Riding on my Bike

This time around, the weather, while arguably as cold as on the previous attempt, was looking more kindly on the ride. Several dry, breezy days immediately prior meant that the roads were, for the most part, dry rather than slick with half-melted black ice.

The breeze, however, was coming steadily from the north-west, and was very cold. Not that we noticed while heading south on the traditional route via Newdigate, Rusper and Mannings Heath. Bright sunshine created enough warmth to hint at the imminent arrival of spring and, propelled by that chuff wind, we reached Steyning in just over 1hr40'.

There are plenty of small rises on the way there, enough to keep things interesting, but veterans of the Clog know that the real action starts with Stomping Hill, better known as Steyning Bostal. This savage climb acquired its more apt soubriquet on the first running of the ride way back in the late '80s when Rob Jefferies and I, fresh from winning prizes in a criterium on Worthing sea front, rode down to the town to redeem the vouchers awarded. For inner tubes, if I remember correctly.

That year, before reaching Worthing we climbed the Bostal and descended to the village of Sompting, its name hinting at the only practicable way of getting over the hill. Rob hadn't ridden the Clog since but had decided to turn up for this one. His groan of recognition as we left Steyning with the awful sight of Stomping Hill ahead was worth the ride down...

Regrouping at the top, we were surprised to see rugby player Danny Hutton make the summit. A Clog alumnus but short this time around of road miles, Danny had intimated that he would wait for us at the cafe in Steyning while we did the loop around Coombes and Botolphs. Seems he "overshot" the cafe and had to ride the hill. Sensibly, he rode back down and headed for the lunch stop near Billingshurst while we rode the loop.
It is lumpy in an innocent kind of way and is very popular with cyclists, who passed going the opposite way in considerable numbers. Following on from the Bostal and the subsequent climb to Sompting Abbots, however, this little leg always does a lot of damage. The first to look a little sluggish was DA, who hasn't had the best January ever. Leaving Steyning we found ourselves presented with a surprisingly stiff headwind; finding himself on the front for the first time, triathlete Tristram Bishop put in a generous turn and immediately had DA in trouble.

Shiny Boy, however, knows how to dig deep and did so, hanging on despite finding himself at the back of what he described as a four-up TTT to Billingshurst and lunch, where we found Danny about to order his usual Olympic Breakfast. Just the one this year.

From here on, distance and the biting headwind began to take their toll. The pace gradually slowed with no one particularly keen to push on the front. Tootling up Weare Street, we got to the northern end to find a police cordon with several patrol cars just beyond and a policeman marking the road. Here was the aftermath of some sort of unpleasant RTA, no doubt. I ducked the cordon tape and got a yell from the copper, wanting to know if I had seen it.  I had, and told him so, adding that we had just ridden five miles along a road with no turn-offs and that, had there been a warning at the other end, we would not have set off down it.

Faced with this kind of logic he had little choice but to let us through. As we waited for Danny, a member of the Norwood Paragon rode straight through from the other direction, on receipt of the yell simply stating that he had been told by another copper to go through. The look on the face of "ours" as Paragon man blithely ignored his instructions was beautiful to see.

The final scenes of the day were written by Shiny Boy, who now found new strength from nowhere. Noticing that Rob was suddenly nailed to the road, he attacked hard out of Newdigate, shelling Tristram and regaining a lot of confidence if his happy demeanour back at Ryka's cafe could be believed. It had been a fine edition.

Leaving our companions to drive home, DA and I set off for south London and our first 100 of the year, DA managing a total of 198km by the time he got home. Not bad for someone who has had to go back to basics this winter.

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Running to celebrate the birth of www.tom-staniford.co.uk

I’m running to celebrate the birth of www.tom-staniford.co.uk , my reaching 5000 posts on the RCUK forum, and the return of the delusional grimpeur. Prizes very generously provided by High5 and Rapha. Taking the form of a caption competition, hop on over to my website to read more and see the picture in question. Entries submitted to the RCUK forum thread attached to this blog.

With that off my chest; onto the blog proper.

