Foldable Bikes Party: May 2019

Friday 31 May 2019

Chaves claims superb stage 19 victory as Carapaz retains lead

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Colombia's Esteban Chaves claims victory on stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia with a superb finish to escape a 12-man breakaway.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48477380

Trek-Segafredo's custom Trek Checkpoints for Dirty Kanza – Gallery

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Bike manufacturer Trek have presented Trek-Segafredo duo Peter Stetina and Kiel Reijnen with custom-painted Trek Checkpoint SL gravel-specific framesets for this weekend's Dirty Kanza 200-mile/320-kilometre gravel race.

Like the riders' Trek framesets used on the road in the WorldTour, both riders' bikes are equipped with SRAM RED eTap AXS groupsets in a 1X setup and Bontrager Aeolus wheels.

WorldTour professionals Taylor Phinney, Lachlan Morton and Alex Howes (EF Education First) will also be taking part in the amateur event.

The time-cut for the event is 20 hours, with the 2018 edition won by former professional Ted King in 10 hours and 44 minutes.

Reijnen's Trek Checkpoint design is a tribute to the Cowlitz Indian tribe, of which he is a member, and Bainbridge Island, Washington, where he is from.

The design features the tribe's symbol of a salmon and colour inspiration from nature and art seen in the region.

— Ted King (@iamtedking) May 31, 2019

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/trek-segafredos-custom-trek-checkpoints-for-dirty-kanza-gallery

The Musette: Rapha, Oakley, Bontrager and more

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The Musette is Cyclingnews’ weekly look at some of the world’s best cycling gear. We’ll take a look at pro-level equipment, bikes and components, alongside some of the most desirable clothing and accessories in the sport.

Scroll down for this week’s look at Rapha’s latest rain jacket worn by EF Education First at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Egan Bernal’s (Team Ineos) choice of Oakley sunglasses, a new benchmark in helmet safety from Bontrager, a set of lightweight cranks from Spanish component specialists Rotor and the S-Works Pavé seat post first seen on the new Specialized Roubaix earlier this spring.

Rapha Pro Team Lightweight Shadow jacket

First worn by EF Education First during Liege-Bastogne-Liege in April, Rapha have updated their Pro Team Lightweight Shadow jacket for 2019.

The packable jacket offers wind and weather protection through a durable water repellant treatment first on the fibres ahead of weaving and again after construction. Taped seams on the inside of the jacket offer further protection while retaining a level of breathability.

Elasticated cuffs and waistband, plus a two-way zipper ensures a secure fit but bulk is kept to a minimum so the jacket can be stuffed into a jersey pocket on the fly when the weather changes.

Oakley Sutro sunglasses

Bontrager XXX WaveCel helmet

Rotor ALDHU cranks

Specialized S-Works Pavé inline seat post

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/the-musette-rapha-oakley-bontrager-and-more

Dolomite antipasto: Giro d'Italia approaches crunch point at San Martino di Castrozza

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From San Martino di Castrozza, the finishing mountain of stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia, there are striking views of what is called the enrosadira, the process by which the exposed rock of the nearby Dolomite peaks takes on pink and then violet hues as the sun begins to set [Alpenglow]. On Friday evening, with a mammoth Dolomite tappone and the Verona time trial still to come, the final picture of this Giro will remain incomplete, but one might begin to discern the tones in which it will be painted.

The 151km leg from Treviso is very much the junior partner of the two mountain stages that remain, but the category 2 haul towards the finish provides a chance for a further skirmish between the contenders for overall victory and should offer some decent pointers as to their prospects in the race’s final weekend.

Richard Carapaz (Movistar) carries the maglia rosa into the final three days of the race, and he has thus far betrayed no signs of weakness, on the bike or off it. He responded sagely to the probing of Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) on the Civiglio and Mortirolo, and then tacked on an attack of his own at Anterselva to extend his overall lead for good measure.

The Ecuadorian has appeared utterly unfazed by the media demands of wearing the jersey, too, smilingly fending away questions about his cohabitation with Mikel Landa at Movistar and his rumoured departure for pastures new in 2020. This time four years ago, the man from Tulcán was riding for the Strongman-Campagnolo outfit in Colombia, but he carries himself with the quiet unflappability of a man who has been leading Grand Tours all his life.

Nibali, second overall at 1:54, and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), a further 22 seconds back in third, know now if they didn’t at Ceresole Reale and Courmayeur, that Carapaz will be an exceedingly tough out.

And yet, the dying days of the Giro are different to just about anything else in professional cycling, a twilight zone where a pink jersey’s legs or luck can suddenly desert him or, conversely, where his rivals have remarkably summoned up hitherto unseen strength to bring the race abruptly crashing down upon him.

