🇫🇮 Stage 48: Influencer or pro-cyclist?
Hello,
How are you going? Welcome to another newsletter.
I’m going to apologise in advance for this one. I’ve just got home from a six-hour ride, and it’s safe to say my brain isn’t functioning as it should be. I’ve got a Spanish class in an hour too, we’ll see how that goes.
There’s not too much happening here at the minute apart from riding my bike. January is that month where everything starts getting a little more serious and intense, this also means a lot of bike riders start to go into their shells to get ready for the season. If all goes to plan, this week will be my biggest training week of the winter to date, a nice 32hrs on the bike.
So, enjoy another week of news from the cycling world and catch you next week.
Joe
Feel free to email me at joe@nplus1.cc if you have any questions, or feel I’ve missed something that is worth putting in the Newsletter.
📖 Read
#cyclocross
This past week brought us National Championships from across the world. While there were some obvious winners (Wout van Aert), other favorites such as Tom Pidcock decided to sit out. While the CX season isn’t over yet, it is for Wout van Aert who is switching his focus to road, and Mathieu van der Poel who is injured. Will Pidcock take the World title?
5-minute and 4-minute read
#athleteorinfluencer
The gravel scene is exploding and there has been the inevitable lean to the influencer market. Gravel has become cool, and brands want to capitalize on it. Lifetime, an American events company recently announced an off-road series with a 250k prize purse. Geoff Kabush, a legend of the American MTB scene, questions why athletes are seemingly having to be influencers too. It’s an interesting perspective in the modern-day cycling world.
13-minute read
#e-racing
Love it or loathe it, e-racing is here to stay. Like any niche in any sport, there are those who take it to the next level. Matt Gardiner is an e-racer in the Zwift Premier League, his set-up includes Bluetooth switches, ice suits, and a dehumidifier to name but a few performance gains. It’s geeky, but I’m envious.
5-minute read
#roadcycling
Rohan Dennis has never been shy of telling the truth. The former world time trial champion recently made the move across from the Ineos Grenadiers to Jumbo-Visma. When questioned about the move, Dennis undiplomatically replied: 'I noticed when I was with Ineos that they were copying Jumbo with a lot of stuff”. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing how this dynamic plays out on the road.
5-minute read
#nutrition
Smoothies are criminally underrated. They offer a simple and delicious way to get the nutrients that you need, and they’re really easy to make. They can be used instead of a meal, or as a post-ride snack. Here are three delicious winter sport smoothies to try out!
6-minute read, endless enjoyment.
📱Tweet of the week
The cyclocross season makes my job of finding a good Tweet all the easier.
🎧 Listen
Gravel Union is a website dedicated to the off-road scene. Their podcast, Gravel Union Talks, covers everything to do with the discipline. From equipment to events, top-tips to general chat. This week’s podcast was with Shimano Gravel Alliance rider, Henna Palosaari. Listen for stories from Finland and top winter training tips.
41-minute listen
👀 Watch
One of Britain's most successful cyclists of all time, Pippa York was the first to win a major Tour classification. When competing as Robert Millar, she brought home the polka-dot jersey from the 1984 Tour De France. In this video with Matt Stephens, there are stories from her heyday in the peloton as a teammate of Greg LeMond, and a discussion of the inclusion of transgender athletes.
40-minute watch
👋🏻 Introducing
In this new part of the Newsletter, each week we’re going to introduce one of the brands that we work with at N+1.
Introducing…PIPPO Amsterdam
Born in the heart of Amsterdam, PIPPO had the aim of rethinking the world
of cycling apparel by making it more sustainable and creating products that help you redefine your limits. Their statement pride socks are one of the hottest products around. Plus, one of PIPPO’s staff members, blog-writer Jannik, owns one of the coolest coffee shops in Girona, Oniria.
Be sure to download our app and browse their collection!