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Thursday February 20, 2020
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PREVIEWS
What to expect from the Track World Champs & UAE Tour
INTERVIEW
Meet Jack Carlin, Britain’s latest sprint star
NEWS
How Rapha rescued the Lincoln GP
FLUX 2 Great ride feel, lots of power. The quietest flywheel equipped bike trainer available.
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STA R T LI N E 20.02
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Olympic countdown: Track Worlds preview
28 Froome’s bid for a fifth Tour de France
MY H I G H LI G H T S T H I S W E E K 08 Rapha to the rescue – Lincoln GP saved 36 Track sprinter Jack Carlin stepping up 52 Emily Nelson’s training secrets
SIMON RICHARDSON Editor simon.richardson@ti-media.com
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Time crunched? Train short and hard
Photos Daniel Gould, Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com, Alamy Stock Photo
wo weeks ago I took the plunge and joined the virtual riding world of Zwift. I’m a bit late to the party here, I know, but my indoor riding has always been limited, and when I did do it I opted for rollers — the concentration needed to stay upright kept me interested enough to see a good session through. I hadn’t ridden on a turbo for over a decade, but as I fell further and further behind in my bid to ride 5,000 miles in 2020 I knew I needed an added dimension to my riding as the bad weather continued to hit the UK. I was dubious when signing up. Several of my colleagues have been bitten by the Zwift bug but having watched the first round of the KISS racing series last year I remained underwhelmed. Then, 20 minutes in I was bitten by the bug. It’s incredibly addictive, with lots to hold your interest and countless little rewards to keep you riding a little longer or jumping back on the turbo sooner than planned. It will never replace riding on the open road, but discovering Watopia and all its challenges has already upped my fitness. Will it help me reach my 5,000-mile target? Only time will tell. Sign up to the CW5000 on our website — www.cyclingweekly.com/cw5000
Shout to the top A riot of noise and colour greets the riders at the Tour of Colombia as they race towards the 3,274m summit finish of Alto del Verjón on Sunday’s final stage. Colombian EF Pro Cycling rider Sergio Higuita, wearing the leader’s orange jersey, is flanked by Brandon Rivera and Jhonathan Narváez of Team Ineos as they escort Egan Bernal to the top. Photo Getty Images
IN FOCUS
NEWS
EF’s Colombian clean-sweep South American success continues, writes James Shrubsall
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here was a distinctly LatinAmerican flavour to the Tour of Colombia, with the top three riders on GC providing the ‘Latin’ and their team — EF Pro Cycling — providing the ‘American’. The winner, Colombian national road champ Sergio Higuita, was followed by his EF team-mate and countryman Daniel Martinez in second place, with Ecuadorian Jonathan Caicedo third. Extra icing on the EF cake came in the form of two stage wins courtesy of Higuita (stage four) and Martinez, who won the sixth and final stage
6 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
of the race on Sunday, which finished atop the vertiginous El Once Verjon at 3,274m. With Tour de France champion Egan Bernal fourth and his Ineos team-mate Richard Carapaz back in 30th on GC after a final-stage mechanical, it does set the stage for some interesting showdowns between EF and the British team later in the season. EF set the scene when they won the opening
team time trial. From that point on, Higuita, Martinez and Caiceda never left the top three positions — simply shuffling places after Higuita’s win on stage four propelled him into the lead. The Colombian tour has proved a consistently happy hunting ground for EF in recent years but never have they been this dominant. Much of that has to be down to 22-year-old
“I was dreaming I would race in my home country”
A NEW ERA
Higuita: living the dream in front of a home crowd
Higuita, who is riding his first full season in the WorldTour, having moved to EF from the Continental-ranked Fundación Euskadi team mid-season last year. He has begun his WorldTour career precisely the way Bernal did at Team Sky — he won the Colombia Oro y Paz, as it was known in 2018, in what was only his second race for the British team. Whether he can continue it in the same successful fashion remains to be seen. “Last year I was riding for another team in Europe, but I was dreaming that I would one day race in front of my home
country,” Higuita said. “Last year it was only a dream to one day win this race. It’s an incredible feeling to cap off all the hard work the team did this week.” Team boss Jonathan Vaughters paid tribute to his team after the race, saying: “What we saw today was incredible. Incredible teamwork… incredible effort by the riders. I’m so happy for Dani on the stage win and Sergio taking the overall.” Last year Martinez went on to win a stage of the upcoming Paris-Nice — with Higuita on board it could be a chance to go one better in 2020.
Nairo Quintana heralded “a new era” for Arkéa-Samsic as he began his time at the French team in winning style at the Tour de la Provence last week. It’s certainly a new era for the Colombian, who left his team of eight years, Movistar, to join the newly-promoted WorldTour outfit, and took his first GC victory since TirrenoAdriatico in 2017. “We have worked hard to obtain this performance and the fact of having achieved it opens a new era for the entire ArkéaSamsic team,” Quintana said. He sealed overall victory in the fourstage race with a memorable win on Mont Ventoux on the third stage Quintana scored his following what first GC win since 2017 has been estimated as the fastest ascent to Chalet Reynard ever. Using TV footage backed up with Strava data, French blogger amattipyöräily timed Quintana at 28.12 — eight seconds faster than Marco Pantani in the 1994 Tour de France. The 140km outing ran from Istres to finish at Chalet Reynard, six kilometres short of the summit itself. Quintana had the benefit of a tailwind, plus a fast ride on the wheels of his team-mates up the first half of the climb as they strove to bring back lone escapee Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck-Quick Step). The Colombian attacked around 7km before the finish, ultimately putting 1.28 into the trio of Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Hugh Carthy (EF Pro Cycling, third) and Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana). The same trio would finish third, fourth and second respectively on GC.
Words James Shrubsall Photos Getty images, Yuzuru Sunada
Quintana wins Tour de la Provence
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 7
NEWS
Rapha rescues Lincoln GP
Clothing brand to sponsor race for next two seasons
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ritish clothing brand Rapha has agreed to sponsor the Lincoln GP for the next two seasons, saving the historic race from oblivion. Having read Cycling Weekly’s January story about the race needing £20,000 to ensure its running this May, Rapha has stepped in as title sponsor for the 2020 and 2021 National Elite Series races. Jess Morgan, Rapha’s UK PR and communications manager, told CW: “It seemed such an important race and it would be such a blow to the UK cycling calendar to lose it. “We already had plans in place to sponsor grassroots races in the UK across this year, but I thought we couldn’t let this one go and support races that didn’t have the prestigious background like this one. “It wasn’t in our plan, but we managed to get a budget together and save the race.” The race’s organiser Dan Ellmore said: “I’m delighted. This is huge. To have someone like Rapha come on board, they will raise the profile of the event and help us build a legacy. “They have written the same cheque as previous title sponsors, but Rapha have a huge global reach, which in itself brings value to the race.” The partnership is initially for two years, but Rapha hopes to help the race become more sustainable — with profits from race-specific merchandise going directly
towards the funding of the men’s and women’s races. “It made no sense to parachute in and save it for one year and be back in the same problem next year,” Morgan continued. “We want to work with the race, diversify revenue and do things in a different, more sustainable way. “Maybe we will carry on after two years, but if we pull out we want them to have the framework to make their own revenue.” A local Lincolnshire company had also
“We want to work with the race, diversify revenue and do things in a sustainable way” 8 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
offered to sponsor the race, and Ellmore is optimistic that he won’t be fighting to save his race in the future. “I’d like Rapha to say ‘this has worked well, let’s do another two or four years’, but if not then I want to be in a position where I have other sponsors wanting to come on board,” he added. Ellmore also revealed that elevating the race to UCI level is something that interests him in the future, but that he would need to acquire an additional £15,000. “We have looked into it before, spoken to British Cycling about it, and it’s not beyond the capabilities of the organisational team. It’s something we will no doubt revisit.” See page 14 for more on Rapha’s Foundation supporting grassroots cycling.
OPINION
The city of Lincoln will keep what has become a national institution
My view CHRIS M A R S H A L LBELL CW news writer
Teams associated with Rapha have enjoyed success in the Lincoln GP throughout the past decade-and-a-half. Dean Downing won the race for Rapha-Condor in 2007, with company founder Simon Mottram describing it as one of his proudest moments. The partnership, then, is perhaps no surprise. In the last month I have spoken with a number of race organisers, coaches and riders about the financial problems besetting domestic cycling, with a generalised conclusion from most being one of despair. An investigation by CW in a future edition will lay bare the issues facing the sport in this country, but this partnership feels like the most notable step in carving out a more sustainable and positive future.
Both the men’s and women’s races have been brought back from the brink
The clothing company has already proved itself an efficient operator within the cycling world, and now, married with the studious business-mind of Ellmore, a close working relationship between the brand and the race could herald changes to how races are run, both at home and abroad. While the partnership won’t be able to overturn the sport’s financial challenges, if they can work together and find some solutions to help non-UCI races become more sustainable and, as Morgan says, “diversify revenue”, then hopefully the wider sport will profit from this link-up.
Words Chris Marshall-Bell Photos Andy Jones
“HOPEFULLY TH E W ID E R S P O RT W I L L PROFIT FROM THIS LINK-UP ”
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 9
NEWS
Doull celebrates his team’s maiden victory this season
Lightning Doull strikes twice for Team Ineos
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neos rider Owain Doull has opened the team account for the second year running, winning the fourth and final stage of the Tour de La Provence in a small group sprint. Last year the 26-yearold Welshman opened the team’s tally by winning a stage at the Herald Sun Tour. That was his first pro win, while his victory in Aix-les-Bains last Friday was his first ever European pro win. The Provence Tour was won overall by Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic). “It’s nice to get the team’s first win of the year and it’s a good sign before the Classics,” said Doull after the race. His team-mate and fellow countryman Geraint Thomas tweeted: “First win of the season… nice one @owaindoull”. Doull’s early-season form means the
10 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
WorldTour as a whole is having a fruitful start to the season, with only CCC left to secure at least one win. The 170km stage, from Avignon to Aix-les-Bains was run off in tough territory — lumpy from start to finish including three categorised climbs, including the cat-one Col de l’Aire del Masco halfway through. Doull was part of a four-man breakaway with Mathias Brändle (Israel Start-Up Nation), Ian Garrison (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Romain Combaud of ProTeam Nippo Delko One Provence, which held four minutes going into the last 30km of the stage.
“It was a hard day and we worked together really well as a foursome,” Doull said. “I was quite confident with the finish and I knew most of the guys, and I had good legs so I was happy to wait for the sprint. “With around two or three kilometres to go I knew we’d stay away — then it starts to get a bit tactical,” he added. Doull outsprinted Brändle, with Garrison and Combaud finishing third and fourth. The peloton, bearing down fast, finished just six seconds behind. Doull’s next outing will now be at Het Nieuwsblad, then KuurneBrussels-Kuurne, where he was second last year.
