Cycling

Lance Armstrong, pictured here with the team at a 2009 training camp, says he has nothing to do with the management of the CSE-run Bontrager development team. Photo: Casey B. Gibson | www.cbgphoto.comSeven months after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency described Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team as having run “the most sophisticated, professionalized, and successful doping program that sport has ever seen,” the disgraced team’s ownership structure — which includes the banned cyclist himself — retains a quiet role in professional cycling. Though it no longer has a financial stake in the Luxembourg-based RadioShack-Leopard UCI ProTeam, Austin-based Capital Sports and Entertainment (which, along with Tailwind Sports, co-owned the Postal Service team) is the registered team representative for the Bontrager Cycling development squad, officials with USA Cycling confirmed. Capital Sports and Entertainment (CSE), which was also the managing entity behind Armstrong’s Discovery Channel and RadioShack teams, is owned and operated by the rider’s longtime agent, Bill Stapleton, and business partner Bart Knaggs. Media reports have consistently named Armstrong as a “partner” and a “minority shareholder” in the company. Contacted by VeloNews, both Armstrong and Knaggs declined to go on record when asked to define Armstrong’s personal stake in CSE. In October, following USADA’s reasoned decision, UCI president Pat McQuaid stated that Armstrong “had no place in cycling,” adding, “He deserves to be forgotten in cycling.” Several former riders who have admitted to doping now run pro teams, including Bjarne Riis, who manages Saxo-Tinkoff; Alexander Vinokourov, who manages Astana; Neil Stephens, who manages Orica-GreenEdge; and Jonathan Vaughters, who manages Garmin-Sharp. None of those men, however, have received lifetime bans from an anti-doping agency. When Armstrong turned down an opportunity in February to sit down and share his experiences with USADA, he missed his final opportunity to see his lifetime ban reduced to eight years. The Bontrager team began as Trek-Livestrong in 2009, in tandem with Armstrong’s comeback, and has spawned the careers of riders such as former maglia rosa Taylor Phinney, Giro d’Italia stage winner Alex Dowsett, and Sky neo-pro Joe Dombrowski. However, Armstrong’s continuing connection to cycling drew a sharp rebuke from anti-doping officials. “Mr. Armstrong has a lifetime ban from sport, and under the rules is not allowed to operate or have ownership in any part of a licensed cycling team,” said USADA spokesperson Annie Skinner. Just how CSE has managed to retain its role as the principal behind the Continental development squad is a question neither the sport’s global governing body, the UCI, nor USA Cycling have been willing to answer in detail. Questioned by VeloNews, a spokesperson for the UCI directed questions to USA Cycling, noting that the vetting and registration of Continental cycling teams falls under the sole jurisdiction of the sport’s national federations. “The UCI is not aware of any reason that would have prevented [the] Bontrager Cycling Team from being registered,” said UCI communications manager Devra Pitt Gétaz. USA Cycling, in turn, pointed to its own compliance with UCI rules governing the team registration process. In an e-mail to VeloNews, USAC communications director Bill Kellick explained that “the Bontrager team met all requirements and obligations” and that “neither USADA nor the UCI has informed us that there is any issue with CSE managing the Bontrager team.” USADA’s Skinner took aim at the governing bodies in a statement to VeloNews, suggesting her agency might intercede in the matter. “USA Cycling and [the] UCI should be monitoring who owns and operates the teams they grant licenses to. If Mr. Armstrong has ownership in Capital Sports and Entertainment, it would obviously be a serious issue that, after UCI publicly announced that Mr. Armstrong has no place in cycling, he

Spain's biggest bike brand, Orbea, have a uniquely simple approach to their road range. Consisting of just three models, it starts with the aluminium Aqua, steps up to the Onix, and stops at the Orca. There are 21 variants of the Orca, starting with the Bronze (£1,889/US$2,499) and rising up to the Gold level GDi2 at £8,199/US$9,999.The Orca Bronze 105 (£1,979/US$2,499) has an overall weight of 8.5kg (18.7lb), suggesting a reasonably light frame. The chassis itself blends bold structural lines and neatly crafted touches; the seat tube junction is angular, while the box-section angular seatstays create an unusual look. In contrast to the futuristic styling, straight external cable routing is in place of the current fashion for hiding wiring wherever possible.The Orca's dimensions are straight-down-the-middle, parallel 73-degree angles and it has a wheelbase of less than a metre. We expect the straight blades of the carbon fork to keep the steering precise.Gearing is taken care of by Shimano 105 kit, and Orbea Pro brakes have been tasked with bringing things to a halt. This particular bike is equipped with a Shimano R500 wheelset and Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres, but there are different options available through the Orbea website.Orbea have opted for a 3T cockpit, including the brilliant Ergonova barThere will be a full review of the Orbea Orca Bronze 105 in Cycling Plus issue 277, on sale 25 June.

