Feature Articles
The sad death of José María Jiménez
Today marks the eleventh anniversary of the death of Spanish climber, José María Jiménez. Chava as he was known, turned professional with the Banesto team in 1993, and spent all of his career with the Spanish team. Jiménez became the first man to win on the fearsome Angliru in the 1999 Vuelta, and it was one of nine stage wins...
“The day I can no longer ride a bike better be the day I’m f*****g dead.” – Brooklyn pizza delivery on a fixie
Have a look at this short documentary about a pizza delivery man - Delivery. Bill's fifty-two years old, has a mountain man beard, and delivers pizza on a fixie in Brooklyn. Over the course of several shifts, DELIVERY unveils an intriguing man rushing food to your door while it's still hot and fresh. In the 10-minute documentary, Meier recounts some harrowing...
Archive footage of Shay Elliott winning in Algeria
Prior to gaining independence from France in 1962, a number of early season races used to take place in Algeria in the cities of Algiers and Oran. Pioneering Irish professional cyclist took his first pro victory in one of these, the Grand Prix de l'Echo d'Alger in 1956. The races used to attract many of the big names of the...
Alan McCormack and the Coors Classic – Part I
Dubliner Alan McCormack took an unconventional route in his professional cycling career, whereby he made it big in the US, rather than the normal route of racing in continental Europe. Although he had spent some time racing on the continent, including finishing the Vuelta, it was his move to the US which kick started his career in the eighties. The biggest...
Prix Citron – The Tour de France award that wasn’t stripped from Lance Armstrong
Despite having been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, to the best of our knowledge, Lance Armstrong still retains some of his wins from those Tours, namely the Prix Citron. The Prix Citron is a brilliant award given by journalists to the least likable cyclist of that year's race. Amongst the winners in the past have been Laurent...
Ernest Hemingway and the Tour of the Basque Country
One of the literary giants of the 20th century, Ernest Hemingway, first moved to Europe during World War One and during his stay on the continent, he came to really came to appreciate bicycle racing, in particular, six-day races in Paris. He even makes a reference to the Tour of the Basque Country in his 1926 novel The Sun...
Kelly and Roche triumphant in the 1985 Nissan Classic
On the 25th of September 1985, the first stage of the inaugural Nissan Classic started outside Trinity College Dublin. The race would be a success from the off and would run for eight editions, giving the Irish public the opportunity to see many of the biggest names in the sport compete on their home roads. The men behind the race...
The man who thinks he’s Eddy Merckx
Anybody who has spectated at a Belgian classic might recognise this man, but might not have known that his name is Frans Geldof. Geldof can often be seen riding on the course of Belgian races long before the pros come through. He dresses as Eddy Merckx, wearing replica Molteni or Faema gear, riding a retro bike. Spectators can get a...
“Paris-Roubaix is bulls**t” – Bernard Hinault after winning the 1981 race
By Graham Healy In the week that he celebrated his 60th birthday, we look back at a race where Bernard Hinault took one of his biggest one-day wins - the 1981 Paris-Roubaix. In his first attempt at the Hell of the North the previous year, Hinault had finished in fourth place, over six minutes behind the winner Francesco Moser, who won his third Paris-Roubaix....
“The only reason to follow Nencini downhill would be if you had a death wish”
By Graham Healy There have been numerous riders down through the years noted for their descending skills and one such man was Gastone Nencini. The French cyclist, Raphael Geminiani would say of Nencini, "the only reason to follow Nencini downhill would be if you had a death wish." The Italian won the 1960 Tour de France, and his win was in...
As Hinault turns 60, we look back at one memorable incident
By Graham Healy Tomorrow, Bernard Hinault will celebrate his 60th birthday, and to mark the occasion, we’re looking back at one of the many colourful incidents in his career which resulted in the iconic photo above. It was on the 174-kilometre fifth stage of the 1984 Paris-Nice from Miramas to La Seyne-sur-Mer when the incident took place. Robert Millar had...
Race around Ireland – New Film
Check out this video of German cyclist Michi Hange as he took on the Race around Ireland earlier this year. It is one of Europe's toughest challenges as the cyclists have to cover 2,157 kilometres around the circumference of the island. The film shows the effort that each cyclist has to put in and the pain that they suffer.
Land of Second Chances – The Impossible Rise of Rwanda’s Cycling Team
This weekend will see the start of the Tour of Rwanda. It's 25 years since the first running of the event which grows from strength to strength. Despite the atrocities the country suffered in the Civil War in 1994, the race re-emerged afterwards as a uniting force for the divided country. International teams started travelling to take part in the hilly...
The Tour de France at the Berlin Wall
By Graham Healy 25 years ago today, on the 9th of November 1989, the Berlin Wall was opened to East Germans as a border crossing allowing them access to the West. It was an incredible time as it meant the end for the hated wall which had been erected in 1961, dividing the city. Just two years previously, the Tour de...
French cycling club take up Gaelic football
The off-season is a time when many cyclists take up cross-training. The sports of choice are usually running, swimming or for some cross-country skiing. However, a cycling club in France have decided to try something different this season as they have started playing Gaelic football. Thomas Lejeune of Union Cycliste Montmeyran Valence has started "le foot gaélique" matches with his...
Freddy Maertens’ Near Miss
By Graham Healy In 1979, the former World Champion, Freddy Maertens was going through a massive slump in form. Since winning the world title in 1976, his form had been very erratic. He had won races such as Paris-Nice, Vuelta a España and Het Volk. However, he had also had numerous problems which were being attributed to various reasons. It was...