I don’t know about the weather where you are but over the last few days in Exeter we’ve had a return to the freezing cold temperatures of mid to late December, and it’s at times like this that your mettle is surely tested.
With winter equinox over and the days now getting longer it’s easy to get complacent and think ‘oh, well…
from here on the way is surely up’. This is true, to an extent, and a great comfort if you’re not enjoying your riding much at the time. But when the weather takes a turn for the worse again and you’re battered with heavy rains or frostier climes, it can play havoc with the shrewdly-calculated ascent to cycling superstardom and summer invincibility that you’ve mapped out in your head.

The vast majority of cyclists - whether pro, recreational or merely occasional- can stick to a plan. Well, for a time. It’s fairly easy. In general we like rules, we like boundaries, we like simplicity. The issues arise, however, when there is a potential issue/development which threatens to derail us from the straight and narrow of our chugging locomotive desire. I mean our desires which chug along. Relentless. Like a locomotive. Yes, like that. I’m not advocating car-love. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Well, in most countries. But I’m not here to judge, do what you will. However, I digress.

So… Persistence, perseverance, commitment, dedication. Call it whatever you will- this is the quality that above all, for me, personifies the attitude of the true champion. It’s a desire to keep going, whatever the odds. Whether that be on a daily basis, (the grind of regular toil, training and the balance of life/family/work) a session basis (gritting your teeth and really driving on for that last interval), or an event basis (really pushing for that Gold finishing time at the sportive you’ve been dreaming of completing all year).

Because, you see, champions walk amongst us. If you’ve met one, you’ve probably been struck by how commonplace and down to earth they are. That’s because they are, in many ways, identical to us. They have had to struggle, to balance commitments, to have off/bad days and deal with temporary issues. The only real difference between us and them (thankfully the day is still many years off before I start classing myself as one of ‘them’ or referring to myself in the 3rd person) is in how they approach their business.

Consider, then, how many of these champions started. They may have been one of the lucky few to win their first race. Local chipper or youth event, go out (probably with inferior kit and/or experience) blow away their contemporaries. Come back, do it again. Glittering stardom beckons, a dizzying ascent to the heights of the sport. And yet… how many have then gone straight on to be World Champions in their discipline, or to have confirmed their place as one of the greatest of all time? (I must at this point insist that you’re not allowed to mention Chrissie Wellington, an athlete I hold in incredibly high regard. She’s ruining my argument, so I’ll just pretend to ignore her.)

Obviously there are not that many World Champions around. Certainly far less in existence than the gifted individuals who won their first race or showed such terrific early promise. So where have they all gone? How many of you know or have known bright young things with incredible early talent, who then (for whatever reason) fall out of love or practice with the sport, and slip quite contentedly into a life of anonymity and malnourished potential?

The kind of adaptations, developments, and strengths required to ascend the very peaks of performance (in any endeavour) cannot be gifted or earned in the space of an afternoon or a few frantic weeks of activity. It takes years. Granted, some of your contemporaries may have been genetically blessed with long thigh muscles, or a particularly high VO2, or any number of other physical advantages. Yet those advantages alone never ensure success. They are very rarely a ticket to immediate success, and in the long run will surely be trumped by consistent persistent and dedicated commitment (bit of a tautology just to labour the point).
So to conclude this slightly long-winded and circumlocutory pondering… Keep at it.

Whatever it is you do, do it. Lots. And keep doing it. Because it may not always feel like it (especially in this weather) but every single extra minute you spend on that bike, or with your family, or addressing a work project or whatever- will make its benefits known at some point.

Discomfort is inevitable in every walk of life. For everyone; even if sometimes it seems like others neatly avoid all forms of negativity.

Pain isn’t an option, then. Suffering, however, is. I would much rather ENDURE something than suffer through it. There’s a fundamental mental difference in approach there.

And what’s at the end? Well, eventually there’s a breakthrough. The sun shines brightly one day; in the middle of a week of torrential downpours. Or you get a terrific tailwind. Or someone realises what an essential cog you are to the whirring of the company you are and promotes you. Sometimes it’s not even a positive change, but just an end to the discomfort you’ve been enduring.

Summarising this quite succinctly is Aristotle (the old boy is always good to touch for a quote):
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because
we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit”
And I don’t know about you, but quitting just isn’t my style, really…

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Mavic Propane one of the toastiest cycling jackets we've ever used

While the somewhat Mavic Propane jacket puffy appearance may not be as trim looking as some other high-end cycling outerwear – especially the Italian stuff – that extra bulk encapsulates a highly effective layer of Primaloft insulation throughout and the result is one of the toastiest cycling jackets we've ever used.

