Daily Cycling Facts 12.01.2014

Happy Birthday to... the Bicycle

On this day in 1818, Baron Karl von Drais was granted a patent for a machine he'd invented as a means of transport during a period of famine when many horses died of starvation. The machine featured a wooden wheel at either end, connected by a wooden beam upon which the user sat and used his feet to push the device along the ground. Soon becoming known as a draisine or draisienne, it was the earliest known bicycle. Drais' patent applied only in the Baden region of Germany and as such his invention was widely copied throughout the rest of the country, France and - once news spread - the rest of Europe.

Von Drais called his device a Laufmaschine or running machine, but others called it a velocipede or a dandyhorse. Curiously, we owe thanks for the invention to a volcano - Mount Tambora in Indonesia. When Tambora erupted in 1815, following a series of smaller eruptions, it ejected so much dust into the atmosphere that global temperatures dropped by an average of as much as 0.7C and harvests failed throughout the Northern Hemisphere in what became known as The Year Without A Summer; he had aimed to invent a machine that would be able to replace horses both as personal transport and as a way to transport food around the country. In 1848, Drais publicly renounced his nobility, stating that he wished to be known as Citizen Karl Drais in support of the French Revolution. The Prussian government viciously suppressed a revolution of their own the following year and, viewing Drais as an enemy of the establishment, seized his pension and belongings to assist in covering the costs of preventing unrest. He died destitute two years later.

David Zabriskie

David Zabriskie
Happy birthday to David Zabriskie, cyclist with Garmin-Cervélo and the first vegan in the Tour de France (well, almost - he revealed that he would eat small amounts of salmon during the 2011 Tour). Zabriskie is known for his eccentric sense of humour and unconventional ways, frequently interviewing other riders in the peloton and later posting the results on his website. He also collects Marvel action figures, his collection being stolen along with thousands of dollars of cycling equipment and Olympic memorabilia from his home in 2009 when he and wife Randi Reich were away at the Tour of California.

Zabriskie won a stage in the Tour de France in 2005, beating Lance Armstrong and becoming the first American to have won stages in all three of the Grand Tours. David's career has been held back by misfortune with several crashes ending his races early - the most recent was Stage 9 in the 2011 Tour when he injured his wrist in the crash on a descent that also put Jurgen van den Broeck, Frederik Willems and Alexander Vinokourov (Vino announced his retirement afterwards but has since returned) out of the race. However (or perhaps as a result of this) he is a favourite among fans and journalists. As might be expected, he has a range of nicknames: The Green Hornet, DZ, DZNuts, Dizzy, Captain America and Zup.

In 2012, giving evidence as part of USADA's investigation of doping at the US Postal Team that led to the downfall of Lance Armstrong and disqualification of his seven Tour de France victories, Zabriskie admitted that he too had doped and was given a six-month ban to end on the 1st of March 2013, which he accepted. His results between May 2003 and July 2006, including his Tour stage win, were disqualified. When his ban expired, he returned to cycling but announced his retirement at the Giro di Lombardia that year.

Peter Mitchell, of the Team Sky Track Team, was born on this day in 1990. Mitchell was second in the Sprint at the National Track Championships in 2013.

Polish Olympian Ryszard Szurkowski was born on this day in 1946. He won silver medals in the 1972 and 1976 Games, adding three gold and one silver at the World Cycling Amateur Championships in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He won the Peace Race four times (1970, 1971, 1973 and 1975) and the Dookoła Mazowsza, now part of the UCI Europe Tour, in 1977 and 1978.

Other cyclists born on this day: Jan van Houwelingen (Netherlands, 1955); Gabriele Aynat (Spain, 1972); Guido Bontempi (Italy, 1960); Honson Chin (Jamaica, 1956); David Cook (Great Britain, 1969); Michel Coulon (Belgium, 1947); Miguel Espinós (Spain, 1947, died 2006); Hans Flückiger (Switzerland, 1926); Guo Longchen (China, 1968); Hans-Joachim Hartnick (East Germany, 1955); Karl Klöckner (Germany, 1915); Adolf Kofler (Austria, 1892); Hideo Madarame (Japan, 1944); Ed Nestor (Australia, 1920); Gema Pascual (Spain, 1979); Sergey Pesteryev (Russia, 1888); Louise Robinson (Great Britain, 1965); Ralph Therrio (USA, 1954); Zdzisław Wrona (Poland, 1962); Lars Zebroski (USA, 1941); Vasyl Zhdanov (USSR, 1963).

