Cycle Chat 02.05.09 [Read More ...]

It’s Dartmoor Classic this coming Sunday and the weather is just right for memorable day after last years soaked event.

Colin Lewis Cycles will have its shop at the start and finish where you can get all the essentials for your ride plus there will be stands representing Wilier, Felt, Castelli, Wilson Zip and finally Maxim for your energy drinks!!

So come have a good day and enjoy!!

Jon Locke (Mid-Devon CLC) had another first this last week at Lew Downs but this next weekend will be his big test against the premier British cyclists in the Lincoln Classic with its steep cobble climb to the finish.

Jon is going well but he will find out how good well is this weekend!!

Jeremy Hunt (Credit Agricole) has been able to test himself this week in the Four Days of Dunkirk after stomach problems as reported in last week’s Cycle Chat. He is not doing too bad and keeping up on the flat stages and is 104th after 3 stages just 3 mins down. Roger Hammond (Team High Road) is 20th at 2.54 mins and Ian Stannard (Landbouwkrediet – Tönissteiner) 70th at 2.59.

The 91st Giro d'Italia starts this Saturday and we have Steve Cummins and Geraint Thomas going for Barloworld, Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins for High Road, Charles Wegelius for Liquigas and David Millar for Slipstream representing us!!

There is the usual full coverage on Eurosport.

British Cycling is creating a new training team to meet the Department for Transport and Cycling England target to provide Bikeability cycle training to half a million young people by 2012. The new team is part of British Cycling's existing coaching and education department and follows the Department for Transport's 140 million pound funding announcement in January.

Bikeability is Cycling Proficiency for the 21st century and is designed to give young people the skills and confidence to cycle on today's busy roads. Comprising of three different levels, Level 1 teaches basic skills, Level 2 gives young people the skills to ride on quiet roads and Level 3 teaches the skills required to safely negotiate major roads and junctions. This will enable young people to make local trips, such as riding to school, both safely and conveniently. In addition, it is expected to encourage more young people to join local clubs, get involved in cycle sport and may even nurture future champions.

Oli Lougheed will serve as the training manager and head up the new team. British Cycling is currently also recruiting a cycle training officer. The team will work closely with the newly expanded Go-Ride development team. Pilot schemes will begin in March 2009.

Over the next nine months, British Cycling will also be developing a cycle trainer education course, which is aimed at coaches that have already reached British Cycling's Level 2 coaching standard, to meet the National Standard for Cycle Training. Completing the course will qualify coaches to deliver the forthcoming Go-Ride Bikeability course in schools, clubs or even to their colleagues, family and friends.

Anybody interested give us a shout and we will point you in the right direction!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 02.05.08 [Read More ...]

Jeremy Hunt of Credit Agricole was in the shop this last week making the most of a brief pause in his cycling program.

Jeremy is expectant of a ride in this year’s Tour de France as lead out man for Thor Hushovd for which reason Credit Agricole chose him for their team in the first place.

Jeremy had one problem though which is a weak stomach which came after the Tour of Langkawi which was taking away some energy from him when he needed to be 100+%.

He is having treatment and was expecting to be back to normal shortly.

Jeremy’s next race is the 4 day stage Tour of Dunkirk when he will be able to see the progress he has made.

Next week is the long awaited successor to last years inaugural Dartmoor Classic Cyclosportive. Too late to enter now as the event is was over subscribed but we announce this to let you know that Colin Lewis Cycles will have a shop at the start with a stock of all the clothing and the usual essential accessories that might be needed.

Although we will have them for sale we trust that for the enjoyment of the event we will not be selling any wet weather gear as we did last year!!

On the stand will be the Dartmoor Classic Jersey on sale at £30.00!!

Mark Cavendish won the time-trial prologue stage of the Tour of Romandie in Geneva, Switzerland in a time of two minutes 7.60 seconds.

The 22-year-old Manx sprinter finished ahead of Italy's Daniele Bennati (2:07:87) and Swiss rider Michael Albasini (2:08:20).

Mark’s fellow Briton and Team High Road team-mate Bradley Wiggins was just under one second back in fifth place.

Mark recorded an average speed of 56.425 km/hour over the 2km course.

Mark was very complementary of the fine mix of experience and up-and-coming riders in the team that made it impossible not to win!!

The victory is Mark's fourth of the season, and follows two wins in the Three Days of De Panne and one in the Scheldeprijs, in Belgium.

The next 2 stages did not go quite so well leaving the pair in 123rd and 124th!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 26.04.08 [Read More ...]

Another win for the Mid Devon CC and he is also Colin Lewis Cycles Shop Team member Jon Locke in last weekend’s Totnes-Vire Stage race.

Jon was 3rd in the Time trial, 2nd in Stage 2 and 1st in Stage 1. Getting better all the time ensured Jon of a great win over some excellent opposition.

Second was Marcin Bialoblocki (Sport Beans Wilier), 3rd Matthew Higgins (Team Corley Cycles) and 4th Tom Southam (Team Halfords Bikehut).

An impressive win for Jon that also impressed another team with an offer for him to join them but decided to stay with Mid Devon!!

Jon finishes his university studies in 6 weeks time and then has some decisions to make??

We have just taken delivery of the new Shimano Carbon Wheels WH 7850 priced at an extraordinary cheap £550!!

The remit for Shimano engineers was to create a new wheel for clincher tyres with a strength-to-weight ratio that equalled that of a 100 percent carbon wheel. They also had to be affordable, and have the superior performance of an aluminium braking surface.

To do this Shimano has employed a new jointing process. This enables the fusing of an aluminium extrusion of half the normal thickness for the braking surface and well of the rim to a carbon fibre mid section.

Additional layers of carbon material are applied to the rim around the vulnerable area of the spoke holes, and these are offset to one side on the rear rim to minimise the dish that is inevitable on all wheels that use derailleur gears.

Shimano remains true to traditional cup and cone ball bearings in the hubs. They can be stripped and re-greased. There are changes to the hub body to improve reliability and, Shimano claims, strength, by using more pulling spokes than with the previous model. There are also improvements to the seals to make them more weather-resistant.

Interested?? Call in the shop or else give us a call on 01803-553095!!

Nicole Cooke finished eighth in the Fleche Wallonne in Belgium, but was afterwards upbeat about the race's part in her Olympics preparation.

Nichole, riding as part of a GB team, came in 17 seconds behind the winner, Dutch rider Marianne Vos.

Joined by Emma Pooley and Sharon Laws, the race previewed what may be the women's GB road team in Beijing.

Team Halfords-Bikehut riders Jess Allen and Catherine Hare completed the five-strong GB squad, but it was Pooley and Laws who delivered Nichole to the foot of the final climb, the Mur de Huy.

Although unable to hold off the group containing Vos, Nichole was pleased with the performance of the team.

In the evidence of today we have potentially a very strong team for Beijing.

In the men's version of the race, Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen won after passing and holding off Australian Cadel Evans and Italian Damiano Cunego.

Kirchen, 29, judged his tactics perfectly on the final climb up the Mur after a punishing 199.5km race, which finished in heavy rain.

Briton David Millar finished in 50th place, 2 minutes 49 seconds back.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 19.04.08 [Read More ...]

Simon our boss at CLCycles changed disciplines last night and gave his dusty mountain bike a dusting off with our mountain bike specialist from the shop Ian and also the Cycling Coordinator from the Torbay Council.

After having to get used to where he could pedal and where he could not he quickly found his rhythm and found it rather pleasant to be the countryside rather than having to watch out all the time for cars!!

The big day on the calendar for the Mid Devon Club with the Totnes-Vire series of races on Saturday and Sunday. This is turning into a major stage event now with competition from of course Vire in France and also now after the cancellation of Archers Grand Prix many of the top British riders will be competing.

Again our favourite for the event will be one of our employees Jonathan Locke who will have the home advantage on familiar roads!!

Tom Boonen (Quick Step) ground the opposition into the mud as he took the honours in the Paris-Roubaix. Top Brit was Roger Hammond (Team High Road) had a creditable 23rd but that was 7 mins down showing the decimation done by Tom. Our own Jeremy Hunt pulled out with 30kms to go.

Jeremy is going this Thursday in the Grand Prix de Denain.

One year on and Mark Cavendish returned to the scene of his first pro success and duly repeated it by winning the 96th Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen in Antwerp.

The circumstances could hardly have been more dramatic as the young Manxman, admirably keeping his attention fixed on the main prize, slipped past an amazed Tom Boonen who was already raising his arms to celebrate a win he was never to enjoy.

The crowd who were also fooled went from wild celebration to silence as they realised their hero's mistake, but a delighted Mark had showed once again that combination of special qualities which look set to make him a formidable sprinter - ally his bravery to a highly competitive nature and an eye for taking chances, however small and you have a rather special rider.

After the finish an embarrassed Boonen acknowledged his mistake and paid tribute to Mark’s powers of acceleration. To do this Mark had to beat the pro peloton's most respected sprinters, Robbie McEwan and Erik Zabel, who were third and fourth respectively.

Almost unnoticed, six other Brits finished the race, all of them products of the current GB Team setup, so often criticised for not putting enough effort into developing Road riders. How the times are changing!

However Mark didn't have things entirely his own way - he slipped and fell on the podium, to the amusement of all concerned. Presumably the mixture of spilt champagne and road shoes didn't help him!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 12.04.08 [Read More ...]

The Shimano Team was at Colin Lewis Cycles last Wednesday setting up their equipment for CLC to become a “Shimano Service Centre Plus.”

What exactly is that?? Well probably the best way is to call in the shop at Paignton to see it but I would describe it as a large showcase full of Shimano Goodies with a visual presentation plus all the information you would need before considering a purchase.

Of course Shimano is in direct competition to Sram who we talked about in last week’s Cycle Chat!!

Simon CLC leader returned safely from his excursion to Belgium with 3 other Mid Devon Boys on Monday after watching the Tour of Flanders and also on the Saturday riding the course. Simon said he was pleased to be able to do the climbs with out having to push his bike!!

Pal Jeremy Hunt (Credit Agricole) gave them some passes for the start.Jeremy did not finish the course after working for his team leader Thor Hushovd who finished 27th. The race was won by Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) who fully deserved the win after pulling away at the end.

Things went better for Jeremy on Wednesday in the Ghent- Wevelgem where he finished 44th in the same time as winner Oscar Freire (Rabobank).