It's so warm, in fact, that we'd only recommend using it on the coldest of days when other cyclists are far more likely to sit on a trainer. One memorable test ride took us out on an overcast day with a high temperature of -4°C (25°F) and we were remarkably cozy with just a long-sleeved jersey beneath. Not a smidgeon of Arctic air managed to punch through, nor did we feel the need to work just that little bit harder just to generate body heat. In the event of precipitation, there's also a DWR coating to ward off light rain and road spray.

If it's really cold, the slightly loose fit leaves enough room for another layer or two and you can even crack out the built-in balaclava that's cleverly tucked inside the upper back of the Propane. Mavic have done a good job of sealing all the entry points, too, with a close-fitting collar, a slick double asymmetrical cuff that extends just enough over your gloves, and a half-elasticized lower hem that provides adequate coverage for your rear end without bunching up around your stomach. There's no protective flap behind the partially offset full front zipper but we never felt a draft coming through.

Too much of a good thing?
In fact, we were almost too warm. While the Propane is insanely capable of retaining heat, it can be tough to shed the extra when the efforts levels climb.  Mavic have fitted the Propane with zippered vents at the upper, outer chest and forearms but ultimately, we discovered those vents to be most useful only when moving reasonably quickly. Even with them all the way open we still had to open the front zipper all the way while climbing a modest seven percent grade at tempo pace.

Given that you're most likely to need to shed heat when climbing, we'd like to see Mavic add another set of vents at the back of the jacket to get some more effective pass-through ventilation – or at least makes the existing chest vents much longer. The Propane's loose-fitting shell also makes opening or closing the forearm vents a requisite two-handed affair.

Ample storage comes courtesy of a big zippered pocket out back, which opens up to reveal a trio of smaller elasticized pockets to help keep things separated. The main compartment offers up plenty of space – easily enough for a traditional long-sleeved jersey – but the sub-pockets are simply too small and deep to be useful. We were never able to fit more than three fingers in per pocket and it was impossible to grab smaller items like mini-tools, CO2 cartridges or keys without first pulling off our gloves. Like with the forearm vents, opening or closing the pocket zipper also requires two hands.

Minor issues aside, if warmth is your top priority for a cycling jacket, the Propane fits the bill. It's certainly not cheap but if you've previously backed out of going on a ride purely because of the temperature, this just might make things bearable.


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Ivan Basso,Ted King,Peter Sagan and Eros Capecchi in Brescia to perfect their positions on their new time trial bikes

Ivan Basso, Ted King, Peter Sagan and Eros Capecchi, have spent a day on the covered track in Brescia to perfect their positions on their new time trial bikes.

The riders had already undergone biomechanical studies and worked on their positions during the team’s training camps in Sardinia but the controlled conditions of the track allowed team coach Paolo Slongo, team doctor Roberto Corsetti and directeur sportif Stefano Zanatta to further tweak the riders' positions.

Paolo Longo Borghini was the first on track at 9:30 in the morning, followed by Ivan Basso and Peter Sagan. Eros Capecchi, Damiano Caruso, Davide Cimolai, Ted King, Paolo Longo Borghini, Alan Marangoni, Maciej Paterski, Simone Ponzi, Juraj Sagan, Cristiano Salerno, Elia Viviani and Cameron Wurf were all scheduled for time on the boards during a long day of testing.

The Liquigas-Cannondale team knows a good result in team time trials is vital for success in major stage races, while a perfect time trial position could help riders like Sagan in prologue time trials. He finished fifth in last year’s Paris-Nice prologue, just ten seconds slower than winner Lars Boom.

“The testing was an important test for the new riders and helped the others perfect their position,” Slongo said. “The theoretical and the practical changes have given us some useful feedback and will help us during the season.”

The riders covered laps of the Italian track at a set pace and then compared power outputs after making changes to their position and equipment. Basso tested a new Rudy Project helmet, making sure it fitted well while he was in his tucked aero position.

“The test confirmed that the position that I’ve got is pretty good. It’s aerodynamic and allows me get to get everything out. We’ve got a new helmet that works really well but I didn’t change my position because it works for me,” Basso told Gazzetta dello Sport.

The 13 riders will travel to Tenerife on Thursday for a 12-day high-altitude training camp.


