This weekās newsletter brings a new design as well as a whole host of cool bike news. We feature: custom-painted cycling shoes, a podcast with one of the biggest names in the Gravel world, and some innovative businesses that will define the next decade of the sport. Enjoy!
Hello,
Howāre you doing? This weekās newsletter is coming from a random hotel room in Brittany. Iām currently racing the Tour de Bretagne so apologies if this is brief, time is at a premium!
Today was Stage 2, and it has been two bunch finishes in a row for me. The racing here is strangely awkward. Itās never really hard, itās never really easy, itās just uncomfortable all day.
The weather here is beautiful. Racing in northern France in April can be risky, but weāve been treated well. The people are great too, each day there are thousands of animated Bretons lining the finishing circuits. It really is an honour to do this race.
Five more stages to go, five more opportunities to go racing!
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.
ć ¤
N+Read š
Liege-Bastogne-Liege Results
Liege-Bastogne-Liege always delivers, and this year was no different, but it didnāt follow the usual script. Remco Evenepoel won the menās race, with a daring attack coming just after La Redoute. In the womenās race, Annemiek Van Vleuten proved that she is one of the greatest of all time by adding yet another monument to her ever-growing list.
ā± 7-minute read
ć ¤
Rider Stories
If you think racing Paris-Roubaix would be difficult, imagine what it would be like racing it while still at school, and studying for your final exams. Flora Perkins of Wahoo-Le Col did exactly that last weekend. Perkinsā story is relatively unique, and the bizarre classroom-pro-cycling crossover isnāt something you come across very often.
ā± 4-minute read
ć ¤
Innovative Tech
You can never be truly sure as to where cycling tech will end up. A decade ago, whoād have predicted that Zwift would be as big as they are today, or that Brompton fold-up bikes would be cool? From re-imagined gears to new insurance models, here are nine innovative cycling businesses you should keep an eye on.
ā± 5-minute read
ć ¤
Custom Shoes
We all love custom bits of kit, and the latest craze seems to be customising cycling shoes. Itās understandable why. Cycling shoes are pretty boring by design. Zusha Bettoun and his brother Mendel Bettoun have a cottage industry of custom painting cycling shoes from World Champs, to pros, to everyday amateurs. Check out some of their work as they walk VeloNews through the process.
ā± 4-minute read
ć ¤
Feel Good Gravel
This weekend, the Traka ultra Gravel event will take place in Girona. The jewel in the crown being the 360 km route. As a Girona resident, Lachlan Morton will be on the start line, but heās taken it one step further. Morton is also hosting Team Amani, an African team set up to showcase talent from the under-represented continent. A good guy, doing good things for cycling. Whatās not to like?
ā± 4-minute read
ć ¤
A Gravel Masterclass
Gravel is still an up-and-coming discipline in cycling. So whenever thereās an opportunity to educate, I include it in this newsletter. From the simple āWhy gravelā to more in-depth equipment questions, this Q&A opens the door and answers many questions that newbies may have!
ā± 5-minute read
ć ¤
N+Tweet š²
If Iām ever struggling for a Tweet, Cycling out of Context is my go-to place as it always delivers. I donāt think any of us thought that we needed to see a video of a dinosaur riding around a velodrome today, but here it is anyway.
ć ¤
N+Listen š§
Ian Boswell is a former World Tour cyclist on the road, who is now bossing the dirt. Boswell took the biggest crown in gravel last season by winning Unbound. For this weekās N+Listen, we offer a podcast between Boswell and Nathan Haas. Haas, also an ex-World Tour pro is about to start his first season in gravel.
ā± 56-minute listen
ć ¤
N+Watch š
I love behind-the-scenes videos, and if you read last weekās newsletter youāll know that I love Paris-Roubaix. So including this video of Dylan van Baarle winning the menās edition was a no-brainer. Sit back, relax and enjoy the highs and lows of cyclingās biggest one-day race. Make sure you have the tissues ready for the end.
ā± 6-minute watch
N+1 New Brand šš»
In this new part of the Newsletter, each week weāre going to introduce one of the brands that we work with at N+1.
This week we are introducing theā¦ Never Second
NeverSecond are a performance nutrition brand by cyclists, for cyclists. Established in 2019, their mission is to bring everyday athletes the same performance nutrition products and nutritional guidance that world champions and Olympians receive by leveraging science.
Be sure toĀ download our appĀ and browse their products!