Cycling

Grand Tour debutant makes himself known in breakaway

Vicenza celebrations alongwith a few champions!via campagnolosrlCampagnolo's 80th anniversary celebrations was given a pleasant jolt today. Giovanni Visconti won brilliantly into Vicenza, hometown of famed Campagnolo and component sponsor for Movistar.I have joined the Campagnolo Experience ever since 1987, happily using the smooth running Nuovo Record groupset for years. Today, I no longer use the Nuovo Record groupset and now run the 2011 Veloce groupset on my 1987 Marinoni. Mr. Indurain...Just a few of my favorite Campy things.photo CyclingartFounder, Tuillio Campagnolo passed away on February 3rd, 1983 and Eddy Merckx delivered this stirring eulogy at his funeral. If there's any indication that snow is threatening Friday's stage...Wall of snow at the Passo Gavia.I wrote in a previous post, that bad weather = great cycling photography - include SUFFERING! Two dramatic images from stage 15 on the Col du Galibier...Domenico Pozzovivo...Francis de Greef.via brakethrough Media

2002 Series winner lends experience to wildcard entry

Welcome to episode 10 of season 2 of The Bike Lane. With the Giro d’Italia in its final week we discuss how we see it unfolding, and also talk to Matty Lloyd to see why he’s not there. We also talk to Nicki Vance about her report on Orica-GreenEDGE, we look at the Tour of California, talk to a VIS nutritionist about the benefits of sugars in a cyclist’s diet, and do a Hot Lap with former AFL great Danny Frawley. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed making it. In this episode we cover the following topics: Giro d’Italia and Tour of California: Does Cadel Evans still have a shot of winning over Nibali? Santambrogio talking about himself in the third person (note: at the time of recording “Santa” was sitting in 4th position. He’s now dropped back two 6th overall after losing more than 2 minutes on stage 16. How do the dynamics of the Tour de France change with Wiggins and Hesjedal pulling out of the Giro early? Where the hell is Matty Lloyd? We speak to him to find out. Is Tejay the next American Tour de France winner? Who were the young Aussies that stood out at the Tour of Cali? We don’t know much about Lawson Craddock, the 21-year-old American who shone at the Tour of Cali (8th on GC), but we’re keen to learn more from our American viewers. Tweet of the Week: Chris Boardman: “That was the best stage of the Giro I’ve never seen” referring to stage 14. Weekend Warrior presented by Champion System: The spectator in the Giro who tumbled off the side of the mountain, surely. Thanks Abdu! What’s on your mind? How much longer can Jens Voigt keep racing? Thanks to “Peter” for that one. The Hot Lap:(see the Strava segment here): Can Former St Kilda captain and Richmond coach Danny Frawley beat Tiffany Cherry’s time around the 950m course? Target Healthy Living: VIS sports dietitian discusses the need for sugar in our diets, despite all the nutrition fads out there. Interview with Nicki Vance: We talk to her about solutions to doping, instead of continuing to harp on the past. Congratulations to RIDE:  It’s been 15 years and they just released their 60th issue. We think that deserves a big congratulations! Be sure to follow The Bike Lane on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Please leave comments below or on our Cycling Tips and Facebook page and let us know What’s On Your Mind. Don’t forget we’re giving away a fantastic piece of kit from Champion System for the best Weekend Warrior nomination every week during the Giro. Special thanks to Malachi Moxon for allowing us to film the show at Northside Wheelers, to Swensk for dressing Matt, Scott and Wade, and to The Sweetshop, our production partner.

