Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Cyclist

This issue, I’ve been embracing my inner youth, as well as my inner fusty old man. I can only assume I’m going through a cycling midlife crisis as I swing between acting my age and refusing to grow up. Firstly, there’s my trip to the Scottish island of Islay (p100) – undertaken last summer – where the challenge is less about scaling epic peaks and more about getting around as many distilleries as possible before the last ferry departs. This is me in full-on old buffer mode, and it’s the kind of thing that a younger me would have rolled my eyes at – a bunch of guys pootling around on bikes, tasting malt whisky and gassing about smoky top notes. Then there’s my review of the new YT Szepter…

The Utopia was developed in 2018 to combine aerodynamic efficiency with ventilation. The fact that it became the go-to helmet for WorldTour team Ineos Grenadiers in fast, flat races (when they also had helmets such as Kask’s well-regarded Protone Icon to choose from) suggests that Kask got the blend about right. Five years later, the release of the Utopia Y could be seen as further evidence of the original’s efficacy because, superficially, little has changed. Its sculpted shape is the same but there have been changes under the surface – chiefly the incorporation of the Octofit+ retention system that the aforementioned Protone Icon debuted. Kask says Octofit+ uses a larger rotational dial that is coated in a grippier rubber to make it easier to adjust, and the cradle arrangement has…

Efficiency is a hot topic in the realm of road shoes but is discussed less often in the more relaxed world of gravel cycling. Self-proclaimed Italian underdog – quite literally called Udog – is aiming to change that. ‘We created a wrapping system that, when pulling up on the pedal, locks the foot into place to get the most efficient stroke possible,’ says Udog founder and CEO Alberto Fonte. The brand’s new Distanza gravel shoes borrow the Tension Wrapping System (TWS) from Udog’s Tensione road shoe. TWS constitutes a matrix of TPU-laminated straps that loop under the foot to ensure the upper hugs the foot, rather than closes down upon it, when the Distanza’s laces are tightened. The Distanza’s upper is made from a water-repellent knitted material and claims to…

‘I don’t do it for money,’ says Darren Ryden. ‘It’s hard to make a profit building bikes the way I do it. Most frame-builders will have a common template and then they’ll tweak the geometry for the customer. I like to do everything a little bit custom, a little bit different, and that doesn’t scale well. For me it’s a passion project.’ For the past five years Ryden has created bespoke bikes from his home in Berkshire. An IT professional by day, he spends his spare time taking on one-off projects for customers with big ideas. Previous ones include a 650b flat-bar gravel bike built for Grinduro, an autumn-specific WRC Subaru-blue road bike and, most recently, this Lucienne Day-inspired Columbus XCr racer with a custom 3D printed headset. ‘I work…

Race Gent-Wevelgem, Belgium, 26th March 2023 Photographer Zac Williams ‘I took this just after Christophe Laporte and Wout van Aert crossed the line at the end of a sodden and freezing edition of Gent-Wevelgem. The temperature didn’t get far above 4°C throughout the day, and the rain, while never too heavy, was relentless. ‘As with every race to this point in the year’s cobbled Classics season, Jumbo-Visma put on a masterclass. It was a privilege to be there to capture the emotion after the pair recreated their exploits of the 2022 E3 Saxo Classic, finishing first and second, this time with Laporte being given the opportunity to take the win. ‘You can’t help but think it was Van Aert’s way of ensuring 100% commitment from his teammate in the biggest…

It was in October 1985 that the organisers of the Tour de France announced that the 1987 race start would take place in West Berlin. Still divided by its famous wall at the time, Berlin would be marking the 750th anniversary of its official founding that year and the western part of the city wanted the Grand Départ as part of the celebrations. Felix Levitan, then co-director of the race, said he hoped the move would encourage teams from the Eastern Bloc to enter the Tour and promote ‘understanding between peoples’, although it turned out that no such teams made it to the 1987 start line. Among the teams that did make the start was the Carrera squad of Stephen Roche. Just weeks earlier the Irishman had won the Giro…

