Table of contents for July 2017 in Cycling Plus

SPECIFICATION Weight 10.45kg (XL) Frame Aluxx aluminium Fork Giant carbon composite Gears Shimano Tiagra 50/34, 11-32 Brakes TRP Spyre C mechanical disc, 160mm rotors Wheels Giant SX-2 Finishing kit Giant Connect stem, XR bar, Contact Neutral saddle, D-profile carbon seatpost, 32mm P-SLX2 tyres The AnyRoad certainly looks different, with the huge bow shaped top-tube flowing from head-tube to rear dropouts creating a very low-slung frame. This not only gives great standover clearance, but also makes the AnyRoad seriously manoeuvrable. The ergonomically-shaped XR bar has just enough flare for ample wrist clearance when you’re down in the shallow drops. It features a cyclo-cross style top, with a pronounced flat on the ends that makes it much more secure when you’re bouncing across the rough stuff. Shimano’s Tiagra with a road-friendly 50/34,…

ALE ALEJANDRO At 37 Alejandro Valverde continued the finest season of his career in April, devouring races at every turn. This month saw a first Tour of the Basque Country, a fifth Flèche Wallonne and a fourth Liège. RENEWED ENERGY The Tour of Britain and the Women’s Tour have secured a title sponsor. Br_stol-based energy supplier OVO Energy is on board and will see the race’s gold leader’s jersey replaced with green this year. SI TO THE TOUR There will be a Yates at the Tour de France after all. Simon, who was to ride the Giro, has been summoned to the Tour by his Orica-Scott team, as back-up to Esteban Chaves, who has a knee injury, for this year. MICHELE SCARPONI The tragic death of Michele Scarponi at the…

The DZero is the latest in the line of Quarq’s 10 years of power meter design. This £858 model features in-built cadence measurement, so no more magnets, increased accuracy to within 1.5 per cent of both legs, improved battery life – up to 200 hours from a replaceable CR2032 cell – and improved temperature compensation. We’ll be testing it to see if Quarq’s claims do improve what we already rate as one of the best meters around.…

Share your favourite climbs – email cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk BISHOP’S ROAD Here’s a climb blessed with stunning views of the Dorset AONB and English Channel - you just won’t see any of it until you reach the top because it’s all going on behind you. Climbing starts almost as soon as you’ve left the village of Abbotsbury, but for the first half mile it’s all rather benign, with just the odd short section forcing you out of the saddle. With a third of the mile distance to go, it begins to take on walllike attributes, with close to 100m at over 20 per cent. At the top the views are reward for your toil - having gained almost 500ft, the flatter fields stretching all the way to the coast emphasise the work…

I’m living a double dream. I’m fortunate that I’m still living a couple of my boyhood dreams. I’m still part of football and earning a living from it and I’m still cycling just as I did when I was a kid. Through the bike I gained ‘The Knowledge’. Pretty much everywhere I know in London I learned from going on bike rides as a kid with my mate Glen. We’d ride all over the place. I’m not sure I’d feel as safe doing it now, but back then it was a great thing for a kid to be able to do. I needed to work on my cycling footwork. When I got back into cycling as an adult I had difficulty getting used to being clipped-in to the pedals. I…

SPECIFICATION Weight 8.08kg (56cm) Frame Cervélo All- Carbon Disc Fork C3 Carbon Disc Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2, 50/34, 11-28 Brakes Shimano RS805 hydraulic, 140mm rotors Wheels HED Ardennes Plus GP Disc Finishing kit FSA SL-K stem, FSA Energy Compact bar, 28mm Continental Grand Sport Race tyres Thru-axles increase lateral stiffness, maintaining disc alignment and energy efficiency With a reputation of high-performance, world-beating road and time trial bikes, the C3 is something of a departure for Cervélo. The C3 isn’t just a tarmac tool, it aims to satisfy riders looking to extend their road riding by leaving it completely. Cervélo’s trademark Squoval down-tube combines the rigidity of square tubes with the torsional resistance of round ones, the seattube changes from round to a wide rectangle, and both almost fill the BBright…

