Table of contents for April 2019 in Cyclist

I am not a big fan of the word ‘sportive’. It feels like a mishmash of the words ‘sporting’ and ‘festive’, and somehow manages to diminish both. The image that ‘sportive’ conjures is one of sport but in a frivolous, family-friendly, come-along-and-have-a-laugh kind of way. It’s cuddly and unthreatening. It’s sport-lite. And this month, more than any other month, the word sportive does not do justice to the event that Cyclist came face-to-face with. Over the past six years we have taken on a huge number of sportives and gran fondos (a name that isn’t much better – it sounds like a cheese dip made by your mother’s mother) but nothing has come close to the Tour du Mont Blanc. On first seeing the stats, we assumed they were a…

£119.99, madison.co.uk It may come as a surprise to learn that Pearl Izumi was not founded by a samurai grandmother from the East End, but rather by Kinji Shimizu, who in 1950 started making clothes for his son to race bikes in, and who named his company after the gemstone and an area of Japan famed for its clear waters. It might also be surprising to learn that Pearl Izumi’s latest shoes cost just £120, yet weigh a mere 261g a shoe (size 43), sport a carbon-nylon sole, lightweight uppers, slick lacing and reflective detailing, and – as if that wasn’t enough – are also compatible with both two-bolt and three-bolt cleat systems. That looks like some incredible value to us.…

£9,299, cervelo.com Remember when Steve Cummings stole the Bastille Day stage at the 2015 Tour de France from under the noses of two Frenchmen? Or the hatful of sprint wins that Mark Cavendish took at the following year’s Tour? Those race highlights came courtesy of the second-generation Cervélo S5. But even a bike of that calibre needs to undergo an update sooner or later. ‘The second-gen S5 was released before the mass uptake of larger rim and tyre sizing, disc brakes and, to a certain degree, it was constrained by some UCI design regulations,’ says Cervélo product manager Phil Spearman. ‘We were confident we could address all that to find extra performance in this third-generation S5.’ He claims the new S5 is 5.5 watts faster than the old one. That’s…

If Matthew Sowter were a footballer he’d probably have won any number of Ballons d’Or by now, and multiple Players’ Player of the Year titles too. His resumé boasts an array of industry accolades, and ask any framebuilder who they admire and Sowter’s name comes up time and again. The South African came to the UK to pursue a dream of making frames, but when a series of jobs left him feeling let down by the UK framebuilding industry (one manufacturer ‘imported most of their stock frames from China’) he struck out alone under the banner of Saffron Frameworks in 2012. Since then his frames have gone from beautifully crafted custom steel to appearing in the Commonwealth Games under Dan Craven, to this, arguably the most elaborate Saffron bike to…

It’s not easy to pump up an inner tube with an industrial air compressor. That is becoming increasingly obvious as I watch my local guide, Roy, attempting to fashion a presta valve adapter from scrap parts in a car garage bin. A trio of unfortunate events has brought us here. Firstly, I managed to get a flat tyre in the first kilometre of our ride. Then my hand pump broke. Then we discovered that every bike shop in Kowloon is shut until 11am. A team of car mechanics has taken on the challenge, and they bicker in Cantonese around my wheel as they try to craft a suitable makeshift fixture to affix to my valve. Eventually they hit the button on the compressor and I have a moment of panic…

THE SPEC Model J.Laverack Grit Groupset Shimano Ultegra Di2 Deviations Hope RX4 disc brakes Wheels ÆRA carbon GR36 (650b) and ÆRA carbon GR28 (700c) Finishing kit Pro Discover alloy handlebar, Pro PLT alloy stem, Pro PLT alloy seatpost, Brooks C15 saddle, Panaracer Gravel King SK tyres Weight 9.12kg (size 56) Price £2,050 frame and forks, £6,740 as tested Contact jlaverack.co.uk ‘Jack Laverack was my grandfather’s name,’ says Oliver Laverack, explaining how he came to name his brand J.Laverack Bicycles. ‘He was my inspiration and the reason I started the company, so I named it after him. ‘He was a Yorkshireman who simply loved to ride his bike, often all day and for hundreds of miles, and who always had epic tales to tell. To me his stories captured…

Anew era has dawned at home with the birth of our first baby. In one fell swoop, this tiny musette of screaming joy has turned everything on its head – the Milk Race is back on the calendar, and every jersey I wear ends up yellow. Perhaps my brain is addled from lack of sleep, but the arrival of my son (who appears to channel Tom Dumoulin’s worst Giro nightmares) has made me contemplate the pro cycling peloton, which also seems to be reeling from the appearance of an entire nursery’s-worth of baby-faced superstars. During January I found myself awake at godforsaken hours, attempting to calm a child while watching live streams of races from far-flung places such as Australia and Argentina. Sure, Peter Sagan and Richie kept their ends…

