Welcome to Monday’s live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
Live blog: Angry letter and petition as amateur trade teams rail against UCI decision excluding them from Track World Cup; Two cyclists Chase the Sun from Thames Estuary to Bristol Channel – then ride all the way back + more
All today’s news from the site and beyond…
Mon, Jun 24, 2019 17:59
SUMMARY
24 June 2019, 17:59
ICYMI - some top stories from the weekend
If you haven’t been following cycling-related matters over the weekend, here’s some things you may have missed…
Egan Bernal wins Tour de Suisse to give Ineos potential Tour de France leadership headache
81-year-old becomes oldest woman to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats
Robert Hazeldean crowdfunding hits goal – but will it be enough?
24 June 2019, 17:59
Think LEJOG sounds tough? How about GBDURO 2019, a 2000km off-road version that's just four stages long...
The inaugural GBDURO is ran by The Racing Collective, and involves four totally unsupported stages in which riders have to go on and off-road over some punishing terrain, with over 10,000m of climbing on stage 1. Lachlan Morton of the EF Education pro team was the first to finished the 630km opening stage, forgoing a rest stop in Bristol after the first day and doing the whole 630km in one go. Here are the four stages:
Stage 1 – Land’s End to Ysbyty Cynfyn 630km // 10,900m
Stage 2 – Ysbyty Cynfyn to Garrigill 470km // 8,500m
Stage 3 – Garrigill to Fort Augustus 480km // 7,100m
Stage 4 – Fort Augustus to John O’Groats 380km // 4,200m
The route is newly developed and is known as the GBDIVIDE, created by a number of well-known stalwarts in the bikepacking community. There are no prizes as such, with the rider finishing the four stages in the lowest aggregate time receiving nothing more than some major kudos. Riders have to finish by 2nd July, meaning all competitors will need to ride over 200km a day to make it to the finisher’s party. You can follow the progress of all riders on the Dotwatcher website here, and find out more about GBDURO 2019 on the Racing Collective website.
24 June 2019, 17:59
Madison Genesis no more - team to fold after 2019 season ends
An iconic team of the domestic circuit with some of the kindest people I’ve met. British Cycling will miss @MadisonGenesis. Thank you for all you’ve done https://t.co/UmubnHJPVn
— Mark Cavendish (@MarkCavendish) June 24, 2019
An open letter reads: “It is with a great regret that we are announcing Madison Genesis will cease racing at the end of this season. In this open letter to everyone that has supported us over the last seven years, we want to offer an explanation and use it as an opportunity to show our gratitude to our fans and sponsors that made the dream a reality.
Who would have thought back in 2012, that an unknown team could go on to create so many incredible, lasting memories? We started out with a recently retired Roger Hammond at the helm in 2012 and achieved everything we wanted and more. With too many highlights to mention, a nod must be given to winning the Tour Series in 2015 and of course helping Connor Swift to his National Road Race title in July last year.
The team will continue to race until the end of the season, with a main goal very much being to ride at and be a force at the Tour of Britain in September. There will be plenty more opportunities to see Madison Genesis this year, not least of all the team ride out in Wales next month.
As a team, we would just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for helping to make the last seven years truly unforgettable. Fans, riders, sponsors, mechanics, soigneurs, helpers, journalists, photographers, videographers and anyone in between, thank you for joining us on our journey.
See you on the road.
The Madison Genesis Team
24 June 2019, 17:59
Risky...
Peter Sagan has a wobble while attempting to get his shades clean, with a Dimension Data rider to his left looking a tad concerned. Priorities and all…
24 June 2019, 17:59
That feeling when a truck flies past you at breakneck speed? This is a pretty good way of demonstrating it...
What cyclists experience when a large vehicle passes them without proper distance/speed reduction…pic.twitter.com/ol0paLynK2
— Cycling Professor (@fietsprofessor) June 23, 2019
An unlikely source, but this vape cloud appears to give a pretty good idea of the turbulence felt when a big vehicle passes too close at speed.
