Feature Articles
“My whole body ached” – Sean Kelly’s first victory in Paris-Roubaix (VIDEO)
In the opening months of the 1984 season, Sean Kelly had an incredible run of results which would prompt him to later describe the first half of the season as the best period of his career. Amongst the wins he took that spring were a third consecutive Paris-Nice, the Tour of the Basque Country, Criterium International and the first of...
This is what it’s like to see your son win Paris-Roubaix (VIDEO)
In 2014, Dutch rider Niki Terpstra won Paris-Roubaix after breaking clear alone from a small group of riders with about 6 kilometres remaining The Omega Pharma - Quick Step rider finished 20 seconds clear of the chasing group with John Degenkolb taking second ahead of Fabian Cancellara. Amongst those in the crowd in the velodrome to witness Terpstra take the...
The Great Escape – When 112 cyclists fled occupied Belgium by way of a fake bike race
By Graham Healy Whilst war raged throughout much of Europe from 1914 to 1918, the Netherlands managed to stay neutral during World War One and it would become a destination for many refugees from elsewhere on the continent. An estimated one million people would flee from Belgium to France, Britain and the Netherlands and refugee camps were set up across the...
Eddy Merckx and his experiences of The Tour of Flanders (VIDEO)
By 1969, Eddy Merckx had taken victories in the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Milan-San Remo, Fleche Wallonne, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix amongst other races. However, one race which had eluded him was the Tour of Flanders. That was to change in 1969 though. He had gone into the race as the clear favourite having won both the Vuelta a Levante...
Did a farmer really build the Paterberg to get the Tour of Flanders to pass by his house?
By Graham Healy It's only a relatively recent addition to the Tour of Flanders, but the Paterberg has already achieved legendary status. With a maximum gradient of 20.33% and an average gradient of over 12%, it's the steepest climb of the race, eclipsing the Koppenberg whose steepest gradient is 19.42%. In addition, along with the Oude Kwaremont, the climbs are the...
Success via Survival: 2013 Milan – San Remo (VIDEO)
The 2013 edition of Milan - San Remo will be remembered for its freezing conditions, unplanned interruption, and heroic riders. Heavy snowfall that day resulted in the organisers reducing the race distance from 298 kilometres to 246 kilometres and removing two key climbs – the Passo del Turchino and Le Manie. They arranged a bus transfer for the race to...
Moreno Argentin’s reasons for being beaten in the 1992 Milan-San Remo
By Graham Healy Prior to Milan-San Remo in 1992, the clear favourite for the win was the Italian Moreno Argentin who earlier that week had won three consecutive stages of Tirreno-Adriatico. It was one of the few big one-day races missing from his palmares as he had already taken victory in the World Road Race Championships, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Giro di Lombardia, Tour...
Israeli pro team to honour Gino Bartali’s efforts to save Jews during World War II
Israel's first professional cycling team are set to remember Italian cycling legend Gino Bartali by embarking on a special ride in his honour. On March 20th, the Cycling Academy Team will set off from Bartali's home city of Florence and finish 100 kilometres later in Assisi. The team will cycle along the route that Bartali used during the Second World War...
When the riders had to battle through snow at the 1956 Paris-Nice (VIDEO)
Paris-Nice can often be affected by inclement weather but the nature of the race means that it's usually the early Northern stages that are colder. In 1956 however, the riders faced bad weather throughout the race. That winter had been exceptionally bad in France with record temperatures being set. In Corrèze it dropped down to an incredible -35° C. Even Antibes...
Rodania – the sound of the Tour of Flanders
By Graham Healy If you’ve ever spectated at a race in Belgium, the chances are that you’ve heard the Rodania tune. The Swiss watch company are one of the race sponsors and a car precedes various races including the Tour of Flanders blasting out their jingle. Rodania was founded by the Baumgartner family in 1930, and soon began to grow and...
When the British Army allowed the first Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to take place
In 2009, the opening race of the Belgian cycling season, Omloop Het Volk, changed its name to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad following the merger of the newspapers Het Volk and Het Nieuwsblad, but the race wasn’t originally called Het Volk. It was first organised in 1945, when it was named Omloop van Vlaanderen (Circuit of Flanders) by journalist Jerome Stevens of...
When David Duffield got taken out by a donkey at the 1953 Tour of Ireland
By Graham Healy The news was announced yesterday of the sad passing of David Duffield, the legendary commentator with Eurosport, who became known for his unique commentary style. The 84 year-old died as a result of injuries sustained in a fall. In addition to his commentary, Duffield was also an accomplished cyclist, having set the record in 1956 for riding from...
The ‘Bicycle Phone’ – The telephone of the future from 1985 (VIDEO)
Back in 1985, the Dutch TV programme Wondere Wereld featured what they called the 'phone of the future.' The show's presenter Chriet Titulaer showed the prototype of the mobile phone which was small enough to be transported by bicycle. Titulaer predicted that users of the "PTT bicycle phone" which would be charged using an alternator, would even be making calls...
The bike with the hidden motor from 1979 (VIDEO)
In 1979, a French engineer named Monsieur "Gouzy" showcased an electric racing bike which he had developed. The bike which had been produced by Bari Cycles utilised a battery-powered motor concealed in the frame. Monsieur "Gouzy" was a former regional champion cyclist himself and in the video, he describes the bike's operation in detail. The weight of the motor and batteries...
Stephen Roche’s win at the controversy-ridden ’87 Tour of Valencia
By Graham Healy Stephen Roche is best remembered for the incredible Giro-Tour-Worlds treble he achieved in 1987, but it can be overlooked sometimes that he also notched up some other good wins that year including the Tour of Romandie and the Tour of Valencia. By winning the Tour of Valencia that year, he joined such names as Rik van Looy, Eddy...
Remembering Sukhoruchenkov’s dominance of the 1980 Olympic Road Race (VIDEO)
By Graham Healy The road race at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow would see one of the most dominant displays ever in a bike race at the games when the Soviet rider Sergei Sukhoruchenkov crushed the opposition. It was one of many highlights of one of the best amateur careers in the sport. The 1980 Olympics were the subject of a...