The Australian clothing brand opened their first store in Europe last month, in Amsterdam. Cycling Weekly was there to find out what's going right for it

Dawes were a leading British bike brand just a few decades ago, and there are many rusty Dawes relics still living in nostalgic hopes of resurrection throughout garden sheds across the land. Let’s take an analogue ride back to their heyday

Quinten Hermans has for some years shown his talent on the road, not just cyclocross. This year he's decided to skip the cobbled classics and instead focus on Itzulia Basque Country and the Ardennes and this payed off as today he took his first win at the highest level. “The team really did a great...

Ireland’s Road Safety Authority has not shared crash location data with local councils and other transport bodies for eight years. After an increase in serious injuries and deaths, there now seems to be some movement on the issue, but it’s still unclear when the RSA will start to share the vital data again. GDPR is being used as the reason why the RSA stopped sharing the data GDPR came into force across the European Union in May 2018, but the RSA seems to have only started to work on the issue with the Data Protection Commissioner in 2022. Cllr Janet Horner (Green Party) said: “It’s been eight years since the RSA stopped providing data; it’s been six years since GDPR has been enacted, and it took them almost five years to do anything about even contacting the Data Protection Commissioner to try to overcome whatever supposed data protection obstacle there is.” “It’s outrageous — We have seen a steady increase in serious injuries, Covid aside, and an increase in deaths last year. That is a consequence of the RSA being completely asleep at the wheel in terms of trying to do something productive with road safety issues that is actually meaningful beyond running an awareness campaign here or there,” she said. Cllr Horner said: “When people die on the roads, it makes the headlines. But when people are seriously injured, it doesn’t a lot of the time — that’s where data is really helpful because then we can see where the patterns are. We can see if there’s junctions where minor injuries constantly occur, and we know that the earliest predictor of serious injuries and, inturn, deaths.” “We need to see where the patterns are happening so we can take intervention and stop it happening,” she said. As this website reported yesterday, over 30 groups seeking safer roads have said that the RSA is “no longer fit for purpose”. The Department of Transport is currently consulting on the future of the Road Safety Authority (RSA). The public consultation is due to end this Friday, April 5th. In their statement yesterday, the groups said: “Historic road collision data is not being made available to road safety auditors. Public reports are framed around the victim of road collisions and their mode of transport rather than the cause. The RSA is not providing up-to-date and comprehensive data that can be used to make our roads safer.” Council officials in Dublin and elsewhere have complained at council meetings and to councillors that the data is not being made available to them. Cllr Horner has been working on the issue; frustrated with the lack of progress, she submitted a Freedom of Information request to the RSA seeking information on the reasoning for not sharing the data, but the independent State body rejected the request saying that the release of documents would affect the deliberative process. She said: “We have been asking them for years and years to explain what the data protection issue is with something that does not involve categories of sensitive personal data because it is anonymised locational data, and they have never been able to answer that beyond four letters — GDPR.” In response to the request from the councillor, Velma Burns, research manager at the RSA said: “Access to correspondence or any records of contact between the Road Safety Authority and the Data Protection Commissioner is being refused as per Sections 29 (1) (a) and 29 (1) (b) of the FOI Act because this body of work, which began in late 2022, is still underway.” The RSA said that a consultation, being led by the Department of Transport, with the Data Protection Commissioner is taking place, and the Road Safety Authority is also participating in this consultation Burns’s response in February also said: “Three emails from the Data Protection Commissioner, as well as a presentation delivered by the Road Safety Authority during a meeting with the Data Protection Commissioner, have been identified as falling under the scope of your request. These documents fall under the deliberative process, and releasing such records would, in the opinion of the Road Safety Authority, be detrimental to the consultations currently taking place and, therefore, would be