Foldable Bikes Party: October 2016

Monday 31 October 2016

The best bikes to buy for your kids this Christmas

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Buying your child a new bike this Christmas? Finding it hard to pick the right one? Relax – we've put together a complete guide to help you choose wisely…

The first thing to keep in mind is that children's needs vary wildly depending on their age and ability. Balance bikes are where it's at for the preschool crowd, then by the time they progress to 16in wheels they'll (hopefully) be pedalling away without stabilisers before very long.

Move up a notch to 20in wheels and gears start to make an appearance, then by the time they're nine and riding 24in wheels, they'll basically be riding smaller versions of adult bikes – disc brakes, suspension and all.

In order to make sure Santa knows the right model for your child, let's look more closely at the different age groups you might be buying for, what wheel sizes to expect, and check out examples of the best bikes we've seen…

Bikes for preschoolers

They're up and running – okay, toddling – so you're keen to buy them a set of wheels. Great! You've basically got two options – a balance bike (AKA strider, push-along) or a trike.

We know trikes seem like the attractive option, as they let your child propel themselves happily along from the word go, but here's why you should buy them a balance bike instead: they'll help your child develop the skills needed to balance by steering first. This means that they'll quickly master the transition to two-wheeled pedal-powered bike without ever needing stabilisers.

Ridgeback Scoot

Price: £99 / $179 / AU$140

Strider 12

Price: £88 / $119 / AU$ 139

FirstBike

Price: £99 / $159 / AU$ 199

Bikes for kids aged four to six

Islabikes Cnoc 16

Price: £249 / $309

Giant Animator

Price: £169 / $185 / AU$ 229

UK: Buy now from Rutland Cycling
USA: Buy now from Giant Bicycles
AUS: Find an Australia dealer and expect to pay AU$229

Frog 48

Price: £205 / $290 plus $115 shipping

UK: Buy now from Frog Bikes
USA: Ship internationally
AUS: For Australia, consider the Byk E-350 instead

Bikes for kids aged six to nine

Islabikes Beinn 20

Price: £369 / $499

Specialized Hotrock 20

Price: £250 / $360 / AU$ 350

Bikes for kids aged nine to 12

Scott Voltage JR

Price: £349 / $400 / AU$ 580

Frog Road 67

Price: £425 / $654 plus $115 shipping

UK: Buy now from Frog Bikes
USA: Ship internationally for $654 plus $115 shipping
AUS: For Australia, consider the Byk E540R

Bikes for kids aged 12+

Giant TCR Espoir 24

UK: Buy now from Cyclestore
USA: Buy now from Giant
AUS: Find an Australian dealer and expect to pay AU$829

Expensive kids' bikes for the deep-pocketed parent to consider

Carbon XS Cycles Mad 6

Islabikes Creig 26 Pro Series

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Best GoPro and other action cameras: 7 we like

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OK, so you want to buy an action camera to film your riding adventures. The good news is that picture quality and battery life are improving all the time. Thanks to their ubiquity, a GoPro is the obvious choice but is it the best camera? Are there any decent alternatives? And which is the best GoPro model? We’ll run you through the different options that we’ve used extensively to help you choose the best action camera for your needs.

For this guide, we’ve recruited the experts – our BikeRadar video team. Not only are they professional videographers who use these devices on a daily basis, but they also ride their bikes very, very fast. They took time out of their busy filming schedule to tell us what they like and dislike about these cameras, how suitable they are for cyclists and what sort of value they represent. All opinions are based on using each camera extensively.

(This article was updated 31st October, 2016)

What to look for in an action camera

Picture quality

Of course, any camera worth its salt has to deliver a good quality picture. While camera makers like to dazzle consumers with resolution numbers and frame rates, a lot of that boils down to marketing speak. For example, 4K resolution is only great if the frame rate is reasonable. 15 frames per second delivers footage that isn’t usable; in our opinion, it looks like security camera video.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that picture quality can be hugely affected by the lens and the processor in the camera: that’s why GoPro footage consistently looks good, and why the videos created by cheap imitations often look a bit rubbish.