“I had good legs and was quite happy to wait for the sprint”
Words James Shrubsall Photo Getty Images
Welshman scores first win of the year for Brit outfit... again
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NEWS
PREVIEW
Track World Championships Berlin, Germany, February 26-March 1
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world record in the team pursuit could be on the cards if conditions are right in Germany, according to one the GB’s team pursuit squad, as all the major nations come together for the last time before the Olympics in Tokyo. Britain will enter the velodrome not as one of the favourites — that honour belongs to defending champions Australia — but with top-end equipment for the Olympics already in use and many athletes 12 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
approaching their best form, it’s possible someone might dip under the current world record of 3.48.012 set by the Australian quartet at last year’s World Championships. GB rider Ollie Wood said: “Being an Olympic year we’ve already seen a lot of new equipment; things are coming on leaps and bounds already. If they are using their
Olympic equipment [GB won’t be] you really don’t know. I’m guessing there could be a world record on the cards if there’s two big teams in the final or even in a first round ride into a catch.” Wood was keen to stress that conditions will play a huge part in whether fast times are possible. “To the average punter you can look at it and see
“I’m guessing there could be a world record on the cards”
TIMINGS Wednesday, February 26 12:00-15:45 17:00-21:00 Team pursuit, team sprint, women’s scratch Thursday, February 27 13:30-16:10 17:30–20:30 Team pursuit finals, men’s scratch, men’s keirin, women’s sprint Friday, February 28 14:00-16:20 17:30-21:15 Women’s omnium, men’s kilo, men’s individual pursuit, women’s sprint, men’s points race Saturday, February 29 10:00-13:40 15:30-18:45 Men’s omnium, women’s 500m TT, women’s individual pursuit, men’s sprint, women’s Madison Sunday, March 1 10:00-11:20 13:00-16:10 Men’s sprint, women’s keirin, women’s points race, men’s Madison
CONTENDERS Mathew Glaetzer, Aus Arguably the best sprinter in the world, Glaetzer was recovering from cancer earlier this season, but given his relentless pursuit of Olympic gold we would be surprised if he was anything less than his best here, and that’s usually enough to win. CW rating +++++ Filippo Ganna, Ita It’s not a case of when Ganna will break the four-minute barrier in the individual pursuit, just a case of when and will he be the first. If that happens here, or he even gets close, expect him to be unstoppable. CW rating +++++ Ryan Owens, GBr Riding at postion one, Owens has ridden the fastest opening lap in the team sprint all year. He could break the world record for that lap, but will that be enough to unseat the dominant Dutch trio? CW rating +++ Laura Kenny, GBr Returning from a fractured shoulder blade following a nasty crash at the last round of the World Cup in Canada last month, Kenny will have a point to prove in her final tune-up to defend her Olympic omnium title in Tokyo. Expect her to lay down a marker. CW rating ++++
Kenny: on track for omnium defence
they’ve gone very well but you don’t take into account the air pressure or the air density. It gets exponentially harder to go faster — to get from a 14.1 to a 14.0-second lap is a damn sight harder than going from 15.0 to a 14.9-second lap.” Wood added that whatever happens at the Worlds it’s unlikely to change how Team GB will continue their approach to Tokyo, though being racers they all want to win when they roll onto the boards.
The team have been training regularly in Portugal over the winter and Woods said everyone in the squad was building well. He will also hope for success in the bunch events to help make a case for his selection in Tokyo. “Honestly my dream would be to do the team pursuit and bunch events,” he said. “So hopefully if all goes well… I do love a bit of the Madison, I love the team aspect of it, I thrive off it.”
Chloe Dygert, USA The woman who won the World Championship time trial in Yorkshire remains a phenomenon and the fate of the USA’s team pursuit squad will depend heavily on her. It remains to be seen whether anyone can take the competition to her in the individual pursuit when she is in top form. CW rating ++++
Words Vern Pitt Photos SW Pix
GB’s team pursuitists will take to the boards next week
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 13
NEWS
Rapha Foundation reveals funding recipients
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he Rapha Foundation last week announced the four groups it will award money to this year. The Rayner Foundation, Herne Hill Velodrome, The Helen100 and the Cyclists Alliance will all take a share of £575,000 awarded for their work helping young and disadvantaged riders get into racing. Simon Mottram, the man who started Rapha in 2004, was at Herne Hill to announce the second year of awards. “When we first discussed the Rapha Foundation helping young and disadvantaged riders getting into racing, it was organisations like The Rayner Foundation and the amazing work of Helen Wyman that we had in mind. “Herne Hill is an iconic facility for those of us who live in London and we are excited to help them reach more of their local community.” Herne Hill, beneficiary of the biggest grant, is one of British cycling’s success
14 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
stories. Opened in 1891, it faced closure little more than a decade ago. It has however gone from strength to strength, with a new track surface and stadium while its host club VC Londres has produced a slew of young talent progressing to the national team and pro ranks. Tim McInnes, chair of the velodrome said: “It makes a massive difference to what we do at Herne Hill, allowing us to reach out into our local community and improve our facilities, to show people that cycling really is an accessible fun and rewarding sport, whatever their reason for getting on a bike.” The Rayner Foundation, which recently changed its status to become a registered charity, was awarded the biggest one-off donation in its history. “It’s absolutely fantastic,” said committee member and rider liaison Joscelin Ryan.“This will be spread over three years and will allow us to develop new ways of fundraising. We do
need some new ideas to help us modernise. Obviously we’ll continue with our current fundraising but it’s proved more and more difficult as a lot of people have felt the pinch recently.” The Rayner Foundation is supporting 41 riders in 2020, many of whom start their racing this coming weekend. Helen Wyman’s Helen100 project launched in 2018 with the aim of raising £2,500 to pay for the entries of 100 under-23 women into the British National Cyclo-cross Championships. Since achieving that goal, the programme has now developed into the first ever junior women’s race, held as part of the DVV Trophy Series in Loenhout, Belgium last year. The Cyclists’ Alliance is run by current and former pros and offers support to female cyclists during and after their careers and is funded by donations and subscriptions
Words Vern Pitt Photo Alamy
Herne Hill Velodrome among four groups awarded funding share
NEWS
RIDERS TO WATC H Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Emirates) Slo The 21-year-old has already established himself every inch the winner, with stage victories at the Vuelta a España at the back end of last year. CW rating +++++
UAE Tour preview February 23-29
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hris Froome will return to racing after 257 days away from competition on Sunday. The seven-time Grand Tour winner is set to start his first race since he crashed and suffered horrific injuries at the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2019. Upon announcing he would be racing in the Middle East, Froome said: “I look forward to taking the next step in my recovery and getting back to full strength. I’ve come back off a good block of training in Gran Canaria.” How well that’ll serve him remains to be seen but at least the Brit will be riding alongside Rohan Dennis, who finished the Tour Down Under — a race with a similar profile — in fourth place and could also mount a challenge for the overall in the Emirates.
Plus, new Ineos signing Andre Amador is also down to ride, taking a bit of the spotlight away from Froome. It’s likely the team will be keeping expectations for their star rider low at this stage of the season. But he will have a good chance to measure himself against other GC men as he’ll be joined on the start line by recent Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE- Emirates) and Froome’s former right-hand man Wout Poels, now at Bahrain-Mclaren. Froome has generally favoured starting his season in Australia or Europe over the Middle East. He has only raced there twice in 2013 and 2014 when he did the Tour of Oman — a race that follows a fairly similar format to the UAE Tour — both times he was triumphant.
U A E TO U R S TAG E S Stage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Date Feb 23 Feb 24 Feb 25 Feb 26 Feb 27 Feb 28 Feb 29
Location Dubai Silicon Oasis > The Ponte Dubai > Hatta Dam Al Qudra cycle track > Jebel Hafeet Zabeel Park > Dubai City Walk Al Ain > Jebel Hafeet Al Ruwais > Al Mirfa Al Maryah Island > Abu Dhabi breakwater
16 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
Distance 148km 168km 148km 173km 162km 158km 127km
Terrain Flat Hilly Mountain Flat Mountain Flat Flat
Mark Cavendish (Bahrain-Mclaren) GBr While no one expects fireworks, it’ll be fascinating to watch him answer the question of whether he’ll go for wins himself or settle into more of a team role as he did in the recent Saudi Tour. CW rating ++ Sam Bennett (Deceuninck– Quick Step) Ire Having left the Tour Down Under with a lone win he’ll want to try and up his momentum here where there are several stages for the fastmen. CW rating +++ Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) Aus He’s twice picked up wins racing in the Middle East and two wins at the Tour Down Under show he’s in good form. He’ll want to avoid a repeat of stage two of the Abu Dhabi Tour (this race’s predecessor) when he celebrated too early and was pipped by Marcel Kittel. CW rating ++++ David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) Fra The resurgence of Thibaut Pinot as a GC threat has somewhat overshadowed how talented this 23-year-old climber is. He’ll have an ideal opportunity to show it here with two summit finishes. CW rating ++
Words Vern Pitt Photos Getty Images
PREVIEW
P RO M OT I O N A L FE AT U R E
TUNE U P YO U R TRAINING The groundbreaking Tacx Flux 2 trainer remains ahead of the game and at a competitive price point
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our years ago, the launch of the original Tacx Flux changed the turbo training experience forever. The trainer was an instant hit, offering a more realistic road simulation for riders and building on Tacx’s legacy as the innovators of the indoor training market. As bike and ride software design continues to change, the Flux 2 has had some updates that have maintained its feature-rich versatility and user-friendly experience and kept it ahead of the competition in its price bracket. At £699 the Flux 2 is fully compatible with all training apps and software, and with both Bluetooth and Ant+ connectivity, its smart features match the more expensive trainers on the market. Hit the virtual hills and the Flux will simulate gradients up to 16 per cent, while the larger, heavier flywheel means it maxes out at 2,000 watts. Tacx has applied its universal axle so any road bike, disc or caliper will drop
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straight on. There’s a booster axle in the box so even a mountain bike can be used. Once clamped in, a simple, one-off spin-down test is needed to calibrate the machine. After that you’re ready to ride anywhere in the world thanks to the Tacx app. A one-month free trial comes as standard to get you going, with a
Every road sees its actual gradient simulated through the Flux while the app will show your previous best self on the map, giving you all the motivation you need to push on. You can use the software to simulate a route you want to train on. Upload a GPX file and it will mimic the gradients you’d experience on the road, allowing
subscription costing £9.99 a month thereafter. The unit has been redesigned with a lower centre of gravity (reducing vibrations) and the 67cm wide base will keep you glued to the floor. It allows space for a long-cage rear derailleur and, just like its big brother the Neo 2T, it’s impressively quiet.
you to follow your progress in a 3D map on the screen. Perfect for specific training on an upcoming event. There are five-week training plans tailored to your goals, a Workout Builder and data analysis for any coaching needs. Available for IOS, Windows and Android operating systems.
NEWS
that he’d prefer to develop with his Trinity Racing team as he looks to add titles on the road and in mountain biking. As Cycling Weekly reported earlier this month, Pidcock is focusing on under-23 world titles in mountain biking, road and time trialling this year to add to his cross title from 2019. With WorldTour teams unlikely to sign a rider focusing on mountain biking through to the World Champs in Albstadt, Germany this June, Pidcock has suggested the aim is to grow Trinity Racing, owned and run by Andrew McQuaid’s Trinity Management company, to support his aims.
Variety is the spice for cross champ Pidcock
Pidcock and Trinity to develop together Young GB star won’t be rushed into WorldTour
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yclo-cross champ Tom Pidcock remains unfazed by the allure of the WorldTour, saying instead he sees a more flexible future in the sport where he can enjoy himself and
combine disciplines, on and off-road. No doubt buoyed by the apparent ease with which Mathieu van der Poel switches between road, cross and mountain biking, Pidcock told Belgium’s Het Laatste Nieuws
No road team “Why not grow with Trinity? Maybe I can continue to develop together with this team and we can go the same way as Mathieu van der Poel’s team. Van der Poel inspired that idea,” Pidcock said. “You can do cross and the road today in any WorldTour team, just look at Jumbo-Visma, but I also want to include mountain biking. “I don’t want to be with Van der Poel’s team, because they already have Mathieu.” Trinity racing was set up initially as a small cyclo-cross squad with Pidcock, Cameron Mason and Abby Mae Parkinson, with the latter now moving back to the road to ride for Lotto-Soudal ladies team. Despite reports of Irishman Ben Healy riding on the road for Trinity Racing in 2020, any such team is yet to be launched. With Team Wiggins folding at the end of 2019 — also run by Trinity Management — Pidcock currently has no road team for 2020.
My view SIMON RICHARDSON CW editor
Tom Pidcock continues to defy convention, not just with performances that belie his years, but with a seeming lack of worry about a big contract career 18 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
on the road. Or concern at not having a team in which to ride the race programme you might think he needs in order to develop. I can’t remember many talented young riders who weren’t dreaming of the Tour de France long before they got anywhere near the pro ranks. Yet here is 20-year-old Pidcock, winner of junior and under-23 world titles on and off road (among many other big races) suggesting he’ll stick with his knobbly tyres until the summer, essentially writing off a road programme for the first six months of 2020.