Other Brits Roger Hammond and Mark Cavendish (both with High Road) did better though with a 10th and 17th respectively. A 123 would of course have been better but I am sure they were all pleased with the way they rode.

This gears them up for the Paris-Roubaix this coming Sunday.

Some people wrongly wrote off Roger Hammond with his third place in 2004 as a fluke - as if that were possible in a race like Roubaix. But in any case seventh in 2007 - after two years blighted by injury - proved them all wrong.

Being in the right place at the right time and the weather play such a crucial role in the Paris-Roubaix that predictions are risky, but the focus of attention should be on Team CSC on the cobbled roads of northern France.

While last year's winner Stuart O'Grady of Australia seems out of contention having not fully recovered from a bad crash in the Tour de France, 2006 champion Fabian Cancellara appears the strongest rider in the field having won three races this season.

Powerful Belgian team Quick Step cannot be counted out after Stijn Devolder won the Tour of Flanders last weekend, while former world champion Tom Boonen will be out to win his second Paris-Roubaix title after his 2005 victory.

Experience is a major factor over the cobbles, and past winners like Frenchman Frederic Guesdon, Swede Magnus Backstedt or Dutchman Servais Knaven cannot be ruled out. Veterans George Hincapie and Thor Hushovd will also be in the mix.

Be sure to watch it on Eurosport LIVE at 1530hrs and watch out for our boys!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 05.04.08 [Read More ...]

The Tour of Britain is on again this September from the 7th to the 14th!!

The route is as follows:-

7th September: The TfL London stage
8th September: Milton Keynes - Newbury
9th September: Chard - Burnham-on-Sea
10th September: Worcester - Wolverhampton
11th September: Kingston-upon-Hull - Dalby Forest
12th September: Darlington - NewcastleGateshead
13th September: Glasgow - Dumfries & Galloway
14th September: Blackpool - Liverpool

The Tour had its first ever visit to Somerset last year was one of the showpiece stages of the 07 race. The dramatic terrain proved to be the backdrop for some equally dramatic racing and this years South West stage in Somerset and North Devon should be no different as the riders tackle a route from Chard through to Burnham on Sea for our first ever coastal Tour of Britain stage finish!

This gives me no excuse (nor my wife!!) to get out and watch the Tour this year!!

It was Simon Aske’s (our boss!!) birthday last week but the rep from Sram was unaware of that when he gave the Sram red groupset for his Orbea Orca to demonstrate its prowess to Colin Lewis Cycles.

If you are interested in buying or are just curious to see what the Sram is all about call in our shop at Paignton. I don’t promise you a ride on the Orca; but you never know!!

The Sram red is priced at £1400.

This is the main plus point for the SRAM groups. They have pitched the lever between Campagnolo and Shimano. Concealed cables are a big aesthetic improvement over Shimano and the overall feel of the lever is somewhat smaller and less bulky that Shimano, a bit fatter than Campagnolo. The transition part between the bars and the lever hoods is smoother than any previous brake levers.

Double Tap. It sounds simple and in function it really is. A shift up into lower gears requires you to 'push' the gear stick inboard three gears at a time are possible. To shift into higher gears it's a simple 'one' click tap. The only thing that takes some getting used to is the fact that to shift either way the lever goes the same direction. The brake lever doesn't move at all and the gear lever can be moved and held in the fingers for a "sprint" position. The feel is more positive than Shimano and less clunky than Campagnolo with a 1:1 ratio shift a bit like the XO mountain bike derailleur. Very positive.

To sum it up:-

• Great ergonomics
• Great function
• Light yet crisp shifting
• Lightweight
• Compatible with Shimano chains and sprockets

The Orca will be going to Belgium this weekend with Simon and 3 other members of the Mid Devon C.C. to first complete the course of the Tour of Flanders on the Saturday and spectate the event on the Sunday.

And now we're disappointed when we don't win a 10th gold medal. In a monumental week for bike racing, our expectations have grown to the extent that it was a shock when Victoria Pendleton didn't retain her keirin crown and repeat last year's triple title triumph.

She was simply unbeatable in the sprint competition and had given a faultless display in the keirin qualifying rounds, only to fade in the finishing straight of the final. Only two years ago her silver medal would have been hailed a success, but now, live on national TV she fought back the tears, and we all shared her disappointment.

Only the best is good enough for our riders, who are now not only the world's best ever track squad but also the most successful British team in any sport on the global stage. With wins in seven Olympic disciplines, cycling is on course to match the UK's entire medal haul from Athens.

So congratulations to Bradley, Rebecca, Ed, Victoria, Geraint, Paul, Shanaze, Chris, Wendy, Mark and Jo. You've made us all very proud.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 8.3.08 [Read More...]

Jon Locke has done it again and he made it look easy!! He won the 3rd leg of the Mid Devon CC last Saturday’s and was the overall leader of the Spring Pursuit Series.

Well done Jon. Jon is off this week to Wales to take part in the Bike Line 2 day event.

This will be a real test for Jon with some of the top British riders in the form of Dean and Russell Downing competing.

The program is as follows:-

Saturday, March 8

Stage 1: Hope time trial, 1.6 kilometres (starts 11am)

Stage 2: Hope circuit, 56 kilometres (starts 2pm)

Sunday, March 9

Stage 3: Denbigh circuit, 138 kilometres (starts 10am)

Jeremy Hunt did not have the most excellent of starts on his return to Europe last weekend with a DNF and a second to last in the Het Volk and the Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne but will hope for better in his next event the Volta ao Distrito de Santarem a 4 day event starting on 13/3.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has had talks with London mayor Ken Livingstone about bringing the event back to the city.

Last year London staged the Tour's first stage, the Grand Depart, which was watched an estimated three million spectators along the route.

Mr Prudhomme said that London is the first city to host the Tour that has boosted cycling which is why he is so keen to come to again.

Mayor Ken Livingstone echoed his comments, saying last summer's event had been an extraordinary success for London being one of the greatest weekends the capital has ever seen.

The Tour brought millions of pounds into the capital's economy, gave cycling a big boost, showcased London around the world and gave the city a great sporting celebration.

It is estimated that £88m was spent by spectators, teams and race organisers in London and the South East during the race weekend.


Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 20.3.08 [Read More...]

Jon Locke has packed his bag again and this time is off to Scotland to Girvan!!

This is one of the toughest Road Races in the UK. Held over the Easter holiday weekend, the 2008 race will be contested over four separate stages totalling around 250 miles. A field of around 100 riders is expected to take to the roads of Ayrshire and Galloway for the 39th edition of this classic event.

It takes place in an area of great beauty but also of remoteness and occasionally foul weather. It's also that rarity amongst British events, a stage race. Don't forget, along with the rest of the Premier Calendar, it's televised through funding from British Cycling and can be seen on both Eurosport and Cycling.tv

The race consists of four stages - three long road stages and a circuit race in the town of Girvan itself.

This time Jon is racing with Team South West Comp which includes Oliver Beckingsale, Dean Robson, Wayne Coombs, Will Bjergfelt which will make the going easier; although the Tour being very hilly is perfectly suited to Jon!!

Jeremy Hunt (Credit Agricole) has a big race this Saturday with the Milan -San Remo with coverage at 1600 hrs on Eurosport.

Not many of us are going to get the opportunity to go to Beijing, so we shouldn't miss the chance to witness all of our Olympic hopefuls in action at the track Worlds in Manchester next week, beginning March 26.

Incredibly only the Saturday has sold out and there are still plenty of tickets for the remaining four days. My pick is the Wednesday, which, with the men's individual pursuit, scratch and team sprint, plus the women's 500-metre time trial, makes for a great opening night.

Cheer on Bradley Wiggins in the defence of his pursuit crown and remember that the next time he takes to the boards in this discipline will be in China. Then there should be more Brit success in the team sprint with Jamie Staff, Ross Edgar and Chris Hoy carrying our hopes.

If you can't make Wednesday, then catch road pros Geraint Thomas and Steve Cummings backing Wiggins in the team pursuit. Chris Hoy goes for gold in the sprint on Friday, and on the last day defending champion Victoria Pendleton goes in the women's keirin.

There really is no substitute to witnessing the racing first-hand. Tickets start at just £7.50 per person.

Or make it much easier but loosing the atmosphere there is a good coverage on Eurosport!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 1.3.08 [Read More...]

After 3 races Jon Locke finally won his first race of the season with a 9 secs margin over his chasers. The winning time was five minutes faster than the race seven days earlier - with the speed on the level topping 30 mph. for miles on end.

The ten juniors in the entry of 80 set off first and made more of their advantage then in the previous week. The first prime at the end of lap 1 went to Will Jansen, who held off Jake Durrant. The roles were reversed at the end of lap 2 with Jake taking the prize. (Well done Jake!!) Behind, the other four groups had merged despite having to make up over five minutes.

As the front group turned at the Old Paddock Jon Locke and Andrew Parker realised that this was the break that mattered. Andrew put in a big effort with Jon on his wheel to leave the bunch. The pair relayed each other into the South Westerly breeze and inch by inch they closed the gap. With the leaders almost in touching distance Jon made one final effort and caught them before they turned for home with the wind on their backs. Andrew dropped back to the chasers - job done.

The pace slackened just after the prime line had been crossed and it was Jon Locke and Marc Perry who jumped. Marc was not too keen to share the work. As the gradient steepened for the last mile to the finish line the top six riders opened a slight gap. At the left turn with 800 yards left Jon made one more effort and he was clear for a deserved win.

Perry took second place from Bayton and Murdoch with junior Janes fifth - a creditable ride by the youngster. Ed Griffen was sixth at 22 seconds and Phill Borrett seventh.

It was good to see Jeremy Hunt (Credit Agricole) had taken a late entry in the race and used it as part of his training preparation for the Het Volk in Belgium this coming Sunday. He completed the race as part of a day's riding that included a trip over Dartmoor, the race and then home by bike!! He finished in the main group.

British riders shone in the Tour of California, even if the sun didn't. America's biggest bike race was particularly significant for David Millar and Mark Cavendish, who both proved that they would be forces to be reckoned with this season.

Second overall behind defending champion Levi Leipheimer was a pretty impressive performance from David, particularly as Leipheimer was going all-out to prove a point, still smarting from his Astana team's exclusion from the Tour de France. David was determined to show off his new Slipstream jersey, finishing second in the decisive long time trial and surprised even himself with his climbing.

