.EST 1891.

Thursday 11 July, 2024

GREATEST
Win #35 | Stage 5 | Saint-Vulbas | 3 July 2024

EXCLUSIVE

UP
CLOSE &
PERSONAL
How Cavendish's
family celebrated,
in their own words

Col de la Bonette is
calling O Page 20
Cav joins the immortals
Time moves quickly at the Tour
de France. Race days are spent
in a mad rush: getting to the race
start, trying to speak to riders and
ƹݒŊƴƝƹ’üÆƴƏ’´ĭŔĔƴƹşƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħÆƴ
grabbing some food on the way,
ƝŵݒĻĭŔĔƴƹşƴŊşƏÝƴŵÝşŵĽÝƴ’ƹƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴ
before looking for a restaurant that’s
still serving dinner followed by a late
check-in and bed.
Somewhere in there, a writer has to
ĆŔÍƴƹĭŊÝƴƹşƴ’´ƹǓ’ĽĽDZƴÍşƴƝşŊÝƴǫƏĭƹĭŔĔżƴ
Quite a lot of writing, in fact. Bringing
you the stories before the news cycle
moves on to the next stage, the
next winner, and the next story. It’s
relentless, and there’s never time to sit
back, take a breath, and soak it all up.
As you read this, we’re already eight
days on from Mark Cavendish’s historic
win in Saint-Vulbas. Since then we’ve
had Remco Evenepoel beating Tadej
_şĔ’¹’Əƴƹşƴƹ’ĻÝƴħĭƝƴĆƏƝƹƴqşǓƏƴƝƹ’ĔÝƴǫĭŔÆƴ
Biniam Girmay winning a second time,
and an action-packed gravel stage.
As gripping as all this has been, it’s
Cav’s win
- a family
affair
O Page 28
Going big
All-new Garmin Edge after 40
1050 O Page 44 O Page 48
Mark Cavendish crossing the line with
his arms in the air that this Tour will be
remembered for. That was a moment
that will live long in the memory, a
record that may never be beaten, and
something to celebrate. So savour the
images, and savour the reaction, for this
is the moment a British cyclist achieved
true greatness, and moments like this
are few and far between.
NEVER MISS
AN ISSUE!
SUBSCRIBE AND GET CW DELIVERED TO YOUR
'¦ΐíiUuHç..gií¶Ê¶̛̛ÊgΌ'Χȃ¥
Simon Richardson Editor
simon.richardson@futurenet.com
My highlights this week
14 Fred Wright’s Tour diary
31 Double-sided pull-out poster
38 Final Olympic line-up Scan to subscribe!
3
 OOOO

O

OO

OOO

O  OO OOO OOOO

Vintage year?
Red Bull-Bora-
Hansgrohe’s Aleksandr
Vlasov cuts through the
vineyards south of Dijon
in the individual time trial
on stage seven, tracked
by the Tour’s ever-present
TV cameras.
Green real deal White lines 35 and counting
Eritrea’s Biniam The chemins blancs Every member of Astana-
Girmay proves near Troyes produced Qazaqstan was thanked by
his stage three win a spectacular stage that Mark Cavendish after his
was no fluke as he tested riders’ bike 35th stage win, including
outpaces Jasper handling skills as well Davide Ballerini. The Italian
Philipsen to the line in as their power output – rider actually finished
Colombey-les-Deux- and resulted in another 157th, but still
Eglises on stage eight. French winner. got a celebratory hug.
 In Focus

5
Photos: Zak Williams/SWpix.com, Alamy
 Week 1

Cavendish sprints
into the Tour’s
history books
News

Brit finally breaks stage-win record with textbook

sprint, reports Tom Davidson at the race

T
he air was filled with
a cocktail of both
disbelief and relief in
Saint-Vulbas last
week, when Mark Cavendish,
at 39 years old, sprinted to a
record-breaking 35th stage
win at the Tour de France.
It was a distinctly ordinary
setting for history to take
place. Beside an industrial
park on a newly tarmacked
road, fans scaled moss-
covered trees to get a better
view of the finish line. There
were no bars, restaurants or
boulangeries to pass the
time, only the suspense of an
Photos: Getty Images, Alamy
impending bunch sprint,
and a chance to see a
record broken.
The arrival of the pack was
signalled by a voice over the
tannoy. People pressed
tighter against the barriers,
and watched on the big
screens as Cavendish surfed
his way through the bunch,
weaving right and left across
the road, and piercing
through a gap onto the front.
When the first kicks of the
Brit’s sprint came, a roar
burst out, carrying him
across the line ahead of
Jasper Philipsen, a man 13
years his junior. Then, for a
moment, the crowd stood
still, stunned by the weight
of history.
Metres beyond the finish
line, Cavendish’s wife, Peta,
had been waiting anxiously.
“Oh my God, he did it,” she
cried, holding their
youngest of four children in
her arms. The other three
jumped for joy, before
hurdling the barriers to try
and catch the sprinter’s
attention. “Daddy! Daddy!”
Cavendish’s eldest daughter
shouted. When he finally
heard her, through the
clicking of camera shutters,
he forced a gap in the melee,
and welcomed her into
the chaos.
cusp of tears. “He’s just
Love of Le Tour phenomenal,” he said. “You
“People didn’t believe I could cannot imagine how much
win another stage of the pressure this guy was under.
Tour,” Cavendish said But he’s a great champion,
in his post-stage press and only champions can

conference, 16 years after his handle this pressure.”

first victory at the race. “I
love this race, I have always
loved this race. I love this
race when I ride it, I love this
race when I watch it, and I’ll
always give it 100%.”
By the Astana-Qazaqstan
team bus, parked along a
nearby wheat field, the Brit’s
coach, Vasilis Anastopoulos,
The fastman’s family witnessed his record-breaking win looked as if he was on the
Saint-Vulbas, an
uninspiring town of around
1,000 people in the Ain
department, became the
epicentre of global sport in
the days afterwards. It will
surely become a pilgrimage
site, where fans can pay
tribute to the place cycling’s
greatest ever sprinter
achieved immortality.

6

What did Eddy Merckx say?
Among the outpouring of praise that
followed Cavendish’s 35th stage win,
there was one person’s reaction in
particular that people wanted to
hear: that of Eddy Merckx, the person
whose record the Brit bettered.
The Belgian, who recently turned
79, has been ill in recent months, and
is currently recovering at home from
intestinal surgery. He did, however,
find a moment to salute Cavendish
on his feat. “Congratulations to Mark
Cavendish on this historic
achievement,” Merckx wrote on his
Instagram story. “Such a nice guy
to break my record.”
Merckx had held the record
outright since 1972, when his 26th
stage win gave him the highest
victory tally of any rider in the Tour’s
history. He then went on to nudge
that benchmark out to 34, which
Cavendish equalled in 2021, then
riding for Deceuninck-Quick Step.
That year, asked how he felt about
the prospect of the Brit winning
again, Merckx told La Gazzetta dello
Sport: “There’ll be no problem if
Completed it, mate:
Cav’s landmark kick
Cavendish equals my record. I won’t
lose any sleep over it. If he does it, I’ll
congratulate him because it’s not
easy to win 34 sprints.”
The day after the 39-year-old took
the outright record, he also took
something else of Merckx’s: his
nickname. The front page splash of
L’Équipe dubbed Cavendish ‘The
Cannibal’, a title that was tied to the
Belgian throughout his career for his
unwillingness to let anyone else win.
Merckx retired in 1978, seven years
before Cavendish was born.
7
 Week 1
‘It was just
classic Cav’
News
Three key figures from Mark Cavendish’s career
react to his 35th Tour de France stage win
J
ust like any other key
moment in British
history, cycling fans will
remember where they
were when Mark Cavendish
crossed the finish line to take
his record-breaking 35th
Tour de France stage win in
Saint-Vulbas in the heart of
the Ain department.
Hundreds of miles away in
northern England, Tour of
Britain race director Rod
Ellingworth was getting
twitchy on the sofa as the
peloton tore into the final
kilometre with Cavendish
locked onto Jasper
Philipsen’s back wheel.
“Myself and the family were
jumping around with
500-600 metres to go,”
Ellingworth told Cycling
Weekly. “Afterwards my initial
Pride and relief as
he straightens his
35th stage-
winning medal
8
reaction was just being in
awe of what he had done.
“There was that moment
afterwards when he walked
back down through the
peloton and everyone was
hugging him or high-fiving
him, or shaking his hand.
“I think that just shows you
how special that was, not just
for him, but also for the other
riders to be a part of.”
Never say never
Ellingworth coached
Cavendish at the British
Cycling Academy in the early
noughties and is credited for
developing him into a pro
rider. “A lot of people said to
me in the lead up, ‘Do you
think he can do it?’ and my
answer was you can never say
no with Mark,” Ellingworth
added. “I spoke to him on
Tuesday before the race
started and he said he felt
really good, training had
gone really well, he had been
doing plenty of work and he
was ready for it.
“One thing he does have
over everybody is experience.
It’s split-second decision
making in sprinting, the
moment you touch or feather
the brakes you’re finished,
but when Cav’s on it and he’s
prepared to take the risks,
there’s nobody else like him.
“That was the thing with his
stage win, he was prepared to
take the risks. I could see that
from a good few kilometres
out and I just thought, right,
it’s game on now.”
Meanwhile Marcel Kittel, a
longtime rival of the
Manxman, referred to the
landmark win as “classic Cav”.
Kittel was at Eurobike in
Frankfurt, but managed to
pull himself away from the
event in order to catch the
racing in his hotel room.
“I only saw the last
kilometres,” Kittel told
Cycling Weekly. “I think he
did an amazing job. It wasn’t
gifted to him at all, he really
had to fight for it.
“In my eyes, the dominant
sprinter of the day, Philipsen,
didn’t even have the speed to

match him. He launched his
sprint at the same second,
but he didn’t have the speed
to even get to his rear wheel.
It was such a dominant
display from Cavendish last
week, it was just classic Cav.”
Going strong
“Absolutely, yeah,” Kittel
added when asked if he felt
Cavendish could win again in
the flat stages to come. “I saw
a dominant Mark Cavendish. I
think he is stronger than what
we expected before the Tour.
Racecraft and speed
have combined during
Cav’s incredible career
Words: Tom Thewlis Photos: Getty Images, Alamy
“HE WAS DOMINANT in Denmark. Holm said he did
not “over-celebrate” in his
LAST WEEK, STRONGER lounge as he briefly feared
his result might not stand
after a hectic finale.
ÂP
uΐ.ì¤.Â.'ΐǦΐÂP.íΐ “He was amazing,” Holm
COULDN’T MATCH HIM” said. “He was like he was back
in 2009 when he was at his
best. I think there are more
sprinters, good sprinters
His win was so convincing, today than there were 10-15
so I think he could keep years back. Back in the good
winning now.” old days it was mainly Tyler
Cavendish’s former team Farrar or Thor Hushovd so for
manager, Brian Holm, was me it was bigger today.”
also watching on from home Holm echoed Kittel’s
9
 belief that Cavendish can
now keep up his winning
form in the coming days.
“Of course he could win
again, now he’s got going,”
he said. “Everyone saw what
happened in 2021, never say
never, but he’s up against
some good fighters now, the
competition is bigger.

Comeback king
“When I saw it I did not do a
big celebration, because I
think 10-15 years ago they
might have disqualified him. Tour de France riders
“I saw what was happening congratulate
and I got a little nervous of the Manxman en masse
the French commissaires. If
they’re in a bad mood that

“OF COURSE HE COULD

day then you never know another big contract,
what could happen. I think everyone was laughing at us

WIN AGAIN NOW THAT

what they did was correct, for taking him back and then
but we’ve seen strange things he started winning.

HE HAS GOT GOING”

from them in the past.”
Holm revealed that despite
the significance of his former
charge’s win, his comeback in
2021 had hit home harder.
“Personally I was more
emotional when he came
back in 2021 with Quick
Step,” he explained. “I think
the first stage he won was in
Châteauroux after being out
for almost two years. He went
back to Quick Step for
“Every year was always the
same and it’s still always the
same with Mark. Every year
people write him off and
every year he comes back
and wins again. That’s just
classic Cav though, I guess.”

WHAT NEXT FOR CAV?

Mark Cavendish may finish his
professional cycling career at
September’s Tour of Britain.
Rod Ellingworth, the race’s
organiser, and the man who
masterminded the Manxman’s win
in the 2011 Road Race World
Championships, told Cycling
Weekly that the national Tour would
love to have Cavendish and his
Astana-Qazaqstan team at the race.
“He will get an invite,” Ellingworth
confirmed. “I’m totally open to it.”
Astana’s team boss Alexander
Vinokourov told CW that the team
don’t yet have the British race on
their programme but that they
would be willing to take part
depending on “what Mark expects
and wants to do”.
If the Kazakh team does not
participate, then Cavendish will still
be welcome at the race, Ellingworth
said. “The invite will definitely be
there, on or off the bike. Even if he
just comes along and spends the
Vinokourov (right)
will employ the Brit
in a non-racing role
day with a few people, that would
also be fantastic.”
Vinokourov added that Cavendish
is likely to stay with his team in
2025, but in a different role. “We
already spoke last year and Mark
wants to remain in the team. We will
find a good job together. I don’t see
Mark sitting in the car, but we’ll see.
He’s a legend and it will be very
important for the young guys if he
can share his experience.”

