Sprinting - the wild bunch

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Today's crash and the rulings

Giro stage 3 gave us a bunch sprint as predicted today, but many riders hit the deck due to a dangerous manoeuvre by  Androni Giacattoli rider Roberto Ferrari. Among them reigning WC Mark Cavendish and Maglia Rosa Taylor Phinney.

The rules are quite clear: 

2.3.036 Sprints

Riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others. 

Not very concise if you study the text, but it is what it is and that's pretty much all there is of rules regarding sprinting. 

There is little doubt that Ferrari endangered others, a glance at Cav and Phinney tell you that, but when did Ferrari opened up his sprint? If we rewind to yesterday's sprint Cav kept his cool and looked left-right before he changed his lane as he opened his sprint, so it is possible to do so without endangering others. 

In addition to this, the rulings are there and there are officials who can react upon themselves and to any reaction from teams. Clearly Ferrari made a huge mistake, something the peloton will not forget. The riders form a tight community and riders being labelled as dangerous or hot-heads, will be treated according to group rules. Cav has also been criticised for changing lanes, remember Tour of Switzerland and the sprint where he and Haussler went down?

Development

Sprinting has developed much during the years, or perhaps the dynamic of the peloton has. Firstly, many more riders are trying to keep themselves out of trouble staying near the front. Much to the disturbance of the sprintertrains. Secondly, many teams, including pro conti teams have young riders trying to make themselves a name and/or putting the team on the map. Sometimes the team make it on the map but not necessarily the way they hoped, as today. Competitive cycling is tough these days and not many believes it will be better any time soon. Experienced riders complaining about lack of respect for jerseys and "rank". Perhaps the peloton need more governance for riders safety, either by UCI or the riders themselves?

Summary

Today a huge crash happened just 200 meters from the finish line, causing Cav, Phinney and a few more hit the deck. Rulings are limited on the subject, but are clear to when riders are exposing others for risk. I love seeing a battle for the finish line but at the same time I want this to be as safe as possible. The sprints have developed and need a joint effort to control the outcome. Broad roads last 2 k's, few hairpins etc can the organisers do but the riders need to take responsibility for their own safety.

Here the last 5 kilometres of today's stage:

Paris-Roubaix - a preview

This post originally appeared on Cyclismas

The Arenberg

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The third monument of the season is over us, the famous Paris-Roubaix. This race sets a dot to the hardest week of the whole calendar, with de Ronde at the beginning of the week.
The two races are almost equal in terms of length, around 260 km each. So, what is the difference?

The basics
The cobbles in Paris-Roubaix are totally different than those at Flanders. The cobbles in Flanders are smaller and more squared, they are also located on a smooth surface with some sort of systematic plan behind them. They rattle your handlebars pretty bad still, coming into them at 60 km/h. The main difference though, is the space between the cobbles. While the cobbles in Flanders are pretty neat lined up, the cobbles in Paris-Roubaix seems like something kicked randomly out of the back of a truck (something they are). The distance between the cobbles combined the the sheer size of them, makes the difference. That, and the fact that this year's edition of Paris-Roubaix gives you total 51,5km of cobbled sections. Although the cobbles hit you after a solid 97,5km of cycling, they don't give you any chance of recuperating once they start. There are about five to six stones per meter, the vibrations shoots right through the legs, spine, arms, neck and shoulders so hard and so fast that blood does not circulate as freely as before, adding to the fatigue.

The cobbles are classified into based on difficulty by the race director. Two of the most famous cobbled sections, Trouée d'Arenberg and le Carrefour de l'Arbre, are both ranked highest difficulty.
It's not easy sitting on someone's wheel through the cobbled sections, at least not over those with the highest difficulty. You have to balance eyesight to drag and if there is one place you really need to watch your step, it is over these cobbles. If someone asked me to describe Paris-Roubaix with one word it would be brutal.

The fight
As you all know, the positioning before the cobbles is crucial, making the pace incredible fast the last 10km or so approaching the cobbles. Every captain will want to be at the front so the race is on with swearing, snorting and elbows several kilometres prior to the cobbles.

The margins

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Favorites
Five stars: Tom Boonen, Pippo and Ballan - all performed very well last week at Flanders with Tommeke as the obvious fav. However, Paris-Roubaix doesn't care for favs so anything can happen.
Four stars: EBH, Thor Hushovd - Edvald Boasson Hagen performed well at Flanders and is even better at the flat cobbled race. Hushovd's has been struggling with disease but says his form is coming.
Three stars: Paolini, Sep Vanmarcke - Paolini is a strong rider in the classics, often not labeled a fav but has performed well lately. Sep is Garmin's hope, one of the few who has out sprinted Boonen (something Boonen is very aware of me thinks) and he has several good placings in semi-classics, making him a clear outsider to this year's Paris-Roubaix.

Normally, Cancellara, Leukemans, Breschel and Sagan would have been additional contenders but they are all out.

