The future of French cycling looks in good hands with the continually impressive Lenny Martinez. In the latest display of his talents, the diminutive Frenchman took victory on Friday afternoon at the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs.Last year, Martinez came a close second behind Victor Lafay so victory...

2024 looks set to be a key season for many in the peloton. In particular, a number of the Classics talents are in the final year of their contract and could be on the move before long. For this reason, we have decided to compile a list of the top 9 classics that, right now, would become free agents...

Black Inc's 48/58 wheelset now available for the rest of us and Fizik makes a light but bright statement...

Cyclist Opinion: Put some respect on the Ardennes Classics’ name Often in the shadow of their Northern counterparts, the Ardennes Classics often feel like the ugly step-sister of the one-day calendar. Without the glitz and glam of the burly cobbles, the prestige of a swanky champion’s jersey or an international gold medal – the Ardennes have always struggled to stick out in the cycling conscience. An overhanging sense of fatigue looms over the cycling-sphere after the cobbled Classics. An underwhelming set of races saw the galacticos pick apart the field one-by-one in the name of emphatic glory. That’s not to take away from Mathieu van der Poel’s achievements, but we are left hungry for some meat-and-gravy racing. For the wellbeing of the sport, we need to end the Classics on a high note before the Giro d’Italia kicks off in less than a month’s time. So often the afterthought of the one-day calendar, the Ardennes Classics come at a time of cycling crisis this year. With volatility, accessibility and memeability in spades though, the Ardennes Classics offer more than you might think. Related Posts La Flèche Wallonne 2024: Routes, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know Amstel Gold Race 2024: Route, TV guide, start list and all you need to know Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2024: Route, riders, how to watch and all you need to know The terms and conditions A.S.O./Maxime Delobel Cycling can often feel like a ritualistic-driven voyeurist celebration of human suffering. You’ll be glad to hear, therefore, that this suffering bleeds into the Ardennes period. The attraction of the challenge is certainly on display, but the Ardennes is a far more humane than the brutal cobbled Classics. Don’t expect hands covered in blisters or bloody noses, expect a fair trial of intrepidity. The relentless profiles of the Ardennes Classics makes way for a merciful test of strength where a long-term strategy is rewarded without the merciless variable of luck that has plagued the cobbled Classics all too often. With men’s profiles in excess of 200km and a respectable buffet of women’s racing over the 150km marker, the Ardennes Classics aren’t meant to be easy. With a comparable amount of climbing in Liège–Bastogne–Liège to a Tour de France mountain stage, these races shouldn’t be underestimated either, even though their surroundings seem far removed from the Alps. While not too long to eliminate favourites or bring about seismic gaps, the short and sweet nature of the climbs create a fine-tuned equilibrium of action and suspense. Think of the short Ardennes côtes as tequila shots. With a tray-load of tequila shot climbs, Liège–Bastogne–Liège can make for a fiery watch as it builds up to a more blurry and hectic finale. This isn’t the rich, refined and candidly pretentious IPA of the Flemish Classics. In their volatile nature, the Ardennes Classics have become real wildcards on the one-day race calendar. Nothing proves this melange more so than the ‘Ardennes Triple’ sweep – the act of winning Amstel Gold, Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège in the same season – which lurks in the dusty back-shelves of the pro cycling archives. In its rarity, it has been completed on just four occasions across both the men’s and women’s peloton’s. In comparison to the 12 Flanders-Roubaix doubles across history, this is the hipster’s Classic grand slam of choice. The everyman’s classics While the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix transport us to cobble roads steeped in cycling chronicle, this feels like a world away from our kind of riding. The allure of the Arenberg is palpable, yet it is a distant place that only TV could bring us. As unassuming as it seems, the Ardennais countryside has a universal relatability. We can picture our local climbs looking like the Redoute. Heck, the Cauberg is just as hard as any old hill out of town. I’ll put it this way – the Ardennes Classics are the aspirational Classic for the suburban man.  Let’s be real, Amstel Gold is just a glorified Home Counties Sunday ride with prize money and a hefty piece of silverware for the first rider over the top of the local Strava KOM. A man can only dream of riding the Carrefour de l’Arbre, but with a little teaspoon of imagination, you could have yourself on the Mur de Huy in no time. We know how it feels to see these more accessible gradients, weather conditions and, importantly, road surface. After a diet of exotic bump and grind on the cobbles, the Ardennes Classics bring us a slice of real-life cycling — a real home-cooked meal.  Classics worthy of the title It’s farcical to believe that the cobbled Classics are the one-day races steeped in stories and iconic moments. There are plenty of tales from the Ardennes Classics worthy of their place in the cycling zeitgeist. Phillippe Gilbert’s exploits in the 2011 Ardennes campaign warrant a legendary status, while a panda running alongside Dan Martin became an icon in cycling circles in 2013, countless blizzards in Liège and the slapstick comedy of errors for Julian Alaphilippe at Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2020 all make for great anecdotes among cycling’s vast mise-en-scène. That said, one-day racing doesn’t get much better than Mathieu van der Poel’s win at the 2019 Amstel Gold Race.  After dragging a group back of plenty of A-List names, Van der Poel overhauled the leading group to steamroll his way to victory on home roads. As he fell to the concrete in relief – cycling had turned a corner. In his break-out season on the road scene, the Amstel Gold Race 2019 marked an important cornerstone in the upcoming career of the great Classics phenom. Let’s get back to sitting on the edge of our seats In an era of intermidable standing ovations in the one-day calendar, the Ardennes provide a grounding reconnect to cycling’s roots. Standing true to the dictionary definition of the Classics, we play witness to an open, unpredictable day of racing, all tucked up into a perfectly self-contained and relatable narrative. There’s none of the excessive savagery for both the viewer and the rider that we see so often in the Cobbled Classics. No one is talking about putting a chicane before the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, are they? Despite all eyes being placed on Flanders and Roubaix in early April, sometimes our most compelling, wackiest and most unpredictable stories emerge from the late-April expeditions through the Ardennes. Hold back your eye-rolls, your scoffs of discontent and wained attention, it’s time to respect the Ardennes Classics for what they are — a real representation of ciclismo. That got you going? Check out our guide to the Amstel Gold Race. The post Opinion: Put some respect on the Ardennes Classics’ name appeared first on Cyclist.