The route

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/dolomite-antipasto-giro-ditalia-approaches-crunch-point-at-san-martino-di-castrozza

Mike Jones: Valley boy taking on the MTB world

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Mike Jones from the Afan Valley in south Wales is amongst the fastest downhill mountain bikers in the world and aims for World Cup victory at Fort William this weekend.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/cycling/48467759

Thursday 30 May 2019

Cima wins thrilling stage 18 finish as Carapaz retains Giro lead

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Italy's Damiano Cima produces a brilliant ride to win stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia after being involved in a long-range three-man breakaway.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48465681

9 best cycling computers 2019

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Bike computers have come a long way since the original ‘Cyclometer’ invented by Curtis H Veeder, an analogue device that counted how many times a wheel rotated, and converted that into distance using a formula.

Now, compact handlebar-mounted devices feature a GPS chip, Bluetooth, ANT+, WiFi and a host of other metrics ranging from speed, distance, and power to training stress score, 'beers earned' and Strava Live Segments.

When you're shopping for a new cycling computer it can be challenging to navigate the vast spec sheets that come along with even the most basic units, so in the list below we’ll help you to wade through the tech jargon and help to find and buy the best cycling computer for you.

What to look for in a cycling computer?

Just like anything else in cycling, trying to figure out which computer will fall within your budget constraints, while offering the features you prioritise, can be a tall order.

Depending on how much money you have to spend, your computer may have base maps, interval timers, in-depth power metrics, a colour touch screen and more connectivity than you can shake a stick at, or it might be a simple, compact unit with a black and white display and basic training metrics.

Every computer on the market will give you data fields like speed, distance, and time. Even at the bottom end of the spectrum, most computers will support and ANT+ or Bluetooth connection to a heart rate monitor plus speed and cadence sensors. However, some less-expensive units may not support power meters.

Wahoo ELEMNT Roam

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, WiFi
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: OpenStreet Map
Claimed battery life: 17-hours
Colour Screen: Yes
Screen size: 2.7in / 68.58mm diagonal
Price: $380 / £300 / AU$600

Garmin Edge 530

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, WiFi
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: Garmin Cycle Maps, Trail Forks
Claimed Battery: 20-hours
Colour Screen: Yes
Screen size: 2.6in / 66mm diagonal
Price: $299 / £259 / AU$499

Wahoo ELEMNT Bolt

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, WiFi
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: OpenStreet Map
Claimed Battery: 15-hours
Colour Screen: No
Screen size: 2.2in / 56mm diagonal
Price: $249.99 / £199.99 / AU$399

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt full review

Bryton Aero 60

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: OpenStreet Map
Claimed Battery: 30-hours
Colour Screen: No
Screen size: 2.3in / 58mm diagonal
Price: $220 / £170 / AU$300

Lezyne Mega C

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: Breadcrumb, Basemap through the app
Claimed Battery: 32-hours
Colour Screen: Yes
Screen size: 2.2in / 56mm
Price: $200 / £180 / AU$300

Garmin Edge 1030

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, WiFi
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: Garmin Cycle Maps
Claimed Battery: 20-hours
Colour Screen: Yes
Screen size: 3.5in / 89mm
Price: $600 / £500 / AU$750

Garmin Edge 1030 full review

Garmin Edge 130

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: Breadcrumb
Claimed Battery: 15-hours
Colour Screen: No
Screen size: 1.8in / 45mm diagonal
Price: $199 / £169 / AU$299

Sigma Rox 12.0

Connectivity: WiFi
Companion App: No
Navigation: OpenStreet Map
Claimed Battery: 16-hours
Colour Screen: Yes
Screen size: 3in / 76mm
Price: $349 / £TBC / AU$TBC

Pioneer SGX-CA600

Connectivity: ANT+, Bluetooth, WiFi
Companion App: Yes
Navigation: OpenStreet Map
Claimed Battery: 12-hours
Colour Screen: Yes
Screen size: 2.2in / 56mm
Price: $359 / £169 / AU$299

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/9-best-cycling-computers-2019

Wednesday 29 May 2019

Peters claims first professional win as Carapaz stretches lead

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Frenchman Nans Peters claims his first professional victory with an impressive solo effort on stage 17 of the Giro d'Italia.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48447015

2019 Tour of Norway start list

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You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/2019-tour-of-norway-start-list

Tour of Britain 2019: Race starts in Glasgow and ends in Manchester

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The 2019 Tour of Britain starts in Glasgow on Saturday, 7 September, before ending in Manchester seven days later.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48447014

Tuesday 28 May 2019

Carapaz extends Giro lead as Roglic fades and Ciccone wins stage 16

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Giulio Ciccone claims victory on stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia as Vincenzo Nibali climbs to second place overall.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48437027

Infinite climb: The Giro d'Italia takes on the Mortirolo

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For over a week, attention was heaped upon the Passo Gavia. Would they or wouldn't they? The banks of snow lining the road conjured up romantic images of Andy Hampsten in 1988, but the risk of an avalanche was a stark reminder of why another Gavia stage was cancelled outright at the following year's Giro d'Italia.

