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Books Featured Reviews

Racing Hard

Racing Hard by William Fotheringham

Racing Hard by William FotheringhamFew cycling journalists have enjoyed a career as long and esteemed as that of William Fotheringham; since joining the Guardian in 1989 he has established himself as a writer respected not only by the lay-reader but by the Grand Tour participants – he is undoubtedly as ‘riders’ journalist’.  Racing Hard, published by Faber and Faber, brings together what might be considered the definitive collection of tales from the front line of pro-racing, which, taken together, becomes something of a meditation on the changing face of the sport over the last two decades.

 

Whilst Fotheringham’s newspaper features can, at times, feel a little cold or detached (he is after all a great analyst), as an anthology of work they are transformed somehow into something greater – something in which a true passion shines through. The original articles are annotated and noted for context and this lifts the entire book to one that chronicles the lives – and races – of the great and the good in a way that positively glows with admiration. There is, of course, much scandal and controversy covered here (none of it salaciously presented) and Lance Armstrong looms large – how could he not? But there is balance and wisdom too throughout Fotheringham’s writing.

 

The forward to Racing Hard, by David Millar, not only sets out the regard with which Fotheringham is held, but encapsulates the span of his work; Millar writes: ‘William has put my career into words, from an ambitious teenager to a fallen world champion to a fervent anti-doping campaigner, team owner and father.’

 

Those that know and love Fotheringham’s work as a journalist or author (read the review of his book Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike here) will naturally gravitate towards Racing Hard; but hopefully it will also bring his words to those unfamiliar with his prolific output and earn him yet more dedicated followers. He’s worked long and hard for them…

 

Racing Hard (ISBN-10: 0571303625) is published by Faber and Faber, RRP £12.99 paperback and currently on Kindle offer at just £1.59 from Amazon.co.uk

 

For more book reviews from Cyclo click here.

 

 

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Extras Featured Reviews

Aura Belts

Aura Belts

Aura BeltsThere is much to be said about adding as much visibility as possible on the bike – especially in poor visibility and low light. The Aura Belt is an interesting solution from a new Brit start-up, which looks to address the issue of 360degree visibility; whilst traditional lights (regardless of how many you add) broadly provide illumination front and back, the Aura Belt delivers all-round light and resolves the problem of side-on illumination and protection.

 

Constructed from high-wearing ‘ballistic’ nylon, the Aura features an integrated LED strip (powered by a replaceable CR2032 battery) beneath coloured, weather-proof, fabric which switches on via a button next to the clip fastener. Available in six colours – pink, yellow, orange, blue, red, green – the belt can deliver either a fixed ‘on’ glow or two speeds of pulsing flash. Construction is substantial and it feels built to last, it might not quite be a thing of beauty but in terms of functionality it’s spot on.

 

The Aura Belt currently comes as one-size-fits all, adjustable from ‘Women’s size UK 4 to men’s size 38inch’, a good starting point but smaller sizes – specifically for children – would be an excellent addition as would, perhaps, larger ones to accommodate rainy-weather commuters fully layered-up against the elements.

 

At £25 the Aura Belts are pretty much on the money. There are very few other products on the market that address the 360degree and side-on safety issue (the Nathan LightBender at £20 perhaps or the Fibre Flare Shorty at £27.99 – Cyclo review here) but Aura Belts do it with some style. Expect to see theses in shops soon, but for now they can be ordered at auracyclesystems.co.uk with the addition of £3.50 P&P which covers any number of belts ordered and world-wide delivery.

 

Cyclo highly recommends Aura Belts – light up and be seen…

 

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Featured Features

British Riders of the Tour de France

British Riders of the Tour de France

22 teams, 219 riders, 21 stages and 3,404km of road, hill and mountain. Wiggins may be missing this year, but the British riders of the Tour de France 2013 are more than worth getting to know better. With 22 TdF appearances between them, an impressive amount of Giro and Vuelta experience plus an Olympic medal or two, the six Brits tackling the historic 100th edition of the Tour will help keep patriotic hearts in the mouth…

 

Chris FroomeName: Chris Froome

DoB: May 20, 1985

Team: Team Sky

TdF Appearances: 2008 and 2012

Top TdF Placing: 2nd in 2012

TdF Stage Wins: 1

Team Website: teamsky.com

Personal Website: chris-froome.com

Follow on Twitter: @chrisfroome

 

 

Need to Know: Snapping at the heels of Wiggins last year and likely only team tactics that held him back. Unencumbered and leading Team Sky for 2013, it’s going to be interesting to see what he can pull out of the bag, especially after such an impressive build to the TdF with wins including the Tour of Oman and the Critérium du Dauphiné.

