Lack of support forces unique women's cycling magazine to close
Having noticed a lack of cycling magazines aimed at women, track cyclist Dena Eaton took matters into her own hands and launched one. She Pedals seemed destined to become a hit - with more and more women taking up the sport every year, either competitively or as part of a fitness program - anyone would have thought that the title would soon build up a considerable and loyal following around the world. Sadly, it was not to be so; after two years in which the magazine made its way into a handful of Barnes&Noble bookshops and independents, even the subscriptions that made up the vast bulk of readership proved insufficient and the title has closed.
"I've used up most of my savings trying to do this and it’s time to go on to other pursuits," Eaton told the publication's 1500 Facebook fans, citing continued lack of support as the reason.
In the early days, She Pedals was entirely devoted to cycling with a range of articles on bikes, nutrition, fitness, rides and female riders/industry figures. However, that lack of support forced Eaton to rebrand the California-based magazine as Endure and include articles on swimming and running in an attempt to appeal to the triathlete market.
Could She Pedals have been viable? Probably. Even the upper echelons of the professional women's cycling world are virtually ignored by the established cycling press, yet more fans than ever before follow the sport and more women than ever before are riding bikes. It's still at grassroots level, but there's a definite sense of change in the air with new women's teams coming together; a feeling that maybe next year, perhaps the year after that, it's going to explode and finally receive the recognition, sponsorship and respect it's deserved for so long. At present the magazine trade is unaware of how large the market has the potential to become - had it have been otherwise, She Pedals would have been out there in more shops and more copies would have sold.
There'll be plenty of women's cycling magazines on the shelves in two years' time. She Pedals was just too ahead of its time.
Saturday 8 October 2011
Cummings to BMC
Bad news for Sky but a sign of progress for cycling
Sky are assembling a strong team for 2012, but they'll keenly feel the departure of Steve Cummings who ill be leaving to ride alongside Thor Hushovd at BMC for the new season. Wirral-born Cummins, 30, has been with the British-based team since the start of 2010 when he joined following the demise of the British-based, South African-sponsored Barloworld.
Steve, who also rode with Johan Bruyneel's Discovery Channel squad in their last incarnation before the team broke up due to sponsorship difficulties, made his mark on cycling aged 17 when he became the first - and to date, the only - junior to ever win the Eddie Soens Memorial Road Race. Primarily known as a time trial specialist, he has also become a formidable climber - even beating the great Alberto Contador to a mountaintop stage finish in this year's Eddie Soens Memorial Road Race, an achievement that put him in the General Classification lead right up until the final stage when Tony Martin took over and won the event. Later in the year, having won second place in the Tour of Britain, he was part of the Team GB that helped project Mark Cavendish across the line to become the first British World Champion since the legendary Tom Simpson in 1965.
BMC, sponsored by the Swiss frame builder of the same name, were invited to compete in the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France for 2010 and performed well enough to earn themselves a ProTeam licence in 2011 - when team member Cadel Evans dominated Andy Schleck in the final time trial to win the General Classification.
Building on that success, manager Jim Oshowicz has brought in ex-World Champ Hushovd and puncheur Philippe Gilbert (who this year became one of only two riders to have won all three Ardennes Classics in a single year, the other being Davide Rebellin), in doing so taking advantage of the very high level of performance among the current generation of cyclists, flashing an obviously adequate amount of cash around to create a superteam potentially able to compete with the new merger-born Radioshack Nissan Trek Pro Cycling Team and Omega-Pharma-Quick-Step, the rapidly-strengthening GreenEdge and so on. This, it would seem, is good news for the sport; evidence that despite the tragic end of HTC-Highroad, the worldwide effort to end doping - which led to the first clean Tour in living memory this year - is finally having its desired effect: leaving cycling with a new, healthy image and bringing the big money sponsors flocking back.
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Cummings in 2010 (© Michiel Jelijs CC2.0) |
Steve, who also rode with Johan Bruyneel's Discovery Channel squad in their last incarnation before the team broke up due to sponsorship difficulties, made his mark on cycling aged 17 when he became the first - and to date, the only - junior to ever win the Eddie Soens Memorial Road Race. Primarily known as a time trial specialist, he has also become a formidable climber - even beating the great Alberto Contador to a mountaintop stage finish in this year's Eddie Soens Memorial Road Race, an achievement that put him in the General Classification lead right up until the final stage when Tony Martin took over and won the event. Later in the year, having won second place in the Tour of Britain, he was part of the Team GB that helped project Mark Cavendish across the line to become the first British World Champion since the legendary Tom Simpson in 1965.
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9u8Odav30IU/TpAJzBwY0pI/AAAAAAAABAg/Ho3tJk2_4Rw/s1600/BMC2.jpg)
Building on that success, manager Jim Oshowicz has brought in ex-World Champ Hushovd and puncheur Philippe Gilbert (who this year became one of only two riders to have won all three Ardennes Classics in a single year, the other being Davide Rebellin), in doing so taking advantage of the very high level of performance among the current generation of cyclists, flashing an obviously adequate amount of cash around to create a superteam potentially able to compete with the new merger-born Radioshack Nissan Trek Pro Cycling Team and Omega-Pharma-Quick-Step, the rapidly-strengthening GreenEdge and so on. This, it would seem, is good news for the sport; evidence that despite the tragic end of HTC-Highroad, the worldwide effort to end doping - which led to the first clean Tour in living memory this year - is finally having its desired effect: leaving cycling with a new, healthy image and bringing the big money sponsors flocking back.
Thursday 6 October 2011
What's with... Marianne Vos?
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Marianne Vos: what's not to like? Unless you want to beat her in a race, that is. (© Eddy Fever CC2.0) |
"Loes Gunnewijk, Ellen van Dijk and I are world class. But Marianne Vos is still a step above. She is truly the crème de la crème." (Annemiek van Vleuten)
She's affable, intelligent, articulate, attractive, polite and funny - you'd have thought that it would be impossible to not like Marianne Vos, but chances are there are one or two women on the professional cycling circuit who would much rather she wasn't around. That's because she also loves to win bike races and, as one of the most talented riders cycling has ever seen, she often seems unbeatable.
The thing is, she's really far too nice to be disliked: her dismay at taking second place for the fifth time in as many years (itself a record and notable achievement - only four other women have won the Worlds silver more than once: Rosa Sels in 1960/63, Baybe Tsaune in 1968/74, Morena Tartagni in 1970/71 and Jeannie Longo in 1981/93) after winning in 2006 was obvious, but moments later she was gracious in defeat and content to watch rival Giorgia Bronzini take the top step of the podium. That's Marianne: like Jens Voigt, the rider and the person are entirely different characters - on the bike, she's pure aggression, using every available gram of strength to attack, attack some more and then attack again. Off the bike, she's the perfect ambassador for the sport - and it often seems that serving the sport she so obviously adores means a great deal more to her than her personal results.
Early Life and Promising Results
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Marianne's dismay at taking silver for the fifth consecutive year at the 2011 Worlds was obvious (public domain) |
Something Special
Vos' unassuming nature is well-known - noting that she was then still studying for a qualification in bio-medicine, that same Time article goes on to say that she referred to her sporting success as nothing more than "a big hobby." We all know that arrogance is among the ugliest of all human traits, but it can be fatal to downplay one's own achievements and that's a mistake to which someone with as unpretentious and humble a nature as Marianne may well have fallen victim were it not for the fact that she followed up those successes of the first couple of years by becoming nothing less than a phenomenon, winning events in a range of disciplines and rapidly building up the sort of palmares (which you can at the bottom of this page) that entire teams dream about.
