“At least my gym work is paying off”: Hill climber launches huge effort… snaps frame; Cycling silly season continues: Roglič transfer, Jumbo merger rumble on (+ Amazon sponsorship reports) + more on the live blog
SUMMARY
Cycling silly season continues: Roglič transfer and Jumbo merger rumble on (Amazon reportedly to sponsor the team in 2024)
[Luis Angel Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency]
So, where are we up to this morning?
The big report since yesterday is that Amazon, yes our online shopping overlords, will step in as a new sponsor for Jumbo-Visma to the tune of approximately €15 million, leaving a €25 million hole to be filled. It has been suggested Primož Roglič’s sale could help, yep that’s right no Amazon Primož for the Dutch team… (credit to Ryan for that one)…
Talking of Roglič, he’s available for transfer as soon as the start of 2024, with Ineos, Movistar and Lidl-Trek linked. With the Slovenian’s contract running until the end of 2025 it means whichever team comes out on top will have to pay a buyout fee to Jumbo, and while the three aforementioned teams appear to be leading the race, Bora Hansgrohe and Israel-Premier Tech have also been linked, with Bahrain Victorious and Jayco AlUla denying interest…
Is there any team which hasn’t been linked to Rogla at this point?
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) September 29, 2023
Oh, and while all this is going on…
We start our Italian block of racing in Emilia with this team 👇 pic.twitter.com/fEQ0qoncxI
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) September 29, 2023
Another normal day of pro cycling…
Ever had that much power?
I snapped a chain climbing on my singlespeed once.
I’ve rarely felt prouder while out on my bike.
— lukebmtb.bsky.social (@LukeB_MTB) September 29, 2023
Well I did break a spoke once 🤔
— shaun (@slow_tri_guy) September 29, 2023
Me and you both Shaun, but I think the pothole gets the credit for mine…
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Pray to the weather gods that the route will actually be useable, the 2,700m monster prone to terrible weather and snow well into the early summer…
Rishi Sunak's 'Plan for Motorists' will "rob people of choice" and force them to drive, say cycling and walking campaigners
Milan forces bus and lorries to have sensors to reduce cycling collisions
The city of Milan has introduced a policy whereby lorries and buses will be required to instal blind-spot sensors in a bid to reduce injuries and fatalities, Reuters reports. From Monday, vans, buses and lorries will be banned from large parts of the city from Monday to Friday during working hours, unless they have the sensors.
“It is very dangerous to ride a bicycle, there are several obstacles such as cobblestones, tram tracks, and the city was not designed for cyclists. Add to that the heavy traffic and the high level of stress motorists endure,” Eleonora Ciscato, a Milanese cyclist said of the dangers of riding in the city.
The changes come after a string of fatalities, five this year, leaving the mayor to say the “problem is how to make cyclists safe” and that his concern is “someone, perhaps even legitimately, may be afraid and no longer use bicycles”.
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A piece of work that’s been a long time coming…
"At least my gym work is paying off": Hill climber launches huge effort... snaps frame
Ever had so much power you’ve written off your frame?
It’s a no from us too on that question, obviously…
“High torque from a standing start, did it within the first pedal stroke and just slid to a stop undramatically,” Calum Brown explained on Instagram.
Hill climbs are short events at the best of times, let alone if you don’t make it past the 10m mark. Fortunately seems like the wrong word when we’re talking about this level of damage, but fortunately this was only Calum’s recce of the Monsal Hill Climb course, up the painfully steep but invitingly short Monsal head ascent, where he’s won the event twice.
Perhaps the hardest part of this year’s will be finding something to ride it on? Nah, scratch that, the hardest bit will definitely still be the standard hill climb double-digit gradients, lungs burning, tasting blood, legs like cement, collapse to the roadside…
“End of an era for that frame, was ridden to over 20 course records. Not good prep for the weekend but at least my gym work is paying off,” he joked.
While we’re on the topic, that’s a quite impressive level of damage… snapped chainstays and seat stays, take a bow.
What’s worse, this has happened to Calum before. In 2017 he completely destroyed a crankset at the Bank Road hill climb. Don’t worry Shimano, he was using SRAM that day, modified with chainrings not recommended by the manufacturer and leading SRAM to amusingly comment, “the configuration is outside of the Red crankset’s intended use” but “2000+ watts is an incredibly impressive amount of power to generate and we applaud Calum’s strength”.
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Latest Comments
Drivers don't seem to have any problem seeing cyclists going through red lights and committing other offences. Yet at all other times cyclists are all but invisible. Strange. Schrödinger's cyclist?
@Terry Hutt I don't know. The study didn't cover these aspects. There may be practical issues with uniform sizing etc.