2007 The Addict launches and is the lightest production frame in the world at 790g. The CR1 is equipped with Campagnolo Record and a Ritchey WCS finishing kit. 2009 Mark Cavendish wins Milan-San Remo, three stages of the Giro d’Italia and six stages of the Tour de France. The Addict racks up 87 wins. 2010 Cavendish wins five stages of the Tour de France and the green jersey at the Vuelta a España on an Addict RC. 2014 The Scott Addict SL is introduced as the world’s first sub-1kg mass-production frameset. A size 54 weighs a claimed 995g. 2016 Launch of the Addict Premium Disc. The addition of disc brakes marks the biggest change since the first iteration, with a new fork and rear triangle. 2016 Scott makes a special…

‘On the first day I did 370km, riding from 4am until just after midnight, and slept for two hours. Then about 4pm the following day I had a 20-minute nap and felt good. I went into this shop and bought every bottle of Coke they had and my first ever Red Bull. I typically don’t use caffeine but in my head it was like: top ten or die trying. ‘By the time I got to Checkpoint 3 (CP3) it was 7pm. The guy asked, “Would you like a room?” I should have known from his reaction that saying no was a bad idea. Still, off I went into the night, and that’s when the route got insane. ‘There was a 70km section that on normal gravel would take maybe three…

‘I’ve done 24-hour races many times. One night is easy – we can all go out on Friday, have a fantastic party and keep on going through Saturday. But the whole magic is the second night. It’s just 1,000km. It’s doable. ‘In ultra races you can, without alcohol or chemical substances, go to the borders of your mental perception. It’s fantastic. You are descending and your front light will throw out shadows that seem like animals, like people, like anything you can imagine. I’ve seen many elephants that turned out not to be there at all. ‘It’s quite scary because you don’t understand what is happening and you’re not capable of properly assessing your environment. And that’s dangerous. Luck has to be with you too because real animals are on…

Back in 2008 Cannondale designed the original SuperSix based on the experience gained from the outgoing SystemSix race bike. The SuperSix quickly won a reputation for being light and stiff with deft handling, and in subsequent revisions Cannondale managed to blend comfort into the mix as well. This year the bike celebrates its 15th birthday and has come full circle in that for this fourth generation the SuperSix Evo has once again been informed by the brand’s SystemSix bike, which was reintroduced in 2019 as Cannondale’s aero road platform. ‘We took the features that make the SystemSix so fast and made them lighter,’ says Dr Nathan Barry, Cannondale’s aerodynamics expert. ‘The new SuperSix Evo is as fast as rival aero bikes while hitting the UCI minimum weight limit. The new…

The variable nature of gravel terrain – from rubble to mud to tarmac – necessitates a versatile tread pattern, particularly in a race situation. Pirelli says its new Gravel RC tyre blends the fast-rolling centre tread of its Gravel H tyre with the aggressive side knobbles of its Scorpion XC RC mountain bike tyre in an attempt to achieve both speed and grip. In another example of manufacturers blending riding categories, a cut-resistant TechWall fabric is deployed bead-to-bead, which Pirelli says protects the tyre from sharp objects piercing the tread on the road and the side walls being slashed by rocks off it.…

Oakley says the new Encoder Strikes are an amalgamation of several designs, both old and new. The shape has been informed by both the brand’s bold Kato model as well as its classic Razor Blade design, so it offers a wide, high-wrap lens without straying as far into futuristic sci-fi territory as the Katos do. The glasses then also borrow the ‘PhysioMorphic Geometry’ feature from the regular Encoder design. In layman’s terms, this means the lens has been cleverly shaped – bulked up and bent outwards at its top edge and flared around the nose cutout – to provide the rigidity of a frame without actually having one, therefore preserving the uninterrupted field of vision of a frameless design without the downside of flimsiness.…

Did you know that magenta has been named Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2023? In fact it’s ‘Viva Magenta’, which apparently symbolises optimism and fearlessness. Given that plenty of cyclists will have big, daunting rides in the calendar this year, that’s a sentiment we’re able to get behind. And there are certainly plenty of on-trend options for riders who wish to embrace their fearless optimism. Need something lightweight and airy for summer? The new MAAP Emerge jersey, alongside the Pas Normal sleeveless base layer, should see you right. How about something to keep the rain off without making you clammy? The Assos Dyora rain jacket strikes a cooler tone, and the bold Rapha Pro Team shoes and Fingerscrossed Mid Season gloves follow this purple, protective theme. Meanwhile the discordant…