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The Astana squad revealed its 27-rider roster

In the presence of Kairat Kelimbetov, CEO of the sponsoring, state-owned National Wealth Fund Samruk-Kazyna and Kazakh cycling federation president, the squad revealed its 27-rider roster, of whom 10 are new signings.

Its most prominent addition, Czech stage race specialist Roman Kreuziger, will lead the outfit together with driving force and national hero Alexander Vinokourov, as motivated as ever for what might be his final season as a professional cyclist.

As the riders entered the stage - presented by none less that breakaway legend Jacky Durand - it became apparent that the new team manager Giuseppe Martinelli had taken great care in assembling a squad encompassing two generations of riders: one young, talent-laden with the likes of Krueziger, eager to prove the expectations laid upon him at the Giro d'Italia this year, and the other of more confirmed, highly experienced men such as Vinokourov.

"We have combined the old generation with the one that is coming up for a team that has big, long-term goals," commented Kelimbetov, who supplied Martinelli with an annual budget of 15 million Euro in order to do so.

With the team's prestigious mentor Vinokourov celebrating his 38th birthday this year, the choice of a replacement leader fell on Kreuziger, who wants to confirm his Grand Tour talent at the age of 24. "We are very confident in him," said Vinokourov. "He is still very young, but it's already his sixth year as a pro. He has a huge potential. Even if a three-week race is different from a one-week event, I'm certain that he will be able to do a beautiful Giro."

The Czech rider, victorious in the Tour de Suisse and Tour de Romandie in the past, now looks to improve his Grand Tour top ten placings by going for the overall victory at the Giro - as the team's sole leader. "I've come to a stage in my career where I feel I can take up responibilities. I will go to the Giro to win it," stated Kreuziger, happy about his position in the new outfit after leaving Liquigas, his employer for the past five years.

"I'm very happy in this team, I've already gotten used to everyone. I need new input to motivate myself again. To grow, this team was the best solution. I was often told that I wait too much for the others to move in races, and Vino will guide me now on how to attack at the best moment to become an actor in races."

The Kazakh star, who will thus skip the Giro to fully focus on the Tour, revealed that he was possibly looking at his last season in the pro ranks - even though he has said so in the beginning of 2010, too. "I will concentrate on the Tour, Paris-Nice, the Classics. At 37 years, I can't do both the Giro and the Tour and be compeititve. It's hard to say whether I'll continue beyond this year, because when you still have results and you're still motivated to do well... I have the pink jersey and a golden one already at home, so all I lack now is a yellow one!"

The team will thus support Kreuziger at the Giro, Vinokourov at the Tour - and possibly Kreuziger at the Vuelta again, but this is yet to be decided. As for the Classics, 'Vino' is eager to add Fleche Wallonne to his palmares, which already include Amstel Gold and Liege-Bastogne-Liege two times. "I would love to win a race like Milano-San Remo but it's not suited to me," he shrugged. Fortunately, Astana also has a top sprinter in its ranks who is already fully concentrated on the 'Classicissima': Allan Davis.

"We will be competitive in all races of the calendar," said Martinelli, highly satisfied with the revamped team.

"We have two big leaders, but many more cards to play. The team is much more open now that it was in the past."

Amongst the newcomers are Australian Simon Clarke, French climber Remy Di Gregorio, Estonian time trilalist Tanel Kangert, Swede Frederik Kessiakoff, Croatian Robert Kiserlovski (who finished tenth in last year's Giro), fast Italian Mirco Lorenzetto, Russian veteran Evgeni Petrov and Lithuanian powerhouse Tomas Vaitkus. With 14 nationalities on board and an average rider age of 28 years, Astana's fifth season in pro cycling is likely to be another successful one.

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George Hincapie interview

“I don’t know the answer to that question,”sayid George Hincapie (BMC) in a interview “I do think that, from what I know, cycling is doing probably more than any other sport to make it a clean sport and I’m proud of the way they’re handling it. I do think we’re on the cutting edge as far as testing goes and other sports will try to follow our lead.

“I know there are a lot of riders out there who work very hard and win races clean, so I don’t want fans to think you cannot do that.”

Hincapie was a member of each of Lance Armstrong’s seven Tour de France-winning teams and their former US Postal Service squad is understood to be at centre of a federal investigation into alleged doping practices in American cycling. Hincapie declined to comment on the ongoing inquiry, led by FDA agent Jeff Novitzky, but he said that he was not affected by speculation linking him to the matter.

