Table of contents for Summer 2022 in Cycling Plus

A sense of adventure and the freedom that cycling inspires (plus the waft of Spanish tortilla) looms over our summer edition. Take your pick from the big bike test of endurance rides that urge you to ride further from p30; the ‘Battle Ready’ feature on p42 on how to return to outdoor events and group rides this summer; and writer Tim Moore delving into his 4,409km recreation of the 1941 Vuelta a España aboard a bike from 1975 (p58). There’s also the team’s first overseas trip since 2019 to Ibiza (p112), with quiet roads and bumper breakfast buffets replacing banging beats and mega clubs. Enjoy! matthew.baird@ourmedia.co.uk Your experts Warren Rossiter Senior tech editor The glowing praise and five star review in the big bike test suggests the demise of the…

Each issue, with her ear to the world of UK cycling infrastructure, Laura will report on the setbacks our community faces – and how we’re fighting back By the time you read this, the first RideLondon-Essex 100 event will have seen thousands cycling on Essex’s gloriously and temporarily traffic-free roads. The event has a place in my heart: the years I rode the London-Surrey 100 were truly joyful, with people yelling support, clapping, high-fiving and generally being brilliant, including occasionally offering aid to passing riders. That’s not to mention the camaraderie of fellow cyclists riding on quiet roads. Nine years since its inauguration, the event moves to Essex, its great legacy putting three of its features – Box Hill, Leith Hill and Newlands Corner – among Britain’s most popular Strava…

• Warren is one of the UK’s most experienced cycling journalists and bike testers, and has ridden more bikes – and more types of bikes – than just about anybody else out there… AN ENDURANCE BIKE, at first glance, looks much like the bikes you’ll see racing through France in July, but look more closely and you’ll see there are some subtle but significant differences, which make them more suitable for the likes of you and I rather than two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar and his pro peloton pals. An endurance bike is made for day-long comfort, putting you in a more upright position that puts less strain on your lower back, for example. 01 Geometry for big rides It really is all about ride position. While a…

Weight 9.46kg (58cm) Frameset Carbon Gears Shimano Tiagra (50/34, 11-34) Brakes Shimano Tiagra Wheels Cannondale RD 3.1 rims, Formula CenterLock hubs Finishing kit Cannondale alloy bar, stem and seatpost, Fizik Aliante Delta saddle, Vittoria Zaffiro Pro Reflective 30c tyres THE LATEST CANNONDALE Synapse has, for the first time, stepped away from racing associations, with previous versions being ridden to victory at Ghent-Wevelgem. Instead, the new Synapse’s design direction is more about real-world riders’ needs and usability. On higher-spec models such as our endurance bike of the year, the Synapse Carbon LTD RLE, that’s more obvious: it even comes with an integrated lighting system. Our model has no electronics, but with the same high-quality frame you could upgrade later. And that frame really is the star. The geometry is very similar…

01 Most cherished bike I still really love my 1914 Hirondelle from Gironimo, even though it found a new way to try and kill me every single day. 02 Friendliest nation Spain: land of few cars and endless cheery club pelotons. Well, that’s the romantic answer. If native friendliness is to encompass driving competence and the quality and quantity of bike paths, it’s a straight fight between Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. 03 Key accessory Savlon. So good it could probably double up as chain lube, but it’s a challenging energy gel. 04 Best cycling food Pizza. Undisputed king of predictable calories, especially when manipulating cutlery is beyond your cramped and palsied fingers. 05 Worst meal Rancid anchovy Napolitana pizza in Le Blanc, France, 2000; margherita bestrewn with partially-defrosted McCains…

The Testers Warren Rossiter Senior tech editor Warren is one of the UK’s most experienced bike journalists and tech reviewers Matt Baird Editor Matt is CP’s editor and has been testing Lycra, helmets and shoes since 2008 Robin Wilmott Tech writer Long-time contributor and former staffer Robin is an ultra-experienced tester Alice Thomson Multi-discipline rider Alice is a Bristol-based ultra-distance cyclist who also races cyclocross…