Summary
One of the season's absolute highlights is over us, several top contenders is out but who cares. This is the most brutal race of the season, totally unforgiving. And, one factor I haven't mentioned yet is the weather which can turn this race upside down. I say; bring it on.

Milan-Sanremo - preparations meet tactics meet luck



La classica di Primavera

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On Saturday the 103rd edition of the Milan-Sanremo will take place, a race often referred to as "la classica di Primavera". I wrote a post last year including some of the race history, you can find that here. 

Shorts
As the Italian name suggests, Spring is finally here, at least in countries close to the Mediterranean. At 298 kilometres long, Milan-Sanremo is the longest race in the season, normally the longest races don't cap 280 kilometres, like the worlds. Some have criticized the race for being boring with the action only taking place the last 20 kilometres with the Cipressa and Poggio as the ultimate pinnacles the riders deal with. I see this as a beautiful race going through a nice part of Italy. However, I can relate to the fact that the race is on fire the last 30 kms.


One for the sprinters?
The race is also called sprinters' classic but I find the race as not always living up to this name. It is difficult to pinpoint one single reason for this but 298 kilometres is very demanding any day of the week, not to mention this early in the season. The distance makes even the smallest climb difficult, which is why the Cipressa and/or Poggio often determine the winner or at least define the decisive break. Normally, the fastest sprinters doesn't win. Actually I don't like this term, as the fastest guy is the one to cross the finish line first, right? The ones who have prepared the best as well as being lucky, will be there in the final. Often those two go hand in hand, just read what Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, said about luck:

"Victory awaits him who has everything in order — luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck."


Wide open for the opportunists
As I often repeat it is impossible to predict the future and guessing the winner is difficult. It is easy to name ten-fifteen riders who can be among the winners on a given day, but that does not impress anyone right? So let me just name some of the riders I expect to rock the race, and quite frankly, I see them all up there. But remember, this is racing and anything can happen. Last year Hushovd was in great shape but found himself caught behind a crash just before the Cipressa. I guess he won't be that far back on Saturday.

Ready for the long haul?

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I have narrowed it down to these five riders. There are many more, but what fun is it to mention they all? The list is based on form, capacity and former achievements. Of course, choice of tactic play a part here too.

Peter Sagan
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Oscar Freire
Fabian Cancellara
Tom Boonen


Tactics and strategy
How do you control all the different outcomes in a 298 km long race?

Normally a break takes off early, often gaining a significant lead. One thing is certain though, the ones in that breakaway will never make it to the finish line first. This Monument in cycling is so prestiguos to win that teams have brought their very best hoping to win, making sure a breakaway will not survive. The ones in this breakaway will be riders from teams getting a wildcard, who will honour the sponsors as well as the race itself by being in the front. Teams with a favourite might also sneak in a rider or two as well, for two reasons. 1) having an exuse not to use strength rallying the break in later 2) the possibility of having a rider up there who can provide cover if the lead man comes up or just to be a free asset.

The last 30 kms - who will be the strongest?

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Watch closely 10-15 kilometres or so prior to the Cipressa, riders slip backwards to get bottles and food from team cars, as well as receiving final advice/orders from the DSs. Some riders will try to help their leaders to the front in hope to avoid any chaos that might occure in the peloton. The sprinters will fight for their lives to stay near the front, to avoid sliding too far back on the climb. All this while the riders who picked up fluids and food try to make their way to the front to support to their leaders with some crucial food or drinks. The pro teams have own nutrition experts, like Team Sky's Nigel Mitchell, who have sorted a menu suited to each rider on every step of the way.
We'll have the usual attack on the Cipressa or the Poggio by Nibali and Garzelli or other punchy riders. In addition to this, the Italians will try to snatch a win on home soil. Count among them Pettachi, Viviani (evil tongues will say Sagan will ride him in like Nibali if he can) and Sacha Modolo, remember his 4th place last year?

Radioshack-Nissan could use Italian star Bennati or Fabian for a late attack whilst BMC could do the same with GVA or Gilbert.

Summary
The first of cycling's five monuments is here, and the strong men will battle it out. I'm excited to see how the different teams play their tactics. Having just one egg in the basket can bring a devostating result as the peloton is tired, teams not all that organised this early and everybody wants to secure a place in the spotlight. We will see if Roald Amundsen's words is valid still on Saturday.

Let's have a look at the frenzy in the last kilometres Milan-Sanremo 2011 where Matt Goss won.

BMC - the pressure is building

The World Tour circus has been ongoing for one and a half months now, travelling from Down Under to Asia and the Middle East. The riders have enjoyed some nice weather and been riding with their new kit, some with their new team for the very first time. Some teams have been winning "every race" (as I wrote here) while others have yet to open the champagne.

Worried yet?

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Winning is contagious
Yesterday I talked to Mads Kaggestad, former Credit Agricole, on twitter. He mentioned that the pressure is now on for the big teams who have yet to win. I support this fully.
Of course, the riders on teams that haven't won anything yet will shrug the shoulders, look distant and say that "the season is still young" or that "the goals are the classics" and so forth. But, beneath all that, I suppose there is a tiny piece of uncertainty building. Nothing big, nothing you'll loose sleep over. Yet.

