My Cycling Blog.

Saturday, 12 January 2013

Articles

I've taken down a few of my articles that originally featured on 'My Cycling Blog.' as they appear elsewhere on other websites. Here is a list of all the articles that I have ever written, including those I have taken down from my blog, that have been published on other websites. It's likely that the majority of my future work will also be added to this list rather than be published in article format on this blog, but you never know.

1) 'Interview with Alex Dowsett'
Available here: http://www.cyclingshorts.uk.com/2012/12/24/alex-dowsett-interview/ and here: http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20383

2) 'Kazakhstan's Favourite Cycling Son'
http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20341

3) 'Get off our roads! Cyclists and Road Tax'
http://www.opinionpanel.co.uk/community/2012/12/12/get-off-our-roads-cyclists-and-road-tax/

4) 'British Cycling and Team Astana: Why do Governments Sponsor Sport?'
http://www.cyclerecycleuk.com/#/blog/4561096503/'British-Cycling-and-Team-Astana-Why-do-Governments-Sponsor-Sport-'-by-Sam-Jackson/4010203

5) 'British Cycling Unveils New Adidas Jersey for 2013 and 2014'
http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20384

6) 'The Physiology of Pro Cyclists: Massive Lungs'
http://www.cyclingshorts.uk.com/2012/11/09/the-physiology-of-pro-cyclists-massive-lungs/

7) 'Daily Peloton News Roundup - 11th January 2013'
http://dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20386

8) 'Teams Ready for Season Debuts at Tour Down Under'
http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20387

9) 'Bradley Wiggins wins BBC SPOTY'
http://dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20363

10) 'ORICA-GreenEDGE Announces Tour Down Under Roster'
http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=20389

Sunday, 22 July 2012

Bradley Wiggins: Britain’s Best Ever Cyclist?

My Ranking		Years Pro	Major Achievements
1	Bradley Wiggins	2002-	3xOlympic Track Gold 1xOlympic Track Silver 2xOlympic Track Bronze 6xTrack World Champion 2009 4^th Tour de France 2010 Giro d’Italia Stage 1 2011 3^rd Vuelta a Espana 2011 Silver World Championships Time Trial 2012 Paris-Nice 2012 Tour of Romandie 2xTour de France Stages 2012 Tour de France
2	Mark Cavendish	2007-	2xTrack World Champion 23xTour de France Stages 12xGiro d’Italia Stages 2009 Milan-San Remo 4xVuelta a Espana Stages 2011 Tour de France Green Jersey 2011 World Road Race Champion
3	Tom Simpson	1958-67	1xOlympic Track Bronze 1961 Tour of Flanders 6^th 1962 Tour de France 1963 Bordeaux-Paris 1964 Milan-San Remo 1965 World Road Race Champion 1965 Tour of Lombardy 2xVuelta a Espana Stages 1967 Paris-Nice
4	Robert Millar	1980-95	3xTour de France Stage 1984 Tour de France KOM 1984 4^th Tour de France 1985 Volta a Catalunya 1985 2^nd Vuelta a Espana 1986 2^nd Vuelta a Espana 1986 Vuelta a Espana Stage 1987 2^nd Giro d’Italia 1987 Giro d’Italia Stage 1987 Giro d’Italia KOM 1990 Dauphiné Libéré
5	Chris Froome	2007-	2011 2^nd Vuelta a Espana 2012 2^nd Tour de France
6	David Millar	2000-	4xTour de France Stage 5xVuelta Stages 2001 Tour of Denmark 2001 Circuit de la Sarthe 2xSilver World Championships Time Trial 2xGiro d’Italia Stage 2010 3 Days de Panne 2010 Chrono des Nations
7	Barry Hoban	1962-81	8xTour de France Stages 2xVuelta a Espana Stages 1974 Ghent-Wevelgem
8	Chris Boardman	1993-2000	1992 Olympic Track Gold 2xTrack World Champion 1994 World Time Trial Champion 4xTour de France Stage 1996 Olympic Time Trial Bronze 1996 Criterium International 2xBronze World Championships Time Trial
9	Chris Hoy*	1999-	4xOlympic Track Golds 1xOlympic Track Silver 11xWorld Championship Track Gold 8xWorld Championship Track Silver 6xWorld Championship Track Bronze
10	Brian Robinson	1952-63	2xTour de France Stages 1961 Dauphiné Libéré

*I am working on the basis that track medals are less lucrative than road wins

Wednesday, 18 July 2012

This is Not Summer. (..and a little crash)

Back in April or May, or whenever it was, at the time the weather experts were telling us we were in drought, I recall them saying the hosepipe bans were 'unlikely to be lifted until winter'. Unless, they said, unless we had more or less torrential rain for the whole of the summer. Well thanks a bunch weather experts. Because that's exactly what we've got.