contrary to the public interest. At present, we do not have a date for completion of this body of work.” Cllr Horner added: “I’m used to dealing with public bodies and long-drawn-out processes, but with the RSA, I’m actively angry about it. To say the only explanation you’ll offer people is GDPR when people are suffering life-altering injuries and dying and they have done nothing is an insult to people.” IrishCycle.com asked the RSA to explain what exactly stopped it from sharing data with councils, why it has taken so long to resolve the issue, and when it expects to start sharing the data again. After three requests for comment over the last two weeks, the RSA responded this morning, but none of the questions were answered directly. This morning a spokesperson for the RSA said: “The RSA is in the process of reviewing its road traffic collision (RTC) data sharing policies and procedures, in light of the fact that the data must be treated as personal data in order to comply with GDPR demands. Data sharing with local authorities has therefore been paused.” “The RSA is actively engaged in a consultation with key stakeholders, including An Garda Siochana, the Department of Transport, the Data Protection Commissioner, and the Local Government Management Agency representing local authorities in relation to putting the appropriate measures in place to facilitate data sharing. This is complex work and will take some time to complete,” the spokesperson said. “Record-level RTC data is not being published online until this review is complete. In the interim, a range of provisional aggregated reports are published online for your reference below. The RSA said that it publishes fatality figures each month at RSA.ie in a monthly report, provisional fatality statistics for the years 2019-2024., and has published a number of reports, including a Provisional Review of Fatalities 1 January to 31 December 2023, a five-year trend analysis of fatalities and serious injuries, 2018-2022, the child casualties report 2014-2022, the cyclist spotlight report: fatalities and serious injuries, 2018-2022, and the pedestrian spotlight report: fatalities and serious injuries, 2018-2022. It also provides data for the CSO for the CSO Transport Bulletin. However, none of these reports include detailed location data that used to be provided to councils.

Cyclist The edge of glory: Does history predict a win for Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix 2024? Ever the showman, ever the history maker – Mathieu van der Poel is no stranger to defying the odds and leaving his mark within the pantheon of cycling history. After a barnstorming victory last weekend at the Tour of Flanders, Van der Poel’s status as the reigning champion of cycling’s three most prestigious one-day titles – Flanders, Roubaix and the World Championships – places him on the cusp of greatness. Despite a depleted startlist void of big cobble stars such as Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven, Van der Poel has to fight against rainbow curses, an unlucky nationality and statistical disadvantages to claim another Roubaix title this weekend. Let’s brush the dust off the history books and dig deep into the archives to see whether historical and statistical patterns play into Mathieu’s hands, or whether he faces a Kopppenberg-esque uphill struggle. Related Posts Grubers’ Paris-Roubaix gallery: Finding heaven in Hell V is for victory! Mathieu van der Poel profile Where Paris-Roubaix 2024 will be decided, part 1: The Arenberg Forest Paris-Roubaix 2024: Routes, start lists, history and all you need to know Step 1: Win Paris-Roubaix back-to-back GRUBER IMAGES Winning Paris-Roubaix once is hard enough, but Van der Poel is hungry for seconds. Previously 12 riders have triumphed in the Roubaix Velodrome in two successive years. Only six of these, however, have come in the post-war era. The most recent Paris-Roubaix repeat offence came from Belgium’s Tom Boonen 15 years ago with his wins in both 2008 and 2009. Since then, the reigning champion has struggled to crack the podium. In fact, only Fabian Cancellara has made the podium as the reigning Roubaix champion in the past 15 years when he finished second and third in 2011 and 2014 respectively. More bleak is the average finishing position of Paris-Roubaix reigning champions since Boonen’s 2009 win, which sits at a poor 6.75. However, we are long overdue a back-to-back Roubaix triumph. Since the 1930s there has never been a gap longer than 15 years between back-to-back Roubaix victories. Looking back on the history of this achievement, we can see that consecutive wins often come over a decade apart from one another. It has been a fair 15-year wait since our last back-to-back winner. If there’s ever a man for the job, it’s Mathieu van der Poel. Step 2: Win Flanders and Roubaix in the same season Xavier Pereyron The Flanders-Roubaix double is the ultimate ace-high flush for any Classics contender. However, few have succeeded on both sides of the Franco-Belgian border within the same season. This double whammy has been achieved 12 times, which means that 12.3% of Roubaix titles were won by the Tour of Flanders victor the week prior. From Henri Suter to Peter van Petegem and Roger de Vlaeminck, nine riders have claimed both trophies in the same season. Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara are the only riders to achieve this feat in the past 20 years, with Cancellara’s most recent cobbled Classic clean sweep coming in 2013. However only two flags solemnly appear in this hall of honour: Belgium and Switzerland. If Van der Poel were to do the Ronde/Roubaix double this weekend, he would become the first representative from outside the two cobble powerhouses of Switzerland and Belgium to enter this elite club. If we’re clutching at straws though, Mathieu van der Poel was born on the Belgian side of the border and has a distinctly Flemish accent when talking Dutch. He’ll be hoping this plays by the clubhouse rules. In terms of recent results, the statistics are not in Van der Poel’s favour. Since 2013, the reigning Flanders champion has finished Paris-Roubaix in an average position of seventh place. Take a closer look at the results over the past decade and we can see that the reigning Flanders winner has never exceeded a bronze medal position in Paris-Roubaix. This came courtesy of both Niki Terpstra in 2018 and Fabian Cancellara in 2014. Mathieu will surely be betting on more than just a small cobble this weekend. Step 3: Win Paris-Roubaix in the rainbow jersey Xavier Pereyron When looking towards the record of world champions in Roubaix, the trends look more favourable towards another MVDP exhibition on Sunday. That said, some sage may still need to be burned on the startline in Compiègne to combat the alleged ‘curse of the rainbow jersey’. Trawling through the history books, a total of six world champions have won Paris-Roubaix, including the star-studded roll call of Francesco Moser, Bernard Hinault and a certain Belgian by the name of Eddy Merckx. However it’s not all ancient history, we don’t have to look back too far to be reminded of a world-champion-turned-Paris-Roubaix-champion. This came back in 2018 when Peter Sagan claimed the Hell of the North title. Tim de Waele/Getty Images In all fairness, the rainbow jersey hasn’t competed in Paris-Roubaix since Sagan took the title in 2018. Mathieu will be hoping that the pot of gold at the end of the UCI-branded rainbow has been left at the Roubaix Velodrome. Looking deeper into the archives, we can boldly claim that ‘the curse of the rainbow jersey’ seems to be lifted in the north-eastern corner of France. Remarkably the conversion rate of rainbow jersey wearers to podium finishes in the post-war era sits proudly at 59%. In that case it may be safe to place an each-way bet on Van der Poel to make the podium on Sunday. The case studies Tim de Waele/Getty Images As unique as Mathieu van der Poel is, history is repeating itself here. Two riders have started L’Enfer du Nord with the same pressure on their rainbow-covered backs as the reigning Flanders and Roubaix champion. Tom Boonen knew this all too well back in 2006. A week after claiming the Flanders title in his native Belgium, clad head-to-toe in a baggy 2000s-style rainbow outfit, Boonen claimed a bitter silver medal in Roubaix a year after he took the top-dog prize in 2005. Rik van Looy, on the other hand, who hails from the same town as Wout van Aert, is the only rider to pull off this triumph. Back in 1962 Van Looy secured consecutive Roubaix titles, on the back of a Flanders triumph the week prior, all while wearing the rainbow jersey as road World Champion. The verdict GRUBER IMAGES Van der Poel has been showing no signs of letting up this spring, even if a Mads Pedersen overhaul in Wevelgem two weeks ago exposed a rare sign of weakness. The Alpecin-Deceuninck star has all the necessary experience to thrive on the unforgiving pavé. A stellar record in this race and a 66% podium conversion rate in Roubaix forecasts another Sunday of excellence for cycling’s very own Action Man toy. This is Mathieu van der Poel after all – he’ll do anything for the win. Go behind the Sutros of Mathieu van der Poel with our 2019 profile: V is for victory! The post The edge of glory: Does history predict a win for Mathieu van der Poel at Paris-Roubaix 2024? appeared first on Cyclist.

Primoz Roglic crashed during the third day of racing at Itzulia Basque Country and that was the highlight of the day. The high-speed crash was a hit for the BORA - hansgrohe rider, and the German team share a first update on his condition. "Initial examinations indicate that Roglic suffered superfic...