Warren has spent the 21st century testing eyewear at every price point for Cycling Plus. As his extensive yet selective personal collection testifies, he knows what works and what doesn’t in a pair of cycling sunglasses. His relentless road and gravel riding in all conditions and topographies ensure that all the glasses here were tested to their limits. It’s incredibly easy to spend a large wedge of cash on cycling specs, with premium cycling sunglasses now costing in the realms of several hundreds of pounds. And while it’s completely understandable and mandatory for safety concerns that all riders want to protect their eyes from the harmful dangers of UV rays – not forgetting insects, gravel and other objects hitting at high speed into the mix – it can be fairly…

• The major way in which SRAM’s eTap groupsets set themselves apart is in their integration with SRAM’s excellent AXS app. You can simply use the app to accurately keep track of battery levels, but if you’re a tech-savvy rider there’s so much more to be had. Firstly, you can assign the buttons on your shifters to operate how you want them, including fully automatic front shifts, and it records a pleasingly wide range of metrics – GPS tracking with speed, distance, moving time, heart rate, shift count and time spent in each gear. And if you have a power meter, it’ll add that too – and even tyre pressures if you’re using Quarq’s Tyrewiz tyre pressure monitor (there’s a dedicated Tyrewiz for the Zipp 101 rims). The app auto-uploads…

Norman, 86, is a physiology professor at King’s College London, a former audax champion and author of The Lazarus Strategy: How to Age Well and Wisely I recently spent about eight weeks in South Africa, based mainly in and around Stellenbosch, a university town in the Western Cape. The whole idea was to get away from the cold and dark of the English winter. Although I did my daily exercises, I did not get on a bike. South Africa, in my experience, is a not very cycle-friendly place. The quieter roads do not have hard shoulders and, as they are only two lanes wide, there is a constant dicing with cars for road space. Anyway, this meant that it was in the first week of March, when I was back…

L’Etape Madrid 3 July 2022 • Madrid and the plains and mountains of central Spain sizzle in the summertime and this ride with the double Tour de France winner Alberto Contador offers a 170km route with over 3,000m of elevation gain to raise the temperature further. letapebytourdefrance.com L’Etape Du Tour de France 2022 3 July 2022 • Early July in Southern France can be incredibly toasty, especially if you’re climbing the Galibier and the Croix de Fer on your way to Alpe d’Huez for 2022’s Etape, which mirrors Stage 12 of this year’s pro Tour de France race. letapedutourdefrance.com Haute Route Alps 2022 22-28 August 2022 • The Cote d’Azur can be especially sweaty work in the summer, with the first two days of riding in this Haute Route multi-day…

Ned is the main commentator for ITV’s Tour de France coverage and editor of The Road Book. He also tours his own one-man show Stage six of the Giro d’Italia was one of the longest days of my life. It wasn’t simply that my hotel room overlooked the car park in which both AG2R Citroën and Jumbo Visma had parked their flotilla of team vehicles, though that was challenging enough given that their hardworking team of soigneurs and mechanics were clattering around seemingly all night. Neither was it simply because I had no idea how to manipulate the cord to lower the shutters, which meant that bright Calabrian sunlight filled my room at 5.30am. Nor was it because, after breakfast, we had to find a petrol station with an air…

The 2022 Tour de France has within it some intriguing mountain stages, particularly at summits. Altitude finishes on the gravel of Super Planche des Belles Filles, the wild Alpine terrain of Col du Granon, the wild atmosphere of Alpe d’Huez and the uneven Pyrenean climb of Hautacam each promise supreme tests of the legs of all those with yellow jersey aspirations. Increasingly, however, time gained in the mountains is marginal and more often than not you can throw a blanket over the top contenders come the flamme rouge – the 1km to go marker before the finish. Summit finishes are telegraphed end points, a test of endurance but little else as the riders claw their way to the finish. Of course, this isn’t always the case, and the prospect of…

The first question those unfamiliar with cycling are likely to ask any half decent bike racer is: “So, do you race the Tour de France?” The three-week Grand Tour is a household name that transcends the otherwise relatively niche sport of professional cycling, but, since 2009, the women’s peloton haven’t had any other answer than ‘no’. This year, however, that is all set to change with the creation of the first Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (TDFF). The race, which will take place over eight stages starting on the Champs Élysées before the final stage of the men’s Tour and culminates with a mountaintop finish on the Super Planche des Belles Filles in the Vosges mountains in the east of France, has been years in the making. While many…