Vos had been riding cyclo-cross events since her childhood, but it wasn't until 2004 that she wrote her name in unmissable muddy letters across the scene, winning a major international race at Gieten in which she beat the far more experienced riders Arenda Grimberg and Birgit Hollman; going on in the same year to defeat three-time World Cyclocross Champion Hanka Kupfernagel and nine-time Dutch champ Daphny van den Brand in a sprint finish. Then she won the National Junior MTB title for a third consecutive year, mounting a solo breakaway on a climb with five laps still to go and retaining her advantage all the way to the finish. The next season she made her mark on road racing too, crossing the line in first place in the Dutch Junior Road championshipsand adding a National Individual Time Trial bronze medal to her increasingly weighty trophy cabinet. To make sure the off-road world didn't forget who she was, she won the National Junior MTB title for an amazing fourth time too.
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Vos leading Daphny van den Brand in the 2009/10 Cyclo-cross World Cup (© Rolf van der Zwart/Blackpit Shooting CC2.0) |
Off the bike Marianne is about the most personable, likable and charming individual anyone could ever wish to meet (she's an official ambassador for a charity that provides services to disadvantaged young people in Sri Lanka). In the saddle, she is a warrior - albeit an unusually humble and merciful one, frequently working for her team mates, assisting them to victory and always, always gracious in (rare) defeat. A rider with that attitude and, crucially, Marianne's talent to back it up, is always heading in one direction - towards becoming World Champion. That happened in 2006, the year in which nobody was left in any doubt that here was a rider of the type that comes along only once every other generation, one destined to dominate the sport. Having become Dutch National Road Champion she also won the European Road Championships, the Cyclo-cross World Championships, the Road World Championships and, in case that wasn't enough, a host of stages in various race including the Tour Féminin en Limousin in which she also took overall General Classification victory. From this point onwards, she added triumph after triumph - in 2007, the Women's Road World Cup, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, three stages at the Giro di San Marino, two at the Emakumeen Bira (she would win the event outright the following year) and one at the Giro d'Italia Femminile; in 2008, a gold at both the Track World Championships and the Olympics, first place wins at La Flèche Wallonne Féminine and the Dutch Road Nationals; repeating the last two for 2009 and adding World Cyclo-cross gold for good measure; Dutch National TT and World Cyclo-cross gold medals again in 2010 and overall first place in the Holland Ladies' Tour and then for 2011 she became Dutch and World Cyclo-cross Champion again, in addition to winning the Ronde van Drenthe, La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, Grand Prix Elsy Jacobs, Giro d'Italia Femminile and the Holland Ladies Tour.
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Vos leading Kirsten Wild (© Eddy Fever CC2.0) |
In late September 2011 Rabobank - one of the world's most trusted, successful and ethical banks who have woven professional cycling into their very corporate structure - announced that they would be taking over sponsorship of Vos' team from Nederland Bloeit, providing the financial backing required to build up one of the strongest teams cycling has ever seen around her and propel her onwards towards ever greater success. As a result, it's very, very unlikely that we'll see disappointment either in her expression or anywhere in the Netherlands when she crosses the finish line at the 2012 Worlds in Limburg. At some point during her career, cycling pundits began to compare her to "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known" and asked the question is Marianne Vos the female Eddy Merckx? By this time next year, the question may have changed to was Eddy Merckx the male Marianne Vos?
Between 2009 and 2012, Vos reached the podium in 63% of the races in which she took part; winning 37% of them. In 2011 alone, she stood on the top step 46 times. Merckx managed 56 in 1973 - but Vos is only 25 years old: she has time, and many fans and pundits alike are beginning to suspect that we have not seen a rider quite like her before.
Marianne Vos Palmares (podium finishes only)
2001
1st, Harderwijk, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Erp, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Huijbergen, Cyclo-cross
3rd, Boxtel, Cyclo-cross
3rd, Woerden, Cyclo-cross
2002
1st, National Championship, Road, Novices, The Netherlands
2nd, Surhuisterveen Centrumcross
1st, Bakel, Cyclo-cross
3rd, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Cyclo-cross
1st, Harderwijk, Cyclo-cross
1st, Almelo, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Koppenberg, Cyclo-cross
1st, Hilversum, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Gieten, Cyclo-cross
3rd, Kalmthout, Cyclo-cross
1st, Reusel, Cyclo-cross
1st, Zeddam, Cyclo-cross
2003
2nd, Gieten, Cyclo-cross
1st, Surhuisterveen Centrumcross
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(public domain image) |
1st, National Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross, The Netherlands
1st, Vorden, Cyclo-cross
1st, Heerlen, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Cyclo-cross
1st, Harderwijk, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Woerden, Cyclo-cross
3rd, Torino, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Milano, Cyclo-cross
3rd, Koksijde, Cyclo-cross
2nd, Zeddam, Cyclo-cross
2004
1st Gieten, Cyclo-cross
3rd National Championship, Junior Road
1st Surhuisterveen Centrumcross
2nd Hoogerheide, Cyclo-cross
1st Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Cyclo-cross
2nd Oostmalle, Cyclo-cross
3rd National Championship, Junior ITT, The Netherlands
1st World Championship, Junior Road
1st Milano, Cyclo-cross
3rd Kalmthout, Cyclo-cross
3rd Overijse, Cyclo-cross
2nd Reusel, Cyclo-cross
2005
2nd Oostmalle, Cyclo-cross
1st Omloop van Borsele
1st Berg en Terblijt
1st National Championship, Junior MTB XC
1st National Championship, Junior Road
2nd World Championship, Junior Road
3rd National Championship, Junior ITT
1st Harderwijk, Cyclo-cross
1st Wouden, Cyclo-cross
2nd Kalmthout, Cyclo-cross
2nd Woerden, Cyclo-cross
1st European Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
2nd Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Cyclo-cross
2nd Frankfurt a/Main, Cyclo-cross
1st Gieten, Cyclo-cross
2nd Milano, Cyclo-cross
2nd Overijse, Cyclo-cross
1st Loenhout, Cyclo-cross
2006
2nd Stage 3 RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st National Championship, Elite Road
3rd GP Gerrie Knetemann
1st Omloop van Valkenburg
1st European Championship, U-23 Road
1st Stage 1 Tour Féminin en Limousin
1st Stage 3 Tour Féminin en Limousin
1st General Classification Tour Féminin en Limousin
3rd in Acht van Chaam
1st Steenwijk
1st Draai van de Kaai
1st Oostvoorne
1st Profronde van Pijnacker
2nd Holland Hills Classic
2nd Gouden Pijl Emmen
2nd Stage 2 Trophée d'Or Féminin
1st Stage 4 Trophée d'Or Féminin
2nd Stage 5 Trophée d'Or Féminin
3rd Stage 6 Trophée d'Or Féminin
3nd Stage 3 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Prologue Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
3rd Stage 1 part a Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
2nd Stage 1 part b Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
3rd Stage 4 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