SPECIFICATION Weight 6.58kg (55cm) Frame Orbea Orca carbon OMR Fork Orbea Orca OMR Gears SRAM Red eTap 50/34, 11-28 Brakes SRAM Red Wheels Fulcrum Racing Quattro Carbon Finishing kit FSA 0S99 CSI stem, FSA Energy Compact bar, Selle Italia SLR saddle, 23mm Vittoria Corsa Competition G+ tyres Those relatively conventional lines cloak a frameset of real finesse T he latest Orca’s lines are more, well, normal, than some Orcas of old, which stood out with angular tube shapes and profiles that may have defeated radar. This bike’s glossy black paint accentuates the flowing curves, with only a hint of designs past behind the head-tube. The Orca’s wide, flat top-tube and rounded down-tube flare massively where they meet the slim hourglass head-tube, and with the outwardly curved fork legs, suggest plenty…

SPECIFICATION Weight 6.71kg (56cm) Frame 600 Series OCLV carbon Fork Domane carbon Gears SRAM Red 50/34, 11-28 Brakes Bontrager Speed Stop direct-mount Wheels Bontrager Aeolus 3 TLR Finishing kit Bontrager RXL stem, IsoCore bar, Affinity Pro saddle, 28mm Bontrager R3 Hard-Case Lite tyres The oversized IsoSpeed head-tube area provides massive front end rigidity T he original 2012 Domane revolutionised endurance road bikes, but its innovative bump-eating rear end wasn’t matched by the IsoSpeed fork. Trek’s answer to this imbalance is IsoSpeed within the head-tube. The new front decoupler has a rocker cup fixed to each side of the headtube by individual pivots, with the upper headset bearing on top. The steerer tube rotates as normal, but can flex fore and aft independently, with no lateral movement. Trek has redesigned the…

£99.99 HIGHS Well-priced, wellventilated and attractive MIPS lid LOWS Lots of MIPS contact, low brow pad Construction Lazer has taken design elements from its rangetopping Z1, combined them with a front and sides that have a hint of the Genesis, and a unique rear end to create the Blade. An in-moulded polycarbonate shell protects the outer surface and edges of the scruffily finished EPS core, but the underside is mostly left to fend for itself. Fit and security Fit is adjusted by sliding the rear occipital cradle to the most appropriate of its five heights, and tightening the plastic band that encircles the head’s diameter with the top-mounted Rollsys barrel adjuster. Between the head and EPS shell is the MIPS’s perforated yellow plastic layer, with four slim X-Static pads, and…

£429 › Feature-rich GPS with a built-in video camera HIGHS Huge feature set, crisp display LOWS Video capability limited, frustrating interface, price SILVER SCREEN 1 The 3in touchscreen is crisp and responsive, but you’ll need to take your gloves off to use it. CAMERA TIME 2 The forwardfacing camera records 720p video footage in short clips, and can be triggered manually or according to presets. PHONE-AFRIEND 3 The X5 accepts a 3G SIM card for direct uploads and downloads, and linking to other devices. Inside information + PRESS RECORD The X5’s built-in camera records 720p HD video in clips of three, six or nine seconds. Filming can be started manually, or triggered by any number of preset conditions, for example when you hit a certain speed or gradient. The footage…

our saddle, of the three contact points on the bike – pedals, handlebar and saddle – bears the most weight and can, potentially, have the most damaging effect on your comfort. Finding a saddle solution depends on your physiology, objectives and ride position, with different theories and solutions used by different manufacturers and fitters, all attempting to solve the conundrum. Methods include measuring sit bone width, pelvic rotation - the position of your pelvis as it would be on the saddle – spinal flexibility, weight distribution, thigh diameter and rider feedback. Saddle sores had plagued my riding, and it felt like bike fitter, Royce Murphy, (velocitysportscycling.com), who’d read about my suffering and offered his services, could provide a solution. He’s one of a handful of fitters in the UK to…