Mark Cavendish managed his "sweetest ever win" on the penultimate stage, only to have the commissaries snatch it away from him for spending too much time alongside a team car following a crash within the last 12 kilometres. Although he was denied his deserved glory nobody can dispute that Cavendish was clearly the fastest sprinter in the race, beating both Paolo Bettini and Oscar Freire to the line. And rather than sulk he burst through to take the bunch sprint for sixth on the last day.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 23.2.08 [Read More...]

Not content with just one win in the Tour of Langkawi Jeremy Hunt (Credit Agricole) was determined to get a second win. On the last stage he was pipped by a bike’s length and had to be content with second.

An excellent Tour though for Jeremy with his second outing with his new team. Although his overall wasn’t his strong point a first and a second is what his team were after from him. In the Points classification Jeremy was 8th.

Jeremy has returned to England now to start of his European Racing Season and is calling in the shop this week when I am sure he will give us an up to date report.

His first ride in Europe will be the Het Volk on 1st March.

Simon Aske was able to leave Ian in charge at the shop last Saturday and took Jake Durrant one of the shop’s workers up to Exeter for the Mid Devon C.C’s Spring Pursuit. Jon Locke was also participating.

The Spring Pursuit is a handicap race and Jake started in scratch. Jake had a puncture on the first lap but got another wheel from a spectator and kept going.

It was Gordon Murdoch (Pedal Power Elite RT) and Tom Burke, (Agiskoviner) who made a very successful break which despite many attempts no one could bridge so Jon Locke had to be satisfied with 4th and Jake did very well to finish 7th.

David Millar is doing very well with his new Slipstream Team in the Tour of California. After Stage 4 he is 4th overall.

Bradley Wiggins (High Road) is 57 overall and had a 2nd in the Time Trial where as Mark Cavendish (High Road) is 67th after to 4th on Stage 2 and 4.

A creditable performance by all 3 and including Jeremy Hunt gives us something to look forward to for the rest of the season!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 09.02.08 [Read More...]

Jon Locke and John Hitchins start on there Mid Devon Sponsored year with the Perfs Pedal Race held in the New Forest. Jon of course will be going for a win so we will let you know next week if the form he showed a few years ago is still there after the turmoil he has been through since then.

Jeremy Hunt continues his season with Credit Agricole this Saturday with the Tour de Langkawi from February 9 – 17. The race will feature just three ProTour squads: Credit Agricole, Bouygues Telecom and Ag2r-La Mondiale giving Credit Agricole a good opportunity to continue well from the Tour Down Under.

Roll up next week 16 February 2008 for the start of the Mid Devon C.C. first race in the Springtime Pursuit starting at the Cricket Ground, Whimple near Exeter, Devon. This is the first of a series of 3 being an annual event of the MDCC.

Get your entries in as soon as possible now; use the British Cycling entry form. You can include a cheque for more than one of the springtime series if you wish, each race is £12 and begins at 2.30.

Send your entries to Mr Kenneth Robertson, 9 Barnfield Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 2JT

British cycling duo Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish will not be racing in this year's Giro d'Italia.

The pair who had planned to miss the Tour de France, hoped to use the three-week event to form part of their Beijing Olympic preparations.

But the tour's organisers, RCS Sport, have excluded the pair's High Road team from this year's event because the team do not meet the selection criteria.

RCS Sport set out four selection criteria for inclusion in the Giro - "ethics, quality, international character and the historical relationship with RCS Sport".

It is thought, therefore, that the final criterion has been used to exclude High Road who are, albeit notionally, a new team.

The other factor which ought to be taken in to consideration, however, is the ongoing power struggle in cycling.

The Giro, like the Tour de France (which is organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation), does not form part of the International Cycling Union's (UCI) ProTour calendar.

Seven non-ProTour teams have been selected for the Italian grand tour, including David Millar's US-based Slipstream-Chipotle.

Although a setback for Cavendish and Wiggins's Olympic preparation plans, the pair have plenty of other options, including, for example, May's Tour of Catalunya, and the Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour of Switzerland in June.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cavendish and Wiggins begin their road-racing season on Sunday 17 February when they compete in the eight-stage Tour of California, and will follow that with the Paris-Nice from 9 to 16 March.

Cycle chat 01.02.08 [Read More...]

Things were going well for Credit Agricole on Jeremy Hunt’s first outing with his new team in the Tour Down Under. After 4 Stages Jeremy’s team-mate Australian Mark Renshaw held a narrow lead of 4 secs over André Greipel (Team High Road) and looked to be going well for the overall in 2 days time!!

But sadly to say as in cycling it is not over until it’s over and a crash in the Peleton on Stage 5 put the Credit Agricole team out of the break and Mark ended up in 38th spot 1.15 behind the winner Andre.

Jeremy was 63rd overall some 3.10 behind. Not to bad a start to the season for Jeremy but mind those rear wheels!!

Incidentally Brit Sean Yates - one of the few British riders ever to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey - made his first outing as manager of the revamped Astana team after his former team, Discovery, disbanded.

That was all last week and at the moment it is the Tour of Qatar that is on at the moment over the boring long stretches of the scorching desert, our sole British representative being David Millar on his first ride with the Slipstream Team. David is after 4 stages is 49th some 15 mins behind leader Tom Boonen.

If you want any information about Cervelo bikes the best person to ask is Simon Aske CLCycles owner. Simon is just back from Milton Keynes after a 2 day seminar by Cervelo. His comments after arriving home were that the bike he designed the Hotta had gone along way in inspiring the Cervelo people as there design plan for Cervelo!!

Cervélo Cycles saw the light of day in 1995 when 2 engineers, Phil White and Gérard Vroomen, decided to take the work they had been doing on developing faster Time Trial bikes to market. Already involved in bicycle and Human Powered Vehicle design since 1986, the turning point came when a top-ranked Italian pro cyclist approached Gérard to design the fastest possible Time Trial bike for him.

He had come to the realization that his bike sponsor was capable of building traditional bikes using off the shelf tubesets from Columbus or Easton, but did not have the interest or expertise to develop leading edge designs with the focus on time trialing and aerodynamics. He also realized that he could not look at the novel designs put before him and know if they were improvements, or just "different".

With help of his team they started the bike design from scratch. They evaluated the bikes on the market, and set a design goal for the bike that was difficult and uncompromising. They wanted something that was unbeatable in aerodynamics yet sacrificed nothing in weight or stiffness, and unfettered by issues of marketability. It was to be a one-off design for this rider.

The result was a pretty radical bike that pushed the rules in almost every area. It tested extremely well for aerodynamics, as well as handling, stiffness and comfort.

Recognise the similarities with the Hotta??

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 29.01.08 [Read More...]

Went to Paignton this week to visit the shop and to see Simon and Lisa. The shop was almost the same as my last visit 3 months previous with a huge range of all genres of bikes with a wide price range in each. Several bikes that I did notice by the door were mountain bikes that were under £200 for a huge spec.

There was one big change in the shop was the inclusion of the Elite Real Axiom Turbo Trainer!! So it was coat off, trousers tucked in socks and climb on!!

The course Simon selected for me was a lake side Time Trial of about 5 kms. All started well until the first hill came. (After this first hill I learnt to check the gradient on the side of the screen!!)

The hill went on and on with the consequent exhaustion!! Then it all went easier and I was able to shift some gears and reach a decent speed coming down the other side.

At the bottom of the hill was a zebra crossing with a young lady crossing which I immediately thought of braking for then realizes it was only a video so ploughed on just missing her!!

Another hill but not quite so long then down hill to the finish. I didn’t check the time for obvious reasons nor did I have time on my travels to view the lake side scenery. All that was in mind was the finish!!

If you want a Real Axiom Experience then call in the shop for demo but have your cycling kit handy!!

It's been a very long wait, but after 28 years six-day bike racing is set to return to the UK this September. It'll be roughly the same date as when it was last held, in 1980, and Tony Doyle, the man behind this project, made his pro Six debut in that event before going on to become Britain's best indoor racer. Even the proposed venue in Greenwich is only about 17 miles from Wembley Arena, the previous site.

Watch out for next September!!

We reported several weeks ago that our old friend Jeremy Hunt was wintering in Australia and you will also remember of his change of team to the ProTeam Credit Agricole. This must be a pleasant change for Jeremy after his daunting year last year with Unibet.

The season gets under way for Jeremy with the 6 day Tour Down Under on 20/1 followed shortly after with the Tour of Langkawi on 9/2.

We will keep you in touch!!

See you next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 12.01.08 [Read More...]

Jonathan Locke is back again!!

Regular readers will remember Jon when he did a regular column to colin-lewis.co.uk the copies of which are still right at the bottom of the news section on our web site.

Jon left his quickly forming career in France after illness and also the need he felt to get some qualifications. Well he finishes at Bristol University this May with his qualifications. Whilst at Bristol he has got back on a bike again and feels that urge coming back to bigger things!!

So for his future The Mid Devon Cycle Club will be sponsoring him along with Andrew Hitchin with a bike start fees and also travelling expenses for National Events and events of importance in our area.

We obviously will be following closely his progress and giving you all the updates of his progress!!

Cycling star Nicole Cooke today hailed the formation of an entirely British professional team as "the biggest step forward in women's sport in this country for many, many years".

Twice a winner of the women's Tour de France and one of Britain's brightest hopes for Olympic success in Beijing this summer, 24-year-old Nichole heads a squad of 10 women and two men who will ride a full season of events under the new team colours.

They will be sponsored by Halfords and will ride bikes designed by Chris Boardman (That will be interesting to see due to CLCycles involvement with Chris with designing bikes for him!!), a gold medallist himself in Barcelona in 1992.

The squad, to be known as Team Halfords Bikehut, is: Nicole Cooke, Catherine Hare, Tanja Slater, Wendy Houvenagel, Joanna Rowsell, Lizzie Armistead, Katie Curtis, Emma Trott, Jessica Allen, Katie Colclough, Rob Hayles and Tom Southam.

Roger Hammond took Team High Road's first ever victory when he won the British 'cross championship Sunday. He also debuted the team's new black kit when he beat mountain biker Liam Killeen. Hammond also beat Killeen in the championships on the same course in 2006.

