cycling

It wasn't me that started it I promise you. Some guy in our club (well he isn't in our club anymore but that is a different story) went to Germany on business and whilst he was there he found a bike shop.

The shop had its own amateur cycling team and they had some jerseys in stock. He bought one and then wore it at our next ride. It was enchanting to see a bloke from Peterborough riding around the fens in a jersey with loads of exotic sounding sponsors on it. Most of them were probably sore bum creams or something, but the challenge was out there and I wanted to take it up.

British professional cycling entered a new era this week (no, not Tony Gibb's haircut and the Plowman Craven team launch!!) when "Team Sky" was launched.

The principle being to take the winning formula of "Team GB", mainly on the track, and turn it into a road based squad capable of winning the Tour de France.

The national newspapers were mentioning names such as Steve Cummings and Bradley Wiggins coming in to lead the team, but Dave Brailsford (Team GB Performance Director) was a bit more coy mentioning the possibility of continental based pros being part of the roster.

There is nothing better than a late winter holiday to get some sun on your bones and to get the motivation for cycling back.

I wasn't yearing too much for my bike whilst relaxing in Spain and then on a mountain drive back to the coast from Girona I saw it.

Simple white letters painted on a road to one of the peaks used in the Volta e Catalunya last summer.

"Hincapie"