The teams and riders in this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift come from far and wide. The majority still come from cycling’s historical homeland of continental Europe – with France, inevitably, and the Netherlands especially well represented. But in addition to three teams from Germany and one each from Belgium, the UK, Italy, Spain and Norway, the growing popularity of women’s cycling worldwide sees three outfits from the USA and one each from Australia and the United Arab Emirates – and for good measure they’re riding bikes from all over the world, too. Wildcard teams explained Which teams will fill the final seven places? There are 24 teams in the 2022 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. These consist of the 14 WorldTour teams and the three Continental…

On location Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe’s podcast Watts Occurring is in its fourth season and the Welshmen continue their amusing musings in episode 68, in Tenerife, as a Netflix crew turn up to film at their pre-Tour training camp PC race If watching the Tour de France on television doesn’t fully scratch the itch, then the Tour de France game for Xbox, PlayStation and PC is being released on 9 June. You can watch the trailer for it here: youtu.be/MLglp2GkIpo Official secrets There are men’s and women’s Tour de France previews with this issue’s magazine but if you want it in even more detail, check out the official race guide: tinyurl.com/CPTDF22 Ull in Daniel Friebe’s long-anticipated biography of legendary pro rider Jan Ullrich, The Best There Never Was, lands…

Fork offset • How far the front axle – in the middle of the front wheel – is offset from the steering axis. This is an imaginary line that follows the angle of the head tube until it hits the ground. Groupset • All the parts involved in braking, changing gear or running the drivetrain. This includes the shifters, brake levers, front and rear brake callipers, front and rear derailleurs (or mechs), crankset, bottom bracket, chain and cassette. Crankset • The crankset, or chainset, is the bit that propels the bike and consists of the cranks and one, two or three chainrings. Our three test bikes all have two rings, but single-ring or ‘1x’ setups, paired with wider cassettes, are becoming more common, especially on gravel bikes. Reach • The…

Weight 8.82kg (56cm) Frameset Carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra (50/34, 11-32) Brakes Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc Wheels Fulcrum Racing 77 DB Finishing kit Continental Grand Sport Race SL 28mm tyres, Newmen Evolution stem, seatpost and bar, Natural Fit Venec saddle CUBE’S ATTAIN IS the Bavarian brand’s first proper take on an endurance bike. Previously, it had stuck to race-orientated geometry with comfort nods in the tyre, bar and saddle choice. This time, the great-looking frameset combines a super-skinny, full-carbon fork that’s designed to be race-bike stiff laterally but give a little fore-and-aft movement to help curb tiring vibrations. Similarly skinny seatstays, which are less radically dropped than those on the Defy or Synapse, are also there to offer some rear-end flex to smooth out the ride. Speedy geometry My 56cm test…

Modern life has robbed you of some key cycling skills. The pandemic-era boom in indoor training has produced many cyclists who are aerobically fit but may lack confidence and control out on the roads, or struggle with the unpredictable gradients of ‘real’ climbs. Working from home has also left many cyclists with back pain, which is hampering their comfort on the bike. Then there are those who have spent months training alone and now feel nervous following a wheel. And the cancellation of sportives has left many riders unsure about pacing themselves on big rides. As the world opens up, an exciting array of sportives, cycling holidays, social spins and adventures await. But first you need to get road-ready. Whether you are an experienced rider whose skills have been blunted,…

“Daddy, are you going to dress up like Tim Moore for World Book Day?” I’ve spent much of the year reading and re-reading the many tales of one of cycling’s most popular writers, so much so that my children (and partner) think it’s time I sport a daft period outfit, apply some Savlon and board a battered bike for a European cycling odyssey. From my sofa, I’ve been transported to a Pro Plusaddled Tour de France route in the London writer’s cycling debut French Revolutions, looked on with awe and fear as Moore attempts to ride the infamous 1914 Giro d’Italia on a bike with wooden wheels and prosecco cork brake pads in Gironimo!, and erased my fingernails as he tackles a Finnish midwinter, carefree Russian drivers and the 9,000km…