Belgian component brand 4ZA’s top-of-the-range handlebar/stem combination offers a low weight, great standard drop bar with a nicely contoured shape. The semi-flattened top is comfortable to hold and the neat cable-run channels complete a well-thought-out design. The neatly produced stem is similarly no-fuss, just a very well made, optimal performer that offers a competitive weight for not much cash. Sadly, the same can’t be said of the bar’s price, but in its favour is the fact it’s surprisingly stiff for such a light model. It also does a very good job of reducing high-frequency vibrations from poor road surfaces, so it’s a shame it’s so pricey. This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.

This is all over the Twitters and the Internets: The cyclist involved, Toby Hockley, wasn’t seriously hurt… but it was a close thing. He’s lucky to be alive, and it’s only due to the cushioning effects of nettles & restorative nature of post-ride ice cream that he’s alive to tell the tale. We’re not going to talk about that though. Or the rights & wrongs of Emma’s tweet, which claimed she had right of way to knock someone off their bike because they don’t pay a mythical “road tax”. No. We’re going to have some fun instead: “What do you think the eventual outcome of the Norwich Police’s investigation into this incident will be?” Place your bets now: 100:1 - Emma will be charged & successfully prosecuted for dangerous driving & leaving the scene of an accident. She gets a prison sentence, and is banned from driving. 66:1 - Emma will be charged with dangerous driving & leaving the scene of an accident. She gets points on her license, and does community service. 30:1 - Emma is charged as above, but the court accepts her plea of careless driving or driving without due care & attention. She gets points on her license & does community service. 25:1 - Emma is charged & successfully prosecuted for careless driving. She gets points on her license & does community service. 10:1 - Emma is charged with any driving offence, and found guilty, but gets a conditional discharge (i.e. no punishment) due to her “previously good character”. 8:1 - Emma is charged with a driving offence, but the CPS deem there is insufficient evidence to take it to court. 8:1 - Emma is charged, but found not guilty. She successfully sues Toby Hockley for the damage to her car. 5:1 - Emma is interviewed by the police, who decide that a caution is the best way to deal with the situation. 5:1 - Emma is interviewed by the police, who decide that their hands are tied. The best they can do is advice Toby Hockley to seek a “local resolution“. As part of this, Emma reinstates her Twitter account, and tweets, “Sooooo sorry that I knocked you off your bike Toby. xxxxx I’m still ROFL” 1:1 (even money) - Emma’s employers, Larking Gowan conduct a disciplinary investigation and find that she’s committed gross misconduct in bringing them into disrepute. They dismiss her without notice.

Oh those Hungarians. Once again, they show the world that they are leaders in the area of bicycle promotion. Here's the latest film from the Hungarian Cyclists' Federation's Bike to Work campaign - or "Bringázz a munkába" if you want to get all Magyar-esque.The cycling NGO has an ongoing relationship with global advertising firm Young & Rubicam. Something the rest of the geeky bicycle advocacy world can learn from. Mainstream marketing is the key. Taking this product called "urban cycling" and selling it to the 99%. Selling the simplicty of urban cycling instead of overcomplicating it. The good people at the Hungarian Cyclists Federation know that sub-cultural marketing is not an effective way to sell a mainstream product. Unlike many other NGOs around the world who are seemingly intent on merely trying recruit new members to their clique, the Hungarians see the big picture and go after it year after year after year.Add to that the activists in Budapest who, unlike many elsewhere, embrace the concept of mainstreaming urban cycling and who work together with the other stakeholders to reach the goal. After many years with the world's biggest and most impressive crictical mass rides the organisers last year handed over the reins to the Hungarian Cyclists Federation and to Cycle Chic - saying that the city needed to move to the next level now.There are, rest assured, other cities who "get it", as you can see in this article.The work the Hungarians produce remains, however, the benchmark for bicycle advocacy in the world. Nothing less will do. Copenhagenize the planet. And have a lovely day.