Thing is, big teams have big riders. Big riders get the support, meaning that "less experienced riders need to seize the possibilities", as Kaggestad said. So far they have not, meaning that the team's stars need to step up to do the job and win. After all, that is what they are paid to do.

Take BMC, having last years WC, tour winner, and rider of the year. The pressure on these guys is intense. Luckily, the three of them have been in the spotlight before and are familiar with pressure and how to deal with it. Have in mind, being mentally strong has nothing to do with being emotionless or "switched off", it is how you deal with pressure.

Solutions
There are many things one can do to deal with this, in my work I see this all of the time. Getting on the offensive and in that "zone" is critical, over-analyzing the preparations, the training and the team, are just some examples of how not to do it. Hopefully, staff and riders have been in situations like this before and have a strategy to cope with it or race coaches who are trained to work on these matters. Let's not forget another fact in favour of the stars; having adjusted your form during the better part of a decade helps too.

Summary
The season has been on-going for nearly two months now. Teams like OP-QS, Lotto, Sky and LIQ have all nailed a victory or three each, bringing the riders' shoulders down and creating smiles all around. Meanwhile, other big teams, like BMC has yet to prove themselves. This may lead to pressure building, both within the team, from sponsors and from fans. Will discipline remain? Who has the mental strength to perform? Only time will tell. 

BMC training camp video compilation

It's the season for pro teams training camps. For some riders it is the second training camp with their new team, for others the very first. The nervous first chatter is (hopefully) over by now and the first 6 hours training rides are accounted for. The team is divided into groups depending on goals, social reasons, leadership reasons, season plans or simply due to transfer of experience.

Team BMC has been in Calpe, Spain for several days now, building the team by merging the different riders and staff together. The team to the very dynamic Sean Weide has made many videos from the camp, i have gathered some of them below. Like last year, Team BMC use social media well, in addition to releasing videos on their YouTube channel, they also have an audio line.

Here you can watch some of their latest videos for some insight in the training camp:

All about the details

Healthy or not?

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Being an athlete is not for everyone. A nomadic lifestyle with several hundred days of travel each year, staying in cheap motels along busy highways in southern Europe. All that while your family is living on  another continent. So next time you're watching a cyclist on tv, and openly expressing your envy in him/her sporting SRAM red and a $10000 bike, have that in mind. And this is before I have begun with the countless hours on the bike over several years in every weather possible. Most of us have the advantage to choose most of the times we're going for a ride, a pro hasn't.

From time to time I think this is an issue most tend to leave out, persistence and attention to details, every single detail. Let's go through some of the basics:

Several years ago I got to know the nutrition plan belonging to a WC in biathlon. Speaking of details, I had never seen anything like that, completely broken down every meal possible with calories, vitamins and minerals to every vegetable and dish. If I remember correctly, the MS word document was around 35 pages. 

Double Olympic gold medallist Olaf Tufte says he don't sacrifice anything, he "just prioritize differently for some years", apparently aware that most athletes, at least those who succeed, have only a few years on top of their game.  

I admire people who know stuff I don't, that is something I've been doing my entire life. Not just limited to sports, I might add. People who invest so much time in themselves and their body over so many years, while others study and gets MBAs, really need to know their machinery; their own body to perform at their best. How does the body reacts to 8 hour sleep versus 10 hours? Is there a difference between the amount of sleep before a race and training? What kind of food do I eat before a race, two days before to be at my very best? This level of detail makes you wonder how some athletes continue to fight the ADAM, while having such focus on detail on every other aspect of their life.

Imagine the level of detail needed in a GT like the giro or the tour. Remember Nibali was flown down from some mountain top finishes in helicopter to maximize the recoverytime. One thing is the strictly physical part, another is tactics, press, sponsors, waiting time for massage and dinner. Not to mention the work I know pretty well, the mental training needed to stay focused when needed. 

What does it take? Talent or training? A mix of both probably. Famous writer Daniel Coyle writes in "The Talent Code", that a mix of talent, motivation and coaching is the way to go. If I remember correctly, he says that anyone with a certain basis of skills can be a champion, given the amount of one or more of the prevois mentioned factors. 

Speaking of details, Hushovd finished his Christmas vacation in Grimstad earlier this week and flew to the Caribbean with his family. Did he bring his bike? No, but rumours says he brought his Bont cycling shoes and his own pedals to use on a spinning bike. Guess what, I'm pretty sure he partly chose the hotel with just that in mind.    

Moments in cycling 2011

In the bag...

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Off season is finally over, teams and cyclists are gathering on different team building sites, some to "boot camp", while others, like Saxo, turns to exotic Israel for their first team building. Is it time to review the year now?