• My slimy, wrinkled gloves now ranked as the most appalling items of clothing I had ever put on, certainly since 1978. They looked as if they’d been pulled off the corpse of an Ancient Briton found preserved in a peat bog, and smelled like it too. Whenever my hands passed anywhere near my face, the stench of pickled death brought tears to my eyes and food up my throat. That night I sluiced ten sinkfuls of acrid Bovril out of them, but come morning they still reeked, and were still sodden. I set off with them tied to the bar-bag to dry, but almost straight away had to stop and pull them squelchily back on: changing gear without a padded palm was agony. I realised that gloves had been…

Weight 9.95kg (52cm) Frame Titanium Fork Carbon Gears Shimano GRX, 46-30, 11-34 Brakes Shimano GRX hydraulic disc callipers Wheels Halo Carbaura XCD 35 Finishing kit Redshift Sports stem, seatpost and alloy bar, Genetic STV saddle, Halo GXC tubeless tyres SINCE 2010, Minneapolis-based All-City Cycles has carved its own metal-framed niche. Evolving from fixed-wheel, the brand now has skinny-tubed road, ’cross and all-road bikes in its stable. Building on the success of its steel namesake, this Cosmic Stallion is its first titanium frame. Unlike its other models, the Cosmic Stallion Ti is only sold as a frameset (£3,499.99), and the bike shown was built by Ison Distribution using its brands. The frame, built from All-City’s 3Al/2.5V Oberon Titanium, is claimed to weigh 340g less than steel (and is named after the…

ADVANCES IN BATTERY technology have brought a wave of very portable power tools, including angle grinders, which have become the tool of choice for professional bike thieves. Thanks to UK bike-security expert Hiplok’s brand-new D1000, the thieves may have met their match, though. How does it work? First up, it uses Ferosafe: a superhard composite graphene material around a steel core. Then there’s the oversized U shackle, 20mm in cross section and square where it fits into the lock body, helping resist twisting forces so you can’t just cut one side then rotate it to release the bike. Lastly, there are two bolts. This means you’d have to cut twice to get through this lock. The lock’s internal 155mm x 92mm is big enough to secure a road bike, threading…

Le Col Pro Aero £145/£170 Sizes XS–XL Weight 133g (jersey) 218g (shorts) Jersey colours Navy; Black LE COL’S PRO AERO Jersey and Pro Bib Shorts are both designed for maximum speed. The jersey makes me feel like the prorider I will never be. The design is sleek and flattering, with longer sleeves, a snug fit and a ribbed fabric on the sleeves and front panel. This fabric is ‘air-tripping’ with aero results proven in the wind tunnel, according to Le Col. Cool comfort Capacity for snacks (or other items) is important, and the jersey has generous pockets I found easy to access while riding. The jersey is also comfortable, with a soft, rounded neckline and a zip garage to prevent rubbing. This soft, stretchy fabric is also found on the…

RockShox Reverb AXS XPLR dropper post £779500 The good Easy set-up; quick and easy to drop/extend; improves riding position on technical terrain The bad More expensive than a cableoperated dropper post Zipp 101 XPLR wheels £779780 (front) ?866 (rear) The good Astonishing line-saving traction and compliance The bad Could be lighter; not for road rubber; multiple spoke lengths SRAM Red XPLR AXS £7791,998 (brakes, shifter, rear mech, cassette, chainset) The good Super-slick shifts; app data mining; gravel-friendly gear spread The bad Pricey in the Red configuration RockShox Rudy XPLR fork £779 The good Impressively sensitive; well controlled; easy set-up The bad Heavier than a rigid fork; added complexity; could affect geometry…

Getting there • Direct flights to Ibiza are available daily across the UK, with our flight from Bristol taking roughly two hours. For a non-flying option, you could take an overnight ferry from Barcelona for around £300 return. 01 Where to stay • For easy access to restaurants, Ibiza Town is the place to be – just remember to bring your ear plugs! We stayed in the Nautico Ebeso (£80 per night; bghotels.com), nicely located on the coast and a short walk to the old town. 02 Where to eat • During the ride we took lunch at The Boat House, a popular restaurant in an idyllic spot in Cala San Vicente (theboathouseibiza.com). Bike shop • We hired bikes from Simon at Velo Club Ibiza (veloclubibiza.com) for 30 euro per…

