Some thoughts on recent issues - July 2020

This is the first blog for my new website, there’s plenty to look at on the rest of the site, so I’m just going to comment briefly here on a few current issues of interest. 

Looking forward to getting back to the Manchester Velodrome.

Firstly, it is good to see cycle racing start to emerge from the various lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have all missed racing, either as competitors or as fans, or in the many other roles that any sport needs to survive, but the health issues of our nations must come first. Let’s take things cautiously as we ease back into competition and let’s not expect too much too soon. It will be some time before normality is fully restored. 

Personally, I’ve been lucky enough to be able to ride outside most days, weather permitting, even if only for an hour or two. But my weekly sessions on the velodrome at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester have been cancelled, and I’ve missed the social interactions with my friends amongst the regular clientele. I’m hoping we’ll all be back there soon. 

I enjoy riding on Zwift with my Wahoo indoor trainer too, and have even done some races. It’s an enjoyable way to stay fit, even to improve your level through structured training sessions too. It always brings me in mind of the evenings spent riding the evil rollers in the back room of Harold “H” Nelson’s house in Manchester, a long time ago now. Harold was one of the first proponents of modern scientific training methods, and forged links with the Human Performance Department at Salford University. That was my first experience of watts, ergopower machines, thresholds and so on. Amazing to think that that was some fifty years ago!

Talking of machines, it was interesting to see that the French investigation into technological fraud in cycling (also known as motorised doping by some, not an expression I like) has been abandoned. Here’s a link to the report on the Cycling Weekly website. I was also very surprised to read that the man hired by the UCI, after I left the organisation, to lead this important work, former French pro Jean-Christophe Peraud, who was 2nd in the 2014 Tour de France, has been fired.

As I said on Twitter, you’ll have to allow me a wry smile about all this. Have a look at my Twitter timeline to see the comments that followed. Feel free to draw your own conclusions.

For the record, I have never said that no-one has ever cheated in this way. It seemed to me to be a very real danger that they had. Clearly the technology existed and continues to exist in ever more refined forms. So I made sure we did something about it. 

During my time at the UCI, we introduced regulations and penalties for this form of cheating, when previously there were none. We introduced regular testing for this when previously there were only the most occasional and haphazard attempts, and we introduced a system capable of checking quickly and efficiently for any concealed devices. Despite the criticisms from various quarters (some of whom had their own agendas), this system worked and continues to work. Indeed it is the only system that has ever caught anyone using any sort of concealed motor on a bike in a major UCI race. As we say in Lancashire, the proof of the pudding is in the eating…..

My favourite track bike is a classic aluminium Pinarello Pista.

Moving on, Cycling Weekly also asked me recently about my dream bike. Here’s what I wrote for them;

I'm lucky enough to have several nice bikes - three good road bikes (Pinarello Dogma F10, Scott Addict, and a Beacon BF80, all with Di2 systems), and an aged winter bike (Trek Madone 5.5). I also have two track bikes (an absolutely lovely aluminium Pinarello Pista and a carbon Look 875 Madison), plus I also have an old Cadex MTB that is probably closer in spec to a current gravel bike.

The bike I am riding most at the moment is my most recent acquisition – the Dogma F10, which has full Dura-Ace Di2 with finishing kit of Most and Pro components, with a Selle Italia saddle. It really is the best bike I've ever ridden, pretty much a dream come true! It's also got Stages power meters fitted to the cranks - I've just started using the readouts for training, so I'm hoping to see improved results when Masters’ racing resumes!

I've put some nice Mavic SSC deep section carbon wheels in, ready for racing, and I have a couple of other sets of Mavic wheels including a pair of the mega-light R-SYS SLR for hilly races, sportives, gran fondos, and so on - they are unbelievably light. 

If I was to dream about anything else, I'd have a serious look at the wonderful Passoni range. I'd love to do some proper long distance touring when circumstances allow, so I’d choose the Cicloprato frame option, and set it up with a nice groupset, probably Ultegra Di2, with disc brakes, and fit panniers, mudguards, the full serious trans-continental stuff. Then I'd just set off and go, maybe all the way down to the Mediterranean and beyond! The quality of workmanship on these Passoni artisan-crafted titanium frames, coupled with the legendary comfort and resilience of the material, would make that a rewarding experience, I'm sure. 

Here's a link to the full article on the Cycling Weekly website

And finally, I’ve just read that the medical tribunal into former British Cycling and Team Sky doctor Richard Freeman has been rescheduled for 6 October to 26 November. Whilst I am not going to comment on this or any other ongoing case, I will say that I would hope the matter can then finally be resolved, in everyone’s interests.