Author: Harold Dalton

Last time, our story left off with the ASO being seduced by the concept of a Tour de France that occurs just once every four years, like the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and UEFA European Championships. So. Did the 1983 Tour de France happen at all? Well. Yes. Like the ASO’s half-baked plans to make the 1982 Tour a race contested by national teams, the organizers were quickly reined in by the realization that it would be an expensive experiment. Turns out that you can’t make money from TV and sponsors if you don’t run the race. And so the…

(Missed Part One?) The prologue started. I was the sixth man to leave the starting ramp, the first from our team. It wasn’t Ton following me around the course, it was Jens, who was the team doctor, recall. The car didn’t have a mechanic sat in its back seat. Jens assured me he had a spare bike and could swap out a wheel if I needed it. I was getting shafted. My legs burned like fire and I used that fire as a propellant. I turned big round revolutions, putting out so much power it was like I was dragging…

When you hit the wall, just push on through… two more times. Yes, the Fleche Wallonne is here, bringing three ascents of the fearsome Mur de Huy. As is tradition, the final ascent is also the finish. Expect a few mistimed closing attacks-cum-sprints before the winner, who looked like he’d left it too late, gasps past them and across the line. There are no spectators, which stings a bit on this special climb. Get your vaccines so we can go back to being at bike races again. Plus that 5G implant really improves your download speeds. Where to Watch UK…

We’re on to the Ardennes, starting with the Amstel Gold Race. If you like to theme your beers with the bike race you’re watching, then this race makes it very easy. Though be warned that it’s basically Dutch Miller Lite. Last year’s race ended up canceled due to Covid-19. As a result of the pandemic, this year takes place on a shortened, closed circuit that’s likely going to have a different feel to it. But at least it’s going ahead. Where to Watch Europe: Eurosport & GCNUSA, Canada: FlobikesBelgium: SporzaNetherlands: NOS.nl, NPO1, L1mburgItaly: Rai SportFrance: France 3Spain: EITBAustralia: SBSAfrica: SuperSportDenmark/Norway:…

It’s a rather unexpected turn of events, but Gianni Savio is back at the Giro. Giro race director Mauro Vegni’s relationship with Savio and his Androni team is fraught, to say the least, but the Androni team has found its way back to Italy’s top table by virtue of being a quality Italian squad eager to race umm… Gianni Savio apologising and promising not to add 200 new sponsors specifically for the race oh, it’s being pretty much the only domestic PCT team eligible for the spot at the race. And the reason this opportunity was available at all? The Vini…

How do culturally constructed female roles and external threats in public space play a part in the disproportionate number of female cyclist deaths from large vehicles in London from 1999 to 2014? Discourse of Stasis Returning to a point made in part one, campaigners for road danger reduction are keen to construct a discursive demarcation between recreational cycling and transportational cycling in order to avoid this danger being discussed as a sporting, rather than urban planning, issue. It should be clear from this text so far that there is nothing to suggest a causal relation between road danger and any…

The Global Endurance Sports Series GFNY has added what’s sure to become an instant classic event for sportive riders. The GFNY La Vaujany takes place in the French Alps, and climbs cycling’s most legendary mountain, the Alpe d’Huez, twice. That’s once from the side you almost certainly know, and one from the side you probably don’t know. The race takes place on June 20, 2021, and covers 103km with 3,669m of climbing. This is GFNY’s second event in Vaujany. The first, GFNY Alpes Vaujany, will see its second edition on August 29, 2021 and includes the legendary Col de la…

Our “don’t talk about the Tour of Turkey” resolve has waned. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-Quick Step) has won the second stage of the race from a bunch sprint, taking his first victory since February 8, 2018. The 144.9km stage finish in Konya with a blisteringly fast sprint, and Cavendish soared past Scheldepris winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) to take the win and the leader’s jersey. Cavendish has been threatening to return to his top-tier sprinting self since he switched teams to Deceuninck-Quick Step this season. He finished third in Scheldeprijs to take the record for podiums in that race, though Philipsen and…