01 Precision Fuel & Hydration fuel sample pack £29.99 Chart your carb consumption and electrolyte balance with this bundle from PH, which includes energy gels, chews and a drink mix. 02 Gore Signal Jersey/Long Distance Bibs+ £79.99/£199.99 Does white clothing make you feel cooler? Research is equivocal, but it feels so with the Signal jersey; an ultralight 124g number that’s silky, stylish and has breathable fabric panels. The bibs are top class, too. 03 Lezyne Aero Energy Caddy £36 Now that your carb and sodium needs have been sorted, here’s a 700ml capacity Bento box for storing your electrolyte sachets, energy gels and homemade flapjacks within easy reach. 04 Dhb Aeron Lab Polartec baselayer £25 Lightweight /£40 dark grey A summer-specific baselayer may seem a misnomer, but they wick sweat…

It’s difficult to describe a threeweek grand tour, with all the unpredictability that 21 days of racing (plus three rest days) can cook up, as a particular rider’s ‘race to lose’. Mind you, we are skirting close to that language in describing Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who’s gunning for a third consecutive yellow jersey at the tender age of 23. Let’s not anoint him the winner just yet, though. He has strong competition, especially from compatriot Primož Roglič, and a route that includes possibly the toughest stint on cobbles ever seen at the Tour de France.…

There are few team sports on the planet where an individual takes the lion’s share of the plaudits. Yet, while the yellow jersey winner may stand alone on the top step of the podium at the finish in Paris and reap the benefits – financial or otherwise – of being a Tour de France champion they will rely upon, to varying degrees, at different points in the race, the strength of their team. In some ways, then, pro cycling is the ultimate team sport. On the other, a team can be packed with talent, but without the best rider in the race they’re lacking a priceless commodity. Wildcard teams explained Who are the lucky four wildcard picks? There are currently 18 WorldTour teams (the top ranking) in men’s cycling. With…

It’s official: the 2022 Tour de France is coming to Netflix. The race owner, ASO, has signed a deal with the streaming behemoth to produce eight 45-minute episodes, which together will likely amount to the biggest documentary ever broadcast of the race. ASO is very protective over the rights of its crown jewel. It’s often felt that innovation at this 119-year-old race has come at the expense of tradition, so it’s a bold, exciting move by the organisation to open the doors to documentary makers, who, with extensive behind the scenes footage and access to eight teams, including Ineos Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma, will add new layers to the sport’s biggest race. Airing early next year, the series’ credentials are boosted by the presence of Box to Box Films, a company…

Unstoppable Annemiek On the cusp of 40, van Vleuten remains the rider to beat Thirty-nine-year-old Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar), ranked number one in the world as we go to press, will go into the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (TDFF) as the outright favourite to win the general classification. The 2019 world champion, who has won just about everything, has her name written all over the parcours, in particular that final stage summit finish, and has proven herself over long stage races on myriad occasions, including two Giro Rosa overall wins. Long climbs are what van Vleuten does best and the Super Planche des Belles Filles will play into her hands, giving her a springboard to surge up the classification or a chance to cement her superiority. Standing in…

Hannah, how did you feel when news broke that there was finally going to be a women’s Tour de France this summer? I think it’s great. With women’s cycling in general we’re always trying to push things on. We’ve been lucky enough to have races added to our calendar alongside those of the men, like the Ardennes (the Amstel Gold Race for Women, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes) and the Tour of Flanders. But to have the Tour de France is amazing. I think eight days is a great length of race for us. Also, to start our Tour de France when the men finish is great because it means we’ve got all the media attention. Not that we’re greedy or anything! But it’s hard to compete when…

Since receiving the news his cancer was terminal, Richard has realised just how important cycling is to him “I’m sorry but there’s nothing we can do…” I didn’t hear much of what followed. It had all started a few years ago, when I’d had some clues that things weren’t quite right, but typically I’d brushed them off. However, the doctor was now confirming what I’d recently suspected – the cancer I’d been trying to battle since the diagnosis had spread to my lungs and was now incurable. I had a life expectancy of 18-24 months. Damn. It would be wrong to suggest that getting a terminal illness doesn’t change things. Of course it does. It’s a daily struggle for my family and I, knowing that I have limited time left.…