Had a chance today to spend some time with one of my favorite items of cycling literature — the Colorado Cyclist catalog. I’d been missing it — after getting it regularly for a couple of years, it stopped coming. I’m not sure why it started up again, but I’m glad it did. It gives me the opportunity to see just what kind of gear I, who considers himself one of the top B-level riders in the country, should be sporting on club rides (or any other ride, for that matter). For those of you not in the know, Colorado Cyclist is an online (and brick and mortar) cycling shop based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its large (80-page), full-color catalog is full of gear to drool over — both hardware such as bikes and components, and soft goods, such as clothing. Here’s what the well-dressed cyclist is wearing this year. Oakley sunglasses. The XL Black Plaid are particularly cool. They come with a G30 lens for bright days, and a VR50 lens for low light. A steal at $279.00. Sidi Wire Carbon shoes. They have a new closure system “utilizing low-friction line material that doesn’t bind.” In white or yellow (which is really screaming hi-visibility green). $499.99. The Kask Vertigo helmet. This can be adjusted for fit by using either a dial or a finger push system. I guess you pay extra for two systems. This goes for $299.99. I’ve always liked the European flair of Assos cycling gear. This year, their SS Mille jersey has two types of breathable fabric, and the three traditional pockets across the back are placed in an “innovative” manner — but they don’t have a picture of them so we can see the innovation. This, and several other Assos jersey models, goes for $199.99. But their “intermediate” long-sleeved S7 jersey will set you back $369.99. To further deck yourself out like the pro cyclists you could be, pair the jersey with a pair of Assos tk.607_S5 Bib Knickers. $339.99. Now that you look the part, be sure to saddle up the appropriate mount. I see that Colorado Cyclist is selling Focus bikes now. The Izalco pro 1.0 goes for $4,800.00 — not bad, by premium bike standards. And what do I find on the back cover? A Focus Cayo 1.0 for a mere $1,699.00. Okay, it’s the 2012 model, but still… I do like the way the catalog displays shorts. They have large color pictures of the chamois pads for all their shorts, and you can get a sense of how the padding might work for you. It’s something I wish all sellers would do for this crucial piece of equipment. But really, for the kind of riding I do, and my level of ability, this catalog is simply a compendium of high-end stuff I either can’t afford, don’t need, or am unworthy of. But it’s fun to go through it — kind of like my wife poring over the jewels in the Ross-Simons catalog. Those aren’t going to see the inside of this house either — but it’s fun to dream. Filed under: Accessories, Equipment Tagged: Accessories, Equipment

Garmin-Sharp American a home-brew beer aficionado

Down Under surrounds next stop for Target-Trek all-rounder

Down Under surrounds next stop for Target-Trek all-rounder

About halfway into the rain-soaked Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York, my electronic front derailleur stopped working. Then, after some intermittent issues, the back jammed also. I had suffered an ‘electrical.’Virtually all of us who ride bikes have had a mechanical: a tire punctures, a chain falls off or breaks, or a derailleur won’t shift correctly. Something on our bike mechanically falters or fails. Now, as more of us are riding with electronic gadgets and components, a new category of problem has arrived, the electrical.GPS units can jam up, lose signals or run out of juice. Cycle computers can pick up other riders’ heart rate signals. Power meters’ calibrations can get wonky, and their batteries can die. And now, with Shimano’s Di2 and Campagnolo’s EPS electronic systems, high-end bikes with 22 gears can be rendered singlespeeds.Rainy day bluesAt the Gran Fondo New York, Campagnolo graciously loaned me a Colnago equipped with the gorgeous Record EPS electronic group on which to test their new Bora Ultra 35 tubular wheels. The morning of the event, I rode 10 miles to the start in a light rain. The Colnago C59 had internal routing for the derailleur wires, but the battery itself was mounted under the down tube just in front of the bottom bracket. As the event got underway, the light rain turned into a steady drenching that lasted all five hours of the race.Around mile 50 of the 105-mile event, the front derailleur stopped shifting. Twice the system seemed to reset, moving the front derailleur the full way in, then the full way out, jamming the chain in the process, before eventually settling on the full-in setting. Then the rear began stuttering — it would shift sometimes, but not others — before going out completely. I tried to reboot the system by pressing various combinations on the mode buttons, and by reinserting the magnet key into the battery. Nothing. I spoke with Campaganolo’s technical support by phone, and together we tried a few similar things, including detaching the cables, blowing on the connections and reattaching. Nothing. So I rode the rest of the gran fondo on a singlespeed.Electricity can be a beautiful thing on the bike, but it does add complexityMy colleagues in the UK have experienced at least one similar failure with Shimano’s Di2 system in extended rain. Cycling Plus technical editor Warren Rossiter, who had a Di2 drivetrain suddenly freeze up, liberally applied Dura-Ace grease to his Di2 junctions at Shimano’s instruction and has had no further problems. I have been riding Di2 9000 and 9070 for a few thousand miles without a water-induced hitch, but I typically ride in much drier conditions than my British friends. Similarly, I have put a few hundred miles on an Athena EPS group without issue – and none of the other media or Campagnolo staffers at the Gran Fondo New York had a problem with the EPS in the rain. Speaking of Di2, I have had the Shimano battery die on me twice when out on the road. This type of electrical is obviously self-induced. The most recent was when riding over to a local race. As it’s designed to do, the front stopped shifting but the rear continued to work (for an estimated 100 or more shifts). Luckily, I was still close to home so I flipped it and grabbed another battery. How embarrassing would that have been, I thought, if the battery had died mid-race? At the Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York, three of us in the media experienced various electricals with our GPS units. The Garmin 800 screen on Neal Rogers’ (Velo Magazine) bike started showing random tables a few hours into the sopping ride. Dillon Clapp’s (Road Magazine) Garmin 500 cut out parts of the route with dropped GPS connections. And in the final miles of the day, my Magellan Switch Up just switched itself off, out of juice, after being on from 5am to 1pm.These things happen – but can you fix it roadside?The thing is, mec