 

 

Geraint ThomasName: Geraint Thomas

DoB: May 25, 1986

Team: Team Sky

TdF Appearances: 2007, 2010 and 2011

Top TdF Placing: 31st in 2011

TdF Stage Wins: None

Team Website: teamsky.com

Personal Website: geraintthomas.com

Follow on Twitter: @geraintthomas86

 

 

Need to Know: Thomas has his full attention back on the road following Olympic glory on the track in the Team Pursuit in 2012. Despite often being tagged a Time Trial specialist, he is rapidly proving himself a dependable all-rounder and he’s already proved his climbing legs during the 2011 TdF. Thomas will be lending strong support to Froome on this one.

 

 

Peter KennaughName: Peter Kennaugh

DoB: June 15, 1989

Team: Team Sky

TdF appearances: 0

Top TdF Placing: NA

Stage Wins: NA

Team Website: teamsky.com

Personal Website: peterkennaugh.com

Follow on Twitter: @petekennaugh

 

 

Need to Know: Another rider who focused much of 2012 on the track, bagging Gold as part of GB Team Pursuit, but making his TdF debut. Despite his lack of experience through France, Kennaugh brings experience of the Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia and with four podium positions in his last four National Championships he is a massively well respected member of Team Sky. At just 24, Kennaugh is the youngest Brit taking on the TdF this year.

 

 

Ian StannardName: Ian Stannard

DoB: May 25, 1987

Team: Team Sky

TdF Appearances: 0

Top TdF Placing: NA

Stage wins: NA

Team Website: teamsky.com

Personal Website: ianstannard.com

Follow on Twitter: @istannard

 

 

Need to Know: The fourth Brit riding for Sky, like Kennaugh Stannard is making his Tour de France debut but as the 2012 British Road Race Champion and his reputation as a solid domestique he will be bringing plenty to the mix. Both his TT skills and climbing ability are improving year on year, making Stannard a cliché-making ‘one to watch’.

 

 

Mark CavendishName: Mark Cavendish

DoB: May 21, 1985

Team: Omega Pharma-Quick Step

TdF Appearances: 2007 (withdrawn), 2008 (withdrawn), 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012

Top TdF Placing: 130th in 2011

Stage wins: 23

Team Website: omegapharma-quickstep.com

Personal Website: markcavendish.co.uk

Follow on Twitter: @markcavendish

 

Need to Know: With six TdF appearances to his name, despite the 2007/8 withdrawals, Cav has an impressive number of stage wins to his name and with excellent looking form going into the 2013 Tour he will surely add to them to close in on the legendary Eddy Merckx’s tally of 34. Clearly frustrated at Sky, he now effectively has a team assembled around him hell-bent on making his ambitions come to fruition. It’s hard to imagine the Champs-Elysees without Cavendish launching himself hell for leather on the final day…

 

 

David MillarName: David Millar

DoB: January 4, 1977

Team: Team Garmin-Sharp

TdF Appearances: 2000, 2001 (withdrawn), 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Top TdF Placing: 59th in 2006 (2003’s 55th place was achieved doping)

Stage wins: 3

Team Website: slipstreamsports.com

Personal Website: NA

Follow on Twitter: @millarmind

 

Need to Know: At 36 Millar is the oldest Brit in this year’s Tour, but just look at the experience he brings – 11 TdF appearances and one of the very few British riders (and youngest of any nationality) to have worn the leader’s maillot jaune. A dark past – despite plenty of penance – make Millar a controversial figure but his time trialing skills and general work ethic always make him worth watching.

 

Want to know how the Tour de France began? Read the Cyclo feature Origins of the Tour de France here.

 

In the mood for more TdF? Tour de France 100th Race Anniversary Edition book review here.

 

Categories
Extras Featured Reviews Tech

Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C Wheels

Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C Wheels

Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C WheelsRenowned manufacturer of bike systems and riders’ equipment Mavic, based in Annecy, France, has been an official partner and sponsor of the Tour de France since the 1970s. Founded in 1889 – their name an acronym for ‘Manufacture d’Articles Vélocipédiques Idoux et Chanel’ (phew) – it’s fair to say they know a thing or two about the sport and with their first carbon clinchers, the Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C Wheels, fresh to market Cyclo were naturally eager to put them through their paces.