On the last lap, Hammond took over the lead and was able to with the sprint for his record-breaking fourth title. Killen was second, and Oldham finished third, less than 20 seconds down.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 03.01.08 [Read More...]

Yet more success for Colin Lewis Cycles; but this time when the shop was closed and it was Boxing Day!!

This came in the shape of our Saturday worker sixteen year old Jake Durrant after he pulled off a wonderful win in the Boxing Day Time Trial held at Bovey Tracey. Jake completed the 7.5 mile course in a time of 18 minutes 47 seconds.

The former owner of CLCycles Colin Lewis himself showed that he had been putting his retirement to good use with a 3rd spot in a time of 19 minutes 19 seconds.

Well done Jake and Colin!! Jake is certainly showing his talent at a young age and looks predestined to go onto much greater results!!

Thinking about what it is like riding in competitions in the heart of winter in England spare a thought for our friend Jeremy Hunt who is sweating it out in Australia in the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic. Riding with Baden Cooke in the detour-themovie.com team after 2 stages he has been working hard for Baden who has the overall lead.

David Millar’s new team Slipstream will be a team to watch next year. Slipstream is being run with a strong anti-doping ethos. The riders are undergoing independent monitoring throughout the season by the Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE), who will work closely with team management to ensure transparency and credibility.

Tour de France organisers ASO are rumoured to be impressed by Slipstream's ambition and anti-doping message and the team has been strongly tipped for a Tour de France start in 2008.

Apart from that there chosen bike for 2008 is Felt. We have just delivery of the Felt Z35.

Felt's Z35 impresses with a seductive combination of comfort and speed. This zippy mount boasts a feathery high-modulus-carbon frame and fork built with forgiving angles that let you hold a more upright position for enjoying the scenery in comfort. Plus, its admirable componentry includes Shimano R500 wheels for quickness and durability, an FSA compact crank for smooth spinning and Shimano 105 parts that make braking and shifting incredibly easy.

Sounds like your bike. It is for sale priced at £1300 so call in the shop and see it or give us a ring on 01803 553095!!

Happy Cycling for 2008,

Bob.

Cycle chat 21.12.07 [Read More...]

After a hectic year with glimpses and sometimes big flashes of what is to come in British Cycling here at Colin Lewis Cycles all that remains is to thank you very much for all your support in the shop and on the web site and to wish you a very Happy Christmas and an exceedingly prosperous and successful New Year!!

Cycle chat 14.12.07 [Read More...]

With a photo of Hay Tor front and back this jersey is the official Dartmoor Classic and you have to admit looks extremely stunning!!

The jersey is a Short Sleeve Jerseys made from bioactive material but are not available yet!!

Please place your orders by 01 March and they will be available to pick up on the 11 May 2008 or posted after that date.

The jersey comes in 11 sizes from x small upwards so there will be no difficulty finding the right size!!

Please specify size when ordering.

Order now to avoid disappointment.

To make your order click the link below: - Dartmoor Classic Jersey

The inaugural Dartmoor Classic in May 2007 was a massive success by any standard. It attracted a capacity field of 1200, with places selling-out well in advance of the big day, establishing it as one of the biggest and best sportive in the U.K. The atrocious weather which prevailed for the first few hours only added to the challenge and, for all who overcame the elements, it made the presentation of their Dartmoor Granite Award even more satisfying.

Following are the details of next year’s Dartmoor Corporate Classic

Starts: 11-05-2008
Time: 17:50
Ends: 11-05-2008
Distance: 160 km

Fees:

100 mile £25.00
100km £25.00

Go to www.dartmoorclassic.co.uk to book your place!!

Didn’t they do well!! Sustrans Connect2 has won The People's £50 million Big Lottery contest, after the biggest ever-public vote it has just been announced.

Pushing aside attractions as the Eden Project and Sherwood Forest's regeneration and the Black Country Urban Park they took 40% of the vote to be the overwhelming winners.

Winning was a massive relief because 79 communities around the UK depended upon this. It is going to make such a change and create one million cycling or walking journeys a week. People will wake up one morning and say, Hey; I can now cycle or walk to where I want to go.

This can only be a big boost for leisure cycling in this country but certainly has put cycling on the map for a change!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 07.12.07 [Read More...]

What a night it was at the Elite Real Axiom Experience last Wednesday at Colin Lewis Cycles with 40 enthusiasts visiting.

The course chosen on the Elite Real Axiom was the Vassiviere Time Trial course of about 1 ½ miles and was won by John Parkinson in a great time of 3.17.

Second was Kenny Parker in the same time but just piped by a decimal point!!

Ken Robertson has for many years been a stalwart of the Mid Devon C.C. with much hard work for the club and cycling in general has just been rewarded for all this exertion. Well done Ken!!

Two weeks ago the Central Council of Physical Recreation held their Torch Trophy Trust presentation evening. This recognises the efforts of sports volunteers from throughout the country.

This year Ken Robertson was nominated by British Cycling to acknowledge his long standing participation in the sport and he was chosen by the CCPR to receive an award.

The awards were presented by HRH the Duke of Kent, after the official ceremony and speeches by the patrons of the Torch Trophy Trust, Bobby Charlton and Roger Uttley (who came sixth in the GHS 10 before his Rugby career really took hold!).

All of these honoured guests circulated and talked to all the prize winners after the presentation to make sure that they felt welcomed and appreciated. Ken was accompanied by his wife Ann and his sister Jane Brown.

The British Olympic Team for Beijing next year is taking the event very seriously and this last Thursday Nicole Cooke flew home following a two-day visit to the Chinese capital to check out the Olympic Games road race course.

Cooke and Coach Julian Winn spent much of their time studying the ten-kilometre climb that is set to make the road races extremely tough.

Emma Pooley will fly in this weekend for a similar experience and Great Britain performance director David Brailsford said the visit would stand the team in good stead come August.

That’s it for this week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 30.11.07 [Read More...]

If you live in the Paignton area put next Wednesday evening (5/12) to one side and join in the fun at Colin Lewis Cycles!!

As we mentioned last week we are having an “Elite RealAxion and Cervelo Open Evening” from 1630 onwards.

The rep for Cervelo will be present with a selection of the Cervelo range as well as we are having a 1 ½ mile Time Trial competition on the Elite RealAxion which we have talked about in the last 2 week’s Cycle Chat.

Cervelo as ridden by the CSC Team was founded in 1995 by 2 enthusiastic engineers who lead a group of people who not only love cycling, but love pushing the envelope in every way possible. With the engagement of eight engineers, the company's focus remains unchanged from its early days. The additional manpower in both engineering and support services means that the rate of development at Cervélo is faster than ever before.

As you can imagine this will be a fun packed evening with the usual encouragement from spectators as your turn comes to crack the Time Trial Barrier!!

So don’t miss next Wednesday evening!!

The Tour de France is coming back to London - and it looks like 2011 is the most likely date.

As Transport for London revealed the healthy profits were generated by hosting the Grand Depart in July, officials confirmed negotiations have already started to bring the race back.

The plans are to bring the Tour back before the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

However, it won't be another opening weekend, so what are the options for the Tour's second visit to the capital...

Most likely option is a two-day visit - with a stage heading from the south coast into the centre of London, followed by one out of the city back towards the coast.

There is also the option to test part of the road race course to be used in the London Olympics.

Another option is to hold a road stage into London and then a time trial on the 2012 Olympic Games course.

It was estimated in this year’s visit that £88m spent by spectators, teams or organisers in London and the South East. £35m worth of publicity generated in the worldwide media for London, the Tour and cycling!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 23.11.07 [Read More...]

Simon owner of CLCycles said to me the other day and (I thought he was joking!!) that there was so much space taken in the shop with all the new bikes and equipment for 'Shimano Centre Plus' and now the new 'Elite Training System' that after just 18 months in this new much bigger premises opposite Paignton Bus Station that he would have to move onto a much bigger shop!!

Well there are now 33 pre-orders for bikes for Christmas. Have you got yours yet? We have had to place yet a further order to keep our stocks up of a further 10 bikes this week!!

The new Elite Training System is now fully installed and working and what a striking looking piece of equipment it is!!

We have put it down stairs in the main shop (taking up yet more space). Simon has plans for a future Open Night to introduce it to you.

Probably this will come in the form of a competition on the Trainer?? More details to follow.

Back to the Elite Training System: this is far from being a toy as you would indulge in an amusement arcade but is a serious piece of training equipment where particularly in the winter you can keep your fitness level up without having to brave the wet and cold; but without the tedium of just sitting on a Turbo trainer and going no where!!

For more details give us a ring on 01803 553095 or else call in the shop.

After the phenomenal success of the start of the 2007 Tour de France in London, the organisers ASO announced on Thursday that the 2009 edition will start in Monaco.

The small principality that sits between France and Italy has never before hosted a stage of the race. The time trial stage will incorporate part of the famous Formula One track used each year as part of the Formula One Grand Prix series.

In the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II an official presentation will take place at 2.00pm on Friday the 14th of December at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

Not forgetting that some of the riders live in the Principality including Tom Boonen.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 16.11.07 [Read More...]

We had a phone call at the shop this week from Credit Agricole new boy Jeremy Hunt!! Not heard from him for a while and he was just wanting to keep in touch.

The latest from Jeremy was that he had finished his 2007 season after a few races in Australia, was having a few weeks break until getting back to his training ready to return home in early February 2008 to join up with Credit Agricole which he is very pleased to get this new contract and is working for his best season ever!!

Last week we gave you the news of the new Elite Training System that was being installed into our shop at Paignton. Installation date is this next Tuesday. This is a must try for any that want some motivating winter training sessions in the warm.

Call in else give us a ring on 01803 553095 for more details and a test run. You will not be disappointed!!

David Millar has a unique role in the new incarnation of the Slipstream Sports cycling team, that of rider and co-owner. When director Jonathan Vaughters announced that David was signing with the team, many did not realize that his role would be multi-faceted.

This week was the first global meeting of the new incarnation of the Slipstream team a combined logistics orientation, media launch and casual training camp all rolled into one. Also as the team name of Slipstream depicts there will special attention to work in the wind tunnel.

Being part of the Slipstream team, David is looking at cycling in a whole new way. As a rider, he is technically taking a step down from the ProTour level. As a new co-owner, he has a new sense of responsibility beyond just being a team captain on the road. All of this is influencing his outlook for the 2008 season, starting at the launch this week in Boulder.