Good morning and welcome to the Rocacorba Daily on this fine Thursday morning. There was a bit of a lull earlier this week in terms of race results but there’s certainly no shortage today, with plenty of racing going on, including, of course, the Giro d’Italia which is nearing its closing stages. But we’ve got more than just race results. Have a look inside for a bunch of different cycling-related goodies to help kickstart your day. Visconti wins Giro d’Italia stage 17 Italian Giovanni Visconti soloed to victory in the 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Wednesday to hand his Movistar team their fourth win of the race. Overall race leader Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) retained the pink jersey with a 1min 26sec lead on Australian rival Cadel Evans (BMC) intact after the 214 km ride from Caravaggio to Vicenza. Despite having the chance to take a step closer to his first ‘maglia rosa’ (pink jersey) on Thursday’s 18th stage, an uphill time trial over 20.6 km, the Italian refused to rule out the threat of 2011 Tour de France champion Evans. “I’ve always done well on mountain time trials,” said the Italian. But he said he would still remain cautious of Evans in the event if he stretched his lead over the Australian to two minutes ahead of two key stages in the high mountains. “Two minutes would be a good lead. But I don’t want to make any predictions,” added Nibali. “Evans has always been up at the front of the race and he’s pedalling very well.” Visconti, meanwhile, showed his tactical nous and physical prowess for the second time in less than a week after a timely attack 17km from the finish brought him his second win following his stage 15 triumph on the legendary French Alpine climb of the Galibier. As the sprinters, including Britain’s Mark Cavendish, began struggling to keep pace on the Crosara climb, Visconti made his move, attacking from the main peloton and catching, then overtaking, leading pair Danilo Di Luca (Vini Fantini) and Miguel Rubiano (Androni). Visconti survived a late scare when he entered a sharp left-hander too fast and narrowly avoided a spill in the final kilometre. The race was marked by the huge number of roadside fans, and Visconti — who late last year served a three-month ban for working with banned sports doctor Michele Ferrari — said: “With 200m to go on that last corner I couldn’t believe how many people were there. “I was already starting to think about my win and about how my picture would be in the newspapers tomorrow.” Ramunas Navardauskas was next over the finish line 19sec later, the Lithuanian, who rides for Garmin, raising his hands in the air in the mistaken belief he had won the stage. It is the second such occurence in the race. On stage nine Colombian Carlos Betancur raised his arms in triumph shortly after Russian Maxim Belkov had claimed the honours. After the 18th stage time trial, Friday and Saturday’s stages are both scheduled to be held at high altitude in the Italian Dolomites, although both could be altered by race organisers due to the expectation of snow and freezing conditions. Text via AFP. Goss and Haas out of Giro Two Australians have had to pull out of the Giro after the 16th stage. Nathan Haas (Garmin-Sharp) has pulled out due to a crash, and Tasmania sprinter Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDGE) has left because of illness. Haas’s crash saw him suffer bruising and abrasions, but no factures were shown in initial x-rays. “It’s a shame to leave the race this way,” Haas said in a team statement. “It was a big honour to be selected for my first grand tour and I gave it my all . . . Now I’ll go home heal up and focus on what’s next. Matthew Goss pulled out of stage 16 with 60km remaining citing ongoing muscle and breathing problems. He had been suffering from a virus for most of the race. Click here to read more at the Syd