“I think if you ask anybody that’s close to me, they’ll all say that I’m a good person and that I have a good character and at the end of the day, my family and close friends are what matter to me,” he said. “If they were to say I was a bad person or had a bad character, then that would affect me. But the other stuff [media and internet speculation], I’m not going to let that affect me.”

Hincapie’s erstwhile leader Armstrong has been at the eye of the storm in recent weeks, as a lengthy article in Sports Illustrated featured fresh allegations against the Texan in late January. Hincapie explained that he has not been in touch with Armstrong in the intervening period.

“I haven’t spoken to him recently,” Hincapie said. “He just had a baby, so obviously I say congratulations. He’s got a growing family and is obviously very busy with his foundation and with racing and I really hope that he’s doing well right now and it looks like he is.”

Indeed, in spite of the mounting and persistent accusations that have been levelled against the US Postal Service team, Hincapie believes that there is a new generation of young American talent that will continue to attract people to the sport.

“There are still sponsors coming in,” he explained. “We have four American ProTeams now, which is unheard of in our country, so I think the future looks bright. The young riders that we have, like Taylor Phinney and riders from other teams, have huge potential and I think they’ll continue to gather interest from the US media and fans.”

An Olympic farewell in 2012?
At 37 years of age, Hincapie is aware that he is in the twilight of his career, but winning Paris-Roubaix remains his overriding ambition, even if he recognises that the window of opportunity is narrowing.
“[Winning Paris-Roubaix] is becoming less likely as I get older but it’s definitely possible,” Hincapie told Cyclingnews. “I know that on my good days, if I’m fit and healthy and 100 per cent motivated, I can still ride with the best in the world, so if that happens, I definitely still have a chance.”

Hincapie also revealed that he envisages ending his career after the 2012 season. The American is on course to participate in a sixth consecutive Olympic Games in London, although he admitted that the possibility of bowing out with such a landmark had not entered into his thinking.

“Until you said it, I didn’t even consider it,” he smiled. “It would be nice, I’ve done five of them. To do a sixth Olympics would be pretty cool. It’s pretty crazy actually to think of that.”

On retirement, Hincapie hopes to stay in the sport and preferably in a role with the BMC team, albeit one with less travel than the life of rider. Regardless of when he finally does hang up his wheels, Hincapie said that his work ethic will remain intact until the end of his career.

“When I first started [in 1994], my goal was to do ten years as a professional cyclist and that’s come and gone a long time ago, so I’m definitely very appreciative of the position I’m in,” he said. “I don’t take it for granted at all, I continue to work hard. As long as I’m going to be racing a bike professionally, I’m going to be doing it at 100 per cent of my capabilities.”

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Raleigh/Banana Retro Cycling Jersey Short Sleeve

There was a burgeoning UK pro scene over 2 decades ago,the focal point was the legendary Kellogs City Centre series which (with due respect to the current "Tour Series") was the cutting edge of Crit racing.

Top Continental pro's would regularly guest in these races and would routinely be humiliated by the Brit based experts of this fast and furious racing. It was televised too and was one of the few opportunities to see live cycle racing on the box pre-Eurosport.

The famed marque Raleigh were always strong in this discipline and indeed the formidable "Raleigh/Banana" team even had a replica bike (in fact a choice of two, one budget and one pukka team replica).

There are without doubt, many of you reading this whose very first foray into the world of lightweight racing cycles who got started on a "Raleigh/Banana". Cue misty eyed recollections.

We are proud and very priveliged to return this iconic jersey back to the marketplace. Faithfully produced by the original manufacturer Santini in modern fabrics, this is our first foray into recreating a UK "blast from the past", we have even had the cap accurately reproduced.

The Raleigh team is now reborn as a "Continental Team" and led by our long term associate Dan Fleeman.
The team is a young one who have performed well in their inaugural season and we expect futher developement and progress from the team in the next few years. They have their sights set high and we wish them well. How amazing it would be to see a "Raleigh" team back at the top level as in years gone by.

This is an officially licensed product and we would like to thank Geoff Giddings and Mervyn Jones of Raleigh UK for their co-operation and invaluable assistance in making this project happen.