One Pro Cycling nutritionist Will Girling explains the principles of periodised nutrition If you’re going for a low-carbohydrate approach you’ll quickly see your power drop off during intensive sessions or longer rides with some tempo e_orts. So, rather than cutting the carbs down completely, choose how you fuel depending on the session you’re doing. If it’s a highintensity session, short or long, then take on carbs to fuel it. Easy, low-intensity rides can be carb-fasted, because at lower intensities you’re able to still use fat as a source of energy, making the demand for carbohydrates less. Even after a couple of hours easy riding, you’ll probably be low on carbohydrate, so you could ride carb-fasted and then take some on board, or try and tough it out for as long…

BODY WORKS Paul Hough, lead sport/ exercise physiologist at St Mary’s University and author of Advanced Personal Training explains how… WHAT IT IS? This area consists of a large, complex group of muscles, tendons and ligaments, which are part of a cylinder of musculature (collectively known as ‘the core’) that surrounds the lumbar spine. HOW IT WORKS? These soft tissues work together to support the spine, maintain posture and initiate movement. Cycling involves prolonged periods of static flexion (forward bending) of the lower back – particularly among those who prefer an ‘aggressive drop’ position. WHAT GOES WRONG? Cyclists who have more flexion in the lumbar spine have a greater likelihood of developing lower back pain (LBP), experiencing weakness, imbalance and stiffness within the core muscles, or a combination of these.…

MAINTENANCE YOUR EXPERT Sebastian Nittke is team mechanic with the Canyon//SRAM UCI Women’s WorldTour pro team 1 KEEP IT CLEAN To keep your chain running smoothly it is essential to clean it regularly and lubricate it well. Use a specific chain cleaning fluid and a brush or sponge to spread it on. 2 RING THE CHANGES Don’t forget that you will need to pay just as much attention to your chainrings, pulleys and the cassette as you do to the chain itself. 3 DRY OFF Once dry, put a good bike lube on the chain system to avoid rust, then shift through all the gears once. After riding in wet conditions, you will need to dry and lube the chain every time. 4 CHECK FOR WEAR To check if your…

I s there an accepted hand signal for a goose on the track?” I glanced quizzically at fellow rider Matt from Putney, puzzled by his question. “I only ask because there’s a goose on the track.” I looked ahead, and sure enough, there on the banking, unconcerned by the onrushing peloton, was a Canada goose, sauntering along the blue line of the Herne Hill track in a heretic clockwise direction. “Goose On The Track!” I hollered in warning, at the same time as roughly 20 other men in their forties and fifties, and half a dozen women. My right arm flailed in a loose approximation of a migratory bird recently arrived from Africa. Mercifully, and mystifyingly, the incident passed without anyone falling, not even a ruffled feather. But it got…

Had he not retired at the end of 2016, the opening time trial in Düsseldorf would have had Fabian Cancellara salivating. Since his winning Tour de France debut in Liège 2004, ‘Spartacus’, a bonafide superstar of his generation, gobbled up prologue after prologue, putting him in the yellow jersey time after time. Nobody has worn the yellow jersey for as many stages (29) as the Swiss pro without winning in Paris. However, as he explains in this chapter from Fabian Cancellara (Bloomsbury, £36), an authorised book of his career, his love for the race was never unconditional… Initially there was a lot of love between the Tour de France and the Swiss cyclist. “It was a special race for me, for the sponsors, and it fitted perfectly into my schedule.…

4 Stages that Mark Cavendish needs to tie with Eddy Merckx in number of Tour de France stage wins. The Cannibal, who has a joint record five Tour wins, is dismissive at the idea of the sprinter surpassing him. 17 Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie) will equal the record for most number of Tour participations, if selected. A Tour constant since 2001, he would tie with the retired Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady. 14 Million goodies distributed by the Tour’s race caravan. It passes just ahead of the race to keep the spectating masses entertained, doling out everything from ice cream to souvenir pens. 3516 Distance in kilometres of this year’s race. The last time the Tour began in Germany (Berlin, 1987) 4231km were covered, which remains the longest of the…