On Saturday evening, race director Mauro Vegni ended the suspense 48 hours early by announcing that stage 16 of the 2019 Giro will not tackle the Passo Gavia. Instead, the stage from Lovere to Ponte di Legno will be routed by way of the category 3 ascents of Cevo and Aprica before taking on the fearsome Mortirolo as planned in the finale.

Yes, the Mortirolo. It hasn't gone away you know. With the 2,618m-high Gavia scrubbed from the horizon for this year at least, the wickedly steep slopes of the Mortirolo have come into sharper focus these past two days.

The original route of stage 16 was 226 kilometres in length with a total altitude gain of 5,200 metres. The stage would have been a slugging match, and by the Mortirolo, the last men standing might have struggled to land a punch.

Now 190km with 4,800 metres of climbing, the revised route is still eye-wateringly tough but, in theory at least, the front-runners will arrive fresher (it's all relative, of course) at the foot of the Mortirolo. It would be inaccurate to say stage 16 of the Giro will be easier in the absence of the Gavia; it will simply be extremely difficult in a different kind of way.

"If they were going up the Gavia, they'd come to the Mortirolo with their legs in a bit of a bad way already and they wouldn't have gone up it as hard," Astana directeur sportif Giuseppe Martinelli told Cyclingnews. "But the Mortirolo, if you do it really hard, then you'll make the difference up at the top because it's such a demanding climb. If you ride it hard, then the gaps will be counted in minutes."

The route and the weather

Carapaz, Nibali and Roglic

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/infinite-climb-the-giro-ditalia-takes-on-the-mortirolo

Monday 27 May 2019

Carapaz rips up the Roglic and Nibali Giro d'Italia script – Analysis

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As recently as Friday evening, the 2019 Giro d'Italia seemed as though it had come down to a two-way tussle between Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), with everyone else left in the Corsa Rosa just bit-players and B-listers as the two fought for victory.

On the snow-covered Colle del Nivolet, they appeared so sure of their pre-eminence, they stalled and marked each other, apparently unconcerned by the rider they were allowing to steal up the road. At the summit, Nibali issued a withering putdown of what he deemed to be Roglic's negative racing philosophy, without realising that he was implicating himself in the same crime.

"I said to him: 'If you also want to come and do a photo at my house, I'll show you my collection of trophies whenever you want...'" Nibali said sarcastically about the Slovenian following his every move, writing Saturday morning's headlines in the process.

However the Giro d'Italia would subsequently unfold, Nibali and Roglic seemed convinced it was a battle between them alone. How wrong they were. The following day, the focus was squarely on the interaction, or lack thereof, between the two favourites at the start of stage 14. On the Colle San Carlo and again on the final haul to Courmayeur, they only had eyes for one another. Again, they seemed unconcerned by the rider they had permitted to slip off the leash, even when he had moved into the maglia rosa of race leader.

And now after the wild racing on the road to Como, where Roglic's comedy of errors cost him a further 40 seconds? The Giro d'Italia script has been ripped up again. As the Giro breaks for its second rest day in Bergamo on Monday, Richard Carapaz (Movistar) sits atop the overall standings, with Roglic and Nibali suddenly the cycling bridesmaids as Ecuador celebrates a historic first maglia rosa.

Roglic's calculations leave him without insurance policy

Nibali must attack, and he's not alone

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/carapaz-rips-up-the-roglic-and-nibali-giro-ditalia-script-analysis

Sunday 26 May 2019

Carapaz stretches Giro lead over Roglic as Cataldo wins stage 15

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Italy's Dario Cataldo claims his first Giro d'Italia stage win as Richard Carapaz stretches his lead over Primoz Roglic in the overall standings, while Britain's Simon Yates and Hugh Carthy cross third and fourth.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48416030

Saturday 25 May 2019

Carapaz wins stage from Yates to take overall lead in Giro

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Ecuador's Richard Carapaz claims his second stage win of this year's Giro d'Italia to rise to the top of the overall standings.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48409798

The Musette: Shimano, Look, Sportful and more

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Scroll down for this week’s look at Shimano’s range-topping disc brake wheels, the latest update to Look’s iconic carbon clipless pedals, a Sportful jersey worn by Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), a helmet worn by Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team) during his world championships road race victory and an unusual, and now more affordable, saddle from Italian brand Repente.