At Sarah Swallow's Ruta del Jefe, bikes come second

Cyclist Gravel Big Ride: Ride the volcano on Mount Teide I ride past solidified rivers of lava and dark pine trees into a kaleidoscope of colour. My gravel tyres shimmy over blazing rust-red dirt and dust the shade of white-hot pumice. I pass strange, sea-green boulders and black orbs of rock that glisten like the island’s night skies. And all around me the yellow flowers of Codeso del Pico and Teide Flixweed drench this alien world in a buttery glow. Many cyclists visit Tenerife, but without gravel tyres they will never get to see this remote, psychedelic dreamscape. Thanks to its volcanic geology and isolated geography, Tenerife is a laboratory for volcanologists, a museum for geologists, a pristine paradise for astronomers, a testing ground for Nasa astronauts and a film set for Hollywood movies. But the largest of the Canary Islands is also a 2,034 square km playground for cyclists. Related Posts Big Ride: Valley of the Tears in Gran Canaria Big Ride: Flight of the Canaries on Gran Canaria Big Ride: Chasing rainbows on Gran Canaria The island’s high altitudes, smooth roads and average temperature of 22°C make it a favourite training haven for pro teams as well as a winter escape for amateur riders. But Tenerife’s hidden gravel trails offer a gritty and more intimate way to explore the island, unlocking wild volcanic terrain and fresh cycling sensations. Patrik Lundin / Cyclist On these bone-dry gravel trails I can feel the texture of the terrain shift beneath my tyres, taste the volcanic dust, smell the warm aroma of pine trees, see my skin slowly redden with dirt, and tune in to the silence of solitude. Six million visitors flock to Tenerife each year, but today I have seen only a few lizards scuttling among the rocks and a solitary rabbit. Far from the boozy bars, coach tours and sun-scorched beaches, a gravel rider can feel as though ‘Papa Teide’ – the name locals give to the island’s 3,715m volcano – has saved a corner of the island just for you. Park rangers The opening section of the climb takes place in fierce sunshine.Patrik Lundin / Cyclist Today’s ride begins in the cool shade of a pine forest a few miles south of La Orotava in the northeast of the island. My guide is Alberto Delgado of Tenerife Bike Training. ‘We are seeing a big interest in gravel cycling from road cyclists,’ says Alberto. ‘There are good gravel routes around the island, from the coast to the forests. Here in the Teide National Park, around the volcano, you can ride only one trail as most paths are protected. But it has everything: red sand, black rock, pine forests and beautiful views of Teide.’ Patrik Lundin / Cyclist Alberto runs Tenerife Bike Training with his brother Marcos. Their local cycling knowledge has earned them an impressive reputation, and this is a proud family business: Mama Delgado hosts end-of-tour paella parties at the family home, where guests relax in their garden of avocado, orange and apple trees. And when you’re heading off-road, local knowledge is invaluable. Alberto calls today’s route ‘The Unseen National Park’ as it offers a new way to explore the 190 square km Teide National Park. I’ve cycled in Tenerife before, but this is a journey into the unknown. As we prep our bikes, Alberto’s latest recruit Marco – a nutritionist – departs in the van and will meet us later on. Patrik Lundin / Cyclist It’s possible to do this route unsupported, but doing so would add an extra 86km of road riding to come back round the mountain to arrive back at our start point, so on this occasion I’m happy to not be a completist. For now, however, we are alone. Before we begin, Alberto gives me his customary warning: ‘The only flat part of Tenerife is the airport.’ Sun, sea and soil Alberto leads the way, his technicolour kit providing a striking beacon of pink and yellow to follow. The grey-black track is tightly packed here, making for a smooth start. Caramel-coloured pinecones and feathery green needles carpet the floor, which seems to dance in the shifting shadows. The dark red and brown volcanic terrain of the Teide National Park is in stark contrast to the yellow plants that light up the ground.Patrik Lundin / Cyclist It’s peaceful. I glimpse a woodpecker darting through the trees, but strange clusters of black and red boulders provide a reminder that we’re heading into sketchy volcanic terrain. We emerge into a clearing and get our