Most 20-year-olds with his palmarès would have already been snapped up by a WorldTour team. Look at Remco Evenpoel and Egan Bernal for proof of what can be achieved with the right back-up before you’ve hit your mid 20s. Yet Pidcock talks of enjoying himself and his cycling rather than chasing sixfigure contracts with all the pressures and commitments that come with it. His talent clearly gives him license to pick and choose, but it’s refreshing to see a rider take such an unconventional approach.
Words Vern Pitt Photo Getty Images
OPINION
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COLUMNISTS
OPINION
Drops Cycling: looking to make their mark at the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana
B O B VA R N E Y
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wenty-four-year-old Benoît Cosnefroy of Ag2r-La Mondiale won the 50th edition of the Étoile de Bessèges earlier this month, which, as I said in my last column, is the real start of the season. Quite frankly I’d never heard of him — I’m not being disrespectful, but my focus has been on the women’s peloton these last four or fi ve years. The opening race on the European women’s calendar was the Vuelta CV Feminas, a 1.1 sprinter’s Classic in Valencia, Spain. The Drops team were not present as we had just started our fi nal training camp of the off-season, prior to our fi rst race of the year, the Setmana Ciclista Valenciana, a four-day stage race from February 20-23.
20 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
There were a eight Brits on the start line for the Vuelta CV Feminas, won by the irrepressible Marta Bastianelli in an inevitable sprint. Former Drops rider, Lizzie Holden, was fi rst Brit home in 23rd place riding for her new Spanish team Bizkaia Durango. The number of young British women in the UCI peloton has increased markedly in the last few seasons and the future appears bright. Unfortunately, with only the minimum number of places available to GB at this year’s blue riband Olympic road race, Lizzie Deignan will have limited support in her quest for a golden Olympic swansong, which is a great shame considering the depth of talent forming under her.
Our team and partner camp has brought together the complete squad of 11 riders from six countries together for the fi rst time. New bikes. New kit. New shoes. Lots of adjustments and tweaks. Today was the last day of a three-day block with fi ve hours in saddle before some fi nal media and partner commitments. Th is evening we will celebrate the birthday of one of our youngest riders, Norwegian Elise Marie Olsen. Her cake is in the fridge. And yes, in case you were curious, I'm still wondering if the Étoile de Bessèges will ever have a women’s race.
Bob Varney is Drops Cycling team director
Photo Breakaway Digital
The season begins
J O E L AV E R I C K
CHARLIE QUARTERMAN
MONEY FO R RIDING AND YOUR KIT FOR FREE
THE WORLDTOUR IS ANOTHER SPORT
New kit day is the best day. Picture this: you walk into a conference room and on every table there’s cellophane bags stacked high, all full of brand-new kit. It’s not just cycling kit either — it’s sunglasses, shoes, bags, hats, casual wear and every other random item you can put a logo on. As you move through the ranks, new kit day gradually gets better and it’s a day you never take for granted. As a junior, you count yourself lucky if you get anything free at all, while as a senior you have to start rearranging your wardrobe. I can only imagine what it’s like in the WorldTour. I reached a new level this year; my name is on my suitcase — I know, I’m a baller. However, just like Christmas where there’s that one dodgy gift, there’s always that one dodgy bit of kit, usually ankle socks. Sticking to unusual kit, we have three-quarter zips on all of our race jerseys this year. While I’m sure the aero gains will be there, I’m having to train myself to put on a jersey like a T-shirt. It’s weirder than it sounds.
“New kit day is the best day. You never take it for granted”
Joe Laverick rides for Chambéry CF
I have just finished the first race of my professional career, a five-day stage race in the south of France. To say that I was really tired by the final stage, which happened to be a time trial, would be quite a major understatement. Having ridden a lot of kilometres on the front of the peloton for my team-mates during the road stages, I realised I wasn’t exactly in the best shape to deliver an early breakthrough performance in the 11km time trial, even if it is my speciality. However, the margin of defeat in this final stage showed quite how much work I have to do before I get to the top tier of cycling. The course was not well-suited to someone my weight, but even so, I thought I did a decent ride but still ended up in 64th place. I’ve never finished that far down in a time trial, even when I’ve punctured! There is work to be done on aerodynamics of course, but this is an example of how much of a jump in performance I need to make. It seems that the top level of cycling is actually a different sport altogether. Having said that, there were plenty of positives for me to take away from this first week, and it would be no fun if it was too easy, would it?
“The margin of defeat showed how much work I have to do”
TWEET O F T HE W EE K
Holly Seear How come 30 seconds recovery is so much shorter than the 30 seconds effort? bendingspaceand timeonturbo@ holly_seear
Charlie Quarterman rides for Trek-Segafredo
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 21
NEWS
THE HUB All the news you might have missed from the last seven days W
Poggio reopened for San Remo The Poggio climb will be ridden as normal during this year’s Milan-San Remo, despite earlier fears damage to the surface wouldn’t be repaired in time. In December, concerns were raised over the condition of the road following landslides on the climb. But the road has been made accessible again, with Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) having both vouched for the smoothness of the surface after riding it in training.
12,000
The Poggio is back in play
UCI to bring down the gavel on gravel
Dolan broke her collarbone in the Devon collision
Laura Dolan case A driver has denied injuring cyclist Lauren Dolan two days after she won a medal at the Yorkshire 2019 World Championships. Dolan was training in Devon on September 24 last year when she was involved in a crash with driver Robert Newton that left her with a broken collarbone. Newton, 73, from Teignmouth, has denied causing the crash and will stand trial accused of driving without due care and attention, failing to stop at the scene of a crash and failing to report the incident, Devon Live reports.
22 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
W Costa Rica doping suspensions Two Costa Rican cyclists have been suspended after allegedly returning positive tests dating from the Vuelta a Costa Rica 2019, says Costa Rican antidoping agency CONAD-CR. Fabricio Quirós was seventh on GC in the race, while Orlando Quesada finished 52nd overall. CONAD-CR have applied “mandatory provisional suspension” and will go forward with the investigatory procedure.
Photos Getty Images, Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
W New UCI rules on gravel With gravel sections popping up across a variety of high-profile races, the UCI has taken steps to regulate their use. Organisers must ensure the course can be ridden in all weathers, that it’s stable and safe, and that drivers of race vehicles have the skills to tackle the section. The UCI said: “If an organiser wishes to include unpaved roads in an event, the UCI must be informed at the time of registering the event on the calendar.” It also said that it may refuse the inclusion of an unpaved section.
Namibian dollars. That’s the prize money Hour record holder Victor Campanaerts has donated to charity after winning a bike race in the African nation. He had been training there with his NTT team and took part in the 100km Nedbank Cycle Challenge in the capital city of Windhoek. He won the race in just over two hours, eight minutes ahead of the next rider. The money, about £620, will go to Namibian charity PAY (Physically Active Youth).
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THE BIG QUESTION
Racing in the Saudi desert left many viewers cold
What did you make of the Saudi Tour?
Q If you start worrying about the ethics of the money behind pro cycling you’re not going to be watching much of it. Wendy Lawson Q Anything in Saudi gets a thumbs-down from me. Jonathon Dixon Q I thought it was boring, boring, boring (no crowds, long straight roads, no atmosphere) — a permanent fixture, I hope not. If this is
the future of cycling, count me out. Robert Oliver Q I don’t get it. I mean, I get the sports washing, but a) no crowds and b) no tourists to attract with (non-existent) stunning scenery. What exactly are they hoping to get out of it? Lucas Williams Q I guess the Middle East races fill a gap in the calendar and their human rights record isn’t much worse than China’s. And they get to hold a race. Andy Littlehouse Q Move the Tour of California back to February — it was good early-season race then! Jenny Smith Q The field looked a bit pathetic. I mean no
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cycling@ti-media.com 0 1 2 5 2 555213 24 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
offence to any of the riders, but by the time they’d shed the lower-category teams, a bunch of 40 riders travelling along wide, open roads with no spectators made it look like a bit of a Mickey Mouse race. Dom Howard Q I loved seeing Cav back at the front of a bike race where he belongs, but can’t say I’m counting the days until next year. Len Stowt
NEXT WEEK’S BIG QUESTION… Finish this sentence: It’s not a proper bike ride unless I’ve... Reply to us at cycling@ti-media.com or at www.facebook.com/CyclingWeekly
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FAC E B O O K
YO U T U B E
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Photo: Getty Images
Q Like all the early-season Middle East events, it’s purely about money and gives the riders somewhere warm to tune their fitness. Not worthy of watching on TV. Frustrating when Eurosport cover Saudi and yet miss something decent like Cadel Evans. Money talks. Mark James
LETTER OF THE WEEK
W H AT YO U ’ R E SAYI N G
Rover ’s return
Road bikes could take the trial out of TTing
Aerocoach launches road bike-only TT series Good. Let’s ditch TT bikes. A massive cost to sponsors, teams and grassroots that add no sporting value. Graeme Hart
a road bike only category in their events. The event organisers are the people who deserve the most praise! Graeme Boswell
About time! TT bikes are a nightmare to ride on open roads. They were only ever originally designed for smooth, closed-road circuits in professional stage races. Riding at 30mph with your arms away from the brakes, with traffic trying to squeeze past you on potholed roads is bloody dangerous regardless of your handling skills. Nick Danbury
The way it should be. Ken Nowakowski
My Ridley Dean Fast rides and handles faultlessly, love taking it out on twisty country roads, an absolute blast. By the way, some local TTs have a couple of thousand feet of climbing. Gordon Wordsworth Don’t forget this series is only possible because of the event organisers who included
Great idea. Will be interesting to see the rules around what other kit can and can’t be used. You can spend £2,500 on a skinsuit then wear aero socks at £35 a pop and a fast lid too. Then there are the wheels. Hard to know what is and isn’t standard as much of this kit is now used in road races too. Les Mason Hope this works. The top of the TT world is now unattainable for people who don’t have good bikes, kit and an aero bike fit. Nothing wrong with any of that, it’s a nice target to aim for, but always important to keep a sport open and inviting to all. Pam Cassidy
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I’ve just seen the recent report on the Lotus-Hope bike (CW, Jan 9). It looks sensational. However, apart from working to fine tolerances and with the latest carbon materials and techniques and the strange-looking forks, I would have to disagree with the comment: “This machine is a 100 per cent redesign of what’s come before.” It’s not a redesign at all. It looks basically very similar in design to the Rover Safety Cycle of 1887. It has more or less the same diamond-shape frame and wheels of the same size front and back and is ridden in the same way. However, the bicycle that preceded the Rover, the Ordinary or Penny Farthing did make the Rover Safety ‘revolutionary’. The frame of the Rover was completely different from the Ordinary and it had its two wheels the same size, whereas the Ordinary had one large and one small wheel. The riding position was different also. Even the transmission was totally different. This was a ‘revolution’ in the true sense of the word. What you have in the Hope-Lotus is the culmination of years of minor improvements in tube angles, materials, construction etc, not a revolution. This does not detract from the bike as being at the zenith of design, but revolutionary it ain’t. Andrew West, ex-Roamer CC
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CAN CHRIS FROOME RECOVER TO WIN A FIFTH FE AT U R E
After a horrific crash, Froome’s road to recovery
has not been easy. James Shrubsall assesses the hurdles
he’ll need to overcome to wear yellow in Paris this July
28 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
Blue skies have replaced the murk surrounding Froomeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s racing future
Photos Bex Media
FE AT U R E
FE AT U R E
ith Tom Simpson-like stoicism, one of the fi rst questions Chris Froome asked following the terrible crash last June that nearly ended his career was “will I be OK for the Tour de France?” The answer at the time was a resounding “no” but, seven months on, it looks like the four-time winner has a very good chance of being on the start line in Nice on June 27 — although a fi fth win could prove more problematic. On Sunday (Feb 23) the Team Ineos rider will take to the start line of his fi rst race since the crash — the WorldTour-level UAE Tour. “I’m really excited about getting back to racing,” Froome has said. “I’ve come off a good block of training in Gran Canaria and look forward to taking the next step in my recovery and getting back to full strength.” The high-speed fall, which has since been referred to many times
without any exaggeration as Froome’s ‘horror crash’, happened in the Loire town of Roanne as the 34-year-old reconnoitered that day’s Critérium du Dauphiné time trial. It’s well documented — it was a windy day typical of central France, and on a fast, slightly downhill stretch of residential road Froome took one hand off the bars to clear his nose and a gust took him straight into a wall at 60kph. The freakishly bad outcome involved a gruesome roll call: fractured sternum, fractured cervical vertebrae, fractured elbow, broken hip and a very nasty complex compound break to his right femur. According to one of the surgeons who operated on him, Giorgio Gresta, he also lost around two litres of blood.
