End of September 2010

Been busy with my cyclosportive book, and I managed two weeks at home writing. That meant I also managed a bit of consistent training, on this bike, a Verenti Klimeston, which is a great entry level bike for cyclosportives. Take the mudguards off and maybe treat yourself to some lighter wheels and tyres, or tyres only, for summer and you are set up for round the year riding.

I’ve got to get out and do some interviews now though, plus I’m going to spend a day at the bike show on Cycling Active’s stand next week. In between doing that there’s some of the most exciting racing of the year, the road race worlds in Australia. (The time trials are quite good too.)

Many people say the worlds have been devalued by holding them later in the year, which could be true. It’s probably more correct to say that they’ve been devalued because the Tour de France is more important than ever. Someone high up in the business told me recently that 80 percent of the marketing opportunities offered by cycling were generated by the Tour.

That means the Tour is nothing but pressure, and its contenders, whether they had a good race or a bad one, are so burned by it they don’t have the thirst for the worlds that they did. However, the worlds are still always exciting. The pro race is a slog-fest that starts fast then gets faster until just a few are left. Fortune then favours the brave or the canny, and nearly always produces a worthy winner. None more than Cadel Evans in 2009.

Then there’s the women’s race and the under-23s. These events aren’t undervalued in any way and are super fast and very closely fought. With the greatest respect to Mark Cavendish, who could still win the pro race this year and I believe will win it one year, I think Britain’s best chance of a road race rainbow jersey in Geelong lies with the women. Emma Pooley in the time
trial, or Lizzie Armitstead on the road.

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