first glimpse of the dazzling expanse of the Atlantic below. In the northeast corner lies the port of Santa Cruz, where in 1797 Horatio Nelson lost his arm to a musket ball during a doomed mission to seize Spanish treasure ships. Patrik Lundin / Cyclist The gravel trail continues uphill through scratchy scrubland and gnarled rock. In these high-altitude conditions the shrubs are small and rounded to shelter from the wind, and have small leaves to minimise water evaporation. Wind resistance and efficient hydration: two evolutionary skills any cyclist would respect. As we ride past steep ledges we can see the dense green carpet of forest below and the island of La Palma on the horizon. Then comes that spectacular sea of yellow Codeso del Pico and Teide Flixweed lighting up the red soil ahead. The track uphill is an ever-changing conveyor belt of colours. The powdery red soil gobbles up my wheels, but the darker black and brown trails, the remnants of lava flows, are more solid. In Tenerife, a degree in geology would provide a unique cycling advantage. The expansive sea views on the ascent. Teide casts the world’s largest sea-shadow, reaching more than 40km to Gran Canaria at sunset.Patrik Lundin / Cyclist Mount Teide looms into view, its cone speckled with the warm reds and browns of an English autumn. All day we have been cycling up the volcano’s northeastern flanks, climbing to a ridge that separates Valle de la Orotava and Valle de Guimar, but we’re now in the Teide National Park, a World Heritage Site of ethereal volcanic landscapes. The heat is rising in this strange Martian landscape and beads of sweat mix with the red sand on my legs. I’m feeling a little dazed when I glimpse a mysterious cluster of white structures resembling spaceships, missile silos and pyramids. This is the Teide Observatory, the largest solar observatory in the world. It was at this observatory that scientists discovered that the sun has its own frequency, and beats like a heart every five minutes. Patrik Lundin / Cyclist The heat of the sun has got my heart beating as well. We continue uphill to the sunken cauldron of Las Canadas, where we’re greeted by an array of ancient lava flows, ash cones and rocky needles. This is also where the main road crosses the park. After a final steep push, we emerge onto the tarmac and a road sign tells us we’ve reached 2,330m in altitude. We’ve ascended 740m, but with the heat, altitude and uneven terrain, it feels like double that. Into the cauldron After a short rest we dart south, away from the tour buses, into the moonscape of the Las Canadas cauldron. The red soil is so similar to that of Mars that Nasa tested its Perseverance Rover here. This region has also provided locations for movies such as One Million Years BC, Wonder Woman 1984 and Clash Of The Titans. Patrik Lundin / Cyclist Bikes are forbidden off-road here, except on this track. The trail is wide and flat, and having climbed all morning I find it refreshing to pick up speed. We pass mounds of black volcanic rocks piled up like giant coffee beans. The track is a delight to descend, although some of the darker grey-black trails over jagged rocks do demand caution. Alberto glides gracefully around the corners, kicking up dust like a slalom skier. He is on 50mm tyres, which are proving to be better suited to the conditions than my 34mm rubber. Note to self: go bigger, have more fun. Patrik Lundin / Cyclist At intervals, Alberto peels off to the side of the trail and tells me to carry on. At first, I wonder if he is having some mechanical issues, but then I realise he is stopping to pick up discarded gel wrappers that have been dropped by other cyclists. This is his home and he wants it to be beautiful for his next guests too. The famous red Teide bugloss plant can grow as high as three metres.Patrik Lundin / Cyclist And what a home it is: we pass glistening obsidian rocks, the toffee-coloured trunks of Canarian pine trees and the pink flowers of the Teide bugloss – a Tenerife postcard favourite. On and on we plunge along a thin ribbon of gravel track through the silent pine forest. Despite the beauty, I force myself to remain on red alert. There are precipitous drops into ravines and plenty of sharp turns along the way. My hands are red from the braking and my flesh is cooking in the afternoon heat, but the descent just keeps on unravelling, over gorges, past glistening walls of rock, with that gloriously