“I look forward to the next step in my recovery and getting back to full strength”
30 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
Back from the brink Even Froome himself described it as “one of those freak, freak accidents”. Th at was eight months ago. In that time Ineos have remained tight-lipped about the progress of his recovery and declined to provide any information when asked by CW. But now he’s back, apparently at WorldTour level. “Th at’s defi nitely amazing. It’s outstanding,” says orthopaedic surgeon
FE AT U R E FIVE FOR FROOME?
We asked you Chris Froome goes back to racing again this month, beginning his Tour build-up in anger at the UAE Tour. But July is only five months away. Can he win a fifth Tour this year, especially with Egan Bernal waiting to take his crown? Will he even get to ride? Bryan Skippy Ward: “He’s recovered from his horrific injuries, so five months is long enough for him to get into the right shape to win his fifth Tour. Watch him set the road on fire...” Bob Kroner: “He’ll start well and fade. He just won’t have any pop and can’t hide behind the team.” John Camp: “No, he won’t even be first choice.” Shaun Kirby: “He is fit enough to race, after those injuries. Just pleased for him, anything else a massive bonus.” Julio Gaviria: “The crown now belongs to Egan. Froome is the one who would need to take it.” David Casserly: “I’d like to see him take the title again but, with the riders coming up and his injuries in his crash still pretty much fresh, I’d doubt he can achieve it… And if he does I’ll eat my hat.” Jon Price: “Anything is possible for Froome, he’s got the pedigree, guts and determination. Don’t rule him out for the title!” All Things Ride: We would say no but this is the guy who ran up Ventoux, punched a running chicken on the way up the Col du Tourmalet (before winning on the descent) and soloed off on stage 19 of that Giro — so all bets are off!
The Ineos man will make his return to racing at this month’s UAE Tour
Douglas Tomlinson: I think his crash was too dreadful, and I don’t think he will have time to ever recover before his inevitable decline due to age.
FE AT U R E
Dimos Evangelidis of Froome’s readiness to return to the peloton. “It shows the physiological capacities that those athletes have. Both because he was very well trained to start with… they’re, let’s say, gifted in terms of their body structuring, their natural ability. “Defi nitely, this is far better than an average person,” adds Evangelidis, who also has a sports diploma and works at Homerton University Hospital in London. Tour-ready? Being ready to race is one thing, but winning the Tour de France is quite another and Evangelidis is cautious: “He should be able to compete at a decent level, but I guess the question is whether he’s able to defend his title from previous years… I will be surprised if he could race at that level.”
32 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
The Brit continues his recovery at a Gran Canaria training camp
“Bones heal well,” he adds, “but of course, the surgery he had on his femur would leave some muscle scarring, and although they do a lot of sophisticated things to minimise it, there is some minor weakness left behind most of the time. “I think it would be very, very difficult to perform at the level he did before. He may be fairly close, but I would be really surprised if he can be, you know, be close to the fi rst positions,” Evangelidis said. Unlike some of his Tour performances, recovery hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for Froome. In early November he underwent further surgery to remove metal plates from his hip and elbow, but not before he’d managed to slice
open his thumb in a kitchen knife incident, meaning more time in hospital. Evangelidis told Cycling Weekly there was a chance this extra trauma might leave Froome with some lingering aches and possibly even reduced grip strength, but in terms of the operation itself, it wouldn’t impair his recovery. During the fi rst months of his recovery, Froome was off the bike but active for up to six hours a day, doing physio and rehabilitation exercises. He may have actually benefited
“The physiological capacities these athletes have is amazing”
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FE AT U R E RAPID RECOVERY
Been there, done that: Annemiek van Vleuten While Chris Froome looks ahead at the hard work and the potential disappointments he could face during the next few months as he builds up for the Tour de France, he may wish to take heart from another high-profile cycling comeback which turned out rather well. After crashing at high speed in the Olympic Games road race in Rio four years ago, Annemiek van Vleuten broke her back and suffered facial injuries and a severe concussion. Her injuries were by no means as serious as Froome’s (thankfully, it’s not easy to find a bike rider who can match him for that, or much else, for that matter), but they were no laughing matter. But in typical ‘hard-as-nails cyclist’ fashion, the very next day she tweeted from her hospital bed: “I am now in the hospital with some injuries and fractures, but will be fine. Most of all super-disappointed after best race of my career.” “She was convinced 110 per cent that she was coming back and coming back very quickly,” says Gene Bates, her sports director at Mitchelton-Scott Van Vleuten’s crash was but a blip at the time. “Once she got over her concussion, and the couple of broken bones [three fractured vertebra], she went up to altitude to prepare and came back for the back end of the season.” Van Vleuten couldn’t remember the crash, but she did see TV replays, and it turned out to be the idea of racing downhill again that was the biggest hurdle, says Bates. “She had to go through a certain level of recovery in terms of getting that confidence back. It was about going through methodically, and just gaining it back through repetition,” he explains. Still with Mitchelton-Scott, Van Vleuten has gone on to enjoy the best years of her career winning, among big races, the World Championship time trial and road race, plus the Giro Femminile twice. Of Froome’s focus on being a contender in the Tour this year, Bates says: “I think if anyone is capable it’s him, and you’re talking a very special calibre of rider. People like Chris Froome and Annemiek van Vleuten really thrive on those challenges. If there’s anyone that says, ‘No, it can’t be done’, they’re the first to stand up and say, actually, I’m going to do it and I’m going do it even better than it was before.” 34 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
FE AT U R E
from this time away from cycling, Evangelidis says, doing what was essentially cross-training. “For elite athletes that have been training very hard on a specific sport for many years that sometimes is beneficial, mentally you come back wanting to do better and in a way you’re fresh.” As alluded to by Evangelidis, the mental aspect of returning from an accident can be important, and not just in terms of freshness levels.
Dr Ruth Anderson, author of The Cycling Mind and CEO of Mind HQ, says managing anxiety is critical when recovering a racing mindset: “It is imperative for riders to have dealt with the psychological impact of the initial trauma, and have strategies in place to deal with any thoughts and emotions related to that experience,” she says. Overcoming anxiety A fear of crashing again is possibly the most obvious potential issue that Froome might face, but Dr Anderson says: “The fear of crashing will only hold a rider back if they haven’t been assertive in dealing with it. Following a serious trauma, most riders will experience a level of fear or anxiety about returning to competition, however if a rider assertively confronts the fear and is equipped with psychological skills, it will resolve over time.” There is a possibility of a loss of competitive drive, says Dr Anderson, due to any unresolved psychological issues or ongoing pain — it’s hard to imagine Froome experiencing none of the latter, given the extent of his injuries. But, she says, “elite athletes have exceptional discipline and routinely push themselves to their physical and psychological limits. Applying their daily training habits to their rehabilitation programme will help maximise their recovery.”
The number of comments along the lines of, “if anyone can recover to win the Tour, Chris Froome can”, suggest that if he doesn’t manage to pull it off , it might just have been impossible anyway. In early January a seed of doubt was briefl y sown, as reports emerged in the Italian press of an under-par Froome who had to retire early from a training camp. But only the next day Ineos boss Sir Dave Brailsford sought to quash the issue, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport : “No one should underestimate Froome… He is putting all the courage and determination into training that led him to win seven Grand Tours to be ready in time for the start of the 2020 Tour.” Froome himself was equally quick off the mark, insisting on social media: “Hope that I can set this straight, I was last at a training camp at the beginning of December. My recovery is going well and I will be heading to my next training camp on Thursday. Onward.” Perhaps the fi nal clue as to whether he remains a genuine Tour contender lies in the language he is using: “The only appointment I’ve set myself is the Tour de France. The prospect of going for a fi fth yellow jersey is massive for me.” It’s clear that whether or not you believe a fi fth yellow jersey could be a reality this July, there’s one person who does — Chris Froome.
“The only appointment I’ve set myself is the Tour de France”
Froome’s competitive nature makes a fifth Tour title impossible to rule out
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 35
FE AT U R E
SPRINTING’S F R E S H FAC E Vern Pitt meets f lying Scot, Jack Carlin, a young sprinter with a big future
JACK CARLIN’S V I TA L S TAT I S T I C S Age: 22 Height: 5ft 8in National Championships: 5 Track World Championship podiums: 2 UCI World Cup wins: 2
FE AT U R E though he wasn’t quite is the most sensitive emulating Hoy’s heights soul you can find, he’s as he fell off and broke lovely,” adds Stewart his wrist. But that didn’t with affection. deter him. At that time That’s not to say he was also racing Carlin is soft when mountain bikes — having on the boards. He has long since given up on a clinical ability to Carlin: on track for Tokyo other sports like football, read his opponents; where he broke both his less useful in the team ankles — but soon realised he wasn’t very sprint, but essential in Carlin’s favourite good at going uphill. “I kept losing and I race, the keirin. At the moment the young didn’t like losing,” he recalls. Scot says he’s most enjoying the team’s The Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, steady process of reeling in the Dutch about 10 minutes from Carlin’s home, sprinters who have dominated track opened and he was among one of the first sprinting since the Rio Olympics. to ride it — he was instantly hooked. It’s also fair to say that Carlin wears It’s around this time Carlin’s path the pressures of his life as an Olympic collided with Kevin Stewart, current BC hopeful with ease. With the Tokyo podium programme sprint coach. Carlin Olympics around the corner and describes Stewart as the person with the the World Championships a month away biggest influence as we speak to on him other than him, you’d expect his own parents. him to be feeling When they met, the pressure. Stewart, a broad“I don’t live chested, Vikingand breathe the like figure of a Olympics. It’s man, had just left on my mind, but the programme as a rider himself and saw I probably won’t think about it a lot until potential in the fresh-faced diminutive I’m on the plane. The thing is, you’re one fellow Scot Carlin. He offered him injury away from not doing it, so you coaching on a volunteer basis. don’t want to get your hopes up too early,” “I thought, ‘I’ll give it a go, I’ve got he says. nothing to lose. He’s a former GB rider, The team environment is one Carlin he knows what to do,’” recalls Carlin. relishes: “We’re like brothers. We go “Then Kevin went on to the Scotland out of our way to wind each other up programme as the coach and brought constantly but it’s good for the team.” me on. He went on to the junior GB He doesn't see himself as having any programme and brought me on. He more pressure to prove his worth at moved on to the academy and brought me the upcoming Worlds than his more on. And then I moved on to the podium decorated team-mates. “I think the team programme and brought him on.” is so deep that everyone needs to prove With sincerity and admiration Carlin the point, like even Jason [Kenny],” says: “He’s the most enthusiastic, driven Carlin says before adding that even a coach you can probably get.” six-time gold medallist goes into any race We then get from Stewart an wanting to win. “And what age is he now? insight into his protegé. “We call him About 65 or something. Jason’s probably ‘Consolation Carlin’, Stewart says. “He’ll been to about 12 Olympics by now,” he play the big man and say [of our rivals]: says as a cheeky grin spreads across his ‘They’re all rubbish, they’re not doing 22-year-old face. this, they should be gone,’ and so on and Carlin will turn 23 before the Tokyo so on. The next thing he’s doing is giving Games. Given his progress to date them a hug saying, ‘It’s OK, don’t worry and even with his own mathematically about it.’ He’s just the biggest softie in questionable assessment of Kenny’s the world. He would never want the boys record, it seems safe to say he’s got to think that but behind closed doors he plenty of Olympics left in him yet.
