Author: Harold Dalton

We were just going to mention this in the race preview, but even Cycling Weekly have covered it now. Plus it’s nice to have a “race not canceled” update to counteract the endless stream of postponements. So: the UCI has confirmed that the 2021 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, scheduled for 30 and 31 January and taking place in Ostend (Belgium), remains on the race calendar “following the introduction of additional measures.” Those measures are a reduction of the number of accredited persons and “toughening of sanitary regulations.” That last one sounds like they’re making people flush the toilet after they…

Chute! Chute des… uh, actually a lot of races. But the GP Denain and Vuelta Ciclista a la Región de Murcia are the two latest to fall by the wayside. Both are, optimistically, anticipating a slot later in the calendar. That’s not too likely to work out for them, but let’s cross our fingers and hope. First here’s what Vuelta a Murcia has to say: You probably don’t need Google Translate for this one. “La situación sanitaria … Covid 19 … posponer la organización de la Vuelta Ciclista a la Región de Murcia” In honesty, we don’t expect this race…

Tara Gins was due to begin work as a directeur sportif for an unspecified male Under-23 and Elite team. However, the deal was called off, citing an ‘inappropriate’ photoshoot. “I had a verbal agreement to start at a team. I was looking forward to that tremendously. It’s what I like to do. I want to learn and be in the follow car,” Gins says. “But now apparently someone has made an issue of a picture in a booklet of me. I don’t mind now that the deal was called off. It’s better that way. I don’t want to work with…

The NBC Sports Network will disappear into the ether at the end of 2021. The channel was originally called the Outdoor Life Network, before changing its name to Versus, and then to NBCSN. Now, after 25 years, the home of the Tour de France in the US is officially shutting its doors. What does this mean for the Tour de France? Well, nobody is sure. NBC’s new streaming network, Peacock, seems like a good home for it. NBC also frequently use their other channels for major sporting events like the NHL and Premier League, and have already signaled their intent…

Tom Dumoulin has announced his decision to take a break from his professional cycling career. The 2017 Giro d’Italia and World Time Trial Champion has consulted with his team and both parties have agreed on an unpaid leave for an indefinite period, starting immediately. Predictably, but somehow still a bit surprisingly, Jumbo Visma have already uploaded a video about it. It’s eight minutes long, so if you watch the entire thing then you’re probably better informed about the situation than anybody who’s written about it. Especially us, we only did thirty seconds. The 30 year old says that he’s long…

On Thursday, Movistar held its 2021 team launch and we were there, or at least as “there” as you can be in January 2021. Which mostly means that we dialed into a videoconference and listened to people speak Spanish for a bit. We’re on the fence about these fully digital events: they’re cheaper to attend, but there aren’t any vol-au-vents being handed out. 2021, shockingly, is the team’s 42nd consecutive year in the pro peloton. That makes them the longest standing major team, and, somewhat presumptuously, they also told us it makes them the “most famous.” The major part of…

Major breaking news: Osmo Nutrition has introduced a new flavor to its Active Hydration line of science-backed sports hydration drink mixes. Blueberry Pomegranate joins the existing Orange, Blackberry and Lemon-Lime flavors, which they say offers “a delicious new way to maintain optimal hydration when working out.” We reviewed OSMO last summer and were impressed. It’s a scientifically backed sports hydration mixture that tastes great and really seems to work. Really, just read our article for the full story behind the product and why it works. Here’s a quote from it, which mentions diarrhea twice: “The sciencey stuff is important because…

The first mountain was added to the Tour de France in 1905. That mountain was the 1,247m Ballon d’Alsace, and it was met with trepidation and huge amounts of publicity. Press, fans, and riders alike speculated what dangers would accompany the first time cyclists raced over a mountain. Tour organizer and L’Auto editor Henri Desgrange wrote, “None of us knows what the Ballon d’Alsace will bring. The passage through the mountains is this year’s great novelty. Our fear matches that of the riders.” Which was all very majestic and monumental… Except mountains were not actually new to the Tour de…