Battery life

This is definitely a key consideration, but perhaps the first question is – how long do you actually need to film for? Because if it’s just your commute then you probably don’t need a three-hour battery life. Our video team commonly find themselves hitting the record button for certain segments of a ride, rather than recording the entire thing. It saves on editing time, and eliminates the danger of recording over old footage if you’re using the looping feature. What is video looping? It simply means recording over old footage after a specified duration, to prevent running out of memory space.

Usability

Value for money

The best action cameras of 2016

GoPro Hero 5 Black

Best-in-class 4K image quality, waterproofing to 10m, improved menus
Clever features like voice control and image stabilisation
Battery still doesn’t last more than two hours, and it’s not cheap

Garmin ViRB Ultra 30

Superb video quality, way better 4K than the GoPro Hero 4 Black
Simple, clear, clean user interface
Useful, clever features like voice control and electronic image stabilisation

Garmin ViRB XE

Solid, tough design that can take plenty of knocks
Good quality video footage, but no 4K
Some nice features like remote control and metrics overlay

GoPro Hero 5 Session

GoPro Session

Discontinued GoPro models

GoPro Hero 4 Silver

Good range of footage quality, including 4K at 15fps and 720p at 120fps
Ability to shoot 30 12MP still images per second
Waterproof to 40m

GoPro Hero 4 Black

Solid 4K footage at 30fps
No touchscreen on the rear for framing your shot
Slightly bulky design

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Quiz: women's bike or Impulse body spray?

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Bike naming is an art form. What you call your new range of bikes, as a bike brand, says a lot about your target market and the purpose for which the bike was intended. If it's a road bike, maybe you choose something that evokes speed. A mountain bike? How about something that shouts adventure and adrenaline?

With the growth in women's cycling comes a parallel growth in products designed and produced for female cyclists. There are now more bikes than ever being developed with women in mind from the get-go, rather than as an afterthought, as has often been the case historically.

So what do you call a bike that's designed for women? Something empowering, inspirational and engaging, right? Or how about something that might, just might, be mistaken for a body spray?

We find ourselves asking what exactly the thought process was behind the naming of some models, as rather than conjuring up visions of speed, adventurous rides, or even fresh air and spinning wheels, they remind us more of high street perfumes à la Impulse, the popular brand of scented body sprays beloved of teenage girls around the world.

For those who might be unaware of the significance of Impulse, it was a range of 'perfume deodorants' launched in the late 1970s. Available on the high street and supermarket shelf, they were and still are very popular. Marketed under the slogan 'act on Impulse', the range encompassed scents such as 'Vanilla Kiss', 'Tease', 'Instant Crush' and 'Why Not'. Guys, think Lynx or Axe but for women.

So we thought we'd put it to the test in a little quiz. Are you looking at the name of a model of women's bike, or a special edition Impulse body spray?

On the upside...

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The Deliveroo diaries: ride undercover with our new columnist

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Saturday nights in the town centre can get raucous. I’m on my way back from a delivery. A drunk couple staggers towards me in the middle of the road. They sound Geordie to me, but they’re wearing jackets and it’s not that cold tonight, so maybe I’m wrong.

The guy suddenly lunges at me unprovoked, throws a waist-high kick at me, and shouts "YOU COULDN’T!"

Well, I think that’s what he shouts. Perhaps, with his accent and his being drunk, I’ve misheard. Anyway his kick misses wildly. Even a modest aim was higher than his ability. 'As in most of your life, mate,' I think to myself.

"Lee, don’t do that!", laughs the woman with him, as if amused by a mischievous child dropping a sweet wrapper.

A variety of revenge scenarios go through my mind. But I just smile, say nothing, cycle on.

They were lucky they encountered me, and not Dmitry, the Mad Russian. Three riders in our city battle for top place in the weekly stats.

The eight o’clock rush. My restaurant pickup is back where I nearly got kicked, but there’s no sign of the drunks, just lots of lively pubgoers

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Proviz applies its reflective know-how to an all-new helmet

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Safety clothing specialist Proviz has launched a helmet sporting the same reflective technology as its popular Reflect360 commuter jacket.

The Reflect360 helmet will retail for £79.99 (international pricing TBC) and features reflective particles that are embedded into the helmet’s shell. Just like the jacket it’s sold alongside, the Reflect360 lid flicks from a casual grey colour to a brilliant white when directly confronted by a light source.