I'm fairly sure I speak for all cyclists when I say the weather plays a fairly integral part in enticing me outdoors on the bike. Rain and muck can be fun to an extent, but not in July! Attention weather-gods, yes, I repeat, it is July! In July I expect light evenings, sunshine and little wind. Not hail. Or gale-force winds. Or requiring a light on my bike at 3pm. Sort it out.

Having foregone the opportunity to race yesterday night, as the clouds around town resembled Mordor, tonight I was determined to race, rain or shine. Well, this wasn't such a good idea. In the rain, wearing about 75 layers, I skidded completely randomly without touching the breaks on a dual carriageway roundabout whilst chugging along at snail's pace. Slightly put off, but to an equal extent impressed at my lightning reactions to keep the bike upright, I soldiered on, before the back wheel jumped again, this time going about 5mph in a straight line without a drain cover or painted white line in sight. Slightly uneasy, I checked the tyre which looked fine. A good 5 minutes of concerned bike checking later, I set off again. I arrived at the race, greeted by a welcoming deluge as I pedalled onwards to sign on. Having done so, I set off on some warm up laps and skidded again. This time, there was no saving it and down I went. Pretty hard.

Disgusted at my bike, for the back wheel jumping three times in about 25 miles (this has never happened before), I took my number back to the marshal and went home, with just road rash and dented pride to show for my stoic refusal to bow to the weather Gods. For no other reason than it was cold, wet and raining, and I have no idea what, if anything at all, is wrong with my bike, I hold the weather to account entirely. At times like this I really dislike cycling. Please can we have our jet-steam back?

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

A Letter to Mr Liggett and Mr Sherwen.

Dear Mr Liggett and Mr Sherwen,

Your commentary of the Tour de France is absorbing and I have the greatest of respect for your canal boating hobbies and encyclopaedic knowledge of French chateau architecture. However, there are two minor issues I feel I must point out, both of which somewhat hinder my enjoyment of your otherwise enthralling commentary.

Firstly, and this is addressed to Mr Liggett, I have a problem regarding your pronunciation of a certain blond and cherubic Norwegian Sky rider. Mr Edvald Boasson Hagen. Or, as you would have us believe, 'Edward' Boasson Hagen. This may seem a pretty minor issue, except I don't think a certain England Rugby Coach, Clive Woodvald, would agree. How about Wrad the Impaler? I don't think so. For my auditory sanity, I beg of you, please, please, please Mr Liggett, please start calling the rider in question by his name, which would be Edvald. Not Edward. Or, as a result of facepalming one too many times, you may find me concussed in a Hospital vald.

Now. Mr Sherwen. Africa is no doubt a fine continent. It strikes me that you would agree with this. The incessant references to your home continent, which I am sure is lovely, are beginning to get out of hand. This is now extending to Chris Froome. Yes, Chris Froome was born in Kenya. I accept this. It remains that he rides for Britain, for whatever reason. I have no problem with you saying Froome is African as long as by the same token, you say Dan Martin is British and Bradley Wiggins Belgian. Please don't make Africa the exception just because you live there.

Yours Sincerely,

Sam.

(I won't actually send this to Liggett and Sherwen, it's just two observations from their commentary I have made which I find slightly irritating. Also, I have no intention to be rude, so I am exaggerating my irritation a little, let's call it artistic license. I wish it to be known that I have the greatest respect for Phil and Paul.)

The photograph is the property of tourdownunder.com.au.

Chris Froome Limerick

There was a bike rider called Froome,

Critics said that there just wasn't room,

For his GC ambition,

In Sky’s Wiggo mission,

Will Chris be at Rabobank soon?

...

Pro Cycling Limerick #1

The photograph is the property of uk.eurosport.yahoo.com.

Olympic Road Race Favourites

With the Olympic Road Race happening in 11 days, and to add to my Olympic Time Trial Favourites post, it is time to assess the credentials of the leading favourites to snatch Gold in the Olympic road race a week on Saturday. I rode Box Hill for the first time at the weekend, and with it being so brilliantly surfaced I can’t see it causing many problems for the sprinters. As with flat stages the world over, a well-timed break could stick if the teams behind are disorganised and the break works well together, so a sprint finish is by no means a foregone conclusion.