Daily Cycling Facts 12.01.2013

Happy Birthday to... the Bicycle

On this day in 1818, Baron Karl von Drais was granted a patent for a machine he'd invented as a means of transport during a period of famine when many horses died of starvation. The machine featured a wooden wheel at either end, connected by a wooden beam upon which the user sat and used his feet to push the device along the ground. Soon becoming known as a draisine or draisienne, it was the earliest known bicycle. Drais' patent applied only in the Baden region of Germany and as such his invention was widely copied throughout the rest of the country, France and - once news spread - the rest of Europe.

Von Drais called his device a Laufmaschine or running machine, but others called it a velocipede or a dandyhorse. Curiously, we owe thanks for the invention to a volcano - Mount Tambora in Indonesia. When Tambora erupted in 1815, following a series of smaller eruptions, it ejected so much dust into the atmosphere that global temperatures dropped by an average of as much as 0.7C and harvests failed throughout the Northern Hemisphere in what became known as The Year Without A Summer; he had aimed to invent a machine that would be able to replace horses both as personal transport and as a way to transport food around the country. In 1848, Drais publicly renounced his nobility, stating that he wished to be known as Citizen Karl Drais in support of the French Revolution. The Prussian government viciously suppressed a revolution of their own the following year and, viewing Drais as an enemy of the establishment, seized his pension and belongings to assist in covering the costs of preventing unrest. He died destitute two years later.

David Zabriskie

David Zabriskie
Happy birthday to David Zabriskie, cyclist with Garmin-Cervélo and the first vegan in the Tour de France (well, almost - he revealed that he would eat small amounts of salmon during the 2011 Tour). Zabriskie is known for his eccentric sense of humour and unconventional ways, frequently interviewing other riders in the peloton and later posting the results on his website. He also collects Marvel action figures, his collection being stolen along with thousands of dollars of cycling equipment and Olympic memorabilia from his home in 2009 when he and wife Randi Reich were away at the Tour of California.

Zabriskie won a stage in the Tour de France in 2005, beating Lance Armstrong and becoming the first American to have won stages in all three of the Grand Tours. David's career has been held back by misfortune with several crashes ending his races early - the most recent was Stage 9 in the 2011 Tour when he injured his wrist in the crash on a descent that also put Jurgen van den Broeck, Frederik Willems and Alexander Vinokourov (Vino announced his retirement afterwards but has since returned) out of the race. However (or perhaps as a result of this) he is a favourite among fans and journalists. As might be expected, he has a range of nicknames: The Green Hornet, DZ, DZNuts, Dizzy, Captain America and Zup.

Peter Mitchell, team mate of Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy at the Team Sky Track Team, was born on this day in 1990.

Polish Olympian Ryszard Szurkowski was born on this day in 1946. He won silver medals in the 1972 and 1976 Games, adding three gold and one silver at the World Cycling Amateur Championships in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He won the Peace Race four times (1970, 1971, 1973 and 1975) and the Dookoła Mazowsza, now part of the UCI Europe Tour, in 1977 and 1978.

Other cyclists born on this day: Jan van Houwelingen (Netherlands, 1955); Gabriele Aynat (Spain, 1972); Guido Bontempi (Italy, 1960); Honson Chin (Jamaica, 1956); David Cook (Great Britain, 1969); Michel Coulon (Belgium, 1947); Miguel Espinós (Spain, 1947, died 2006); Hans Flückiger (Switzerland, 1926); Guo Longchen (China, 1968); Hans-Joachim Hartnick (East Germany, 1955); Karl Klöckner (Germany, 1915); Adolf Kofler (Austria, 1892); Hideo Madarame (Japan, 1944); Ed Nestor (Australia, 1920); Gema Pascual (Spain, 1979); Sergey Pesteryev (Russia, 1888); Louise Robinson (Great Britain, 1965); Ralph Therrio (USA, 1954); Zdzisław Wrona (Poland, 1962); Lars Zebroski (USA, 1941); Vasyl Zhdanov (USSR, 1963).

