Tadej Pogačar crushes Côte de la Redoute Strava KOM during Liège–Bastogne–Liège domination; “A real shame” as Kona troubles come out; Low entries threaten race’s future; Don’t try this at home! Pro remounts chain on the fly + more on the live blog

Bec Cycling Club, based in south London and who run the infamous Bec Hill Climb and other events throughout the year, have warned that the National B Bec Road Race may be scrapped this year due to a lack of entries. With just a week to go until entries for the Ashdown Forest race close, the organisers said there had been just 15 riders sign up, well down on the 50 they’d had at this time last year.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bec Cycling Club (@beccyclingclub)

Lidl-Trek professional rider Tao Geoghegan Hart even weighed in on the situation, warning that “if events like this die you can be sure they won’t come back” and urging people to “support cycling in the UK”.

“Yes it’s expensive but you can be sure nobody in this club is making money from the event,” he added.

While the race’s organiser, James Hughes (who we’ve contacted for an update on entry numbers post-Tao’s pep talk and the public statement) admitted there is a trend for riders to enter events later, but it is still “the worst year we’ve had”.

“Rider numbers have been down year on year since the pandemic, and riders are certainly entering later and later but this is the worst year we’ve had. This time last year we had almost 50 riders registered,” he explained.

“Pre-pandemic we had a long period of full fields, but over the last few years like most promoting clubs we’ve struggled to get the numbers back up. Last year’s race started with 70, including a lot of the best Elite and 1st Cat riders in the country. It was an exciting race.

“With three weeks to go before the race, there’s lots of organising to be done. As well as most of the club who drive in the race convoy, marshal or run the HQ, there are 10 AMS, 4 NEG and various BC officials who work on the event. Pre-race notices go out on the course next week, and race signs/equipment need to be collected. On top of that, there’s always the worry around road works and last-minute changes. But without a lot more riders we just don’t have a viable race.”

Bec C.C. Road Race 2024 in danger of being cancelled due to low rider numbershttps://t.co/xB1MvOVBTP

— Bec Cycling Club (@BecCyclingClub) April 20, 2024

The cycling club’s captain, Shaun, added: “Costs are certainly an issue with races these days. This year’s race will set riders back £35, and probably much more when petrol and equipment are factored in. This is a massive increase over the years our club has been promoting this race. Other event costs go up year on year and these days the race needs 70+ riders to break even, once overheads are taken into consideration. But the Bec Cycling Club are committed to local events, and we can take a small hit to get through the difficult years if need be.”

The warning the race may be cancelled is the latest blow in the seemingly never-ending negative news cycle for the British domestic scene. While British Cycling has been widely praised for stepping in, and now setting dates and towns, to save the Tour of Britain, putting on a men’s and women’s race this year following SweetSpot entering liquidation, on the whole the domestic racing scene is struggling.

> “I can’t think of any British bike race that would run at a profit”: Another organiser cancels cycle race amid spiralling costs

At the start of the year, the governing body published the recommendations of its elite road racing task force who suggested ideas for “reinvigorating” racing in the UK.

Some weekend of news, reviews and features on the site, here’s what you might have missed…

> Are endurance bikes actually slower than road race bikes in the real world? We did a speed test to find out

The big bike industry news of the weekend was the Kona story going the way many feared following the brand’s staff hastily removing its presence from the major US industry expo, Sea Otter. Yesterday, we reported the famous mountain bike and cyclocross brand is winding down and up for sale as its parent company abandons the struggling bike market. More on that one shortly…

Yesterday was London Marathon day, some cyclists in the English capital left disappointed by the build-up to the event proving a little less accommodating for those on two wheels than those who ran the 26 miles of closed roads.

On the reviews side of things, off-road.cc editor Aaron has been putting Fulcrum’s Speed 42 wheelset through its paces.

Also this weekend:

•  Tadej Pogačar won a major bike race, no surprises there. Also no surprises the women’s edition was a much more entertaining watch, Grace Brown finally getting that big win after two previous Liège–Bastogne–Liège seconds.
• A few months after a councillor in Orkney urged the police to clamp down on tourists cycling “anti-socially” on the islands, 50 miles to the north-east, in Shetland, locals are up in arms over “long lines” of cyclists arriving on cruise ships, allegedly causing havoc and frustration on the archipelago’s roads.
• And finally, a cyclist in West Yorkshire came up with a novel way to keep the close passes at bay — riding for a month with a giant “Don’t drive so close to me” poster attached to his bike. However, once the poster was removed, the cyclist says “everything went back to normal” and he received “lots of close passes”.

A glamorous end to Toms Skujiņš’ classics season, eating chips while sat on the floor in an airport hotel hallway “somewhere in Belgium”.

No intenten hacerlo en casa ⚠️⚠️⚠️
#TUR2024 | #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/YXvJOAAlZm

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) April 21, 2024

 

 

 

 

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We’ve been in contact with Bec Road Race organiser James Hughes this morning who has told us entry numbers have almost doubled to 29 over the weekend.

“Things are looking a little better as we’re now up to 29 riders registered, which is a big increase,” he explained. “Goes to show that social media does have some impact. With a bit of luck we will get up to decent numbers this week to make it a goer.”

That’s all a bit more positive…
 

The bike industry woes continued this weekend, Kona Bicycles put up for sale as its parent company abandons the struggling cycling market. The famous mountain and cyclocross bike manufacturer is winding down operations, staff last week seen removing the brand’s stall at the major US expo, Sea Otter Classic in California.