Along with an insect mesh and plastic visor, the helmet also includes an LED lamp at the rear. Fitted to the retention dial that’s used to adjust the fit of the helmet, the twin-LED unit also includes a reflector to further improve visibility.

Rupert Langly-Smith, co-founder of Proviz, said: “We have wanted to introduce a Reflect360 helmet since we launched the range almost three years ago but it has been a challenging process.”

He added: “We are now extremely happy with the helmet and how effective it is at night or during hours of low light and it is a natural expansion of our best-selling range. It is a product that I think all cyclists that wear a helmet will have an interest in.”

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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BikeRadar Bargains: nurse your bike through winter

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Yes, we know you're loath for us to remind you of the impending approach of winter, but it's just around the corner and it ain't gonna be easy on your bike, so why not be prepared? Pad-eating grit, chain-consuming salt and a kind of persistent dampness you thought only existed in the bottom of wells will be the norm for the next few months, and you better hope you're ready to handle it.

Even the best preparation won't stop the wear of consumable parts on your bike, but here at BikeRadar we have worked with Evans Cycles to bring you a selection of the best bargain replacement parts to help you get through the colder months.

Shimano XT M8000/Ultegra 6800 bottom brackets — £29.99 £19.99/£23.99

Unless you've fitted your bike with mudguards, your bottom bracket is likely to be subject to a near constant spray of muck from the road, which given time can ingress into your bearings and cause havoc. Luckily decent replacement BBs are readily available and these two options from Shimano are well worth your consideration.

Featuring far superior sealing to their cheaper brethren, these Ultegra/XT level bottom brackets should last for years to come.

Ashima XTR / XT / SLX disc brake pads — £14.99 £9.99

Buy the Ashima XTR/XT/SLX disc brake pads with a 33% discount from Evans Cycles

Avid Rim Wrangler V-brake/Canti pads — £14 £10

Buy the Avid Rim Wrangler V-brake/Canti pads with a 28% discount from Evans Cycles

FWE Shimano front and rear gear cable set — £12.99 £9.74 – £12.99

Buy the FWE Shimano front and rear gear cable set with up to 25% discount from Evans Cycles

Shimano HG901 Dura Ace/XTR 11-speed chain — £44.99 £29.99

Buy the Shimano HG901 XTR/Dura Ace 11-speed chain with a 33% discount from Evans Cycles

Profile bar tape — £8.99 £5.99

Buy Profile bar tape with a 33% discount from Evans Cycles

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WTB Nano 40c TCS Light tire review

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The Nano Raptor has been in WTB’s tire arsenal for decades. It's a favorite with cross-country racers and has been the tire of choice for grueling endurance events such as the Tour Divide. The Nano 40c is a scaled down version of this venerable tread design and is supremely suited to mixed-surface rides and gravel racing.

As the name implies, the Nano 40c has a claimed width of 40mm. Our test tires actually measured in at 41mm, so you get one more millimeter than you’re paying for on rims with an internal width of 20mm. The actual weight for our test tires was 535g each, which is respectable for the category.

WTB offers the Nano 40c in this tubeless-compatible version as well as folding and wire bead versions designed for use with inner tubes.

The high-volume, tubeless-compatible casing does an impressive job of balancing ride quality with durability. While the Nano 40c is designed as a gravel tire, this tester was also impressed with its performance on singletrack.

It was the tire I ran for the Grinduro, which is a gravel stage race that includes miles of chunky gravel and even some rugged singletrack. In these conditions, the Nano 40c shines. The open tread and ample side knobs inspire confidence through the corners and provide plenty of braking traction when needed.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Bianchi Intenso Ultegra Di2 review

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The classic Italian marque’s Intenso forgoes Campagnolo for a complete raft of Shimano Ultegra Di2. This model sits below Bianchi’s latest frames that feature the company’s unique and effective vibration-nulling Countervail technology. But it still has one high-tech trick up its sleeve, infusing its carbon fibre with layers of Kevlar, which is designed to reduce the amount of vibration that reaches your hands and hindquarters.

Bianchi’s long-distance machine comes with geometry that still gives it some sharpness. The very slightly shallow 72.5-degree head angle is paired with a race-standard 73-degree seat tube, and it’s only a little taller at the front and with marginally less reach than a pro-style racing machine. It’s the sort of set up that allows you to get into the drops when the mood takes you.

