals are to sustain longer distances and to go on a cycling holiday

My Garmin now tells a tale – I am uploading my rides and runs and will soon be able to repeat them to see how I am improving, although I can feel I am improving, without looking at zones or heart rates – hills that were a struggle now being a joy, and new hills tackled without fear. Despite the freak northern weather (rain) I have got out there and enjoyed the time on the bike, with some exploring of new lanes and routes, including a unusual flat bit of road in the Meon Valley, where I spotted 3 other cyclists. I am getting quite good, I think, at perfecting the nod of recognition, slight smile and secret handshake required from the brotherhood of road bikers. I even smile at mountain bikers – hope that’s ok with everyone?

One exciting ride down a hill on my homeward stretch involved 3 ladies tacking (excuse my mixed sporting metaphors) up the hill across its entire width, quickly followed by 2 fast cars, a deer running alongside me and a horse and cart. Somehow the Garmin told me my heart rate was too low – surely not with all that excitement to contend with? Looking at the stats, it dropped to 40bpm, which is beep worthy as my resting is 60. Clearly Garmin have figured out that I might be dead, or near to, and its worth beeping me – but could they send a 999 call with my exact position if it drops that low again?

I finally went along to the swim club training at Esporta on Tuesday night, and loved the drills and pushed myself to swim well and fast. Well, as well and as fast as I can, and still breath and have fun. I am looking forward to building that in to my weekly program. I also got my money’s worth out of my gym membership by fixing up a hour with Andy, one of the gym staff, who has a more progressive approach to exercise that I love – we went out in the rain to run around the car park so I could try out being more ‘centred’ in my running. Essentially, his philosophy is to enjoy moving your body, to love what you are doing and be in the moment, not desperate to reach a goal. This almost spiritual sense of the value of exercise resonates with me and I will book in another chat and wonder time with Andy – a real find of a mentor.

I got a puncture at the end of a ride – and Rob sat me down with tyre levers and an inner tube and I wrestled with them for nearly half an hour but I did it. Finally getting my hands dirty!

And to finish the week – a 3 hour Evans Ride It! from Liphook in Hampshire. I was doing the ‘fun’ route ( 17 miles) with 9 year old Hannah. Unfortunately the choice of route was not much fun for the first 6 miles, being on fast country lanes with a lot of traffic. The rest of the route was fine, lots of ups and downs and I kept Hannah going by shouting out our top speeds down hills, but she needed a lot of support. Road riding with her is not much fun for me – I am so worried about the speed of traffic and am trying to protect her all the time. I found the area a bit of a rat run for Chelsea tractors, to be honest, and would have been better off taking her out at home. Evans meet and greet was good, but still no goodie bag at the end – how about an Evans branded mug with a free tea or coffee inside it guys? Cheap, free advertising and would raise the events from ‘does the job’ to ‘ah – they care!’

Who are Team Cycling Plus?

Team Cycling Plus powered by Verenti are readers Andy Ward, Kay Bowen, Malcolm Ratcliffe and Sam Shaw. We’ll be following them in the magazine for the next few months as they train towards their personal cycling goals under the guidance of Team Wiggle’s Ben Simmons and we will be publishing their weekly trials and tribulations here too. For regular updates check our twitter page and the Team Cycling Plus facebook page.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 12:43 pm and is filed under Blog, Cycling Plus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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Sam Shaw Week Training as Part of the Team

khodgins | Blog, Cycling Plus | 27/08/2010 10:30am

Team Cycling Plus will be updating you each week with the highs and lows of their training as part of the team. This week Sam’s doesn’t cope well with getting man flu…

Team member: Sam Shaw

29 year old Sam who lives in Stirling weighed in at 20stone in 2006. But through discovery of his love of bikes he has shed over 6stone and is still losing. Beginning with tentative 5km commutes, working up to include an 18km detour with 360m climbs, and now braving sportives and time trials, Sam’s newfound obsession has changed his life. His goals are to get down to 13stone and wear lycra with pride.

How do cyclists handle a week of illness? Simple answer: badly.

I use my bike every day for transport to and from work, I use it to control my weight, get exercise, train for events, for enjoyment, to save fossil fuel (not money – we all know that cycling’s NOT cheaper than driving a car once you invariably get stricken with upgradeitis), to feel good and for a whole host of other reasons that are mainly for my own benefit. The other thing is that I really love riding the Verenti Millook! So when it comes to not being able to cycle for a week, I really feel lost. This illness, some would call it ‘man flu’, started with a heavy cold which then turned into an ear infection; so a visit to the doctors and some antibiotics to clear that up, but the pain was still there in a different place; so a visit to the dentist for a root canal treatment on a tooth that had become infected. It really wasn’t a good week.

It did leave me time to ponder why we ride and what we miss about riding when we cant, for whatever reason. I don’t have the physical or mental ability to stick myself on a bike and hammer the pedals when I’m feeling absolutely rotten, like Pro Tour riders do. My livelihood depends on me being at work, not being on the bike so there’s always going to be a compromise if cycling when ill is going to affect my work. So the decision to drive to work and not do a single minute of training for the last week really had a pre-determined outcome. It was particularly hard to stomach this week though as it was the last big week of training prior to a 10 mile TT I have on the 19th August, then the 100mile, Ken Laidlaw Sportive on the 22nd of August, to which my training has been tailored for the last few weeks. The last thing I wanted to do was to prolong my illness and potentially miss either of these rides so I had to accept that the bike would be waiting for me when I feel like getting back on it.

This still doesn’t make it any easier though; even when lying in bed dozing with a temperature, I’m thinking of what I’m missing – what training other people will be doing. And that’s what gets us on our bikes. We enjoy cycling for many different reasons, I think I love it for them all judging by the answers I read whenever there’s a “why do you love cycling” question posed on the internet or in print. Ultimately we will always have our reasons for wanting to get back on the bike, we all know the story of Tommy Simpson who heroically died trying to complete the ascent of the Ventoux but sometimes we just have to accept that we’re ill and we’ll get back on soon enough!
Who are Team Cycling Plus?

Team Cycling Plus powered by Verenti are readers Andy Ward, Kay Bowen, Malcolm Ratcliffe and Sam Shaw. We’ll be following them in the magazine for the next few months as they train towards their personal cycling goals under the guidance of Team Wiggle’s Ben Simmons and we will be publishing their weekly trials and tribulations here too. For regular updates check our Twitter page and the Team Cycling Plus Facebook page.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 10:30 am and is filed under Blog, Cycling Plus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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