There have been reports of extensive job cuts, Kent Outdoors (the parent company which says it wants to “direct its resources toward investment in its key water sports businesses”) has been trying to sell the off-road bike manufacturer for some time, the North American-based outdoor goods conglomerate announcing the appointment of a new chief financial officer on Friday following a “strategic review” of the business.

There has been plenty of sympathy from across the cycling world, many expressing hope the brand can be saved and sharing memories of past rides on Kona’s bikes.

Really sorry to hear this. My first bike on returning to cycling as an adult was a Kona Dew. A cracking commuter hybrid. Still got the frame to do a custom gravel build. Hope they can be saved. Quality bikes.

— SteeVeeCee (@StevieC967) April 21, 2024

Justin Bailey: “That’s a real shame. We used to sell Kona. Great bikes.”

 Reibl Hughes: “As the owner of two Kona bikes (which I love) I am saddened by this news.”

The vultures have begun to circle, road.cc reader Ryan Soulier offering to take one of the new Ouroboros gravel bikes “for cost, to get the inventory off their hands”. That’s the other quirk to the story, Kona on Wednesday unveiled the new gravel bike line, to be shown off at Sea Otter Classic to the industry. Just 24 hours later and the stall was deconstructed, the brand pulling out amid talk of company meetings…

Shaun Coleman said there are “too many players in an overcrowded market”, while Thomas Crawford reckons “sadly from having such great bikes they just didn’t evolve as time passed”.

James Williams: “Shame, but the brand hasn’t got the allure it once had, same for Marin, you wouldn’t buy one over a Scott/Specialized anymore, whereas years ago they were a credible alternative.”

Others saved their thoughts for parent company Kent Outdoors, who only bought Kona in 2022 but has reportedly been trying to ship it off for some time and wants to ditch the bike market in favour of its existing watersports brands.

“In connection with the investment of capital and the management team coming onboard, the company performed a strategic review of its operating units and determined that it would continue to seek a buyer for its bike business, Kona,” a Kent Outdoors press release said.

“This move allows the company to direct its resources toward investment in its key water sports businesses. The bike industry has faced very significant challenges in the post-Covid world and Kona has not been immune to these headwinds.”

Rob Walker: “Another sad example of investment firms buying a long-standing firm from its owners and driving it into the dust (or gravel if you prefer) when it doesn’t make them the quick bucks they were hoping for.”

don simon fbpe: “Got to love capitalism.”

brooksby: “If Kent Outdoors wants to focus on its key watersports business, then why did they buy a bicycle company less than two years ago?”

To which jaymack replied: “Because they’re capitalists and they want to make a profit rather than them being cycling enthusiasts wanting to make a living.”

> “Are there so many cyclists to warrant such disruption?” Locals blame new cycle lane for “horrendous” congestion and motorists driving on wrong side of the road – despite “being all in for vulnerable road users and a green planet”

We’ll leave the reply to Rory…

I think everyone would agree that a better system of docking is needed and blocking pavements like this is not acceptable. I struggle to understand how tagging someone who rides their own bike is responsible for this when the company themselves should be called into question.

— Rory McCarron (@CyclingLawLDN) April 22, 2024

Reminder that the World Championship course in Zurich has even more elevation gain than LBL 👇🏽

Remco should be the only one who could threaten Pogačar. It’s way too hard for WVA and MVDP 🤷🏻‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/bKwS5DxJqt

— Inside Out (@InsideOut2912) April 22, 2024

How does Strade Bianche, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, World Championships sound? 

> Cyclists slam report by “notorious anti-cycling group” claiming proposed bike lane on “one of the most dangerous junctions” will lead to more collisions and 800% increase in congestion

Having done the boring bit — obliterating a cycling monument (again), doing the victory salute, heading to the podium, and raising his trophy — Tadej Pogačar moved on to the most important part of his Liège–Bastogne–Liège Sunday… uploading to Strava, of course.

And while the prodigious Slovenian didn’t need to smash some of the final lumps out of the way, the damage having already been done and the race-winning move just requiring a consistent keeping of things ticking over, Pogačar did chop a good seven seconds off the KOM up the famous Côte de la Redoute.

> Death, taxes, and Tadej Pogačar dominating a bike race: What we learnt as Pogačar and Grace Brown win Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Wouldn’t it be nice to fly up a 1.5km climb averaging 10 per cent at 22.9km/h (14mph)? Pogačar went 10 seconds quicker than Remco Evenpoel’s best time (in fact a joint PB between the Belgian’s race-winning attack and an effort made during his recon ride two days earlier).

Women’s edition victor Grace Brown also uploaded her ride, her Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT giving some amusing dodgy data, such as the temperature in the Ardennes plummeting to -32°C. I’m sure a few riders reckon that reading was spot on, another grim day for the most part.

Such was the state of play in the women’s race, the times on the Redoute weren’t quite as sharp as in previous years, Annemiek van Vleuten’s 5:01 safe for another year.

Likewise, Brown went 24 seconds slower than her best time up the final climb, Roche-aux-Faucons, but crucially was still there to lay down a third fastest Strava time on the 800m segment to the line, besting Demi Vollering, Elisa Longo Borghini and Co. having chased back on following near disaster on the run into town when she locked up and went off-road at a roundabout.

No power data for either, as is standard these days. Still no sign of Mathieu van der Poel or Tom Pidcock returning to Strava any time soon. Come back, guys, we miss you…