Sportive
Preview of the 2017 L’Étape du Tour from Mavic (VIDEO)
The 24th edition of L'Étape du Tour will take place on July 16 and will follow the route of the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France which takes place four days later. The stage will take the riders from Briançon to the Col d'Izoard and the entrants will also have to tackle the Col de Vars on the 178-kilometre...
Preview of the 2017 L’Étape du Tour from Mavic (VIDEO)
The 24th edition of L'Étape du Tour will take place on July 16 and will follow the route of the eighteenth stage of the Tour de France which takes place four days later. The stage will take the riders from Briançon to the Col d'Izoard and the entrants will also have to tackle the Col de Vars on the 178-kilometre...
Entries open for Paris-Roubaix Challenge
Entries have now opened for the Paris-Roubaix Challenge which takes place on the 8th of April 2017. Like the Paris-Nice Challenge and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge, the Paris-Roubaix Challenge offers amateur cyclists the possibility of getting as close as possible to a legendary professional race: Paris-Roubaix. 24 hours before the professionals, amateurs will have the opportunity to test themselves on the...
Meet Ventouman – The cyclist who has climbed the Giant of Provence 379 times
Last week, a French cyclist ascended the legendary climb of Mont Ventoux for the 379th time from the Bédoin side and his 62nd ascent this year. Lionel Tartelin, who has been nicknamed Ventouman, hopes to make it to the top 400 times by the end of the year, but this will be dependent on the weather. Tertelin says that you don't...
Registration opens for the Tour of Flanders cyclosportive.
Registration is now open for the 26th edition of the Tour of Flanders cyclosportive which takes place on the 1st of April 2017, one day before the professionals race on the same roads. Once again, entries are limited to 16,000 so the organisers are requesting that participants enter early to guarantee themselves a place. In addition, early registration is cheaper...
Official Giro d’Italia Big Start legacy event returns to Northern Ireland next June
Registration for the 3rd edition of the Gran Fondo Giro d’Italia NI is now open to the public. The success and growth the event has seen in the last two years is a testament to the strong appetite in Northern Ireland for high profile cycling events. Darach McQuaid, Event Director said: “We are very pleased to launch registration...
The Col Collective – Monte Grappa – More Than a Mountain (VIDEO)
Monte Grappa is the latest climb to be filmed by The Col Collective. Mike Cotty describes the climb below and also provides some background information on the mountain which was a battleground in both world wars. Here is Mike's take on the climb: Few mountains carry as many accolades as Monte Grappa. No matter which of its ten ascents you...
Bespoke hand-painted bike created for Lap the Lough sportive
The 11th edition of Lap the Lough takes place this Sunday, the 28th of August and to mark the occasion, Donard Bikes have created a special edition, bespoke, handmade, hand-painted carbon bike for the sportive. What started off as a casual conversation on twitter between @donardcc @getupbeat @victorychimp and @lovelybicycle quickly spawned the #Lap11bike - a bespoke bicycle project. The...
OldVelos Announces Vintage Cycle and Expo for Killarney
There are modern bikes…and then there are vintage steel racers. Cycling has probably never been as popular as it is now in Ireland and many cyclists are discovering or rediscovering the romance of yesteryear through an appreciation of the craftsmanship and beauty of vintage racing bikes. Nominated for Cycling Ireland's Best Leisure Ride in 2015, the OldVelos Vintage Classic...
Hundreds take part in Inishowen 100 – one of Ireland’s toughest sportives
Foyle Cycling Club's annual Inishowen 100 sportive took place on Sunday 21 August with over 350 riders from all over Ireland participating. Riders from Antrim, Armagh, Ballina, Ballyclare, Belfast, Bray, Dublin, Fermanagh, Lisburn, Naas, Omagh, Swords and Westport were part of an early start from Derry's Sports Complex, before completing the circuit around Inishowen. With the rain holding off until...
The Col Collective take on the mighty 14,130ft / 4,307m high Mount Evans!
The latest film from The Col Collective sees Mike Cotty take on the mighty Mount Evans in Colorado. Here is Mike's description of the climb. If there’s one climb that stands above all in Colorado it’s Mount Evans. Not only is it the highest summit of the Chicago Peaks, in the Front Range of the Rockies, but to top it...
Damiano Cunego previews the Granfondo Campagnolo Roma routes
From the Colosseum to the Roman Castles, Damiano Cunego recently discovered the roads of Granfondo Campagnolo Roma, which will take place this October 7-8-9, with the expert guidance of event organiser Gianluca Santilli, who is also responsible for amateur cycling in the Italian Federation and promoter of the Bike Economy. The 2004 Giro champion and leader of Team NIPPO Vini...
The Col Collective on the Col de Joux Plane (VIDEO)
The last climb of the 2016 Tour de France is the Col de Joux Plane and this video from The Col Collective team shows why it's such a difficult climb and could offer riders an opportunity to move up on GC. Taking its name from the mediaeval term meaning “the seven mountains”, referencing the Cuidex, Vigny, Folly, Oddaz, Bostan, Chardonnière,...
Councillor looking for restrictions on large groups of cyclists on Galway roads
A councillor in Galway is looking for a curtailment or ban on large groups of cyclists on the roads of Connemara. “I have nothing against those who go out individually – or three or four cyclists together," Councillor Joe Folan told the Connacht Tribune, "but the large groups and throngs that are regularly swamping the narrow roads of Connemara in...
Stated elevation of Mont Ventoux climb set to be reduced following survey
The epic climb of Mont Ventoux will feature on Stage 12 of the Tour de France this year, but the climb may not be as big as previously claimed. Luke Reynard, the Mayor of Bedoin, one of the towns at the foot of the climb recently commissioned a survey of the highest point of the access road on the mountain...
Team Near Naked – Cycling to raise awareness of male cancers
Team Near Naked are a charity dedicated to fighting male cancers who have produced quite an eye-catching kit. If you want to get your hands on the kit, you have to sign up for one of their challenges. Amongst their challenges which help raise funds for male cancer are the Isle of Real Men, a 300-mile 3-day cycle on the...