Shimano Dura-Ace R9120 C60 disc brake wheels

Dura-Ace is Shimano’s range-topping groupset components range. The drivetrain and braking components are used by 13 of the 18 teams in the WorldTour making them by far the most widely used brand at the top of the sport.

Shimano Dura-Ace wheels are less prevalent, with only four WorldTour squads using the brand’s wheels although these teams have ridden the wheels to the last six Grand Tour victories through Simon Yates, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Tom Dumoulin.

Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 series wheels are available in rim or disc brake (photographed) options and in three rim depths for climbing (C24), mixed terrain (C40) and aero (C60), which is seen here.

Look Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic

Sportful BodyFit Pro 2.0 Evo jersey

Abus Airbreaker helmet

Repente Prime 2.0 saddle

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/the-musette-shimano-look-sportful-and-more

Friday 24 May 2019

Geoghegan Hart crashes out of Giro d'Italia

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Britain's Tao Geoghegan Hart abandons the Giro d'Italia 2019 after crashing with 120km to go on during the 13th stage.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48398202

Austrian doping: A complete history of Operation Aderlass

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The more things change, the more they stay the same. Despite cycling's efforts to clean up the sport with the Athlete Biological Passport, intelligence-led doping controls, the UCI's 'independent' anti-doping body the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation and attempts to shift the sport's culture, there will always be those who will break the rules for personal gain. And so it was of little surprise when Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office raids on the Nordic World Ski Championships in February 2019 had a link to pro cycling.

The investigators with Operation Aderlass (or 'bloodletting' in English) tracked a doping scheme from 2011 through to the arrests in February 2019 of nine individuals, five of whom were skiers from Kazakhstan, Estonia and Austria. Operation Aderlass comes 13 years after the infamous Spanish inquiry Operacion Puerto, and a decade on from the more closely related HumanPlasma scandal and Mantova investigations.

In a coordinated raid on a clinic in Erfurt, Austria on February 27, 2019, investigators raided an illegal doping laboratory with doping preparations, blood bags, blood transfusions and a centrifuge and arrested a German physician with ties to the former pro team Gerolsteiner.

It was none other than Mark Schmidt, formerly a team doctor for Gerolsteiner and Milram who had been named in 2009 by Bernhard Kohl as the supervisor of team doping practices. Kohl was banned and exited the sport in disgrace, but an Austrian court blocked proceedings against Schmidt in 2010. Even so, at that time, UCI anti-doping rules did not apply to team doctors or staff, allowing Schmidt to continue to work with athletes.

Kohl accuses former Gerolsteiner doctor of doping involvement - October 12, 2009
Court stops Kohl's claims against former team doctor - January 9, 2010

The first cyclist to confess to blood doping under the scheme was Stefan Denifl, who had signed with the CCC Team and, troublingly, had no 'red flags' on his biological passport. Soon after, Stefan Preidler (Groupama-FDJ) admitting to having extractions. The UCI suspended both riders and their colleagues denounced them, while others questioned the effectiveness of the biological passport.

After the first round of outrage was cleared, the state prosecutor Kai Gräber warned ominously that there were "more chapters to be written" in the investigation.

Denifl confesses to blood doping in police interview - March 3, 2019
Ochowicz: No red flags in Denifl's biological passport - March 3, 2019
Madiot expresses 'surprise' and 'enormous disappointment' at Preidler doping confession - March 4, 2019
UCI hopes to secure information on cyclists involved in blood doping investigation - March 4, 2019
Preidler admits to blood extraction as doping investigation widens - March 4, 2019
Pinot labels Preidler's blood extraction as 'high treason' - March 5, 2019
Kittel calls for better support for athletes after blood doping investigation - March 5, 2019
UCI provisionally suspends Preidler and Denifl after blood doping confessions - March 5, 2019
Ten Dam questions effectiveness of biological passport after Denifl, Preidler confessions - March 7, 2019
Dumoulin: Cycling 'shouldn't get lazy' in the fight against doping - March 14, 2019
More chapters to be written' in Operation Aderlass, says state prosecutor - March 20, 2019

Ex-pro Danilo Hondo confesses to blood doping - May 13, 2019
Petacchi denies links to blood doping investigation - May 14, 2019
Nibali 'disappointed' by Koren's implication in Aderlass doping inquiry - May 15, 2019
Petacchi quits Giro d’Italia after UCI accuse him of potential doping violation - May 15, 2019
Tour of California: UAE continue despite Durasek doping-related suspension - May 15, 2019
Roglic: Slovenian riders' involvement in Aderlass doping investigation is 'sad' - May 15, 2019
Petacchi, Koren, Durasek, Bozic named in Aderlass doping ring - May 15, 2019

