In the very early days of cycling, most roads had a surface that was prepared by simply ensuring a lack of drainage, so that the ground would saturate over the winter. As the liquid mud settled, it levelled out and formed a perfectly flat dirt surfac

On just five occasions has a rider won Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro d’Italia in the same season. The riders with this on their palmarès include two legends of the sport, Eddy Merckx (1972 and 1973) and Bernard Hinault (1980). Tadej Pogačar now h

neos Grenadiers are aiming for the “very top step” at this month’s Giro d’Italia with their leader, Geraint Thomas. The British squad believe the 37-year-old, last year’s runner-up, can do “something very special” as he targets both the Giro and the

Riding up Snake Pass is taxing at the best of times. The gradient is not savage, but it works away at you, exhausting you long before you reach the top. It might not be an Alpine or Pyrenean monster, but at nearly 7km it’s about as long a climb as yo

Tom Pidcock’s arrival at the start line of this year’s Paris-Roubaix was unexpected, to say the least, after his crash in Itzulia. In the end, Pidcock rode to a solid 17th place on his debut. His trusty Pinarello Dogma F, pictured here at the start o

It was a British-themed day at the Amstel Gold Race a fortnight ago. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) might have won the day, but he was not the first Englishman to animate the Dutch Classic. The first was Zeb Kyffin of TDT-Unibet, who spent 144km of t

The route starts on the Manchester side of the Peak District, so you’re best off taking the M6 as far as the M56 and then heading across to Stockport. Alternatively, if you really want to come by car but don’t fancy heading to Stockport, you could he

There’s no certainty in this world except death, taxes and – for us cyclists – torturous VO2max sessions. There’s no escaping the fact that top-end work, however deeply unpleasant it might be, is a training essential. Usually completed sparingly towa

Blown apart The effort is clear on the faces of the riders chasing Tadej Pogačar up the Côte de La Redoute, just after the UAE Team Emirates leader had detonated his winning move at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easy-post) grits

CTT Classic Series round three 39 (Great Witley, Worcestershire): 1. Ben Goodwin (Fibrax Fenwicks-Wrexham CC) 1:37.57 2. K. Buchanan (Solihull CC) 1:52.23 3. E. Copeland (Ludlow Brewery RT) 1:52.57 4. P. Gleave (Congleton CC) 1:54.39 5. D. Whitehouse

Reg Harris takes a drink track centre while getting a leg massage in 1950. The name on his shorts says it all – Harris was a Raleigh poster boy in the 1950s, with the ‘Reg rides a Raleigh’ advertising slogan well-known far beyond the cycling world. H

It’s the most brutal race of the year – 29.2km of the worst cobbles northern France has to offer, over 17 agonising sectors, starting in Denain and finishing in the iconic Roubaix velodrome. For the men, it’s referred to as a Sunday in Hell, but for

Your thighs are burning, your calves are aching and your lower back is creaking like the proverbial rusty gate – don’t you just love what cycling does to your body? Or should we say, your mind? Where do you actually feel that pain? It might stem from

Kasia Niewiadoma and Grace Brown got the better of Demi Vollering at Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège respectively last week, as the cloak of invincibility over the latter’s SD Worx-Protime team vanished over Ardennes Week. The wins were both

I have been recovering from a slight cough of late. It kept me off the bike for a week or so, and the only saving grace was I’d cleaned my bike immediately before being struck down so it had been sitting in my bike store spotless for a whole seven da

Traditionally, winter tyres were heavier than their summer or performance equivalents, due to the additional rubber and thicker sidewalls. This added weight reduced the tyre’s suppleness and compliance, making it less comfortable and slower. But as t

Weight 166g The Topeak Mini PT30 multi-tool packs a comprehensive range of tools into a sleek, small form multi-tool – even after discounting the less useful ones such as the chain hook and the four spoke keys. Hex keys stretch from an 8mm head, whic

“There are plenty of good cafes but a drawback is that most of the places only take cash,” Monica Greenwood cautions. “If you go for a ride in the Peak District, take a bit of cash with you just in case. Everything is shut on a Monday too, don’t both

GoCycle, known for its innovative electric bikes, surprises with the launch of the GoCycle Mini, a children’s balance bike with advanced features. Despite its diminutive size, the Mini still incorporates the brand’s signature technology such as side-

Upcoming British talents Oli Peace and Charlie Paige savoured riding alongside their heroes in the peloton at the Tour of the Alps last week. For Peace, just 19 years old and part of DSM-Firmenich PostNL’s development arm, the stage race marked his m

The Great Britain Cycling Team will compete in all track events at this summer’s Paris Olympics for the first time since London 2012, after qualifying a full complement of up to 16 riders. Fourteen GB riders, seven per gender, will head to Paris. The