Favourites

Mark Cavendish (GBR) – Many column inches have been devoted to the self-proclaimed ‘fastest man in the world’ and his quest for Olympic gold. The winner of the Surrey Cycle Classic test event last year, Cav could well fly in under the radar. With just one Tour de France stage to his name this year at the time of writing, Goss, Greipel and Sagan appear to have replaced the Manxman as the sprinters to beat. With no lead-out train in the Tour, Cav will have this luxury at his disposal, at least to some extent, on the 28^th July, with the British team built with the purpose of shepherding Cav to the Mall. With Cav sitting at the back of the peloton, carrying water for Wiggins and Froome at the Tour, perhaps he is employing a cunning plan, similar to that in the build-up to Milan-San Remo in 2009, where he tried to ensure he wasn’t a marked man, before winning La Primavera.

Sprint: 5/5 Climbing: 1/5 Team: 5/5 Form: 4/5 Rating: 15/20

Above: Cav and Greipel do battle at the Tour.

Andre Greipel (GER) – ‘The Gorilla’ has had a terrific 2012 and is arguably the best sprinter in the world on present form. At the time of writing, Greipel has won 3 stages in this year’s Tour de France, and appears to have superior finishing speed to Sagan, Goss and Cavendish. With a team tailored to get him to the Mall, Andre is a medal favourite should it come down to a bunch kick.

Sprint: 5 Climbing: 2 Team: 5 Form: 5 Rating: 17

Fabian Cancellara (SUI) – Cancellara is the sort of rider who can distance the field with a well timed attack and hold them off with his time trialling ability. A magnificent one-day racer, Cancellara will have no issues with Box Hill, and packs a punch in fast finishes if it comes down to a sprint. On the flat roads of London, a finisseur like Spartacus may be able to make a winning break with a few kilometres to go. Cancellara took silver in the road race in Beijing, and could go for the Olympic double in London, a hot contender for the time trial 4 days later.

Sprint: 3 Climbing: 4 Team: 4 Form: 5 Rating: 16

Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) – Like Cancellara, Chavanel is a good time triallist who has the ability to hold off the field with a well-timed attack. A decent climber, the Frenchman is one of the most aggressive riders in the professional peloton, winning the Tour de France Overall Combativity Award in 2008 and 2010.

Sprint: 2 Climbing: 4 Team: 4 Form: 5 Rating: 15

Peter Sagan (SVK) – The ‘Tourminator,’ as he has come to be known, is in scintillating form. Box Hill is a speed bump compared with the Swiss mountains conquered by the Slovak en route to his taking of three sprint stages in the Tour de Suisse back in June. Sagan does not have the pure speed of Greipel, Goss or Cavendish, but he should have no problems getting to the Mall. The only issue for the Green Jersey incumbent is the strength of his team, with only one rider able to participate for Slovakia. This means he will have to hope the British, German and Australian teams can do his work for him with regard to reeling in breakaways.

Sprint: 5 Climbing: 4 Team: 0 Form: 5 Rating: 14

Outsiders

Matt Goss (AUS) - One of the world's best sprinters. Can he compete with Greipel and Cav if it comes down to a bunch sprint on the Mall?

Sprint: 5 Climbing: 2 Team: 5 Form: 3 Rating: 15

Luis-Leon Sanchez (ESP) – Returning to form after an early injury in the tour, Sanchez is a cracking breakaway rider, with numerous one-day victories to his credit.

Sprint: 1 Climbing: 5 Team: 5 Form: 4 Rating: 15

Philippe Gilbert (BEL) – After a stellar 2011, the Belgian could re-invigorate his season with Gold.

Sprint: 3 Climbing: 4 Team: 5 Form: 2 Rating: 14

Oscar Freire (ESP) – Doubtful to be fit in time, if Oscar makes the startline, he will be a medal threat.

Sprint: 4 Climbing: 3 Team: 5 Form: 1 Rating: 13

Edvald Boasson Hagen (NOR) – An all-rounder in the Sagan mould, EBH is, in my opinion, wasted as a domestique at Sky.

Sprint: 4 Climbing: 3 Team: 2 Form: 4 Rating: 13

Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) – 3^rd in the test event last year, the French squad may prefer to put a rider in a break.

Sprint: 3 Climbing: 3 Team: 3 Form: 3 Rating: 12

Sacha Madolo (ITA) – 2^nd in the test event last year, the Italian team is built around the Colnago-CSF rider.

Sprint: 4 Climbing: 1 Team: 5 Form: 2 Rating: 12

Matti Breschel (DEN) – The Dane consistently places well in World Championship races.

