Hello,
Howāre you doing? This weekās newsletter is coming from my apartment in Girona. The sun is shining and after a month of rain, the city is starting to transition to the summer I know and love.
This past week has been a quiet one for me on the bike. Iāve simply been spending time recovering from my last race block and preparing to travel to Bretagne this weekend for my next one. However, off the bike, it has been busy. Easter in Girona means lots of people and plenty of festivities. G-Town has been busy and packed with events.
This past Sunday also saw Paris-Roubaix. Iāve never been sure which race I class as the best in the world, but now I am, itās Roubaix. The race has a special reputation and carries an atmosphere like no other. The Hell of the North is a monster event for the riders and for fans across the world, casuals to ultras, it is āCup Final Dayā.
I headed to Hors Categorie in Girona to watch the final 100 km. The bar was already full when I arrived, so myself and a small group of fellow pros settled outside streaming it via their phones. Everyone was predicting what would happen as the race went through its million and one narratives.
With 20 km to go, the phone battery died and we headed inside, joining the crowd. The Dutchies cheered on Dylan van Baarle as he made his attack, there were audible gasps as Yves Lampaert collided with a spectator and a round of applause as the winner crossed the line.
Iād never been in a situation like that before, a bar full of cyclists, watching the sport we all love. It was like watching a football (soccer) match in the UK, not everybody knew each other personally, but we were all connected by our love of cycling.
Paris-Roubaix is the greatest race in the world.
Happy pedalling,
Joe
Feel free to emailĀ meĀ at joe@nplus1.cc if you have any questions, or feel Iāve missed something that is worth putting in the Newsletter.
š Read
#racing
Paris-Roubaix rarely disappoints and 2022 was no different, it was one for the history books. The Italian champion, Elisa Longo Borghini took the crown in the second-ever womenās edition, solo-ing to a popular win. In the menās race, Dylan van Baarle also took a solo win, after the Ineos Grenadiers ripped up the race with over 200 km still to go. Roubaix is the best bike race in the world.
7-minute read
#tech
Paris-Roubaix or the āHell of the Northā always brings special technology to help the riders tackle what is recognised as the hardest cobbles in the world. In this article, CyclingTips spied some unique additions to the bikes. From C02 canisters, to double wrapped tape and a thru-axle tool taped to seat postsā¦ there was a bit of everything.
4-minute read
#budgetbikes
Last week we brought you a buyerās guide to budget gravel bikes, this week itās the road bikeās turn. Bike prices seem to be spiraling out of control, with some deeming it ānormalā to spend north of $5,000 on a bike. This buyerās guide looks at the best options which wonāt break the bank. Theyāre not the most stylish bikes in the world, but thatās not the point.
7-minute read
#travel #adventure
Nestled in the French Alps is the ski-town of Morzine. Itās an easy drive from Geneva Airport and offers some of the greatest scenery youāll see in Europe. Itās a beauty of a place on the road bike, trust me, but apparently, itās even better on the MTB. Home to the worldās biggest life network, you can have all the fun of going downhill, without the slog back up. Here are Five Reasons to travel to Morzine this summer.
4-minute read
#environment
The humble bicycle is extremely environmentally friendly, we all know that. However, what about the industry as a whole? The bikeās journey starts a long time before you receive it, from design to manufacture to delivery, there is a full process that we donāt see. It begs the question, are bike businesses getting away with greenwashing, and if so, why?
4-minute read
#training
Many of you reading this will be time-pressed athletes targeting big events. Whether thatās on-road, off-road, or a mixture of the both, it can be difficult to fathom training for long events when you have such little time available. This article from American coach Hannah Otto gives eight tips for optimising training time.
3-minute read
š±Tweet of the week
Thatās what happens when you ride a punctured wheel on the cobblesā¦
š§ Listen
The Cycling Podcast is a giant in the media industry. The soundtrack of many of my own training rides, it is a podcast that offers an insight into each corner of the cycling world.
Many pros and fans credit The Cycling Podcast with getting them hooked on the sport. Last month, Richard Moore, the podcastās frontman, tragically passed away. Richard was a personal colleague and a mentor. This podcast in tribute to him details the early days of TCP, building it from the ground up, and some funny stories from the other side of the bike race. Richard was a giant of cycling, and heāll be greatly missed.
110-minute listen
š Watch
Three ultra cyclists embark on an epic bikepacking journey, following the route of āThe Rhino Runā through South Africa and Namibia. Watch this video and tell me youāre not inspired to book a flight out there to experience it yourself.
30-minute watch
šš» Introducing
In this new part of the Newsletter, each week weāre going to introduce one of the brands that we work with at N+1.
Introducingā¦ Acros
Acros have created reliable bike components since 1999. The German company specialises in bearing technology and believe in #ridemoreworryless. Bearings might not be the sexiest technology, but they have a huge impact on the ride quality of your bike!
Be sure toĀ download our appĀ and browse their collection!