10
 Tour de France
TOUR IN REVIEW
An unforgettable week saw both Mark Cavendish
and Biniam Girmay ride into the history books
T
he seven stages
across the Tour’s
first week saw six
different winners
stand atop the podium,
with Cav taking his 35th
Tour stage win and Remco
Evenepoel his first. In what
looks set to be a year of
record breaking, Eritrea’s
Biniam Girmay became the
first black African to win a
Tour stage, then promptly
went and won a second.
More seem on the cards.
O Stage three: Monday, 1 July
Piacenza > Turin
Winner: Biniam Girmay
(Intermarché-Wanty)
Yellow: Richard Carapaz
(EF Education-EasyPost)
History was made as
Biniam Girmay became the
ĆƏƝƹƴ¥Ľ’´ĻƴúƏĭ´’ŔƴƹşƴǫĭŔƴ’ƴ
qşǓƏƴƝƹ’ĔÝżƴƴ´Ə’Ɲħƴ’ƴúÝǫƴ
ĻĭĽşŊÝƹƏÝƝƴúƏşŊƴƹħÝƴĽĭŔÝƴĭŔƴ
qǓƏĭŔƴƝŵĽĭƹƴƹħÝƴŵÝĽşƹşŔƴĭŔƴħ’ĽúÆƴ
Time trial specialist Evenepoel was unstoppable on stage seven
12
’ŔÍƴƹħÝƴƏĭƹƏݒŔƴŵƏşĆƹÝÍƴ
úƏşŊƴƹħÝƴƏÝÍǓ´ÝÍƴŔǓŊ¥ÝƏƝƴ
’ŔÍƴÝǰ´ÝĽĽÝŔƹƴƹݒŊǫşƏĻƴƹşƴ
ƹ’ĻÝƴ’ƴ´ÝĭĽĭŔĔīƝħ’ƹƹÝƏĭŔĔƴ
Ǫĭ´ƹşƏDZżƴƉqşÍ’DZƴ.ƴƹħĭŔĻƴ
ÝǪÝƏDZ¥şÍDZƴǫĭĽĽƴ¥ÝĽĭÝǪÝƴƹħ’ƹƴ
úƏĭ´’Ŕƴ´DZ´ĽĭƝƹƝƴ´’ŔƴÍşƴ
ÝǪÝƏDZƹħĭŔĔÆƊƴƹħÝƴǎĎīDZݒƏīşĽÍƴ
said. Ecuadorian Richard
Carapaz moved into the
DZÝĽĽşǫƴĸÝƏƝÝDZƴşŔƴ´şǓŔƹ¥’´ĻÆƴ
´şŊŵĽÝƹĭŔĔƴ’ƴǪÝƏDZƴƏ’ƏÝƴ͒DZƴĭŔƴ
which no European won the
Ɲƹ’ĔÝƴşƏƴĽÝÍƴƹħÝƴƏ’´Ýż
O Stage four: Tuesday, 2 July
Pinerolo > Valloire
Winner:ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
Yellow: ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
.ŔƴƹħÝƴݒƏĽĭÝƝƹƴÝǪÝƏƴúşƏ’DZƴ
ĭŔƹşƴƹħÝƴĽŵƝÆƴq’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’Əƴ
ƏÝĔ’ĭŔÝÍƴDZÝĽĽşǫƴ’ŔÍƴŵǓƹƴ
’ƹƴĽÝ’ƝƹƴĎĈƴƝÝ´şŔÍƝƴĭŔƹşƴ
’ĽĽƴşúƴħĭƝƴ&ƴƏĭǪ’ĽƝżƴ_şĔ’¹’Əƴ
’ƹƹ’´ĻÝÍƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’Ľƴ
ĻĭĽşŊÝƹƏÝƴşúƴƹħÝƴşĽƴÍǓƴ
&’Ľĭ¥ĭÝƏƴ¥ÝúşƏÝƴÝǰƹÝŔÍĭŔĔƴ
ħĭƝƴ’ÍǪ’Ŕƹ’ĔÝƴşŔƴƹħÝƴú’Ɲƹƴ
ÍşǫŔħĭĽĽżƴƏĭƹĭƝħƴŵşÍĭǓŊƴ
ħşŵÝƝƴ’ĽĽƴ¥ǓƹƴÝŔÍÝÍÆƴǫĭƹħƴ
͒Ŋƴ’ŔÍƴkĭŊşŔƴ‰’ƹÝƝÆƴqşŊƴ
_ĭÍ´ş´Ļƴ’ŔÍƴ&ÝƏ’ĭŔƹƴqħşŊ’Ɲƴ
’ĽĽƴĽşƝĭŔĔƴƹĭŊÝż
O Stage five:
Wednesday, 3 July
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne >
Saint-Vulbas
Winner: Mark Cavendish
(Astana-Qazaqstan)
Yellow: ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
NǓŊ¥ÝƏƴDŽĈżƴM’ƏĻƴ’ǪÝŔÍĭƝħÆƴ
DŽřÆƴǫƏşƹÝƴħĭƝƴŔ’ŊÝƴĭŔƹşƴƹħÝƴ
ħĭƝƹşƏDZƴ¥şşĻƝƴ’ƝƴħÝƴ¥Ý´’ŊÝƴ
the outright stage win
ƏÝ´şƏÍƴħşĽÍÝƏƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴƏ’´Ýżƴ
Cavendish sat in Jasper
_ħĭĽĭŵƝÝŔƌƝƴƝĽĭŵƝƹƏݒŊƴ’ŔÍƴ
ǫ’ƝƴúşƏ´ÝÍƴƹşƴƝǓƏúƴƹħƏşǓĔħƴ’ƴ
´ƏşǫÍÝÍƴ¥ǓŔ´ħƴ¥ÝúşƏÝƴƹħÝƴ
space opened to him to win
¥DZƴŊşƏÝƴƹħ’Ŕƴ’ƴ¥ĭĻÝƌƝƴĽÝŔĔƹħżƴ
Biniam Girmay moved into
ƹħÝƴĔƏÝÝŔƴĸÝƏƝÝDZż
O Stage six: Thursday, 4 July
Mâcon > Dijon
Winner: Dylan Groenewegen
(Jayco-Alula)
Yellow: ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
M’ƏĻƴ’ǪÝŔÍĭƝħƴ’ŔÍƴħĭƝƴ
ƹݒŊƴħ’ÍƴĭŔĭƹĭ’ĽĽDZƴݒƏŊ’ƏĻÝÍƴ
this stage as his best
şŵŵşƏƹǓŔĭƹDZżƴ.ŔƴƹħÝƴÝŔÍÆƴ
ħşǫÝǪÝƏÆƴ’ǪÝŔÍĭƝħƴĽşƝƹƴħĭƝƴ
ĽÝ’ÍşǓƹƴƹƏ’ĭŔƴĭŔƝĭÍÝƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’Ľƴ
ƹǫşƴĻĭĽşŊÝƹƏÝƝƴ’ŔÍƴƹħÝƴ
Ɲƹ’ĔÝƴǫ’ƝƴǫşŔƴ¥DZƴB’DZ´şī
ĽǓĽ’ƌƝƴDZĽ’Ŕƴ&ƏşÝŔÝǫÝĔÝŔÆƴ
ƹħÝƴǓƹ´ħŊ’ŔƌƝƴƝĭǰƹħƴ
stage victory in seven
qşǓƏƴƏĭÍÝƝżƴB’ƝŵÝƏƴ_ħĭĽĭŵƝÝŔƴ
ĆŔĭƝħÝÍƴƝÝ´şŔÍƴ¥Ǔƹƴǫ’Ɲƴ
ƏÝĽÝĔ’ƹÝÍƴƹşƴŪǼƦƹħƴúşƏƴ’ƴ
dangerous sprint.
O Stage seven: Friday, 5 July
Nuits-Saint-Georges >
Gevrey-Chambertin
Winner: Remco Evenepoel
(Soudal Quick-Step)
Yellow: ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
qĭŊÝƴƹƏĭ’ĽƴǫşƏĽÍƴ´ħ’ŊŵĭşŔƴ
cÝŊ´şƴǪÝŔÝŵşÝĽƴǫ’ƝƴƹħÝƴ
ú’ƝƹÝƝƹƴşŔƴƹħÝƴǎĈĻŊƴ´şǓƏƝÝÆƴ
ÍÝƝŵĭƹÝƴ¥ƏĭÝČDZƴƝǓüÝƏĭŔĔƴ’ƴ
ƝĽĭŵŵÝÍƴ´ħ’ĭŔżƴqħÝƴÝĽĔĭ’Ŕƴ
¥Ý’ƹƴq’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’Əƴ¥DZƴŪǎƴ
ƝÝ´şŔÍƝÆƴ’ŔÍƴ¥ÝƹƹÝƏÝÍƴ
_ƏĭŊşǺƴcşĔĽĭ¹ƴ’ŔÍƴBşŔ’Ɲƴ
‚ĭŔĔÝĔ’’ƏÍƴ¥DZƴDŽĎƴ’ŔÍƴDŽƦƴ
ƝÝ´şŔÍƝÆƴƏÝƝŵÝ´ƹĭǪÝĽDZżƴ,ĭƝƴ
Ǫĭ´ƹşƏDZƴŊݒŔƝƴǪÝŔÝŵşÝĽƴ
ħ’ƝƴŔşǫƴǫşŔƴƝƹ’ĔÝƝƴĭŔƴ’ĽĽƴ
three Grand Tours.
O Stage eight:
Saturday, 6 July
Semur-in-Auxois >
Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises
Winner: Biniam Girmay
(Intermarché-Wanty)
 Tour stats

50:39
q’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’ƏƌƝƴkƹƏ’Ǫ’ƴ
ƝÝĔŊÝŔƹƴƹĭŊÝƴúşƏƴƹħÝƴşĽƴÍǓƴ
&’Ľĭ¥ĭÝƏƴŷǪĭ’ƴH’ǓƹÝƏÝƹŹ

2,556
qħÝƴŔǓŊ¥ÝƏƴşúƴ͒DZƝƴ¥ÝƹǫÝÝŔƴ
qşƹ’ĽŔÝƏĔĭÝƝƌƝƴĽ’Ɲƹƴƹǫşƴ
qşǓƏƴƝƹ’ĔÝƴǫĭŔƝ

Girmay celebrates stage

Yellow: ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
TŔ´Ýƴ’Ĕ’ĭŔÆƴBşŔ’Ɲƴ
¥ÝúşƏÝƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’ĽÝÆƴǫĭƹħƴ
Biniam Girmay winning his
ƝÝ´şŔÍƴƝƹ’ĔÝƴĭŔƴ’ŔƴǓŵħĭĽĽƴ
ĆŔĭƝħƴƹşƴÝǰƹÝŔÍƴħĭƝƴĽÝ’ÍƴĭŔƴ
win number two
52.37
cÝŊ´şƴǪÝŔÝŵşÝĽƌƝƴǫĭŔŔĭŔĔƴ
ŔƴÝŔƹħƏ’ĽĽĭŔĔƴƝƹ’ĔÝƴ’´ƏşƝƝƴ ’ǪÝƏ’ĔÝƴƝŵÝÝÍÆƴƹħÝƴú’ƝƹÝƝƹƴ
ŪĎƴƝÝ´ƹşƏƝƴşúƴĔƏ’ǪÝĽƴÝŔÍÝÍƴ qşǓƏƴ.qqƴƝĭŔ´ÝƴǎǼŪĈ
ĭŔƴ’ƴ&ƴƝƹ’ĽÝŊ’ƹÝÆƴǫĭƹħƴ
q’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’Əƴ’ŔÍƴcÝŊ´şƴ

¥Ə’ħ’ŊƝÝŔƴŷwŔşīˆƴ
Mş¥ĭĽĭƹDZŹÆƴǫݒƏĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴ
ŵşĽĻ’īÍşƹƴĸÝƏƝÝDZƴƝĭŔ´ÝƴƹħÝƴ
ĆƏƝƹƴ͒DZÆƴǫ’ƝƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴ͒DZƌƝƴ
¥ƏݒĻ’ǫ’DZÆƴ¥ǓƹƴƹħĭƝƴƹĭŊÝƴħÝƴ
ǫ’ƝƴÝŔƹĭƏÝĽDZƴ’ĽşŔÝÆƴƏĭÍĭŔĔƴ
ŪƦǼƴşúƴƹħÝƴŪåĎĻŊƴĭŔƴ’ƴƝşĽÝƴ
¥ƏݒĻżƴ,Ýƴǫ’ƝƴƝ´şşŵÝÍƴǓŵƴ
ƹħÝƴŵşĭŔƹƝƴ´Ľ’ƝƝĭĆ´’ƹĭşŔż
O Stage nine: Sunday, 7 July
Troyes > Troyes
Winner: Anthony Turgis
(TotalEnergies)
Yellow:ˇ˔˗˘˝˃ˢ˚˔͝˔˥
(UAE Team Emirates)
ǪÝŔÝŵşÝĽƌƝƴ’ƹƹ’´ĻƝƴ
ŔÝǓƹƏ’ĽĭƝÝÍƴ¥DZƴBşŔ’Ɲƴ
‚ĭŔĔÝĔ’’ƏÍżƴŔƹħşŔDZƴqǓƏĔĭƝƴ
ǫşŔƴúƏşŊƴƹħÝƴ¥ƏݒĻ’ǫ’DZÆƴ
securing the third French
Ǫĭ´ƹşƏDZƴşúƴƹħÝƴƏ’´ÝƴƝşƴú’ƏÆƴƹħÝƴ
qşƹ’ĽŔÝƏĔĭÝƝƴƏĭÍÝƏƴ¥Ý’ƹĭŔĔƴ
qşŊƴ_ĭÍ´ş´ĻƴĭŔƴ’ƴƝŵƏĭŔƹżƴ
1,108
NǓŊ¥ÝƏƴşúƴ͒DZƝƴƝÝŵ’Ə’ƹĭŔĔƴ
ƹħÝƴĽ’ƝƹƴƹħƏÝÝƴ%ƏÝŔ´ħƴƝƹ’ĔÝƴ
ǫĭŔƝƴŵƏĭşƏƴƹşƴǎǼǎĎƴqşǓƏżƴ
%Ə’Ŕ´Ýƴħ’ƝƴǫşŔƴƹħƏÝÝƴƝƹ’ĔÝƝƴ
ĭŔƴŔĭŔÝƴ͒DZƝƴƹħĭƝƴDZݒƏ

Əş´Ļƴ’ŔÍƴƏşĽĽÆƴ’ƴ şǪÝƏǪĭÝǫƴşúƴƹħÝƴ
¥ĭƹƴşúƴƹÝ´ħŔşÆƴ’ƴ ͒DZƴ¥ÝúşƏÝÆƴ
¥ĭƹƴşúƴħşǓƝÝÆƴĭƹƌƝƴ ÝƝŵÝ´ĭ’ĽĽDZƴĭúƴĭƹƴ
ÍĭüÝƏÝŔƹƴÝǪÝƏDZƴ was a mountain

SOUNDS OF
͒DZżƴƒÝƌǪÝƴħ’Íƴ day and you were
ƝşŊÝƴƏ´ƹĭ´ƴ in the gruppetto

THE TOUR
MşŔĻÝDZƝƴşŔƴ ’ĽĽƴ͒DZżƴ
_ħşƹşƝÅƴ&ÝƹƹDZƴ.Ŋ’ĔÝƝÆƴĽ’ŊDZ

O Jake Stewart
.ƝƏ’ÝĽī_ƏÝŊĭÝƏƴqÝ´ħ
ƉƒÝƌǪÝƴħ’ÍƴƝşŊÝƴĔşşÍƴŊǓƝĭ´ƴşŔƴ
ĭŔƴƹħÝƴ¥ǓƝżƴFƏĭƝƹƝƴNÝĭĽ’ŔÍƝƴħ’Ɲƴ
¥ÝÝŔƴBĭŔĔÆƴ’ŔÍƴǫÝƌǪÝƴħ’Íƴ’ƴ¥ĭƹƴ
şúƴÝǪÝƏDZƹħĭŔĔżƴƒÝƌǪÝƴħ’Íƴ’ƴ¥ĭƹƴşúƴ
ƹħÝƏÝÆƴ’ƝƴǫÝĽĽżƴ
“The NÝǪÝƏƴkƹƏ’DZƝƴ%’Ə podcast
úƏşŊƴƹħÝƴ͒DZƴ¥ÝúşƏÝƴĭƝƴ’Ľǫ’DZƝƴşŔƴ
ĭŔƴƹħÝƴŊşƏŔĭŔĔÆƴşƏƴǫħÝŔƴ.ƌŊƴşŔƴ
ƹħÝƴŊ’ƝƝ’ĔÝƴƹ’¥ĽÝżƴ.ƹƌƝƴĸǓƝƹƴ’ƴ
ĔşşÍƴĽ’ǓĔħżƴNÝÍƴşǓĽƹĭŔĔÆƴ’ǪĭÍƴ
MĭĽĽ’Əƴ’ŔÍƴ_ÝƹÝƴFÝŔŔ’ǓĔħƴ’ƏÝƴ’ƴ
ĔşşÍƴĽ’ǓĔħÆƴƝşƴĭƹƌƝƴݒƝDZƴƹşƴĽĭƝƹÝŔƴ
ƹşƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴŊşƏŔĭŔĔżƴ.ƹƌƝƴŔşƹƴƹşşƴ
ƝÝƏĭşǓƝżƴ.ƹƴĔĭǪÝƝƴDZşǓƴ’ƴ¥ĭƹƴşúƴ’Ŕƴ
“ kħ’ĔĔÝÍƴ
M’ƏƏĭÝÍƴŔŔşDZÝÍƴis another
ĔşşÍƴşŔÝƴ.ƴĽĭƝƹÝŔƴƹşÆƴǫĭƹħƴ
[comedian] Chris Ramsey and
ħĭƝƴǫĭúÝżƴ.ƹƌƝƴĸǓƝƹƴ´şǓŵĽÝƝƴħ’ǪĭŔĔƴ
’Ŕƴ’ƏĔǓŊÝŔƹżƴ‰şǓƴĔÝƹƴ’ƴ¥ĭƹƴşúƴ
¥ÝÝúƴ’ŔÍƴǫħ’ƹŔşƹÆƴƝşƴĭƹƌƝƴƃǓĭƹÝƴ
úǓŔƴĽĭƝƹÝŔĭŔĔżƴTúúƴMÝŔǓƴ’ƝƴǫÝĽĽÆƴ
ǫĭƹħƴÍƴ&’Ŋ¥ĽÝƴ’ŔÍƴB’ŊÝƝƴ
´’ƝƹÝƏÆƴƹħ’ƹƌƝƴ’ƴĔşşÍƴşŔÝżƊƴ

13
 FRED WRIGHT
CAV’S RECORD IS THE
Tour Diary

BEST PAINKILLER
O Stage 4

It was a short but brutal

day. I got the nod from the
climbers that they didn’t need
anything else once we were
a few kilometres into the
Galibier, so it was gruppetto
time. Sometimes you climb
too well and actually miss the
chance to join a nice
gruppetto and sit in the
wheels. We all agreed in our
group that it didn’t feel like
stage four, more like 14.

O Stage 5

It was at around 50km to

go that I had my first bit of
bad luck in the Tour. Out of
nowhere we were squeezing
around a bit of road furniture
’ŔÍƴq’ÍÝĸƴ¬_şĔ’¹’Ə®ƴǫ’Ɲƴ
almost sideways in front of
me, no idea how he held it up.
Definitely lost one of his nine
lives at that moment. I had
also held it up but got
Stage nine’s gravel
sectors took some
adjusting to
Photos Getty Images
bundled into by the guys
behind me. It was at a slow
speed but I landed awkwardly
on my wrist. I got going again
but it was really sore. Once I
swung off it was a lonely 5k
to the finish, I was battered
and in a bad mood. Oh, how
that changed when I saw
the result. Cav had done it,
broken the record and won
his 35th stage. A forgettable
stage turned into an
unforgettable stage. Riding
the last 500m and seeing
him celebrating on the big
screens was really special.
O Stage 6
I had been given the all-clear
by the mobile X-ray unit but in
the night I’d woken up a few
times just from the pain.
It was clearly a pretty bad
sprain or something. I still
felt quite proud rocking the
strapped-up hand look to the
start line, a bit like in school
of me for calling it a rest day
in the morning. I’d still say it
was. After the crash it made
no sense to go flat out in the
TT, it was a great opportunity
to give the body a chance to
recover. In the TT position, the
wrist was fine, I’d say better
even than on the road bike.
Finishing quite early in the
day meant there was a whole
afternoon to relax, ready for a
big weekend.
O Stage 8

when you’re proud to turn up

with a cast on your arm. It was
manageable, thankfully.
O Stage 7
Wout was taking the p**s out
The wrist, although still
strapped up, was again better
than the days before, so I was
excited to get going. But I felt
really bad at the start, and on
the three climbs where the