Bianchi hasn’t departed from Shimano Ultegra on this bike, with the groupset’s excellent dual-calliper brakes complementing the always impeccable electronic shifting

Coming in at over 8kg/17.6lb the Intenso is not exactly a featherweight, but it does at least carry its mass well, hustling you briskly along rolling terrain. When the road is made up of constant rollers it holds on to its speed impressively, giving you a real boost every time the road rises again. On steep ascents it always felt fantastically punchy, any short out-of-the-saddle efforts being met with a fantastic response, carrying us over the top.

Smooth descender

The feel is both solid and compliant, which is a difficult balancing act to carry off but a real bonus on broken tarmac. On descents its smooth-rolling nature and snappy handling encourage you to pedal harder when you might otherwise be coasting on a less forgiving frame.

The wheels are Fulcrum’s mid-range Racing 5s in their slightly wider LG version. It’s a fine quality wheelset, seriously stiff, absolutely free of flex and running on smooth hubs, which in our experience have proved very durable. These are paired with 25mm Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Slick tyres, which offer a lovely compliant ride and impeccable grip in the dry, suffering only the slightest slip on wet greasy surfaces.

Bianchi hasn’t departed from Shimano Ultegra on this bike, with the groupset’s excellent dual-calliper brakes complementing the always impeccable electronic shifting.

You can read more at BikeRadar.com

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Phil Gaimon calls an end to his cycling career

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American Phil Gaimon has called an end to his professional cycling career at age 30 after not succeeding in finding a WorldTour contract for the 2017 season.

Gaimon raced for Slipstream Sports in 2014 and 2016, racing with Garmin-Sharp and Cannondale-Drapac those years, but when his best bet to continue on next season with Dimension Data did not materialize, he decided to quit rather than take a role as big fish in a smaller team.

"I went to Tour of Alberta with the feeling it might be my last race," Gaimon told Cyclingnews. "I had offers from Continental teams that were honestly for more money than I'd ever made from cycling. But I looked at all these young, fast kids, and they are me when I was 23. I could take the offer, but it would be a job for me and it would be a dream for them. It wouldn't feel right taking those spots. I don't want to be the highest paid guy on a small team. That would feel gross."

Gaimon made his professional debut with Jelly Belly in 2009, rather late in the cycling world at the age of 23. He held the record for the Mount Washington hill climb before he began to turn out some strong results in races, including a second place overall in Tour of Taiwan in 2010, the overall victory in the Redlands Classic in 2012 and 2015 and second overall in the Tour de San Luis in 2014.

After returning from a year at the Continental level with Optum, Gaimon realized he'd reached the limit of his abilities in Europe this year.

"I went to Optum with a pretty big fire to get back to Europe and prove myself. My mission was always to get to the WorldTour, and I had to do it twice. I think I gave everything of myself to get there. Once I was there, my ceiling was reached. I'm good, but I'm not that good," Gaimon said.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Van der Haar aiming for podium after delayed season start - Cyclo-cross News Shorts

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After a turbulent start to his cyclo-cross season, Lars van der Haar is anticipating good things to come during the month of November. The Giant-Apecin rider is aiming at podium finishes in the upcoming World Cup and Superprestige events.

"The aim is to keep on improving my condition and I hope I can target race results and podium finishes, Van der Haar said in a team press release.

Van der Haar delayed his start to the season after injuring his hamstring, forgoing a start at the opening World Cup rounds at CrossVegas and Jingle Cross in September.

He returned to racing at the Hansgrohe Superprestige in Gieten in October where he placed tenth behind former world champion Mathieu van der Poel.

He was then sixth at DVV verzekeringen trofee – Hotondcross, fourth at Hansgrohe Superprestigein Zonhoven, seventh at the World Cup in Valkenburg, won Kiremko Nacht van Woerden and was seventh at the European Cyclo-cross Championships this weekend.