British folding-bike maker Hummingbird has revamped its design using a brand-new, lightweight, sustainable and easily recyclable material instead of a monocoque carbon frame. 01_________ Going natural Carbon fibre is a fantastic material for making lightweight bicycles, but it’s energy intensive to produce and difficult to recycle at the end of its life. Hummingbird wanted to use a more sustainable material so it joined forces with cutting-edge motorsport company Prodrive, which had been researching sustainable materials to meet motorsport sustainability regulations and goals: the result is flax fibre. 02_________ Why flax? Matt Bradney, business development director at Prodrive explains why flax works: “Careful design and processing can create components that surpass the performance of GRP (glass reinforced plastic) and match that of carbon-fibre composites. Flax is the predominant fibre in natural…

Weight 8.81kg (L) Frameset Advanced-grade composite Gear SRAM Rival eTap AXS (46/33, 10-36) 12-speed Brakes SRAM Rival Wheels Giant PR-2 Finishing kit Giant Gavia Fondo 1 32c tubeless tyres, Giant Contact stem, Approach saddle, Contact SL D-Fuse handlebar and composite seatpost GIANT’S DEFY CAN often be overlooked in the Taiwanese brand’s arsenal. This includes the featherweight TCR race bike; our Bike of the Year-winning gravel machine, the Revolt; and its fast aero bike, the Propel. But dismiss the Defy at your peril as you’ll be missing out on something truly special. In the past, the Defy has been a proving ground for some of Giant’s tech ambitions. It was the first mainstream road bike to go disc brake only, it debuted the D-shaped vibration-crushing seatpost – with BMC, Cervélo, Specialized…

French Revolutions: Cycling The Tour de France • The book that began Moore’s cycling career and became a Sunday Times bestseller. This witnessed Tim take on (most of) the 2,256km of the Tour de France 2000 route on precisely 25km of prep. Luckily the GT road bike was far superior at logging the KMs than what was to come… Gironimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy • With 400km stages and a 90% did-not-finish rate, the 1914 Giro d’Italia is seen as the toughest Grand Tour of all time. Moore recreates this 3,162km race on, yes, a bike from 1914 with wooden wheels and prosecco corks for brake pads, with welding goggles completing the authentic and rather ridiculous look. The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold •…

“So snug is the shoe’s fit that the laces seem like just a secondary security measure” ITALY’S DMT PIONEERED the 3D knitted shoe upper (and licensed it to some of the world’s largest sports-shoe manufacturers). This technology has also been used in the shoes that Tadej Pogačar has worn when riding to victory in the last two editions of the Tour. For 2022, however, DMT has taken the woven upper and applied it to an all-new, all-carbon outsole. The anatomically shaped new sole has four large, meshed vents to aid breathability and bring the weight down, plus a 1cm-deep lip around the sides for stability. The stretchy, one-piece upper has a close-fitting, sock-like fit with no need for a tongue. The laces are anchored to elasticated ropes that are bonded…

THE HEADLINE OF the Align II is that it has a Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (MIPS)-assisted lid at a £45 price point. It’s a major upgrade on the previous Align (£32.50) and is something that no other brand comes close to matching at the price – the Abus Macator MIPS at £69.99 is the closest competition (Giant’s £45 Relay MIPS is incoming). While the effectiveness of MIPS still isn’t unequivocal, helmets with MIPS have scored very highly in the influential and independent Virginia Tech’s recent helmet safety tests, in which the Align II was awarded an impressive five-star rating and top-10 position. However, what MIPS also does is add weight to a helmet, usually in the region of 25-45g. The Align II’s overall total is a chunky 374g for our…

“T he Thermal Vest is the best-fitting gilet I’ve tried, with no gaps or gaping arm holes when I’m riding” AUSTRALIAN CLOTHING specialist MAAP’s Alt_Road range is closefitting, road-referenced gravel kit that comes in men’s and women’s versions. First up, there’s the Alt_Road Jersey (£150). The main body material is a merino wool blend called Naturalmatch. Not only is this fine-woven cloth warm enough for three-season wear with its lightly fleeced lining, it’s also sustainably produced and recyclable. Side panels and rear pockets are made with durable ripstop fabric. Then there are three generous rear pockets with a light loop and zipped weatherproof security pocket. The Cargo Bibs (£235) are the star of the range. The heavy-duty, highly compressive four-way stretch placed where it’s needed supports your muscles really well.…