 

Three years in development, The Cosmic is a wheel-tyre system, which comes with slim Yksion Pro tyres (190g each), inner tubes, skewers and wheel bags. They have high stiffness, carbon/alloy hubs with aero flanges, integrated nipples and weigh 1,545g for a 40mm-deep pair (front wheel: 670g, front wheel with tyre – WTS: 940g) and 2,085g for the pair of wheels with tyres. But it’s not the weight (there are lighter clingers available) that sets them apart.

 

Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C WheelsThere are two recognised difficulties in developing a carbon fibre rim for a clincher; the first is the resistance of the sidewalls to the pressure of the tyre and the second is the resistance of the brake track to the heat created by braking. Whilst an aluminum rim is able to dissipate heat relatively quickly and aluminum resists very high temperatures, that is not the case for carbon fibre (and especially for the resin holding it together) and this inability to resist the heat can tend to cause softening and the failure of the sidewalls.

 

Mavic’s solution: a combination of an aluminum insert (completely different from a normal rim) with carbon fibre, which uses a resin able to withstand very high temperatures. Two types of resins are used on the brake track, each one having its own glass transition temperature. Mavic’s Maximum Glass Transition Temperature TgMAX technology consists of laying up several types of high technology resins, then fixing them using a proprietary heat treatment process to achieve the highest possible resistance to braking heat. In addition the manufacturing process, Mavic say, allows them to drill only the inner rim wall and not the aluminum insert, this avoids having to drill the tyre bed of the rim, making for a stronger rim as the inside is left uncompromised by holes.

 

Mavic tested the Cosmics with a 100kg rider on a 10km downhill section of Mount Ventoux in the Alps, riding at a consistently high speed whilst constantly applying the brakes. They measured the heat inside the rim with a T° patch and each sample had to withstand multiple descents. Whilst Cyclo lacked both the Alps and a 100kg rider (we’ll admit to 70kg), we set about testing the Cosmics…

 

Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C WheelsHaving fitted the yellow carbon rim brake pads (which Mavic supplied with the wheels) to our Specialized Transition time trial bike we took the Cosmics out for a ride over a mix of fast flat and hilly terrain. The Cosmics felt stiff and light when we climbed steep, winding ascents and certainly much easier to climb with than our normal day-to-day wheel (Easton EA90 SLX), a relatively light wheel (1,398g for the wheelset without tyres). Descending relatively short but steep and fast technical descents in dry conditions we found the brakes to be very efficient when applying the pressure needed.

 

On the flat it felt like the Cosmics really came into their own. Certainly over the shorter distance they felt nimble and quick to accelerate, and when we pulled into a sprint the sensation of speed was exceptional. What’s more we found that we could maintain the sprint for longer than usual; whether this was a mix of strong legs on the day combined with the wheels, only time will tell, but the Cosmics certainly delivered a very smooth ride and more than met our expectations.

 

The Mavic Cosmic Carbone 40 C wheel-tyre system has an RRP of £1,800, more details at mavic.com or see the video below…

 

 

 

 

Categories
Books Featured Reviews

Domestique, The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro

domestique Charly Wegelius

domestique Charly WegeliusThe domestique. You’ve seen them. In the pack, working away. But possibly those who casually watch the big road races or dip in and out of coverage of the likes of the Tour de France consider riders hung back in the peleton as merely the ‘also rans’; tough riders, no doubt, but simply without the gift or grit of Wiggins, Contador, Nibali, et al. Not so – or at least a massive oversimplification of affairs – as the domestique is a very special breed of rider and one man who knows every detail of their life is Charly Wegelius. A professional for more than a decade with some 14 Grand Tours to his credit, Wegelius’s book Domestique, The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro lays bare the true struggle of life on the circuit and demystifies much of cycling’s inner machinations.

 

In his opening chapter, Prologue (natch), Wegelius says. ‘What is it to be a great cycling champion, I will never know. What I can tell you is what it is to race bicycles for a living’. And so he does, but this is typically self-deprecating – possibly just modest – of Wegelius. A ‘great cycling champion’, perhaps not by strict definition, but a great Domestique? Absolutely.