£1,099.96, halowheels.com Halo’s new Carbaura 50mm RCD wheels are the first carbon road disc brake wheels from the 25-year-old British brand. And, despite costing a little over a grand, they boast some impressive technology. The aerodynamic rim profile is designed using computational fluid dynamics, they are tubeless-ready and have an on-trend 19mm internal rim bed. But as far as the manufacturer is concerned, one of the most important features is the unique 16-8 spoke pattern. ‘The 16-8 pattern actually influences the wheel’s stiffness more than the developments in stiffness of carbon rims,’ says Ryan Griffiths, Halo’s product design engineer. He adds that this is because the use of 16 spokes on the drive side hugely increases the torsional stiffness of the wheel compared to a 12-12 spoke pattern, but is…

1 WENDWAX ON CHAIN LUBE £20, jam-cycling.com If Mr Miyagi required a low-friction day-glo armpit that smelled of bubblegum, this is precisely what he’d use, because Wend’s Wax-On is a sweetshop-perfumed, cold-application chain wax (often waxes need to be melted to penetrate chain links) that promises a quiet, smooth-moving drivetrain with a splash of colour – there are six to choose from, as well as a more subtle grey. 2 SOCKLA SOCKS €17.95 (£15), sockla.com If we could have any superpower it would be to be made out of Meryl, which can stretch to five times its normal length yet is soft to the touch, so we could easily reach up to rescue burning ladies from old buildings and would be great at hugging it out with criminals. Next best…

At the Hilltop Hotel in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, there’s one name on everyone’s lips: Didier Munyaneza. The 20-year-old is a rising star in a country where cycling is booming both as a participation and spectator sport. ‘Didier never looks as if he’s even struggling,’ enthuses Sean Belfast, Massachusetts-born head mechanic for the national squad, Team Rwanda. ‘He’s hands down the best athlete in Rwanda,’ agrees Sterling Magnell, the team’s California-born director. ‘He has no idea how good he is. He’s just having fun winning races. You would think all the success he’s having would go to his head, but not one iota. He’s stoked 24/7.’ Nation race It’s 4th August 2018 and the air is thick with humidity and anticipation. It’s the day before the start of the…

Many regard the 1980 Road Race World Championships, held in Sallanches in the French Alps, as the hardest ever. The 268km course took riders over the Côte de Domancy – a 2.5km climb at an average of 8.6% – a soul-crushing 20 times. That meant the race amassed a huge 6,000m of climbing. Fittingly it was won by notorious hardman Bernard Hinault. Well, Monsieur Hinault, I’ll see your 6,000m of climbing, and I’ll raise you an extra 2,400m. And as for that paltry 268km, let’s add another 70km, shall we? Because that’s what I’m facing on a damp, dark morning in July. Bigger and badder Few would argue the Tour du Mont Blanc is the most gruelling single-day sportive of them all. The course is loosely based on the two…

THE SPEC Model Pinarello Dogma K10S Disk Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc Deviations None Wheels Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon SL UST Disc Finishing kit Most Talon Aero 1k integrated bar and stem, Pinarello carbon seatpost, Most Eight 3K saddle, Pirelli P Zero Velo 25mm tyres Weight 7.8kg (56cm) Price £10,500 (£5,000 frameset) Contact pinarello.com The Pinarello Dogma K10S might not be the bike you were expecting. We may as well clear that up first. The story starts back in 2015 when Pinarello unveiled the Dogma K8S, a road bike with a suspension unit at the rear that was designed to take on the savagery of the cobbled Classics. Two years later the K10S was unveiled to much fanfare. It boasted an electronic version of the suspension unit, called…

Model Focus Izalco Max 9.9 Groupset Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 Disc Deviations None Wheels DT Swiss ARC 1450 48 Finishing kit Easton EC90 Aero bar, Focus Izalco Max Custom stem, Focus Aero Carbon seatpost, Prologo Dimension saddle, Continental GP4000S II 25mm tyres Weight 7.37kg (size medium) Price £7,899 Contact focus-bikes.com What makes a good bike? According to Focus, it’s making sure that ‘each element of the frame has a purpose’. And how many elements is that, you say? It’s 56 different individual pieces if you include every part the German brand has redesigned for the Izalco Max frameset – a redesign that went right down to the flanges on the proprietary thru-axles – and 671 individual carbon plies per frame, each designed to help hit the numbers Focus was…

£699, zyrofisher.co.uk The original Tacx Flux won fans with its keen price, solid build and ride feel, and this second iteration promises all that and then some. Power accuracy has improved from +/-3% to +/-2.5%, peak power measurements run up to 2,000W (up from 1,500W) and a larger, heavier flywheel makes for a quieter, more realistic ride feel. It also ships with thru-axle adapters, previously an add-on item. Arguably the biggest change, however, comes in the form of gradients: the original Flux could simulate inclines of 10%, but the Flux 2 can now get up to 16%, meaning virtual training tools such as Zwift are that much better at mirroring life on the open road. The Flux 2 can also handle simulating much lower wattages than before, as previously some…

