Author: Harold Dalton

This one feels a bit classist in 2020. As a working class boy with a thick Northern accent, this was actually a dig at the Southerners I spent my days dodging as I rode my bike around West London though. London still had a love-hate relationship with the Tour since it had hosted the Grand Depart the previous year. Everyone was suddenly aware of it and, because they were British, complaining about it. Thankfully, we were in France for it, feeling smug and ordering “deux Oranginas” so that nobody would think we were British. I ended up in a fountain…

We hate to say we told you so, but we know a guy… The UCI World Championships were canceled last month. Or at least, the location was: Aigle-Martigny was unable to host the event due to Covid concerns. But while the cycling community was hand-wringing about the loss of the Worlds, the UCI was seeking out a new location for the race. Now they’ve confirmed it. The Worlds will take place in Imola, Italy, from 24-27 September. And the course retains the challenge presented by the original Swiss route: the men will climb 5000m in their race. Imola hosts the…

It’s September, so it’s time for us to talk about August. Always look backwards. That’s our motto. That’s because if you look forward in 2020 you’ll see scary stuff. Racing News You know who won the Strade Bianche. No, not Remco Evenepoele. The other you know who. Wout van Aert. Remco did win the Vuelta a Burgos though. We congratulated him for it in the last monthly wrap, even though the race hadn’t started when we recorded. That was supposed to be a joke, but he’s really just that good. And to prove it, he drank his podium champagne, put…

It’s one of the least predictable Tours de France in years. Chris Froome is out, as is 2018 winner Geraint Thomas. Last year’s winner Egan Bernal leads the new guard of riders vying for the yellow jersey, but his victory is by no means assured. Add an unconventional route that’s filled with climbing from the second stage onwards, and you’ve got a recipe for a chaotic Tour that encourages mountain attacks. It’s shaping up to be the outstanding highlight of a cycling season that’s been muted by Covid-19. When is it? The Tour begins on August 29th in Nice, rescheduled…

Israel Start-Up Nation is a team on the rise. They’ve signed Chris Froome and now they’re about to make their Tour de France debut. Which will be within the UCI’s “bubble protocol” because, you know, pandemic that’s going to kill us all. In order to not die or kill anyone, Israel Start-Up Nation turned to Israeli innovation for help. Hey, it’s in their team name, right? The team will wear the the SonoMask by Sonovia at the Tour de France, which they’re saying is “the best high-tech anti-COVID-19 mask available.” What makes SonoMask the most advanced mask around? Apparently it’s…

The Alpes-Maritimes region of France has moved into the RED ZONE. That means the Coronavirus that’s ruining all our lives is actively circulating there. Hanging out atop mountains, chugging beers and looking for lungs to live inside of. So, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, in view of the health situation, has limited fans’ access to the climbs on the first two stages of the Tour de France, taking place on Saturday and Sunday. “Access to the passes for public vehicles will be prohibited. The gendarmerie and police will disperse spectators at the foot of the passes.” Only people on bicycles…

Virtual cycling isn’t going away any time soon. And while it hasn’t quite been as dialed-in as it needed to be to really take advantage of the total collapse of the cycling season, Covid-19 did demonstrate its value for scratching cycling fans’ itch for racing and providing benefits for sponsors during the downtime. Now there’s a world championship. Sorry, a UCI World Championship. It’s official, and it might be the only Worlds we get this year. The location is… Zwift. Well, duh. And it appears to be Wattopia. Interestingly, invitations will be sent to the National Federations represented by the…

Sneaking in a free trip is all part of the journalism experience. Admittedly it’s usually a week in Majorca or Girona in February, but a windy race course in Liverpool can be fun too. It started with Ice Bike, where the UK’s biggest distributor, Madison, launched its offering for 2008. Overcast Bike might’ve been a better name for the event. It was about as lavish as mid-2000s UK cycling got, with a free Travelodge room, free dinner and schmoozing at the UK’s biggest curry house, and a shuttle to the event. An earthquake hit overnight and shook the door to…