🌈 Stage #34: A wheelie good World Champs
the bad boys of cycling chat and London as a gravel destination
Hola!
Wow, what a week it has been in cycling. The World Road Championships were held in the Motherland, Belgium, and what a show it was.
Belgium is the home of cycling. They have the craziest fans and the craziest races. The World Championship week truly delivered. The courses were spectacular, the racing was unbelievable and the crowds were jaw-dropping. If you want a good party - go to a bike race in Belgium.
Here in Girona, we’ve seen SeaOtter come to town too. SeaOtter is a big cycling trade show which brings hundreds of brands and countless events. I managed to get down there to watch a couple of the MTB events and accidentally bumped into the Gran Fondo when I was out training.
As a cycling fan, this has been the best week I’ve had in a long time.
Catch you later,
Joe
📖 Read
#racing
Julian Alaphilippe is a legend. He’s the most exciting bike racer in the world, and now he’s a back-to-back World Champion. The Frenchman animated the biggest bike race of the year from early on. Using his teammates to full effect, he ensured that none of the other nations had an easy race. He then forced the winning split before attacking not once, not twice, but three times by himself. The final 18 km that he rode solo were astonishing. Never change LouLou, we love your panache.
5-minute read
#racing
The Italians continued their ruthless streak across every sport this year by winning the Elite Women’s Rainbow Jersey. Elisa Balsamo made the most of a devastating lead out by her teammate to out-sprint Marianne Vos to the line. The women’s race took a while to get going, but once it took off, it was one for the ages. Read how it played out here.
5-minute read
#tech
Alaphilippe won his second World Title within a year on top of the S-Works SL7. The only difference this year is he was riding clincher tyres. Take a look at his bike straight after the finish, it’s still caked in Flemish dirt, has gels stuffed under the saddle, and is covered in sweat and tears. Also, how cool is it to win Worlds with the #1 race number?
2-minute read
#weeklygravel
When you think Gravel, you don’t think London. London is the biggest city in the UK, it spreads for miles and has very little in the way of the countryside. Well, that’s what we thought. Bridleways, canals and farmer’s fields, the North London Dirt ride really does have it all. It seems if you look hard enough, you can find good gravel roads anywhere.
4-minute read
#training
Do you know what’s just as, if not more important, than training? Recovery. We’re getting to the time of year where there are fewer events on the calendar, and most cyclists are looking towards a long winter ahead. Taking an off-season is one of the most important things a cyclist can do. It can prevent mental burnout, and act as a big reset button before focussing on new targets.
3-minute read
📱Tweet of the week
After working all day for his leaders on the Australian team, Nathan Haas called it a race. However, his day wasn’t over as he put on a show for the Belgian fans. This video serves as a reminder to have fun, even in the most serious moments.
🎧 Listen
The infamous but ever-relevant Lance Armstrong brings the latest cycling news from his ‘The Move’ podcast. This episode is a World Championship special from Mallorca. It also includes a special guest, Jan Ullrich, who opens up about the toughest comeback of his life. This is a great pod for both old and new cycling fans, from the most controversial riders the sport has seen.
40-minute listen
👀 Watch
What’s it actually like to race a pro-gravel race? Manon Lloyd is an ex-pro on the track and road, but she’s never raced on gravel. She gives us a newbie’s perspective on racing the dirt, and what to expect from the off-road race scene.
18-minute watch