14

Leading the peloton
with a strapped-up
wrist on stage six
break was due to form. It help our GC guys in the
was depressing. But come the peloton. The first two sectors
finish I was a different beast. were crazy, and at first it felt
It was a headwind into the weird on the gravel. The
finish, and up a nasty drag, so bike has a different feeling
I was excited to see how I’d underneath you through
fare. I managed to crawl home some of the thicker stuff,
in eighth place and was pretty and that took the first sector
chuffed. Nice to be up there to get used to. Still, it was a
when I didn’t think it would stage for the ages by all
happen at the start of the day. accounts. Judging by how the
spectators and people at
O Stage 9 home saw it, I think we’ll have
more stages like this in the
I’m not so familiar with gravel, future. I’m not sure how I feel
but figured it would be raced about it, we’re all just part of
a bit like a one-day Classic. the travelling circus that is the
It definitely was. Today the Tour de France.
legs were much better at the
start compared to yesterday,
but I missed the break. I was Fred Wright rides for
gutted, but that meant I could Bahrain Victorious
MY VIEW
CHRIS
s
¦¶P
iiɅ.ii
Cycling writer
Do ‘white roads’ belong in a Grand Tour?
The debate before Sunday’s gravel stage
was whether or not such terrain - with all
its risks - belonged in the Tour de France.
The answer, after a riveting day of action
that somehow ended in a GC stalemate
despite a succession of attacks and
counter-attacks, was a resounding yes.
Non-believers argue that the threat
posed by the uneven, loose terrain where
team cars can’t easily service their riders
is too great a risk to the overall
contenders, and that it would be a
travesty if a yellow jersey candidate
shipped two minutes on chemins blancs
due to a puncture – an opinion also
sounded about cobbled stages.
But these are the best bike riders in the
world and, outside of MTB, BMX or
cyclo-cross, the best bike handlers. A
Grand Tour ought to be a complete test of
a rider’s skillset, and if they want to stand
on the podium after three weeks, they
have to pass through multiple obstacles
including mountains, time trials,
crosswinds, and, nowadays, gravel.
Professional cycling is one big
marketing campaign, and with gravel
exploding in popularity across the globe,
the world’s biggest bike race must
ÝŊ¥Ə’´ÝƴƹħÝƴƏşǓĔħƴƝƹǓüżƴ
The sport’s stakeholders continually
say how they need to reach new fans, and
it’s likely that more new fans were
intrigued when watching the dust kick up
şüƴƹħÝƴǫħĭƹÝƴƝƹşŔÝƴ’ŔÍƴƝÝÝĭŔĔƴú’´ÝƝƴ´’ĻÝÍƴ
in a white crust at the end than watching
any of the stages that preceded it.
It seems certain that this won’t be
a one-time excursion onto central
France’s gravel.
15

I SHOULD HAVE SEEN CAV'S
Opinion
BRILLIANT WIN COMING
T
here are two
versions of
this story. One is
honest, the other
is fanciful, but
only one turns out to be true.
It’s been three years since
the 2021 Tour and Mark
Cavendish’s return to
winning ways after a
ĆǪÝīDZݒƏƴǫ’ĭƹƴúǓĽĽƴşúƴ
setbacks. That shockingly
unexpected victory in
Fougères ahead of Nacer
Bouhanni and Jasper
Philipsen sparked a winning
streak that yielded a total of
four wins, taking Cavendish
to the brink of bettering
The Merckx Record (as it
suddenly became known).
But then the Cavendish
comeback, as brilliant as it
had been, stalled. In 2022,
conscious that he was
Photo: Alamy
Comeback king Cav has done the impossible –
you'd think we'd be used to it by now....
16
NED BOULTING
probably not going to be
selected by his Deceuninck
aǓĭ´ĻīkƹÝŵƴƹݒŊƴ’ħݒÍƴşúƴ
Fabio Jakobsen, he delivered
a savage victory on the eve
of the Tour at the British
National Championships,
ƝƹÝŵŵÝÍƴşüƴƹħÝƴŵşÍĭǓŊÆƴ’ŔÍƴ
told me on live TV that he’d
had no contact from the
team, and could only assume
that he wasn’t going.
It wasn’t until he found
an unlikely home with Astana
in 2023 that a new opening
appeared for the Manxman.
Cavendish’s second place
in the Bordeaux sprint that
year, followed hot on the
heels by him crashing out,
suggested that there were
ƝƹĭĽĽƴ´ƏÝÍĭ¥ĽÝƴČĭ´ĻÝƏĭŔĔƝƴşúƴ
hope in the project. And yet,
another year had gone by.
Throughout the wait,
from his last win in ’21 to the
start of this Tour in ’24, I was
repeatedly asked: ‘Do you
think Cav can do it?’
With the experience of
his 2021 comeback win
checking my scepticism,
I trotted out the party line:
Ƈ.ƴÍşżƴkşŊÝħşǫƴħÝƴǫĭĽĽƴĆŔÍƴ
a way to win another stage."
But I didn’t really believe
my own words.
The rest is history. What
’ǪÝŔÍĭƝħƴÍĭÍƴ’ƹƴk’ĭŔƹī
Vulbas on 3 July, 2024 was
’¥ƝǓƏÍĽDZƴ¥ƏĭĽĽĭ’Ŕƹżƴkşƴ.ƴƝ’ǫ
it coming, but, honestly, I
didn’t. Not in a million years.
His career statistics speak
for themselves; although
when you account for him
´ĽĭŊ¥ĭŔĔƴşüƴħĭƝƴ¥ĭĻÝƴƹşƴ
prepare for the Olympics
(2008 and 2016), crashing
out early (2014 and 2017),
ƝǓüÝƏĭŔĔƴÍÝ¥ĭĽĭƹ’ƹĭŔĔƴĭĽĽŔÝƝƝƴ
(2018) or not being selected
(2019 and 2020), the number
could have been way higher.
And through it all that
complete fearlessness
combined with utter lucidity;
the complementary qualities
that have been the hallmark
of his epic career. They
both aligned in frightening
fashion for win number 35.
Ned Boulting’s
Marginal Mystery
Tour: 1923 And All
That is coming to
theatres this
autumn. For tickets
visit www.ents24.
com/uk/tour-dates/
ned-boulting
18
Moment in time
Troyes
Stage nine, 7 July

T
om Pidcock of Ineos
Grenadiers glances behind
at Movistar’s Alex Aranburu
’ƝƴƹħÝƴŵ’ĭƏƴ’ƏÝƴ¥ƏĭÝČDZƴĔ’ŵŵÝÍƴ
on a section of gravel, or chemins
blancs, on stage nine. Pidcock made
ƹħÝƴ͒DZƌƝƴ´ƏǓ´ĭ’Ľƴ¥ƏݒĻ’ǫ’DZÆƴ’ŔÍƴǫ’Ɲƴ
ŵ’ƏƹƴşúƴƹħÝƴĔƏşǓŵƴşúƴŔĭŔÝƴǫħĭ´ħƴ
´şŔƹÝƝƹÝÍƴƹħÝƴǫĭŔżƴ
,Ýƴ’ŵŵݒƏÝÍƴƹşƴ¥ÝƴÍƏşŵŵÝÍƴ’ƴúÝǫƴ
times duringƴƹħÝƴ¥ƏǓƹ’Ľƴ͒DZƌƝƴƏ’´ĭŔĔÆƴ
¥ǓƹƴĽ’ƹÝƏƴÝǰŵĽ’ĭŔÝÍƴƹħ’ƹƴĭƹƴǫ’Ɲƴ’ƴƹ’´ƹĭ´ƴ
ƹşƴƝ’ǪÝƴħĭŊƝÝĽúƴúşƏƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħżƴ,ÝƴÍĭÍƴ
ŔşƹƴƝħDZƴúƏşŊƴƹħÝƴǫĭŔÍÆƴħşǫÝǪÝƏÆƴǓŔĽĭĻÝƴ
Ə’Ŕ¥ǓƏǓÆƴşŔƴħĭƝƴǫħÝÝĽż
Ɖ.ƹƌƝƴ’Ľǫ’DZƝƴÍĭþ´ǓĽƹÆƴ¥ǓƹƴDZşǓƌǪÝƴ
ĔşƹƴƹşƴǓŔÍÝƏƝƹ’ŔÍƴƹħ’ƹƴÝǪÝƏDZşŔÝƴĭŔƴ
ƹħÝƴĔƏşǓŵƴĭƝƴ’ĽƝşƴƹħÝƏÝƴƹşƴǫĭŔÆƴƝşƴDZşǓƴ
ħ’ǪÝƴƹşƴŵĽ’DZƴ’ƴĽĭƹƹĽÝƴ¥ĭƹÆƊƴ_ĭÍ´ş´ĻƴƝ’ĭÍƴ
post-stage. “When I’m in a group, I
ŔÝǪÝƏƴƏݒĽĽDZƴƝħşǫƴħşǫƴ.ƌŊƴƏݒĽĽDZƴúÝÝĽĭŔĔƴ
’ŔÍƴ.ƴÍşŔƌƹƴƏÝƝŵşŔÍƴƃǓĭ´ĻĽDZƴƹşƴ’ƹƹ’´ĻƝÆƴ
Ɲşƴƹħ’ƹƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’ĽÝÆƴ.ƌǪÝƴĔşƹƴŊşƏÝƴĽÝúƹżƊ
qħÝƴƏĭƹşŔƴǫşǓĽÍƴÝǪÝŔƹǓ’ĽĽDZƴĽ’ǓŔ´ħƴ
ħĭƝƴƝŵƏĭŔƹƴ’ƴƹşǓ´ħƴݒƏĽDZÆƴĽşƝĭŔĔƴşǓƹƴ
ƹşƴŔƹħşŔDZƴqǓƏĔĭƝƴşúƴqşƹ’ĽŔÝƏĔĭÝƝƴ
ĭŔƴqƏşDZÝƝż

_ħşƹşƴ&ÝƹƹDZƴ.Ŋ’ĔÝƝ

19
 This year’s queen stage passes over the
formidable Cime de la Bonette, the highest
road in France. Chris Marshall-Bell rides the
route to get a measure of the test that awaits

20
21

hen you’re racing on the Bonette, you
don’t think it’s beautiful; you hate it.
It’s terrible, really terrible,” says Bjarne
Riis, the disputed ‘winner’ of the 1996
Tour. “If you want to admire the beauty,
go there for a training ride and stop to
enjoy the view. But in a race it’s tough
– so very tough. It’s long, it’s at high
altitude, and it’s up there with one of
the hardest climbs in cycling.”
This year, on stage 19 next Friday, the
Tour de France is returning to the roof
peaks, sheer rock walls and pristine
Alpine lakes. But to race up and down
the Bonette in the Tour de France is an
ÝŔƹĭƏÝĽDZƴÍĭüÝƏÝŔƹƴŵƏşŵşƝĭƹĭşŔÆƴǫĭƹħƴŔşƴ
time for marvelling at the splendour:
“Because of the altitude, the Bonette
is going to have a massive impact
on the race,” predicts Pavel Sivakov,
şŔÝƴşúƴq’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’ƏƌƝƴĻÝDZƴwīqݒŊƴ
Emirates lieutenants. It’s the climb,
and monstrous stage, that threatens to
shift the battle for yellow on its head
with only two days to go.
q,cĬ,ƴkqƴ
It’s early June when I take on stage 19,
a 145km journey from Embrun to the
ski resort of Isola 2000, which packs
in more than 4,500m of climbing.
The sun is shining high in the sky, the
foliage has made its conversion from

“THE TOUR WILL

of the world: the Cime de la Bonette.

Photos Richard Butcher/Future

The highest paved through-road in

CROSS OVER
Europe – though not the highest road
on the Continent, which is Spain’s Pico

Veleta (3,398m) – the Tour will go up
and over the 2,802m peak for only the
ĆúƹħƴƹĭŊÝÆƴ’ŔÍƴĸǓƝƹƴƹħÝƴƝÝ´şŔÍƴƹĭŊÝƴƹħĭƝƴ
century. Sandwiched in between two
further 2,000m-plus climbs, the Col de
Vars and Isola 2000, it’s a queen stage
¥ÝĆƹƹĭŔĔƴşúƴĭƹƝƴƏşDZ’ĽƴƹĭƹĽÝżƴ
To ride the Bonette as a col-bagging
challenge as I did a few weeks before
the Tour’s passing is to ride in silence
ƹħƏşǓĔħƴƏ’ƏÝĆÝÍƴ’ĭƏƴƝħ’ƏÝÍƴşŔĽDZƴǫĭƹħƴ’ƴ
little vegetation, the odd marmot and
eagle, while taking in a 360-degree
panoramic view of snow-capped
CW’s Chris rode
the entire route of
Stage 19 for a
hands-on preview
THE 2,802M
PEAK FOR ONLY
THE FIFTH TIME”
winter browns to summer greens, but
the snow still stubbornly persists at
the highest plains, receding slowly but
surely, meltwater trickling down the
passes and eroding cracks into the
otherwise smooth asphalt.
The Col de Vars is the
ĆƏƝƹƴ´ĽĭŊ¥ƴşŔƴƹħÝƴŊÝŔǓÆƴ
and it begins just 20km
into the stage: with an
average gradient of 5.7%
for 18.8km, the Vars will
act as a leg-warmer for the
peloton. Its steeper slopes,
in the early stages of the
climb, will be a launchpad
for those wanting to get
in the day’s breakaway.
When I ride up it, the road
is deserted, col-baggers
not yet having left their
winter cocoon, save for
one 81-year-old gentleman who jumps
on my wheel as I pass him a kilometre
from the top. “Sans vélo électrique,” he
reassures me of his enduring strength
at the summit where the shadow of a
foreboding wall of ice towers over us.
Twenty-two kilometres of descent,
ŵ’ƝƝĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴǫħĭƹÝƴǫ’ƹÝƏƝƴşúƴƹħÝƴw¥’DZÝƴ
river, separate the summit of Vars
from the base of the Bonette; enough
time to mentally prepare to conquer
the Alps’ highest obstacle. Initially
a mule track, the pass was widened
into a gravel road in 1832, and in 1860
Napoleon III ordered a proper road
to be built, connecting the southern
Alps to the Cote d’Azur. The Col de la
Bonette was born, though the work
wasn’t completed until 1896, and the
1.9km loop around the peak took even
ĽşŔĔÝƏƴƹşƴ¥ÝƴĆŔ’ĽĭƝÝÍÆƴşŵÝŔĭŔĔƴĭŔƴŪřƬǼż
qħÝƴqşǓƏƴÍÝƴ%Ə’Ŕ´ÝƴĆƏƝƹƴ’Ɲ´ÝŔÍÝÍƴ

22
 The Bonette’s gradients
turn the screw with
every twisting hairpin

Bonette in numbers
the Bonette in 1962, and it returned northern side, a series of hairpins
two years later, when Spanish climber emerge from the farms, meadows

2,802M %ÝÍÝƏĭ´şƴ’ħ’ŊşŔƹÝƝƴĸǓƝƹĭĆÝÍƴħĭƝƴ
nickname, the Eagle of Toledo, by being
maximum altitude ĆƏƝƹƴşǪÝƏƴƹħÝƴŵݒĻƴ¥şƹħƴƹĭŊÝƝżƴÝƝŵĭƹÝƴ
its highly acclaimed appearances, the
and small forests at the bottom, but
there’s not a sense of high mountain
terrain about the Bonette until you’ve
already climbed 800m out of the

23KM Bonette has been included in only two

more editions of the Tour – in 1993,
at 6.8% when Philippa York (then riding as
cş¥ÝƏƹƴMĭĽĽ’ƏŹƴƏݒ´ħÝÍƴƹħÝƴƝǓŊŊĭƹƴĆƏƝƹÆƴ
Ǫ’ĽĽÝDZƴČşşƏƴ’ŔÍƴƏݒ´ħÝÍƴ’Ŕƴ’ĽƹĭƹǓÍÝƴ
of just over 2,000m. This is 64km
into the stage, and it’s here, with the
mountains enclosing, waterfalls big

1,600M
elevation gain
and latterly in 2008 from the southern
ƝĭÍÝżƴƉ.ƴƝǓüÝƏÝÍƴĽĭĻÝƴ’ƴŵĭĔƴşŔƴƹħÝƴ
and small popping up on all sides, that
the enormity of the challenge really
Bonette,” Riis remembers of the 1993 becomes apparent.
stage that began with the ascent of the Beyond Lac des Eissauprés, a small

14% Col d’Izoard before taking on the same

route as this year’s race. “I was dropped
maximum gradient early on and it was nothing but hell until
the top.” The 2016 Giro d’Italia was the
ŵşşĽƴşúƴǫ’ƹÝƏƴ’ƹƴǎÆDŽŪǼŊƴƹħ’ƹƴƏÝČÝ´ƹƝƴ
the mountains encircling it, the
gradients start nudging ever more
frequently into the double-digits until

8.8%
steepest kilometre
last race to summit the Bonette. ’ƴ´şĽĽÝ´ƹĭşŔƴşúƴ’¥’ŔÍşŔÝÍƴúşƏƹĭĆÝÍƴ
¥’ƏƏ’´ĻƝƴ’ƏÝƴƏݒ´ħÝÍƴĆǪÝƴĻĭĽşŊÝƹƏÝƝƴ
.NqTƴq,.Nƴ.c later. On my June visit, ski tourers tear
After climbing out of Jausiers on the down the Slush Puppie-like snow

23
 to my right, and 15-metre high snow
walls form a winter tunnel as I negotiate
another of the climb’s 22 hairpins.
When the Tour passes on 19 July, the
snow will be long gone.
Because the treeline
in the Alps is around
2,300m, the landscape
at these plains is a high
mountain palette of
ÍĭüÝƏÝŔƹƴƝħ’ÍÝƝƴşúƴĔƏÝDZÆƴ
brown and patchy green.
To some observers, the
Bonette is uglier than
its neighbouring peaks,
its crest an egghead-
shaped mound of loose
scree with a pencil line of
asphalt drawn through its
side. But I’d push back:
24
sitting in a protected national park, the
entire Mercantour region is unspoiled
and unobstructed; unlike Alpe d’Huez,
Col de la Madeleine and Col de la Loze,
more famous and more ridden cycling
THE TOUR’S
BONETTE HISTORY
_ƏÝǪĭşǓƝƴƝǓŊŊĭƹƝÆƴ’ŔÍƴĆƏƝƹƴƏĭÍÝƏƴşǪÝƏƴ
OStage 18, 1962: Federico Bahamontes
OStage 9, 1962: Federico Bahamontes
OStage 11, 1993: Robert Millar
OStage 16, 2008: John-Lee Augustyn
passes, on the Bonette there are no
ugly pylons holding up ski chairlifts,
and no scourge of overpriced wooden
chalets tainting the virgin beauty.
It would be stretching the truth to
suggest that the Bonette
is unblemished by human
activity – this is no goat
track – but it’s far more
pristine and unsullied than
the aforementioned cols.
At these altitudes,
breathing becomes
noticeably more laboured,
as Riis encountered 31
DZݒƏƝƴ’ĔşÅƴƉ.ŔƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’Ľƴ
7km of the Bonette I had
Íĭþ´ǓĽƹĭÝƝƴúşĽĽşǫĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴ
rest, but on Isola just
afterwards, a climb at a

