Cyclingnews Home Blogs

Giro d'Italia: it's become survival training

Daniel Benson — Mon, 20 May 2013 08:29:12 GMT

I had hoped to write something witty and maybe slightly amusing for this blog but given the terrible conditions I couldn't. It seemed disrespectful to what has been happening weather wise and how the race has evolved as a result. This Giro d' Italia is not really bike racing any more, it's become survival training. When it ought to be about who has the physical ability to still race after a fortnight, on the road the cold and the rain have turned proceedings into a bit of a farce. And I can't ...

Flat out and full time

Sue George — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:08:06 GMT

It's been a different Tour of California for me this year. Last year with Liquigas, I was helping Peter Sagan win stages, but this year with Team Saxo-Tinkoff, we're looking after Mick Rogers for the GC. With Sagan we were just going full gas every day for the stage, and if it didn't look good for the stage we weren't too concerned. But when you have GC aspiration, you can never let your guard down, it's on all the time. We're looking strong with Mick in second place. Mick had a good position after ...

Change in the wind

Peter Hymas — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:41:17 GMT

The past two days of the Tour of California have been so much cooler than the first two, and in Santa Barbara it was so pleasant it almost felt arctic compared with what we've been having. Even though the temperatures are down, the racing is just as hot as ever, and we still haven't had any easy, cruisy, relaxing stages. On stage 3 in Palmdale, a strong cross-tailwind at the start could have been decisive had the lead group that got away after the start been slightly different. We weren't ideally ...

Racing the big shots

Sue George — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:17:02 GMT

The last few weeks have been busy. I raced the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California then headed to Prescott, Arizona for the Whiskey Off-Road and to Moab, Utah for the first race of the Enduro Cup series. It was over 1,000 miles of solo driving, but the races and people who I hung out with were worth it. The Sea Otter Classic was a blast. I hung out with my sponsors and signed posters, worked the booths and did some video and photo shoots. Because this was my focus for the weekend, I spent ...

Come in number one, your time is up

Jane Aubrey — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:47:46 GMT

I wonder if the defending champion Ryder Hesjedal will find some time for a bit of gentle pedalo during the next rest day? I know it's unlikely given the circumstances but if the hotel is near a lake next Monday, you never know. Obviously he needs some form of relaxation because being blasted out the back and out of contention for a GC placing on the first big mountain of this year’s race means he hasn't recovered from the opening week efforts .The second week won't allow much respite either. ...

Racing in the extreme

Sue George — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:59:02 GMT

The peloton has really seen two extremes of racing so far this year, between the Tour of California stage to Palm Springs, where it was about 120 degrees, and Milan-San Remo, where it was at the other end of the thermometer. The heat was a huge factor for everyone, because you couldn't just ride along: for five hours it was a constant effort of going back to the team cars for water, ice, electrolyte drinks or food. How hot was it? I was completely soaked, head to toe with sweat and water at the ...

Back to Europe

Sue George — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:38:17 GMT

Greetings from Europe where Mary and I are settling into the latest chapter in another season of international racing. The next few months will see us continuing forward with a diverse and exciting schedule that is first and foremost about having another go at the cross country World Cups. Alongside this, we will be attending international cross country and marathon races in many a country while filling any remaining gaps with team and solo stage racing and or attending several of the larger European ...

The crushing heat of the Californian sun

Alex Malone — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:58:02 GMT

The Amgen Tour of California 's undulating route on the first stage certainly produced an exciting and unpredictable finish in Escondido today. With a small breakaway out front and a chess match waiting game of who's gonna take the reins and control the race in the peloton behind, it wasn't until the final climb that we really lit the fireworks and the day's scorching heat began to take its toll. Like many others, I struggled a bit in the heat today. Nearly everybody was encrusted in salt in the ...