I have been thinking of making a "best of 2011"-post for a couple of weeks, I really enjoy reading others posts about that, searching videos on YouTube and so forth. This year has been fantastic, we have seen great racing taking place. Luckily, there was a certain spread in winners, perhaps with the one exception being Gilbert. He didn't win the most obvious race, Il Lombardia, hope the other riders see this as a sign everybody can be beaten. 2011 also proved to be a very sad year with the tragic death of Wouter Weylandt.

It is not easy to evaluate top performers in sports, too many feelings, nationalities and other interests involved. I have decided to call them moments, to avoid the best performers debate, in my world, top performer does not automatically equal winning, although I do of course, recognize the obvious achievement.


The list
10. The aggressiveness of Francais des jeux, putting riders in almost every breakaway this season, making it very entertaining to follow races. Chapeau Jérémy Roy and the others!

9. Team Britain during the Worlds in Copenhagen. It been long since I have seen a team riding at the front all day, all riding so selflessly. Ok, so it went to pieces the last oh-so important kilometer but still, delivering a sprinter like Cav in that position with one click to go should ensure business, which it obviously did.

8. French cycling's riders Thomas Voeckler and Pierre Rolland. Voeckler actually got recognized by many as a genuine contender for the GC, he put up a terrific fight. His TT skills is something he need to work very hard to be a podium contender next year. Rolland partly for his win on Alpe d'Huez and partly for his part in defending Voeckler's yellow. I think he will be a force to follow closely in the years to come.

7. Edvald Boasson Hagen's stage win in Pinerolo Tour de France. First of all because of a will to win and a stamnina few riders have. The day before he was outsprinted by fellow Norwegian Hushovd, EBH then decided to win the next day. Trying relentlessly to get in the breakaway all day, he succeeded, rode Chavanel off his wheel and solo'ed to the finish line. Perhaps it's time to stop calling him a giftet talent by now?

6. "New" riders stepping up to the challenge. We had many this year, too many to mention all, but Sagan, Kittel, Degelkolb and Offredo to mention a few, is just great. I really see this as a new start if you like, for cycling, after many dark years.

5. Mark Cavendish winning the green jersey. I could say the worlds too, but it is his achievement during the tour that I feel deserves a mention. With new point rules he stepped up to the challenge and really fought for his points, everyone of them. His wins were amazing, not every win as dominating as last year but still mighty impressive. The green jersey is dear to me, it is not a pure sprinter's jersey, more of an allrounder, at least historically speaking.

4. Alberto Contador and his giro was just phenomenal. No one was even close. He came to the race with a big uncertainty hanging over him, as I write this it still is. He proved to be very strong psychologically, one can say much about him, but that really impressed me. His way of climbing on the stage to Etna really gave the race a serious blow, being so much better than the rest. He rode well during the tour too, proved to be strong mentally again, and he contributed to an excited race with his attack.

3.  Thor Hushovd's solo win during the tour wearing the rainbow jersey. A sprinter turned classics rider, Hushovd attacked early on the stage and fought his way over Col d'Aubisque, to pass the brave Roy with 3 clicks to go. Fantastic to see a stage win like that in that jersey, brought back memories of times almost forgotton in cycling. Powerhouse Hushovd.
 
2. Cadel Evans winning the tour. Evans have tried many times, this time he got it, leaving the two Schleck brothers as runners up. L'Equipe showed a drawing in the newspaper the day after, where Cadel holds two spotted fur up while standing on the podium. The team rode steady the whole tour keeping Cadel out of harm's way and he finished it off with a powerful TT securing the yellow jersey. Classic scenes.

1. Phillipe Gilbert winning almost all he wanted. Unbelievable palmares, winning the Ardenner triple in a convincing matter. Crowning the year by wearing yellow and green during the tour, winning a stage too. No wonder he tops almost every ranking.



Honourable mentions
Hoogerlands bravery after being clipped by that French TV car, the way the giro handles social media. It is smaller than then tour, and the tour is the pinnacle of the cycling season, no doubt. Still, being able to explore new media and interact with fans is branding at its best. It is all about hearts and minds, I guess.
Tony Martin putting an end to Fabians dominance in the TTs with his win at the Worlds. Another achievement worth mentioning, as was Froome in the Vuelta. Getting Cavendish, Jens Voigt and Cancellara on twitter has made me many laughs this year.

There were of course other incindents we won't miss. The crashes at the tour bringing down the number of GC contenders was terrible to watch. Yes, a natural part of pro cycling, but still. The ongoing Contador case is very embarrasing for cycling, for the UCI, for the Spanish cycling federation and not least for the riders left to compete with riders under investigation.


And who can forget the tragic death of Wouter Weylandts during the giro. WW108

Can you feel a color?

As the season is over the regular 'best of the year'-posts show up. These are actually one of my favourite posts, they represent all the good memories throughout the year. The chance to review the best happenings of a whole season fills me with joy and brings my level of anticipation for next year even higher.
And it has been quite a year. This sport of ours takes leaps in several ways, the technological and social. At the same time tiny baby steps on other frontiers, like governance, rules and point system to mention a few. There's been some interesting discussions regarding this matter but that is a post on its own.