The time and effort leading up to the Boulder meeting has been a lot of work, but all signs are indicating that the work has paid off. David said it is more than just an attention to detail, it is a whole new paradigm for running a team.

This is how the season ended for the ProTour boys:-

1 Cadel EVANS 247.00
2 Davide REBELLIN 197.00
3 Alberto CONTADOR 191.00
4 Alejandro VALVERDE 190.00
5 Oscar FREIRE 182.00
6 Denis MENCHOV 172.00
8 Kim KIRCHEN 165.00
7 Damiano CUNEGO 165.00
9 Samuel SANCHEZ 159.00
10 Vladimir KARPETS 145.00

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 09.11.07 [Read More...]

It is quite a feather in Colin Lewis Cycles cap when they get chosen out of all the South West Dealers to become a Shimano Centre Plus!!

CLC where chosen for this prestigious position the nearest other Plus dealer being at Yeovil.

This means the Shimano will be investing into CLC all the latest equipment and products so that you the customer can get even better service from Simon as you come into the shop with your gearing queries!!

Another change on the CLC front is the inclusion to the staff of a new employee Ian Snell. Ian comes to us with a good overall knowledge of the technical side of biking with a very specialist understanding of mountain bikes.

Just arrived in the shop is the Elite Realaxiom Turbo Trainer. This is more than a Turbo Trainer though as technology increased so has the technology since the early PC assisted trainers.

Above all of its training qualities in offers panniers of FUN!!

You can now ride on the same courses where the Pro Tour peloton race and, why not, beat everyone at the sprint finish!

While pedalling, the Realaxiom electronic bicycle simulator displays on a PC screen the real course covered - you can choose from a wide selection of courses including famous stages of the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.

Realaxiom also monitors all the personal and race data, such as heart-rate, speed, power, distance, slope, elevation, cadence, time and the value of the performance.

It works even with a portable PC.

New Realaxiom functions:

Conconi Test: determines your anaerobic threshold value.

Training Test: analyses your fitness level and creates a customized training programme in relation to your performance value.

The RealAxiom system offers professional and amateur cyclists a means for measuring, recording and analysing training data, for the purpose of improving their training levels and performance.

The RealAxiom enables users to do excellent resistance training, with an automatic variation of the level, as the altimetric values are instantly updated on the race/altimetry screen, used for training.

The RealAxiom system

Displaying a real race that moves at the same speed as the cyclist, the RealAxiom provides an absolutely realistic simulation of the road.

During training, the RealAxiom provides speed, distance, wheel angle, slope, time, heart-rate, height gain, performance and power data.

At the end of training, the course data can be stored in a file for comparison and analysis by means of data and graphics. All this offers a new approach to training on rollers, with the possibility of preparing real training programs personalised for the athlete and for the season, and periodically checking one’s fitness and comparing it with other periods.

Call in the shop and see it at just £599 (without the PC!!).

See you next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 05.11.07 [Read More...]

Christmas has come early when it comes to ordering of bikes for presents to be collected just before. Now just into November and we have had 20 orders so far!!

Some of the best news for 2007 is that Jon Locke is riding again at full force. As our regular readers will remember from 'The Locke Report' at the bottom of the 'News' that Jon had just started a very successful career on the Continent then the bike just would not work for him.

He returned to England to study at Bristol University where he completes his course next summer.

He has made a few excursions on his bike since leaving the Continent but now he is out regularly riding with a Bristol Club and feeling great with no after affects of what he went through!! Watch this space for further news.

This week we are taking delivery of a Wilier Izoard priced at £2000 in a stunning Black, White and Yellow livery. Wilier are ridden by the Lampre Team with much success

Super smooth and super fast race or sportive bike. Fabulous styling that matches the ride quality makes the new Izoard one of the most exciting new bikes for 2008! This is how it is advertised but don’t take our word for it see for yourself by either calling in our shop at Paignton or giving us a ring on 01803 553095.
The new monocoque carbon Izoard comes with some new curves and a racing capability sweetened with a comfortable rear triangle. A stable and attacking bicycle suitable for those looking to break into the world of racing.

Bradley Wiggins hopes to pair up with Marr Cavendish as they kick off their countdown to the Beijing Olympics with an appearance at the Revolution event on November 17.

A couple of days later he'll head to Ghent to ride the Six-Day with Mark Cavendish again, hinting that the pair may become partners for the Madison in China next August.

Bradley has recently signed for Cavendish's T-Mobile team, is one of the few Great Britain track riders who has not headed to Australia for the training camp.

Instead he will race on the boards as often as possible in the build-up to the World Championships in Manchester in March – although he won't be riding the World Cups because they clash with his road commitments.

Revolution at Manchester Velodrome will be his first appearance on the track since the World Championships. Then he'll pair up with Cavendish in Ghent. Bradley has won there before, when he partnered Matthew Gilmore to victory in 2003.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 19.10.07 [Read More...]

Occasionally there are flickers of hope that bike riders are finally integrating with society. But then there is news, like last week's 'obesity risk' that seems to indicate that we are even more at odds with society than I could have ever imagined.

Latest government research now predicts that 86 per cent of men in this country will be overweight within the next 15 years, whereas quick looks at cyclists indicate quite the opposite!!

Among cyclists, the extra pound here or there really is a big deal, whereas the rest of Britain is adding X's to their shirt size without a second thought. Whether they like it or not, the general population will have to take up bike riding to burn some calories!!

The other alternative particularly in the winter months is the Cycle Trainer!!

Take a look for instance at our Volare Mag Lite Indoor trainer priced at just £79.99

This trainer comes with a magnetic resistance unit which ensures a smooth pedalling action at any speed for a really realistic training session.

For further details click on our accessories page else call us on 01803 553095.

A name to look out for in the future will be Ella Hopkins. Ella is 16 years old, is a member of the Mid Devon Club and has just won support from the Olympic Development Program.

Ella is also able to help us in our shop at Paignton where she is becoming a very useful asset!!

We will keep you in touch with her progress!!

After Jeremy Hunt’s news of last week with his move to Credit Agricole following the news that Unibet have stopped sponsoring cycling we supposed he was in Australia.

This turned out to be the correct hunch and at the moment he is racing in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour which could be Unibet’s last race.

After 5 stages Jeremy is 41st; 42 mins behind the leader and his fellow team member Matthew Wilson. Other Unibet rider Baden Cooke is 6th. Looks like Jeremy has been putting in some time at the front supporting his team members!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 26.10.07 [Read More...]

The 95th Tour de France will be a Grand Tour of modest terms and with mythical mountains stages. The 2008 French Grand Tour was presented this week in Paris with minimal transfers and with the inclusion of the famed mountain climbs of Hautacam and L'Alpe d'Huez. The route, 3,554 kilometres over 21 stages, will run from July 5 to 27.

The ASO wanted a first week of racing with much more rhythm with no prologue, an uphill finish that will suit different types of sprinters at the end of stage one. There is a short time trial on stage four and the first mountain [Super-Besse] only 48 hours later.

The Tour starts on Saturday with its Grand Départ in the cycling-rich region of Brittany without the usual prologue start, as has been favoured by the ASO (Tour organizers) for the last 40 years. The start is in Brest and visits Italy. It then travels in a counter-clockwise direction, hitting the Pyrénées and then the Alps before its traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées, Sunday in Paris.

There will be no transfers at all making it much easier for the cyclists.

There will be one time trial of 29 kilometres in Cholet and a second one of normal Tour length on the penultimate day of 53 kilometres, from Cérilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond.

The modesty of the 2008 edition will be forgotten when riders hit the high peaks near Spain and Italy; there are a total of five mountain stages, four of which finish in an upward trajectory. Planned is a return to Hautacam (stage 10), a romp up the 2802-metre Col de la Bonette-Restefonds (stage 16) and the mythical Alpe d'Huez (stage 17). There are a total of 10 flat and four medium mountain stages that combine with the aforementioned five mountain and two time trial stages to form the 21 stages.

The final bit of intrigue provided at Thursday's presentation was the lack of time bonuses on offer. Riders in the top placings will not be award with seconds taken off their overall time when competing in intermediate sprints and stage finishes. This will change the fight amongst the sprinters who are jockeying for the yellow in the first few stages, and we may not see the overall lead change hands as often.

Brit Bradley Wiggins who has just signed for T-Mobile had a year to remember in 2007, taking several important wins on road and track as well as showing he has a real future in races such as the Tour de France.

The 27 year-old had already some very important results to his credit, such as gold, silver and bronze medals at the last Olympic Games plus several world championship and Commonwealth Games titles in the velodrome, but it was only this season when he really made the breakthrough to the top level on the road.

Bradley’s best performances of 2007 included victories in the prologue of the Four Days of Dunkirk and the Dauphiné Libéré, first on the stage four Time Trial at the Tour du Poitou Charentes and at the Duo Normand two-man TT.

Additionally, Bradley was placed second on stage three of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe et Pays de la Loire, fourth in the prologue of the Tour de France and fifth in the first long Time Trial in the same race.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle chat 12.10.07 [Read More...]

We always avoid politics in this column but I think we would all agree that for cycling this last year has been quoting our Queen an Annus Horribilis!!

This has seen many teams not continuing which left our pal Jeremy Hunt from Unibet without a team for next year along with many other riders.

But the good news is that Jeremy has just signed a one year contract with the French team Credit Agricole.

To give you some of Jeremy’s background on top of his wins at home, he is a noted sprinter in Belgium and regularly finishes in the top 10. His biggest win however was in France in the high ranking road race at Plouay a few years ago followed closely by victory in the early season classic GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise.

Credit Agricole is said to have brought him into the team to help Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd, a former Green Jersey in the Tour de France, in the hurly burly world of bunch sprints.

Jeremy has been a European professional for 11 years and has ridden for big teams such as Banesto and Unibet.com as well as smaller teams such as Big Mat, Palmans-Colstrop, MrBookmaker and MBK-Oktos in France and Belgium.

He started his cycling career with the Mid-Devon CC/Colin Lewis Cycles but now divides his time between homes in Belgium and the South of France. He is over the moon with the news that the transfer has gone through successfully.

One target for the future will be that elusive Tour de France for 2008!!

At the moment we believe he is in Australia as being his normal place to winter as we have not heard from him recently!!