cool blue ocean forever pulsing on the horizon. The twisting descent through the forest on the southern side offers a completely different landscape to the climb.Patrik Lundin / Cyclist We eventually join a roughly paved road where we pick up the pace towards Villa de Arico, a sleepy inland town of white-walled buildings. After our day of glorious solitude in extra-terrestrial landscapes, the sight of people and traffic is jarring and it takes a moment to adjust. On returning to charted territory, I suddenly feel lost. Sadly much of this terrain was devastated by wildfires last summer, but Tenerife remains a spectacular place to ride a bike.Patrik Lundin / Cyclist Marco is waiting for us in a cafe and he has heroically ordered platters of white cheese, goat stew, croquettes, garbanzas (chickpea stew) and chips. We cool down in the shade and toast a glorious day of gravel riding. As I glug down an ice-cool glass of lemonade and stare at the red dust coating my legs, I’m secretly thankful that we don’t have to add on that extra 86km on the road to complete a full loop. I’ve cycled in Tenerife many times, and it’s one of my favourite places to ride on the road, but Teide’s gravel trail has shown me another side to the island. I now understand why the ancient Greeks called this place ‘The Blessed Isle’. Plenty of people have cycled in Tenerife, but few have seen it like this. Fire stops play Last year’s wildfires mean access may be restricted Patrik Lundin / Cyclist In late summer 2023, Tenerife – like many European countries – was hit by devastating wildfires. While most of the island was unaffected, sadly 15,000 hectares of land were damaged, including large sections of this month’s Big Ride in the northeast of the island. Our ride was undertaken and photographed before the fires occurred, and at the time of publication some sections of this trail are closed but will open again when the landscape has had a chance to recover and rider safety has been verified. You can track the latest trail openings at the Tenerife On website (tenerifeon.es), the official guide for planning activities in the island’s natural areas. In the meantime, Alberto and Marcos Delgado of Tenerife Bike Training (tenerifebiketraining.com) continue to guide riders on other gravel tours across the island that offer a similar blend of spectacular volcanic and forest terrain. They will recommence this route as soon as the trails are open. How we did it Patrik Lundin / Cyclist Travel Tenerife is a four-hour flight from the UK and is well served by a number of airlines. La Orotava is about an hour’s drive from the south airport, or 20 minutes from the north airport. Accommodation Hotel Alua Tenerife (amrcollection.com) in the resort of Puerto de la Cruz, near to La Orotava, is a bike-friendly hotel with cycle storage, laundry services, a spa and massage services. Guiding Local guides Alberto and Marcos Delgado of Tenerife Bike Training (tenerifebiketraining.com) offer various cycling trips around Tenerife, including a seven-night Gravel Tour with six off-road adventures, from volcanic terrain to coastal spins. The next trip is 6th-13th April 2024 (prices from €1,925 per person, including hotels and transfers). Bike hire Bike Point Tenerife (bikepointtenerife.com) rents high-spec gravel bikes such as the 3T Exploro, Pinarello Grevil GRX and Pearl SL Evo from €29 per day. Owners Christophe, Bjorn and Romen know the island’s terrain and offer hotel delivery, bespoke fitting and route information. Information For more about Tenerife, from cycling and hiking to food and days out, visit webtenerife.com. The post Gravel Big Ride: Ride the volcano on Mount Teide appeared first on Cyclist.

Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen, former teammates, are currently the two best sprinters in the peloton. Whilst Philpsen has over the past few weeks taken the headlines by beating Merlier at Tirreno-Adriatico, Classic Brugge-De Panne and also winning Milano-Sanremo; the Soudal - Quick-Step sprinter...

Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) may not have won the stage at Région Pays de la Loire Tour (2.1) today but the Irish rider managed to win the bunch sprint just behind the winner, something he had yet to do this season. The result is nothing of note in the context of Bennett’s palmares, […] The post Sam Bennett wins first bunch sprint of season but denied win | Video appeared first on Sticky Bottle.