MID-WEEK REPORT: THE LATEST NEWS, PRODUCTS AND EVENTS
Welcome to the February 10th, Mid-Week Report!
Welcome to the February 10th, Mid-Week Report!
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: SUPERTUCK NO MORE?
By Chris Carmichael, Founder and Head Coach of CTS
So, cycling’s governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), has decided to enforce a ban on the ‘supertuck’ cycling position in the pro peloton because they say it is dangerous for the rider and riders nearby. I’m not as involved with pro cycling as I used to, so maybe I’m missing something, but pro cyclists crashing due to the ‘supertuck’ position doesn’t seem to be a notably frequent occurrence. Riders hitting ‘road furniture’ or crashing from poorly designed courses and poorly placed barriers? That happens way too frequently. Riders hitting or being hit by motos or support vehicles? That seems to happen way too frequently, too. But sure, ban the ‘supertuck’ and keep monitoring sock height.
Comment sections on social media and cycling websites suggest the supertuck was banned so the pros don’t set a bad example for amateur cyclists. If there were even a shred of truth in that it would be like making NASCAR drivers stop drafting so they don’t encourage tailgating on the highway. Professional athletes have better skills than normal people, and they are competing in a (theoretically) more controlled environment than amateur athletes. (Plus, there are Youtube channels dedicated to descending videos – including the ‘supertuck’ – that have millions of views…) There are a lot of things pro cyclists do on the bike that you shouldn’t do. Hell, there are a lot of things I used to do on a bike as a pro that I don’t have the agility, stability, or risk tolerance to do anymore.
For amateur cyclists I view the ‘supertuck’ descending position much the same way I view ‘marginal gains’. For most athletes, there is still plenty of room for improvement in fundamental training and handling skills, so you’re more likely to increase downhill speed more through learning to brake and corner better than by squeezing yourself onto your top tube.
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FIRST LOOK: CALFEE TETRA ADVENTURE
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BIANCHI ARCADEX FIRST RIDE
The Arcadex is the first all-carbon frame, to be added to Bianchi’s gravel line which was previously headlined by the all-road-oriented alloy Impulso.
The iconic celeste hue ridden by Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani is paired with a gloss navy blue that splits the front and rear end of the carbon frame at a 45-degree angle from the seat post to the fork.
A relatively traditional gravel geometry is attained with a 102.4cm wheelbase paired with a slack 71-degree head tube angle. Stack and reach on the Arcadex measure at 59.5cm and 37.4cm. Max tire clearance on the Arcadex is slim at 700x42cm.
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JUST IN: SCOTT ADDICT E-RIDE
Like every other road bike brand looking to stay in the game, whether it be with gravel bikes , or more recently, e-bikes, Scott has jumped into the pedal-assist market with a trio of bikes that are all based on their proven Addict RC road bike.
For 2021 Scott is running with bikes at three price points, all using the same Mahle Class 1 rear-hub motor.
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BIKE OF THE WEEK: OPEN WI.DE. X ENVE
The newest line of limited edition frames go deep into the forest with a design and colors that mimic the scenery you might find on a deep woods adventure. The OPEN WI.DE. frame is matched with ENVE’s Adventure Fork that creates a truly unique collaboration.
Just 100 of the WI.DE. collaboration framesets were made available to OPEN dealers. ENVE’s build of choice includes their new AG28 650b wheelset, G Series Handlebar, ENVE Seatpost and Stem. For drivetrain, the always reliable Shimano GRX was chosen.
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ALL-NEW MONTANA GRAVEL RACE
Cyclists Jess Cerra and Sam Boardman launch “The Last Best Ride,” a new gravel race set for August 22, 2021, in stunning Whitefish, Montana.
Montana native, Jess Cerra, and her partner, Sam Boardman, announce “The Last Best Ride,” a new gravel race that will showcase some of the state’s most spectacular outdoor offerings. Set for August 22, 2021, The Last Best Ride will explore Whitefish, views of Glacier National Park, and beyond over a short and long course. Routes will be announced later in the spring. Registration is open and will be $175.00 for the long course event and $145.00 for the short course, with discounted entries for collegiate riders.
In the spirit of Montana’s unofficial moniker, “The Last Best Place,” which stems from the 1988 bestselling book of the same name by Annick Smith and William Kittredge, Cerra and Boardman hope to capture the essence of Whitefish as an adventurer’s destination through a race experience. “After exploring the gravel roads of Whitefish all summer, we thought, ‘wow, this would seriously be one of the most beautiful gravel venues in the entire country,’” Boardman says. Racers can expect stunning mountain views, unique terrain, and test-your-mettle climbs throughout the course.
For more information, visit thelastbestridemt.com, check out @thelastbestride on Instagram, or contact the race organizers at [email protected].
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ETOILE DE BESSEGES RESULTS
Belgian Tim Wellens won the Etoile de Besseges cycling race after Filippo Ganna took Sunday’s closing time trial, ending a five-year French stranglehold on the event. Wellens, who rides for the Lotto-Soudal team, topped the closing overall standings by 53 seconds from Ineos’ Polish rider Michal Kwiatkowski.
Time-trial world champion Ganna, also with Ineos, took the 10.7 kilometer fifth stage honors around the streets of Ales in the Gard region in a time of 15:00.
“I was confident before the time trial and had good feelings. But you can never be sure of anything,” said 29-year-old Wellens who was fourth on the stage.
“It felt nice to start this closing time trial with a lead of more than 40 seconds. I had really good legs today, something I already noticed this morning.
“But most of all, I was really motivated to give Vic Swerts (founder and owner of Soudal) a nice gift for his 81st birthday.”
OVERALL RESULTS
| 1 | WELLENS Tim | Lotto Soudal | 13:56:23 |
| 2 | KWIATKOWSKI Michał | INEOS Grenadiers | 0:53 |
| 3 | POLITT Nils | BORA – hansgrohe | 0:59 |
| 4 | STEWART Jake | Groupama – FDJ | 1:02 |
| 5 | WÜRTZ SCHMIDT Mads | Israel Start-Up Nation | 1:19 |
| 6 | GOGL Michael | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 1:24 |
| 7 | VAN AVERMAET Greg | AG2R Citroën Team | 1:25 |
| 8 | THEUNS Edward | Trek – Segafredo | 1:36 |
| 9 | CARISEY Clément | DELKO | 1:41 |
| 10 | EIKING Odd Christian | Intermarché – Wanty – Gobert Matériaux | 1:45 |
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VIDEO: QUINTANA ROO GOES ROAD
Quintana Roo has 30 years of racing pedigree, specializing in world-class triathlon and time-trial bikes but only a handful of ventures into the drop-bar category. 2020 marked QRs first attempt at a modern, aero road frame, disc brakes and all.
THE FRAME
Quintana Roo started with the goal of redefining what they call the “Super Road” category. It’s essentially what we’ve been calling a modern road bike. Think aero-influenced tube shaping, 30mm-plus tire clearance, and of course disc brakes. The carbon SRfive frame is the result.
Engineered using the same wind tunnel testing and CFD analysis used to develop the triathlon gear that Quintana Roo became known for, the SRfive oozes wind-cutting shapes all-around. The V-shaped down tube is labeled with classic Quintana Roo branding. A truncated-airfoil seat tube connects low-profile seat stays and 41.5cm chainstays.
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