The word which start with 'pan' and ends with 'ache'
I salute the riders, not only the winners but the performance or achievement of the others too. Endurance, both the strictly physical element as well as mere psychological barriers, have fascinated me over the years, and I believe that's partly the reason I find cycling so fascinating in the first place.

This years tour and giro was all about suffering. The giro was much harder than the tour, but a rider can suffer like a dog and perform higher than expected, no matter how steep the mountains. Sprinters don't have easy days during a GT, as Mark Cavendish says in Michael Barry's Le Métier. Riders who give their all create history and ensure their place in fans' hearts. I have heard of fans and others who actually claims an heroic effort gave them a brand new impression of a rider. Call it shallow and superficial if you must, but I consider this a very human thing to do.

So, in this post I want to focus on those who outperform the expectations. Especially those with a jersey. What does it mean to wear a pink or a yellow jersey? Why do some rise to the occasion while other don't? There is an expression that goes something like this: You don't rise to the occasion in combat, you'll sink down to the level of training.

"Am I still in yellow?"
Hushovd on Super-Besse

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As earlier mentioned, Hushovd had seven days in the yellow jersey during the tour. Earlier tours, when they started with an easy seven kilometres prologue, sprinters could compete for yellow the first four-five days, but this was different.

This is what Hushovd said after the Tour de France stage to Super-Besse Sancy:
"I know I'm in shape, perhaps the best shape of my life. Knowing that makes one dig very deep inside myself and get everything out. The jersey is a motivation in itself." 
"I cannot be disappointed when I loose the yellow jersey because I have given my all each day to defend it." 

The great Eddy Merckx was driven by his own goals, at least according to this article. "The biggest pressure to perform came from within me". "Quiet, internal motivation", are some of the words used to describe the great champion.

At this year's Tour de France, almost everyone expected Thomas Voeckler to loose the yellow jersey afer a day or two. Europcar's Jean-René Bernaudeau said this to velonews after the third day in the Pyrenees: "The team has really surprised me with how well it's defending the yellow jersey. It gives us wings."
Even though Voeckler is known for his attacking style of cycling, at least when the tv-cameras are on, he did something incredible this summer. Arguably, some said this was solely because the big favourites focused on each other.

Voeckler giving it all - repeatedly
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And who can forget Johnny Hoogerland standing on the podium in his KOM-jersey, after being thrown into a barbed wire fence following a collision with the TV-car? Truly one admirable action, that speaks for itself. 

What drives people
What make athletes live the life they do, and choose as they do? Motivation is perhaps the most researched field in psychology. The general curiosity concerning the elements that can make us shape our future, is it possible to influence our ability to make choices? To explain behaviour is always easy in retrospect, but it is priceless to be able to see history in the making. Some prefer dividing motivation in two main characteristics; intrinsic and extrinsic. 
Science and research often point to several different types or theories of motivations, based on instinct, incentive, drive-reduction, psychoanalytic theory, broad theories as well as different cognitive theories. The common denominator, however, seem to be emotions, which is very interesting. To simplify the matter, we might say we all tend to maximise pleasure while we at the same time try to minimise pain. Sadly, the different theories are too many to investigate further here, but feel free to reflect on what drives the different riders when they perform, I'm sure there are differences.   

The tour was splendid, especially for us Norwegians. Riders and journos have for many years described the vikinghelmets during the tour. This year was exceptional, with EBH and Hushovd taking four stages and Hushovd made seven days in the yellow jersey. I noticed that many tweeted their surprise to how determined EBH seemed during stage 17 to Pinerolo, it truly was a beastly performance. Those who know EBH knew he would come up with something after being outsprinted by Hushovd the day before. He called his father the same evening, sounding very determined claiming that "tomorrow, I'll win." After trying to get into every break that day, and being hunted down every time, finally the break established itself and the rest is history.

Some people just have this ability. Debate it, research it,and call it whatever you like. I just love to watch it take place.

New World Champion - a change in direction

Project completed - job done

Photo by Jens Gresling, downloaded here.

What a feeling Cavendish must have felt as he crossed the finish line in Copenhagen first on Sunday, after all that hard work by his teammates and after three years of systematic work towards this historical goal. Moments like these are what I truly love about sports in general; all the hard work pays off, drama and emotions all over. 46 years has gone by since Simpson wore the rainbow jersey. Did I hear a "Cycling's coming home"?

Next year
Had a discussion with a close friend on Sunday, who was sad to see "panache out of the door" as the person said. "A world Champion should not need to be carried to the finish line, but honour it the way the best rider in the world should", the person continued.
Personally, I know I'll miss seeing the rainbow jersey attack furiously up the Alps or the Dolomites, the strong solo win Hushovd did during the tour was nothing short of spectacular, as was Cadel Evans' year as WC.