SPECIFICATION WEIGHT 10.3kg (54cm) FRAME A1 Premium aluminium FORK FACT carbon, alloy steerer GEARS Shimano Sora nine-speed, Praxis Alba 48/32, 11-32 BRAKES Tektro Mira mechanical disc WHEELS Axis Sport Disc FINISHING KIT Specialized shallow drop alloy bar, 3D-forged alloy stem, alloy seatpost, Toupé Sport saddle, 28mm Specialized Espoir Sport tyres It’s built for cruising The Diverge’s tall front end, short stem (80mm on a 54) and ample weight (10.3kg) offer a riding experience that’s more about sitting up and admiring the scenery than battling for personal bests. There’s something refreshing about a bike without go-faster pretensions, one that encourages you to enjoy the ride rather than making your suffering more efficient. Having said that, the Diverge’s frame is pretty stiff, so is a more accomplished climber than its mass would…

1 Strap on tools Do you think saddlebags are just a little bit gauche? Are your pockets unbearably full when you head out on ride? Well, look no further as the Premio Seat Roll is a posh tool wrap that attaches underneath your saddle, and unfurls neatly to reveal its contents. 2 Dial-up connection The Premio tightens securely in place using a Boa ratchet dial of the kind more commonly found on good quality cycling shoes. An additional centre strap means there’s no chance of it inadvertently spilling its contents, while a protective pad on the Boa wires protects your saddle rails 3 Wax works The Premio’s waxed canvas construction is designed to be tough and waterproof, while quilted re"ective stitching adds a little extra visibility and a red lining…

HOW BIG? Turn it up to 11? (This is the standard pulley size.) Not for CeramicSpeed’s OPWS – Oversized Pulley Wheel System. Its Dura-Acecompatible 13/19-tooth system reduces drag but costs an equally big $499. GARMIN GETS BRIGHTER Garmin’s $149 Varia 800- lumen UT800 front light can work on its own, but you can pair it with an Edge computer. Garmin claims this automatically adjusts its beam based on speed and light conditions. IT’S A CINCH Race Face has expanded its CINCH crank-based power system to work with Easton parts. The new CINCH is compatible with 1x and 2x systems, can be used on road or off and is neatly hidden inside the spindle. FOR ALL THE LATEST BIKE & GEAR NEWS VISIT…

The Pike’s frame features more curves than the road to Alpe d’Huez and it’s made from a combination of double-butted Reynolds 853 and certified aerospace-grade 4130 chromoly steel. Swansea-based Paulus Quiros likes the material, as it uses stainless steel for the dropouts, bottle bosses and braze-ons. The wheels and lightweight Lattice chainring are both from the Shanghaibased company Factory 5. As with any Paulus Quiros bike the Pike is custom-made to individual customer’s requirements, and you can test ride them on the nearby Carmarthen velodrome, the oldest in Wales.…

SPECIFICATION Weight 7.73kg (56cm) Frame FACT 11r carbon, thru-axle, Future Shock suspension Fork Roubaix disc, FACT 11r carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra 50/34, 11-28 Brakes Shimano RS805 disc, 160mm/140mm Wheels Roval CL32 Rapide Disc Finishing kit Specialized bar, stem, saddle and tyres Once some weight is applied to the bar, you’re essentially suspended We were never that convinced by the original Roubaix’s Zertz inserts, and the big S has now decided that its best vibrationabsorbing solution involves a bona fide spring. Specialized began by creating its lightest ever frame with the stiffest FACT 11r carbon, which seems unwise for something aiming to soak up rough roads. Apparently considerably stiffer than the outgoing SL4 Roubaix, with new geometry but the same fit, the new model is more revolutionary than evolutionary. The fork’s…