Big-mountain views are
a delight if you can focus
through the pain
lower elevation, I was OK. That tells
me that the altitude on the Bonette
ŔÝĔ’ƹĭǪÝĽDZƴ’üÝ´ƹÝÍƴŊÝżƊƴ‰ÝƹƴƹħÝƏÝƴ
is a small cohort of riders who will
relish the conditions next week,
Ɲ’DZƝƴ_şĔ’¹’ƏƌƝƴħÝĽŵÝƏƴkĭǪ’ĻşǪÆƴǫħşƴ
rode the climb in June during a team
altitude camp in nearby Isola. “We’ll
be riding above 2,300m for more
than 30 minutes so everyone will
ƝǓüÝƏƴ’ŔÍƴƝşŊÝƴĔǓDZƝƴǫĭĽĽƴÍÝĆŔĭƹÝĽDZƴ
get dropped,” the Frenchman says.
“For the Colombians, though, this is
a really good stage for them.” Ineos
Grenadiers’s Egan Bernal will be in
his element.
NݒƏĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴƹşŵÆƴĆƏƝƹƴDZşǓƴƏݒ´ħƴ
the col – it also goes by the name of
the Col de Restefond – but the most
Íĭþ´ǓĽƹƴƝÝ´ƹĭşŔƴşúƴƹħÝƴ´ĽĭŊ¥ƴĭƝƴƝƹĭĽĽƴƹşƴ
HOW TO RIDE
THE BONETTE
How to get there
Nice airport is 1hr 30min away;
Marseille airport is 2hr 30min
from the foot of the climb; Turin
airport in Italy is a 3hr drive.
When to go
The pass typically opens in late
May and closes in late October.
Mid-June to mid-September
ƝÝÝƝƴħݒǪĭÝƏƴƹƏ’þ´ż
Where to stay
Accommodation is plentiful
on the north side of the climb
in Embrun, and there are also
hotels and B&Bs on the south
side in Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée
and Isola.
be to tackled: the two-kilometre loop
of the peak that averages more than
10% up to its maximum elevation of
2,802m. Snow drifts prevent me from
circumnavigating the donut-shaped
added-on bit, but the peloton won’t be
denied. Whoever reaches the summit
ĆƏƝƹƴǫĭĽĽƴǫĭŔƴõĈÆǼǼǼƴ’ŔÍƴƹħÝƴkşǓǪÝŔĭƏƴ
,ÝŔƏĭƴÝƝĔƏ’ŔĔÝÆƴ’Ŕƴ’ǫ’ƏÍƴħ’ŔÍÝÍƴşǓƹƴ
to whoever reaches the highest peak of
that year’s race.
Mƴ%Tcƴq,ƴcF
In 2008, South African John-Lee
ǓĔDZƝƹDZŔƴ´ƏÝƝƹÝÍƴƹħÝƴƝǓŊŊĭƹƴĆƏƝƹÆƴ
only to fall on the descent, and it’s
highly likely that another breakaway
rider will reach the top of the Bonette
ĆƏƝƹƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴǎǼǎĎƴÝÍĭƹĭşŔżƴƒħDZƄƴkĭŊŵĽÝƴ
answer: a fast and hair-raising 40km
Big event
The Mercan’Tour Gran Fondo,
held on the second weekend
of June every year, is a 222km
ƝŵşƏƹĭǪÝƴƹħ’ƹƴŵ’´ĻƝƴĭŔƴĆǪÝƴ´şĽƝƴ
(the Bonette is second) and
5,800m of elevation. There is a
shorter 192km option.
descent – characterised by sweeping
switchbacks, several of which look, on
the approach, as though they fold over
one another – separates the summit
şúƴƹħÝƴşŔÝƹƹÝƴúƏşŊƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħĭŔĔƴ
climb at Isola 2000. With a prevailing
headwind funnelling up from the valley
below in the last 10km – not enough to
ƏÝÍǓ´ÝƴƝŵÝÝÍƴ¥ǓƹƴÍÝĆŔĭƹÝĽDZƴƹşƴ´ǓƏƹ’ĭĽƴ
progression – a GC rider would be
committing suicide by attacking on the
Bonette in an attempt to win the stage
some 58 kilometres later. “I can see the
¥ƏݒĻ’ǫ’DZƴĔşĭŔĔƴƹşƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴ¥Ý´’ǓƝÝƴ
the GC riders and teams will wait for
Isola,” Sivakov predicts. “At least one
team will take the Bonette on and set a
big tempo, but the downhill is too long
to see a GC rider attack, and if anyone
is dropped, they have time to come
25
 back in the valley – but if they lose
further time on the descent, they’re
in trouble.”
Riis recalls how he clawed back
three minutes on the descent in 1993
ƹşƴĆŔĭƝħƴDŽŪƴƝÝ´şŔÍƝƴ¥’´Ļƴ¥ÝħĭŔÍƴ
eventual stage winner Tony Rominger,
and he can see his countryman Jonas
Vingegaard trying his luck from far out.
“The Bonette is going to suit Jonas a lot
better than Tadej because of the high
altitude, and if Jonas is aggressive,
Tadej might be forced to take it easy
and be conservative, knowing he has a
40km downhill to recover,” Riis says. “I
think Jonas will put Tadej and the rest
under pressure on the Bonette: not to
drop them, but to tease them again and
again, so when it comes to the Isola
they have already been over their limit
so many times that they’ll explode with
accumulated fatigue.”
The road they turn onto is called
the Col de la Lombarde, but it’s a
long way yet to the top at Isola, and
riders will immediately be thrown into
Íĭþ´ǓĽƹDZÆƴǫĭƹħƴƹħÝƴĆƏƝƹƴƝĭǰƴĻĭĽşŊÝƹƏÝƝƴ
averaging almost 9%. Such gradients
are manageable earlier in the stage,

“THE BONETTE
IS GOING TO SUIT
JONAS BETTER
THAN TADEJ”
but at this juncture, with more than
3,000m of elevation already in my legs,
I struggle up the steep slopes, my legs
ŵĽÝ’ÍĭŔĔƴúşƏƴ’ŔƴÝŔÍƴƹşƴƹħÝƴƝǓüÝƏĭŔĔżƴ
It’s a consolation, therefore, to hear
kĭǪ’ĻşǪƴ´şŔĆƏŊƴĭƹƝƴÍĭþ´ǓĽƹDZżƴƉqħÝƴĆƏƝƹƴ
half of Isola through the forest is really
tough and everyone is already going to
be on their knees,” he says.

,cƴqTƴcq,
Riis remembers “feeling a lot better
on Isola than the previous two climbs”
and says that the 1993 stage over four Walls of snow and ice
Ŋ’ƝƝĭǪÝƴĽŵĭŔÝƴ´ĽĭŊ¥Ɲƴǫ’ƝƴƹħÝƴĆƏƝƹƴ are testament to the
time he felt capable of contending forbidding altitude

26
 WHAT THE 2024 PELOTON EXPECT

O Guillaume Martin, 31, Cofidis
“It’s a super-hard climb, but also
ÍşŔƌƹƴǓŔÍÝƏÝƝƹĭŊ’ƹÝƴƹħÝƴÍĭþ´ǓĽƹDZƴ
of Vars and Isola. We saw big gaps
on the Galibier after four days of
racing, so in the third week with all
the tiredness, the gaps could be
much bigger. Maybe not between
_şĔ’¹’Əƴ’ŔÍƴ‚ĭŔĔÝĔ’’ƏÍÆƴ¥Ǔƹƴ
between those two and the rest.”
O Felix Gall, 26, Decathlon-AG2R
La Mondiale
“I’m prepared to try and win the
queen stage for the second year as
I rode the Bonette twice in June. If
you put someone into the red on
that climb, they might hang on or
catch back up on the descent, but
they’re going to struggle on Isola
as that’s also a proper climb.”
O Jai Hindley, 28, Red Bull-
Bora-Hansgrohe
“The Bonette will be hard from the
bottom, and higher up it’s going to
be really hard to breathe, like
having a bag on your head. But
queen stages are always epic,
super-memorable, and as riders,
it’s always super motivating to be
on point for those days.”

A majestic
backdrop is fitting
for a queen stage
that could see a
crowning victory

with other GC riders; three years later
he went on to win the Tour, although
he later admitted to doping between
1993 and 1998. This year Isola could be
ƹħÝƴ´şŔĆƏŊ’ƹĭşŔƴşúƴ’ŔşƹħÝƏƴÝŊÝƏĔĭŔĔƴ
rider’s credentials, and it could also
be the coronation of the race’s winner.
“When you get to the hairpins a few
kilometres into the climb, it can really
crack you,” Sivakov adds. “Someone
will take it on here, and if they start
hitting it from the start, which is the
hardest part of the climb, they could do
some big damage.”
It’s a royal rumble of a queen stage,
a colossal day out with views to match.
Though the Bonette and its prequel
and sequel, the Col du Vars and Isola
2000, don’t have the prestige of
Alpe d’Huez or the Col du Tourmalet
in the Pyrenees, they are every bit as
taxing. Stage 19’s triple-header of cols
deserve the attention of many more
cycling fans. There is every chance, too,
that they will have a crucial say in the
outcome of the 2024 Tour de France.
Fireworks are about to explode on the
roof of the Alps.
O Chris Marshall-Bell
is a freelance writer on
the ground in France
for CW for the entirety
of the Tour.

27
 E XCLUSIVE PICTURES

A FAMILY AFFAIR
“Delilah has grown up
on the Tour – she’s
known no different – so
she appreciates a quiet
minute with her dad”

What it meant to Cav’s family when

he crossed the line to win stage 35,
and how they then celebrated

ĭŔŔ¥’Əƴkƹş´ĻĽÝDZƴħ’Ɲƴħ’ÍƴĭŔƹĭŊ’ƹÝÆƴĆƏƝƹīħ’ŔÍƴ
experience of Mark Cavendish’s journey back to
winning ways at the Tour. And last week he was in
France, with his camera, to experience the moment
when his stepfather made history. He takes us
through it in his own words...
“I feel privileged in the last 10 months to be
one of the few people who has seen every high and
every low on Mark’s journey, the sleepless nights and
uncertainties, as well as the cold mornings on the bike with
only the rain for company.
“From the moment I left school I took on any role I could
within the sport to ensure I would be skilled enough to work
with Mark. I learned how to ride a motorbike so I could pace
him in the cold Manx weather, and during this period, I also
established my love for photography and capturing the
emotion and chaos of a bike race.
“On stage five I was in the finish zone, 100 metres after the
line, and I was elated when I saw Mark win with his arms raised.
He often references Greek mythology and within these
ancient tales the biggest honour is not to know you are the
best in your lifetime, but after your time is done to be
remembered as the greatest.
“Legacy is all Mark has ever strived for, and moments like
this are what solidify his place in the history of sport.”

“As the press swarm us,

we feel united as a
family. It is done. Mark
has made history”

28
 “Nearly two decades into
his career, Mark still
understands the
“Whenever we have the importance of
chance for a moment connecting with his fans”
of calm together as a
family, we all take
comfort in it”

29
 “THESE
MOMENTS
SOLIDIFY HIS
PLACE IN
THE HISTORY
OF SPORT”

“The first thing Mark

always does after a
stage win is wait for
all of his team-mates
to come through
and congratulate
them individually”

“For everyone else

history had just been
made; however,
Astrid was simply
happy to be there
with her dad”

30
“Returning to the bus
after his media
obligations is a sweet
relief as Mark gets to see
the people that made
his dream a reality”

“This is my favourite
picture from this Tour “It’s very important
as you can see the for Mark that his team
smiles on both of environment has a
their faces while they family feeling, and we
are engulfed by a sea all feel part of the
of press” wider Astana-
Qazaqstan family”

51
35
The peloton heads towards
the Col du Galibier on stage
four, Tour de France 2024
Photo: Getty Images
|
Mark Cavendish takes a
record-breaking 35th Tour
stage in Saint-Vulbas, stage
ĆǪÝÆƴqşǓƏƴÍÝƴ%Ə’Ŕ´ÝƴǎǼǎĎƴ
Photo: Alamy
 Roberts’s
Olympian
comeback
Olympic News

Endurance squad selection is

a personal vindication for Jess
Roberts after turbulent times

... she’ll be joined in the

team pursuit squad by
Paris 2024 will be Roberts’s first Olympic Games... fellow debutant Morris

J
ess Roberts has come
a long way since the
Tokyo Olympics. In
2021, the 25-year-old
was off the bike, barely
training due to mental and
physical toils. Three years on,
the Welshwoman was among
the final 12 names announced
for GB’s Paris Olympics squad
last Thursday, as part of the
endurance team.
“It has been a bit of a rocky
road,” Roberts told Cycling
Weekly. “The last Olympics,
I wasn’t even riding my bike.
I took a break from the sport,
“That break was the best
thing that could have
happened to me, and helped
me get to where I am today. I
just took it year by year.
Somehow, I’ve ended up in
this position. I’m really proud
of how I’ve got here. I nearly
quit the sport, so I’m happy
to be riding my bike, and I’m
loving doing what I’m doing.
“I’ve had a good support
network around me that has
helped me get back to my
pre-my break self.”
Roberts will be joined by
fellow Olympic debutant
Anna Morris in the team
pursuit squad. Morris was
working as a doctor in an
intensive care unit during the
Covid pandemic less than
four years ago.
Notably absent from the
line-up is Katie Archibald,
who suffered a catalogue of
injuries last month, breaking
bones in her lower leg after
an innocuous garden fall.
“We’re all so gutted for
Katie,” Roberts said. “She has
worked so hard for this. She’s
our team-mate, and such a
big part of it all. We’ve had to
come back together, make a
new plan, and I think we can
still be confident. We have a
lot of strength in depth.”
Roberts and Neah Evans
come into the team pursuit
squad which won gold at last
year’s World Championships
in Glasgow, with Meg Barker
as a travelling reserve. The
full team is now Elinor Barker,
Roberts, Evans, Morris and
Josie Knight.

“THAT BREAK WAS THE

from cycling, I was struggling Evans, Knight and Barker
with my mental health and I were all silver medallists in

BEST THING THAT COULD

had a bit of an injury too. I
took six months out from
training but basically a year
out of racing.
Tokyo three years ago, a team
which also included the
HAVE HAPPENED TO ME” now-retired Laura Kenny, and
the injured Archibald.

38
 Deignan to race
fourth Olympics

The women’s road squad was also announced last

Thursday and includes Lizzie Deignan, racing her
fourth Olympics.
The 35-year-old made her Games debut at
HşŔÍşŔƴĭŔƴǎǼŪǎÆƴǫħÝƏÝƴƝħÝƴĆŔĭƝħÝÍƴƝÝ´şŔÍƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴ
road race behind Marianne Vos of the Netherlands.
Twelve years on, the Lidl-Trek rider will be hoping
to medal again, or at least help her other three
team-mates to the podium.
Deignan will be joined by Anna Morris,
moonlighting from the track squad, national road
Ə’´Ýƴ´ħ’ŊŵĭşŔƴ_úÝĭüÝƏƴ&ÝşƏĔĭÆƴ’ŔÍƴŔ’ƹĭşŔ’ĽƴƹĭŊÝƴ
trial champion Anna Henderson.
Georgi, 23, has had an excellent season,
winning the National Championships, taking third
at Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and fourth at the Amstel
Gold Race just over a week later. If she gets into the
right group, a medal is a distinct possibility.
Henderson will take GB’s sole spot in the time
ƹƏĭ’ĽżƴqħÝƴǎĈīDZݒƏīşĽÍƴĆŔĭƝħÝÍƴúşǓƏƹħƴ’ƹƴƹħÝƴƒşƏĽÍƴ
Championships last year, and second at the
European Championships too, so is among the
best in the world at the discipline.
Meanwhile, the BMX squad consists of world
champion Kieran Reilly and defending Olympic
champion Charlotte Worthington in the freestyle
park discipline. Meanwhile, BMX racing Olympic
champion Beth Shriever will defend the women’s
title, having recovered from a recent collarbone
injury, while Kye Whyte will represent GB in the
men’s event, having won silver at Tokyo. Travelling
reserves for BMX racing will be Ross
Deignan (right): wealth
of experience could Cullen and Emily Hutt.
prove invaluable in Paris
Words: Adam Becket Photos: Getty Images, Alamy Stock

FINAL 12 NAMES
O Women’s road: Lizzie Deignan,
Pfeiffer Georgi, Anna Henderson
(TT and road race), Anna Morris
O Women’s track endurance: Elinor
Barker, Neah Evans, Josie Knight,
Anna Morris, Jess Roberts, Meg
Barker (reserve)
O Men’s BMX freestyle park
Kieran Reilly
O Women’s BMX freestyle park
Charlotte Worthington
O Men’s BMX racing Kye Whyte, Ross
Cullen (reserve)
O Women’s BMX racing
Beth Shriever, Emily Hutt (reserve)
 THE HUB
All the news you might have missed from the last seven days

Rider dies at
Tour of Austria
André Drege died after
crashing in the Tour of Austria Official Tour De France
on Saturday. The 25-year-old on X
Norwegian Coop-Repsol
rider fell on the descent of ƉMÝƝƝ’ĔÝƴƹşƴq’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’ƏÅƴ
the Großglockner, on stage _ĽÝ’ƝÝƴÍşƴŔşƹƴ’ƹƹ’´ĻƴÍǓƏĭŔĔƴ
four. “It is with deep ƹħÝƴƏÝƝƹƴ͒DZéƊ
sadness and heavy hearts
that we have to announce c’´ÝƴşƏĔ’ŔĭƝÝƏƝƴŵĽÝ’Íƴǫĭƹħƴ
the passing of André ƹħÝƴkĽşǪÝŔĭ’ŔƴƹşƴĔĭǪÝƴ
Drege,” said ÝǪÝƏDZ¥şÍDZƴ’ƴƏÝƝƹƴíƴĸǓƝƹƴúşƏƴ
race organisers. şŔÝƴ͒DZ

29
British Junior and U23
riders are riding at this
week’s European Champs
in Germany. Among
those defending titles
are the team pursuiters
Maddie Leech, Sophie
Lewis and Grace Lister.
3RJDÎDUELNHDXFWLRQ
The Colnago Fleur de Lys
“kşŊÝƹĭŊÝƝƴDZşǓƴŔÝÝÍƴ ƹħ’ƹƴq’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’ƏƴƏşÍÝƴ’ƹƴ
¥’ĽĽƝƴƹşƴƏ’´ÝƴíƴŊ’DZ¥Ýƴ the team presentation for
BşŔ’ƝƴÍĭÍŔƌƹƴħ’ǪÝƴ this year’s Tour in Florence
ƹħÝŊƴƹşÍ’DZƊ has gone to auction at
Remco Evenepoel Sotheby’s. It is number
on the Dane’s refusal to one of 111 numbered bikes,
work in a break with and features an 18 carat
ħĭŊƴ’ŔÍƴq’ÍÝĸƴ_şĔ’¹’Ə gold Colnago ‘ace of
clubs’ emblem on the
head tube.