Mark Cavendish came frustratingly close to achieving his goal of 11 wins in his debut pro season when he finished as runner-up to Belgian rider Gert Steegmans (Quick.Step - Innergetic) on Friday's second stage of the Circuit Franco-Belge in Templeuve, France.

On Thursday's opening stage Mark had also tried to land a victory but crashed with two kilometres to go. He was fortunately uninjured, but the determined competitor would have been greatly annoyed about the missed chance.

It's been claimed on several occasions this year that Robbie McEwen's debut tally of 10 wins is the record for a neo-pro. Accurate or not, that figure gives Mark something to try to surpass.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 05.10.07 [Read More...]

Our CLC shop owner Simon Aske and his wife are just back from the Interbike Cycle Show in Las Vegas after getting a FREE ticket for the trip. Three half days were spent at the show where his report is that there were many new colours for the bikes with the highlights being the Dura Ace Carbon Chain Set.

He was invited to a training run with Stuart O’Grady on the CSC team bike Cervelo. He rode there Soloist bike with 6 other dealers for a 20 mile warm up. We have the frame for this bike available at around £2000. Give us a ring on 01803 553095 or call in!!

Incidentally the Australian cycling superstar Stuart O'Grady will make his return to cycling at next week's Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Stuart will take to the saddle for the first time in three months following his horrific fall on a descent in stage eight of this year's Tour de France.

The 34-year-old suffered a broken shoulder, fractured eight ribs, a collarbone, and three vertebrae, and also punctured a lung, resulting in a blood clot on the brain in the accident that ended his Tour and threatened his career.

We trust you have a successful return Stuart!!

I reckon we witnessed a turning point in British cycling last week with our World Championship riders revealing a satisfying strength in depth.

Stand-out performance was Jonny Bellis's third place in the Under-23 Road Race, our first senior men's medal exactly 40 years since Graham Webb won the amateur title.

When Nicole Cooke was sidelined through injury, you could have been forgiven for expecting less success in the women's events, but Emma Pooley surpassed all expectations by following her eighth place time trial performance with 10th in the road race.

And that's not forgetting Bradley Wiggins and David Millar, 10th and 18th respectively in the men's time trial.

Defending World Road Race Champion, Paolo Bettini of Italy won his second rainbow jersey in a row when he out sprinted Alexandr Kolobnev and local Stefan Schumacher. David Millar of Britain was 54th and only a lack of racing in his legs after his recent crash stopped him from being a contender at the end.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 28.09.07 [Read More...]

British Cycling’s Performance Director Dave Brailsford has committed himself to a new long-term contract which will see him retained in the role until after the 2012 London Olympics. At the same time, the British Cycling Board has also endorsed the plan to establish a British professional Road team, for both men and women.

This is great news for the future of British Cycling!!

Dave Brailsford comments were:-

"I am very pleased to commit my future to British Cycling. I am very fortunate to have an outstanding team of riders and staff around me. They share my unquenchable desire to achieve excellence and are also people I really enjoy working with.”

“I remain as driven as ever to help GB riders become the best in the world and whilst we have achieved great success so far, I believe there is much more to come. The opportunity to lead the team in a home Olympics is a privilege and one which I relish. Not many people can say that they absolutely love their jobs, but I am one of the lucky few who can."

"It is a natural and eagerly awaited progression of our Olympic Programmes to create a top flight professional Road team of British riders. The opportunity to running a team based on the same performance principles as we currently employ is very exciting and one which I would like to make a reality. GB cycling fans are fantastic and I am sure that they would really get behind a British team competing in the major tours."

After 16 years, the Road World Championships are returning to Stuttgart, the European Capital of Sport 2007.

On a cold and wet day in Stuttgart, Great Britain riders David Millar and Bradley Wiggins finished 18th and 10th respectively in the final time trial event of the 2007 World Road Championships. Wiggins tenth place meant it was job done for the riders as they both knew the team were looking for a top 15 to guarantee at least one Nation place in the Olympic Time Trial.

Sunday is the Men’s Road Race with our representatives being:-

David Millar

Steven Cummings

Roger Hammond

Daniel Lloyd

Mark Cavendish

With Mark Cavendish there you never know what might happen!!

The race will be on Eurosport and also the highlights on BBC2 at 1630.


Till next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 21.09.07 [Read More...]

I paid a trip to Colin Lewis Cycles this last week to “Check up on the shop”!! Everything was up to scratch and I was impressed as always with a fully working functioning Cycle Shop.

As with other shops there was no one sitting at the till playing Space Invaders waiting for customers but all 3 were involved in dealing with customers and putting together new bikes!!

I did not realize that CLC had the local franchise for Giant Bikes for which there were many on display ranging from children’s bikes up to fully fledged racing bikes with all that goes between.

Giant are by far the biggest manufacturer of bikes with a huge ever developing range. Give us a ring or call in if you would like further details.

Marianne Vos (Team DSB Bank) has claimed the 2007 Women's World Cup in a sensational finale in Germany. The Dutch youngster entered the series final in second place, 80 points behind leader Nicole Cooke (Raleigh Lifeforce Creation) as an outside chance for the title, but made the most of double points on offer to claim the round's victory and the overall World Cup.

The 20 year-old did everything she could to claim the women's World Cup by taking victory, the rest was in Nochole's hands with the Briton needing to finish on the podium to marginally hold on to her World Cup lead. Instead, the two-time World Cup winner was forced to concede her crown to the reigning Women's World Road Champion Vos, as she battled a reoccurring knee injury to finish in 34th spot.

The tight battle, which saw the overall standings swing into Vos' favour by some 70 points, is likely to set up a rivalry that will play out over the years to follow between two of the sport's most talented women

Nicole is looking forward to beginning her off season training programme, and is currently recovering after successful surgery to rectify inflammation in her knee.

Investigations into an ongoing problem last week revealed an operation was the only option, but she delayed the procedure until after the final round of the World Cup to try and defend her series lead.

So it was second place for Nichole after winning the last 2 years.

Jeremy Hunt had a great second place last Saturday in the Paris-Brussels just behind winner Robbie McEwen. Unibet were riding under the name of Canyon. Gone have the classic white and green jerseys that occasionally featured a question mark instead of the sponsor name. Instead they were riding in black, with red side striping.

Jeremy said afterwards "Robbie was dying in the last 50 metres but I wasn't right on his wheel. We wanted to win but now we got second and fourth [with Baden Cooke]." The Unibet.com rider added that the team was going great and that they get along well, despite the threat of unemployment coming up. "We are all in the same boat. Hopefully we can find a new sponsor." But he acknowledged that it wasn't looking good and that "at the moment I don't know what I am going to do."

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 14.09.07 [Read More...]

After starting off so well in the Tour of Britain on Sunday with a win in the Time Trial and on Stage 1 Mark Cavendish missed the break on our local stage in the West Country and lost 10 minutes which off course was always going to be impossible to catch up.

At present Mark is 42nd some 11 mins down.

The top 3 after stage 4 are:

1 Adrian Palomares Vilaplana (Spa) Fuerteventura-Canarias
2 David Blanco (Spa) Duja Tavira
3 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team CSC

The top Brits are:-

15 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed - 1.03
16 Evan Oliphant (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed - 1.08
25 Russell Hampton (GBr) Great Britain - 1.31
26 Daniel Fleeman (GBr) DFL-Cycling News-Litespeed - 1.40

So after a promising start where Mark Cavendish Geraint Thomas and Roger Hammond where leading the way the Brits have struggled!!

Another 2 stages though before the finish at Glasgow on Saturday!!

To see a 2 hour highlights of the Tour of Britain watch BBC2 at 12.30pm.

Meanwhile the Tour of Spain has just passed the half way mark with the top 3 being:-

1 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
2 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) Caisse d'Epargne - 2.01
3 Cadel Evans (Aus) Predictor - Lotto - 2.27

Nicole Cooke our top woman Brit will go into the final round of the 2007 World Cup series leading by 80 points after finishing second in the penultimate event, the Grand Prix Plouay in Western France.

The last race is in Nürnberg, Germany on the 16th September, where double points will be on offer.

Nicole who won the series in 003 and 2006, has led the 2007 competition since winning the first race in March.

More recently she was 12th in round 7 of 9 (Open de Süede Vargarda ) , 5th in round 6 ( Montreal ), 4th in round 5 ( Berner Rundfahrt ) 2nd in round 4 ( Flèche Wallone ), and 7th in round 3

(Ronde Van Drenthe).

She started the series with two victories in the Tour of Flanders and Geelong World Cup.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 07.09.07 [Read More...]

So we are nearly there to see Britain biggest cycling event and if you are living in the West Country as our shop is it is on your door step going from Yeovilton to Porlock Hill and back to Taunton to finnish!!

The race has certainly been overshadowed by the Tour de France's visit two months ago but it's still our top annual home event and it deserves everybody's support. In fact, this year's edition, more than any of the previous three, is the most likely opportunity for British fans to see home victories, both in individual stages and for the overall.

Leading the way will be Mark Cavendish, who will be ably backed by a strong T-Mobile team featuring Roger Hammond and Tour de France stage winner and yellow jersey wearer Linus Gerdemann. Young Welshman Geraint Thomas will be riding for his Barloworld squad, backed by another Tour stage winner, fastman Robert Hunter.

And that's not to mention all the impressive talent that will be riding for Continental and domestic pro squads, and the Great Britain team so see you there!!

Simon Aske teamed up with Colin Lewis yet again after Colin’s retirement from shop-keeping taking a group of 6 Mid Devon Cyclist to Vire in France last week end.

The cycling was tough against the French opposition but a good time was had by all with Andrew Hitchins coming off best taking a 10th on one of the stages. All good experience!!

Our old ally Jeremy Hunt had a god time this week with a 4th in the Schaal Sels-Merksem held in Belgium just behind Robbie McEwen (Predictor – Lotto) who was 3rd.

He also had a 14th in the Memorial Rik van Steenbergen another Belgium race on the next day.

The Tour of Spain is under way and with all the Brits are tied up in the Tour of Britain we have no representatives there.

After 6 stages the top 3 are:-

1 Vladimir Efimkin (Caisse d'Epargne)
2 Denis Menchov (Rabobank)
3 Carlos Sastre (Team CSC)

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 24.08.07 [Read More...]