The second day of a weekend full of exciting in France is taken by the Tour du Jura. Traditionally a classic won by puncheurs and climbers, this year's race will be no different and will take place on the 13th of April. We take a look at it's startlist. The startlist features riders such as: Felix G...

Cyclist Opinion: Put some respect on the Ardennes Classics’ name Often in the shadow of their Northern counterparts, the Ardennes Classics often feel like the ugly step-sister of the one-day calendar. Without the glitz and glam of the burly cobbles, the prestige of a swanky champion’s jersey or an international gold medal – the Ardennes have always struggled to stick out in the cycling conscience. An overhanging sense of fatigue looms over the cycling-sphere after the cobbled Classics. An underwhelming set of races saw the galacticos pick apart the field one-by-one in the name of emphatic glory. That’s not to take away from Mathieu van der Poel’s achievements, but we are left hungry for some meat-and-gravy racing. For the wellbeing of the sport, we need to end the Classics on a high note before the Giro d’Italia kicks off in less than a month’s time. So often the afterthought of the one-day calendar, the Ardennes Classics come at a time of cycling crisis this year. With volatility, accessibility and memeability in spades though, the Ardennes Classics offer more than you might think. Related Posts La Flèche Wallonne 2024: Routes, how to watch, start list and everything you need to know Amstel Gold Race 2024: Route, TV guide, start list and all you need to know Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2024: Route, riders, how to watch and all you need to know The terms and conditions A.S.O./Maxime Delobel Cycling can often feel like a ritualistic-driven voyeurist celebration of human suffering. You’ll be glad to hear, therefore, that this suffering bleeds into the Ardennes period. The attraction of the challenge is certainly on display, but the Ardennes is a far more humane than the brutal cobbled Classics. Don’t expect hands covered in blisters or bloody noses, expect a fair trial of intrepidity. The relentless profiles of the Ardennes Classics makes way for a merciful test of strength where a long-term strategy is rewarded without the merciless variable of luck that has plagued the cobbled Classics all too often. With men’s profiles in excess of 200km and a respectable buffet of women’s racing over the 150km marker, the Ardennes Classics aren’t meant to be easy. With a comparable amount of climbing in Liège–Bastogne–Liège to a Tour de France mountain stage, these races shouldn’t be underestimated either, even though their surroundings seem far removed from the Alps. While not too long to eliminate favourites or bring about seismic gaps, the short and sweet nature of the climbs create a fine-tuned equilibrium of action and suspense. Think of the short Ardennes côtes as tequila shots. With a tray-load of tequila shot climbs, Liège–Bastogne–Liège can make for a fiery watch as it builds up to a more blurry and hectic finale. This isn’t the rich, refined and candidly pretentious IPA of the Flemish Classics. In their volatile nature, the Ardennes Classics have become real wildcards on the one-day race calendar. Nothing proves this melange more so than the ‘Ardennes Triple’ sweep – the act of winning Amstel Gold, Flèche Wallonne and Liège–Bastogne–Liège in the same season – which lurks in the dusty back-shelves of the pro cycling archives. In its rarity, it has been completed on just four occasions across both the men’s and women’s peloton’s. In comparison to the 12 Flanders-Roubaix doubles across history, this is the hipster’s Classic grand slam of choice. The everyman’s classics While the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix transport us to cobble roads steeped in cycling chronicle, this feels like a world away from our kind of riding. The allure of the Arenberg is palpable, yet it is a distant place that only TV could bring us. As unassuming as it seems, the Ardennais countryside has a universal relatability. We can picture our local climbs looking like the Redoute. Heck, the Cauberg is just as hard as any old hill out of town. I’ll put it this way – the Ardennes Classics are the aspirational Classic for the suburban man.  Let’s be real, Amstel Gold is just a glorified Home Counties Sunday ride with prize money and a hefty piece of silverware for the first rider over the top of the local Strava KOM. A man can only dream of riding the Carrefour de l’Arbre, but with a little teaspoon of imagination, you could have yourself on the Mur de Huy in no time. We know how it feels to see these more accessible gradients, weather conditions and, importantly, road surface. After a diet of exotic bump and grind on the cobbles, the Ardennes Classics bring us a slice of real-life cycling — a real home-cooked meal.  Classics worthy of the title It’s farcical to believe that the cobbled Classics are the one-day races steeped in stories and iconic moments. There are plenty of tales from the Ardennes Classics worthy of their place in the cycling zeitgeist. Phillippe Gilbert’s exploits in the 2011 Ardennes campaign warrant a legendary status, while a panda running alongside Dan Martin became an icon in cycling circles in 2013, countless blizzards in Liège and the slapstick comedy of errors for Julian Alaphilippe at Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2020 all make for great anecdotes among cycling’s vast mise-en-scène. That said, one-day racing doesn’t get much better than Mathieu van der Poel’s win at the 2019 Amstel Gold Race.  After dragging a group back of plenty of A-List names, Van der Poel overhauled the leading group to steamroll his way to victory on home roads. As he fell to the concrete in relief – cycling had turned a corner. In his break-out season on the road scene, the Amstel Gold Race 2019 marked an important cornerstone in the upcoming career of the great Classics phenom. Let’s get back to sitting on the edge of our seats In an era of intermidable standing ovations in the one-day calendar, the Ardennes provide a grounding reconnect to cycling’s roots. Standing true to the dictionary definition of the Classics, we play witness to an open, unpredictable day of racing, all tucked up into a perfectly self-contained and relatable narrative. There’s none of the excessive savagery for both the viewer and the rider that we see so often in the Cobbled Classics. No one is talking about putting a chicane before the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, are they? Despite all eyes being placed on Flanders and Roubaix in early April, sometimes our most compelling, wackiest and most unpredictable stories emerge from the late-April expeditions through the Ardennes. Hold back your eye-rolls, your scoffs of discontent and wained attention, it’s time to respect the Ardennes Classics for what they are — a real representation of ciclismo. That got you going? Check out our guide to the Amstel Gold Race. The post Opinion: Put some respect on the Ardennes Classics’ name appeared first on Cyclist.

