With pretty much every world cycling event cancelled and most of the world shut down, USA Cycling would like to remind everyone that they are still doing their job to make sure that the best American athletes make it to Tokyo if, indeed the 2020 Summer Olympic Games are held.
Here’s what they’re saying:
The current plan is to select and announce the USA Cycling Olympic Team(s) from May 1 through June 3 and make all selections public no later than June 10.
The USOPC selection deadlines are as follows:
Track Cycling – May 1, 2020
BMX Freestyle – May 15, 2020
Mountain Bike – June 1, 2020
Road – June 1, 2020
BMX Racing – June 3, 2020
Should the IOC determine it necessary to change the dates of the Games, USA Cycling will adjust accordingly and provide new information through direct communication to our athletes and coaches, on our website, and through social media channels.
For the rest fo the story, please follow the jump.
Organizers of the World Famous Canyon Belgian Waffle Ride remained hopefully optimistic right down to the end, but on March 18, 2020 they pulled the plug on their May San Diego County event and moved it to November 8, 2020. But not to worry, people who registered have options. Here’s how they tell it:
It’s only been a handful of days since we last emailed regarding the Coronavirus, but so much has transpired since then. So much, in fact, we feel compelled to circle back on the subject, NOW.
Yes, the situation has escalated so rapidly that we’ve had to sadly override our optimism for the May 3rd event happening as scheduled. With the Coronavirus pandemic, events like ours are being forced to postpone (or cancel). As a result, we will be moving the Canyon Belgian Waffle Ride to its new fall date of November 8, 2020… with the same (or larger) Pure Cycling Expo and VIP/Media events running from November 6 – 8, 2020.
Registered riders for the Canyon BWR and related events will be automatically transferred to the November 8 event. For those that cannot make the new date, we are offering deferrals into one of the other Tripel Crown of Gravel events: Asheville, NC BWR on August 30, 2020 and Cedar City, UT on October 17, 2020. We will also provide deferrals into the 2021 Canyon BWR, which will be held May 2 in San Diego. The Tripel Crown now will run entirely in 2020 with the Grand Finale being the November 8 event in San Diego.
In short, riders can:
Stay Registered for the Nov 8th San Diego BWR
Transfer to the Asheville BWR Aug 30th
Transfer to the Cedar City BWR Oct 17th
Transfer to the San Diego BWR May 2nd (2021)
You have until July 1, 2020 to designate which option you prefer or you will automatically remain registered for the Nov. 8 event! All of this can be easily managed on the Events.com page.
We hope and pray we will all be on the other side of this pandemic by August 30, 2020. For the rest of the instructions, please follow the jump.
On July 9, 2019 two former snowboard industry workers, Cooper and Pius, departed Seattle on a bike packing trip. Their destination? The southern tip of Baja. On their way they planned to surf, clean-up some beaches and document it all along the way. So far, they’ve made it to Newport Beach, California and things appear to be going well. So well, that it would appear their surge in popularity has brought their website coastalsifters.com to its knees. But that’s okay, you can follow their latest adventures on instagram in the meantime right here @coastalsifters.
This fall, November 8-10, 2019, Southern California cyclists will get the chance to ride with old three titles, himself, Peter Sagan as he brings his Sagan Fondo Gran Roadie-Oh to San Diego County.
The ride will feature a Friday Gala for Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and Outride Foundation, a Saturday Sagan Fondo Expo and VIP event and the Gran Roadie-Oh on Sunday with three different distances for riders to choose from (50 km, 100 km and 150 km), beginning at 7:00am. The unique routes take riders through the hills and valleys of beautiful North County San Diego. Sagan is opting for the longest 150-km/93-mile route. Both Saturday and Sunday’s festivities will take place at North City in San Marcos and benefit CAF.
For those who don’t know, this event is being produced by the same crew that created the world famously brutal Belgian Waffle Ride so you know it will be good, plus, Peto Sagan. Right? When was the last time you got to ride with a 3X World Champion? We’re guessing it’s been a while. So, click the link for all the details and get registered. It’s going to a be a great weekend in San Diego where you know the weather will be better than pretty much anywhere else in the world. Plus, there’s also this:
Brendan Quirk, the former President of Rapha North America, and co-founder of Competitive Cyclist (sold to Backcountry.com in 2011), has stepped in as the interim CEO of Allied Cycle Works, in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“Being a start-up is an uphill battle,” Quirk said. “But in the last few months, Allied has really broken through.”. . . He called out the recent launch of the Able gravel frameset – the bike ridden to victory in both the Men’s and Women’s races at the world’s most prestigious gravel event, the Dirty Kanza 200. . . “The success of the Able proves that our foundation is in place,” Quirk said, in reference to Allied’s U.S.-based frame production. “The market is responding, the momentum is tangible, and I’m excited to be part of the future here.”