Sprint: 3 Climbing: 3 Team: 4 Form: 1 Rating: 11

The Finish on the Mall in last year's test event. Will the result be the same on the 28th?

These photographs are the property of teamsky.com, northjersey.com and telegraph.co.uk respectively.

Sunday, 15 July 2012

Olympic Time Trial Favourites

With the Men’s Olympic Time Trial coming up in a couple of weeks, on Wednesday 1^st August at Hampton Court Palace, I thought this would be a good time to make a generic blog post regarding who I see as the favourites to take the medals in this event. I am aware that not all of these riders will actually race the time trial, for whatever reason, be it selection, injury, or the rider in question concentrating solely on the road race 4 days earlier.

The Three Medal Favourites

Fabian Cancellara (SUI) – Spartacus needs no introduction. The man is a machine. 4 World Time Trial Championships speaks for itself. Also the reigning Olympic Time Trial champion, Cancellara has the benefit of being in great form at present, evident in his Prologue victory in this year’s Tour de France. This success was backed up by his second place at Seraing on Stage One, and his third place behind Wiggins and Froome in the Stage 9 time trial. If I had to nail my colours to the mast, my bet for victory on August 1^st would have to go the way of this Swiss aero-weapon.*

Tony Martin (GER) – Tony Martin is nicknamed ‘Der Panzerwagen’. Literally meaning ‘The Tank.’ This is most definitely a fair summary. Martin has awesome power against the clock, and was documented in the Dauphine time trial to be pushing a gear ratio of 56x11. Martin’s 2011 Time Trialling Palmares was nothing short of incredible, winning 8 individual time trials en route to stealing Cancellara’s crown of World Time Trial Champion in Copenhagen. Unfortunately for fans of the German, by his own high standards, Martin has so far endured a poor 2012, winning just one time trial; Stage 4 of the Tour of Belgium. Luck has not been on Martin’s side either; being hit by a car whilst out training in April, and abandoning the Tour through injury after suffering punctures in both the Prologue and the Stage 9 long time trial. Martin could yet salvage his season by winning the Olympics Time Trial. For sure, ‘Der Panzerwagen’ will be at the sharp end on August 1^st.

Bradley Wiggins (GBR) – Where to start with Wiggins? ‘Wiggo’ is quite clearly in the road form of his life. At the time of writing, he tops the GC of the Tour by 2 minutes and 5 seconds, a fairly direct result of his Stage 9 Time Trial victory at Besançon, and his massive engine. Coupled to this, he took second place behind Cancellara in the Tour Prologue, whilst he also won the Criterium du Dauphine time trial back in June. Wiggins’ pedigree against the clock is staggering; a second place in the 2011 World Time Trial Championships, numerous time trial victories throughout his career and undisputable pursuiting credentials on the track.

Outsiders

Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) – I must admit I was always doubtful of Chavanel’s ability against the clock for some reason. In 2012 he has shown up my scepticism with a series of fantastic performances.

Gustav Larsson (SWE) – Larsson has had a quiet 2012 against the clock, but the Vacansoleil rider’s track record indicates that he has a good chance of medalling in London. A Giro stage winner, the Swede came second in the 2008 Olympic time trial.

Bert Grabsch (GER) – The King of slow cadence, Grabsch is identifiable by his unique style. A 4-time German time-trial champion, the rouleur was World Champion in 2008.

Michael Rogers (AUS) – A 3-time World Time Trial Champion, the 32 year old Australian’s power against the clock appeared to be waning, with injury and illness setting him back in 2010 and 2011. Rogers showed a timely return to form with a 3^rd place behind Martin and Wiggins at the Dauphine time trial in June.

Chris Froome (GBR) - On his day a magnificent time triallist who can point to placing second in long time trials at the Vuelta and the Tour. In great shape at present.

David Zabriskie (USA) – Zabriskie is a prolific winner of time trials, including Stage 5 in this year’s Tour of California.

Luis-Leon Sanchez (ESP) – A four-time national time trial champion, Sanchez usually flatters to deceive when time trialling in the grand tours or World Championships. Olympic victory could change this precedent.

Richie Porte (AUS) – The diminutive Australian has 4^th and 6^th placed finishes in the World Time Trial Championships to his name, rendering him a definite medal contender.

Cadel Evans (AUS) – Won the 2011 Tour de France on the strength of his time trialling. Enough said.

*It was mentioned to me in a forum at road.cc that August 1^st is Swiss National Day...

Amendment: Froome and Wiggins have already been selected as Britain's two riders, hence the removal of David Millar from this article as he was originally listed as an Outsider.