The second day of a weekend full of exciting in France is taken by the Tour du Jura. Traditionally a classic won by puncheurs and climbers, this year's race will be no different and will take place on the 13th of April. We preview the race ahead. The race will be 174 kilometers long and in it's firs...

Cyclist In the Drops: Rapha’s wearable aero jersey, fancy Bravur watch, Quoc lace-ups and hobbies It’s Friday again, that means all you’re thinking about is how dominant Mathieu van der Poel will be at Amstel Gold Race this weekend. Rightfully so. But you should also remember it’s an In the Drops Friday, so away we go. This week we’ve obviously been banging out Paris-Roubaix content, with a race gallery and tech gallery, as well as a look back at the incredible story of the 1949 Paris-Roubaix. Newbie Ewan Wilson also ranked every MVDP Monument performance and claimed it’s OK to find the Classics boring. Our latest Big Ride also hit the website, in which we attempted to get from London to Flanders, ride a Tour of Flanders loop and get back to London in one day. There was also two bike launches from BMC and Enve, reviews of Lauf’s new road bike as well as the Basso Astra and the Rapha Classic Long Sleeve Jersey. And just this morning we published our guide to the best energy gels, bars and chews. I’m hungry now so let’s get to the good stuff. Related Posts Big Ride: A one day Classic in Flanders Amstel Gold Race 2024: Route, TV guide, start list and all you need to know Cycling spring Classics 2024: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide Rapha Pro Team Aero jersey Will Strickson I’m not a small man, so squeezing into super compressive aero jerseys has never been something that appealed to me, so when Rapha said its new Pro Team Aero jersey was designed to be worn by people of different body shapes I was intrigued. Now while I can’t attest to the experience of those bigger than me – 188cm, approx. 90kg – I was very impressed by the fit, it’s snug but doesn’t squeeze and I felt physically and mentally comfortable. The sleeves are made from a material called Clima and feature an aerodynamic texture, which is part of why there’s no Rapha armband as it’s much more difficult to add extra colour.Will Strickson Part of how Rapha has achieved this is through the use of an Italian fabric called Clima, which is compressive but not restrictive. The sleeves have also been adapted, with less elastic, so they don’t squeeze in the arms, instead sitting nice and comfy over the skin, the same goes for the waistband too. This generation of Pro Team kit is also part of the new wave of Rapha products that feature its updated branding, doing away with the armband, which is a bold move, but I like it. Buy now from Rapha (£185) Bravur Team Heritage watch The watch comes in this very swish leather bar bag.Will Strickson ‘Will’, I hear you cry, ‘what does a watch have to do with cycling?’ Wow, that’s a great question and I’m glad you asked. Bravur is a Swedish watch brand with a big thing for cycling. It has a ‘Grand Tour’ watch collection, its own branded cycling kit, and now comes the Team Heritage watch collection. Will Strickson The three Team Heritage watches each represent an iconic pro cycling team of yesteryear: Mercier, Renault and Peugeot. While the Mercier and Renault designs are very obvious in their colour schemes, this Peugeot watch is a lot more subtle because of the monochrome design but still represents the checkerboard pattern nicely for those in the know. The watch is hand-built in Båstad, Sweden, and has either a stainless steel or Black PVD casing and a choice of five straps. You can find all the technical details that go straight over my head at bravurwatches.com