CHAMPS RETURNS
FOR 100
ƒħ’ƹƌƝƴħşƹÅ What’s not: Newly crowned national 50-mile
&Ə’ǪÝĽƴƝƹ’ĔÝƝ ,ݒǪDZīħ’ŔÍÝÍƴ champions John Archibald
We always thought qşǓƏƴĆŔÝƝ (Huub-Wattshop) and Kate Allan
stage nine of the Tour Lidl-Trek’s Julien (Team Bottrill) will be back for
de France on the white ÝƏŔ’ƏÍƴǫ’ƝƴĆŔÝÍƴúşƏƴ more at Sunday’s National
roads around Troyes “inappropriate 100-mile Champs in Cumbria.
looked interesting, but behaviour during a race The ‘100’ is the only standard
who knew it would rip and damage to the distance title that neither of
the race to pieces in image of the sport” for them have previously won, but
quite the exhilarating stopping to kiss his wife both are on form.
way that it did? during stage seven’s TT.

40
 What you’re saying

Mark Cavendish’s LETTER OF

35th stage win THE WEEK
The reaction from the team car Amazing, I really couldn’t see this Redesign thumbs-up
following the peloton got me laughing. happening, but fair play to him, and I’m an avid reader and am
Then riders stopping to congratulate huge kudos to Astana for going all in impressed with the updated
him – wonderful to see. Ellen Croxon on him. Probably the only team in the look of the magazine. In
peloton prepared to give him the particular, it’s ‘cleaner’ and
His win is even more remarkable when opportunity to go for the record. easier on the eye, and has a
you see all the sprinters that he beat. Martin Moore modern feel. I like the new
There aren’t words left to do justice to fonts and layouts but I’m
his achievement. Martin Hickson Lots of Greek riders were lucky to see also glad to see many of
Cavendish training in Athens’s suburbs, the regular features we all
Absolutely fantastic, seeing him thread just a few days before the Tour! expect and love in Cycling
his way through the riders to hit the Elina Tsitoura Weekly. The photography is
front reminded me of George Best stunning and I have noticed a
scything through defences. A piece of He’s 39 years old. Let that sink in. few new features and I’m
sheer genius. Dave Perris Such an incredibly long and successful excited to see how the
career. What a publication develops.
remarkable Dr CJ Simcock, email
achievement.
Photo: Getty Images

Anthony
Peterson

_şĔ’¹’Əƴħ’Ɲƴ
participated years he will surely break this record.
in only a Omid Rahat
handful of
Tours and has Soudal Quick-Step should sign Eddy
12 wins with Merckx for 2025 so he can retake his
the potential record. Ed Sandheinrich
to win a few
Cav’s historic win made for more this year. I just gave my kids the fright of their
uplifting viewing If he stays lives by screaming at the TV so loudly.
around for I’d like to think that it helped, in some
another 10 small way. Akhila Mangat

Cycling Weekly, Future PLC
Contact us
cycling@futurenet.com
Future plc, Quay House,
The Ambury, Bath BA1 1AU, UK
Editor: Simon Richardson
Web editor: Michelle Arthurs-Brennan
News editor: Adam Becket
Features editor: David Bradford
Senior writer: James Shrubsall
Tech editor: Simon Fellows
Tech writers: Hannah Bussey, Joe Baker
Staff writers: Anne-Marije Rook, Tom Thewlis,
Tom Davidson
Group production editor: Daniel Thomas
Chief sub editor: Jonathan Emery
Sub editor: Steve Shrubsall
Group art director: Kevin Eason
Group art editor: Daniel Baines
Deputy art editor: Michael Rawley
Group picture editor: Richard Tole
Video: Andrew Daley, Ed Westrop
Video manager: Sam Gupta
ADVERTISING
Head of Sports: Richard Hemmings
Head of Cycling: Jess Hamer
(jess.hamer@futurenet.com)
Account directors: Nathalie Adams,
Hayley Brailey-Woolfson, Sam Marsh
Content director: Rob Spedding
Managing director Sport: Dave Clutterbuck
Chief executive: Jon Steinberg
Subscriptions hotline 0330 333 1113
Email help@magazinesdirect.com
Or subscribe online at... www.cyclingweekly.com
SUBSCRIPTION RATES (for 51 issues,
including postage) £167 inside
the UK; €308 Europe; USA $348;
Rest of World £268. Send orders and
correspondence to: Oakfield House, 35 Perrymount
Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3DH.
Cheques payable to Future Publishing Limited.
How to order and access back issues:
If you are an active subscriber, you have instant
access to back issues through your iOS or
Android device/s. Your digital magazine entitle-
ment is available at no additional cost and no
further action is required. Pocketmags library
may not have access to the full archive of digital
back issues. You will only be able to access the
digital back issues as long as you are an active
subscriber.
To purchase single back issues (print format
only) visit: magazinesdirect.com (click on ‘Single
issues’ tab) Or email: help@magazinesdirect.
com For further help call: +44(0)330 333 1113
Lines are open Mon- Fri 8.30am-7pm and Sat
10am-3pm UK time. Magazinesdirect.com is
owned and operated by Future Publishing
Limited.
Cycling Weekly, 0011-4316, is published weekly
by Future plc, Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1
1UA. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent
named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping
Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY
11434, USA.
Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431.
US Postmaster: Send address changes to
Cycling Weekly, Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet We work hard to achieve the highest standards
Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, of editorial content, and we are committed to
Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. complying with the Editors’ Code of Practice
Subscription records are maintained at Future (https://www.ipso.co.uk/IPSO/cop.html) as
plc, 161 Marsh Wall, London, E14 9AP Air Business enforced by IPSO.
Ltd is acting as our mailing agent. INTERNATIONAL LICENSING
Subscription delays Cycling Weekly is available for licensing.
We rely on various delivery companies to get Contact the Licensing team to discuss
your magazine to you. We kindly ask that you partnership opportunities.
allow up to 7 days before contacting us about a Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw licensing@
late delivery to help@mymagazines.co.uk futurenet.com
Registered at the Post Office as a newspaper.
Printed by Walstead UK Limited. Distributed by
Marketforce (UK) Ltd., a Future plc company,
121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6JR.
CONDITIONS OF SALE AND
SUPPLY This periodical is sold
subject to the following conditions,
namely that it shall not, without
the written consent of the
publishers first being given, lent,
resold, hired out or otherwise
disposed of in a mutilated condi-
tion or price in excess of the recom-
mended maximum price shown on
the cover and that it shall not be lent,
resold, hired or otherwise dis-
posed of in a mutilated or any unau-
thorised cover by way of Trade or
affixed to or part of any publication
or advertising, literary or pictori-
al matter whatsoever. © Future
plc. 2024 ISSN 0011 4326.
No. 6699 EDITORIAL COMPLAINTS

43
 Six things you need to know about...
GARMIN
Product Launch
EDGE 1050
Is it one step forward but two steps back
for Garmin’s flagship bike computer?
1
Who ate all the pies?
Compared with Garmin’s
previous flagship model,
the Edge 1040, this new computer is a
chunky Charlie. It’s bigger, heavier and
less svelte, which could be a deal-
breaker for some. Weighing in at 161g,
it’s a whopping 35 grams heavier than
the Edge 1040, and twice as heavy as the
petite but immensely capable Edge 840.
The 1050 is also taller and thicker
than the 1040, only by a few millimetres,
but it’s noticeable. Additionally, where
the 1040 is rounded and pebble-like in
the hand, this new computer is angular
and industrial-looking.
Does it matter? If you’re a weight-
weeny, then yes it will. Frankly, I’m not,
2
so it didn’t bother me in the slightest.
Battery life is poorer
Comparatively speaking,
the 1050 guzzles juice like
it’s going out of fashion. What’s more,
there’s no solar version. Whereas the
1040 boasts a battery life of up to 35
hours of demanding use – that’s with
nav functioning, and a host of sensors
connected – the 1050 only manages
20 hours. Incredibly, the 1040 Solar
outperforms it twice over, with up to
45 hours on tap.
Again, does it matter? If you’re
into bikepacking, or in the habit of
getting terribly lost, then having that
extra capacity is both convenient
and comforting. For the rest of us,
20 hours probably represents about
three weeks’ worth of use. So, no.
44
£649.99
Dimensions: 60.2 x 118.5 x
16.3mm (2.4in x 4.7in x
0.6in) Weight: 161 g (5.7 oz)
Water resistance: IPX7
Display type: Colour, liquid
crystal Display size: 88.9
ŊŊƴŷDŽżĈƣŹƴÍĭ’ĔşŔ’ĽƴDisplay
resolution: 480 x 800
pixels Battery life: Up to 20
hours of demanding use,
up to 60 hours in battery
Garmin Pay is a
save mode Other features:
useful feature, but
built-in speaker, 64 GB
paying via phone
internal memory , GPS - or watch is more
Glonass, Galileo, convenient
multi-band GNSS,
barometric altimeter,
gyroscope, accelerometer,
magnetometer, ambient
light sensor The penalty for all this brilliance
is reduced battery life, which
3
explains why the Edge 1050 doesn’t
share the electrical endurance of
It has a super-bright its older siblings. It also accounts
hi-resolution screen. for the increased weight and size –
Garmin has had to shoehorn a bigger
Now we’re talking. The 1050’s battery into the Edge 1050 to bring its
4
screen is simply superb under all light performance up to respectable levels.
conditions. Firstly, it’s incredibly bright,
with plenty of contrast and, what’s more, It has a bell
it can be read from a much broader
viewing angle. As gimmicky as it may seem,
The screen also boasts a substantially the 1050’s software-powered
higher resolution than the 1040 - 480 x bike bell is an absolute blessing.
800 pixels vs 282 x 470 pixels. Ringing it in moments of jeopardy is
Both qualities, brightness and a little hazardous – you have to tap the
resolution, markedly improve legibility Edge’s screen once to bring up the bell
– important when you consider that we icon and then a second time to sound
rarely have more than a split-second to it. But, if you have SRAM bonus buttons
assimilate the data displayed on our you can assign one of them to operate
computer screens. it instead.
 Bright, hi-res
screen displays an
impressive array of
performance and
We say wellness stats

On paper, it’s easy to

6
presume that Garmin
has taken a backward
It sounds convincingly bell-like due step or two with the It comes fully loaded (as do
to the 1050’s new speaker, which also Edge 1050. It’s bigger, most Garmin computers)
enables the computer to emit turn-by- heavier and doesn’t have

5
turn instructions. the remarkable battery The week Garmin launched
life of its two siblings, the 1050 it also released a huge software
It has Garmin Pay the Edge 1040 and Edge update that brought enhancements to
1040 Solar. A ride out many existing features, including
As the name suggests, with the 1050 GroupRides. It also introduced some
Garmin Pay is a payment immediately dispels that new ones, such as Road Hazard Alerts,
service that enables users to make assumption. I didn’t which enables Garmin users to report
cardless, over-the-counter payments. appreciate quite how potholes and the like with a warning that
Words Simon Fellows Photos Garmin

It’s been available on Garmin’s watches dull and fuzzy my 1040’s subsequently populates the screens of
for years, but this is the first time it has screen was until my first other riders. Metrics for Training Status,
appeared on a bike computer. The idea few kilometres with the Stress, Sleep, Stamina, Power and so on
is that you can buy your mates a round new 1050. Frankly, it’s in can still be measured and interpreted to
of coffee and cake at the cafe stop a completely different the nth degree. The thing is, Garmin is
by nonchalantly waving your 1050 at league. The stealthy making most of these features available
the barista. bell is another to its whole series of computers from
For me, the reality is somewhat stand-out feature. the 540/840 up - all that’s exclusive to
different, because I already have Apple Simon Fellows, the 1050 is the bell and moderately
Pay on my phone, I struggle to look Tech Editor improved UI, made possible by its
nonchalant, and don’t have any mates. speaker and slightly faster processor.

45
 Giro Cielo £165
Tested

A mid-range helmet from a long-standing brand

Rating I tested the Cielo in a – 295 grams for a size small

+  +  +  +  +
The Cielo’s shape is quite
compact, with a short
overall length but a
somewhat wide front
profile. Fit is the most
important part of a
helmet, and each model
fits slightly differently.
Giro helmets tend to
suit an oval head shape
best. This is not a criticism
of the brand, though – it’s
the same with almost
every helmet maker.
range of weather conditions,
from sunny and hot to
pouring rain, and felt
comfortable throughout. If
need be, there’s room for a
cap underneath to stretch
the usable temperature
range. The Cielo didn’t
interfere with any of the
handful of sunglasses I
tested it with, and there are
padded rubber spots upfront
to create a glasses garage
when they are not being
worn on the face.
The only significant point
against the Cielo is weight
is on the heavier side. Most
of this weight gain can be
ascribed to the MIPS design
that is now standard on
most helmets. The internal
harness, which allows the
helmet to pivot around the
head in the event of a crash,
adds grams but improves
safety outcomes. This
seems like a very reasonable
trade-off to make. So, the
Cielo can’t match top-end
helmets for weight, but then
it isn’t trying to.
Charlie Kohlmeier
O 295g (small)

“THE INTERNAL
HARNESS ADDS
GRAMS BUT
IMPROVES
SAFETY
OUTCOMES”

1 2
Classic inspiration
The Cielo takes its
inspiration from
the Aeon – helmet
of choice of the Garmin-
Cervélo pro team of the early
2010s and forever linked to
world champ Thor Hushovd,
riding in the rainbow jersey.
Mid-tier option
It slots into the
middle of Giro’s
road line-up. It
doesn’t have the ball-and-
socket-esque Spherical Tech
of Giro’s high-end helmets;
Giro bills it as an “enthusiast-
level” helmet, and this is apt.
3 4
MIPS technology
The Cielo has 22
vents, internal
ventilation
channelling and features a
MIPS Evolve Core liner. The
padding is very comfortable
across the forehead, while the
dial at the back is easy to use.
Comfortable design
The helmet’s straps
sit close to the
head, boosting
comfort and aerodynamics.
Giro makes no specific
claims about the latter,
but then it’s not intended
as a top-end race helmet.