However, my view is more divided. As I mentioned earlier, sports is all about improving, and I mean every way possible. Generally speaking, every person on a team bring something to the table, something slightly different than me or you. That is why teamwork is a recognised way of performing a task (even though other people can be annoying at times...). Change is almost never easy to withstand and in sport, it comes and goes in waves almost continuously.
Who wins is of course depending on the WC course. Despite that I really enjoyed watching the rainbow jersey set colour to the last two seasons, I believe Cav will do the same, his way. I brought this up with Rich Land (@Sprinting4signs) on twitter, and he most graciously wrote that "each World Champ brings something new". I totally agree with this, and cant wait to see Cav sprint next year.

Summary
The last years cycling has been blessed to have giants as World Champs, so Cav is in good company and has some shoes to fill. As it should be, I must add. His first words after securing the win, that he'll honour the jersey, is a sentence that probably spoke directly to the hearts of many cycling fans.

If (when) Cav goes to Team Sky, what will this mean to the set-up and the team's goals? That is another question worthy a post of its own. Let's first see if Pinarello is thrown out the back door for Specialized.

Long time since last post

As you can see it's been a while since my last post. Have had some very interesting, yet long days lately, so I haven't found the time to squeeze in some words on the blog. However, when times like this occur, one can rely on twitter, the micro-blogging sphere.

I will post more here soon, need to get my head above the water first.

It's getting close to Copenhagen. Can Hushovd regain the throne, will Gilbert again jump for the line first? Or perhaps will we see a certain Slovak hit the finish line. I wouldn't rule out G, EBH or Matt Goss either. No one has mentioned the old cat Oscar Freire. If he's in shape, he can very well make it.

I can feel the anticipation building. Bring on the Worlds.

Hushovd's move to BMC - punishment in place?

Yesterday Team BMC and reigning World Champion Hushovd confirmed the rumours that have been debated in the cycling community - he leaves Garmin-Cervelo for BMC. Hushovd signed a three year deal and will be closely followed during training in Monaco, something he says was important to him. At the same time, this indicates that he wasn't given the same follow-up while in Garmin. Team BMC will have people supporting Hushovd at several key training periods in Monaco, with a designated team car pacing him in the hilly mountains surrounding Monaco.

Hushovd's arrival at Garmin was debated back in the day, and many questioned tha fact that there were too many leaders in competing positions, something that could ignite some confusion within the team. I wrote a post about this in April, you can read that here.

Solo wins from Hushovd - a sight we'll be familiar with?

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The Vuelta
Last year, Hushovd did what many sprinters do, used the Vuelta as spesific training towards the Worlds. We all know how that went. Hushovd's personal coach told me before the season that Hushovd and he had three peaks as target for the 2011 season: the first week of April (RVV & P-R), the Tour and the Worlds. The two of them have identified that the Vuelta is a key factor for building and peaking the race form for the Worlds. Earlier this week, Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, said to procycling.no that he fears Hushovd will be punished for not continuing riding for Garmin. Kvålsvoll says that if Hushovd's not allowed to race the Vuelta, the US Pro Cycling Challenge is a possible alternative.

However, as of yet, nothing is decided. Jonathan Vaughters has not commented on the matter. The fact that Hushovd did a superb tdf and is the WC could mean that his position in the Vuelta is secure, but history says that riders who won't contribute next year isn't always getting their number one priorities. Vaughters has been clear that in Garmin-Cervelo, the word "team" is the most important one, not individuality. Will Vaughters prioritize to have sprinters leaving the Vuelta half-way, or focus on a possible top five GC? On the other hand, the organisers and team sponsors will probably want the reigning WC in the Vuelta for publicity.

I guess time will tell.


Photocredit: Sirotti, downloaded here.

Hushovd's descending skills - what to learn?

Counter-steering...

Photo by Lionel Bonaventure, Scanpix/AP 

Friday's stage from Pau to Lourdes was to me a gigantic one, bringing the very best of racing to the table. It brought back memories from the past, a glance of retro-racing, mano-o-mano, where the strongest wins. Of course, it helps that it was my fellow Norwegian Hushovd who pulled the longest straw in the end. Also the fact that he did it on a stage very few had anticipated while wearing the rainbow jersey, made it all almost romantic. What also is interesting is that this was one of the first times during this year's Tour, that the break went in. As Edward Pickering so brilliantly describes in his stage 13 analysis, today's break was always destined to succeed.


Descending is an art, just like climbing is. In 2009, the French newspaper L'Equipe, owned by the ASO, carried a poll where the riders in the peloton was asked who the best descender amongst them was. The winner turned out to be Thor Hushovd.

On the top of the majestic Col d'Aubisque, Hushovd had close to two minutes up to the the hard working Frenchman Roy, and a mere forty seconds to Moncoutie. Hushovd quickly rode in Moncoutie and when they got the bottom of the mountain, Roy had about fortifive seconds advantage, the rest is history.