3rd General Classification Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
1st World Championship, Elite Road
2nd Kalmthout, Cyclo-cross
1st Fourmies, Cyclo-cross
1st Hénin-Beaumont, Cyclo-cross
1st Koppenberg, Cyclo-cross
1st Treviso, Cyclo-cross
1st Vossem, Cyclo-cross
1st Gieten, Cyclo-cross
3rd European Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
2nd Frankfurt a/Main, Cyclo-cross
2nd Veghel-Eerde, Cyclo-cross
3rd Loenhout, Cyclo-cross
2007
1st Stage 3 Giro di San Marino
1st General Classification Giro di San Marino
1st Omloop van Borsele
2nd Berner Rundfahrt
1st Stage 1 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 3 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 4 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 7 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
2nd Omloop Door Middag-Humsterland WE
1st Stage 2 Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 3 Emakumeen Bira
2nd General Classification Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 1 RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st Stage 2 RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st General Classification RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st Noordwijk Classic
2nd National Championship, Elite Road
1st Stage 2 Giro d'Italia Donne
3rd Stage 5 Giro d'Italia Donne
3rd Stage 7 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st European Championship, U-23 Road
1st Acht van Chaam
1st Draai van de Kaai
2nd Maastricht Omnium
1st Oostvoorne
1st Holland Hills Classic
3rd Gouden Pijl Emmen
1st Stage 1 Holland Ladies Tour
1st Stage 4 Holland Ladies Tour
1st Rund um die Nürnberger Altstadt
1st General Classification World Cup, Elite Road
1st Muizen-Mechelen
2nd World Championship, Elite Road
1st Beijing, Scratch
1st Beijing, Points race
1st National Championship, Elite Track, Scratch
2nd National Championship, Elite Track, Pursuit
1st National Championship, Elite Track, Points race
2008
1st Stage 1 Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a el Salvador
1st Stage 2 Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a el Salvador
1st Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a el Salvador
3rd Stage 5 Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a el Salvador
2nd Stage 6 Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a el Salvador
2nd General Classification Vuelta Ciclista Femenina a el Salvador
1st Prologue Vuelta a Occidente
1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Occidente
1st Stage 2 Vuelta a Occidente
1st General Classification Vuelta a Occidente
3rd Dorpenomloop Wijk en Aalburg
1st Parel van de Veluwe
1st Stage 1 Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 2 Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 3 part a Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 4 Emakumeen Bira
1st General Classification Emakumeen Bira
1st National Championship, Elite Road
1st Stage 2 Krasna Lipa Tour Féminine
3rd Stage 4 Krasna Lipa Tour Féminine
1st Stage 3 Krasna Lipa Tour Féminine
1st Olympic Games, Track, Elite Points race
3rd Stage 1 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 6 Holland Ladies Tour
3rd General Classification World Cup, Elite Road
1st Stage 2 part a Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
2nd Stage 4 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
3rd in General Classification Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
2nd World Championship, Elite Road
2nd Frankfurt a/Main, Cyclo-cross
2nd Antwerpen, Cyclo-cross
1st Zolder, Cyclo-cross
3rd Loenhout, Cyclo-cross
2009
2nd Pétange, Cyclo-cross
1st Bakel, Cyclo-cross
2nd National Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
3rd Heerlen, Cyclo-cross
1st Pétange, Cyclo-cross
2nd Liévin, Cyclo-cross
1st World Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
2nd Oostmalle, Cyclo-cross
1st Stage 5 Gracia - Orlova
1st Omloop van Borsele
2nd Flevotour
2nd Lekkerkerk
1st Stage 1 Emakumeen Bira
2nd Stage 2 Emakumeen Bira
3rd Stage 3 part b Emakumeen Bira
2nd Stage 2 RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
2nd Pétange, Cyclo-cross
1st Antwerpen, Cyclo-cross
2nd Hoogerheide, Cyclo-cross
1st Oostmalle, Cyclo-cross
2nd Laarne
3rd Ronde van Vlaanderen
3rd Ronde van Drenthe
2nd Damesronde van Drenthe
1st Ronde van Gelderland
1st Waalse Pijl
1st Dorpenomloop Wijk en Aalburg
1st Stage 1 Giro di San Marino
1st Stage 4 Giro di San Marino
1st Stage 2 Giro di San Marino
1st Vierdaagse van Rotterdam
2nd World Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
1st København, Scratch
1st World Championship, Elite Track, Points race
1st Gran Prix International Dottignies
2nd Ronde van Drenthe
1st Waalse Pijl
3rd Omloop van Borsele
1st Stage 1 Gracia - Orlova
1st Stage 2 Gracia - Orlova
3rd Stage 4 Gracia - Orlova
1st Stage 3 Gracia - Orlova
1st General Classification Gracia - Orlova
2nd Omloop der Kempen
1st GP De Santa Ana
2nd Pétange, Cyclo-cross
3rd Vierdaagse van Rotterdam
1st World Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
1st Oostmalle, Cyclo-cross
3rd GP Costa Etrusca
1st Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Comune di Cittiglio
1st Damesronde van Drenthe
1st Waalse Pijl
2nd Omloop van Borsele
1st Stage 1 Gracia - Orlova
3rd General Classification Gracia - Orlova
2nd Berner Rundfahrt
3rd Stage 1 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 4 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 7 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 8 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
3rd General Classification Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
2nd Stage 1 Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale
3rd Stage 2 Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale
1st Stage 4 Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale
3rd General Classification Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale
1st National Championship, Elite Road
3rd European Championship, U-23 ITT
3rd European Championship, U-23 Road
3rd Stage 1 Tour de Bretagne
1st Stage 1 Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen
3rd Stage 2 Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen
3rd Stage 4 Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen
2nd General Classification Thüringen-Rundfahrt der Frauen
1st Open de Suede Vargarda
1st Holland Hills Classic
2nd GP Ouest France
2nd Stage 1 Holland Ladies Tour
3rd Stage 2 Holland Ladies Tour
3rd Stage 3 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 6 Holland Ladies Tour
1st General Classification Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 3 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
1st Stage 4 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
1st Stage 6 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
2nd World Championship, Elite Road
1st European Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
2nd Nommay, Cyclo-cross
1st Koksijde, Cyclo-cross
2nd Gieten, Cyclo-cross
1st Frankfurt a/Main, Cyclo-cross
2nd Kalmthout, Cyclo-cross
1st Zolder, Cyclo-cross
2nd Loenhout, Cyclo-cross
2010
1st Pétange, Cyclo-cross
2nd National Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
3rd Roubaix, Cyclo-cross
1st Hoogerheide, Cyclo-cross
1st World Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
1st General Classification Gracia - Orlova
1st Trofeo Alfredo Binda - Comune di Cittiglio
2nd Ronde van Vlaanderen
1st Stage 1 Gracia - Orlova
2nd Stage 2 Gracia - Orlova
1st Stage 4 Gracia - Orlova
3rd Stage 3 Gracia - Orlova
1st Stage 5 Gracia - Orlova
1st GP Sankomij
3rd Prologue Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Stage 8 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