24 June 2019, 17:59
Christoph Strasser wins record 6th Race Across America title; Team Backstedt take 8-person win
Read the full story here.
24 June 2019, 17:59
Crash forces James MacDonald to abandon 24-hour distance record attempt
James MacDonald’s bid to set a new 24-hour distance record for riding in a velodrome came to grief on Sunday after he crashed on some water he had dropped on the boards of the Geraint Thomas Velodrome in Newport.
The British rider was on course to break the record of 941.873km currently held by Austria’s Christoph Strasser – who coincidentally has just won a record sixth Race Across America title.
MacDonald, 48 carried on riding for a further five hours but was behind the pace and was forced to abandon, reports Reuters.
He said: “Well 20 months of preparation pretty much ended on the back straight after slipping on the water I’d spilled earlier.
“Did try for the 1,000km record but after the savage pace of the 24 and the injuries it was all too much.”
“I’d like to thank everyone who made this happen. Too many to list now. Need some rest. Thanks for all the amazing support both in Newport and online, it’s been a mad mad day!”
24 June 2019, 17:59
"Brutally destructive": Huub Wattbike publish open letter to UCI over their decision to exclude amateur teams from Track World Cup
An open letter to the @UCI_cycling President, @DLappartient #LongLiveDerbados pic.twitter.com/crBHrIcEeq
— Huub | Wattbike Test Team (@HuubWattbike) June 24, 2019
Huub-Wattbike will no longer be able to compete in the Track Cycling World Cup, an event they won in December, thanks to the UCI’s changes that excludes amateur teams from taking part.
In an lengthy open letter to UCI president David Lappartient they’ve now uploaded on social media, Huub Wattbike say: “As a multiple World Cup winning trade team which has broken records and developed world champions, the announced changes have sever implications for us and will ultimately kill off the existence of trade teams completely.
…”Furthermore and putting our personal situation aside, we feel the changes are brutally destructive to the sport we know and love and in this letter we want to argue why.”
The team then ask for an explanation, how athletes are supposed to develop outside of the national system and how riders, employees and sponsors of trade teams will be compensated. We’ll updated if we catch wind of a statement from the UCI on the matter.
24 June 2019, 17:59
Scotland's largest e-bike share scheme launches in the Forth Valley
With 120 bikes in its fleet available across the town of Falkirk and beyond, Forth Bike is now the biggest electric bike share scheme in Scotland. Full story on eBikeTips.
24 June 2019, 17:59
UCI amateur track team ban - now BEAT Cycling Club have started a petition to get the decision reversed
Our open letter to the @UCI_cycling, regarding the recently announced changes to track cycling. Join our fight: sign the petition and keep us on track! https://t.co/xntngWkUky pic.twitter.com/bU5nta2UG2
— BEAT Cycling Club (@beatcyclingclub) June 24, 2019
Joining Huub Wattbike in penning an open letter to voice their displeasure to the UCI, the team have also started a petition that’s got over 300 signatures in less than an hour. You can read their letter and sign the petition here.
24 June 2019, 17:59
Two cyclists did Saturday's 200-mile+ Chase the Sun ride from the Thames Estuary to the Bristol Channel - then rode back!
This is a decent weekend’s riding by anyone’s standards – two members of Kent-based Sheppey Velo, based in the town in Kent from where the annual Chase the Sun ride starts at sunrise on the longest Saturday of the year with the aim of reaching Burnham-on-Sea in Somerset by sunset, did the ride to the Bristol Channel … then got back on their bikes the following morning to head all the way back to the start point on the Thames Estuary.
Chapeau to Steve Evans and Sean Reid and a shout-out to anyone who completed the coast-to-coast ride, which perhaps doesn’t get the same attention as some other events of a similar nature when the daylight is at its longest.
Check that elevation gain, too!