It was a first again for James Williams of Exeter in the Paignton Regatta Race last Friday after another tough competitive race.

As reported last week Jon Locke was making a come back to cycling and after just 10 days training was in the bunch but had to withdraw on the very last lap with a puncture!! He was very pleased with his progress though!!

Jonathan Aske (son of Simon) was 2nd at 13 in the under 16s but alas Simon after much hard work at the front expired with 10 mins to go!!

As well as sponsoring the Mid Devon Cycle Club for many years Colin Lewis has added to its list the Torbay Triathlon Club.

The club called Torbay Tri has just been formed and is part of the existing Torbay Athletic Club. However it will have its own identity and is already registered with the British Triathlon Federation, the governing body of the sport. As well the club has links with Oddicombe Swimming club and Mid-Devon cycling Club.

They hope first Triathlon is hoped to be at Taunton next May and other events across the south west region will be considered. From sprint distance triathlons to the long distance ones, such as an Ironman, the club hopes to see as many people as possible join in and take up the multi sport challenge of triathlon.

The club aims to provide advice and training opportunities for all standards of ability and the chance to enjoy the Torbay area whilst swimming, cycling and running.

So if you fancy Triathlon give Simon a ring on 01803 553095 or call in the shop and he will put you in touch!!

The 2007 Elite Women’s British Road Race championship was held today in Essex near Saffron Walden and after an eventful 70 miles around the picturesque villages on the course, the victor yet again for the 8th time was Nicole Cooke (Raleigh/Lifeforce) who crossed the line alone ahead of Rachel Heal (Webcor) and Helen Wyman (Global).

Jeremy Hunt is back racing again in the Tour of Ireland and after inconspicuous start with a 101st in the first stage and an 89th on the 2nd is lying in 97th spot!!

This is this week’s Top Ten in the UCI Charts!!

1. Danilo DI LUCA 207.00
2. Alberto CONTADOR 191.00
3. Alejandro VALVERDE 190.00
4. Cadel EVANS 174.00
5. Davide REBELLIN 172.00
6. Kim KIRCHEN 129.00
7. Oscar FREIRE 125.00
8. Levi LEIPHEIMER 118.00
9. Vladimir KARPETS 115.00
10 Damiano CUNEGO 115.00

Good to see Roger Hammond 41st on 45 points but the only Brit in the top 100. This will be subject to change in the near future!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 17.08.07 [Read More...]

I write Cycle Chat on a Friday for publishing for the Saturday. Some news that has turned up will happen between these 2 deadlines so I will keep you up to date of it in next week’s Cycle Chat.

Tonight (that is Friday) is Paignton Regatta with of course the usual cycle race along the sea front.

Tonight is a BIG comeback for Colin Lewis Cycle employee Jonathan Locke. Jon started his cycling career with the Mid Devon Club and then went abroad to France with a semi pro team.

Illness struck and Jon came back to England to study at Bristol University. He has not done much cycling since but tonight!!

The sad but seemingly inevitable news is that Unibet has with drawn its sponsorship of its ProTour Cycling Team. Since ends 6 months of uncertainty for the riders who will now be able to get fresh rides for next season.

As we reported last week Jeremy Hunt for saw this happening and has already put his nose to the ground and done some searching. I trust the other riders have as well but what with Discovery not sponsoring their team for next year and the problems with Team Astana there are going to be many riders looking for rides.

In December 2006, Unibet was awarded a ProTour license by the UCI and along with that the "right and obligation to start in world's highest cycling competitions.

The team fell victim to an ongoing power struggle between the UCI and Grand Tour organizers and was prevented from starting several major races throughout the season. French organizers often refused to invite the team, citing French laws prohibiting the advertising of foreign gambling.

At the GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, the team was only allowed to compete in a jersey with out the team name. It raced in jerseys with question marks. In fact, Unibet's participation in just about every subsequent ProTour event would be in question, and the exclusion was repeated by ASO for other races in France and Belgium. Perhaps the most significant exclusion was not being invited to the Tour de France.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 10.08.07 [Read More...]

David Millar was a worthy winner of the British Elite Men's Road Race Championships.

Early in the race Jeremy Hunt started a break along with Matt Stephens (Sigma Sport), Pinarello’s Andy Roche and Lee Davis, Matt Talbot (Rapha Condor), Ben Pochee (Bike and Run London) and Rob Hayles (Team KLR/Parker).

It looked like Jeremy was doing most of the work on the front and when finally caught by David Millar. Jeremy tried to go with him but did not have enough left in him to keep up the pace.

The first 3 were:-

1. David Millar, Saunier Duval-Prodir
2. Daniel Lloyd, DFL, Cyclingnews
3. Hamish Haynes, DFL Cyclingnews

Highlights of the race will be shown will be shown on British Eurosport at 15:00 on 17th August Stage 4 of the Vuelta a Burgos. It will also be repeated during the coverage of the Vuelta a Espana in September.

Meanwhile Jeremy has gone back to Nice but there is a rumour that for next season he will be signing with a top French Team. Watch this space for more news. Jeremy has had a torrid season for 2007 with all the politics surrounding Unibet and I am sure he will just look forward to riding his bike which is why he races!!

Meanwhile the Teams for the Tour of Britain have been announced and are as follows:-

The teams selected are as follows:-

- Agritubel
- Barloworld
- Chocolade Jacques
- Topsport Vlaanderen
- DFL
- Cyclingnews - Litespeed
- Duja
- Tavira
- Fuerteventura
- Canarias
- Navigators Insurance Cycling Team
- Plowman Craven
- Evans Cycles Racing
- Rabobank (Continental)
- Recycling.co.uk
- Skil
- Shimano
- South Australia.com
- AIS
- Team CSC
- Team Great Britain
- Team Konica Minolta
- Tinkoff Credit Systems

This means no Unibet for Jeremy Hunt!! We have yet to hear who the Team Great Britain consists of but what a team if the Brits from the continent were all picked for it. Again watch this space!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 28.07.07 [Read More...]

What good news from the TdF and a BIG victory for cycling with 4 riders being found out for cheating and banned along with their teams.

Well done the UCI for your firm approach and up-to-date methods of testing to completely eliminating this curse to the sport that is enjoyed by so many from the growing son getting his first adult bike and going for a cycle with dad and trying to beat him home first time out to the young madam graduating from a doll’s pram to her Barbie Bike.

Not of course forgetting when they all get together to go for that Sunday afternoon ride together as a family.

This is the grass roots of cycling; the club run for bikers of all levels; the person that gets fed up of paying for petrol to go to work to earn more money to buy petrol just to go to work, who finds the freedom of cycling to work instead with money in his pocket; the mid week time trial for those who enjoy competition without the hassle of having to overtake someone; through to most people in there lives that just enjoy getting somewhere faster and more exciting than just walking!!

We had a phone call from Jeremy Hunt of the Unibet Team this week and he certainly has not been sitting idly waiting for his next race whilst he missed out on the TdF. He has been in Nice training hard for his first race for many a week this week end before returning to England to compete in the postponed National Championships.

These have been rearranged to be held in Wales at Abergavenny on 5.8.07. Jeremy enjoys Welsh cycling and did well when the Nationals were held at the Celtic Manor a few years ago. He will be able to prove that his training miles have been just as good as racing miles!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle TV. 28.07.07 [Read More...]

Tour de France

The Tour de France is coming in for a landing after 3 intensive weeks with so much intensive coverage to be able to transcribe it!!

Eurosport will be LIVE every afternoon direct from the Tour with repeat showing of highlights each night at 9.00pm and next morning at 9.00am.

ITV4 will be doing a highlights program each evening at 7.00am repeated again at midnight.

Sunday being the final day around the streets of Paris is the day to watch with the crowning of all the winners!!

This will be LIVE on ITV4 as well.

Did you realize that you can still receive Eurosport1 without a subscription?
Click here to email us for further details.

Cycle TV. 20.07.07 [Read More...]

Tour de France

Into week 3 of the Tour de France with so much intensive coverage to be able to transcribe it!!

Eurosport will be LIVE every afternoon direct from the Tour with repeat showing of highlights each night at 9.00pm and next morning at 9.00am.

ITV4 will be doing a highlights program each evening at 7.00am repeated again at midnight.

Tuesday will be a rest day with Monday being a good day to watch from 11 am in the Pyrenees on Eurosport!!

Did you realize that you can still receive Eurosport1 without a subscription?
Click here to email us for further details.

Cycle Chat. 20.07.07 [Read More...]

Mark Cavendish has just had his most challenging of ontroductions to the Tour de France.

After having a fairly disastrous first week of the Tour - crashing into a spectator on stage one, going down on the sprint on stage two in Gent, and falling well behind the peloton on stage five, where he finished more than 18 minutes down, T-Mobile's Have you had a good look round on our shopping page recently. If not you will not have noticed the large new range of goodies on offer there and at very competitive prices Click “View our Product Range” on the Home Page and enjoy!!

Mark Cavendish had an excellent opportunity on Friday to battle his way to a stage win in the Tour de France.

The T-Mobile rider from the Isle of Man was brought into position by Bernard Eisel on the run-in to Bourg-en-Bresse, but then he disappeared from the screens.

He was on the best wheel, it was on Boonen's wheel. Then he had a bit of 'mech' in his front wheel which a completely shredded front wheel!!

The young sprinter made contact with Tom Boonen's derailleur, which ruined his chances in the sprint, and even he admits he blew a unique chance.

Mark abandoned early in stage 8 on Sunday in the Alps after holding up the rear!!

There is another year next year where I am sure there are great things to come!!

In the TdF Michael Rasmussen (Den) Rabobank takes the lead with the hounds breathing down his neck. Michael knows he must not make just one tiny slip or else they will gobble him up!!

I believe though he has got it in him to hold onto the end. Monday in the Pyrenees will reveal all!!

Two thirds of the way through the 2007 World Cup Series Nicole Cooke leads by 53 points from Marianne Vos. The lastest round in Montreal was one by Fabiana Luperini.

Nicole was 5th and has led the series since the opening race.

See you next week,

Bob.

Cycle TV. 14.07.07 [Read More...]

Tour de France

Into week 2 of the Tour de France with so much intensive coverage to be able to transcribe it!!

Eurosport will be LIVE every afternoon direct from the Tour with repeat showing of highlights each night at 9.00pm and next morning at 9.00am.