SPECIFICATION Weight 6.3kg (M) Frame Helium SLX carbon Fork Helium SLX carbon Gears SRAM Red eTap, 52/36, 11-28 Brakes SRAM Red Wheels 4ZA Cirrus Pro 30 Finishing kit 4ZA Ursus integrated bar and stem, 4ZA Cirrus Pro carbon seatpost, 4ZA Cirrus Pro saddle, 25mm Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres It looks and rides like a bike designed to romp through rolling countryside T he Helium SLX is the most successful combination of a Ridley frame with in-house brand 4ZA finishing kit and wheels so far. It not only looks like a bike designed to romp through rolling countryside and soak up abuse, it rides like one too, only faster, and with more ease. The 4ZA Cirrus Pro 30 wheelset is a £500 option, replacing the Fulcrum Racing 5s listed, and feature…

SPECIFICATION Weight 7.54kg (56cm) Frame Roadmachine 01, Tuned Compliance Concept 01 carbon Fork Roadmachine 01 carbon Gears Shimano Dura-Ace 50/34, 11-28 Brakes Shimano RS805, 160/140mm rotors Wheels DT Swiss RC38C Spline Finishing kit BMC stem, 3T bar, 28mm Continental GP 4000S II tyres Aerodynamics have been considered within the unfussy, neat design L ooking like a futuristic, stylised bike concept drawing with clean lines and no cables, BMC’s new three-model range is topped by the integrated and gloriously sleek Roadmachine 01, designed to split the difference between the altitudefriendly SLR01 all-rounder, and cobble-taming GF01 endurance bike. The frame is compatible with mechanical shifting, but in this Shimano Di2 guise there’s barely a wire or hose to be seen, as integration was top of BMC’s development list. Available on this model…

HIGHS Sharp, snappy shifting LOWS Finish is starting to wear, brake QR SHIMANO’S MECHANICAL FLAGSHIP HAS BEEN the most used top-flight group for decades, but the advent of electronic variants and rivals from SRAM and Campagnolo has seen it take a bit of a back seat. But ignore the mechanical R9100 at your peril. The rear mech has adopted a more angular, flatter and flusher-fitting profile from its sister mountain bike group, XTR. The Shadow design sits far more in board than the older style, so it’s better protected in the event of a driveside crash. If your frame has internal routing with a chainstay exit the much smaller amount of external cable you use – Shimano claims you’ll use 4g less cable – not only looks slicker, it helps…

£124.99 › Syncros win? HIGHS Reasonable price, low weight, aggressive look LOWS Rear hole lets in spray, firm ride WE SAY A light, minimal saddle for riders prioritising support over cushioning SCOTT’S COMPONENTS ARM Syncros offers parts and accessories covering everything other than framesets and groupsets. The RR1.0 saddle tops its road racing (RR) range, and has a carbon fibre-reinforced nylon shell and 7x9mm carbon fibre rails. It’s 275mm long and available in either 128mm or 139mm widths, our narrower example weighed in 13g over its claimed weight at 168g, which is still pretty light. As a guide, Syncros says the 128mm model suits riders with sit bone widths between 9-12cm, and the wider version those measuring 11-14cm, so there is some crossover, and if you’re in the middle ground,…

£294.99 › New top-flight shoes from Italy WE SAY Stiff and supportive, these are some of the best race shoes around HIGHS Sole stiffness, close fit, light weight LOWS Price, Northwave’s SLW2 dial isn’t as easy to use as a Boa THE NEW RR FEATURES A thin (0.5mm), highly elasticated upper constructed from a single piece of material, with just a double-skinned section to reinforce the heel cup. Northwave’s aim was to create a shoe that’s as close fitting and compliant as any custom-fitted option. The designers devised a mesh pattern of ribbon-like material, which is bonded to the skin to control the fit. This is all paired with a single SLW2 dial (Northwave’s proprietary design) that pulls the upper to fit using a patented configuration of the Dyneema cable…