“I probably won’t think about it a lot until I’m on the plane”
Words Vern Pitt Photos Andy Jones
T
here’s a risk that Cycling Weekly is talking to the wrong Carlin today — at least that’s the way Jack Carlin tells it. “Harry, my little brother, he’s probably the more talented sportsman in the family, he’s just a lazy s**t,” Jack says when we ask about his childhood in sport. If this is accurate then the thought of Harry Carlin deciding to take up cycling should worry the other national sprint squads. Because Jack has in a short time all but cemented his place in the GB team sprint trio — not an easy place to survive given the programme’s gold medal-winning pedigree, having taken the last three Olympic titles. Carlin’s current position of choice at rider two has been occupied by both Chris Hoy and Carlin’s now team-mate, and Britain’s most successful Olympian, Jason Kenny. But Carlin has justified his place there with two golds at World Cup level and narrowly missing out on gold at the World Championships in 2018. A couple of months after that performance, Hoy himself told the BBC: “He’s gone from being a one-lap specialist in the team sprint to being an all-round sprinter. “So, if he can keep that development going and build on each of these experiences, he has the chance of being one of the big stars in Tokyo.” Eighteen months later Carlin says he still hasn’t read that article but heard about it after his grandparents’ friends at the bowls club passed it on to them. Hoy’s endorsement means more to Carlin than it might to most — he describes watching Hoy win the keirin at the London 2012 Olympics as a pivotal moment for him as he got into the sport. “I recall Chris was behind and then somehow got back in front [on the final straight] and I was in Spain at the time with my dad — I didn’t know anything about the guy or anything to do with GB — I was literally jumping up and down. My dad couldn’t believe it. “I think that is probably my favourite sporting moment.” The first time Carlin got on the track
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 37
FROM THE ARCHIVE
Mackeson Premier, Crystal Palace 1964
B
ike racing has featured at the Crystal Palace park in South London for decades, with the twisty circuit on the side of a hill known for its relentless, attritional nature. Cycling reported the Mackeson Premier was run oďŹ&#x20AC; in strong winds blowing down the home straight. Conditions made the circuit even tougher as retirements came at one or two riders per lap. The race was dominated by three Falcon Cycles riders: national champion Dick Goodman, Bernard Burns, Dave Bedwell and John Goodrum. As they formed a break, their team-mates behind helped close the race down, yet their lead never gained more than 40 seconds. In the end it was Burns who won the sprint in front of the stands made of the steps which once led up to the glass palace that used to stand there. Crystal Palace crits still run on a Tuesday night through the spring and summer. Words Felix Vaughan Photo Cycling Weekly archive
38 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 39
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TECH GREEN DEGREASERS
Can bike degreaser ever be environmentally friendly? Eco-friendly cleaning products are worth buying but how you use them also counts
R
ewind 30-odd years and I remember asking my cycling peers how best to rid my chain of the black gunk that seemed to encase it, my frame and if you’d asked my mother, pretty much all my cycling kit. Without hesitation, each replied either petrol or white spirit. So for a long time I used to keep a jar of white spirit in the shed for the sole purpose of dunking my chain in once a week. It certainly was effective but even then I knew it wasn’t good for the environment. Leap forward to today and cyclists are a much better informed group. The environmental impact of our passion is something most of us are aware of and (hopefully) do as much as possible to mitigate any untoward damage. Making informed choices in the products we use and the way we clean our bikes is one of the most obvious areas we can make a difference. As mentioned above, the products we use to undertake the hardest cleaning jobs, degreasers, can be the biggest culprits for environmental misdemeanours. As most of us can attest, oil, grease and other contaminants form a barrier that
water and normal cleaners cannot clean effectively. An effective degreaser needs to utilise solvents that can break down and clean this type of water-insoluble mess. A solvent is simply a liquid that dissolves a solute. Water, for example, is a solvent but it can only dissolve certain types of compounds. In order to deal with grease and oil-based grime, we are talking about solvents based around organic compounds such as ethanol and other effective but harmful solvent molecules. How do solvents affect the environment? Solvents that utilise hydrocarbons such as paraffin and kerosene might be the most effective choice for getting the job done but can have a significant negative environmental impact. These types of organic solvent react in the atmosphere in sunlight, producing an air pollutant known as ‘ground-level ozone’. High concentrations of ground-level ozone seriously affect human, animal and plant health. When used in conjunction with cleaning your bike these solvents can also find a way into water sources to the detriment of aquatic life.
Create your own degreaser Q Mix baking soda with lemon essential oil to create an effective and environmentally friendly degreaser. Citrus fruit extract is a great solvent for dissolving grease because of its acidic nature. Q To make this degreaser, use lemon 42 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
essential oil or lemon juice. Mix two cups of warm water, one tablespoon of baking soda, and 20 drops of lemon essential oil in a spray bottle. Q Spray on grease, leave and then just wipe away with a damp towel.
Use a green degreaser and limit your chain oil to protect the environment
How can we lower the environmental impact of degreasers? It’s important not only to understand the environmental impact of degreasers but also how you can mitigate this while still being able to effectively clean your bike. Much research and development has gone into creating more environmentally friendly degreasers. Muc-Off is a brand that has long been concerned by the potentially harmful effects of bike cleaning products. We spoke to product manager Andrew Syme about how the brand developed its Drivetrain Cleaner degreaser to be as environmentally friendly as possible while still maintaining its effectiveness. “In order to enable our degreaser to do its job quickly and effectively, we have formulated a product based around organic hydrocarbon solvents, detergent/ dispersants and emulsifiers,” Syme said. “Because of its superior cleaning ability, it means less is used during a clean and it is water soluble. Traditionally, solvent-based degreasers have been based upon paraffins and kerosenes, often with a high aromatic content which is known to be hazardous to aquatic life and potentially to people.
HOT KIT
Elit e S uit o direct- drive FE - C mag t ra in er £6 49
“The solvents chosen for Drivetrain Cleaner have been highly refined, are ultra-low in aromatic hydrocarbons, have very little in the way of odour and a high flash point to take them outside of the flammable category, enhancing safety. Muc-Off are mindful of our environmental responsibilities, so the development of this product involved the selection and use of components which would meet OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] criteria for biodegradability, so we are able to state with confidence that our product is readily biodegradable, based on OECD guidelines.” He added: “Additionally, to further mitigate environmental impact, we encourage the use of an enclosed chain cleaning system, which limits exposure to the product and its contaminants.” Other brands approach things a little differently: Finishline has developed a waterless degreaser with its latest EcoTech product. It utilises soya-based solvents as its active ingredients and can be accurately applied to the parts that need cleaning. The fact that it doesn’t need to be
rinsed off afterwards also limits the amount of contaminant that can make its way into the environment. Greenoil, possibly the brand with the most impressive environmental credentials, has gone even further into eco-friendly territory, harnessing the power of plants fully with its Agent Apple degreaser. While still alcohol-based, Greenoil uses plantbased alcohols made from sugar, fermented apple extracts and to make it even more effective, orange peel extract. It can also be reused up to three times and still retain its effectiveness. All of the above are good examples of degreasers that have taken approaches to be as environmentally friendly as possible. But there are still environmental risks with cleaning your bike and in most cases it’s probably the grime you are trying to clean that is the culprit, so always take steps to contain any grease and oil that can be washed away. Our best tip is to use minimal amounts of cleaning product and instead employ as much elbow grease as possible.
and Android. With folding legs and a handle at the top, this is a portable design. It’s compatible with 130 and 135mm quick-release frames as well as 142 x 12mm thru-axles; adaptors for Boost 148 x 12 frames require an add-on. The trainer comes ready to go with an 11-speed Shimano cassette fitted, and is compatible with 9 and 10-speed Shimano and SRAM cassettes also; Campagnolo riders will need an adaptor. Q Contact: www.freewheel.co.uk
Words Michelle Arthurs-Brennan Photos Daniel Gould
“Use less product and employ as much elbow grease as possible”
Direct-drive smart turbo trainers continue to be the ‘must have’ accessory for winter training, but thankfully the initially quite prohibitive prices are beginning to fall. The Suito from Elite could never be described as cheap, but it at least comes in a little cheaper than the brand’s Drivo II (£1,199) — and being able to mimic climbs of 15 per cent and withstand up to 1,900 watts, it should tick the boxes for most users. Power readings are accurate to 2.5 per cent — which is less than the +/0.5 per cent of the Drivo II but certainly won’t leave you scratching your head at the numbers on screen. The trainer is compatible with the likes of Zwift, The Sufferfest and Trainer Road, with Ant+ and Bluetooth connectivity. You also get a 12-month subscription to Elite’s My E-training App for Windows, iOS
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 43
TECH TESTED
Latest products We review three items to keep you focused, safe and warm
Scicon Aerotech Photochromic SCN-XT £219 Scicon’s Aerotech glasses feature UV 400 protection Weight to block out 100 per cent of harmful rays. The interchangeable lenses are photochromatic and ventilation is built in to prevent fogging. They come in three lens sizes: regular (50mm in height), medium (55mm) and large (60mm), all with the same width. Each pair also comes with three different nose-pad options. We tested the regular size and found the flexible temples very effective, with the glasses staying put, but found the lens too wide. The clear lens provided excellent protection and vision in wet conditions and tinted quickly. With the removable fenders fitted, the rubber intercepted my field of vision. The Scicons have a robust, reliable lens and the fenders mean you get two pairs of glasses for the price of one. www.sciconsports.com
30g
7
44 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
Lazer Genesis 2020 £170
dhb Aeron Polartec Alpha gilet £100
At 205 grams for our size medium test helmet, Lazer Genesis is one of the lightest lids we’ve Weight ever tested. Lazer reached the low weight with an in-mould construction and the use of 22 vents with internal channelling. There is a MIPS version available but it costs £199.99 and is heavier (220g in a small). The Genesis has a top-mounted roller wheel to fine-tune the retention cradle on the fly for the perfect fit. The Race set of pads are very light; the Comfort pads are thicker. We tried both and stuck with the Comfort set. The Genesis was a comfortable fit, without any pressure areas. The soft straps worked well with most eyewear. The optional aeroshell closes off the vents to cut drag and at an extra £19.99 t still beats many dedicated aero helmets on price. It also provides extra protection in bad weather. In the Genesis, Lazer has created an incredibly light, comfortable and versatile helmet that looks good to boot. Small, medium, large www.freewheel.co.uk
Dhb has used Polartec’s impressive Alpha Direct fabric in the gilet — it’s fluffy, highly insulating Weight and breathable. On the outside is a windproof layer with a DWR water-repellent treatment, plus mesh stretch panels to minimise heat build-up. Thermal gilets can get sweaty but this wasn’t the case here due to excellent wicking, insulation and breathability. At 138g (women’s size 10), it’s lightweight for the level of warmth on offer. However, dhb does advertise this as a pocketable garment; we found this not to be the case. Features include a bright pink panel at the back, three rear pockets similar to standard jersey pockets, and a zipper pocket. An elasticated waist keeps it all in place. Despite the delicatelooking internal material, the gilet came out of the washing machine looking how it went in, and it dried in no time at all. The sizes allow for thick winter garments underneath; we would recommend opting for a smaller size if using with autumn or spring wear. This is a super-warm, highly breathability gilet although it’s not one to shove into a rear pocket. www.wiggle.com/dhb
205g
9
138g
9
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 45
FITNESS
Conventional wisdom has it that winter is the time for long, slow miles â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but more and more riders are doing precisely the opposite. Simon Smythe investigates reverse periodisation Photos Daniel Gould, Getty Images
46 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
FITNESS
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 47
FITNESS
he traditional club cyclist’s year used to be governed by a strict set of rules. You started training on January 1, at least a stone overweight after the club dinner season followed by Christmas. You stayed in the little ring for the whole of January as you started building your base fitness again from scratch. When you’d done the requisite base mileage, you were ready to start intervals, and
EXPLAINER
What is periodisation? Training Peaks, the coaching software used by the vast majority of coaches, which introduced now familiar terminology such as Training Stress Score, Normalized Power and Intensity Factor, defines periodisation as: “The process of dividing an annual training plan into specific time blocks, where each block has a particular goal and provides your body with different types of stress. “Periodisation also helps you develop different physiological abilities during various phases of training. For instance, during base training, you focus on the development of aerobic and muscular endurance. During the intensity phase, this focus switches to lactate threshold and aerobic capacity (i.e. VO2 max), and as you enter the competition phase, greater emphasis is placed on boosting anaerobic capacity and neuromuscular power.”