Bahrain-Merida's Milan Erzen under UCI investigation for doping links - May 23, 2019
More damaging questions as links uncovered between Erzen and Aderlass doping doctor - May 23, 2019
Polanc: I'm proud to be Slovenian - May 23, 2019

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/austrian-doping-a-complete-history-of-operation-aderlass

Lance Armstrong: I wouldn't change a thing about doping

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Lance Armstrong says he "wouldn't change a thing" about the doping that helped him win and then saw him stripped of seven Tour de France titles.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48393491

Giro d'Italia climbs above snow line for first mountain finishes – Preview

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After 12 stages of early breakaways and the intense but brief emotions of the sprints, as well as long, often boring days in the saddle, the 2019 Giro d'Italia is expected to finally explode into life on the next three stages, with their mountain finishes in Ceresole Reale on Friday and Courmayeur on Saturday, and then on the steep climbs and descents of the Il Lombardia route to Como on Sunday.

Grand Tours are always long, tactical affairs but this year's Giro d'Italia, due to a number of factors, has failed to ignite. So far, the biggest drama has come from Sunweb leader Tom Dumoulin's crash, a fast stage to L'Aquila, the significant time gaps created by the time trials, and little else.

Early race leader Primoz Roglic's consistency has instilled fear in his rivals, and the Jumbo-Visma rider's time trial ability has given him a significant lead in the overall classification on his genuine overall rivals.

The Slovenian is 4:07 down on new race leader Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) after the breakaway stayed away on Thursday's stage 12 to Pinerolo. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) is 1:44 behind Roglic, with Trek-Segafredo's Bauke Mollema at 1:55, Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) at 2:53 and Movistar's Richard Carapaz 3:16 down on Roglic.

After his terrible time trial, Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) is a significant 3:46 behind Roglic, with Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) at 4:01, despite gaining 28 seconds on the road to Pinerolo. Carapaz's Movistar teammate Mikel Landa, meanwhile, is at 4:24, and so heads into the mountains with an even heavier handicap.

There's a real sense of despair amongst the race organisers and Italian tifosi. They're hoping that the race will finally come alive when the cork is popped and the pent-up emotion and aggression are released in the mountains. They hope that Nibali can rise to the occasion, perhaps one last time in his career, and take on Roglic, using his age and experience to crack the Slovenian with a display of courage and panache.

A testing trittico of Giro stages

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/giro-ditalia-climbs-above-snow-line-for-first-mountain-finishes-preview

Thursday 23 May 2019

Giro d'Italia: Cesare Benedetti wins stage 12 in opening day of the Alps

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Cesare Benedetti wins stage 12 at the Giro d'Italia, with Jan Polanc taking the overall lead from UAE Emirates team-mate Valerio Conti.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48387825

Abridged classic: Giro d'Italia enters mountains on road from Cuneo to Pinerolo

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The greatest stage in Giro d'Italia history was an event more imagined than witnessed; such were the ways cycling was digested in 1949. The mammoth stage from Cuneo to Pinerolo was not broadcast live on television but was instead immortalised in Mario Ferretti's radio commentary and Dino Buzzati's newspaper account.

As the stage drew to a close, Ferretti gravely told listeners that there was un uomo solo al comando – one man alone in front – and that his jersey was celeste, and that his name was Fausto Coppi. The following day in Il Corriere della Sera, Buzzati wrote of how watching a vanquished Gino Bartali struggle on the Col d'Izoard put him in mind of Hector being slain by Achilles.

"Is the comparison too solemn and glorious?" Buzzati asked, before deciding that the gods made their own importance. "But what purpose would our so-called classical studies serve if the fragments that stayed with us didn't form a part of our own small lives?"

Coppi's impresa on the 1949 Giro is perhaps his most storied and almost certainly his most significant. His 192km solo raid on the road from Cuneo to Pinerolo not only saw him dispossess Adolfo Leoni of the maglia rosa, it also marked the moment the torch passed definitively from Bartali to him.

The 254km leg was punctuated by five mountain passes, and Coppi led over them all, starting with the Colle della Maddalena, and then proceeding by way of the Col de Vars, the Col d'Izoard, Montgenevre and Sestriere. Come the finish in Pinerolo, after over nine hours on the bike, he had a lead of almost 12 minutes on Bartali, and a 23-minute buffer in the overall standings.