L izzie Deignan, née Armitstead. Tiffany Cromwell. Marianne Vos. Nicole Cooke. Emma Pooley. The women in the pro peloton are on an upward trajectory with more coverage and support than ever before, and the interest from the bike industry is due in no small part to the fact that more women than ever before are cycling. The Breeze initiative inspired 31,000 women to get on their bikes over 2015/16 and British Cycling has seen a 43 per cent increase in the number of women holding a race licence. When we ride, we see women commuting by bike, on club rides and racing. More women riding means a bigger market for brands to sell bikes to, offering more choices from budget options right through to high-end carbon dream machines. This increase also…

FITNESS 1 GET A GRIP This exercise helps to tone the thighs, legs and calves, and build a stronger core. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold the heavy end of a kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest. 2 STRAIGHT BACK With your elbows pointing down, lower your body into a squat. Make sure that you keep your chest and head up and your back straight. 3 ALL RISE At the bottom position, pause and use your elbows to push your knees out. Return to the start position, and repeat for 10-20 repetitions.…

TOUR DE FRANCE 2017 When we canvassed pundits for their predictions for this year’s race (see p28), few, unsurprisingly, could see past Chris Froome making it four yellow jerseys from five goes, as he continues to relentlessly target the race, at the expense of all else. We might as well call the whole thing off and crown him champ now, right? Well, let’s not be hasty. As ever, he’ll have to fend off challenges from all directions and will need to be at his unflappable best to do so. On the road he’ll have his strongest opponents yet in Alejandro Valverde, Richie Porte, Alberto Contador and Nairo Quintana, not to mention having to negotiate Christian Prudhomme’s unfamiliar, inventive route. Off the bike, he’ll have all the baggage that comes with…

NEW KIT From Shimano’s mechanical Dura-Ace R9100 groupset (p86) to urban cycling sunglasses (p92) and Mavic’s Cosmic Carbon Exalith wheels (p98), see my pick of the latest kit. Warren Rossiter, Senior technical editor GROUP TEST Preparing for long summer rides, I’ve tested a selection of eight jerseys and eight pairs of bib shorts, to see which perform best for the coming season (p110). Ian Osborne, Freelance writer BIKE TEST Rounding off our Bike of the Year testing, I’ve taken to the tarmac on 10 money-no-object superbikes, ranging from £4700 to £11,000 (p46). Robin Wilmott, Technical writer RATINGS EXPLAINED EXCEPTIONAL A genuine class leader VERY GOOD One of the best you can buy GOOD It’ll do the job very well BELOW AVERAGE Flawed in some way POOR Simply put, don’t bother…

Where I’m based in York, 2017’s longest day – Wednesday 21 June – lasts 17 hours, 8 minutes and 18 seconds. Your reaction to that news reveals your personality type: Half-full optimist – “Brilliant, it’s summer!” Half-empty pessimist – “Terrible. The nights will start drawing in!” Pedant – “No, the latest sunset is on 24 June at 21:40:40. Nights only start drawing in then.” Cyclist – “Right. We’ll do a quick spin along the river before breakfast, ride out to the pub in the evening, and do a throughthe- nighter on the Friday...” All my best friends happen to be cyclists, which is probably why they’re my best friends. When we get together, every conversation ends up planning a route. ‘Barmouth to Yarmouth’ was one halfjoking result. It became a…

SPECIFICATION Weight 7.61kg (56cm) Frame SuperSix Evo Disc carbon Fork SuperSix Evo Disc carbon Gears Shimano Ultegra Di2 52/36,11-28 Brakes Shimano RS805 disc, 160/140mm rotors Wheels Cannondale HollowGram Si cabon clinchers Finishing kit Cannondale C2 stem and bar, 25mm Schwalbe One tubeless tyres Cannondale didn’t just tweak the exisiting frame, it went through a total redesign A part from shifting the brake callipers from rim edge to dropouts, there’s little to distinguish the SuperSix Evo Disc frameset’s profile from its SuperSix Evo cousin. But Cannondale didn’t just tweak the existing frame, it went through a total redesign resulting in a 56cm frameset weight of 1189g, just 92g more than the rim-braked model. An equivalent rim-braked SuperSix Evo HM bike can weigh up to half a kilogram less than this bike’s…