Cyclist: You’ve had an incredible three or four months where success seems to have bred success… Shirin van Anrooij: I feel like I did as a second-year junior when everything just clicked. You fall into this positive flow and you just want to keep going. I made a big step up in Trek-Segafredo’s December training camp, which gave me confidence for the cyclocross season. My winter aim was to secure my first cyclocross UCI World Cup podium, so to win three times and finish third overall was incredible. Cyc: And that flow has continued into the start of the road season. SvA: In the winter, so many road cyclists are doing base miles and building endurance, and that’s not always possible because of cyclocross, but it does mean you start…

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Its status as the highest paved road in Europe should mean amateurs flock to its slopes to test their mettle On paper, the Pico de Veleta boasts the kind of stats that should be enough to put it among the most famous climbs in the world. Its length and elevation should mean it is talked about in the same breath as any celebrated Alpine col or Pyrenean peak. Its location in Spain’s Sierra Nevada mountain range should mean it has decades of pro history; there should be numerous accounts of athletic heroism unfolding on its slopes. It should be a Vuelta a España mainstay, the jewel in the crown of many a Queen stage’s route profile. Its status as the highest paved road in Europe should mean amateurs flock to…

Islay malt whiskies are given special regional status alongside the likes of Highland and Speyside whiskies Nowhere on Earth can boast as many whisky distilleries as Islay. The island – pronounced eyela – on the west coast of Scotland is only 40km long by 25km wide, and yet it packs in nine working distilleries, with more on the way. Such is its importance to Scotland’s finances that Islay malt whiskies are given special regional status alongside the likes of Highland and Speyside whiskies. For anyone who enjoys the occasional dram, the island is a must-visit. Oh, and it also happens to be a really nice place to ride a bike. The Ard yards I meet Brian Palmer at the Ardbeg distillery on the south coast of the island, just a…

The Scott Foil has a good claim to be the forebear of the well-rounded aero bikes we see on the market today. Well, the second generation does – riding the first was like operating a jackhammer – but Scott’s engineers introduced enough forgiveness in its successor that in 2016 Mat Hayman was able to win Paris-Roubaix on one. The Foil’s reputation of being able to blend speed with comfort was cemented, and many competitors were playing catch-up for the next few years. Since then the Foil has had tweaks, such as the inclusion of disc brakes and the integration of cables, but this latest update to the Foil RC is the first true overhaul the bike has had since that cobble-crushing design of 2016. Burly do-over The previous Foil was…

We’re battling the Saturday morning city centre crowds through narrow streets, and my wife wants to know why we’re heading uphill if we’re looking for an underground station. ‘Because it’s called Monte Santo,’ I reply. ‘I think that means “sacred mountain”.’ I check my map of the Metro and add half-heartedly, ‘Maybe the first part of the journey is overground.’ We pass a square festooned with bunting and football scarves. A mural of Diego Maradona looks down from the side of an apartment block. I intend to lay a scarf of my own here tomorrow but for now we have a train to catch. We finally spot a bright red ‘M’ but it’s a sign for a station that hasn’t actually been built yet. We are close enough to see…

1 RESTRAP TOOL POUCH £32.99, restrap.com Did you hear about the thought-controlled air freshener? It makes scents when you think about it. Did you hear about Restrap’s new tool pouch? It’s a 0.6-litre pack for riding essentials that fits any bike and has an adjustable flap to keep it secure even when full to the brim. Made with hardwearing nylon and featuring reflective details, it’s for all conditions too. 2 SPLIT SECOND MAINTENANCE Lube €13.99, grease €11.99, cleaner €13.99, split-second.bike We thought about enrolling on a litter collecting course, but decided we’d just pick it up as we go along. When it comes to cleaning, though, Split Second has the lubes, grease, cleaners and protection products to make bikes run smoothly. The company makes plant-based and biodegradable products – the…