The Giro had never seen a feat like it and, ever since, the Cuneo – Pinerolo stage has come to be the outsized yardstick by which all future tapponi were measured. The severity of the stage was such that the Giro has only once replicated it in full, in 1964, when Franco Bitossi took the honours.

Montoso

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/abridged-classic-giro-ditalia-enters-mountains-on-road-from-cuneo-to-pinerolo

10 best road bike helmets 2019

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Road cycling helmets are a vital accessory that can not only reduce the risk of injury but are also compulsory for most types of racing.

Over the past few decades, helmets have been developed to reduce weight, offer greater ventilation and improve aerodynamics but all road helmets are essentially a plastic-covered foam shell that sits securely over your head and fastened via a strap under your chin.

In the list below, we take a look at some of the best road bike helmets available to buy in 2019, look at the pros and cons of each one and provide key details.

Scroll down to see Cyclingnews’ 10 best road bike helmets available to buy for 2019.

How to buy the best road bike helmet for you

A helmet will always be a personal choice when it comes to pricing, aesthetics, ventilation and how aero you'd like it to be. The most important factors to consider, however, will always be fit and safety. Ensuring your helmet offers a secure fit should be the priority, and if you can, it is always worth trying on a helmet before purchase.

Thankfully, the days of the practically useless leather 'hairnet’ style helmets are gone and the majority of most modern cycling helmets will have passed the rigorous industry standards of safety testing, which are different for North America, Europe and Australasia. Ensuring the helmet you are purchasing has passed these tests for your region is worth adhering to.

The 10 best road bike helmets you can buy today

Kask Protone

Weight: 251g (medium)
Rotational safety: None
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Team Ineos
Colours available: 19

Specialized S-Works Evade ANGi

Weight: 303g (large)
Rotational safety: MIPS
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Deceuninck-QuickStep, Bora-hansgrohe
Colours available: 3 (additional limited edition colours also available)

Giro Aether MIPS

Weight: TBC
Rotational safety: MIPS
Aero: No
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Dimension Data, Groupama FDJ
Colours available: 9

Lazer Bullet MIPS

Weight: 315g (small, claimed)
Rotational safety: MIPS
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Jumbo-Visma
Colours available: 3

Specialized S-Works Prevail ANGi

Weight: TBC
Rotational safety: MIPS
Aero: No
Sizes available: Small, Medium, Large
Used by: Deceuninck-QuickStep, Bora-hansgrohe
Colours available: 4 (plus limited editions)

MET Trenta 3K Carbon

Weight: 228g (medium)
Rotational safety: No
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: UAE Team Emirates
Colours available: 4

POC Ventral SPIN

Weight: 248g (medium, claimed)
Rotational safety: SPIN
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: EF Education First
Colours available: 9

Scott Cadence Plus

Weight: 353g (large)
Rotational safety: MIPS
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Mitchelton-Scott
Colours available: 2

Abus Airbreaker

Weight: 220g (medium, claimed)
Rotational safety: No
Aero: No
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Movistar Team
Colours available: 10

Bontrager XXX WaveCel

Weight: 352g (medium, claimed)
Rotational safety: WaveCel
Aero: Yes
Sizes available: S, M, L
Used by: Trek-Segafredo
Colours available: 5

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/10-best-road-bike-helmets-2019

Wednesday 22 May 2019

Ewan takes stage 11 Giro win in sprint finish

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Australian Caleb Ewan claims his second stage victory of this year's Giro d'Italia by winning a sprint finish on stage 11.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48372560

Tuesday 21 May 2019

Demare claims stage 10 at Giro as Conti maintains lead

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France's Arnaud Demare claims his first victory of the year by triumphing in stage 10 at the Giro d'Italia.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48358082

Israel Cycling Academy national champions' De Rosa bikes – Gallery

http://bit.ly/2HUxFY7

Pro Continental team Israel Cycling Academy have a complement of four national road race champions on their team roster, with around a month until the 2019 national championships again get under way.

The team's bike sponsor celebrated the successes of the 2018 victories with four custom frameset designs for Conor Dunne, Krists Neilands, Roy Goldstein and Mihkel Raim in Irish, Latvian, Israeli and Estonian national colours, respectively.

Israel Cycling Academy riders have a choice of De Rosa Protos and the aero-specific SK Pininfarina, which was designed in conjunction with the namesake legendary Italian design house.

Each of the bike designs features a white base coat and striped graphics in each of the respective riders' national colours, excluding Israeli national champion Goldstein, who has a reversed design of a blue base coat with white and lighter blue overlaid stripes. Israel Cycling Academy pair the framesets with Shimano Dura-Ace components, alongside FSA, Vision, Selle Italia and Speedplay components and accessories.