46
Mavic Allroad S £495
Rating
power down, and on rough
roads and gravel they do a
good job of absorbing the
higher-frequency stuff.
For £495 you get a Unsurprisingly, though,
good-looking set of when the bumps get
wheels from a company bigger, there’s a point
with a deep cycling where these wheels cease
pedigree. On tarmac, to be quite as comfortable.
these wheels feel great Charlie Kohlmeier
when you want to put the O 1,765g (small)
Apple Watch Ultra 2 £799
Rating
day, or do you need a
watch that stays charged
for longer? Second, is
This is a beautifully following a GPX track a
engineered watch with must, or is Apple Maps
a massive feature set. fine? These shortcomings
Should you buy it? First, aside, I can fully
consider your battery recommend the Ultra 2.
requirements – are you OK Anne-Marie Abram
with charging every other O 70g
Scicon Aeroscope £195
Rating
This is a high-quality
set of sunnies with
custom-fit features.
The frame is robustly
built and the tall lens
provides impressive
clarity and an excellent
Silca Grinta Bar Bag £109
Rating
A versatile option, I could
see this bag being used as
someone’s daily driver as
well as a helpful companion
on an ultra-endurance
event. However, as Silca
makes clear, it is not big
field of vision, making
the Aeroscope a great
choice for sunny daytime
rides. However, the
nosepiece is quite firm
and I found it could get
a little uncomfortable
on rides even as short as
an hour.
Anne-Marie Abram
O 35g
enough for bikepacking.
With its two-litre capacity,
I managed to cram in a
pump and fix-a-flat
necessities, snacks, an
Ottolock, a thin jacket and
gloves. The essentials, then
– exactly as advertised.
Anne-Marije Rook
O 160g
47
 HOW TO GET
Êi¦
ɅGUÂΐ
ÂΐȋТ̥ΐΐ
Having quit serious training for a life on the road,
Marcus Leach has a change of heart upon turning 40
– and decides it’s time to get back in the hurt locker

Photos Richard Butcher/Future Publishing, Traka/Feran Sola

ʥglance down at my Wahoo
head unit as it ticks up to 300
kilometres. I’ve been riding
for over 14 hours now and yet,
as the little voice in my head
is quick to remind me, there’s
still another 42km to go.
With darkness setting in and
technical singletrack up ahead,
I know I have to stay focused
to make it back to Girona and
ƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴĽĭŔÝƴşúƴƹħÝƴqƏ’Ļ’ÆƴşŔÝƴ
of Europe’s premier long-
distance gravel races.
My being here, deep into
a race that attracts elite-level gravel
riders from around the world, is the
culmination of a four-month journey,
one that required me to dedicate
myself to a rigorous training regime.
I knew I’d have to train harder than
ever before if I was to be physically
and mentally prepared for one of the
longest days I’d ever spend on a bike.
qħ’ƹƴǫ’ƝƴƹħÝƴŵĽ’ŔÆƴ’ƹƴĽÝ’ƝƹÆƴǫħÝŔƴ.ƴ
began the process at the start of the
year, signing up for what was billed
’ƝƴƹħÝƴqƏ’Ļ’ƴÍǪÝŔƹǓƏÝÆƴ’ƴĈƬǼĻŊƴǓĽƹƏ’ƴ
race combining the gravel roads of
Catalunya with several high mountain
passes in the Pyrenees.
Why had I decided to take on the
úݒƏƝşŊÝƴqƏ’Ļ’ÆƴDZşǓƴŊ’DZƴǫÝĽĽƴ’ƝĻżƴ
qħşǓĔħƴ.ƌÍƴŔÝǪÝƏƴ’ƹƹ’´ħÝÍƴŊǓ´ħƴ
ƝĭĔŔĭĆ´’Ŕ´Ýƴƹşƴ’ĔÝÆƴǫħÝŔƴ.ƴƏÝ´ÝŔƹĽDZƴ
turned 40, I found myself wanting
to roll back the years to a time
when endurance challenges were a
mainstay of my life. Back in 2017, I rode
the full parcours of all three Grand
qşǓƏƝÆƴƏĭÍĭŔĔƴşŔÝƴ͒DZƴ’ħݒÍƴşúƴƹħÝƴ
professional peloton, which opened
the door to a brief foray into the world
şúƴǓĽƹƏ’ƴ´DZ´ĽĭŔĔżƴqħ’ƹƴǫ’ƝƴǓŔƹĭĽƴĽĭúÝƴƹşşĻƴ
over and work, plus husband and dad
ÍǓƹĭÝƝÆƴ¥Ý´’ŊÝƴĭŔ´ƏݒƝĭŔĔĽDZƴÍĭþ´ǓĽƹƴ
to juggle with the demands of training
for, and competing in, such events.
qǫşƴDZݒƏƝƴ’ĔşÆƴŊDZƴǫĭúÝƴ’ŔÍƴ.ƴħ’Íƴ
decided to up sticks and live full-time
in a motorhome, travelling the world,
so cycling inevitably became less
about performance and more about
the simple joy of being on two wheels.
ƒħĭĽÝƴ.ƴƝƹĭĽĽƴĻÝŵƹƴƏÝĽ’ƹĭǪÝĽDZƴĆƹÆƴƹħÝƏÝƴǫ’Ɲƴ
no need for structured sessions – until
ŔşǫżƴƒĭƹħƴƹħÝƴqƏ’Ļ’ƴĔş’ĽƴƝÝƹÆƴĭƹƴǫ’ƝƴƹĭŊÝƴ
to leap back into serious training.
Back on Traka
qħÝƴ´DZ´ĽĭŔĔƴƝĭÍÝƴşúƴƹħÝƴŵĽ’Ŕƴǫ’Ɲƴ
split into two phases. Part one was
exclusively outdoors – the reality of
motorhome life – which was far from
ideal in the depths of winter in the
ǓƝƹƏĭ’ŔƴĽŵƝżƴqħÝƴƝÝ´şŔÍƴŵħ’ƝÝÆƴ
beginning in March, was predominantly
indoors, as I was back in Wales with
’´´ÝƝƝƴƹşƴ’ƴƒ’ƹƹ¥ĭĻÝƴƹşŊÆƴ’ĽĽşǫĭŔĔƴ
for a far greater level of control over
ƝÝƝƝĭşŔƝżƴƝƴú’Əƴ’ƝƴƹħÝƴƝƹƏÝŔĔƹħƴ’ŔÍƴ
conditioning element was concerned,
I would be under the expert guidance
şúƴkƴ´ş’´ħƴÝƏÝĻƴqݒĽƴŷÍĭ’ĽÝÍħݒĽƹħż
´şŊŹżƴĽĽƴƹħ’ƹƴƏÝŊ’ĭŔÝÍƴŔşǫƴǫ’Ɲƴƹşƴ
establish my starting metrics, tangible
numbers on which to base my

48
 Welsh gravel was the
cherry on the cake after
Leach’s indoor sessions

49
 training, as well as chart progress over
the next four months. Weighing myself
ǫ’ƝƴݒƝDZƴÝŔşǓĔħÆƴ¥ǓƹƴƹħÝƴ%q_ƴÝüşƏƹƴ
on a freezing climb was an experience
I’d rather forget. By the end of that
challenging day, my starting point was
ƝÝƹÅƴ.ƴǫ’ƝƴÝǰ’´ƹĽDZƴŪǼǼĻĔÆƴǫĭƹħƴ’Ŕƴ%q_ƴşúƴ
320W, ergo 3.2W/kg – which, in truth,
was better than I’d been expecting.
qħÝƴúş´ǓƝƴǫ’ƝƴŔşǫƴşŔƴĭŔ´ƏݒƝĭŔĔƴ
my threshold power while reducing
my weight, the combination of which
would, in theory, allow me to ride
further faster, and to climb more
Ýþ´ĭÝŔƹĽDZżƴNÝÝÍĭŔĔƴČÝǰĭ¥ĭĽĭƹDZÆƴ.ƴ
ƝĭĔŔÝÍƴǓŵƴƹşƴqƏ’ĭŔÝƏcş’ÍÆƴǓƝĭŔĔƴƹħÝĭƏƴ
plan builder feature to make myself a
bespoke four month e-plan. Former
national hill-climb champion Ed
H’ǪÝƏ’´Ļƴ’ÍǪĭƝÝÍƴŊÝÅƴƉqħÝƴŊ’ĭŔƴúş´ǓƝƴ
of training for an event like this is on
improving lactate threshold power
and aerobic capacity, as well as calorie
consumption and absorption rates.”
He also stressed the importance of
̴Uΐ¶UHu.'ΐʤΐÂΐ
¦
Uu.¦¦
'ƍΐ
ʶUuHΐÂP.U¦ΐ
¤i
uΐÊUi'.¦ΐ
ÂΐH.Âΐsí¶.iGΐ

ΐ.¶¤g.ΐGʦΐ
suÂPΐ.Ʌ¤i
u̶
nutrition. “Super-long endurance
events are as much about eating
as they are cycling, ensuring you
can consistently fuel the work over
prolonged periods.”
ƴƹDZŵĭ´’ĽƴǫÝÝĻƴşŔƴƹħÝƴ¥ĭĻÝƴĭŔ´ĽǓÍÝÍƴ
one or two longer endurance rides of
three to four hours, plus a series of
shorter rides focusing on sweetspot
and threshold intervals. Most of the
endurance rides were ridden between
ĈĈƴ’ŔÍƴƦĈŻƴşúƴŊDZƴ%q_ÆƴǫħĭĽÝƴ’ƴƹDZŵĭ´’Ľƴ
sweetspot session featured intervals of
ÝĭĔħƹƴƹşƴǎǼƴŊĭŔǓƹÝƝƴ’ƹƴ¥ÝƹǫÝÝŔƴåĈƴ’ŔÍƴ
50
řĈŻƴşúƴ%q_żƴqħÝƝÝƴǫÝƏÝƴƝǓŵŵĽÝŊÝŔƹÝÍƴ
with threshold sessions comprising
shorter intervals of two to four minutes
’ƹƴŪǼĈƴƹşƴŪŪĈŻƴşúƴ%q_żƴ.úƴ.ƴŊĭƝƝÝÍƴ’ƴ
ƝÝƝƝĭşŔÆƴqƏ’ĭŔÝƏcş’Íƴħ’ŔÍĭĽDZƴ’Í’ŵƹÝÍƴ
the next few rides accordingly. Over
time, I was able to handle a higher
workload thanks to an increase in both
aerobic capabilities and muscular
ÝŔÍǓƏ’Ŕ´ÝÆƴǫħĭĽÝƴƹħÝƴƹħƏÝƝħşĽÍƴÝüşƏƹƝƴ
meant that I began to put out higher
power over greater durations, both key
facets when it came to the event.
ÝĭŔĔƴ´’ƏÍĭşǪ’Ɲ´ǓĽ’ƏĽDZƴĆƹƴǫ’Ɲƴ
only one piece of the jigsaw; I also
needed to ensure my body was
physically strong enough to cope with
ĈƬǼĻŊƴŔşŔīƝƹşŵƴşǪÝƏƴ’ƴÍÝŊ’ŔÍĭŔĔÆƴ
ŵƏÝÍşŊĭŔ’ŔƹĽDZƴşüīƏş’ÍƴƏşǓƹÝżƴƉqħÝƴ
biggest thing people get wrong
when adding strength work to their
cycling training is they think they
simply need to focus on leg exercises,
when the focus should be on whole-
¥şÍDZƴǫşƏĻşǓƹƝÆƊƴqݒĽƴƹşĽÍƴŊÝżƴƉƒħÝŔƴ
DZşǓƴĽşşĻƴ’ƹƴ’ƴ´şǓƏƝÝƴĽĭĻÝƴƹħÝƴqƏ’Ļ’Æƴ
the demands are multi-faceted. You
ħ’ǪÝƴĽşŔĔƴȒƹƴƝÝ´ƹĭşŔƝÆƴƝƹÝÝŵƴ´ĽĭŊ¥ƝÆƴ
hike-a-bike, a lot of rough terrain and
even technical singletrack, all of which
require a stronger upper body and
activated core as well as leg strength.”
qşƴ¥ǓĭĽÍƴƹħÝƴƝƹƏÝŔĔƹħƴƏÝƃǓĭƏÝÍÆƴqݒĽƴ
prescribed two total body workout
sessions a week, containing between
six to eight exercises to be completed
in four supersets – back-to-back
with little rest in between – plus
’ƴ´şƏÝīƝŵÝ´ĭĆ´ƴƝÝƝƝĭşŔżƴ.ƴħ’ÍƴŔşƴ
regular access to a gym nor any heavy
weights so I used a resistance band
and kettlebell, with the emphasis on
muscular endurance from higher rep
Ə’ŔĔÝƝżƴqħÝƴǓŵƝĭÍÝƴǫ’ƝÆƴǓŔĽĭĻÝƴǫĭƹħƴ Roughing it for 342km in the
heavier lifting, I didn’t need to reduce Spanish wilds was a tough
my riding volume. but intoxicating experience
“It’s important to remember that
ƝƹƏÝŔĔƹħƴƹƏ’ĭŔĭŔĔƴħ’ƝƴŊ’ĸşƏƴ¥ÝŔÝĆƹƝƴ
beyond simply getting stronger,
the main one being neuromuscular
’Í’ŵƹ’ƹĭşŔƝÆƊƴqݒĽƴ’ÍÍƝżƴƉqħĭƝƴŊݒŔƝƴ
it’s not just about the size of the
muscles but the ability of the nervous
system to activate them, and the more
muscles you have activated the more
Ýþ´ĭÝŔƹƴDZşǓƴ’ƏÝƴşŔƴƹħÝƴ¥ĭĻÝÆƴǫħĭ´ħƴĭƝƴ
critical to any endurance event.” Unlike
 ǫĭƹħƴŊDZƴǫÝĭĔħƹƴ’ŔÍƴ%q_Æƴĭƹƴǫ’Ɲƴħ’ƏÍƴƹşƴ
ŵƏÝ´ĭƝÝĽDZƴƹƏ’´Ļƴ¥ÝŔÝĆƹƝƴúƏşŊƴƝƹƏÝŔĔƹħƴ
training, but within a few weeks I was
feeling more planted on the bike, with
’ƴĔƏݒƹÝƏƴƝÝŔƝÝƴşúƴ´şŔƹƏşĽƴǫħÝŔƴşüī
road, as well as fewer aches on longer
endurance rides.
Wrapped around all of this was a
meticulous approach to nutrition,
especially around my training sessions,
ensuring I was eating the right foods
to maximise adaptations. On the
bike, I made sure to consume 100g of
carbohydrates each hour. For rides
of up to two hours, I relied solely on
sports nutrition, drinks and gels,
whereas for longer rides I added
ǫħşĽÝƴúşşÍƝÆƴƝǓ´ħƴ’Ɲƴ¥’Ŕ’Ŕ’ƝÆƴNǓƹÝĽĽ’ƴ
Ɲ’ŔÍǫĭ´ħÝƝƴ’ŔÍƴħşŊÝŊ’ÍÝƴȒŵĸ’´ĻƝżƴ
TüƴƹħÝƴ¥ĭĻÝÆƴ.ƴƝĭŊŵĽDZƴŊ’ÍÝƴƝǓƏÝƴƹħ’ƹƴ
each meal consisted mainly of protein
and carbohydrates, some healthy
ú’ƹƝÆƴ’ŔÍƴ’Ľǫ’DZƝƴŵĽÝŔƹDZƴşúƴÍĭüÝƏÝŔƹƴ
vegetables or salad.

Caught short

qħÝƴ´şŊ¥ĭŔ’ƹĭşŔƴşúƴƝƹ’DZĭŔĔƴ´şŔƝĭƝƹÝŔƹƴ
with these three pillars over the course
of almost four months meant that, prior
to heading to Spain, my weight had
ÍƏşŵŵÝÍƴ¥DZƴĈżĈĻĔƴƹşƴřĎżĈĻĔÆƴǫħĭĽÝƴŊDZƴ
%q_ƴħ’ÍƴĭŔ´ƏݒƝÝÍƴ¥DZƴƬåƒƴƹşƴDŽååƒÆƴ
giving me a vastly improved power-to-
weight of 4.1W/kg, the highest it had
ÝǪÝƏƴ¥ÝÝŔƴíƴ’ƴ_ƴ’ƹƴĎǼƴDZݒƏƝƴşĽÍ÷ƴ¥şǪÝƴ
and beyond the numbers, the entire
process had given me a huge degree
şúƴ´şŔĆÍÝŔ´Ýƴ’ŔÍƴƝÝĽúī¥ÝĽĭÝúÆƴǫħĭ´ħƴ
ŵĽ’DZÝÍƴĭŔƹşƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’ĽƴŵĭÝ´ÝƴşúƴƹħÝƴĸĭĔƝ’ǫżƴƴ
Previously I’d been guilty of heading
into long events without being fully
ÂP.ΐ¦U'.ΐUuΐ prepared mentally, or at least more
uÊs.¦¶ concerned with the end result than
what it would take to achieve it. But
with age comes experience, so I
Distance: 342km devised a detailed game plan that
Ascent: 3,741m outlined what my objective was, gave
Total moving time: me a race motto to focus on, allowed
ŪĈħƏƴĎǼŊĭŔƴŪǼƝÝ´ƴ me to address issues and challenges
Total ride time: that occurred well before they actually
ŪƬħƏƴĎǼŊĭŔƴŪƬƝÝ´ ħ’ŵŵÝŔÝÍƴ’ŔÍÆƴĆŔ’ĽĽDZÆƴŵƏÝƝÝŔƹÝÍƴƹşƴ
Calories burnt: myself evidence from past experiences
12,082kcal that supported my mindset of ‘I can
Average HR: and will do this’.
ŪDŽĈ¥ŵŊ Instead of spending time each day
Max HR: 189bpm ǪĭƝǓ’ĽĭƝĭŔĔƴ´ƏşƝƝĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴĽĭŔÝƴ

51
 and how that moment would feel,
I pictured all of the ‘what if, worst
case’ scenarios so that I was mentally
prepared for any eventuality. Of all the
aspects of preparing for a major event,
it’s mindset and mental strength that
are most often overlooked – though
they are arguably the most important
factors come race day. Everything I had
ǫşƏĻÝÍƴşŔÆƴ¥şƹħƴşŔƴ’ŔÍƴşüƴƹħÝƴ¥ĭĻÝÆƴ
meant that I was ready for the race…
But then, the day before the scheduled