 

One of the finest achievements of this book is in defining the role of the domestique – ‘…to protect a rider from the wind, fetching food, clothing and information from the car… to manipulate, or force, the shape of a race to change it in favour of his leader.’ At times this seems almost mundane, workmanlike, but Wegelius, with equal measure of wit and wisdom, helps the reader understand what it takes to perform this invaluable role; what it takes to be an athlete of dedication and physical prowess the likes of which us mere mortals can only dream of, but to be denied, by definition of the job, the real shot at glory.    

 

Of course the book is also a biographical progression from cycle-mad kid in York, to driven youth and seasoned professional, and helping Wegelius’s story maintain shape and structure is co-author Tom Southam, once a pro himself, now known for his journalism in the sport. But Southam’s hand is appropriately subtle and it’s Wegelius’s tale and more importantly his ‘voice’ (with all its earthy profanities) that is allowed to shine through.

 

But wait. Will those looking for titillation and scandal on the drugs-front be disappointed? Is it even possible to write a cycling book – particularly one focused on the opening decade of the 21st century – to eschew a mention of doping? Of course not: part of the scene, but this is not an exposé (is there even anything left to expose?); Wegelius sets out his stall from the off: he doesn’t deny the scale of abuse but chooses not to make it his focus.

 

Wegelius balances humour with brutal reality (‘forget the glamour, welcome to the shitty, true life ups and downs of a tour cyclist’); entertainingly written without feeling obliged to turn to the salacious – a refreshing approach to cycling books. Domestique, The True Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro, Ebury Press (ISBN-10: 0091950937) is currently out in hardback at £16.99 (Kindle £9.29) with the paperback edition due February 2014. Buy online at Amazon.co.uk

 

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Featured Nutrition Reviews

Vita Coco

Vita Coco

Vita CocoIf you have attended almost any sporting event over the last few months – indeed almost any outdoor event – you can’t help having noticed the presence of Vita Coco; pumping the kind of high-visibility on-site marketing into the ‘natural hydration’ market that Red Bull reserves for the energy drink.

 

The story goes that friends Ira Liran and Michael Kirban were talking to two Brazilian women in 2003 about what they most missed about their country; their answer, ‘agua de coco’ (coconut water) set Liran and Kirban on a course to bring it to market in the US – successfully achieved, on a small scale, along the East Coast the following year. A decade later and Vita Coco is sold in a reported 20,000 outlets globally. But how does it really stack up in the hydration department?

 

Served ice-cold it’s certainly refreshing – it’s ability to quench, we found, reduces exponentially with any rise beyond straight-from-the-fridge-temperature – but the real secret to Vita Coco is that it contains a balance of electrolytes very close to that of the human body. This means it hydrates ‘in balance’ in the same way that an isotonic energy drink does but, broadly speaking, in a much more ‘natural’ way. Both fat- and cholesterol-free, the original Vita Coco, contains just 0.02g of sodium and 5g of carbohydrates – the result a small quantity of added fruit sugars – per 330ml serving.

 

It probably goes without saying that Vita Coco have diversified. There are now five additional flavours from which to choose: peach and mango, pineapple, orange, tropical fruit and acai and pomegranate. Of these, none but the acai (a ‘drupe’ from the palm of the same name) and pomegranate truly tickled our taste buds; we found them a little insipid and certainly no improvement over the original pure coconut variety. Acai and pomegranate was another matter; an unusual taste with a surprisingly pungent – but pleasant – smell, this could well be our post-ride drink of the summer. Of course the extra fruit also adds to the carbohydrates – typically an addition 1g, hardly worth worrying over.

 

So, certainly not all varieties to out taste (they may well, of course, be to yours) but the choice of a truly natural hydration solution appeals immensely when the alternative is often overly-sugared, ‘sciencey’, sports drinks. Keep it ice cold and keep it natural.

 

Vita Coco is available in 330ml, 500ml and 1litre servings; Prices vary widely – try comparing 20,000 retail outlets – but for full details and list guide prices (and online purchase) see vitacoco.com

 

Categories
Featured Features

Origins of the Tour de France

Origins of the Tour de France

tdf2013_logo_largeThe Tour de France is an event defined by tough stages, national pride and sporting supremacy. But above all it is an event defined by rivalry.

 

The origins or the Tour de France are as arcane and shrouded in legend as they are typically Gallic, and as the 100th edition approaches in an age of apps, blogs and social media it seems almost quaint to consider that it was rivalry within the printed newspaper mêlées of the early 20th Century that kick-started the greatest cycling race in the world.