Click through the gallery above for a closer look at the Israel Cycling Academy national champions' bikes.

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/israel-cycling-academy-national-champions-de-rosa-bikes-gallery

Monday 20 May 2019

Tour of California: 8 conclusions from the men's and women's races

http://bit.ly/2HrNnea

The 2019 Tour of California came to a close last week, with Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) leading home a youthful men's podium, while Boels Dolmans dominated the women's competition, taking two stage wins and the overall title with Anna van der Breggen.

The 20-year-old Pogacar took the lead in the men's race on Mt. Baldy and then finished safely in the bunch on the final day to beat Sergio Higuita (EF Education First) and Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep). Van der Breggen stamped her authority on the women's race early with a stage 1 victory that upset the teams hoping for a sprint finish.

As well as their winners, the two races gave us plenty of talking points, and Cyclingnews has put together a list eight conclusions from the two events.

There are no rules in cycling

There are no rules in cycling; there are only suggestions and guidelines based on circumstances and who’s involved. Once you embrace that obvious-but-rarely stated truth, everything about the jury's decision to give Tejay van Garderen (EF Education First) the same time as the field at the end of stage 4 in Morro Bay makes perfect sense.

Van Garderen and his EF teammates found themselves uncomfortably far from the front on the technical final run-in to Morro Bay. As Deceuninck-QuickStep picked up the pace on the front, van Garderen touched wheels in the bunch and hit the deck with just over seven kilometres to go. After several mishaps delayed his chase, van Garderen and the EF train got up to steam and were gaining ground when they came upon more chaos caused by another crash at 3.2km, just shy of the magical three-kilometre line that is supposed to absolve any time lost to such mishaps. When the provisional results came in, van Garderen lost 51 seconds and had dropped to 13th place behind new race leader Kasper Asgreen (Deceuninck-QuickStep), who finished 10th on the stage won by teammate Fabio Jakobsen. That didn’t stand, however, as confusion reigned in team parking before word started to filter in that officials had revised the results. Van Garderen said he was told he was out of yellow, then back in, then out, then finally back in again.

"I was as confused as everyone else," van Garderen said the next day.

Another false start for Cavendish

Sometimes less is more

Rise of the young riders

Tour of California Women’s Race faces equality complaints

Boels Dolmans live up to expectations and dominate first-ever summit to Mt. Baldy

Fewer chances for sprinters

USA Cycling earn their spot in California

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-of-california-8-conclusions-from-the-mens-and-womens-races

Not over yet: Roglic takes command but Giro d’Italia still in opening phase

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In 1997, the last time the Giro d’Italia featured a time trial to San Marino, defending champion Pavel Tonkov won the stage to move into the maglia rosa. Marco Pantani, his most touted challenger, could only manage a distant 11th and even then, just three stages in, it seemed difficult to imagine anyone other than Tonkov in pink in Milan.

Ten years earlier, another defending champion, Roberto Visentini, claimed an emphatic victory in the time trial from Rimini to San Marino. That sparkling performance saw him inherit the pink jersey from his teammate Stephen Roche and – so it seemed – settle the thorny issue of leadership of the Carrera squad once and for all.

The San Marino time trial, once a staple of the Giro route, made its return after 21 years on Sunday and, by the end, it felt as though the sea-to-sky test had never been away. A steady grind rather than a full-blown mountain time trial, it has historically rewarded the strongest rider at that point in the race, and so it proved once again.

Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) is the man of the moment – a stunningly long moment that has now endured since the UAE Tour in February – and, as expected, the Slovenian was a dominant victor of the 34km test. It may have required a mechanical mishap from Victor Campenaerts to ensure he claimed the stage, but his superiority over his general classification rivals brooked no argument.

The pink jersey contenders set out in dismally wet conditions (Campenaerts, an early starter, enjoyed dry roads), and Roglic was the best of them in all three phases of the stage. He was already 26 seconds quicker than Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) on the early run along the coast and then tacked on another 12 seconds in the second third. Tellingly, he was all of 27 seconds faster than Nibali on the 12km climb to towards the finish.

It is a measure of Roglic’s strength that Nibali evinced such satisfaction at having limited his deficit to 1:04 on the stage. Nibali’s upbeat view was informed in part, of course, by the sheer scale of the losses incurred by two other rivals. After impressing in the short Bologna time trial last weekend, Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) endured what he labelled “a stinker” here, losing 3:10 to Roglic, while Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) coughed up 3:44.

A two-way tussle?

Mollema and Carapaz rise while Landa flounders

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/not-over-yet-roglic-takes-command-but-giro-ditalia-still-in-opening-phase

WorldTour team bike guide 2019

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Last updated May 20th.