"October has been a challenging month, however we have seen an upward trend in my performances," van der Haar said. "Now I am starting to regain full fitness and working progressively towards my previous level. I have had some decent results this month and it felt really good to finally win again in Woerden."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Dan Martin: 'I've now learnt how to race the Tour'

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Dan Martin got married at the weekend but the Irish Grand Tour and hilly Classics rider is already looking forward to the 2017 season and especially the Tour de France, suggesting he has now ‘learnt how to race the Tour' in a video interview.

Martin joined Etixx-QuickStep for the 2016 season after nine years with Jonathan Vaughters' Slipstream set-up. He won a stage at the Vuelta a Catalunya, finishing third overall, was third overall in the Criterium du Dauphine and ninth in the Tour de France, 7:04 down on winner Chris Froome (Team Sky) but only three minutes from a place on the podium, and only six seconds from seventh place. He was third in Fleche Wallonne but suffered in the cold conditions at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and finished 47th, 1:57 down on the winner Wout Poels (Team Sky).

"It's been an incredible season for me but I've definitely seen a lot of room for improvement. Just because of that, it's been a learning year, so its very exciting to go into next year and spend the winter analysing what was good, what was bad and what we can change to get even better results," Martin said in a video interview released by his team.

Now 30, Martin has often endured a difficult time at the Tour de France. He was seventh in the 2014 Vuelta a Espana and won a stage in the 2013 Tour de France. He finally secured a top ten finish this season and is convinced his naturally aggressive approach is the best way for him to face the sport's biggest race.

"Six seconds off seventh in the Tour, that was a bit too close," he said. "There's a a bit of regret in the back of my mind but at the same time I cant change it. I know I race hard and race aggressively. I think some people noticed my presence in the race than some of the guys who finished in front of me. This is also an entertainment business. I'd rather be seen at the front, being aggressive, attacking and trying to win, than follow behind and get fifth.

"It was the first time I'd really thought about the GC in the Tour and I've now learnt how to race the Tour. I've got a list in my head and I can see areas where I can make a big improvement next year. That comes down tactics as well. Now we can go back and work on my time trial bike, work on my physiology.

"I don't know if it will lead to better results but I'm one that wants to tick every box and really get the best out of myself. It's exciting to see where that leads."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Tvetcov: I have more potential to grow as a rider

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Serghei Tvetcov's three-year run through the US domestic peloton from 2012 through 2014 culminated with a string of success that propelled him to Europe and a Pro Continental contract. Now after two years of plying the trade in relative anonymity with the Italian Androni Giacattoli team, he'll return to the States next year looking to get back on the winning track.

Jelly Belly-Maxxis announced last week that the US Continental team had signed Tevtcov, who rode with the team in 2013 and 2014, for next season. In the same announcement in which the team said goodbye to Tour of Utah winner Lachlan Morton, who signed with Dimension Data for next year, Jelly Belly welcomed Tvetcov back into the fold. In Morton, Jelly Belly lost the rider who scored the team's biggest ever win, and in Tvetcov the team is getting the rider who'd previously held that distinction.

"I am very excited to come back with new experience and goals, especially in the team where I had great support from everyone," Tvetcov told Cyclingnews last week.

Tvetcov started his professional career in 2008 with Team Olimpic Autoconstruct of Romania. He moved to the Romanian Tusnad Cycling team before emigrating to the US in 2011 and joining an amateur team in Georgia. Team Exergy picked him up in 2012, but when the team folded in the offseason, he moved on to Jelly Belly for 2013.

After a successful first year with Jelly Belly, which included the overall win at the Cascade Cycling Classic and second place in a stage of the Tour of Alberta, Tvetcov picked up his rate of podium appearances throughout North America in 2014. He was a threat to take any time trial he entered, winning the Tour of the Gila time trial stage and finishing 12th in Folsom at the Tour of California a week later. Tvetcov finished third overall at the Tour de Beauce in June after crashing hard during the opening stage of the Canadian UCI 2.2 race.

In July of 2014, Tvetcov won the overall at the Cascade Cycling Classic for the second year in a row on the strength of stage wins in the time trial and criterium. He finished in the top 10 three times at the Tour of Utah in August, then finished outside the top 10 only once on his way to third overall at the USA Pro Challenge behind Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) and Tom Danielson (Garmin-Sharp).

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Haussler holding out for big Classics victory

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Heinrich Haussler may not have won a race since the start of 2015, and may be on the wrong side of 30, but he still feels his biggest results are ahead of him. He has joined the new Bahrain-Merida team in hope of finally landing that big Classics victory.