2nd Stage 9 Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Points classification Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Young rider classification Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
2nd Teams classification Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin
1st Emakumen Saria
1st Stage 1 Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 3 part b Emakumeen Bira
3rd Stage 3 part a Emakumeen Bira
1st National Championship, Elite ITT
2nd National Championship, Elite Road
3rd Stage 2 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Stage 5 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Stage 6 Giro d'Italia Donne
2nd Stage 7 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Draai van de Kaai
1st Stage 2 Route du France Féminine
1st Stage 5 Route du France Féminine
2nd GP Ouest France
2nd Stage 1 Holland Ladies Tour
1st Stage 3 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 4 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 5 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 6 Holland Ladies Tour
1st Stage 7 Holland Ladies Tour
1st General Classification Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 4 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
1st Stage 5 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
2nd Stage 6 Giro della Toscana Int. Femminile
2nd World Championship, Road, Elite
1st Melbourne, Elimination race
2nd Antwerpen, Cyclo-cross
2nd Kalmthout, Cyclo-cross
1st Loenhout, Cyclo-cross
2nd Zolder, Cyclo-cross
2011
1st Pétange, Cyclo-cross
3rd Tervuren, Cyclo-cross
1st National Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
1st Pontchâteau, Cyclo-cross
3rd Hoogerheide, Cyclo-cross
1st World Championship, Elite Cyclo-cross
1st Valkenburg, Cyclo-cross
1st World Championship, Elite Track, Scratch
3rd Ronde van Vlaanderen
1st Stage 1 Energiewacht Tour
1st Stage 4 Energiewacht Tour
3rd General Classification Energiewacht Tour
1st Drentse 8 van Dwingeloo
1st Ronde van Drenthe
1st Waalse Pijl
3rd Omloop van Borsele
1st GP Elsy Jacobs
1stn GP Nicolas Frantz
1st Dorpenomloop Wijk en Aalburg
1st Gooik
1st GP Ciudad de Valladolid
1st Emakumen Saria
1st Stage 1 Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 2 Emakumeen Bira
2nd Stage 3 part b Emakumeen Bira
2nd Stage 3 part a Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 4 Emakumeen Bira
1st General Classification Emakumeen Bira
1st Stage 1 RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st Stage 3 RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st General Classification RaboSter Zeeuwsche Eilanden
1st National Championship, Elite ITT
1st National Championship, Elite Road
1st Stage 1 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Stage 3 Giro d'Italia Donne
2nd Stage 5 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Stage 6 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Stage 7 Giro d'Italia Donne
2nd Stage 8 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia Donne
1st General Classification Giro d'Italia Donne
3rd Stage 10 Giro d'Italia Donne
2nd Stage 1 Trophée d'Or Féminin
1st Stage 4 Trophée d'Or Féminin
3rd GP Ouest France
1st Stage 1 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 2 Holland Ladies Tour
2nd Stage 3 Holland Ladies Tour
1st Stage 5 Holland Ladies Tour
1st Stage 6 Holland Ladies Tour
1st General Classification Holland Ladies Tour
2nd World Championship, Elite Road
2012
1st Pétange, Cyclo-cross
1st National Championship, Cyclo-cross
1st Liévin, Cyclo-cross
1st in Rucphen, Cyclo-cross
1st in Hoogerheide, Cyclo-cross
2nd in World Cup, Cyclo-cross
1st World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Koksijde
1st Lille -B-, Cyclo-cross
1st Valkenburg aan de Geul, Cyclo-cross
2nd Oostmalle, Cyclo-cross
3rd Drentse 8 van Dwingeloo
1st Ronde van Drenthe (World Cup 1)
1st Euregio Ladies Tour
1st Trofeo Binda (World Cup 2)
3º in Stage 1 Energiewacht Tour (F), Appingedam (NED)
3º in Stage 2 Energiewacht Tour (F), Bad Nieuweschans (NED)
2º in Stage 3 Energiewacht Tour (F), Midwolda (NED)
3º in Stage 4 part a Energiewacht Tour (F), Winsum (NED)
2º in Waalse Pijl (F), Huy (BEL)
1º in Stage 1 GP Elsy Jacobs (F), Garnich (LUX)
2º in Stage 2 GP Elsy Jacobs (F), Mamer (LUX)
1º in General Classification GP Elsy Jacobs (F) (LUX)
2º in GP Città di Cornaredo (F) (ITA)
2º in Holland Hills Classic (F), Valkenburg (NED)
2º in National Championship, Road, Elite, The Netherlands (F), Kerkrade (NED)
1º in Stage 1 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Terracina (ITA)
1º in Stage 2 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Roma (ITA)
1º in Stage 4 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Montecatini Alto (ITA)
2º in Stage 6 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Salsomaggiore Terme (ITA)
1º in Stage 7 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Castagnola delle Lanze (ITA)
1º in Stage 8 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Lonate Pozzolo (ITA)
2º in Stage 9 Giro d'Italia Donne (F), Bergamo (ITA)
1º in General Classification Giro d'Italia Donne (F) (ITA)
1º in Stage 1 Tour Féminin en Limousin (F), Châteauponsac (FRA)
2º in Stage 2 Tour Féminin en Limousin (F), Bosmoreau-les-Mines (FRA)
2º in Stage 3 Tour Féminin en Limousin (F), Vallière (FRA)
1º in Stage 4 Tour Féminin en Limousin (F), Ussel (FRA)
1º in General Classification Tour Féminin en Limousin (F) (FRA)
1st, Women's Road Race, Olympic Games
Cav to Sky confirmed?
Betting news website Bettor.com reports that Omega Pharma-Lotto manager Patrick Lefevere revealed an interesting nugget of information, reinforcing hopes that UCI World Road Champion will be riding with Team Sky in the next season despite contrary rumours.
"This season I have not yet exchanged three words with Cavendish," he told them. "I have negotiated with his friend and teammate Bernhard Eisel. He was quite clear to me and said: 'Sorry, but Mark needs to go to Sky for many reasons and I am going along. We have now been signed.' So, to my knowledge Cavendish is no longer free."
The website also says that in addition to Cav's preference for Specialized bikes over the Pinarellos that Sky are contracted to ride for a three year period there have been problems with sponsors: the Manx sprinter is personally sponsored by Nike, whereas Sky are sponsored by Adidas. As the two sports equipment firms directly compete with one another, he would almost certainly lose Nike's support upon joining Sky.
"This season I have not yet exchanged three words with Cavendish," he told them. "I have negotiated with his friend and teammate Bernhard Eisel. He was quite clear to me and said: 'Sorry, but Mark needs to go to Sky for many reasons and I am going along. We have now been signed.' So, to my knowledge Cavendish is no longer free."
The website also says that in addition to Cav's preference for Specialized bikes over the Pinarellos that Sky are contracted to ride for a three year period there have been problems with sponsors: the Manx sprinter is personally sponsored by Nike, whereas Sky are sponsored by Adidas. As the two sports equipment firms directly compete with one another, he would almost certainly lose Nike's support upon joining Sky.
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Wednesday 5 October 2011
Tour of Beijing - Stage 5 Guide
Stage Map: click here
Stage Profile: click here
Stage Itinerary: click here
As tends to be the case with stage races, the Tour winds up right in the heart of the capital city for the fifth and final stage; and with human habitation in the Beijing region stretching back a quarter of a million years (Homo erectus pekinensis - remember those chaps from Stage 2?) and the city having served as political and cultural centre of a country as vast as China for many centuries, there's a lot of history packed into the parcours.