This is the Cyclingnews WorldTour bike guide for 2019: your comprehensive guide to who's riding what and the latest tech trends at the top level of the sport. You can find links to all our 2019 pro bike galleries at the bottom of the page.

The 2018 season saw each WorldTour team stick with the same bike brands they used in 2017. For 2019, nearly a quarter of the 18 teams have struck new bike sponsorship deals, with one Belgian manufacturer returning to the top tier of the sport for the first time since 2011.

The biggest bike brands have a merry-go-round of team sponsorships in the WorldTour every few years. BMC Racing have morphed into the CCC Team and switch from BMC bikes to Giant. Team Sunweb, in turn, move from Giant to Cervélo, leaving Dimension Data to sign with BMC to complete the triangle.

AG2R La Mondiale and Factor Bikes have come to the end of their two-year partnership and the French team have signed with Eddy Merckx Bikes, while Factor have moved on to Roompot-Charles and Parkhotel Valkenburg. The Belgian brand Eddy Merckx Bikes have had a hiatus from the WorldTour for eight years after Specialized bought out their contract with Quick-Step Floors back in 2011.

The newly announced partnerships will see four of the 18 WorldTour teams on new bikes next season, with groupsets, wheels and accessories also seeing a shake up after new 12-speed groupsets have been launched by SRAM and Campagnolo.

New bikes, new components

Who's on what

12 is the new 11

Aero is everything?

2019 Pro Bike galleries, spec lists and measurements

2019 Race tech galleries and features

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/worldtour-team-bike-guide-2019

Sunday 19 May 2019

Roglic up to second in Giro d'Italia after stage nine win

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Primoz Roglic wins stage nine of the Giro d'Italia and moves to second overall, one minute 50 seconds behind leader Valerio Conti.

via BBC Sport - Cycling http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/48330353

Rohan Dennis' Merida Scultura – Gallery

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Rohan Dennis (Bahrain-Merida) used the 2019 Tour of California as part of his preparations for the Tour de France in July, while teammate Vincenzo Nibali flies the flag for the team at the Giro d’Italia.

Dennis signed for Bahrain-Merida last season while the future of BMC Racing was in doubt, having spent five seasons racing for Jim Ochowicz’s team, and he now has the bike choice of the aerodynamic Merida Reacto, lightweight Merida Scultura plus the Merida Time Warp for time trialling instead of his previous BMC framesets.

Bahrain-Merida pair their framesets with drivetrain and braking components from Shimano and run an SRM Origin power meter-equipped crankset.

The all-black framesets roll on Fulcrum Speed wheels while FSA and Prologo provides the team with the majority of their finishing kit.

Click through the gallery above for a closer look at Rohan Dennis’ Merida Scultura.

Rohan Dennis' Merida Scultura full bike specifications

Frameset: Merida Scultura

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/rohan-dennis-merida-scultura-gallery

'Roglic will kill them': Giro d'Italia time trial preview

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We're finally here. After over a week of crashes, wet weather and technical finishes, stage nine's time trial of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday marks the point where the GC battle really begins to hot up.

It's true that Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) has already gone home injured, that some top names like Mikel Landa (Movistar) are already on the backfoot and that Bologna's opening short time trial saw Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) unexpectedly gain a bigger-than-expected time gap over all his other GC rivals.

But whilst Dumoulin's absence can only be regretted in a 3,000 kilometre Grand Tour, fortunately there is only so much damage that can be inflicted in eight kilometres of time trialling. Which means Roglič's opening stage victory in Bologna, no matter how impressive – and impressive it was – remains more of a symbolic triumph than a real one.

The million dollar question for Sunday then, is whether Roglič can multiply his ominously large time gap from such a short course into something that really counts long-term, time-wise, on stage nine's much more demanding 'race of truth'. Or whether a week of fraught, wet racing will have narrowed the natural advantage of the Giro's better time triallists, like Roglič, over their GC rivals.

It's fair to say that, during the Bologna time trial, Roglič was in a class of his own, particularly given that he won the time trial at the Tour de Romandie as well and has an extensive track record of TT wins. So with no Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb), the Slovenian has become the natural reference point on the 34.8 kilometre hilly time trial into San Marino, which ends with a second category climb. But will Roglič be able to continue to widen his advantage?

"Primož will disappoint me if he doesn't win again," Belgian TT specialist Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Soudal) told a small group of journalists, including Cyclingnews, on Saturday.

A time trial of two halves

Time gaps

You can read more at Cyclingnews.com

via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/roglic-will-kill-them-giro-ditalia-time-trial-preview