£324.99, extrauk.co.uk Fizik says its Versus Evo line is all about pressure relief thanks to its full-length channel, which has been formed by totally separating the saddle’s padding on each side. The 00 level is brand new and is the no-expense-spared version of the design. It trades the plastic base and carbon rails of the R1 for a carbon base and ‘Mobius’ carbon rails. That means it has a continuous loop of carbon that Fizik says delivers better weight distribution and helps eliminate pressure hotspots on the ischial bones (the sit bones). The price may be astronomical, but if it delivers on its promise of light, stiff and comfortable, it might be worth it.…

Fabian Cancellara  Age: 37 Nationality: Swiss Honours Time-Trial World Championships 1st, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 Olympic Games Time-Trial 1st, 2008, 2016 Paris-Roubaix 1st, 2006, 2010, 2013 Tour of Flanders 1st, 2010, 2013, 2014 Tour de France 8 stage wins, 2004-2012 Vuelta a España 4 stage wins, 2009, 2011, 2013 Cyclist: Some pros like to escape from cycling in retirement. You’ve stayed with it. What motivates you to get up in the morning now? Fabian Cancellara: I’m sort of in cycling and not in cycling. I’ve definitely moved on from the professional side of the sport, but the two-wheeled world is my world. All my past is connected with that. What motivates me now is to be involved in projects that will inspire people to get on two wheels. I…

Bike shows are great things – all those stands packed with lovely, shiny new bikes to look at, lift and tyre-squeeze. But wouldn’t you rather actually ride the bikes? That’s what Cyclist Track Days are all about. Come along to one of this year’s events and you’ll find a host of the world’s most desirable road bikes just waiting for you to mount and thrash around a purpose-built race track, with no traffic or potholes to worry about. We’ve got top-end bikes from the likes of Colnago, Bianchi, Cannondale, Pinarello and BMC, with more to be announced. And each of the brands present will bring a range of models and sizes, so you can spend the whole day blasting around on dozens of different bikes and still not get through…

Wilier is one of the true Italian heritage brands, yet this design is as modern as it gets. The Cento10 Pro is a fully-fledged disc brake aero bike, with completely concealed cabling, electronic shifting and slick aerodynamic tubing. And it was perfectly suited to this ride. While at a shade under 8kg it’s not the lightest bike on the market, that weight isn’t really noticeable in terms of the ride quality. With a stiff rear end and bar/stem combo, the Cento10 Pro responded very well to hard climbing efforts, but it was when it came to descents that the bike really shone. Wilier has always made bikes with snappy handling characteristics and the Cento10 is no exception. On the descent from Tai Mo Shan I was able to carve into…

2008 Aged 25, Van Vleuten joins her first pro team Vrienden van het Platteland. 2011 Makes her major breakthrough with Nederland Bloeit, winning the Tour of Flanders and the Women’s Road World Cup. 2014 Wins the Belgium Tour and earns the first of her three national time-trial titles. 2016 At the Rio Olympics she crashes out of the road race when leading. She claims her second Belgium Tour a month later. 2017 Wins her first world time-trial title in Bergen, as well as the Holland Ladies Tour and Great Ocean Road Race. 2018 Enjoys her most successful campaign to date, winning the Giro Rosa, La Course, the Worlds time-trial title, and the Women’s WorldTour.…

Twenty-five thousand pounds… you could buy a nice car for that. Or 2.2% of a really nice and really expensive car, such as the £1.15m Aston Martin One-77. Or for £25,000 you could have bought that car’s companion piece, the Factor Aston Martin One-77 road bike. Made by British motorsport specialists bf1systems, when the Factor One-77 appeared in 2012 it was easily the most expensive, most advanced production road bike of its day. It had hydraulic lines ‘baked’ into the twin-down tube monocoque frame, and a computer moulded into the one-piece bar-stem that measured everything from humidity to lean angle. At 9.1kg the One-77 was also rather heavy, the front rotor was on the wrong side and it had all the handling characteristics and comfort of a barn door. ‘We’re…

When I sat down to consider what bike to use for the Tour du Mont Blanc I narrowed it down to three key attributes. It had to have disc brakes, it had to be as light as possible for the climbing and it had to be comfortable enough for 12 hours or more in the saddle. I decided to call on an old friend, a bike I’ve ridden a lot before. The SuperSix Hi-Mod Evo proved to be perfect. With Sram Red eTap and Zipp finishing kit (including Zipp’s superb 202 NSW wheels with 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres), it tipped the scales at less than 7kg, extremely light for a disc brake bike. The solidity of the build shone through both climbing and descending. Uphill I was never…