after 2,000km (1,243 miles), you were ready to race again. The received wisdom held that you first needed to build a broad, strong base for your training pyramid, before you added any intensity and finally topped it off with your sprinting. So why do modern riders and coaches seem to be turning the pyramid upside down, following programmes of intervals and racing on Zwift through December and January and only starting their endurance rides once the sun comes out? It’s being called ‘reverse periodisation’ — but what does that really mean and how do you implement it? More importantly, can it get you the same results as doing things the traditional way? Coach Dr Auriel Forrester (scientificcoaching.com) is former head of the sport, exercise and biomedical sciences department at the University of Luton and a UCI Masters world champion. Long before Zwift arrived, she and fellow coach Dave Le Grys devised SpinDoctor, an innovative indoor training programme that aimed to encourage structured indoor training. “People are getting more timeconstrained,” says Dr Forrester. “Whether it’s the right thing or the wrong thing to do, going out “There’s a lot for a six-hour to be said for Sunday club run isn’t going to happen. continuing your top-end speed and For a long time now, there’s been a trend power training through the winter towards more indoor training in the months so that you don’t lose it and wintertime. The roads aren’t safe to go have to go back to square-one.” out training at night, and chaingangs Detraining doesn’t occur evenly across barely exist anymore.” all levels of your fitness. As well as “If you stop indoor training training, the first being safer thing you lose than heading is your top-end out on dark, speed and power potholed, — the hardest traffic-choked things to get back. roads, it can The next-hardest also protect thing to pick your hardback up is your earned form, threshold.” as Forrester Easier to regain explains: is your base Smart trainers make it easy to
“If you stop training, the first thing you lose is your top-end speed and power”
hold high-end fitness in winter 48 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
FITNESS Indoor training has turned periodisation upside down
VIEW FROM THE WORLDTOUR
‘Reverse periodisation works for pros and amateurs alike’ Kevin Poulton oversees the Zwift Academy programme and famously coached Mat Hayman to victory at Paris-Roubaix in 2016 using Zwift. The Australian rider had broken his arm six weeks before the race. “With an increasing number of athletes turning to indoor training for their early-season base training, there has definitely been an increase in the interest and implementation of reverse periodisation. This has largely come about because of the style of riding that indoor training encourages. “It is much easier to motivate the athlete during their early season base training with some structured sessions, along with a mix of group rides and racing indoors. Reverse periodisation also suits riders who compete more regularly.”
fitness, by means of longer, slower rides — which are more fun in nicer weather. “As long as the weather’s nice, your bike-fit is right and you get your fuelling right,” says Forrester, “you can now go out and do a longer ride.” Pyramid paradigm shift The important point is, top-end fitness must still be underpinned by a base of solid endurance. “The old-style analogy of the pyramid does still hold true,” adds Forrester. “You need the broad base, and to get the point any higher, you have to add a bit more to each layer. But as I see it, the pyramid is made of little bricks that don’t have to be added from the bottom-up.” Modern training software can help you reconceptualise that all-important pyramid, as Forrester explains:
week, along with two group rides at your Zone 1-2 would be the basis of a very good week. If you could add to this structure a longer outdoor ride on the weekend, you would be well on your way to building a good foundation for the season ahead.”
So the long outdoor ride is not quite a thing of the past? “Long, low-intensity rides will always have a place in training. There are big gains to be made by including them in your training. But to achieve these gains requires high volume. A good, low-intensity ride really needs to be two hours-plus to be effective.” Evidently, professional riders who have the time should still do the long, slow endurance rides, whereas those of us with family and non-cycling jobs who can only commit eight hours a But does reverse periodisation week to training are better off upping yield the same end result? the intensity. However, with the “Reverse periodisation implements expanded professional racing calendar, shorter, more many pros no intense training longer have during the time for the winter. Because traditional model. these higher“Many pros now intensity intervals include some form are short in of intensity early duration, the ‘cost’ in the season. of these efforts is Traditional low. You recover linear periodisation quickly from can involve multiple bouts long periods of of 30 seconds at training before your FTP setting. racing begins. Science has also But many athletes proven that we are required to Hayman trained with Zwift can achieve big race within five gains in endurance to six weeks after from shorter training sessions. As returning back to training from their an example, if you were to ride winter break. Reverse periodisation indoors during winter for your early allows them to include the right amount base period, by implementing two of structured intensity to prepare for structured workouts that included the early races, while still building a solid aerobic base for the year ahead.” some controlled intensity during the
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 49
FITNESS “You can go on to Training Peaks and view your different layers of the pyramid on a bar chart, which you can colour in however you like — colouring in rather than building it from the bottom. As long as it stays in balance, it doesn’t matter.” Of course, you need to ensure that your pyramid is sturdy and that all elements are in place prior to target events. “If you’ve only filled in the top bit and it ends up without a base, you’ve got something that looks more like a Christmas tree — catch the flu and it will snap. So as long as you’re achieving your base prior to your event and your pyramid doesn’t get too top-heavy, exactly how you build it is less important.”
Saving longer rides for better weather is a bright idea
TRY THIS
Reverse periodisation workouts Try adding these two Zwift workouts, recommended by coach Kevin Poulton, to your reverse periodisation programme. 10-SECOND SURGES Complete session as a free-ride using a flat/rolling course. Q Warm up well for 15min. Then, two sets of: Q 7 x 10sec hard acceleration every 3min (10sec on/2m 50sec off) Total for set: 21min. Q Aim for high cadence in 10sec efforts. Q 20min Zone 1 between sets. Q Cool down for 5min. 30/30 Complete session as a free-ride using a flat/rolling course. Q Warm up well for 15min. Then, two sets of: Q 8 x 30sec @ Zone 5 with 30sec recovery. Q Aim for high cadence in 30sec efforts. Q 20min Zone 1 between sets. Q Cool down for 5min.
50 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
As with the traditional training macrocycle — the whole training year — hard blocks of training and racing must be bookended by effective recovery. “Make sure you’ve had enough rest and recovery,” says Forrester. “You might have to back off a bit to release some of the metabolic ‘poisons’ from the cumulative overtraining of the previous season.” Looking at the science Because top-end fitness is lost first, followed by peak aerobic power, reverse periodisation addresses the biggest losses first — you start with the elements that are hardest to regain. In a 2016 Norwegian study into reverse periodisation by Oystein Sylta et al, 63 male cyclists were randomised to three training groups and instructed to follow a
12-week training programme consisting of 24 interval sessions, a high volume of low-intensity training, and laboratory testing. The increasing-intensity group performed interval training as four times 16 minutes in weeks one to four, four times eight minutes in weeks five to eight, and four times four minutes in weeks nine to 12. The decreasing- intensity group performed interval sessions in the opposite order to the increasingintensity group, and the mixed-intensity group performed the intervals in a mixed distribution. Pre- and post-trial, the riders were tested for mean power during a 40-minute all-out time trial and peak power output during incremental testing to exhaustion, VO2peak, and power at 4mmol/L lactate. The researchers found that all three groups improved by five
FITNESS
“If you’re achieving your base, exactly how you build it is less important” to 10 per cent in mean power during the all-out trial, peak power output, and VO2peak post-intervention. There were no adaptation differences, prompting the conclusion: “Organising different interval sessions in a specific order or in a mixed distribution during a 12-week training period has little or no effect on training adaptation when the overall training load is the same.” Time-efficient training So it would seem that while reverse periodisation doesn’t have any actual drawbacks, it might not have huge benefits either. However, doing highintensity sessions indoors could have another advantage, according to Forrester: “When you’re riding indoors,
there’s no freewheeling, there’s less recovery and you can get the same training stress score in a shorter period of time so the average intensity is higher.” Forrester believes it can take considerably longer when riding outdoors to rack up the same volume of high-intensity effort. “When I view my riders’ files on a weekend where, because the weather was bad, they’ve randomly ridden around Central Park [on Zwift] but kept within the power band of the outdoor session they’d been prescribed… the amount of recovery time in Zone 1 is 10 per cent. Look at the same rider out on the road and it’s 24 per cent. So it’s a shorter but harder session indoors.” On this basis, reverse periodisation works physiologically and is more time-efficient. Dr Forrester points out one final benefit that is not so easily pinpointed: ” Very often, for a rider who’s been doing the same thing year after year, as soon as they do something different, they improve. Just applying a different set of training stresses to your body will stimulate it to adapt in a different way.”
S E CO N D O P I N I O N : M AT T B OT T R I LL
‘Don’t reverse-periodise, just train smarter’ Matt Bottrill, the former national time trial champion who now runs Matt Bottrill Performance Coaching, has been working with Lotto-Soudal this winter. He suggests that traditional winter training is becoming redundant as coaches and riders use smarter training tools to achieve the same gains. Bottrill also favours an individualised approach, looking at an athlete’s strengths and weaknesses as well as their target events, and building a training programme that makes best use of their training time. “In the first phase, after the season has ended, we do go back and do some base miles, but in the first week we’re starting to introduce tempo blocks, strength work, hill reps. We’ll be building intensity and threshold. After six weeks, we’ll go into much shorter intervals — 30/30s or 20/40s — short blocks of them. “The sport is evolving. What we’ve found is you can look at a power
profile and you work out how to get the biggest adaptation from an athlete. The old-school approach where you’ve got to do base miles no longer applies even in professional cycling. Science is taking over.” Directed by feedback Bottrill points out that one of the reasons for long miles — to develop pedalling efficiency — can instead be learnt quickly and much more easily by using Wattbike’s Pedalling Effectiveness Score software. “Instead of practising pedalling for 10,000 hours before you become an expert, we’re looking at incorporating drills — and that’s where the Wattbike PES comes into its own. If you’re more efficient, you can produce the same power for less energy. Now all our athletes do pedalling efficiency drills in training, building gradually in their race position. It’s got to be about training your body for
the specific demands of your racing; the days of just going out for long, slow winter rides are over.” And it’s not only long, slow riding that is under scrutiny. “We’re even finding that some of the traditional interval sessions are too long. For example, with the time triallist’s favourite — five times five minutes at Zone 5 — we’ve found that, for the last two minutes of each rep, if you’re not efficient because you can’t keep correct form on the bike, the adaptation from the muscle you should get is wasted. You’re better off doing shorter — eight times three minutes — and you’ll get the full activation from it. This is what I’ve been doing in my own training. There are devices out there now from Leomo [which tracks biomechanics] and Wattbike to measure it. I do think the next phase of power meters is all going to be about not just how much power is being produced but how efficiently.” Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 51
FITNESS
WEEK IN TRAINING
Nelson’s switching from track to road
Emily Nelson The week: January 13-19, 2020 Location: Manchester Training for: Return to road racing
I
n 2013 Emily Nelson was part of the junior women’s team pursuit outfit that broke the senior world record (at the new 4km distance). In the six-and-a-half years since then, Nelson has reaffirmed her talent many times over, winning an array of titles and medals including Madison gold at the 2018 Worlds and scratch race gold at last year’s European Champs. It may come as a surprise, then, to learn that the 23-year-old has been dropped from British Cycling’s Olympic programme and had her funding cut off — so she is switching back to the road in the hope of attracting sponsors and earning a pro contract. How did you first get into cycling? I started out as a swimmer, and swam at a high level until I was 13 or 14. I also joined a triathlon club, as it was based near to where we lived and meant I could do extra training sessions. Because my dad is one of those people who likes to get his money’s worth, he said I should do the cycling and running too! My brother Josh and I ended up joining the local cycling club, Lichfield City CC. Did it help having sporty siblings? Yes, I have a brother and two sisters — I’m the oldest. My brother is closest to me in age, and we raced and trained together all the time. Although he stopped competing when he was 15, both my sisters had joined the club in the meantime. My sister Josie and I train together now, and I coach her. What prompted you to get more serious about cycling? As an under-16, I’d moved clubs to
52 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
Halesowen because I wanted to have a go at track, and the coach there was already coaching Emily Kay [now at Team WNT] at the time, she was the best at everything. Once I had a coach setting me proper training, I got some medals at the Nationals, and thought, I want to keep doing this! Do you consider yourself a track specialist now? Well, I did, but at the end of the year British Cycling cut the squad and said they didn’t think I would go to the Olympics. So I have switched my focus to the road and have joined Belgian team Isorex. I am more of a bunch rider, whereas British Cycling wanted team pursuiters, so even though I’ve been world champion in the Madison, they couldn’t justify selecting me when they’d got Laura [Kenny] and Katie [Archibald] who can do both events. Of course I was upset, but it’s not the end. What are your goals for 2020? I would like a top-10 at the Nationals [road
PROFILE Age: 23 Height: 5ft 7in Weight: 65kg Lives: Manchester Rides for: Cycle Division-Cero Wheels (track); Isorex Cycling Team (road) Best results: Gold — Madison, 2018 World Championships Gold — Scratch, 2019 European Championships 1st — 2019 CiCLE Classic @EmilyNelson21 emily.nelson21
race], having finished 12th in 2017 and 2019, and preferably a top-five. If the course suits me and it comes down to a sprint finish, I think I could get a medal . With the Isorex team, I’m going to be doing a load of UCI races, and would like to get some more top-10s. My aim is to turn professional within two years.