The riders set out from the north-eastern corner of the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall (39°54'5.80"N 116°23'33.89"E), metres away from where the 10m tall, hastily-assembled Goddess of Democracy stood for five days before she was toppled by a tank and smashed to pieces by soldiers. It's a short neutral zone today, with the race well under way by the time the riders hit Chang An East Road after a loop around the Square and up to the southern approach to the Forbidden City. The Imperial Palace for almost five centures, the City covers 720,000 square metres and contains almost a thousand bstructures; many of them part of what UNESCO has declared the finest collection of preserved ancient wooden buildings in the world. Note that almost all of them having yellow roofs - yellow being the colour of the Emperor in ancient China, just as it is in cycling.
After passing by the grand hotels and Audi dealership that symbolise modern Beijing as much as the Forbidden City symbolises ancient Beijing, Chang An East crosses Dongdan North Street and becomes Jianguomen Inner Street before reaching the East 2nd Ring Road, then changes name again to Jianguomen Outer Street and runs for 2.28km to the East 3rd Ring Road. There are many very fine buildings - mostly modern but some old - on both sides of the road, one of the most imposing being the vast white edifice of the Beijing International Hotel topped by a revolving restaurant. A little further ahead on the right are the LG Twin Towers, the 20th tallest buildings in Beijing at 141m - stacked end on end, they'd still stop far short of the tip of the tallest, the China Central Television Tower which can be seen from the Forbidden City and stretches to 405m.
The race travels between the Central Business District skyscrapers, then underneath an elevated section of the East 3rd Ring Road and turns right to follow a slip road up onto the northbound lane. If you notice anything other than the China Central TV HQ building along the initial section of the road, you have excellent powers of observation - the structure is one of the most eye-catching buildings anywhere in the world and can easily distract attention from everything surrounding it. Rather than taking the standard vertical skyscraper shape, it features six vertical and horizontal sections and is one of the most ambitious architectural projects ever attempted. The shape seen from ground level has led to its nickname, first used by taxi drivers, of 大裤衩 - "the big boxer shorts."
After another 900m, the peloton pass to the left of the Solidify Lake Park with its traditional Chinese landscaping and temples looking somewhat at odds with the ultra-modern tall buildings surrounding it, then the Agricultural Museum a short while later before the route crosses the the wide Liangma River. The road bends to the left, passing over the Airport Expressway and a strangely, geometrically attractive interchange - at which point it becomes the North 3rd Ring Road East, soon bending left again and traveling underneath the Daguang Expressway. The peloton will continue for 2.9km, then arriving at a slip road leading up onto Beichen Road (39°58'2.46"N 116°23'28.63"E).
On the left is a futuristic dome and a modern, spiral-shaped building, the two halls of the China Science and Technology Museum. A short way ahead, the race enters the Yuan Dynasty Capital City Wall Ruins Park, one of the very few places where Beijing's medieval defences can still be seen. Directly ahead, twin sculptures consisting of white marble bases with red top sections mark the entrance into the circuit 18km from the start on Beitucheng Road. It will be completed a total of twelve times with intermediate sprints beginning the second, sixth and ninth times the riders cross the finish line by the Water Cube.
Taking the road to the right of the sculptures, the riders continue north for 1.17km past the Yingdong Natatorium, more correctly known as the Ying Tung Natatorium after Henry Fok Ying Tung, a Beijing businessman who left a huge sum of cash so that the earlier buildings on the site - dating from the 1990 Asian Games - could be extended and developed to host some of the Olympics swimming events. They cross the North 4th Ring Road via the Beichen Bridge, then turn right onto the road immediately south of the Bird's Nest Stadium and follow part of the route used in the Stage 1 time trial in reverse, turning left after 390m for Hujing Road. 1.95km further on, they turn left onto Kehui South Road and continue for 520m west to another left onto Tianchen East Road. The finish line is in the same place as it was for Stage 1, 1.94km ahead at the East Gate of the Water Cube (39°59'26.97"N 116°23'7.86"E).
For the first eleven circuits, the riders will continue straight over the finish line for 300m before turning left 82m later back onto Beichen Road, this time taking the carriageway to the west for 1.38km back over the North 4th Ring Road and as far as Beitucheng Road where they'll turn 180 degrees around the sculptures to begin a new circuit. Each complete circuit is 8km in length, which combined with the initial 18km section and final section to the finish line, the riders will have covered 118km at the end.
Stage Profile: click here
Stage Itinerary: click here
As tends to be the case with stage races, the Tour winds up right in the heart of the capital city for the fifth and final stage; and with human habitation in the Beijing region stretching back a quarter of a million years (Homo erectus pekinensis - remember those chaps from Stage 2?) and the city having served as political and cultural centre of a country as vast as China for many centuries, there's a lot of history packed into the parcours.
The riders set out from the north-eastern corner of the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall (39°54'5.80"N 116°23'33.89"E), metres away from where the 10m tall, hastily-assembled Goddess of Democracy stood for five days before she was toppled by a tank and smashed to pieces by soldiers. It's a short neutral zone today, with the race well under way by the time the riders hit Chang An East Road after a loop around the Square and up to the southern approach to the Forbidden City. The Imperial Palace for almost five centures, the City covers 720,000 square metres and contains almost a thousand bstructures; many of them part of what UNESCO has declared the finest collection of preserved ancient wooden buildings in the world. Note that almost all of them having yellow roofs - yellow being the colour of the Emperor in ancient China, just as it is in cycling.
After passing by the grand hotels and Audi dealership that symbolise modern Beijing as much as the Forbidden City symbolises ancient Beijing, Chang An East crosses Dongdan North Street and becomes Jianguomen Inner Street before reaching the East 2nd Ring Road, then changes name again to Jianguomen Outer Street and runs for 2.28km to the East 3rd Ring Road. There are many very fine buildings - mostly modern but some old - on both sides of the road, one of the most imposing being the vast white edifice of the Beijing International Hotel topped by a revolving restaurant. A little further ahead on the right are the LG Twin Towers, the 20th tallest buildings in Beijing at 141m - stacked end on end, they'd still stop far short of the tip of the tallest, the China Central Television Tower which can be seen from the Forbidden City and stretches to 405m.
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The Central Business District. The East 3rd Ring Road heading north can be seen on the right and, under construction, the China Central TV building. (© CobbleCC CC3.0) |
After another 900m, the peloton pass to the left of the Solidify Lake Park with its traditional Chinese landscaping and temples looking somewhat at odds with the ultra-modern tall buildings surrounding it, then the Agricultural Museum a short while later before the route crosses the the wide Liangma River. The road bends to the left, passing over the Airport Expressway and a strangely, geometrically attractive interchange - at which point it becomes the North 3rd Ring Road East, soon bending left again and traveling underneath the Daguang Expressway. The peloton will continue for 2.9km, then arriving at a slip road leading up onto Beichen Road (39°58'2.46"N 116°23'28.63"E).
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China Science and Technology Museum (image courtesy of China-Tourist-Attractions.net) |
Taking the road to the right of the sculptures, the riders continue north for 1.17km past the Yingdong Natatorium, more correctly known as the Ying Tung Natatorium after Henry Fok Ying Tung, a Beijing businessman who left a huge sum of cash so that the earlier buildings on the site - dating from the 1990 Asian Games - could be extended and developed to host some of the Olympics swimming events. They cross the North 4th Ring Road via the Beichen Bridge, then turn right onto the road immediately south of the Bird's Nest Stadium and follow part of the route used in the Stage 1 time trial in reverse, turning left after 390m for Hujing Road. 1.95km further on, they turn left onto Kehui South Road and continue for 520m west to another left onto Tianchen East Road. The finish line is in the same place as it was for Stage 1, 1.94km ahead at the East Gate of the Water Cube (39°59'26.97"N 116°23'7.86"E).
