Mid-Week Report: The Latest News, Products and Events
Welcome to the March 27th Mid-Week Report!
What a weekend of racing in the WT, Julian alaphilippe added to Quick Step’s dominating Spring season. We are doing extensive testing with the Bontrager XXX helmet while we prepare for the Sea Otter Classic, see you there. Welcome to the March 27th Mid-Week Report!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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Road Bike Action’s May Euro issue is on newsstands now. We reviewed the Look 795 Blade, the DeAnima Unblended, the Colnago C64 and the Cipollini Allroad. Also check out our Euro buyer’s guide!.
WORKOUT WEDNESDAY: MINDFULNESS FOR ATHLETES
Pretty much every cyclist I talk to wants to ride uphill faster. And while athletes and coaches spend a lot of time focused on increasing power output and reducing bodyweight, these two things only give you the capacity – the potential – to go faster uphill. Actually riding faster on a climb comes down to applying your fitness to the situation in front of you, and pushing hard enough to maximize speed without pushing so hard you fatigue and slow down. Incredible fitness can be undermined by technical and tactical stupidity. Don’t let that happen to you! The six tips below are key to going faster uphill.
Stay Seated
Staying in the saddle is the most efficient way to climb, particularly on the longer climbs. You’ll use less energy and you’ll notice that your heart rate will remain lower. You can scoot forward and back on the saddle to shift the emphasis of the work to different muscle combinations. Work on maintaining a nice smooth cadence, 80-85 rpm. Pay attention while watching pro races and note what the top climbers are doing on the extended climbs. You’ll almost always see them in the saddle except on the steep pitches or when they are making or responding to decisive accelerations.
Get Out of the Saddle
Shift up one or two gears (harder) as you stand. This allows you to take advantage of having your entire body weight over the pedals, and it counters the decline in cadence most riders experience when they stand up. Envision driving down with your whole leg, leading from the hip. Gently rock your bike from side-to-side and find a nice smooth rhythm, while keeping your weight over the cranks. The smaller, pure climbers in the pro races tend to gravitate towards this climbing style because of their high power-to-weight ratios, which help them accelerate very quickly.
BMC TIMEMACHINE ROAD 01
Since the original Timemachine Road was released in 2012, aero road bikes have become a mainstay in most major manufacturers’ catalogs. That’s why when the Timemachine Road was not included in BMC’s 2018 lineup, we were left wondering if they had something new in the works. They did.
BMC’s 2019 flagship Timemachine Road 01 is changing what is to be expected of an aero bike. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Swiss bicycle manufacturer’s latest aero innovation has upped the ante in the wind-cheating segment.
The 2017 Timemachine Road’s choppy ride quality, minimal compliance and poor rim brakes left much to be desired. Much to our liking, the 2019 Timemachine Road 01 has refined these faults and taken BMC to the forefront of aero innovation.
RECAP AND RESULTS: MILAN SAN REMO
France’s Julian Alaphilippe won a sprint finish to claim his first ‘Monument’ one-day classic victory in the Milan-San Remo on Saturday.
In-form Alaphilippe, won the opening monument of the season, to take up the mantle of compatriot Thibaut Pinot, who had won the final race of 2018 in the Tour of Lombardy.
The Deceuninck Quick-Step rider finished ahead of a small group of riders, who had broken away near the end of the 291km race under the sunshine, for his seventh win of the season.
The 26-year-old went for the line with 600m remaining, before raising his arms in triumph after a narrow victory on the Via Roma in the Italian Riviera resort, with Belgian Oliver Naesen (AG2R) second and Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky) in third.
Three-time world champion Peter Sagan of Slovakia finished fourth with last year’s winner Vincenzo Nibali of Italy crossing in eighth place, behind reigning world champion Alejandro Valverde, after nearly seven hours in the saddle.
SALSA WARROAD
PRESS RELEASE:
What you’ll find in Warroad is a road bike without limits, built for those times when the ride travels off the pavement and back again. A bike for riders who don’t define a road ride by the surfaces traveled on. We can’t wait to see what story-worthy rides you find with it. Go get after it!
Where Warroad differs from Warbird is its focus on agility over stability. Warroad is for road with a side of gravel; Warbird is for gravel racing where its longer wheelbase and greater stability excel.
From a geometry standpoint, Warroad’s Endurance Road geometry has a slightly steeper head tube angle, lower bottom bracket and shorter chainstays than Warbird. Warroad is torsionally stiffer in the bottom bracket juncture, head tube, seatstays and chainstays, which gives up some of the compliance and comfort needed on the Warbird for all-day gravel rides in exchange for pedaling efficiency and quicker handling.