ITV4 will be doing a highlights program each evening at 7.00am repeated again at midnight.

Monday will be a rest day with Saturday and Tuesday being a good day to watch from 11 am in the Alps on Eurosport!!

Did you realize that you can still receive Eurosport1 without a subscription?
Click here to email us for further details.

Cycle Chat. 13.07.07 [Read More...]

Along with most of Britain I was most impressed with the coverage of the Tour of France as it passed through our green and pleasant land. The crowds were amazing and it was great to think that millions of people who had never seen a cycle race turned out for this free spectacle!!

I was stuck with Eurosport!! But what pictures. It was a magnificent advert for England with all the pictures of all the châteaux’s.

The racing also seems more interesting this year with so many eligible for the yellow and no one no where near keeping it

And the Brits!! Didn’t they do well!! David Millar is still near the front with all the others working hard for their team leaders.

Mark Cavendish's Tour de France is set to end on Sunday evening and we trust he can get a win before then!! His T-Mobile team will tell him to stop after Sunday's mountain stage to Tignes - as long as his injuries don't cause him problems beforehand.

His team want to give him experience but don't want him to burn him out. If it was left to Mark I don't doubt he would want to go all the way to Paris!!

The only way Mark will go home earlier is if the wounds from two crashes cause him more difficulty. With bandages on both elbows and plasters on both legs, he's one of the Tour's most patched-up walking wounded.

He's learning the hard way!! He hit the ground in England and then the next day he saw that in the Tour you can do everything right and still ends up on the floor.

On Stage 2 he learned that you have to be right at the front. He was in the first 25 as they came into the last kilometre but it was not enough. He said that the GC guys were ahead of him trying to keep out of trouble, and then they ease up and came back at him, so he had to go round.

When he started his sprint and he died with 300 metres to go. At that point the sprint really started but he had nothing left!! That’s cycling!!

The Unibet saga still goes on!! Legal action brought on Tour de France organiser, Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), by the Unibet.com ProTour team has been thrown out. The ProTour squad was appealing its non-invitation to this year's Tour, which commenced in London last weekend, which it in theory has the right to contest due to its status as a ProTour team.

The failed legal action is the latest happening in a season-long battle between the two organisations, with ASO, which operates some of the world's biggest cycling events, refusing the squads participation due to its sponsor being illegal in France.

The promotion of unauthorized online gambling company, such as Unibet.com, is illegal in France and inviting the squad to participate in its events would see ASO answerable to authorities, the organisation have claimed.

With the European Commission backing Unibet and saying that laws such as those found in France are both monopolistic and against EC regulations, many see the real reason as being the power struggle between the UCI and the Grand Tour organisers.

The Unibet.com squad even offered to race under Canyon.com sponsorship on French soil, in order to start the important ProTour races it’s been kept from, however ASO refused to yield.

So much for the riders of Unibet who just want to race!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat. 09.07.07 [Read More...]

Every cloud does have a silver lining or in the case of Simon Aske owner of CLCycles a golden one!!

Simon as we reported last week was all set to be on the Orbea stand to watch the Prologue Time Trial in London this Saturday. The arrangements went pear shaped and the trip was off.

In comes ex TdF rider and of course former owner of CLCycles into the shop, namely Colin Lewis who had been invited to the main reception in London right on the start/finish line with a spare ticket!! The trip was on again in big style!!

London is the fastest growing cycling community in Europe. One who can be at least partially credited for that is mayor Ken Livingstone, whose decision to charge car drivers going into the inner city has made people look for alternative transportation.

Now the biggest bike race in the world will embark from Hyde Park with the prologue this Saturday, which should give an additional boost.

Have you picked out your expected winner yet??

Favourites seem to be Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) or Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana). Then there is Cadel Evans, Carlos Sastre and Michael Rogers.

There could be an outsider. I wouldn't be surprised to see a rider who has been top ten before taking it, someone who has the experience and knows how to tackle it.

Of course there are the 5 Brits; Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Geraint Thomas and Charly Wegelius. The most Brits since 1987!! This will make for interesting viewing for the intensive “wall to wall” coverage on Eurosport and ITV4 for which you will need Freeview (Ch 28) or Sky (Ch 120)!!

Canyon, formally registered as Unibet.com and of course our local rider Jeremy Hunt’s Team, ProTour team manager Koen Terryn has hit out at the International Association of Professional Cycling Groups (AIGCP), resigning the team from the organization's membership.

In a general release, Terryn blasted the AIGCP for never standing up for the squad's rights in its on-going battle with Tour de France organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), also saying he regrets any parties considering a boycott of the event he's still hopeful his squad will start in.

Unibet.com has been involved in a legal tussle with the Tour organiser all season - with the French organisation denying the squad participation in any of its events.

While ASO's formal line on the matter is the squad's sponsor violates French laws, and it would be open to legal action should it invite the team to participate, it's widely accepted that the underlying reason is the Grand Tour's ongoing battle with the UCI, considering the squad's efforts to race in the French races under the sponsorship of Canyon has also failed to yield a resolution.

The squad recently filed new legal action in an attempt to be granted an 11th hour slot in this year's Tour, which Terryn is still hopeful will happen, having already successfully sued the organisation for compensation for the events it's already been denied participation.

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle TV. 07.07.07

Tour de France

Yes it is Tour de France this week with so much intensive coverage to be able to transcribe it!!

Eurosport will be LIVE every afternoon direct from the Tour with repeat showing of highlights each night at 9.00pm and next morning at 9.00am.

ITV4 will be doing a highlights program each evening at 7.00am repeated again at midnight.

Did you realize that you can still receive Eurosport1 without a subscription?
Click here to email us for further details.

Cycle Chat 29.06.2007

Flooded roads and more rain in the forecast have forced the organisers of the British road national championship races to cancel this weekend's event. The situation in the region is so dire that hundreds of families were evacuated from an area threatened by a failing dam, and the organisers could not ask the already overburdened emergency personnel to deal with running a bike race.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council will now work with British Cycling to organise an alternative, post-Tour date for the event.

At last Unibet is taking action after all the abuse they have had this year and they have filed new legal action against Tour de France organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), which is to come before a court in the French town of Lille in the coming days. The ProTour team is hoping to force ASO to grant it a last minute spot in this year's Tour starting in London on July 7.

They want to be granted a start in the Tour de France, not with Unibet.com but with Canyon.com, the team's sponsor with which they are allowed to start races in France.

A spokesman for Unibet states, "I am not sure if I should get my hopes to high, but we need to do something. To just stick our neck out and let them chop it off is not our objective. I hope that they yield, and start using their common sense. They have already turned the clock back 20 years in cycling, they are turning new sponsors away from the sport, but it seems that they don't care about that in France."

In a classic final stage over the Col de Tourmalet (2115m) and the Col d'Aspin (1489m) in the Pyrenees, Nicole Cooke rode away with Swiss team-mate Priska Dopmann to win the Grand Boucle Feminine.

An elite group had formed on the lower slopes of the Tourmalet and stayed together on the descent. Then on the final Col, Priska Dopmann and Nicole Cooke upped the pace and left the others to crest the summit together and ride onto the finish, where Dopmann took the win to add to her two other stage wins.

Good to see that Nichole is now riding for the Raleigh Team (or at least the Raleigh Lifeforce Creation Team!!) You just cant keep her down!!

See you next week,

Bob.

Cycle TV. 29.06.2007

All on Eurosport unless stated.

Friday
1900-2030. TdF!! LIVE. Presentation of the teams.

Did you realize that you can still receive Eurosport1 without a subscription?
Click here to email us for further details.

Cycle Chat 25.06.2007

T-Mobile named a pre-selection of 13 riders for a starting spot at the upcoming Tour de France (July 7-29) which includes both the Team’s British riders – Mark Cavendish and Roger Hammond.

Cavendish and Hammond are both currently in action in the Netherlands and Switzerland respectively, where they are looking to impress ahead of the announcement of the final Tour de France team of nine.

So with Bradley Wiggins (Cofidis) and Welshman Geraint Thomas from Barloworld that makes a total of 4 Brits for the TdF. (Though strictly speaking the Isle of Man where Mark comes from is not part of Britain!!)

Can anybody remember when that happened before??

Answers please to simon@colin-lewis.co.uk

Well this is something that has happened before!! Simon owner of CLCycles is of on another “Jolly”. He has been invited as a guest of Orbea to watch the Prologue Time Trial of the TdF starting of course in London on their stand.

Organizers have announced the complete list of 21 teams invited to the Vuelta España for the 2007 edition.

Invitees included Astana, winners of the 2006 edition, the 18 original ProTour teams per the announced Grand Tour team selection criteria of mid-December, and two additional teams, Andalucia Caja Sur and Karpin Galicia, selected from a pool of candidates who applied for the remaining spots.

Notably absent from the list was Unibet.com, which has been caught up in the ongoing dispute between the UCI and the promoters of the three Grand Tours. Unibet.com is the only ProTour team not invited to the Vuelta.

The Unibet saga is dragging on and on without any foreseen conclusion. It would be wonderful for Jeremy Hunt’s sake and the rest of the team to get the matter sorted!!

Until next week,

Bob.

Cycle Chat 15.06.2007

Bradley Wiggins sent out a warning to the pro peloton that he's got the Tour de France Prologue in his sights with a classy victory in the Prologue of the prestigious Criterium du Dauphine Libere. At the end of the 4.2km course in the French city of Grenoble, Wiggins had a 1 second advantage over Levi Leipheimer of the USA, the defending champion.

The win also firms up Wiggins' chances of being selected for the Cofidis team for the TdF and should give him a lot of confidence, not least because he beat a quality field, including fellow Brit David Millar, who finished 11th, some 6 seconds down.

It was Wiggins' second win on the season on the Road (he also won the prologue at Dunkirk) and only the third of his career as a Road-pro. However, it was also much the biggest win, with the Dauphine always attracting the best riders as they prepare for the Tour de France.

So in London in the TdF who will take the honours; Bradley or David?? It is an interesting situation but I am going for David providing of course they are both selected for their team for the event.

After Stage 4 David Millar is 61st 15.19mins down with Bradley 64th 1718 down.

Our regular readers will know that Simon Aske Owner of Colin Lewis Cycles had a part to play in the Graeme Obree Story with the design and making of his Olympic bike. So we give the following story for your interest!!

There will be hosting free preview