SPECIFICATION Weight 6.14kg (ML) Frame Advanced SL-Grade Composite Fork Advanced SL-Grade Composite Gears SRAM_Red 52/36, 11-28 Brakes SRAM Red Wheels Giant SLR 0 WheelSystem Finishing kit Giant Contact SLR carbon stem and bar, Giant Contact SLR Forward saddle, 25mm Giant Gavia SLR tubeless tyres The TCR seems to have been around forever, but has kept evolving without losing its soul T he polite reaction to the TCR’s mandatory heft test is ‘wow’, as in our ML size its 6.14kg mass must have professional team mechanics worrying how to bring it up to the UCI’s 6.8kg minimum weight limit. There’s no crazy component spec, Giant’s lightest ever road frame with its Variant integrated seatpost is a good start. The OverDrive 2 oversized carbon steerer and stem, plus carbon bar and carbon-railed…

SPECIFICATION Weight 7.21kg (L) Frame Carbon monocoque Fork Carbon monocoque Gears SRAM Red eTap, 50/34, 11-28 Brakes TRP direct-mount Wheels DT Swiss RRC 65 Dicut C Finishing kit Wilier Alabarda integrated bar and stem, Astute Star Ti saddle, 28mm Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres Wilier’s carbon layup and dropped seatstays make it impressively cosseting Italian sharpness, aero styling, and Swiss and American components combine in a stunning-looking bike. Aside from the tapering top-tube and beefy asymmetric chainstays, every element of the frameset that faces oncoming airflow has been designed using NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) profiles trimmed to Kamm Tail shapes to comply with the UCI’s 3:1 tube ratio rules. The Alabarda integrated bar and stem continues the theme, with a proprietary headset top cap and spacers beneath its neatly-shaped…

SPECIFICATION Weight 6.54kg (55cm) Frame Bianchi Oltre XR4 carbon with Countervail Fork Bianchi carbon aero Gears Campagnolo Super Record EPS Brakes Campagnolo Record Wheels Campagnolo Bora Ultra 50 Dark Finishing kit Vision Metron 5D bar and stem, 25mm Vittoria Corsa G+ Isotech Graphene tyres The XR4 is stiff, solid and largely unrelenting; it’s a sprinter’s dream T he Oltre’s previous XR, XR1 and XR2 iterations toyed with aerodynamics, but the XR4 has gone all the way. Bianchi borrowed the hourglass head-tube and outward curving fork legs that reduce turbulence between fork and front wheel from its Aquila CV time trial bike, and the fork crown matches the shape of Campagnolo’s directmount brake. Further minimising frontal area is Vision Metron’s 5D integrated aero carbon bar and stem, with its broad, forward-swept…

£124.99 HIGHS Great security, excellent airflow, unobtrusive MIPS LOWS A little more bulbous, pricier WE SAY Giro’s Cinder MIPS blends familial style with all-round ride performance Construction Following the popular Synthe, the Cinder continues Giro’s backswept look, this time with slimmer elements and a rounded, compact tail. The EPS foam core is more neatly finished than the Lazer, and all its exposed areas are protected by the in-moulded polycarbonate shell. Fit and security Giro’s Roc Loc 5 has a robust occipital cradle that adjusts to three heights and tightens the headband with a rotary dial. The MIPS [Multi-directional Impact Protection System] layer is a transparent smoke colour, so blends with the dark EPS. The X-Static brow pad and V-shaped upper pad contain silver for its antimicrobial, odour-eliminating and temperatureregulating properties.…