MONDAY LONG RECOVERY RIDE
I travelled back from Six Days of Bremen last night [having 4hr 20m won the Madison with Canadian Maggie Coles-Lyster]. Maggie was staying with me all week, so we trained together every day. The day after racing, I tend to do a long, steady ride. Today was
WEDNESDAY
SUNDAY
ZONE 3 RIDE & GYM
LONG RIDE WITH SHORT EFFORTS
I did 2.5 hours in the morning with an hour at Zone 3. I tend 2hr 30m to break up the Zone 3 rather than doing it all in one go. From Manchester, I’ll do 20 minutes fast to Macclesfield, then two or three minutes off as I go round the roundabouts and through the traffic lights, then start the timer again. I hit my power target — Zone 3 is 200-230 watts for me — and I felt pretty good. In the afternoon, I went to the gym and did squats, five sets of 10, and deadlifts in sets of eight, finishing with an upper body and core routine.
Sunday was 3.5 hours with four 10-second sprints, hitting over 3hr 30m 1,050 watts for each one, then a set of five 20/40s, a two-minute capacity effort aiming for 350 watts, and a max 45-second effort. These short efforts were intended to get the intensity up, as the rest of the week had been only up to Zone 3. The first half was pretty hilly. I prefer to do my efforts on the road nowadays, having done so many turbo sessions in the past — I think it’s more realistic for what I’m training for.
THURSDAY
WEEK’S WISDOM
LONG HILLY RIDE
Thursday was just over four hours’ riding at Zone 2. If I’m 4hr 15m doing a hilly route, I don’t really need to add efforts, and today we went over Snake Pass, Winnats Pass and the back way up ‘The Brickworks’ — so over some really famous climbs. Though I averaged Zone 2, it was a hard ride, and so it was nice to have someone else to ride with for the four and a quarter hours.
ONWARDS AND UPWARDS World-class riders are not easily deterred — it’s in their nature to react to setbacks by fighting on harder than ever. And that’s exactly what Emily Nelson is doing, as evidenced by this week of training. Despite being dropped from the British Cycling programme, Nelson is getting stuck in to regaining road form — resolute, confident in her abilities, and working hard towards winning a pro contract. We wish her well.
FRIDAY EASY SPIN & GYM
TUESDAY REST DAY
15hr 35min total riding
65min Z3+ effort 5 4
I had a rest day. Having raced at the weekend, travelled back, 0hr and after the long ride yesterday, I was due a complete rest. Some people do cafe rides, but I prefer to stay off the bike altogether and just chill. I caught up on chores: did my washing, unpacked my bag, etc. I also met a friend for lunch — a relaxing day but productive too.
SATURDAY REST DAY
I had another rest day on Saturday. I tend to do my 0hr training in three- or four-day blocks. Maggie and I went into town and had lunch, walked along the canal, and then came back and chilled at home.
Total riding (hours)
3 2 1 0
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
KEY Total riding
Intervals: Z3/4
Z5/6
Race
Words David Bradford Photo James York/SWpix.com
about getting the miles in: low intensity, nothing that would wipe me out. It was really, really windy — one of those rides where you feel you are going so slowly! We added an extra loop towards the end, and accidentally added way more than we had intended.
Friday was supposed to be two hours’ ride and gym, but I was 1hr really tired, so cut it down to just an easy hour before gym. Maggie and I literally just rode for an hour at an easy pace and stopped at a cafe. We were already an hour over for the week’s target volume, so took it easy today. In the afternoon, I went to the gym and did split squats with weight, five on each leg, and leg press in sets of 15 reps, as well as press-ups, arm rows and some upper body work.
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R AC I N G R E S U LT S
S AT U R DAY, F E B R U A RY 1 5 Velo29 Winter Series round four (Croft circuit, North Yorkshire): E, 1, 2, 3: 1. Mark Jagger (Lifting Gear Prod); 2. S. Auld (Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling); 3. J. Clark (Liverpool Mercury CC); 4. H. Robson (TS Racing); 5. T. Denwood (Harrogate Nova CC); 6. R. Turner (PM Racing UK); 7. R. Bickley (Border City Wheelers); 8. S. Robinson (Fietsen Tempo); 9. M. Cockerill (Clifton CC); 10. L. Cuthbert (unattached). Fourth Cat: 1. Scott Caul (unattached); 2. W. Allen (Cycle Supreme CC); 3. A. Keeler (Valley Striders CC); 4. R. Watt (unattached); 5. P. Flook (Edinburgh RC); 6. I. Clark (unattached); 7. P. While (unattached); 8. P. Gunn (unattached); 9. J. McKenna (York Cycleworks); 10. A. Byrom (unattached). Women: 1. Megan Thomson (York Cycleworks); 2. L. Watson (Team Boompods); 3. L. Elmore (Otley CC). ART Winter Crit Series round two (Abingdon Airfield, Oxfordshire): E, 1, 2, 3: 1. Michael Mottram (Vitus Pro Cycling); 2. M. Witts (Nopinz Symec Race Team); 3. J. Ashcroft (Nopinz Symec Development Team); 4. D. Shoobridge (Jam Cycling RT); 5. G. Turner (VC
Equipe); 6. J. Hale (Worx Factory Racing); 7. C. Ager (Jam Cycling RT); 8. C. Slade (Jam Cycling RT); 9. E. Ward (Inflite-Dynamic Rides RT); 10. O. Murphy (VC Equipe). Third Cat: 1. Joel Corbishley (Team Milton Keynes); 2. F. Loveday (Team Surrey Cycling); 3. T. Coombe (Thames Velo); 4. T. Flynn (Poole Wheelers CC); 5. M. Ashwanden (Warwick Lanterne Rouge CC); 6. S. Holwill (trainSharp Development Team); 7. G. Edwards (Cowley Road Condors); 8. J. Harris (Velo-Schils – Interbike RT); 9. G. Spiers (unattached); 10. R. McPherson (unattached). Fourth Cat: 1. Gareth Highley (Infinite- Dynamic Rides RT); 2. P. Holloway (Didcot Phoenix CC); 3. J. Newnham (Royal Leamington Spa CC); 4. N. Miller (Poole Wheelers CC); 5. C. Smith (Cowley Road Condors); 6. E. Gembillo (Tri UK); 7. A. Rankin (Infinite-Dynamic Rides RT); 8. J. Smy (Army Cycling Union); 9. James Sellick (unattached); 10. Paul Russell (unattached). Women: 1. Lydia Watts (Awol); 2. E. Roper (Abingdon RT); 3. C. Hayes (Awol); 4. L. Bonnafous (1904 RT); 5. A. Jones (Cowley Road Condors); 6. I. Spyropoulou (Team Vision Innovation); 7. C. Gustafson (Reading CC); 8. A. Bird (Kettering CC); 9. R. Davis-Foote (unattached).
Lydia Watts (AWOL) ART Winter Crit Series round two After placing second in the opening round seven days earlier, 19-year-old Watts went one better in round two, taking victory in the circuit race at Abingdon Airfield in her home county of Oxfordshire. With two rounds of the popular series remaining, can she challenge for the overall? 8. J. Chan (Team Andrew Allan Architecture) 1,485; 9. E. Hamilton-Rigg (unattached) 1,420; 10. D. Ogden (Deeside Thistle CC) 1,390.
Rouken Glen CX Super Quaich round four (Rouken Glen Park, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire): Race A: 1. Craig Hardie (Hardie-Bikes.com) 56.45; 2. J. MacKenzie (SR Albannach) +1.01; 3. H. McGarvie (Ayr Burners Cycling) +1.50; 4. J. Fraser-Moodie (Pedal Power RT) +3.25; 5. G. Hunt (Deeside Thistle CC) +3.44; 6. E. Hamilton-Rigg (unattached) +4.03; 7. I. Short (unattached) +4.39; 8. R. Parreirinha (Ronde Works Racing) +4.40; 9. N. Shannon (SR Albannach) +4.51; 10. S. Smith (Biggar CC) +6.42. Race B: 1. David Menzies (Aberdeen Wheelers) 54.18; 2. J. Blunsdon (Deeside Thistle CC) +0.49; 3. A. Smith (unattached) +1.41; 4. D. Baird (Loudoun RC) +2.26; 5. C. McConnell (Loudoun RC) +3.08; 6. D. Hughes (unattached) +4.07; 7. D. Hogg (Stirling BC) +4.18; 8. J. Wright (SR Albannach) +4.36; 9. S. Macluskie (VC Glasgow South) +4.46; 10. D. McGill (Glasgow Green CC) +4.52. Super Quaich Final Championship (after four rounds): 1. Harry McGarvie (Ayr Burners Cycling) 2,400pts; 2. J. Mackenzie (SR Albannach) 2,390; 3. C. Hardie (Hardie-Bikes.com) 2,290; 4. S. Smith (Biggar Cycling Club) 1,880; 5. J. Fraser-Moodie (Pedal Power) 1,850; 6. R. Parreirinha (Ronde Works Racing) 1,840; 7. G. Hunt (Deeside Thistle CC) 1,540;
C(X)iss at the Keswick (David Keswick Centre, Marchmount, Dumfries): Senior Men: 1. Cole Nicholson (Hoddom Velo); 2. L. Martin (Studio Velo); 3. T. McCloskey (unattached). Senior Women: 1. Sofia Christiansen (unattached); 2. J. McNeill (NS Tri Club); 3. J. Nicholson (Hoddom Velo). Under-16 Boys: 1 Lewis Kennedy (unattached). Under-14 Boys: 1. Sam Barbour (Steppingstanes Youth CC); 2. S. Wojcik (Steppingstanes Youth CC); 3. K. Higgins (Steppingstanes Youth CC). Under-14 Girls: 1. Georgie Scoular (unattached); 2. M. McGowan (unattached). Under-12 Boys: 1. Xander Graham (Edinburgh RC); 2. I. Rae (Royal Albert CC); 3. Z. Barbour (Steppingstanes Youth CC). Under-12 Girls: 1. Katy McGowan (unattached); 2. F. Cox (Royal Albert CC); 3. L. Sanderson (Steppingstanes Youth CC). Under-10 Boys: 1. Conan Nicholson (Hoddom Velo); 2. J. Stewart (Steppingstanes Youth CC); 3. R. McCloskey (Annan Youth CC). Under-10 Girls: 1. Maisie Rae (Royal Albert CC); 2. I. Barbour (Steppingstanes Youth CC); 3. O. McClelland (Annan Youth CC). Under-8 Boys: 1. Cobey Stewart (Steppingstanes Youth CC); 2. C. Black (Cumbernauld Centurions); 3. F. McCloskey (Anna Youth CC). Under-8 Girls: 1. Boo Williams (Royal Albert CC); 2. M. Dalgliesh (Annan Youth CC); 3. M. McNeil (NS Tri Club).