Getting the ball rolling again

Laura Weislo — Sat, 11 May 2013 23:47:41 GMT

I'm truly excited to get back up to speed and rejoin my Saxo-Tinkoff teammates here at the Amgen Tour of California after a "second offseason", recovering from my broken leg sustained at the Tour Down Under back in January. It's always difficult getting the ball rolling again, getting back into top form from a hospital bed only a few months before. I've had some great training, and got my racing feet wet again at the Tour of Turkey a couple weeks ago. No matter how hard or how well you ...

Sky look vulnerable as Wiggins loses time

Daniel Benson — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:35:29 GMT

All change at the Giro d'Italia . Sky's Plan A has hit the skids, sorry couldn't resist but on the same fateful roads as Froome got done over at Tirreno Bradley Wiggins does the same and loses skin, time and all faith in his wet weather skills. The confidence part of descending in the rain is the biggest concern because once you stop believing you'll make the corner the whole thing goes to pot. I was never that bothered about racing downhill in the wet as it meant slower speeds and more sliding ...

Missing out on Tour of California is not such a bad thing

Alex Malone — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:10:46 GMT

One of the hardest parts of being a professional cyclist is there is there are so many things outside of your control that can affect your health and how well you perform and ultimately, the amount of success you experience throughout the season. Ever since I got sick at Tour de Langkawi, I have been having a bit of a rough time and I haven't quite been able to get back into gear again. I moved to my new home in Girona and tried to recover from the bug that took out half of the field but since then ...

A turbulent start to the season

Sue George — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:46:48 GMT

So far this season, I have only done one race. The first World Cup race takes place in two short weeks from now. A bad crash and sickness has really slowed down my preparations for the season. Even so, I am in high spirits as I sit here. My body feels almost 100 percent good again and I'm looking forward to an effective week of training. Regular adjustments are always necessary, and exercise-free days are very important from time to time, but three weeks with very little training is too much when ...

Giro d'Italia: Analysing the opening stages

Daniel Benson — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:03:17 GMT

Three days into the Giro d'Italia and three different race leaders already. That sums up what the first few stages are like in any Giro. Hectic. I doubt any of the riders would have been sorry to leave Naples after the opening kermesse and then the team time trial the next day. The 130 kilometres in the shadows of Vesuvius would have been a lesson in pot hole dodging and not much time to enjoy the scenery. 'See Naples and die,' I don't think so. No real surprise to see the world's best sprinter ...

The Giro, Wiggins and why you can't rule out Evans

Jane Aubrey — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:52:06 GMT

The Giro is underway and I'm taking some time out in Ireland at the moment. Was great to see Sky win the team time trial and it's a team that's as strong as any other that's there. You look at Astana on paper I think Sky is a stronger team. It's got the Cataldo's who can climb and then Sergio and Rigoberto - there's not many guys going around that can out-climb those two. There's some good experienced road captains there and then Bradley. He's won the Tour, people seem to forget that and they forget ...

Giro d'Italia 2013: La guerra gelato

Daniel Benson — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:54:54 GMT

The Dolce Vita three week touring holiday that Bradley Wiggins has apparently been planning since last year's Tour de France might not be the pleasant stress free alternative he envisaged after all. Not because he expects he'll get beaten up by Nibali and the home players or jeered at by the chauvinistic Italian fans and not because he doesn't know the crucial sections of the route either. The Sky Historic Department has those parts measured, evaluated and covered. Well they hope they do. The first ...

Putting on a show in Norwegian Cup #1

Laura Weislo — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:48:08 GMT

After what has seemed like an endless spring (or winter...) the cycling calendar in Norway only started this past weekend with the National Cup in my home town Sandnes. I don’t need to say. But it is always special to race in your home town. You want to show yourself and your team for the public. And when you know that main sponsor, Hitec Products, is located some 10 km from the finish line, one can appreciate that this opening race was one we, The Hitec Products team, really wanted to show ...

The final Giro d'Italia route

Stephen Farrand — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 12:09:07 GMT

By Mauro Vegni, the technical and sports director at RCS Sport. There are just a few days to go to the start of the Giro d'Italia in Naples on Saturday May 4 and in recent weeks we've finalised the stage details and route of the whole race. Unfortunately the bad weather that Italy has suffered this winter has caused a series of landslides and other problems that has forced us to change parts of several stages of this year's race. This happens every year but Italy has been hit especially hard ...