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The Water Cube (public domain image) |
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Tuesday 4 October 2011
Tour of Beijing - Stage 4 Guide
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Mutianyu (public domain image) |
Stage Profile: click here
Stage Itinerary: click here
The penultimate stage of this first ever Tour of Beijing is also the longest, covering 189.5km through the towns and countryside to the north of Beijing and makes two visits to the Great Wall - during the first, the riders will pass through the Wall at Huanghuacheng, where two stretches are joined by a dam; and at the second they'll leave the main route to complete a short circuit up to Mutianyu and back - the best-preserved, best-built and most spectacular of the several sections of defences forming the Wall as a whole. It ends at the Shunyi Rowing-Canoeing Centre with its several kilometres of lakes, rivers and white-water courses purpose-built for the Olympics.
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The Guyaju Ruins in Yanqing County were once occupied by the Kumo Xi, a tribe of fierce Mongolian warriors (© pfctdayelise CC2.5) |
2km ahead, the route reaches what the roadbook states to be Yanqing Road but maps state is Yankang Road, turning left and then right at the next junction for Huanhu Road. We're now directed to find Kang Hang Road - trouble is, the road registered under that name is in Singapore - as we need to get to the S217, we assume the correct road is the one beginning at 40°26'58.84"N 115°57'34.54"E and ending at 40°26'33.87"N 115°52'42.83"E, where the peloton turn right towards another section of the G110 approximately 4km away followed by another unspecified route to find the X020 County Road (we think they'll turn left and travel west for a short way on the G110, then right and north on the X012 County Road and right again to continue east on the X020 - the official maps seem to support this). Somewhere along this road, with 51km covered since the end of the neutral zone, the second intermediate sprint begins. Towards the end of the road, we'll have excellent views of the mountains to the left, over 1000m high. Another not very clearly-pointed out section leads to the S232 road, apparently via the X026 - however, the X026 is a considerable distance away to the south in Beijing.
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Mutianyu is 2.25km long and has 22 watchtowers. Whereas other sections are built of bricks, earth and whatever was available, here the structure is granite. (© Fabian Dany CC2.5) |
We remain on the S232 as far as Sihaizhen where we turn right, right again and left to join Ansi Road, leading 20km to Huanghuachengcun (note that on the official Tour website, the village is misspelled Huang Hui Zhen). It's here that the race passes by the dam connecting two stretches of Great Wall. Since 2010, there have been numerous eyewitness reports made by people who claim to have seen a large, fiery object falling to Earth in the area on the night of October the 30th - this has, naturally, got UFO fans hot under to collar. Whatever the object was - indeed, if the object ever was - there have been no corresponding accounts of aircraft in trouble nor wreckage/craters on the mountainsides.
Now we join the X009, leading through Huanghuazhencun - the probable cause of the of the confusion a few kilometres previously). The second climb, 159m in 4km, is rated Cat 2 and begins 125km from the start - that category seems a little more than would be expected, suggesting that the road isn't of the best quality. It's also very twisty as it climbs and could potentially be dangerous if wet (or while being bombarded with mysterious fiery UFOs). The summit comes at the entrance to the Tuoling Tunnel (40°24'9.66"N 116°23'32.82"E) which, as tends to be the case with tunnels in rural China, is unlit - it's short, but the riders won't like it due to the hazard it presents.
Having emerged back into daylight, the race follows the road right and descends quickly through Sha Yu Village before arriving at Bohaizhen Bridge 3km later. The right turn onto it is tight, but the bridge is wide and of good quality so crashes are unlikely. Bohaizhen Town is around 1.6km ahead. The stage's final climb begins 3.5km later at a large roundabout (40°24'53.05"N 116°32'19.11"E) where the race turns left, entering the circuit up to Mutianyu (40°25'59.83"N 116°33'33.35"E) and back down again. It's remarkable that this section - which, as we mentioned earlier, is the best-preserved along the Wall's length - has survived so intact: in the years following the Cultural Revolution, the Maoist government declared the Wall to be a symbol of the nation's feudal past and encouraged the populace to help themselves to as much of the masonry as they could cart away, even demolishing some parts to assist them. Were it not for the craggy ridge followed by this section, its proximity to Beijing would almost certainly have ensured its destruction.
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We at Cyclopunk do not believe in ghosts, UFOs or any of that stuff. However, we wouldn't hang around Mutianyu alone for any length of time just in case. (CC3.0) |
The final intermediate sprint begins 13km after the summit, 167km into the race, then the peloton continue on the X009 as it becomes Huaisha Road and travels along the northern edge of Huairou Reservoir, arriving presently at a very large roundabout (40°20'7.79"N 116°37'28.62"E) where they'll turn right for Qingchun Road. Having followed it south to Nanhua Street, they turn left and follow the road around a bend to a wide bridge; taking the first left turn at the next roundabout for Huaichanglian Road and, after 1.73km, an interchange with a right turn onto Jingmi Road heading south - they'll follow this road for 13.27km through a number of further interchanges, rural areas and industrialised urban complexes until they reach the left-hand slip road leading down onto Baima Road (40°10'31.03"N 116°38'8.58"E), at which point they have 5km left.
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Shunyi's entirely man-made white-water slalom course is considered one of the most testing in the world (© Gerry Boudens CC3.0) |
Concerns over Beijing air pollution ahead of Tour
It's a well-known fact that professional cyclists are paranoid about their health - they'll often use their elbows or a pen to press the buttons in a lift rather than get any sort of bacteria on their fingers and even the suggestion of a sneeze in a crowded room will have them running for an air-tight bunker. When even a minor infection can lead to poor results, sometimes enough to ruin an otherwise successful season, it's quite understandable.
Thus, it's no surprise that some have been getting more than a little worried about the condition of the air just ahead of the inaugural Tour of Beijing. The Chinese government, at great expense, arranged for factories upwind from the Olympic Stadium to be temporarily switched off and introduced measures to limit road traffic prior to the 2008 Games, thus creating the impression that they had done something about the country's notorious pollution problems. Some of those measures were retained after the Games, but satellite imagery and the still-limited numbers of foreigners who have been able to travel to areas usually off-limits have revealed that production is still considered very much more important than a healthy environment in those parts that the politicians prefer the rest of the world not to see. Prevailing winds from the south and south-east tend to create concentrations of air-borne toxins in the regions to the north of the city centre, prevented from dispersing by the mountains - right where much of the Tour is due to be held.
David Millar, in town with the Garmin-Cervelo team, reports via Twitter that he has "never seen smog like this. I'm reckoning just over 1km of visibility, kinda spooky. I actually like it, it's like a smoke-filled jazz club."
EarthTimes reported in March this year that air pollution levels in Beijing were literally off the scale - US Embassy staff, attempting to measure the scale of the problem using standard equipment capable of recording figures up to 500 API (Air Pollution Index, a simplified measure of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, suspended particulates, carbon monoxide and ozone in the air). However, the equipment used was unable to register the actual level, shown by subsequent investigation to be 595API. According to the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, any figure of more than 300API rates as "severely polluted," warning that "healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities. There may be strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses. Elders and the sick should remain indoors and avoid exercise. Healthy individuals should avoid out door activities."
