Team Sky Pro Cycling announced today that 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins will not be able to defend his title in the 2013 running of the historic race through Europe due to a nagging knee injury.
Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford confirmed on Friday: “With illness, injury and treatment Brad has gone past the point where he can be ready for the Tour de France. It’s a big loss but, given these circumstances, we won’t consider him for selection. . . “He hasn’t been able to train hard since the Giro and now he needs further rest. Whilst we all know these things happen in sport, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a huge disappointment for everyone in the team – and above all for Brad.
Does this mean that professional level bicycle racing is actually detrimental to overall health and fitness? Shock and horror. Guess it’s all up to Chris Froome, now.
The New York Daily News has the story behind the motorcycle vs. cyclist video everyone was talking about yesterday. It happened on April 27, 2013 on Mulholland Drive’s “Dead Man’s Curve.”
Cameraman Ken Snyder has been shooting video of wipeouts on the hazardous turn for four years but Saturday’s collision was the only time he ever saw a motorcycle take out two bikes. . . “There are many more just like it,” Snyder said. “It is a very common type of crash on this turn. Just usually no one is there and the rider falls alone.”
If Snyder is always there shooting video of crashes (and the CHP is always parked there), it might be a good place to avoid for all kinds of reasons. Oh, and if you’re wondering who the girl is, apparently, she’s in all Snyder’s videos.
Sometimes cycling (like love) can be is a battlefield, but People For Bikes is hoping to remind both sides of the battle that things are better if we all just try to get along and Roll Together.
Need something to fiddle with on your iPad? And really, who doesn’t? Michael Embacher’sCyclopedia (which came out in 2011) has been updated to include much, much more cycle porn and may be exactly what you’re looking for, according to a post on Core77.
This new CYCLEPEDIA offers an expanded tour round many more of Michael Embacher’s unique personal collection of two-wheeled rarities. As before every bicycle is beautifully displayed via the app’s 360º spins, but now the zoom magnifications are in even higher resolution allowing you to compare and appreciate each machine’s fine detail, innovation and design more closely than ever. The new CYCLEPEDIA also brings you Sir Paul Smith’s personal collection of rare cycling Jerseys, plus unique movie clips in which Sir Paul entertainingly explains his lifelong passion for bicycles.
According to legal documents filed late last night (Tuesday, April 23, 2013) the United States Government has officially jumped on against the Biggest Liar Of All Time with a false claims suit, according to a story on CNN.com.
“The USPS paid approximately $40 million to sponsor the USPS cycling team from 1998 to 2004,” the court document says. . . The government said it was intervening to recover triple the amount of the sponsorship funds under the False Claims Act, which could bring a total of more than $100 million in damages.
Well, if the BLOAT was worried that he didn’t have anything left to fight for, this should keep him on point for a while. To read the entire US Gov’s complaint click here.
Fenway Partners, the New York-based private equity fund that owns Giro Helmetparent company Easton-Bell is reportedly putting the company up for sale, according to a story on Reuters.
Based in Van Nuys, California, the company sells its products under several brands, including Easton, Bell, Riddell, Giro, Blackburn and Easton Cycling. It generated net sales of $827.2 million in fiscal year 2012.
According to the story, “people familiar with the matter” say the sale could bring as much as $900 million. Others, say it maybe difficult after a judge ruled that their football helmet arm, Riddell, may not have sufficiently warned players about the danger of concussions while wearing the helmets.
For those who watched Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellara win the 2013Tour of Flanders and Paris Roubiax (back to back) and thought maybe they’d like to test themselves against 200 plus kilometers of cycling hell, the Spy Belgian Waffle Ride held in Carlsbad, California, is the perfect race.
The 2013 Spy BWR, held April 7, (the same day as Paris Roubiax), pitted 360 cyclists against some of the steepest, wettest, and rockiest roads and dirt trails in Southern California. And that was after loading everyone up with a huge waffle breakfast.
Modeled after Europe’s gnarly one-day Spring Classic races, the Spy BWR offered those who dared to challenge the course an opportunity to test their strengths in a variety of different terrain, while at the same time raising money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
The 130-mile “hell of the North (County)” course began under overcast skies at Spy Optic’s headquarters in Carlsbad and wound its way through Carlsbad, Oceanside, Bonsall, Valley Center, Escondido, and San Elijo before ending, six-plus hours later, back at company headquarters.
Follow the jump for the rest of the story including complete results. [click to continue…]
SRAM just rolled out their new Force 22 and Red 22 11-speed (including hydraulic and disc brakes) groups to a select group of cycling journalists recently and while we didn’t get an invite, Bike Radar was there to get all the details.
SRAM claim all the new 11-speed groups to be ‘trim-free’, meaning you can use the full width of the cassette on either chain ring without adjusting the front derailleur or getting chain rub on the derailleur cage. In all cassette options from 11-25 to 11-28, what’s new is the 16-tooth cog, which makes for single-tooth differences from the 11 up to the 17. An 11-32 WiFli option will also be available.
The most interesting thing for us is the disc brakes. Having not ridden them on the road yet, all we can say is that we certainly like like the direct braking control we have on our mountain bikes.
Here’s a little reminder of some Campagnolo history from Campy North American General Manager Tom Kattus. The video is three years old, but it’s always nice to hear a good story from a great guy. Oh, and if you’re in Southern California this weekend, check out the Campagnolo San Diego Gran Fondo kicking off in Little Italy. The expo is open Saturday April 13, 2013 and the ride kicks off early on Sunday, April 14, 2013.
After getting hit by a car for the second time (this accident not as bad as the one that caused the above photo) Cyclist David Colon wrote a joyful essay for drivers called, How To Stop Hitting Me With Your Car. The list starts out with the tip: “Pay attention. Just fucking pay attention” and rolls on from there, according to his story on Brokelyn.com.
It must be tough to be a driver in Brooklyn. Because apparently when you get behind the wheel of a car, you turn into a complete sociopath, and a blind one at that. How else to explain the fact that a new study shows 44 percent of pedestrians struck by cars are hit in crosswalks?
We had to laugh in agreement with his final plea: “Stop. Hitting me. With your car. You evil motherfuckers.”
Team Sky Pro Cycling announced today that 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins will not be able to defend his title in the 2013 running of the historic race through Europe due to a nagging knee injury.
