Hey, how’s it going?
I’m coming at you from Vall d’Incles in Andorra for this week’s newsletter. With a nice block between our team training camp in Tuscany, and my first race of the year in Rhodes, coming up to Andorra seemed like the perfect escape.
I’m staying at my friend’s apartment, and it has a very cozy log cabin vibe to it. It’s cold up here, but it’s not too bad. The roads are all perfectly treated, and if you head below 1,500 m, a 10-minute descent, the temperature seems to double.
I say this as if I’ve been training. The first night up here I was hit with an awful stomach bug and hardly slept. I’ve taken two rest days now and will hopefully be back on the bike tomorrow. It’s best to be safe than sorry, as they say!
Enjoy your 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
#racing
The first big WorldTour race of the men’s calendar is underway at UAE Tour. The race is always where we see the first big sprint competitions of the season, and this year hasn’t disappointed. The big battle in the sprints is between Mark Cavendish and Jasper Philipsen with them taking one each. There was also a shock in the time trial as Ganna was finally knocked off his perch.
6-minute read
#gravel
Former road-pro Laurens ten Dam is currently battling the Transcordilleras Rally in Colombia. The eight-day 1,100 km race includes over 25,000 m of elevation and tracks the Andes Mountains from east to west. Ten Dam described it as “old school bike racing at its best”. With fewer than 50 riders on the start list, it’s one for the tough riders, it sounds painful yet incredible.
6-minute read
#womensracing
Lizzie Deignan is pregnant and will miss the remainder of the 2022 season. The winner of the inaugural edition of the women’s Paris-Roubaix, and the former World Champion will return to racing with Trek-Segafredo for at least another two years after her pregnancy. She previously missed the 2018 season due to pregnancy and returned straight to her winning ways in 2019!
3-minute read
#behindthescenes
Le Col-Wahoo (formerly known as Drops) have always been the underdogs. Their five-year history is dotted with last-minute revivals from sponsors and punching above their weight on the world’s biggest stage. This year is perhaps their biggest to date, with two big sponsors, Le Col and Wahoo coming onboard. This article is from inside the Le Col-Wahoo team camp: from race simulation to battling COVID-19, it has a bit of everything.
5-minute read
#tech
The Powerlink pedals are available in either the dual or single-sided models making them attractive to all budgets. They also claim to have +/- 1% accuracy, the gold standard for power metres. The Rollr Trainer is Wahoo’s way of revolutionising the traditional rollers. Although a smart trainer, it does not get an inbuilt power meter instead it connects with any ANT+ power meter, for app-controlled resistance
6-minute read
#training
Given that I’m currently in Andorra, where there isn’t a single flat road in the country, I thought a topical training article would be good. This article gives some top tips to getting faster at climbing hills. From knowing your personal limits to knowing the terrain, some tips may seem simple, but they make all the difference!
4-minute read
📱Tweet of the week
The UAE Tour had some easier parts this past week…
🎧 Listen
Phil Gaimon has a somewhat unique experience in the professional cycling world. One of the best American climbers of his time, Gaimon’s career was a stop-start affair where he never truly got the opportunities that he deserved. Now carving out a career through personal sponsors and chasing Strava KOMs, he has a new focus. Gaimon’s story is different from any other in the pro-cycling world.
68-minute listen
👀 Watch
Tahnée Seagrave is one of the most gifted riders to have ever graced the mountain bike race tracks of the world. From the top of the world to successive injuries in a short span of time, Tahneé needed a release from a world that can become all-consuming. Finding happiness in simplicity and power in her own voice has been key to navigating the journey back towards contentment. This is her story.
11-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… Illimité
Illimité create the world’s finest cycling caps. Their unique designs are eye-catching and are 100% made in Italy. It’s a product which I’m adding to my personal ‘to-buy list’ for once I’ve retired from pro-cycling and don’t have to wear a team kit!
Be sure to download our app and browse their collection!