Hushovd said to vg.no, a Norwegian newspaper, that he didn't take any chances. During the descend, his thoughts wandered to his daughter and he decided it wasn't worth it if he somehow gambled with his health. Instead he claimed he "didn't take any too large risks". Still, the numbers speak for themselves with Hushovd reaching 112 km/h (68 mph) as his top speed. Needless to say, when riding on a mere inch wide tires, that is special. The French cameraman who followed the descend on a moto filming the descend, said to French TV later that day that he'd never in his career witnessed a descend like that. Lionel Marie, DS in Garmin-Cervelo, said he was nervous in every bend, simply describing the performance as "fantastic".

Moncoutie hangs on to Hushovd's back wheel

Well, what is it we can learn from Hushovd's descending? Hushovd's childhood is full of stories that might shed some light to his performance. First of all, he did a lot of cross-country skiing. This helps kids learn coordination, balance and is a very playful sport in the first place. Going down hills and mountains, earning sense of achievement, is vital for future development. He also learned to use a bike early, trying to copy his older brother. He played a lot on his bike, something which helped giving him balance on his bike. Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, said to vg.no that Hushovd played with high speed already in his youth. He has always liked speed and he even did motocross as a teenager, Kvålsvoll said, adding that Hushovd's technique is absolutely amazing. Hushovd himself emphasize the fact that his eyes are focusing a long distance down the road, not only on the meters just in font of the bike. This is vital for maintaining a line down the road that can support the highest speed possible. Although he reached 112 km/h, it is not the top speed that decides how fast you'll reach the finish, the average speed however, is what matters. By holding a line close to perfection, Hushovd was able to maintain a high speed everywhere on the road, which in the end gives a high average speed.


He also sports a large frame. Being about 82 kilograms, Hushovd is heavy compared to the majority of riders in the peloton. It helps during descends, if you're able to have a aerodynamic position on the bike while descending, something Hushovd don't seem to have any problems doing. He has a very aggressive style on the bike while descending.

The rainbow jersey - a season spoiler?

Cursed, bad luck or part of the game?


Photo by Thomas Rasmus Skaug.

It has been quiet from the reigning World Champion Hushovd after Paris-Roubaix. A vacation to Dubai with his family and the endless training rides around Monte Carlo, are some of the things he has been up to. No doubt he was disappointed, having dreamed about a victory in that particular race for years, an opportunity to do so wearing the rainbow jersey, is even more seldom. Witty tongues have said it is a rare as eating a steak contaminated with Clenbuterol... Hushovd did an interview three weeks after P-R, stating that everything was not tip-top in the Garmin team, read my post concerning that here.

Let's be honest, Hushovd's season hasn't been good. He is a man of few words, but it is easy to tell by the look on his face that he's not to happy himself.

Before the season kicked off, Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, wrote to me on twitter that Hushovd had planned three peaks to be "en forme"; Paris-Roubaix, the Tour and the Worlds.

Still, the God of thunder, Smash and what else he's being called, hasn't delivered up to his own goals or others for that matter. But judging from his three goals, he has some time to re-amp the expectations world wide.

There are other perspectives that need to be addressed. For instance, from a team/sponsor perspective, all seem to be pretty good. Could have been better with a win or two, of course, but I have never seen so much media and pictures of a WC before, so it got to be worth something. His season results have been missing in action and that is of more concern. Fans, commentators and journos have already started to whisper "the Curse of the rainbow jersey". To Hushovd's defence, of the big races he's attended so far, only one, the Paris-Roubaix, was the one he could win. Well, his placing in Milan-San Remo could have been better, but that is about it.
As a cycling enthusiast, I have many times criticized Hushovd for his lack of ability to position himself in the bunch. This applies for this season too. Always at wrong side of that crucial break away, a crash happened and Hushovd caught behind it and so forth. Then again, perhaps this is just a part of the game?

Many have mentioned that the rainbow jersey comes with an obligation to ride in a specific way. I do agree that honouring the jersey, or the fans, is important. Cadel Evans was a great WC in my eyes, he really rode with honour and panache. Perhaps it is unnatural for a sprinter (turned classics rider) like Hushovd to be out there in the front, to be more visible during races and not just in the final 300 meters?

Going for green again?

I don't have that much faith in Hushovd winning the Worlds in Copenhagen in September, that will be a race for the pure sprinters.

One thing is for sure, if Hushovd doesn't pick up a win or two during the Tour, his season will be miserable, and I think I know what race which will haunt him...until he nails it.

Hushovd's not happy at Garmin?

What is next?

This morning I tweeted a newspaper's interview with Hushovd. The newspaper is the local newspaper in the area where Hushovd origins from.

He says he had great exspectations participating in the spring classics in his rainbow jersey, and express some disappointment in being placed as a lead out man for Haussler and Farrar. He also says he is a part of a very strong team an add he's happy to do so (being lead-out man) some times but wish more freedom to go for own victories.

He says the team only managed to get some real control and leadership during Paris-Roubaix. Clear guidance, rules and not "we're riding for the one who has the best legs today" is the key to success, Hushovd says.

It seems that Hushovd's expectations in Garmin has not been meet. These are dangerous words, I know, and I hate add more fuel to the debate of what happened in the Garmin-Cervelo team during Paris-Roubaix, but it is quite obvious he's disappointed. Hushovd is very happy he managed to get the best legs he had during Paris-Roubaix, he adds he's happy for Johan Van Summeren, but feels he has few results despite his form this spring.