It's probably safe to say that, should conditions become that bad during the next week, the Tour will be disrupted by riders very sensibly refusing to race and insisting on staying indoors - or even going home.
Thus, it's no surprise that some have been getting more than a little worried about the condition of the air just ahead of the inaugural Tour of Beijing. The Chinese government, at great expense, arranged for factories upwind from the Olympic Stadium to be temporarily switched off and introduced measures to limit road traffic prior to the 2008 Games, thus creating the impression that they had done something about the country's notorious pollution problems. Some of those measures were retained after the Games, but satellite imagery and the still-limited numbers of foreigners who have been able to travel to areas usually off-limits have revealed that production is still considered very much more important than a healthy environment in those parts that the politicians prefer the rest of the world not to see. Prevailing winds from the south and south-east tend to create concentrations of air-borne toxins in the regions to the north of the city centre, prevented from dispersing by the mountains - right where much of the Tour is due to be held.
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Beijing - a clear day and a smoggy day. Photographer Bobak Ha'Eri explains: "This is a pair of photos taken in Beijing (aka Peking) by me during a trip to the People's Republic of China in August 2005. I was in Beijing twice over a period of a week and a half, both times at the same hotel and in approximately the same room. The photo on the right was taken during a sunny, otherwise clear day on my first visit. The photo on the left was on my second visit, after it had rained for approximately 2 days. Both of these photos were taken in the morning around the 07:00-08:00 hour. The difference is staggering. I can say that during the day that I took the photo on the right, the air made walking around (and I did for miles) rather difficult." (© Bobak Ha'Eri CC2.5) |
EarthTimes reported in March this year that air pollution levels in Beijing were literally off the scale - US Embassy staff, attempting to measure the scale of the problem using standard equipment capable of recording figures up to 500 API (Air Pollution Index, a simplified measure of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, suspended particulates, carbon monoxide and ozone in the air). However, the equipment used was unable to register the actual level, shown by subsequent investigation to be 595API. According to the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection, any figure of more than 300API rates as "severely polluted," warning that "healthy people will experience reduced endurance in activities. There may be strong irritations and symptoms and may trigger other illnesses. Elders and the sick should remain indoors and avoid exercise. Healthy individuals should avoid out door activities."
It's probably safe to say that, should conditions become that bad during the next week, the Tour will be disrupted by riders very sensibly refusing to race and insisting on staying indoors - or even going home.
Monday 3 October 2011
Tour of Beijing - Stage 3
Stage Map: click here
Stage Profile: click here
Stage Itinerary: click here
After an initial stage so flat that wheel bearings from a broken hub wouldn't have rolled away and a Stage 2 that, with the exception of one small hill that was climbed four times, wasn't much different, thus far the inaugural Tour of Beijing hasn't really had much to offer for the climbing specialists. That changes today, because Stage 3 is the most mountainous in the race with one Category 2 and three Cat 1 climbs. Stage 4 briefly reaches higher altitude, but this is the one for the grimpeurs to grab the time they need for a respectable General Classification result - and, as is often the case with the most mountainous stage in any stage race, could prove the most important, perhaps even the stage on which the race is won. Due to the lack of information available on rural Chinese villages, we're unable to bring as a detailed a stage guide as we try to do for the European races - however, we've attempted to gather a much information about the course and points of interest along the route as possible.
At 162km, it's also the second longest. It begins on Men Tou Gou, where we'll be treated to a performance of traditional Taiping drumming and folk dance, then follows the final section of yesterday's stage in reverse to the end of the neutral zone Chengzhi Road ( 39°58'24.41"N 116° 5'31.48"E), continuing onward and past the Danli Tunnel to the G109 road. The Western Hills attract tourists from all across China and beyond, and as soon as we pass by the tunnel it becomes apparent why this should be - despite the industry down in the valley on the left, the route immediately feels rural as the urban sprawl of Beijing is obscured by a steep incline on the right. It becomes steeper still 2.2km ahead, the green flanks towering some 400m above the road.
Many of the roads along this stage are used frequently by trucks, making them potentially hazardous due to spilled diesel. This is especially true here, as the region still supplies large quantities of coal and other raw materials to the capital.The riders need to stay right, following the road as it leads by the village - note how densely packed the houses are, jammed in right up against one another with only narrow passageways between and the merest scraps for those that have any garden at all. It seems a strange and uncomfortable way to live to Western eyes, but it's the spacious luxury apartments in the skyscrapers of Beijing that seem strange to the vast majority of the Chinese population, most of whom live in villages like this.
We pass by more industrial units on the other side of the village, then turn a medium tight right-hander 600m later. The trees to the hillside to the right will have largely secured the topsoil and rock, but the scree on the left shows that landslides are not unknown here - there may be mud and gravel on the road, especially after rain. The road then sweeps left and arrives at a crossroads with a large slap of rock bearing Chinese characters erected on the right - the first climb, Cat 2, begins at this point (40° 0'26.26"N 115°59'24.87"E) as the race crosses the new, wide bridge just to the right of much older and narrower one. The road narrows dramatically right after the right-hand bend on the other side of the bridge, possibly causing problems if the peloton is unable to spread out along the road sufficiently quickly - crashes are likely here, not helped by the steep slope on the left. There's a tight right bend 270m later, followed by a tighter left 168m after that. The final 384m section to the top of the climb at 415m (40° 0'23.85"N 115°57'56.53"E) becomes gradually steeper until it reaches the summit just before the road enters Dongfanghong Tunnel.
It's a well-known fact that cyclists tend to have a very great dislike of unlit tunnels - after all, riding through such a confined space in a peloton is pretty much the stuff of nightmares. Dongfanghong is lit, but in the rural China sense of the word. In other words, it's a dark and forbidding hole with a few dim lamps strung along the side that bears little resemblance to the clean, ventilated and brightly-lit tunnels that can be found in most of Europe, and the riders aren't going to like it in the slightest. Perhaps they'll consider what it's like when shared with thundering trucks, as it must be when the local cyclists use it on their mountain training rides, and think themselves fortunate in comparison.
The road on the other side of the tunnel is one of the best in the race, wriggling around the contours and forming eighteen tight bends on the way into Anjiazhuangcun. The second climb, a Cat 1, begins at 33km and is followed by an uphill sprint 17km after the summit at 60km before the route continues north into the Xi Mountains. The second sprint is 23km ahead, followed by a descent marked as hazardous due to steepness in the road book. Resulting high speeds will bring the riders rapidly to the feed zone at 87.5km on Shuinan Road, back in the northern reaches of the Beijing municipal area. Having passed through the urban area, they turn north again, completing the third intermediate sprint beginning at 100.5km by the Changping Stadium and then head towards the Ming Tomb Reservoir and The Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty.
The race joins the S212 Changchi Road, which it will now follow all the way to the finish line. The penultimate climb, another Cat 1, begins 10.5km along the twisty road. The summit comes at 133km after 332km of ascending, then we see the Great Wall for the first time.