̴Gʦΐ¶Us¤i.ΐ
ç¦'¶ΐ¦ii.'ΐ

¦Êu'ΐsíΐ
P.
'ΐ
¶ΐÂP.ΐ
¦
.ΐ.H
uƋΐ
.
Âƍΐ'¦Uugƍΐ
¤.'
iƍΐ¦.¤.
Â̶
start, it was
cancelled.
Heavy snowfall
and torrential
rain meant that
ƹħÝƴqƏ’Ļ’ƌƝƴħĭĔħƴ
mountain passes Boosting threshold ÝŔÝƏĔDZƴĆĽĽÝÍƴƹħÝƴ’ĭƏƴ’ƝƴƹħÝƴŊĭŔǓƹÝƝƴ’ŔÍƴ
were unrideable, power and muscular ƝÝ´şŔÍƝƴ´şǓŔƹÝÍƴÍşǫŔƴǓŔƹĭĽƴĆŔ’ĽĽDZƴƹħÝƴ
and the multiple endurance were key goals wait was over. Four simple words rolled
points where we around my head as the race began: eat,
would be required drink, pedal, repeat.
to cross rivers on Once clear of Girona, the route rose
foot were unsafe, gradually for 10km before a slippery
resulting in the descent leads to the open plains over
ĈƬǼĻŊƴÝÍĭƹĭşŔƌƝƴ which the course heads north for the
last-minute best part of 100km. Working with
cancellation. a group of stout Dutch riders, and
It was the one sticking to my simple mantra, I felt
scenario my ƝƹƏşŔĔƴƏݒ´ħĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴĆƏƝƹƴúÝÝÍƴƝƹ’ƹĭşŔƴ
game-plan hadn’t after a little over four hours. It was here
’ĽĽşǫÝÍƴúşƏżƴqħ’ŔĻúǓĽĽDZƴ.ƴǫ’ƝƴşüÝƏÝÍƴ no time to lament, anyway, with just 24 ƹħ’ƹƴƹħÝƴ´ƏǓǰƴşúƴƹħÝƴƏşǓƹÝƴ¥ÝĔ’ŔÆƴĈǼĻŊƴ
ƹħÝƴ´ħ’Ŕ´Ýƴƹşƴƹ’ĻÝƴşŔƴƹħÝƴDŽƬǼĻŊƴƏşǓƹÝƴ hours until the start. of rough terrain containing a series
instead – itself shortened by 20km due With my bike and kit prepped the of demanding climbs and a hellish
to the adverse weather – ensuring that night before, there was just one thing hike-a-bike. I knew this was no place
four months of meticulous training left to do when my alarm screamed at to be pegged to someone else’s pace,
would not go to waste. I would still be 4:30am: wolf down as much porridge so I bid my companions farewell and
riding for almost a full day non-stop – as I could stomach, before making ƝÝƹƹĽÝÍƴĭŔƹşƴ’ƴƝƹݒÍDZƴƹÝŊŵşżƴƴĽĭƹƹĽÝƴ
none of those endurance reserves I’d my way to the start. Joining the 800 over three hours later and I was back
¥ǓĭĽƹƴǓŵƴǫşǓĽÍƴĔşƴƹşƴǫ’ƝƹÝżƴqħÝƏÝƴǫ’Ɲƴ other riders, an intoxicating buzz of şŔƴƹħÝƴȒƹÆƴݒĔÝƏƴƹşƴŵƏÝƝƝƴşŔÆƴşŔĽDZƴƹşƴ

52
 HOW TO Â
g.ΐuΐ
uΐ.¤Uΐ
P
ii.uH.ΐ
ÂΐȋТɅ¤iʶ
ODrop the ego. Don’t get
ħǓŔĔƴǓŵƴşŔƴǫħ’ƹƴDZşǓƏƴ%q_ƴşƏƴ
weight used to be 10 years
ago. Your current numbers
are just a baseline from
which to move forward.
OStick to the plan. Get
a training and nutrition
plan that works for you
and your life commitments,
and stick to it.
OAsk for help.ƴq’ĻĭŔĔƴ
on a big challenge can
be daunting, so speak
to people who’ve
done it before. Cyclists
are a friendly bunch and
almost always willing
ƹşƴşüÝƏƴ’ÍǪĭ´Ýƴ’ŔÍƴ
share experience.
OMindset is everything.
qħÝƏÝƴǫĭĽĽƴ¥ÝƴǓŵƝƴ’ŔÍƴ
downs; what matters most
is how we react to them.
OStay in the moment.
During the race, a simple
race mantra such as the
şŔÝƴ.ƴǓƝÝÍƴŷƉݒƹÆƴÍƏĭŔĻÆƴ
pedal, repeat”) can be
really helpful.
OEnjoy it! It’s about the
journey as much as the
ÍÝƝƹĭŔ’ƹĭşŔżƴcĭƝĭŔĔƴƹşƴ
the challenge will make
you stronger, provided
you can commit to the
processes required.

A solid training plan OTrust in the process.

set up Leach for an
epic success
ĆŔÍƴ’ƴƝƹĭüƴħݒÍǫĭŔÍƴƹħǫ’ƏƹĭŔĔƴ
my progress.
qħÝƴŔÝǰƹƴúşǓƏƴħşǓƏƝƴŵƏşǪÝÍƴƴ
unrelentingly tough and I started losing
úş´ǓƝƴúşƏƴƹħÝƴĆƏƝƹƴƹĭŊÝżƴ.ƴ¥’ƹƹĽÝÍƴşŔÆƴ
ƏĭÍĭŔĔƴ’ĽşŔÝÆƴǓŔƹĭĽƴŊÝƏ´ĭúǓĽĽDZƴƹħÝƴĆŔ’Ľƴ
feed station came into sight, a chance
to refuel with three hearty bowls of
pasta and take a moment to galvanise
myself for what still lay ahead: 80km,
two big climbs and a long technical
ƏǓŔƴƹşƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħżƴ%’ƏƴúƏşŊƴŵĽǓŔĔĭŔĔƴŊDZƴ
mind into darkness, the fall of night
brought with it a euphoric energy that
ensured the remaining kilometres slid
by without incident, my legs content
to keep spinning until the lights of
Girona appeared through the woods,
signalling that the end was nigh.
qħÝƏÝƴǫ’Ɲƴ’ƴƝƹƏ’ŔĔÝƴƝÝŔƝÝƴşúƴǓŔĆŔĭƝħÝÍƴ
¥ǓƝĭŔÝƝƝƴ’Ɲƴ.ƴ´ƏşƝƝÝÍƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴĽĭŔÝÆƴ
almost 17 hours after setting out, for
though I wasn’t exactly fresh, my body
Progress can sometimes
seem slow, but it’s still
progress and the results will
come eventually.
and mind still felt strong, yearning for
the extra 200km that had been the
şƏĭĔĭŔ’ĽƴĔş’ĽżƴqħÝƴƏ’´Ýƴǫ’ƝƴǫşŔƴ¥DZƴ
úşƏŊÝƏƴƒşƏĽÍqşǓƏƴŵƏşƴ_ÝƹÝƏƴkƹÝƹĭŔ’ÆƴĭŔƴ
an incredible 11 hours and 42 minutes.
qħÝƴ͒ŔĔÝƏƴǓŵşŔƴƏݒ´ħĭŔĔƴƹħÝƴ
ĆŔĭƝħƴĽĭŔÝƴşúƴ’ŔDZƴ¥ĭĔƴĔş’ĽƴÝǪÝŔƹƴĭƝƴ
thinking that it’s the end of the journey.
Standing under the glaring lights of the
ĆŔĭƝħÆƴ.ƴƝÝŔƝÝÍƴƹħ’ƹƴƹħĭƝƴǫ’ƝƴşŔĽDZƴƹħÝƴ
start. Perhaps my best years are not
DZÝƹƴ¥ÝħĭŔÍƴŊÝÆƴ.ƴ͒ƏÝÍƴƹşƴÍƏݒŊżƴqħĭƝƴ
monumental endurance challenge –
though shorter than originally planned
– had expanded my conception of what
is possible for me as an over-40 with
ĽĭŊĭƹÝÍƴƹƏ’ĭŔĭŔĔƴƹĭŊÝżƴƝƴ.ƴĽşşĻƴ’ħݒÍƴƹşƴ
ǎǼǎĈÆƴƹħ’ƹƴŊݒŔƝƴƝÝƹƹĭŔĔƴŊDZƴƝĭĔħƹƝƴşŔƴ
qşǓƏƴÍÝƝƴkƹ’ƹĭşŔƝƴĭŔƴkǫĭƹǸÝƏĽ’ŔÍÆƴ’ƴƏĭÍÝƴ
that boasts over 8,000m of climbing
in just 242km. Whatever your target,
provided you fully commit, the chances
are you won’t regret it – even if there’s
a last-minute course change.
O Marcus Leach is
exploring the world in
a motorhome with his
family, while searching
for epic cycling routes.

53

UK SCENE
RIDERS HIT FORM
AS CHAMPS LOOM
Impressive times clocked across the country
W
Words Snowdon Sports Photos Brian Jones/Kimroy, Andy Jones
ith just four weeks to go
to the National 25-Mile
Championships, many
riders took the
opportunity to tackle the same course
at the Weaver Valley CC and
Manchester and District Ladies CA
event in Cheshire on Saturday.
Team Bottrill’s Emily Martin stormed
to the win in the women’s event. She
clocked 58-29 on the new J2/21 course
near Lower Withington, while Lauren
Creamer (Velo Fixers) was second.
In the open event Maxwell Hereward
(360cycling) clocked 52-25 to win
and leave Marcel Schubert (Zurbaran
Racing) in second.
Riding a road bike, Casper Von
Folsach (HUUB WattShop) was an
54
Leah Cuthbertson in
action at the
Northampton &
District CA 12.8-mile
The stars of tomorrow were
crowned at the National Youth Circuit
Championships at the Cyclopark in
Kent on Sunday. In-form Leon Atkins
(258 Protégé) sprinted to victory in the
under-16 boys race, with William Brown
(Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy) second
and Finlay Storrie (GKR Racing) third.
And in the girls under-16 race
Phoebe Taylor (ESV Manchester)
took the win ahead of Megan Cherry
(Leicester Forest CC) and Grace Upshall
(Shibden Apex RT). The Under-14 titles
impressive third overall in 53-20. went to Billy Ladle (Secret Training.cc)
Henrik Persson (FTP Race Team) just and Katie Robertson (Clifton CC York).
scraped under the 50-minute mark
to win the Westerley CC 25 at Marlow,
Buckinghamshire, on Sunday.
His time of 49-54 gave him the win
by just 13 seconds from Renzo Casale
(University of Bath CC), while Oxonian
CC’s Emma McDermott was best
female in 1-07-06.
Thanet Road Club duo Nic Fennell
and Paul Burrows secured a one-two
in the VTTA Kent 50-Mile Champs near
Hamstreet on Sunday. Fennell clocked
1-44-42 to win by around six and a half
minutes, but he was still some way
şüƴħĭƝƴ¥ƏşƹħÝƏƴħƏĭƝƌƝƴ´şǓƏƝÝƴƏÝ´şƏÍżƴ
Victoria Smith (Alba Development RT)
was quickest female with 1-58-05.
David Mead on the road
to victory at Legato RT 10
ROAD RACING TIME TRIALS
Sunday, July 7 Sunday, July 7
OFete du Velo Criteriums OWesterley CC 25 (Marlow, Buckinghamshire):
(Redbourn, Hertfordshire):
1. Henrik Persson
Men 2, 3, 4: 1. James McCormick (Finchley RT); 2. ŷ%q_ƴ%ǓĽĆĽƴƹħÝƴ_şƹÝŔƹĭ’Ľƴc’´ÝƴqݒŊŹƴ ĎřżĈĎ
M. Wilson (Ride Revolution Coaching); 3. A. Peet 2. R. Casale (University of Bath CC) 50.07

CLUB IN FOCUS
ŷcÝČÝǰƴc’´ĭŔĔŹƥƴĎżƴqżƴqĭŊ¥ÝƏĽ’ĻÝƴŷqƏ’ƝħƴMĭĽÝŹƥƴĈżƴMżƴ 3. G. Williams (Twickenham CC) 51.53
Watson (Ride Revolution Coaching); 6. K. Jarvis 4. B. Elliott (Paceline Road Team) 52.00
(Optimum Coaching).
Women 2, 3, 4: 1. Sophie Holmes (Saint Piran
5. T. McEvoy
ŷ%q_ƴ%ǓĽĆĽƴƹħÝƴ_şƹÝŔƹĭ’Ľƴc’´ÝƴqݒŊŹƴ 52.03 HALESOWEN
WRT); 2. A. Kolbert (Team Pau); 3. E. Morris (Brother
wFīTŔ%şƏŊŹƥƴĎżƴżƴǓƹ´ħÝƏƴŷƒĭĽúşǰƴǰƴ_Ý͒ĽƴM’Ć’ƴ
RT); 5. R. Babbage (Team Boompods); 6. E. Inglis
6. HżƴƒĭĽĽĭ’ŊƝƴ
ŷ%q_ƴ%ǓĽĆĽƴƹħÝƴ_şƹÝŔƹĭ’Ľƴc’´ÝƴqݒŊŹƴ
Women:
52.14 CC
(Brother UK-OnForm). 1. Emma McDermott (Oxonian CC) 1:07.06 Hş´’ƹĭşŔÅƴBirmingham
 2. J. Bartlett (Hounslow and District Wh) 1:14.25 Web: halesowencycling.net
OSam Robinson Memorial Road Race
(Balfron Campus, Stirlingshire): OCleveland Coureurs/VTTA North 10 The story of the jersey
(Crathorne, North Yorkshire): “The club jersey was for many
2, 3, 4: 1. Alexander Ball (Project 1 CT); 2. F. years a plain purple coloured
McHenry (The Cycling Academy); 3. H. 1. Ben Pease (Moonglu CC) 19.19 jersey,” club chair David
MacLaren (unattached) all same time; 4. E. Bain 2. D. Glew Viner tells Cycling Weekly.
(Glasgow Univ CC) +4.00; 5. N. Scott (Deeside ŷ%q_ƴ%ǓĽĆĽƴƹħÝ Potential Race Team) 20.54 But the jersey has morphed
Thistle CC); 6. O. Pemberton (Musselburgh 3. M. Hill (Zurbaran Racing) 20.56 over the years from plain
RCC) all st. 4. M. Sloanes (Team VC) 21.03 purple to the busy item it is
5. B. Hetherington (HUUB WattShop) 21.06 today. It carries more than a
OSeacroft Wheelers Summer Road Race 6. J. Hewison (Zurbaran Racing) 21.16 nod to a certain Nineties
(Selby, North Yorkshire): Women: Paris-Roubaix winning pro
1. JşƝĭÝƴkŊĭƹħƴŷqƏÝĻƴkħÝþÝĽÍŹƴ ǎDŽżǎĈ team thanks to its Mapei
Men 2, 3, 4: 1. Jack Rees (Moonglu Race Team) 2. B. Brooksbank ŷqƏÝĻƴkħÝþÝĽÍŹƴ 23.56 sponsorship. This began in
2:16.19; 2. E. Cameron (Shibden A. Fawcett RT); 3. G. 3. S. Foulds (Team VC) 25.40 2020 and signalled, of
Safranauskas (HIVE Racing); 4. S. Walsham course, a new jersey to
(Beeston CC) all same time; 5. A. Fletcher OHÝĔ’ƹşƴRT 10 (Shuttington, Warwickshire): incorporate the new sponsor.
(360cycling) +0.01; 6. J. Lucas (Shibden A Fawcett ‘Academy’ has been part of
RT) same time. 1. David Mead the design since 2015 when
Women 3, 4: 1. Olivia Channon (unattached) (Team Enable – MI Racing – McCann) 20.46 the club took on that
1:49.44; 2. D. Cullum (Rule 28 x ATP Performance); 2. J. Richards (WardPerformanceUK.com) 21.38 designation. The kit is
3. Z. Parker (Solihull CC) all same time; 4. R. 3. E. Moss (Beacon Roads CC) 22.49 produced by Pro Vision.
Carleton (Loughborough Students CC) +0.01; 5. I. 4. P. Westwood (Brereton Wheelers) 22.55
Íǫ’ƏÍƝƴŷHĭǪÝƏŵşşĽƴwŔĭǪƴŹƥƴƬżƴHżƴ,şƏƝĆÝĽÍƴ 5. J. Gilbert (Ilkeston Cycle Club) 22.58 The story of the club
(Bootleggers CC) all st. 6. kżƴH’ǫƴ(Team Enable) 23.00 Halesowen formed in 1943,
Women and as part of the Halesowen
Saturday, Jul 6 1. De¥ƴ,ǓƹƝşŔīHǓŊ¥ƴŷƒƏÝĻĭŔƝŵşƏƹƴŹƴ ǎĈżǼŪ Athletic and Cycling Club it
OSouthport ƴĭ´ĻÝƏƝƹ’üÝƴcş’Íƴ 2. Z. Shepherd (Team Enable) 28.06 owns its own velodrome at
c’´ÝƝƴŷĭ´ĻÝƏƝƹ’üÝÆƴH’Ŕ´’ƝħĭƏÝŹÅ 3. P. Moore (Coalville Wheelers) 28.28 Manor Abbey Stadium, where
4. A. Richards (Salisbury Road Club) 30.34 there is also an athletic track
3, 4: 1. David Parkin (Velotik Racing Team); 5. I. Campbell (Solihull Cycling Club) 32.38 and a gym. Many of the club’s
2. S. Fidler (Velo6 Racing); 3. O. Saxton 6. A. Durston (Warwick Lanterne Rouge CC) 34.25 activities centre on the track
ŷ,ǓÍÍÝƏƝĆÝĽÍƴkƹ’ƏƴƒħÝÝĽÝƏƝŹƥƴĎżƴżƴkǓƹƹşŔƴ – the Friday Night Track
(360cycling); 5. C. Critchley (unattached); 6. A. Saturday, July 6 League for example, and
Pink (ASSOS UK RT). OBristol South CC 50 there are track sessions for
ƒşŊÝŔƴÆƴŪÆƴǎÆƴDŽÆƴĎÅƴHĭĽDZƴƏĭŔÍĽÝƴŷƏşƹħÝƏƴwFī (Didmarton, Gloucestershire): all ages. But its members also
OnForm); 2. G. Mitchell (Team Boompods); 3. M. race cyclo-cross and on the
HĽşDZÍƴŷHĭǪƴŹƥƴĎżƴżƴ&ƏݒǪÝƝƴŷHĭ´ħĆÝĽÍƴĭƹDZƴŹƥƴĈżƴ 1. Tony Chapman road, and there are weekend
R. Woodvine (RR23); 6. C. Blowers (Liv CC). (Frome and District Wheelers) 1:58.05 rides for all abilities too.