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Jack is group editor across road.cc, off.road.cc and ebiketips, overseeing all three sites in the F-At Digital group to make sure everything’s up to scratch. He’s been writing about cycling and multisport for over a decade, arriving at road.cc via 220 Triathlon Magazine in 2017. He worked across all areas of road.cc including tech, news and video, and also contributed to ebiketips before being named editor of road.cc in 2021 (much to his surprise). Jack has been hooked on cycling since his student days, and currently has a Trek 1.2 for winter riding, a beloved Bickerton folding bike for getting around town, and an extra beloved custom Ridley Helium SLX for fantasising about going fast in his stable. Jack has never won a bike race, but does have a master’s degree in print journalism, and two Guinness World Records for pogo sticking (it’s a long story).
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Latest Comments
Rendel Harris 51 minutes ago
Bit confused now Tom, you said that "AFAIK nobody said he’s going to ride to win the GC", I gave you an example of Seixas himself talking about going for GC, now you're saying there you are, there is evidence that he's talking about the GC? I know that, it was me who shared the quote.
Rendel Harris 2 hours ago
Couldn't have a much more perfect example for a certain poster of how cycling continues to feel the full force of climate change...
tomlew 4 hours ago
@Rendel Harris Oh, and by the way. "But I will not take risks for something other than the GC." - this could just as well be read as "I won't take any risks unless it's really, really worth it." They're not even talking about snatching the maillot jaune for a day, but about the GC. Who wouldn't, if they had a opportune shot at that?
Miller 12 hours ago
Here's a photo I took on Alpe d'Huez at TdF 1991. L to R: Gianni Bugno, Miguel Indurain, Luc Leblanc. They would finish the stage in that order, Bugno winning. Yes, colour film was available in 1991 but that day I chose to use black and white knowing that many years hence it would look epic.
tomlew 13 hours ago
Riding a bike is green. Pro cycling is not. Don't greenwash us by confusing one with the other.
Rendel Harris 14 hours ago
The first 750 words of this article comprise a detailed explanation of the ways in which cycling continues to feel the full force of climate change. Perhaps more time reading what's actually written before rushing to spaff nonsense everywhere might help your comprehension.
60somethingcyclist 14 hours ago
Sadiq Khan and TfL cannot be accused of neglecting cycling. They have greatly improved provision in London. Yes there is a lot more that could be done, but we need to be patient. The public finances aren't in good shape, so things are going to b e tight for some time.
tomlew 15 hours ago
@Rendel Harris "ultimately football at every level is played on roughly the same size to pitch, the goals are the same size and there are eleven players on each team." Except they don't. In a senior team a 16-year-old plays against adults, under tougher competition, plays more matches and under greater mental strain. If your argument was vaild, I could easily counter it by sayng that riding the very same bike on the same roads as in training, 150 km a day, should not be such a big deal for a pro cyclist.
MaxiMinimalist 16 hours ago
The TdF yearly circus generates human and atmospheric pollution. Big time. Airplanes, choppers, trucks, cars for teams, media, VIP and other involved parties. But pro cycling is a profitable business, ask ASO. Don't spoil the party with questions about carbon footprint, side-road waste, recycling (pun intended). Also, why does ASO not have a plan B case of high temperatures - earlier departure times, shortened stages, ... ? Based on this week's weather forecasts, several stages are likely to be cancelled. Quote of the day : "But as cycling continues to feel the full force of climate change, ..." In what ways?
Pub bike 17 hours ago
@Podc I heard that Scunthorpe CC's experiment with wrapping the name around the jersey under the arm to make it fit didn't go too well either.
1 thought on “Live blog: Angry letter and petition as amateur trade teams rail against UCI decision excluding them from Track World Cup; Two cyclists Chase the Sun from Thames Estuary to Bristol Channel – then ride all the way back + more”
Just nipping out for a 425
Just nipping out for a 425 mile bike ride.. see you later…