Daily Cycling Facts 12.01.12

Happy Birthday to... the Bicycle

On this day in 1818, Baron Karl von Drais was granted a patent for a machine he'd invented as a means of transport during a period of famine when many horses died of starvation. The machine featured a wooden wheel at either end, connected by a wooden beam upon which the user sat and used his feet to push the device along the ground. Soon becoming known as a draisine or draisienne, it was the earliest known bicycle. Drais' patent applied only in the Baden region of Germany and as such his invention was widely copied throughout the rest of the country, France and - once news spread - the rest of Europe.

Von Drais called his device a Laufmaschine or running machine, but others called it a velocipede or a dandyhorse. Curiously, we owe thanks for the invention to a volcano - Mount Tambora in Indonesia. When Tambora erupted in 1815, following a series of smaller eruptions, it ejected so much dust into the atmosphere that global temperatures dropped by an average of as much as 0.7C and harvests failed throughout the Northern Hemisphere in what became known as The Year Without A Summer. In 1848, Drais publicly renounced his nobility, stating that he wished to be known as Citizen Karl Drais in support of the French Revolution. The Prussian government viciously suppressed a revolution of their own the following year and, viewing Drais as an enemy of the establishment, seized his pension and belongings to assist in covering the costs of preventing unrest. He died destitute two years later.

David Zabriskie
Happy birthday to David Zabriskie, cyclist with Garmin-Cervélo and the first vegan in the Tour de France (well, almost - he revealed that he would eat small amounts of salmon during the 2011 Tour). Zabriskie is known for his eccentric sense of humour and unconventional ways, frequently interviewing other riders in the peloton and later posting the results on his website. He also collects Marvel action figures, his collection being stolen along with thousands of dollars of cycling equipment and Olympic memorabilia from his home in 2009 when he and wife Randi Reich were away at the Tour of California.

He won a stage in the Tour de France in 2005, beating Lance Armstrong and becoming the first American to have won stages in all three of the Grand Tours. David's career has been held back by misfortune with several crashes ending his races early - the most recent was Stage 9 in the 2011 Tour when he injured his wrist in the crash on a descent that also put Jurgen van den Broeck, Frederik Willems and Alexander Vinokourov (Vino announced his retirement afterwards but has since returned) out of the race. However (or perhaps as a result of this) he is a favourite among fans and journalists. As might be expected, he has a range of nicknames: The Green Hornet, DZ, DZNuts, Dizzy, Captain America and Zup.

Peter Mitchell, team mate of Victoria Pendleton and Chris Hoy at the Team Sky Track Team, was born on this day in 1990.

Polish Olympian Ryszard Szurkowski was born today in 1946. He won silver medals in the 1972 and 1976 Games, adding three gold and one silver at the World Cycling Amateur Championships in 1973, 1974 and 1975. He won the Peace Race four times (1970, 1971, 1973 and 1975) and the Dookoła Mazowsza, now part of the UCI Europe Tour, in 1977 and 1978.

Other birthdays: Jan van Houwelingen (Netherlands, 1955); Gabriele Aynat (Spain, 1972); Guido Bontempi (Italy, 1960); Honson Chin (Jamaica, 1956); David Cook (Great Britain, 1969); Michel Coulon (Belgium, 1947); Miguel Espinós (Spain, 1947, died 2006); Hans Flückiger (Switzerland, 1926); Guo Longchen (China, 1968); Hans-Joachim Hartnick (East Germany, 1955); Karl Klöckner (Germany, 1915); Adolf Kofler (Austria, 1892); Hideo Madarame (Japan, 1944); Ed Nestor (Australia, 1920); Gema Pascual (Spain, 1979); Sergey Pesteryev (Russia, 1888); Louise Robinson (Great Britain, 1965); Ralph Therrio (USA, 1954); Zdzisław Wrona (Poland, 1962); Lars Zebroski (USA, 1941); Vasyl Zhdanov (USSR, 1963).