The Australian, a runner-up at Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in 2009, was one of the riders on the market from the outgoing IAM Cycling team, and his hunger and ambition, fostered over the course of a season that was disappointing and encouraging in equal measures, led him to Bahrain.

“The thing was, I had the option of going to another team and working for a big captain for the Classics. I know I can also do that well, but with Bahrain they said ‘we want you as our leader for the Classics’," Haussler told Cyclingnews in Croatia last week, where he was getting to know his new teammates on an introductory camp.

"I don’t want to stop cycling and say 'ah maybe in that year I could have taken that chance, or done this or that'. I’m 32 now, I’ve still got a few more years in me, but time does fly past. You can’t reset like when you’re 20; once it's done it's done. So I want to try and do everything I can – do the best training, make use of the support – while I can."

Haussler was seventh at Milan-San Remo and sixth at Paris-Roubaix this year. Those are good results on paper but he shrugs and describes his spring as “not great”. He fell and was unable to finish Gent-Wevelgem or the Tour of Flanders. His inability to train left him with the freshness to make the selection at Roubaix, but not the fitness to make it to the velodrome with a shot at victory.

His disappointment is indicative of heightened expectations, and he puts that down to the work he has done with new coach Daniel Healey over the last 12 months. It's the first time he has worked with a coach on a personal basis and he says it’s given him ‘a new set of wings’.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Steve Bauer joins BMC Racing

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Former rider and multiple Canadian national champion, Steve Bauer has joined the BMC Racing team in the newly created role of Director of VIP Services.

Bauer turned professional with the La Vie Claire team in 1985, after taking silver at the Los Angeles Olympic Games the season before, joining Tour de France contenders Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond. In 1988, he became the second Canadian to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey after winning stage 1 and kept hold of the race leader’s jersey for five days.

He first worked with BMC's team manager Jim Ochowicz in 1990 when he raced on the 7-Eleven team. That same season, he spent a further nine days in the yellow jersey to bring his total up to 14. During his career, Bauer rode 11 Tours de France. Other achievements included second place at Paris-Roubaix in 1990, a stage of the Criterium International and the prologue of the 1989 Criterium du Dauphine Libere. He finally hung up his racing wheels in 1996, returning to cycling in 2008 as the co-owner and manager of the Team R.A.C.E. Pro Continental squad. The team (then known as Spidertech) eventually folded at the end of 2012. It was hoping to focus on gaining WorldTour status but never returned to racing action.

He has continued running his company Steve Bauer Bike Tours in the meantime, which he says will help him in his new position at the new squad. In addition, he has spent the last two years as Coordinator and Head Coach for Cycling at the new indoor Mattamy National Cycling Centre velodrome in Milton, Ontario.

"I'm super excited to take this challenge which really came out of the blue. Through Steve Bauer Bike Tours we're always hosting VIPs so when Jim Ochowicz phoned me it seemed to be a great fit. I know the sport well, I'm passionate about the sport, logistics and hosting people in an on the road environment is something that I've already done and just being familiar with the BMC Racing Team group is what attracted me to the role," Bauer said in a team press release.

"To come back into WorldTour cycling is extremely exciting, especially with such a high-level team. BMC Racing Team is obviously one of the top teams on the WorldTour. I'm certainly looking forward to meeting the TAG Heuer team and all of the partners and the people that they'll be bringing to the events. It's a great opportunity and certainly also a challenge, for me personally and also the team, to fulfil VIP services within the sport environment."

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Wyman left with broken collarbone after European Championships crash

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Helen Wyman’s cyclo-cross season has been dealt a serious blow after breaking her collarbone in a crash on the first corner of the elite women’s race at the European Championships on Sunday. Wyman collided with her Great Britain teammate Nikki Brammeier (née Harris) and both riders went down in spectacular fashion.

The race was immediately over for both of the riders as they stayed on the ground for some time. Fortunately for Brammeier, while she suffered some nasty cuts and abrasions to her face, she avoided any broken bones. Wyman wasn’t so lucky and she now heads home to Belgium to have work done on it. It’s not clear how long she will be out on the sidelines.