@Hollis Jones Yes, I did a Rouvy trial this month and thought it was far superior to Zwift, probably will switch. I hadn't tried it for years but they're really nailed the video routes with the augmented reality, especially in removing the traffic so you don't get that absurd thing of pedestrians and cars in slow motion when you slow down. Judging by the routes mentioned above - Glen Etive, Sa Calobra, and the Galibier, all available on Rouvy, it looks as though Zwift has just lifted Rouvy's videos and rebadged them for 50% extra.
@chrisonabike I say: well done to the Welsh government for first acting on the available evidence, then checking that the outcome was as expected, and not buckling under the probably unavoidable moaning. Long may they continue to implement first and socialise later. That way they set an example that governments across the UK should have the courage to follow.
@Rendel Harris I was a long time Zwift user, then moved over to Rouvy about eight months ago. I have enjoyed the real routes, as well as the more grown up feel and extensive training content, but Zwift Plus would definitely tempt me back. Sadly that £27 monthly price tag is a no go for me.
@Mr Blackbird won't you think about the effects on genuine French maids? Or do you believe a "safety in numbers" effect applies?
Amen! Evidence - that's how things should work. Pity about the concern around messaging, given that in every case I'm aware of the same positives have emerged. But that's politics: before "why? It doesn't do anything for me, and sounds like I'll lose something!" After: "we don't want to go back". But even evidence of "fewer people are killed / injured, people report places become nicer" can get swamped by "they're stealing your rights! But my parking space! But the (pre-existing) motor traffic congestion was worse on the first Monday! etc". Not to mention the money being spent just on pro-motoring advertising may be more than goes into active travel all told. Probably a fair fraction of that goes on just poisoning the active travel well for political gains...
@Mr Blackbird Would it help if the other vehicles and lamp posts were dressed in French maid uniforms too?
Hmm, Zwift owns Rouvy, Zwift starts offering what Rouvy offers but for £9 more. Doesn't take a very cynical crystal ball to see Rouvy either getting more expensive, losing features or simply being discontinued "To avoid duplication" in the not too distant, something I suspect has always been Zwift's plan. Rouvy bought Bkool and shut it down, telling members to transfer to Rouvy, then Zwift bought Rouvy...when Rouvy bought Bkool they said it would continue as a standalone platform, that lasted all of four months before they announced the shutdown.
I think Zwift have missed a trick here. They could have included a motorist road rage option. Cyclists could maybe gain 25 extra experience points for every close pass or 100 points for being attacked and having their skull fractured by a mad Scottish driver (like the nutcase in yesterday's video). Instead of "Ride On" messages, there could be a voice recording of Richard Madeley shouting "You lycra clad louts should have number plates!".
7 thoughts on ““At least my gym work is paying off”: Hill climber launches huge effort… snaps frame; Cycling silly season continues: Roglič transfer, Jumbo merger rumble on (+ Amazon sponsorship reports) + more on the live blog”
Sunak expected to limit
Sunak expected to limit powers of councils in England to curb car use
Apparently 20mph speed limits are against British Values®
What’s a 504 error? Is that
What’s a 504 error? Is that a consequence of a DDOS created by Howard Cox?
It’s a timeout error – the
It’s a timeout error – the back end server isn’t sending a response back quickly enough.
Could be due to traffic congestion in the internet superhighway 🙁
The irony’s not lost.
It’s beginning to look like incompetence the length of time it’s been going on for.
Mr Hoopdriver wrote:
Either that or they are being hacked – could be a ddos issue.
“Proper cyclists don’t need
“Proper cyclists don’t need bike lanes”
That’s a new one for the anti-cycling bingo.
But to counter-point, for argument’s sake:
Bike lanes are not designed for “proper cyclists”. They are designed for the regular average joe to have a safe alternative to cars for short journeys that are beyond walking range. As in everyone else.
It’s a shame you can’t tax/cure/criminalize stupidity.
Nah – it’s the historical
Nah – it’s the historical oddity that is “vehicular cycling” back from the past, like L-shaped cranks. (“Cranks” being apt in this case.)
A small correction – “cycle paths” please rather than lanes! Separate from the main road, with none of the protection that isn’t eg. paint or wands and orcas you can hit. Nor the inevitable road crud, leftover potholes and corduroy road at bus stops… Also taking more than an afternoon to “rip out”!
Sea otter video is flawed
Sea otter video is flawed with a bike shown and a cantilever brakes is used as part of the description. The brakes shown are most definitely centerpull brakes, not cantilever ( or “canti’s”) brakes as described. Fifty years ago centerpull brakes were on most of the top racers bikes, since Campagnolo didn’t release their superior Super Record sidepull brakes till 1974