As every school child can tell you, the Wall is 6259.6km long with sections comprising of ditches, natural features and suchlike making it up to 8851.8km of defences in total. It was begun in the 5th Century BC, with various enlargements, remodelings, partial demolitions and improvements taking place right up until the 16th Century. This section, dating from the Ming Dynasty and known as the Badaling, featured in the 2008 Olympics when the Road course passed through its gateways and is considered to be one of the most impressive stretches. It is believed that more than a million workers died during the construction of the various sections that make up the Wall, leading to its nickname "the longest cemetery on Earth." Guides often like to tell tourists that the mortar was made from the ground bones of those who died, but they're lying - it's rice flour. Some will also tell you that the Wall's proposed route was mapped out with the aid of a benevolent dragon - that, of course, is true.
And of course, as everyone knows, it's the only man-made structure that can be seen from the Moon... actually, it can't. It can't even be seen using Google Earth unless you zoom in closely, becoming just about discernible at an altitude of around 2.8km, though NASA claim it can be seen from 160km under absolutely perfect conditions - a claim questioned by many experts who state that to do so, an observer would require eyesight almost eight times better than average human eyesight. Either way, it's far short of the lunar surface. The myth, interestingly, seems to have started in a book by William Stukely, published in 1754 - two hundred and fifteen years before humans first set foot on the Moon.
The last climb, Cat 1 again, begins 13km later and requires 216m of climbing in 4km to top out at 758m, 150km from the start of the race in the Jundu Mountains. From this point, it's downhill all the way for the final 12km into Yongningzhen ("Yongning Town" in English). After crossing a river, the race arrives at the 5km to go point along a beautiful road lined with silver birches - though attractive, shed leaves on a wet road surface could be very slippery even thought the road is straight. The last 3km rise very slightly, not enough to slow things down to any noticeable degree, but sufficient to for a last test for tired legs. 2km to go comes as the Yongxi Highway joins from the left. The final bend - a sharp left-hander, throwing a serious spanner into the works of any team who had hoped to make use of a lead-out train to project their sprinters over the line, is 1500m ahead and leads into the final 670 straight metres to the finish line (40°31'38.08"N 116° 9'20.42"E).
Yongningzhen, it seems, is something rather special - an ancient city largely unknown even in China. There is very, very little information available on it - instead, we'll hand over to Sabine Hartmann who made a video of her motorcycle trip to the city in 2008.
have you ever been in Yongning Zhen, China? from Sabine Hartmann on Vimeo.
Stage Profile: click here
Stage Itinerary: click here
After an initial stage so flat that wheel bearings from a broken hub wouldn't have rolled away and a Stage 2 that, with the exception of one small hill that was climbed four times, wasn't much different, thus far the inaugural Tour of Beijing hasn't really had much to offer for the climbing specialists. That changes today, because Stage 3 is the most mountainous in the race with one Category 2 and three Cat 1 climbs. Stage 4 briefly reaches higher altitude, but this is the one for the grimpeurs to grab the time they need for a respectable General Classification result - and, as is often the case with the most mountainous stage in any stage race, could prove the most important, perhaps even the stage on which the race is won. Due to the lack of information available on rural Chinese villages, we're unable to bring as a detailed a stage guide as we try to do for the European races - however, we've attempted to gather a much information about the course and points of interest along the route as possible.
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The Western Hills |
Many of the roads along this stage are used frequently by trucks, making them potentially hazardous due to spilled diesel. This is especially true here, as the region still supplies large quantities of coal and other raw materials to the capital.The riders need to stay right, following the road as it leads by the village - note how densely packed the houses are, jammed in right up against one another with only narrow passageways between and the merest scraps for those that have any garden at all. It seems a strange and uncomfortable way to live to Western eyes, but it's the spacious luxury apartments in the skyscrapers of Beijing that seem strange to the vast majority of the Chinese population, most of whom live in villages like this.
We pass by more industrial units on the other side of the village, then turn a medium tight right-hander 600m later. The trees to the hillside to the right will have largely secured the topsoil and rock, but the scree on the left shows that landslides are not unknown here - there may be mud and gravel on the road, especially after rain. The road then sweeps left and arrives at a crossroads with a large slap of rock bearing Chinese characters erected on the right - the first climb, Cat 2, begins at this point (40° 0'26.26"N 115°59'24.87"E) as the race crosses the new, wide bridge just to the right of much older and narrower one. The road narrows dramatically right after the right-hand bend on the other side of the bridge, possibly causing problems if the peloton is unable to spread out along the road sufficiently quickly - crashes are likely here, not helped by the steep slope on the left. There's a tight right bend 270m later, followed by a tighter left 168m after that. The final 384m section to the top of the climb at 415m (40° 0'23.85"N 115°57'56.53"E) becomes gradually steeper until it reaches the summit just before the road enters Dongfanghong Tunnel.
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Dingfanghong Tunnel. Lovely! (© Seektan CC2.0) |
The road on the other side of the tunnel is one of the best in the race, wriggling around the contours and forming eighteen tight bends on the way into Anjiazhuangcun. The second climb, a Cat 1, begins at 33km and is followed by an uphill sprint 17km after the summit at 60km before the route continues north into the Xi Mountains. The second sprint is 23km ahead, followed by a descent marked as hazardous due to steepness in the road book. Resulting high speeds will bring the riders rapidly to the feed zone at 87.5km on Shuinan Road, back in the northern reaches of the Beijing municipal area. Having passed through the urban area, they turn north again, completing the third intermediate sprint beginning at 100.5km by the Changping Stadium and then head towards the Ming Tomb Reservoir and The Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty.
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One of the most striking features of the Tombs is the 7km Spirit Way, lined with statues of guardian animals both real and mythical. (© Richardelainechambers CC3.0) |
The race joins the S212 Changchi Road, which it will now follow all the way to the finish line. The penultimate climb, another Cat 1, begins 10.5km along the twisty road. The summit comes at 133km after 332km of ascending, then we see the Great Wall for the first time.
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The Badaling (public domain image) |
And of course, as everyone knows, it's the only man-made structure that can be seen from the Moon... actually, it can't. It can't even be seen using Google Earth unless you zoom in closely, becoming just about discernible at an altitude of around 2.8km, though NASA claim it can be seen from 160km under absolutely perfect conditions - a claim questioned by many experts who state that to do so, an observer would require eyesight almost eight times better than average human eyesight. Either way, it's far short of the lunar surface. The myth, interestingly, seems to have started in a book by William Stukely, published in 1754 - two hundred and fifteen years before humans first set foot on the Moon.
The last climb, Cat 1 again, begins 13km later and requires 216m of climbing in 4km to top out at 758m, 150km from the start of the race in the Jundu Mountains. From this point, it's downhill all the way for the final 12km into Yongningzhen ("Yongning Town" in English). After crossing a river, the race arrives at the 5km to go point along a beautiful road lined with silver birches - though attractive, shed leaves on a wet road surface could be very slippery even thought the road is straight. The last 3km rise very slightly, not enough to slow things down to any noticeable degree, but sufficient to for a last test for tired legs. 2km to go comes as the Yongxi Highway joins from the left. The final bend - a sharp left-hander, throwing a serious spanner into the works of any team who had hoped to make use of a lead-out train to project their sprinters over the line, is 1500m ahead and leads into the final 670 straight metres to the finish line (40°31'38.08"N 116° 9'20.42"E).
Yongningzhen, it seems, is something rather special - an ancient city largely unknown even in China. There is very, very little information available on it - instead, we'll hand over to Sabine Hartmann who made a video of her motorcycle trip to the city in 2008.
have you ever been in Yongning Zhen, China? from Sabine Hartmann on Vimeo.
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