“Thank you for the kind messages,” Wyman wrote on Twitter. “Heading to Belgium to get my collarbone fixed. Hopefully be back before the end of the season.”

Brammeier required several stitches to her face after the crash and posted a picture of the results on Instagram on Monday morning with the caption, “No need to dress up for Halloween for me. Battered, bruised and a face full of stitches but survived to fight another day. Thank you to everyone for the messages of concern x”

Reigning world champion, Thalita de Jong won the European title ahead of her Dutch teammate Lucinda Brand and French rider Caroline Mani.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

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Nibali to make Bahrain-Merida debut in Argentina, Visconti leads at Tour Down Under

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The Bahrain-Merida team will make it official race debut at the Tour Down Under in Australia in mid-January, while team leader Vincenzo Nibali will race with the new squad for the first time in South America at the Vuelta Ciclista a la Provincia de San Juan between January 24-29.

The team ended its first get together on Friday in Croatia, with riders finally heading off on holiday or home to begin training for the 2017 season. The team is confident it will secure a WorldTour licence for the 2017 season after signing, Nibali, Joaquim Rodriguez, Ion Izagirre, Enrico Gasparotto, Sonny Colbrelli, Giovanni Visconti and Kanstantin Siutsou.

Team manager Brent Copeland revealed he has so far signed 26 riders, with the final roster include two further signings but not Chris Horner, who had offered his services to the team after the demise of the Lupus Racing team in the USA. The 45 year-old former Vuelta a Espana winner hopes to continue racing but it will not be with Bahrain-Merida.

“We were close to signing Atapuma but unfortunately he didn’t come (the Colombian opted to join the Chinese funded TJ Sport project that will take over from Lampre-Merida). We were contacted by Chris Horner but when you build a new team it’s difficult to make everyone happy,” Copeland told Gazzetta dello Sport.

Rodriguez and Bahrain-Merida have still to clarify if and when the veteran Spaniard will race in 2017. Nibali has hinted he is keen to ride the hundredth edition of the Giro d’Italia but Bahrain-Merida has still to confirm its major goals for 2017.

The only race confirmed on Nibali’s race calendar is his debut in the team’s colours at the Vuelta Ciclista a la Provincia de San Juan, which is set to replace the Tour de San Luis after its demise this season. Giovanni Visconti – who will be a key support rider alongside Nibali in stage races and Grand Tours, will lead Bahrain-Merida on the team’s official debut at the Tour Down Under (January 17-22) and the preceding People’s Choice Classic criterium on January 15.

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Contador: It will be hard to beat Team Sky with their budget

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Alberto Contador believes that he and his Trek-Segafredo team face an uphill struggle against the mammoth resources of Team Sky. However, he says that he is determined to work together with his new teammates to ensure a tight-knit and strong unit by the start of the 2017 Tour de France.

Contador has repeatedly stated that the Tour de France is his main objective for next season. The Spaniard has tried and failed to add to his tally of overall victories at the Tour de France in recent years. Following his disqualification from the 2010 Tour de France, Contador’s last victory in the French Grand Tour in 2009. This season, he left the race midway through stage nine after a disappointing opening week that saw him crash twice in the first two stages.

“I will work hard for this great objective because my objective is to win, always win,” Contador told Marca. “[Team Sky] has a budget of more than 35 million euros and this is the situation we're working in, but it is complicated. It is very complicated to compete in these conditions. They can make two or three teams at the level for the Tour, but in the end, we are doing a lot of work so that we all arrive at the highest possible level for the Tour.”

After six seasons on the same team, Contador moves to Trek-Segafredo following the disbandment of the Tinkoff squad at the end of this season. The move means new teammates, a new set-up and a return to Trek bikes having ridden on Specialized since 2010. There will be some consistency for Contador with his loyal lieutenant Jesus Hernandez and Michael Gogl, while new teammates include Bauke Mollema, Jarlinson Pantano and Peter Stetina.

With next year’s Tour de France likely to be decided in the mountains, support on the climbs will be as important as ever.

“If you have a great team it is the key, without it isn’t possible,” Contador explained. “There are other teams with more budget and stronger, but ours is prepared to work hard to be a strong team and to be able to compete with the best. We have to make a great group inside and outside the race.”

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