Hushovd now aims for Tour of California, The tour and the worlds in Copenhagen.

You can find the interview here.

Seen this picture of me?

Perhaps is this another example about the fact that too many strong riders on a team can be bad? How could this be solved?

Bottom photo by  Isabelle Duchesne, downloaded here.

What Hushovd really is doing in Arenberg Forest these days

What goals do you have Thor?


Photo by Wil Matthews, downloaded here.

As most probably know by now Thor Hushovd, the reigning World Champion, did not participate in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Yesterday Cycling Weekly could report that Hushovd is planning a reconnoitre of the last cobblestone sectors of this year's edition of Paris-Roubaix.

That is not entirely correct though.

Hushovd did travel to France this weekend, just after completing the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, but he didn't only plan to reconnoitre with teammate Van Summeren and the new Classics DS expert Van Petegem, but to test some secret equipment.
Now what can that equipment be? To tell you the truth, I don't know what kind, but it is so secret that Hushovd's personal coach, Atle Kvålsvoll, only will tell what it is if tests prove good. I'm pretty good at speculating but I won't make a living out of it. Equipment could be anything, new Classic frame by Cervélo, new stem, pedals or even new tubes.

What an ideal place to test kit, the Paris-Roubaix is Hushovd's main goal for the season, others is RVV, the Tour and the Worlds in Copenhagen. With three peaks in his form, it's going to be an exciting season for the Norwegian World Champion. He said to France24 that his condition is great and that he believes to be in much better shape this year than last year, where he got to the podium at P-R.

Hushovd's dream of pedaling first into the Roubaix velodrome in his rainbow jersey, which The Bagder did in '81, could come true. It would be a nice birthday present to his personal coach as well.

The date to reserve is the 10th of April.

Did you see that Edvald?


Photo credit: From the Cycling Weekly article mentioned above.

The vanity in cycling

Cyclists are an incredibly vain group of people. The PROs lead the way and are excessively proud of their achievements and concerned about their appearance. The minute someone leads the GC at le tour, you can bet your overshoes that the next day that rider will be dressed in yellow from top to toe, including gloves and socks. And don't forget the yellow handlebar tape, matching shades, wheels, pedals, chain, cables and the list goes on. Manufactures and brands take advantage of this of course, anyone who don't remember Contador's yellow pedals Look flew in the night before the last stage in le tour 2009?

Rules to live by  

This also applies for amateurs. Many bike forums on the internet tells that story, both in a humorous tone but also in a very serious matter. Tan lines are heavily discussed whether they should be razor-sharp or squidgy around the edges. How long should the socks be and what colour? Well, according to the experts that depends on colour and length of your bib shorts. Could be quite difficult for the beginners of this sport, although there is reason to believe they know what they are doing getting into the sport. Get into a sportive or training ride with unshaved legs and someone will look at you with a strange look. At least that's what I've been told.

Pozzato working on the tan

Some races are naturally more vain than others. During le tour, the riders seems to enjoy getting all dressed up with the fancy jerseys and the much needed accessories. Thor Hushovd said in an interview after winning the WC that he was looking forward to "jazz my bike up in white with rainbow colours everywhere, same with my helmet. I'm going to be a complete dandy" was his words.    

So I guess that what we all should do then, follow the unwritten rules of how to dress in the cycling sport. There are, however, other options. Be reasonable and wear what you like. But there are certain things only a handful riders can get away with...

Cipollini in one of his famous suits

History repeating itself?

Paris-Roubaix 1981 Bernard "The Bagder" Hinault had the rainbow jersey but somehow fell quite close to the finish. Apparently hitting a dog or just avoided it. After what for Hinault must have been some terrifying moments struggling on his own, he managed to catch up with the five other riders. Hinault was so calm that he actually went to the front of that little group into the velodrome and sprinted for victory from the very front. Nothing less than impressive.

Next year the God of Thunder Thor Hushovd has the rainbow jersey. After finishing the sprint in Geelong he was asked what his next goal was, the journalist probably didn't expected an answer at all in the moment of celebration. Hushovd on the other hand was crystal clear and proclaimed that winning Paris-Roubaix with the rainbow jersey on was next year's goal.
There will as always be a dogfight of dimensions in the race. As a Norwegian I would hope that he or any other Norwegian win, but I will cheer for everyone who enters and finish this brutal race. This race for sure shows the strong riders from the weak, there is no way you can win Paris-Roubaix without being in superb shape, like Fabian Cancellara proved this year.

When I wrote that history might repeat itself, I didn't mean that Hushovd should hit a dog and fall off his bike. There is no reason to make the race more exciting than it already is.

Looking forward to the 10th of April already. Atle Kvålsvoll, Hushovd's personal coach reminded me on twitter that Kvålsvoll has birthday this very day. Hushovd can make this a really memorable day, in many aspects.