Riders train around Valloire ahead of final week

Did you climb trees? I bet you did. Do you remember the fun and the fear of climbing higher and higher for bird's eye view, or swinging from branch to branch to reach for fruits and eat them straight from the tree? Climbing trees is an activity that seems synonymous with our childhood. Unfortunately, the reality is very different for today's children. Most of them have never climbed a tree. Why does this matter?Climbing trees not only helps children develop physical and mental well-being, it also helps children to form connections to nature... After all, who is going to be bothered looking after the planet if there's no one left with any understanding of, interest in or connection to their natural environment? Let them climb trees...Wien & Iwen (not pictured) climbing their first tree in Pantai Kerachut.When was the last time you climbed a tree?

There are four bikes in Marin’s Rift Zone range. They span a wide price range – from a relatively wallet-friendly £1,700/US$1,999.99 to a don’t-tell-the-other-half £3,500/US$5,099.99 – but share a few things in common: 29er wheels and 100mm (3.9in) of travel at each end are the obvious links, but they also boast exactly the same 6061 aluminium chassis. The XC8 occupies the rung just below the top. With its blend of XT transmission and Fox shocks, is it the right blend of performance and value?Ride & handling: Puts the fun back into big wheel territoryDespite the fact that it’s all but impossible to walk into a bike shop now without being greeted by rows of big-wheeled bikes, there’s still a fair bit of resistance to the idea from many riders. The good news is that bikes like the Rift Zone prove there’s no need to worry. Once you’re on board and riding you’ll forget the wheels are around 3in bigger in diameter than ‘normal’ ones.Actually, scratch that. You won’t worry about it, but you’ll certainly notice it. In a good way. Because the Marin takes all the good bits of 29er wheels – smooth rolling, mostly – and leaves the bad bits – sluggardly handling, principally – behind.Partly this is down to a wheelset that minimises the inherent rotating mass disadvantage that all big wheels have over the 26in alternative. The Rift Zone accelerates and climbs better than its near-13kg (29lb) weight might suggest, though it’s not in the same league as a race bike. But that’s okay, because it’s not trying to be a race bike. It’s also absolutely sorted in terms of geometry, with a willingly plantable front end that’s as much fun to chuck around as most of the smaller wheeled, longer travel alternatives. It’s hard to overstate just how important an agile front end is to the overall feel of a big-wheeler. By getting this bit right, Marin have given the Rift Zone a big ol’ dose of fun.The final link in the ‘big wheels good’ chain is Marin’s tweaked Quad Link system, which seems better suited to the 100mm of the Rift Zone than longer travelled bikes elsewhere in the Marin range.Fox’s CTD does a good job of controlling the setup’s inherent small-bump plush, while the steep rising rate at the upper end of the travel is delivered so progressively it never feels like an issue.Perhaps the biggest compliment we can give is that it helped us clear a rock-filled gulley that’s defeated us for years. Racers might want something lighter, but for us it’s a reminder that big wheels can do trail fun too.Frame & equipment: On the heavy side but solid specAlthough Marin’s long-running, compact Quad Link suspension design has its fans, it took up an awful lot of space inside the bike’s main triangle – leaving nowhere to put a water bottle. More seriously for Marin’s designers, it didn’t work too well with bigger wheels. So the new, reworked Quad Link puts everything in a, well, more ‘normal’ position. It all works in pretty much the same way as before, with a rear axle path that maximises small bump responsiveness, and a rising rate that ramps up sharply near the limit of the shock’s travel (although a bit less sharply than before). It just doesn’t look different from all the other full sussers out there any more. Depending on your perspective, that might be a good thing… Or not.New for 2013, Marin’s adoption of a 142x12mm rear end adds a claimed 15 percent stiffness to the swingarm and, in the process, cures one of our niggles with the new design (that it was a tad flexy in the rough). Tucking the rear brake calliper away inside the stays is a neat touch, there’s space to run the cable for a remote dropper post under the top tube and Marin’s lifetime bearing warranty still holds. Swallowing

Carousel short title: Topeak Compact handlebar bag Price: £36.99 Gallery Image Reference: Topeak Compact bar bag A bar bag is a useful bit of kit for touring, audaxing, commuting and the like and this Topeak Compact handlebar bag is an excellent example, assuming you don't want to chuck the kitchen sink up front. Road.cc verdict: Good little bar bag for those that want a few essentials to hand on a tour or commute Road.cc rating: 7 Weight: 610g Contact: www.extrauk.co.uk read more

British team will ride aggressively in remaining Alpine and Dolomite stages