 

Five years before those trailblazing cyclists set off for the first TdF in 1903, French novelist Émile Zola wrote an open letter to L’Aurore newspaper in defence of one Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish soldier accused (many felt unjustly) of spying for the Germans. Amongst those who supported both Zola and Dreyfus was Pierre Giffard, the then-editor of France’s first sports newspaper, Le Vélo – unfortunately many of Le Vélo’s backers and advertisers, many of whom were bike manufacturers, took umbrage at such a left-leaning and near-anti-national opinions and jumped ship.

 

The result was the launch of L’Auto-Vélo (later simply L’Auto), printed on distinctive yellow paper to differentiate it from green-tinged rival Le Vélo. Heading L’Auto-Vélo was Henri Desgrange, an avid cyclist with a host of pedal-powered records to his credit. Desgrange was joined by Victor Goddet, an astute financier, and by Géo Lefèvre, a sports journalist already of some repute. Together they began to forge a true rival to Le Vélo, even wrestling away control of the Paris-Brest-Paris race, which had been founded by poor Giffard, and establishing, in 1902, their own Paris-Bordeaux race.

 

Despite this, circulation was stagnant – what was needed was a real coup to ignite the French passion…

 

On Saturday December 20, 1902, Desgrange met with Lefèvre for lunch at the Brasserie du Madrid in Paris. Their meal complete, Lefèvre offered what he hoped would be an idea to save their beloved paper: the staging of a Tour de France. With hasty plans set in place – and with the financial wizardry of Goddet to the fore – it was on January 13, 1903 that the paper ran their tantalising intention to stage a ‘race like nothing before.’

 

In the 110 years since the first race – which covered a total distance of 2,428km and was won by Maurice Garin – the Tour de France has transformed itself in many ways; evolving and adapting across the span of the 20th Century but retaining the same ideal at its heart: rivalry…

 

The 100th Edition of the Tour de France begins in Corsica on June 29, finishing some 3,360km later on the Champs-Elysees, Paris on July 21. Full details at letour.com and on Cyclo as the action unfolds.

 

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Apparel Featured Reviews

SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof Overshoes

SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof Overshoes

SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof OvershoesSealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof Overshoes seem like such an obvious idea. Since the 1980s, when the first SealSkinz waterproof sock was invented (in a flash of inspiration whilst watching a documentary about John Logie Baird, so legend has it), the company has been keeping bad weather away from the skin of outdoors type. Now the wait is almost over for cyclists with the SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof Overshoes due for release in autumn 2013. Cyclo took an early first look in the hope they would live up to our expectations…

 

Designed predominantly for mountain bike and road/commuting (a specific race overshoe for cleated shoes is also out later this year – read our review here) the SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof Overshoes offer an exceptional degree of weatherproofing, combined with breathability and comfort. As you would expect from SealSkinz this is a true quality product, absolutely fit for purpose and with the kind of attention to detail on which the brand thrives.

 

The outer membrane swept away water on our test rides, whilst the inner, flocked, lining did an excellent job of keeping feet warm. The design lines are clean, which, the makers quite rightly claim, reduces wind resistance and means that they get on with doing their job unobtrusively while you get on with the ride.

 

SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof OvershoesThe fit is snug but not restrictive (available in sizes S, M, L and XL) with final adjustments made via a Velcro strap across the upper zip, which features a raised, rubberised, branding flash and an inner waterproof flap to ensure nothing creeps in through the fastenings.

 

The inch-wide underfoot Velcro strap did its job equally well and, whilst we had initial misgivings about its bulk, it remained perfectly in place without any discomfort. The neon-green pull-on loop is a nicety we admired, it meant that tugging the overshoe on (or indeed off) was achievable without getting hands unduly muddy/oily or risking stretching or misshaping, and for extra safety the zip edges are lined with reflective strips.

 

Having already put the SealSkinz Waterproof Overshoes for cleats through their paces, we had expected these lightweight, road versions to deliver – and so they did. Their tough construction – which includes a Kevlar toe piece for added durability – should see these through many seasons and the extra niceties make them worth every pound of their £35 RRP.

 

Once launched in August full details of the SealSkinz Lightweight Waterproof Overshoes will be at sealskinz.com. To read the Cyclo review of the SealSkinz Waterproof Overshoes (for cleats) click here, and for a review of their Thin Socklet click here