As he should be. The bikes look right nice, indeed. Check them out here. For the official word from Allied, follow the jump.
Volvo and POC have teamed up for a series of crash tests between cars and cycling helmets for research on how to make cycling safer.
The Volvo-POC research project consists of a number of specially designed crash tests at the famous Volvo Cars safety research facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden and is part of a wider research project to understand the types of long-term injuries sustained by cyclists. . . During these tests, POC bike helmets are worn by crash dummy heads mounted on a testing rig, from where they are launched towards different areas of the hood of a static Volvo car, at different speeds and angles for various measurements.
Obviously, the easiest way to protect cyclists from cars is to remove cars from the road, but apparently, that’s not worth testing. For the official word from Volvo and POC, please follow the jump.
Peto Sagan began the 2019 Tour of California with a win in Sacramento and he finished with a second place in Pasadena. In between, he had a few close ones, wore a green jersey, lost the jersey, and nearly landed on the hood of our car on his way down Mt. Baldy following stage six. Here’s what Peto said at the end of stage seven and the end of the race:
“It was quite a chaotic stage, with so many attacks, counter attacks and moves in the peloton and the breakaways. All that action made it a tough one but in the end, the bunch entered the final lap of the circuit in Pasadena together for a fast sprint finish,” Sagan said. “I was well positioned in the finale but probably I reacted a bit late to Bol’s sprint. I think I can be satisfied with the performance we had here, both mine and of the team. We had a victory, two podium places and put in a great effort throughout the week.”
There’s much more to the 2019 Tour of California story than this, but you’ve likely gotten that info elsewhere. One thing to add: a cycling sage friend of our mentioned the one thing that could have gone differently for the Education First team (pictured above). “One of my favorite teams, but their first blunder was giving GC to Van Garderen instead of Uran, he said. “All downhill from there.” Indeed. Congrats to 20-year-old Tadej Pogačar. Nice work all week. . . especially on Baldy.
You’d think with all the GU we’ve sucked down over the years we’d have some sort of insight into what to buy when it’s time to load up on energy gels. Nope. When faced with buying a new box we’re totally confused by GUs 29 flavor mix. What was that one we liked? Can’t remember? Now, with the flavor wheel it almost makes sense. Want fruit, chocolate, sour fruit, salty, bitter? It’s all there on the chart and easy to read.
What are we ordering this time? If you must know, it’s Salted Watermelon, Strawberry Banana, and some Campfire S’mores. The only way GU could make this better would be to have a caffeine circle so we could remember which ones have it and how much. . . maybe next time. To order your next supply of GU, please click the link.
The 2019 Amgen Tour of California kicked off on Mother’s Day in downtown SacTown with an 88 mile spin up and down the Sacramento River and back to three laps around the Capital. It was a calm day, no valley crosswinds to mess with the peloton and when it was all over Peter Sagan threw his bike to edge Travis McCabe and nab his 17th TOC win. Mark Cavendish finished 109th.
“There is no doubt this is a very nice win, not just for me but for the entire team,” Sagan said. “Earlier today, Pascal Ackermann dominated the sprint at the Giro and now we doubled up with another strong effort here in California. . . I was focused, stayed in the front in the final stretch and timed my attack well. It’s a nice feeling to start with a win in one of my favourite races.”
For the official word from Bora hansgrohe please follow the jump.
Nick Cohenmeyer had his drones (and dogs @stevetheredpoodle) out all day capturing the madness that is The Belgian Waffle Ride — the most [insert a word] bicycle race in American. Held May 5, 2019 in beautiful North County San Diego, the race had riding on every type of surface, terrain, and temperature. And yes, this is what it looks like. For more info and how to sign up for next year, click the link.
With pretty much every world cycling event cancelled and most of the world shut down, USA Cycling would like to remind everyone that they are still doing their job to make sure that the best American athletes make it to Tokyo if, indeed the 2020 Summer Olympic Games are held.
Brendan Quirk, the former President of Rapha North America, and co-founder of Competitive Cyclist (sold to Backcountry.com in 2011), has stepped in as the interim CEO of 