Buy now from Bravur (£912.50) Quoc Gran Tourer XC Lace Will Strickson If you’re a regular here, you may know that I’m a huge fan of Quoc shoes, the first time I wore the Grand Tourer II gravel shoes my world was changed and I’ve since upgraded to the very trendy pink Gran Tourer XC. Now, the brand has released a lace version of the Gran Tourer XCs called Gran Tourer XC Lace. Crazy I know. They come in this very nice ‘Chalk’ colour and carry over all the best bit from the original Gran Tourer XCs, except for the lace, which is not only a lovely aesthetic but also probably more aerodynamic (probably because it’s not been tested but Alex Dowsett said laces are better so I’m running with it). Will Strickson For the uninitiated, the Gran Tourer XC shoes are made with a carbon composite outsole and a TPU tread to balance stiffness, durability and walkin grip – which is also helped by the studded underside. The shoes have padded heel cushioning, come with foot-moulding insoles and have a rubber top cap and an abrasion-resistant microfibre upper. Buy now from Quoc (£220) Ad feature The Road Awaits. Souplesse Cycling Arrives – Effortless Cycling, Curated for You. Souplesse Cycling cuts through the noise & endless cycling performance choices like gear, training plans & route exploration. We’re a curated subscription box designed for discerning cyclists who value simplicity & performance. We built this box on 4 pillars: Convenience – first & foremost making sure you have everything you need to elevate your cycling delivered to your door with minimal fuss. Quality – we have been around the cycling game long enough to know “buy cheap, buy twice” is absolutely true. Personalisation – each box has a series of options to help you make your box, your way. Value – cycling can quickly become an expensive sport, but we work hard to offer reductions on RRP in parallel with our quality items.  SHOP NOW Ad feature ends What we’re into this week: hobbies and playlist #19 Now for a lot of people reading this cycling is probably your hobby, so well done you win. For those of us who’ve made a hobby a career, it helps to have hobbies other than cycling. Outrageous right? As previous readers of my In the Drops will know I’ve been making playlists of new music for each edition – I’ve done the same this time and it’s a banger including excellent new albums from Vampire Weekend, English Teacher, Maggie Rogers, Yard Act and Beyoncé as well as the best Kings of Leon song in a long time – but beyond my enjoyment of listening to music I’ve also made my own for a number of years. I recently released a little EP with songs I made a while ago and I think it’s alright. I’ve put a couple of songs in the In the Drops playlist but I’ll link directly to my work because I can. Hope you like it. Listen to my EP ‘Renaissance Man’ Listen to In the Drops #19 on Spotify Check out all my In the Drops playlists Excited for the Ardennes? Check out our guide to the Amstel Gold Race. The post In the Drops: Rapha’s wearable aero jersey, fancy Bravur watch, Quoc lace-ups and hobbies appeared first on Cyclist.

Mathieu van der Poel has already impressed in 2024 with victories at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Now, with the Amstel Gold Race on the horizon, he faces the possibility of matching a prestigious record that only a few have achieved before him.The Amstel Gold Race, the first great Ardenne...

Between April 23rd and 28th, the World Tour peloton returns to Switzerland for the 2024 Tour de Romandie. As always at this prestigious stage race, there will be plenty of star names on the startlist.The preliminary startlist for the race includes: Bruno Armirail, Sergio Higuita, Max Schachmann, Ale...