BBB BSG-46 STREET £29.95 The budget price hides top performing glasses, with the polarised lenses offering 100 per cent UV protection. The lenses eliminate glare but flatten textures a bit. They’re light (22.5g) so bounce around when riding over bumpy surfaces, and their smooth matt finish doesn’t grip that well. For tarmac rides, they’re well-priced and stylish. UVEX LGL 29 £29.99 The LGL29’s red mirror finish lenses look good, but do come up dark so are best suited for sunny days. The matt finish frame is lightly sprung, so holds well on smoother roads but can bump around when things get rougher. The pronounced sweep to the lenses makes them great when riding at speed and the 25.2g weight is barely noticeable. LAZER FRANK £39.99 The Franks are the sportiest…

£1080 › Mavic’s long awaited update WE SAY With the Exalith brake track, these are one of the best stopping wheelsets around HIGHS Stiff and strong, excellent wet weather braking LOWS Occasional brake noise UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO, the Cosmic was the go-to aero wheel for all-round riding. However, as the aerodynamic stability of its rivals improved, plus the switch to wider rims to better shape tyres, the previous generation Cosmic fell out of favour with its sharp, narrow rim shape becoming a handful in crosswinds. The new Cosmic addresses these issues with a 25mm-wide, blunted profile rim and 17mm internal width, which when mounted with the included 25mm tyres, create a smooth transition between tyre and rim. Mavic combines the new rim with bladed spokes and its own…

It takes two seconds from walking through the door of Vélobici’s immaculate 18th century townhouse shop in the pretty rural Midlands town of Market Bosworth to realise this is a labour of love. Rows of the brand’s signature cycling kit mix with owner Chris Puttnam’s collection of steel racing bikes, attention to detail evident everywhere you look. It is attention to detail that has seen one man’s vision become something of a byword for British cycle clothing excellence in recent years. Everything Vélobici produces is British to its core. “Being made in England was a big thing for me,” Chris tells us over a pre-ride coffee in what was once the house’s front room but which now houses most of the brand’s off-bike wear. “Back when we were looking at…

A RIDE WITH.. . 1 PACING I use a heart rate monitor and power meter, but it’s important to know how it feels when you go too hard. Think about your ride in terms of time rather than distance covered – the same amount of effort could take you 200 or 250 miles depending on the weather – and break it into manageable chunks. I use periods of four hours, but if you’re not covering as much ground each day you could use two-hour, one-hour or 30-minute chunks. 2 FUELLING Fuelling on the bike is important, but for multi-day rides you need to take this seriously off the bike too. Being disciplined about hydration is crucial, as any cyclist knows it can be easy not to drink enough, especially when it’s…

1 MOUTH FUELS For a ride in excess of three hours ensure you’ve fuelled with a carbohydrate-rich meal, ideally two hours before. It is hard to keep the intensity down so you’ll be dipping into limited glycogen reserves from the off. 2 MIND SET Visualise your technique and get in the zone, running through how you expect to feel and what you’re trying to achieve. 3 PLAN AHEAD Split the climb into three sections and aim to ride the first well below your threshold power [your highest possible power sustained over 45-60mins] or heart rate, the second just below threshold and on the third section ride at threshold until you see the top, then open it up and see what you can do! 4 CHANGE GEAR If you hit a…

NED BOULTING, TOUR DE FRANCE COMMENTATOR, ITV “I want the Tour de France to be raced as the Giro and the Vuelta have been in recent years; ambitiously, unpredictably, full of questionable form and desperate motivation from a range of contenders. I want a race in which Chris Froome’s rivals don’t consider themselves beaten before they start, I’m looking at you Nairo Quintana... The Colombian showed at the Vuelta last year that he can beat Froome and Sky, and needs to take that self-belief forward. “The interest might lie elsewhere: Peter Sagan, Greg Van Avermaet, Julian Alaphilippe, Steve Cummings, if he mends in time. And there’ll be a few debuts, I would imagine, by the next generation of fast men – Fernando Gaviria and Caleb Ewan. Mark Cavendish, should he…