š¦Stage 41: Are bike races fixed?
and the story of female racing cyclists escaping Afghanistan for the US
Hi,
How are we all doing this week? If you havenāt already, donāt forget to download our N+1 app, weāre regularly updating it and adding new brands.
Weāre going to be making some changes to this newsletter over the next few months. Iām slowly planning on introducing more features, such as telling the stories of the brands we work with, as well as bringing in more interaction with you.
As for me, Iām writing this from my new apartment on La Rambla in Girona. We spent this last weekend moving our stuff across town, and it takes its toll when you do 85% of the move without a car! We got lots of strange looks as we carried furniture through the streets.
Itās nice to be in the new place, itās a touch smaller, but I kind of like it that way. The biggest plus, itās only a 15-second ride from āStone Bridgeā, the starting point of every group ride in Girona.
Have a good week,
Joe
Also, feel free to email me on joe@nplus1.cc if you have any questions, or feel Iāve missed something that is worth putting in the newsletter.
š Read
#racing #fixed
Cycling is a strange sport. There are numerous narratives going on at once. There are races within races, this unfortunately can lead to a sort of match-fixing. Some races are fixed for the spectacle, and the paying crowd knows that, such as the post-Tour de France crits. Yet there is also a darker side, with potential fixing on the biggest stageā¦
10-minute read
#culture
The likelihood is that you arenāt faced with a choice between the sport you love and your own safety; between riding your bike or seeing your family again. For Rukhsar Habibzai, that choice became a reality when she was forced to flee Afghanistan to protect herself from a resurgent Taliban. She has now found refuge in the US, her story is like no other.
7-minute read
#WinterPrep
In case you havenāt realised, winter is here. Even in my adopted home of sunny Girona, the weather has been wet and cold this past week. If youāre anywhere in Europe, itās not going to be getting much better until March, so itās better to prep your bike now. Preparing your bike now can prevent hassle and expense later on, hereās how to do it.
5-minute read
#pride
Allan āThe Unicornā Shaw is a Scotsman living in Mexico City. He has been a bike messenger in over ten cities and his story is far from normal. Allan is one of the only openly-gay male athletes in the competitive bikepacking world and is the founder of the Gayās Okay cycling brand. Allanās story is unique, and I feel like everyone should hear it.
6-minute read
#training #running
Two decades ago, few cyclists had GPS computers on their bikes. A decade ago, few cyclists were using power meters. Could blood glucose monitors be the next big tech to take over pro-racing, and inevitably trickle down to the masses? Find out how this little bit of tech could push performance further, and let me know if itās going to be on your shopping list.
5-minute read
š±Tweet of the week
Sky News @SkyNews
'Pedalling Picasso' cycles 75 miles across London to map out moustachioed man for Movember https://t.co/9CalI0mPt7š§ Listen
I guess you all know by now that Iām a big fan of Girona. Iāve lived here for just under a year, and I love it. There are so many different cultures, itās a city thatās so close to the countryside, there are mountains and there is sea. So, itās no surprise that when I stumble across a podcast about Girona, I share it here. This pod is from The Gravel Ride, and covers Trek Travelās āGirona Gravel Tour.ā
55-minute listen
š Watch
Pete Kennaugh is an Olympic Gold Medalist and a former professional cyclist. In 2019, he barely had the motivation or drive to head out for a ride much less race. Now, Pete has come full circle; this is his story.
16-minute watch