The Warroad’s stiffer head tube and chainstays eliminate frame and fork wind-up and spring-back through fast corners. The increased stiffness of the head tube and bottom bracket junctures in combination with a much deeper down tube creates a stiffer “spine” (the connection from the head tube through the bottom bracket into the chainstays) on the Warroad for pure speed and handling confidence.
The result of all this is a bike that handles and accelerates as you would expect an endurance road bike to. Yet it’s much more capable than your average endurance road bike when the smooth asphalt runs out.
As Warroad came together, the Salsa team saw more and more potential. “While I love gravel racing, the aim of our rides was always to get on lesser traveled rural and scenic roads. Many of these are paved and many aren’t. I wanted a bike that didn’t limit the ride to a surface, had quick handling and was responsive to rider feedback. The Warroad balances this with a stable road ride, hence the endurance geometry idea,” Said product manager Joe Meiser.
CHRIS FROOME CRASHES AT VOLTA A CATALUNYA
Chris Froome’s hopes of winning the Tour of Catalonia are almost certainly over after the Briton suffered a crash during Tuesday’s second stage, which was won by Australian Michael Matthews.
Froome suffered bruising to his right side after falling due to low visibility in a tight corner. The four time Tour de France champion will be assessed by Team Sky doctors, but it is expected the Kenyan will continue to ride in support of 22-year old teammate Egan Bernal.
RECAP AND RESULTS: STAGE 3 VOLTA A CATALUNYA
TRUCKEE DIRT FONDO JUNE 8th
The race will consist of three enhanced routes compared with the inaugural event, taking participants as high as 8,006 feet above sea level over Sardine Peak inside Tahoe National Forest. The course is best suited for mixed-terrain, cyclocross, or mountain bikes. Each participant will be encouraged to select a bike that best suits their style of riding, but the courses will all favor the cyclocross format.
The post-race festival will feature loads of family-oriented activities, food trucks, live music and beer provided by FiftyFifty Brewing Company. Immediately following the start of the main race on Saturday, the event will feature a fun, non-competitive, fully supported family ride along the Legacy trail system and through the Truckee Bike Park.
“The Truckee Dirt Fondo is going to be recognized as a staple that pins Truckee to the consciousness of anyone who owns a gravel bike.” – Carlos Perez, Event Director.
King Ridge Foundation, founded by ex-professional cyclist (and Truckee resident) Levi Leipheimer, in close partnership with Bike Monkey will produce a fundraising gala in association with the event in a showing of support for Adventure Risk Challenge, a California 501(c)3 nonprofit that serves at-risk youth.
SAN DIEGO CAMPAGNOLO GRAN FONDO APRIL 7th
Southern California meets Italy in this celebration of cycling, food, and San Diego’s picturesque water front. Held in beautiful Downtown San Diego, the two-day festival features a mass-start, timed Gran Fondo with 4 route options, timed King and Queen of the Mountain competitions, The Bike & Fitness Expo with guest speakers and bike, health and fitness clinics. Challenging and inspiring routes, outstanding Campagnolo ride support, delicious food on course, followed by an Itialian Feast at the Finish. www.sdgranfondo.com
VIDEO: THE CRIT ON OUR FRONT LAWN IS COMING, CBS CHUCK PONTIUS CRITERIUM
GRAN FONDO HINCAPIE SERIES STARTING MARCH 30, 2019
Gran Fondo Hincapie is a series of events that welcomes riders of every skill level for a weekend of riding and celebration of all things cycling. Join current and past professional cyclists, weekend warriors, and first-time riders on routes planned and tested by George Hincapie himself. The Hincapie family currently hosts events in Greenville, South Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fort Worth, Texas; and Boise, Idaho; with plans for continual expansion to other areas across the United States and the world.
Website: www.hincapie.com/granfondo
MAMMOTH GRAN FONDO REGISTRATION OPEN NOW
The Mammoth Gran Fondo takes riders along the east side of Yosemite and the High Sierra with incredible views of the Sierra Nevada, Mono Lake, and White Mountains. 75% of the Gran Fondo route is closed to through traffic matching the incredible scentery with the appropriate calmness. Other highlights include: free event photos, all three distances timed, Signature Event socks, 6 Feed Zones with Full SAG/Tech Support, After-Party with Food/Beer/Live Music in the Village at Mammoth!
Website: www.mammothgranfondo.com
Is there an awesome event happening closer to you? Send a link to [email protected]
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