You know a climb is special when even bike races in neighbouring countries want to feature its legsapping slopes and majestic views of snow-sprinkled peaks. Switzerland’s Croix de Coeur – an elegant Alpine pass in the southwest canton of Valais – is one that has caught the eye of Grand Tour organisers. The first section of the climb is a squiggling trail of tight hairpins that leads to the ski resort of Verbier at an altitude of 1,500m, and it served as the dramatic final ascent of the 207.5km Stage 15 of the 2009 Tour de France, won by a swashbuckling Alberto Contador. And this May the cloud-scraping Croix de Coeur itself, which looms 8km beyond Verbier at 2,174m, will light up the savage 207km Stage 13 of the Giro…

For seven years after it launched in 2007, the Scott Addict went largely unchanged. The American/Swiss brand had little reason to tinker with the design as its top-tier race bike kept racking up win after win, first with Columbia-HTC and later with Orica-GreenEdge. Even now, the latest-generation Addict RC ridden by Team DSM is not wholly dissimilar to the original from all those years ago. Throughout its 16-year history, the Addict has been focussed firmly on light weight, and the foundations were laid with Scott’s previous super-light race machine. ‘The Addict is a direct result of the CR1, which was 880g in its lightest configuration,’ says Frank Oberle, road product manager at Scott. ‘The road teams were asking for a lighter version, the market was asking for a new version…

‘Picture someone with a machete trying to cut through a jungle,’ says Simon Jones. ‘That’s what we were doing for 30km, trying to descend out of this rainforest.’ If that’s how the Dubliner who managed to finish 15th overall in this year’s Race Around Rwanda sums up the route’s more difficult – scratch that: borderline impassable – sections, then you can be sure he wasn’t alone. ‘People were posting in the group chat asking if they’d gone the wrong way,’ he adds. ‘Because Rwanda is developing so quickly, some roads that were gravel a year ago are now paved. So the organisers just have to keep finding gnarlier sections to keep it at 400km of gravel.’ The Race Around Rwanda, first held in 2020, aims to cover 40% of its…

‘I came out of CP4, walking and riding through the forest in heavy rain. I shivered until I was frozen. It was midnight and I’d stopped in a village, looking for something – anything – to warm me up. I curled up in a ball. A family came and asked how they could help. They were very surprised to see a Rwandan girl riding a bike through the night and keeping up with the guys. To them it was like a miracle. ‘They asked if they could take care of me, but I told them, “It’s an unsupported race, I don’t think it’s allowed.” So they said, “If you don’t want to join us in our house, we can stand with you here.” I sat there shivering for almost an…

To download this route go to cyclist.co.uk/139islay or scan the QR code. The ride starts at the Ardbeg distillery on the south coast of Islay, about 5km from the ferry terminus at Port Ellen. Head west back to Port Ellen via the Lagavulin and Laphroaig distilleries, then north on the B8016 to the Bowmore distillery. Go northeast and trace the water’s edge around to the Bruichladdich distillery, before about-facing and following signs to the Kilchoman distillery. Head east, taking a detour via the B8017 for a change of scenery. Cross the island on the A846 to visit the Ardnahoe distillery (if time allows, you can add in the Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain distilleries) before heading to the ferry at Port Askaig to return to the mainland at Kennacraig.…

A Diamante is not forever. This is now the eighth generation of Basso’s climber’s bike, which has been at the heart of the brand for more than 20 years. The latest Diamante’s classic appearance alludes to its heritage, perhaps more so than previous versions, for this newest frameset – despite the switch to exclusively running disc brakes – has been slimmed down, smoothed out and rounded, where many competitors have become more angular and bulky. Basso says this comes out of its own research on how to achieve the best structural performance from the carbon composite to maintain torsional rigidity while reducing weight. An aggressive variant of the Diamante design, the Diamante SV, takes care of the aero road category, so the regular Diamante is free to focus on more…

We’re all on the spectrum. When it comes to gravel riding, some of us are nearer the end of the spectrum marked ‘Road’, while others prefer to operate closer to the end marked ‘Mountain Bike’. Me? I’m definitely at the road end. To my mind, a gravel ride should have the speed and feel of a road ride, only on rougher paths and without the threat of motor traffic. The YT Szepter, on the other hand, exists right at the other end of the gravel spectrum, fizzing as it is with mountain bike DNA. By all accounts we shouldn’t get along at all, but then isn’t that the premise of all the best buddy movies? Whose bike is it, anyway? YT isn’t a brand that will be familiar to most…