Trofeo Laigueglia (Feb 16) Trek’s Giulio Ciccone is so far enjoying a 100 per cent record in 2020, having won his first race, this hilly outing in Liguria, Italy. Ciccone broke away from a small group with 10km to go, as they negotiated the last of four passes of the Colla Micheri to win by 32 seconds over Biniyam Ghirmay (Nippo Delka-One Provence).
Clasica de Almeria (Feb 16) After two close passes in Majorca, BoraHansgrohe’s Pascal Ackermann opened his 2020 account in Spain, winning this lumpy race for the second year running. He held off Alexander Kristoff (UAE-Team Emirates) and Elia Viviani (Cofidis) in a bunch sprint to win the 187km race in Roquetas de Mar on the southern coast.
CYCLO-CROSS S U N DAY, F E B R U A RY 1 6
Ackermann asserts his sprinting pedigree in southern Spain
RIDER OF THE WEEK
LAST WEEK Vuelta Murcia (Feb 14-15) This mountainous two-dayer in southeastern Spain was won by Circus-Wanty Gobert rider Xandro Meurisse, who held onto the lead after winning the first stage. There was controversy over stage one, with Matteo Trentin calling for the UCI to do more safety checks, calling the finish “an absolute joke” and the descent “far from safe”.
Photo Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
ROAD RACING
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 55
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VINTAGE EDDY MERCKX 1977 Kessels Bicycle in Fiat Team Colours RARE Restored Vintage Eddy Merckx Livered 1977 Kessels Bicycle in Fiat Team Coloursâ&#x20AC;Ś.Built using period Campagnolo 1st Generation Super Record parts and keeping to the original Eddy Merckx /Fiat Team speciďŹ cationsâ&#x20AC;Ś. The frame was found in Ghent Velodrome in 2018 and restored to a high Standard by one of the best frame restorers in the UKâ&#x20AC;Ś. The frame number is #266 which dates the frame to 1977â&#x20AC;Ś.A full restoration log and pictures has been made and the equipment is dated to match the yearâ&#x20AC;Ś..This is a rare opportunity to acquire one of the rarest bikes of the Eddy Merckx period. If you have any questions about this bike please message through EBay Please look at the pictures they have just been taken SpeciďŹ cation Frame: Size 56/58cm 1977 #266 Kessels Built in Belgium with Reynolds 531 Tubing with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Compass forks crownsâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;ŚRestored to a very high standard by one of the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading frame re-ďŹ nishers and using period decals and paint colour and technique. Equipment: Campagnolo 1st Generation Super Record Rear Mech and dated 1977/8 Super Record Chainset, Gears and Brakesâ&#x20AC;Ś. Using a Cinelli Record 130mm stem and Double Crested Cinelli Handlebars, as used by the 1977 Fiat Teamâ&#x20AC;Ś.Campagnolo Record hubs ďŹ tted with Fiamme Ergal rims and Clement Tubulars keep this build authentic and within the Eddy Merckx Fiat Team Racing period. Every details has been thought about, the restoration has taken over 12 months to complete and assembled with careâ&#x20AC;Ś. History: . ÂŁ6995, HadďŹ eld, Tel: 07775981366, Email: sales@ classicandvintagecycles.com 27/2
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MEMORIAL
Mac¹s Memorial Service Saturday 21st March, 2020 All Hallows Church @ 2pm ( Refreshments afterwards in All Hallows Hall )
A Memorial Service is being held to celebrate Mac¹s cycling life and everyone is invited to come along and share their two wheeled memories of Mac from his younger racing days through his talent spotting, talent and Go-Ride coaching to his more recent and passionate support for cyclo-cross. We would like to be able to create a series of memories and cycling stories about Mac and his cycling to display at the Memorial Service so if anyone has any video clips or good photographs that they feel able to share please can you send them to twickenhamcyclingclub1893@gmail.com along with any quips or stories that we can use. We know there are lots of great stories and funny incidents so please share. If anyone wishes to speak at the Memorial Service please let us know as we would like to try and include as many of you in the order of service as we can. Location: All Hallows Church, Erncroft Way, Twickenham, TW1 1DA. We would like as many people as possible to come on two wheels and bike parking will be available. For those travelling from afar more information about car parking arrangements will be provided nearer the time. If anyone would like to donate in Mac¹s memory the chosen charity is the British Heart Foundation using the following link www.justgiving.com/fundraising/macsmemorial
HOLIDAYS
FOR SALE
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FLAMME ROUGE
Dr Hutch
Online racing takes away the fear of injury, allowing the Doc’s true talent to shine, but limits his opportunities for post-race gloating
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llow me to outline for you the biggest advantage to doing your bike racing online. You can’t fall off. I’m not joking. I’d say that in an average race 60 per cent of my brain is concerned with nothing more sophisticated than not riding into someone else and hitting the tarmac. That’s for bunch races. For time trials, all 100 per cent of my brain is just going, “durrr, durrr, durrr…” I tend to assume that spectacular murmurations of starlings swirling around the wintry skies are much the same. It must be all desperate braking manoeuvres, swerves, apologies and squawks of abuse at fourth-cat birds. A few weeks ago there were news reports that a large group of starlings had been found dead in a field, after failing to pull up in time and crashing into the ground. That’s the sort of starling I’d be. On Zwift, I’m liberated. I have that 60 per cent of my intellect back to unleash on
doctorhutch _cycling@ti-media.com
racing tactics and pacing strategies. My digital me is, in so many respects, the true me. If I raced in real life with the carefree brio I bring to Zwift, I’d have been a world champion many times. I’d also have broken every bone in my body, but I and my distorted, twisted skeleton would be able to afford a yacht the size of a liner, so that would be just fine. There are other upsides. No cobbles. No potholes. No crosswinds, no echelons, no getting shovelled into the gutter by a 90kg monster with no appreciation of my obsession with not dying. You can even turn the hills off. Yes, there is a slider in the settings menu to make them less difficult. I decided that I was the sort of rider who ought to find the climbs effortless, so I turned them down till they were. And I liked this very much. Here is a downside, though. In the real world, even if you’re dying a thousand times on a climb, there is a limit to how much you can lose, because people are
Great Inventions of Cycling… The militar y bicycle
Pedal-powered Tommies met with limited success
60 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
In the late 19th century, the British Army decided that the bicycle might be just what they were missing on the battlefield. During the Boer War, cyclists had proved adept at spying missions, and more reliable for delivering messages than pigeons. By 1914, the Army had developed several interesting ideas. There was a bicycle infantry, who had a drill manual based closely on the use of the pike from the middle of the previous century. There was a bicycle artillery, equipped with pedal-powered quadricycles that had substantial artillery pieces mounted on them. There was even a tandem bicycle with a machine gun for the stoker to use.
None of these were the slightest use in the deep mud of Flanders. World War Two had fewer bikes. There were a few bicycle paratroopers, which sort of worked, and many of the D-Day troops used folding bicycles. In general these proved rather more of a trip hazard to the Allies than a threat to the Axis. Almost the only military success for the bike was the invasion of Singapore in 1942 by the Japanese, who landed further north on the Malay peninsular, stole several thousand bikes from the locals, rode down the excellent British-built roads like a giant club-run, and took the colony with very little difficulty.
Your avatar might be a digital dunderhead but VR still beats ER
do anything about it. If you stop to pick anything up off the floor, the race roars away, and for some reason Zwift hasn’t simulated a race convoy to help you get back up to the front, even though there would be few driving games to compete with the thrill of driving a team car. (It would be like a less socially responsible
“My avatar is an idiot. He takes ludicrously wide corners” He continually takes ludicrously wide lines on corners (I actually wonder if he’s scared of falling off), so that I lose yet more places as everyone else’s avatar cuts inside him. He’s also wilfully unaerodynamic. He sits upright with his elbows out and his head up. He looks like his last wind tunnel session was around 1995. I know he does it just to annoy me. Another problem: using Zwift, if you drop your water bottle, or your headphones fall off, you’re helpless to
version of Grand Theft Auto.) The biggest downside is simpler, though. It’s the same as so much else in a virtual world — it’s the lack of real social interaction. After you’ve humiliated and humbled a whole group of riders with your superior bicycling, you don’t get to lord it over them afterwards. Not on a warmdown spin, not back at the prize-giving. Everyone just logs off and goes home, and is allowed to forget just what a drubbing you gave them. And that’s intolerable.
ACTS O F CYC LI N G STUPIDITY Word reaches us of the world’s least successful part-time bike-shop boy. Tasked, on his first day, with sorting out the empty cardboard boxes in the basement and putting them out to be collected for recycling, he set to work with zeal. Most of us tasked with such a job would consider the possibility that a box that felt empty might actually contain, amid the packaging, a very lightweight carbon bike frame. Our hero did not waste his time with such speculation. And so it was that three very expensive Cannondale road frames ended up vanishing into a bin lorry, never to be seen again.
Photo Getty Images
forced to ride around you to get by. As you fall backwards through the bunch you can at the very least get in their damned way. On Zwift, they can go straight through. You can lose 40 places in under a second when half the race just rides over you in a multi-coloured, many-legged mass. It doesn’t help that my avatar is an idiot.
Cycling Weekly | February 20, 2020 | 61
ICONS OF CYCLING Insurance For You And Your Bike
Team training camps are a chance for team-mates to meet and mingle
Pre-season training camps
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ou might think that the organised training camp was a bit of a modern innovation, and it’s true that it’s become ever more important as sports science has got better at working out how to get athletes (legally) to peak fitness for specific target events. But while the current Ineos-led trend for in-season camps, especially at altitude, is a relatively recent fashion, the pre-season training camp goes back at least to the early post-war period, and really took off in the Fifties and especially the Sixties. In that period the sport was gradually evolving into something like the form we recognise today. Trade teams had been banned from the Tour de France from 1930 to 1961 in favour of national teams, but from 1962 (with a brief blip in 1967/8 when the Tour reverted to national teams), trade teams drawing on riders from all over Europe — and later, further afield — rather than just their sponsors’ home countries, became the norm rather than the exception. 62 | February 20, 2020 | Cycling Weekly
In that situation, the first job of the companies offering a pro-style experience pre-season camps was to find out who’d in a nice warm environment (Spain, the been telling fibs about their winter training. South of France, Italy, the Canaries), Nowadays coaches can track their athletes with all the support you need. The earliest in real time via power files, Strava, and even commercial camp we know about, though, social media, but back then it was mostly was started by Tom Simpson and Albert good old-fashioned letters. No one knew Beurick back in 1962. Fair to say, though, how fit Rider A was going to be until he that Simpson didn’t provide the ‘nice, showed up and strapped in. warm environment’ bit — his camps Perhaps more importantly, and still were in Belgium. In March. Perhaps relevant today, a pre-season camp allows Simpson thought aspiring racers needed the whole team — some of whom may never toughening up. Perhaps he was right. For have met and might not be fluent in each his own pre-season preparation, though, other’s languages — to get to know each he preferred Alpine ski trips and training other out on the road, over the dinner on the Côte d’Azur... table, and in shared rooms. That means potential N EXT WE E K’S I SSU E personality clashes can be sorted out behind closed ON SALE THURS FEB 27 doors, hopefully before they Will the latest gadget change your riding habits? get in the way of the coming My favourite indoor session: the secrets of the pros racing, and squad choices Is the British racing scene in trouble? honed for particular races. Sub-£200 shoes grouptest These days, of course, there’s no shortage of
Words Kevin Raymond Photo Getty Images
Pro team winter get-togethers are a hallowed cycling institution