55
2. qżƴǓƏĻÝīNşƹƹƴ(Bristol South
Cycling Club) 2:04.47
3. FżƴNşƏƏĭƝƴ(360VRT) Road Bike 2:06.00
4. żƴFÝĽĽDZƴ(Gloucester City CC) 2:06.17
5. V. Douglas (Gloucester City CC) 2:06.22
6. J. Mould (Army Cycling) 2:08.29
Women:
1. Marianne Day (Swindon Wheelers) 2:24.45
2. H. Bizoumis
(Bristol & District Triathletes) 2:33.46
3. S. Smith (Swindon Wheelers) 2:38.40

OWeaver Valley CC 25
ŷHşǫÝƏ Withington, Cheshire):

1. Maxwell Hereward (360cycling) 52.25

Euan Adams gets some assistance at the
7Hills CC Whitelow Lane hill-climb

JOIN OUR RECOMMENDED

2. M. Schubert (Zurbaran Racing) 53.13
3. C. Von Folsach (HUUB WattShop) 53.20
4. T. Pilling (360cycling) 53.36
FOR YOU TO RIDE
STRAVA
5. S. Taylor (Weaver Valley CC) 54.56
6. R. Shaw (Seamons CC) 55.57
Women: A3CRG Goodwood League

CLUB 1. Emily Martin (Team Bottrill)

2. HżƴƏݒŊÝƏƴ(Velo Fixers)
3. A. Taylor (Congleton CC)
58.29
1:00.11
1:02.41
When: Weds 24 July
Where: Goodwood, Hants
Ride on the historic tarmac
HşĔƴDZşǓƏƴŊĭĽÝƝƴĭŔƴşǓƏƴkƹƏ’Ǫ’ƴ 4. C. Harrison (Congleton CC) 1:05.50 of the Goodwood Circuit, in a
club for a chance to be listed: 5. E. Batt (Buxton CC) 1:07.01 race comprising around four
bit.ly/CWStravaClub 6. &żƴHşǫÝƴ(Congleton CC) 1:07.09 Ľ’ŵƝƴşúƴƹħÝƴȒƹƴ´ĭƏ´ǓĭƹƴúşƏƴŪǼƴ
miles. Entries close July 19.
OCity Road Club Hull 10
(Gilberdyke, East Yorkshire): Eye Brook Reservoir RR
When: Sat 10 August
1. Elliot Fraser (360cycling) 20.12 Where: Market Harborough
2. S. Gibson (Peak Road Club) 20.43 Three races catering for
3. N. Cleminshaw (ADDFORM Vive Le Velo) 21.07 all senior and junior riders.
4. S. Smales (Harrogate Nova CC) 21.31 There’s a 21-mile cat-four
5. S. Straw (ADDFORM Vive Le Velo) 21.41 race, a 57-mile 2,3,4,J
6. D. Nolan (trainSharp) 21.43 Regional A event, and an
Last week’s stats Women: 85-mile E,1,2,3 National B.
1. JilĽƴkŵÝĭĔħƹƴŷ%TcMƴ‚ĭǪÝƴHÝƴ‚ÝĽşŹƴ ǎĈżĎǼ Entries close August 8.
Most miles ridden 2. P. Edgar (City RC Hull) 26.16

1 Mark Jagger 590 3. Hżƴ’ĽĽƴ(Edinburgh Road Club) 27.45

2 Tyler Hannay 579 3. A. McGurk (Blaydon Cycling Club) 31.33

3 Cat Allen 574 OVector Racing 8 (Hepple, Northumberland): 4. HżƴB’ƏǪĭƝƴ(Muckle Cycling Club) 31.38
Week ending 9 June
wFư.ƏÝĽ’ŔÍƴƏĭÍÝƏƝƴşŔĽDZ
HşŔĔÝƝƹƴƏĭÍÝƝƴŷŊĭŹ 1. Alexander Storey (GS Metro) 23.30 OOkehampton CC 10 (Sourton, Devon):

1 Mike Churcher 379 2. C. Atkinson (Muckle Cycle Club) 24.19

2 HÝǫĭƝƴkŊĭƹħ 274 3. J. Bowman (Muckle Cycle Club) 24.37 1. Tom Scorer (Royal Navy Cycling) 20.43
4. G. Greenaway (Vanelli-Project GO) 25.52 2. Hżƴşŵŵƴ(Okehampton CC) 21.04
3 Mark Jagger 201
5. M. Charlton (GS Metro) 26.40 3. HżƴT¥şƏŔĭĻƴ(Cranbrook CC) 22.16
6. HżƴqĭŊŊĭŔƝƴ(Vector Racing) 27.06 4. A. Green (Kernow Racing Team) 22.50
Most elevation gain (ft)
Women: 5. FżƴƒÝDZŊşǓƹħƴ(Mid Devon CC) 22.51
1 H’ǓƏ’ƴM’ƏƹĭŔ 109,971
1. Sarah Wilkinson (Blaydon Cycling Club) 28.51 6. A. Hay (Tavistock Wheelers) 22.58
2 Gavin Quiney 44,180
2. HżƴǓƏŔĭÝƴ(Blaydon Cycling Club) 30.32 Women: Maria Weymouth (Mid Devon CC) 27.16
3 Tyler Hannay 40,1371
 Visma-Lease a Bike’s new Control Room
van looked fabulous, the only thing it
Dr Hutch
ƔɇƔʠ̺ΔΐȴüϰƲΐϴüͣΐüΐŰʾǺƲƲΐʔüŰȴɇʠƲ
It’s banned, but it’s a bike fan’s dream come true
O Multiple national
champion on the bike and
award-winning author
Michael Hutchinson
writes for CW every week
HOW TO PUT
YOUR CHAIN
BACK ON
There are a number of reasons why
DZşǓƏƴ´ħ’ĭŔƴŊĭĔħƹƴú’ĽĽƴşüƴíƴƏşǓĔħƴ
roads, a badly timed gear change,
badly adjusted gear mechs and, of
course, karma.
In more or less all cases the
procedure to replace it is the
same. First, swear loudly. Then
frantically try to use the front
ŊÝ´ħƴƹşƴĆǰƴĭƹżƴkĽ’ŊƴƹħÝƴŊÝ´ħƴƹşƴ
the opposite side of the chainset
ƹşƴƹħÝƴǓƝÝĽÝƝƝĽDZƴȒŵŵĭŔĔƴ´ħ’ĭŔƴ’ŔÍƴ
58
was suspicious about Visma-
Lease a Bike’s “Control Room”
van from the start. The idea
behind it is, apparently, to create
a command post from which
the team can monitor a race
and make tactical decisions.
My doubts were aroused because
normally when a team concocts a
new marginal gain, they are at least a
tiny bit secretive about it. It seemed
unusual to write “Control Room” on
the side of the van in letters as large
’ƝƴǫşǓĽÍƴĆƹÆƴ’ŔÍƴƹħÝŔƴƏݥݒƝÝƴƝÝǪÝƏ’Ľƴ
moody photographs of it posing in a
grassy meadow as if it was auditioning
for a shampoo commercial.
The sceptic might almost imagine
that the main purpose of this van was
for the Tour de France to refuse it an
accreditation and attract attention to
the team sponsors. The only thing it
mash the pedals as hard as you
can. This will almost certainly not
get the chain back on, but it might
snap the front mech and give you
something to really cry about.
Assuming that doesn’t work,
reach down, grab the chain and
ƝƹǓüƴĭƹƴǪ’ĔǓÝĽDZƴĭŔƴƹħÝƴÍĭƏÝ´ƹĭşŔƴşúƴ
a chainring. One of two things will
happen. Most likely it will just fall
şüƴ’Ĕ’ĭŔżƴ.úƴDZşǓƌƏÝƴÝǪÝŔƴĽÝƝƝƴĽǓ´ĻDZÆƴ
DZşǓƌĽĽƴĔÝƹƴDZşǓƏƴĆŔĔÝƏƝƴƹƏ’ŵŵÝÍƴ
between chain and chainring.
At around this point your
momentum will run out and you’ll
ħ’ǪÝƴƹşƴƝƹşŵƴíƴĭŔƹÝƏÝƝƹĭŔĔƴĭúƴDZşǓƏƴ
hand is still an integral part of the
´ħ’ĭŔƝÝƹżƴNşǫÆƴĸǓƝƹƴƝĽşǫĽDZƴ’ŔÍƴ
patiently replace the chain. Don’t
spin the cranks backwards until
didn’t have was a “Ban Me! Ban Me!”
decal. The Tour duly refused it a vehicle
accreditation, meaning that it can’t
’´´ÝƝƝƴşþ´ĭ’ĽƴqşǓƏƴ’ƏݒƝżƴNşǫÆƴĽĭĻÝƴ’ƴ
German tourist, it will have to watch
the race from a random bit of roadside
ĭŔƴĭƹƝƴČĭŵīČşŵƝƴǫĭƹħƴĭƹƝƴ¥ĭ¥ƴƝƹƏ’ŵƝƴƏşǓŔÍƴ
its waist.
The contents of the van were not
all that sophisticated. In the darkened,
air-conditioned interior there
were half a dozen screens, with TV
feeds from several cameras, the Pro
Cycling Stats overview of the race,
the VeloViewer map, some social
media feeds so they could keep up
with anyone who might be tweeting
about the weather or road conditions,
and a team WhatsApp group. There
was also an app that used AI to identify
jerseys so they knew immediately how
many riders from each team were in
Inept chain grappling is
a racing rite of passage
you’re sure it’s on the chainring the
whole way round or you’ll have no
choice but to scream in rage and
throw the bike in a hedge.
%ĭŔ’ĽĽDZƴƏÝīŊşǓŔƹÆƴ’ŔÍƴƝÝƹƴşüƴĭŔƴ
pursuit of the group. Don’t forget
to wipe your hands on something
ÝǰŵÝŔƝĭǪÝƴ’ŔÍƴǫħĭƹÝż

the TV shot, and weather radar for
the route.
I’ll be honest, it looked like a
fabulous place to watch a bike race.
All this information, arranged for
your viewing pleasure. It was bike-fan
heaven. The only thing it didn’t have
ǫ’Ɲƴ’ƴ´şüÝÝƴŊ’´ħĭŔÝż
The ASO banned it, pointing to
Regulation 1.3.006 bis. This is a reg
that allows for the transmission of
data from a bike in a race, like its
location, speed and the rider’s power.
It also outlaws the transmission of a
rider’s physiological data, like heart
rate or body temperature, to anyone
other than the rider.
Clearly, at least on the face of it, the
control centre isn’t contravening any of
that. As it is presented, the control
centre doesn’t contain anything you
can’t recreate with a few screens in
your living room. The only substantive
ÍĭüÝƏÝŔ´ÝƴĭƝƴƹħ’ƹƴDZşǓƴħ’ǪÝƴŵƏş¥’¥ĽDZƴ
never tried to have your living room
’´´ƏÝÍĭƹÝÍƴƝşƴDZşǓƴŵ’ƏĻƴĭƹƴ’ƹƴƹħÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴşúƴ
a Tour stage.
Even if the ASO suspects that the
van is actually receiving banned
telemetry like heart rate, the issue isn’t
really the van, it’s the transmission,
which presumably would now just go to
a team car. Honestly, I suspect that if
the team were using illegal data they
wouldn’t do it in a big yellow van with
“Control Room” written on the side.
When it comes down to it, it didn’t
get banned for that. It got banned
because it’s not subtle enough.
Everyone wants the tactical calls in a
race to at least look like they’re being
decided in the heat of battle, and that
the riders are doing more than just
obeying orders.
NşƴşŔÝƴǫ’ŔƹƝƴƹşƴƝħĭúƹƴƹħÝƴƋƏ’´ÝƴƏ’Íĭşƌƴ
debate up another level, so that it’s not
ÝǪÝŔƴ’ƴČǓƝƹÝƏÝÍƴkƴƹƏDZĭŔĔƴƹşƴÍƏĭǪÝƴƹħÝƴ
car, watch the TV and bark, “Guys, get to
the front” into a radio, it’s someone in a
ƹݒŊƴşŔÝƝĭÝƴ´’ĽŊĽDZƴÍƏĭŔĻĭŔĔƴ’ƴȒƹƴǫħĭƹÝƴ
and making decisions from miles away.
Which is a shame, because it’s a job
.ƴ¥’ÍĽDZƴǫ’Ŕƹżƴ.ƌǪÝƴÝǪÝŔƴĔşƹƴ’ƴ´şüÝÝƴ
machine ready.
ASO can lock the door
but the hi-tech horse
has long since bolted
Photos Alamy, Getty Images
Acts of Cycling
Stupidity
Long ago, when I was a student,
I was a member of the college
rowing club. The rowing club
had a bike for coaches to ride
up and down the river path, the
better to complain about the
standard of your rowing.
The bike was not, I am sad to
say, in good repair. A member
of the club volunteered to
spruce it up. We imagined a bit
of cleaning, some lubrication,
and that maybe he’d spend the
£10 grant he received from us
on some new tyres.
Instead, he just painted it
light blue. With Dulux gloss and
a brush. He painted the spokes
and the tyres and the saddle.
And, dear reader, he painted the
chain. Two coats.
59
 From the archive

Tour de
France

R
iders snake up the Col de Vars
on stage 18 of the 1950 Tour de
France, led by French climbing
ace Louison Bobet, who would
eventually win the stage.
Despite being a major (category-
one) climb that has featured in the Tour
more than 30 times, the Vars does not
enjoy the household-name status of
some other mountains in the modern
era – partly, perhaps, because it is often
raced in tandem with its big brother,
the Col d’Izoard. The two are paired
as surely as wine and cheese, with the
ĭŔÝǪĭƹ’¥ĽÝƴĆŔĭƝħƴĭŔƴƏĭ’ŔºşŔƴŵÝƏħ’ŵƝƴ
representing the grapes, crackers or
even a digestif. Take your pick.
Food-based metaphors aside,
Bobet revelled in this territory,
engineering stage wins and yellow
jersey assaults on the slopes of
these climbs. So much so that he
is commemorated with a plaque on
the slopes of the Izoard, next to one
for Fausto Coppi.

Photo: Getty Images

60
1950
The post-war era when
the Tour was dominated
by Italian and
Swiss riders

61

Passion, flair and
artistry combine in an
early 80s bike from a
true Italian innovator
S
OMEC, from Lugo di Romagna
in Italy, is unusual in the Italian
’ƏƹĭƝ’Ŕ’Ľƴ¥ĭĻÝƴ¥ǓĭĽÍĭŔĔƴĆÝĽÍÆƴ
as it’s not named after the
founder, Oliviero Gallegati, but
rather the SOcietà MECcanica that he
founded in 1973. Gallegati had been a
mechanic working on the Giro d’Italia
and was a welder at a local company.
He was also coach of a local cycling
team. He was best known for building
beautifully crafted, bespoke bikes, but
could also be viewed as the grandfather
şúƴŊşÍÝƏŔƴ¥ĭĻÝīĆƹƴ’úƹÝƏƴĭŔǪÝŔƹĭŔĔƴ’ƴƹşşĽƴ
called the Ciclomaster. This was a static
bike that could take the measurements
NEXT WEEK’S
ISSUE
OWhen the Tour passes your front door
ORiders reveal their lucky charms
OWill final stage ITT determine the race?
ON SALE EVERY THURSDAY
62
CLASSIC BIKE
SOMEC
Some(c) like it hot pink
of a rider by adjusting the ‘frame’ until a
ŵÝƏúÝ´ƹƴĆƹƴǫ’Ɲƴ’ƏƏĭǪÝÍƴ’ƹż
This 1983 bike, photographed at
Golden Age Cycles, is constructed
from Columbus tubing and features
the superb detailing that SOMEC
was famous for. Its tulip motif is
built into the lugs and appears on the
head tube.
This bike is built with a rarely seen
14-speed Galli groupset. The Italian
maker capitalised on road riders’
conservatism, which saw many
reject Campagnolo’s 1980s C-Record.
Incredibly, some felt that its weight,
complexity and aesthetics were
Words Paul Grêlé Photos Richard Butcher/Future Publishing
not acceptable. They wanted the
earlier and more traditional style that
Galli provided.
Unusually for the time, the Galli rear
derailleurs could be bought with the
ŵ’Ə’ĽĽÝĽşĔƏ’ŊƴĆŔĭƝħÝÍƴĭŔƴşŔÝƴşúƴúşǓƏƴ
colours: silver, black, gold or blue.
Ideal, then, for customising a build,
should you want to. The 3TTT seatpost,
ƝƹÝŊƴ’ŔÍƴ¥’ƏƝƴ’ƏÝƴĆƹƹĭŔĔƴúşƏƴ’Ŕƴ.ƹ’Ľĭ’Ŕƴ
bike of this era, although the condition
of the gum brake hoods and inclusion
of a Vetta saddle are not as on point.
Either way, it’s still a lovely Eroica era
bike that wouldn’t look out of place at
any retro event.
9000 9001