Giro d'Italia TV coverage

Barry Ryan — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:02:42 GMT

Each Giro fan has to be able to follow our main event always (live, delay, news access and hihlights), in any possible way (television, online, tablet, mobile, App) and in any geographical area (from the next edition, in more than 173).The Giro is working hard in order to achieve the best balance between exposure on the biggest number of places and platforms (traditional channels such as analog, digital, satellite and new media generation such as web, mobile, tablet, pay per view) and the economic ...

An open letter to the UCI and USA Cycling

Sue George — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:58:34 GMT

There has been a lot of discussion about the latest interpretation of Rule 1.2.019 regarding "forbidden races." I am happy that it will not be enforced in 2013, and want to add my voice to those that have spoken out against it. I hope that the UCI will reconsider its decision to bring this rule back in 2014. I also hope that USA Cycling will make it clear to the UCI that this rule adversely affects a large number of its own members, and will not work in the United States. The UCI is the ...

Racing the Ardennes with nothing to fear

Jane Aubrey — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 02:21:29 GMT

La Flèche Wallonne is new territory for me. Why I've never ridden the Ardennes is a bit of a mystery. I've always wanted to do it but for one reason and another, it hasn't happened. But it is nice to be doing something different. I haven't really done that many one-day races other than Nationals back home in Australia and San Sebastian or Worlds (when I'm lucky enough to be chosen to ride haha!). When I was an amateur that's all we did. It can't be much different. The mentality I've taken ...

Riding The Ronde

Jane Aubrey — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 09:09:32 GMT

The Hitec Products women had an early wake-up call last Saturday morning even if cycling has made me an early bird. Breakfast was a bit more quiet than usual and so was the car ride on our way to Oudenaarde. It's the day that many have prepared so well for. It's the day for Ronde van Vlaanderen . And it's my first RVV ever! I have been looking forward to this day since the race was put on my race schedule back in January. I was super exited and more nervous than usual. People say that every bike ...

Lessons learned from the early season

Sue George — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:19:55 GMT

It's early April, and I've already raced 12 races. Twelve races! It's awesome! After my car fiasco and my first race at 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, I headed south to Texas to prepare for Mellow Johnny's , the first round of the Pro XCT. I stayed with friends, the Bond family, in San Antonio and that weekend raced the TMBRA Hill Country Challenge in Comfort, Texas. I won Saturday's enduro (which was really more of a super D since it was only one stage and took less than five minutes), and the next ...

Home is where the car is

Sue George — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:41:23 GMT

Spending the majority of the past decade in a mobile/ temporary living situation has pretty firmly altered our previously held idea of "home" as any single location to where we happen to be working out of on any given day. Home for us is now simply a place where the morning beverages are prepared, daily missions are staged from and returned to for recovery, and where we lay our heads down to re-up for the next outing. At this point, Mary and I have called a lot of places home. It's not ...

What makes it all worthwhile...

Laura Weislo — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:01:16 GMT

Sunday I won the first World Cup of my life, Trofeo Alfredo Binda . Saying that it was amazing just doesn't explain well what I felt during and after the race. I spent around 30km in the front and during my solo-breakaway I thought about a lot of things. Winning is not only crossing the finish line before everyone and having your name as first on result sheet. I saw passing in front of me all of my sacrifices and all my bad moments I had before this race – and in general – and I realized ...

Ups and downs of the professional cyclist

Alex Malone — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:46:32 GMT

Langkawi is a race that I won't be forgetting for a long time for a variety of reasons. In my eyes it wasn't the success I'd hoped for. I went into it with what I think is the best form I have ever had. I had hoped to come home with a stage win or two to get the season off to a good start. Unfortunately the situation we were put in was a tricky one and we never really worked it out. GC was pretty straight forward, it came down to two hilltop finish days with Cameron and Genting Highlands. My job ...