Author: Harold Dalton

SBS has secured the exclusive free-to-air broadcast rights to the Giro d’Italia until 2025, cementing the network’s place as the home of cycling in Australia. The deal means the Giro d’Italia will return to free-to-air television for the first time since 2016 and makes SBS the place to watch all three of cycling’s prestigious three-week-long Grand Tours; the Tour de France, Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia. Under the new agreement following a sub-licence agreement with Discovery, Inc, SBS has exclusive Australian free-to-air rights to deliver live, multi-platform coverage including television and digital until the end of 2025. The comprehensive…

Hustle City is a game about being a bike messenger. That’s all we’ve seen so far, but apparently it’s really about climbing the ranks from that humble beginning to becoming a “bona fide megastar.” In other words, it’s a real game, with objectives, and a story, and, um, chapters you have to pay to access. Oh yeah, and it connects to your smart trainer. And also includes full steering support, which you can do with your smartphone. Our friends at Sol Cycling were the first gaming-focused Zwift alternative featured on Cyclry (or perhaps we should count that GTA5 mod), and…

La Doyenne. [Name Redacted] once claimed there’s no English translation for the term, even though you can quite easily find ‘doyenne’ in a dictionary. Anyway, it’s The Old Lady: the oldest Monument. Gone are the days of La Redoute and Ans, though the former is still on the route about 35km from the finish. Like Amstel Gold and the Tour of Flanders, it’s a revised parcours with the stated intention of making the racing less predictable. Last year’s winner was Primoz Roglic, and he’s looking in good form this year. But more than ever, it’s a tough one to call.…

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…