Tomorrow: Marco Pantani

First vegan in the Tour (well, almost)

Garmin-Cervélo rider and time trial specialist David Zabriskie may be a long way from favourite in this year's Tour de France, but he's guaranteed one first - he's the first vegan to compete in the race.

Veganism omits all animal products from the diet, unlike vegetarianism which omits only those that require the slaughter of an animal, which means none of the meat, eggs and dairy that professional cyclists traditionally consume in enormous quantities to ensure they take onboard sufficient protein and iron. However, Zabriskie didn't adopt the diet for the usual ethical reasons - he decided to give it a try after tests revealed that food sensitivity was a likely culprit behind a series of medical problems from which he had been suffering. He then began cutting out all meat from his diet and, when beneficial results became noticeable, he cut out dairy as well.

Zabriskie at the 2007 Tour de France

"I'm seeing food in terms of how it will make me think and will it give me clarity," says the 32-year-old who has won stages in all three Grand Tours, adding that since becoming vegan the rash and canker sores from which he used to suffer have cleared up and even claiming his vision has improved. This is not without precedent - many people who adopt veganism make similar claims, suggesting that sensitivity to meat and dairy is behind a host of common ailments. It's not for everyone, however - remaining healthy on a vegan diet, especially if one is to compete in events that place such high-stress demands on the body as professional cycling does, requires thought and attention if the body is not to be starved of essential nutrients. Some people who are unwilling to give their food intake that much consideration find they become ill as a result.

The Tour de France, though, is not like other sporting events. The demands it places upon riders are beyond anything imaginable to most people, and as such Zabriskie feels that he's going to need to make allowances. Following consultation with dirt track and Superbike motorcycling champ Ben Bostrom, who has been a vegan for some years, he's decided that he will eat small amounts of fish twice a week in order to boost his ability to absorb iron and vitamins. That, unfortunately, means his success if he finishes the Tour (he finished three of the five in which he has competed. Among his Tour appearances is 2005, when he beat Lance Armstrong in the Stage 1 time trial), proponents of veganism will be reluctant to hail him as their new hero.

In an average day on the Tour, Zabriskie will eat for breakfast oatmeal with molasses, an apple, hemp and flax seeds, coconut butter, cacao nibs and nuts. For dinner he has white rice or pasta, salad with dark leafed plants and vegetables with particular emphasis on spinach, broccoli and others rich in iron. During the day, including whilst riding, he'll consume a variety of vegan energy bars, gels and shots, the vegan sports milkshake developed by triathlete and vegan advocate Brendan Brazier (made from brown rice, flax and hemp seeds) and dates. Post ride, he eats white rice flavoured with cinnamon and maple syrup (we were just thinking that all this sounds quite tasty, but the rice might take some getting used to), goji berries, protein drinks and more of the sports milshakes which are marketed in the USA as Vega shakes. With that in mind, it's pity that vegans will feel they can't give him the honour he deserves because even if he's going to eat a little bit of fish on the Tour he proves that, with care, a vegan diet is no reason why an athlete cannot perform at the top of the game. (Thanks to AwesomePower CC for the food info. Cheers, guys!)

Directeur sportif Jonathon Vaughters was at first unimpressed when news of Zabriskie's new diet reached him. However, when his rider explained what he was doing, he began to relent and gave permission, even offering the tip that Utah-born cyclist include plenty of dark-leaved plants such as spinach in his diet as these are high in iron. He also said that Zabriskie would be required to have regular blood tests to ensure levels of the globular protein ferritin, which stores and releases iron into the bloodstream allowing haemoglobin to carry oxygen to the muscles - but was surprised when the results showed that ferritin levels remained the same. Then, Zabriskie began to win more time trials than ever before, providing more evidence that although it might not be for everyone, veganism suits him very well indeed.