PACKED WITH TIPS AND ADVICE, GET INTO ROAD CYCLING IS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR NEW RIDERS Inside this special edition, you’ll find out how to: • Choose the essential kit you’ll need • Safely ride in traffic • Build your cycling fitness • Structure your cycle training • Take on any hill • Safely ride in a group • Fuel rides and recovery • Get smooth running gears • Set up tubeless tyres • And much more! ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY www.buysubscriptions.com/getintoroad22 or call 03330 162 138 and quote ‘Get Into Road 2022’ Lines are open 9am-5pm weekdays. Overseas please call +44 (0) 1604 973 746 £10.99 with FREE UK delivery. EUR price £12.49, ROW price £13.49. All orders are subject to availability. Please allow up to 28 days for…

Session 01 Calculate your sweat rate Expert Chris Harris, Precision Hydration sports scientist Why do it? Estimating sweat rate can be useful when working out how much and what type of fluid (water or electrolytes) you need to drink in training and in races Kit needed An accurate set of weighing scales and a dry towel Before the workout Go to the toilet, then weigh yourself (ideally in the nude) - remember if you are planning to drink, hold your bottles and include them in your “before” weight. During the workout Usually people try to simulate ‘race pace’, so they can calculate how much fluid they need for races. Be sure to log the temperature, humidity and intensity of the workout, so you can log how your sweat rate changes…

1 THREE’S A CHARM Back-to-back Tour de France wins, combined with astonishing early 2022 form that saw him win on terrain as varied as Tirreno-Adriatico and Strade Bianche – as well as coming a tactical blunder away from winning the Tour of Flanders – puts Tadej Pogačar in a seemingly impregnable position. Still only 23, it’s this rare ability to win at all races, in all conditions, that has seen him dubbed ‘the new Merckx’ – admittedly, the latest in a long line of riders to be given this poison chalice, but perhaps the first to actually live up to it. Over the past couple of seasons, there are few stage races that he’s entered which he hasn’t ended up winning and, with his UAE Team Emirates squad continuing to…

My first… memory of the Tour de France My dad always says he used to stick the Tour on TV when I was younger and I would just lie on him while he watched it. I was about two or three years old. But I can also remember watching the race around 2008, and even watching some when Lance [Armstrong] was winning before then. Being British, I remember Cav [Mark Cavendish] winning all those stages and also [Bradley] Wiggins winning in 2012. So I have fond memories of the Tour. I didn’t watch other bike races until the age of 15 or 16, but that is what makes it so special. Everyone knows the Tour de France. My first… Tour de France call-up When you find out you’re going to…

It’s been eight years since La Course, the one-day women’s race held during the men’s Tour de France, was first staged. In some ways it feels like an age for us to get here to this point, on the eve of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, a women’s Tour de France, eight stages long on a varied and testing course, and held on its own terms in its own spotlight away from the men’s race. Change, however, isn’t always as fast as people would like and if it does arrive later than originally hoped, it does so in a moment in time when women’s pro racing and its stellar calendar has never been so strong.…

It can’t be overstated just how much work, focus and persistence has gone into the creation of this, a new era for women's racing at the Tour de France. That this race, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, to give its full title, exists, isn’t some sop to appease people who’ve been urging for this race to be created. ASO, the organisers, aren’t in this business for charitable endeavours – they’re in it to make money. And they clearly feel that there’s a business case for the Tour de France Femmes. They’ve built slowly, first with La Course, then with Classics such as Paris-Roubaix and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, and now they’ve taken their biggest step yet with the formation of an eight-stage Tour de France. The route looks fascinating, a proper,…

I begin to work out what I can do to whittle down the opposition to at least get a fighting chance. Ideally, by the time we get to the Aspin I’ll be a little bit ahead of this group, but can I ride off on the front by myself? I don’t think so. So I’ll have to wait for the others to start attacking, which they eventually do, and then be sure I get myself across to one of the smaller groups in exactly the right way. The best strategy is letting the moves go, not panicking, and then timing my bridging across to each group at the exact moment before they’re so far ahead that it’s become impossible to reach them. That moment or distance between you and the…