Blogs

On the Mendips the mist from the night before had frozen on to one side of all the branches of the hedges and trees, blown and chilled by the incessant north easterly winds. A thin film of ice on every twig. The mists were long gone but the wind remained, keeping the temperature high up on the hills below freezing. At least we were travelling with it. Come Glastonbury, we'd have to turn round...

Nick Hussey is the founder of Vulpine cycling apparel, who launched in March 2012. They are about to launch their women’s range and support Matrix Fitness Racing Academy as well as creating free cycling events, the Vulpine Cycling Fetes, which raise money for cycling charities. Their stuff is quite pricey. www.vulpine.cc

Ian Stannard showed that he's a classics winner in the making with an impressive show of force and power in the Dwars door Vlaanderen this week. But his futile attacks exposed a tactical naivety, leaving him to finish a disappointing 9th place.

Following the earlier season racing, we have hit the month of March meaning the main World Tour races are now underway, with the completion of the first two week long stage races, Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. My current World Tour and Fantasy point’s totals can be seen below.

World Tour Points: 244

Fantasy Total: 1366
TDU: 355
ToQ: 60
ToO: 341
Paris-Nice: 245
Tirreno-Adriatico: 365
Milan-Sanremo: 44

Some cycling fans still, rightly or wrongly, dimiss the Tour Down Under as a glorified warm weather training camp but there's no denying it's place in the World Tour doling out as many WT points as other more prestigous stage races.

March though signifies the start of the 'season proper' in many ways.  Omloop/KBK weekend is historically the start of the classics season and Paris-Nice/Tirreno-Adriatico week marks the start of European stage race season.

On yesterday’s sixth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico, a 30% climb near the finish of a rain soaked stage produced the unthinkable: photos of professional cyclists dismounted and pushing their bikes.

The photos of the professional riders walking up the climb, dismounted and pushing their bikes, grinding their cleats into the Tarmac, has gone viral since the photos first hit the internet. It was the Strada Cocciari summit on the Sant'Elpidio a Mare climb that caused the damage, a 300m stretch with an 18% average gradient and 30% final 50m ramp.

We didn't come back from Icebike empty handed - there was a new Equlibrium 853 frame stowed away in the boot of Mat's van, And to give it a run out I'm going to get it built up in time for the Barry's Bristol Ball Buster 214km Audax in a couple of weeks. So if you're coming to that, check it out in the flesh.

It's getting a full Audax build cause I'm hoping to also use it for the 400km Brevet Cymru, which will be my first 400km ride, in May. Here's how it's shaping up so far...

So the cycling season is well under way, so it is time to see how my squad matched up against that of Drheaton’s. After one World Tour race, and three fantasy scored races I trail Drheaton in both World Tour points and fantasy points.

World Tour Points: 31

Fantasy Total: 756
TDU: 355
ToQ: 60
ToO: 341

The first flurry of the 2013 season is over and now seems as good a time as any to take stock.

Team 'advertise here's tally so far

World tour points: 46
Current WT standing 6th (full table is here)

Fantasy scores
TdU: 215
ToQ: 317
ToO: 279
Total: 811

“Would you like a bag for that?”

“It’s alright thanks, I’ve got one”