Cycling News & Blog Articles

Motivation for cycling, and by extension physical activity, abounds. Feeling good, living longer, getting stronger. Better blood pressure, in-check cholesterol, enhanced mood, improved sleep, increased sex drive, upgraded attention, looking hot, and on and on.

A bit of motivation on the plane to the Innsbruck World championships for Sofie De Vuyst

Despite the plethora of benefits and rewards of cycling and cardiovascular training, people often wonder, “What do I do if I don’t have the motivation to train?” Coaches also reach out to me regularly to ask, “How do I motivate my athletes who’ve lost, or who don’t have enough motivation?”

If you are a cyclist, and especially if you are a cyclist who’s reading this article, you have all the motivation you need to push yourself – and more! But if you ever find yourself asking this kind of question, you may just need a little help accessing your motivation, and then leveraging what you have access to right then and there.

Rider Interview: World No. 1 woman and only 21 years-old, Lorena Wiebes is following in the foot-steps of a line of top Dutch women cyclists. Fifteen wins in 2019 and one in the shortened 2020 season – The World is at her feet. Ed Hood had a word with the next big star.

In the half century I’ve been involved in the sport, I’ve witnessed three of the all-time greatest ladies of cycling perform. First there was Keetie van Oosten-Hage; two gold, three silver and three bronze world road race championship medals plus four gold, three silver and three bronze world pursuit medals between 1966 and 1979. There were no Olympics for the women in Keetie’s day but there were for the dazzling Leontien Van Moorsel who won Olympic road race gold, two time trial golds and an individual pursuit gold between 2000 and 2004. Add that to four Worlds individual pursuit titles, two road race titles and two time trial titles between 2000 and 2004 and you have palmarès of the highest order.

Dutch World champion Leontien van Moorsel

Then there’s Marianne Vos with Olympic road race and points titles, three world road race championships, a world points championship and a world scratch championship not forgetting SEVEN world ‘cross titles between 2006 and the present day – you’re talking about another queen of the peloton.

Good news as a new sponsor, Manuela Fundación, joins GreenEDGE – Top Story. Jumbo-Visma co-sponsor HEMA in trouble and Rally talk to Team CCC. Spain opens its borders and new dates for the Italian Classics. Race news from La Vuelta, Tour de France, Volta a Portugal, De Ronde, Tour of Luxembourg, Hageland, Hamburg and the Vuelta a Burgos. We hear from riders: Dumoulin, Naesen, Bettiol, Nizzolo, Van Avermaet, Campenaerts, Martinez, Cant and Dainese. Plus UCI champs jerseys rule, team news from Deceuninck – Quick-Step, Trek-Segafredo, Astana, Team Novo Nordisk and Tormans. WPCC cancelled and Sunweb’s new kit. Coffee and time for a EUROTRASH read.

TOP STORY: Good News: Manuela Fundación Takes Over from Mitchelton
GreenEDGE Cycling will be called ‘Team Manuela Fundación’ for the remainder of the 2020 season, and fully incorporate a new ‘look’ when racing resumes, thanks to a new agreement with the Manuela Fundación.

The long-term agreement comes as welcome news in a difficult period for the global sport industry with impacts from COVID-19, such as competition cancellations and postponements and job losses and pay cuts, reaching from cycling to the NFL, to the Olympic Games and beyond.

Based in Granada, Manuela Fundación is a Spanish not-for-profit entity run by Mr. Francisco Huertas and his wife Mrs. Maria Angustias González, with all its activities supported by his own funds.

Ex-Rider Interview: Chris Boardman and Graeme Obree may have grabbed the headlines in the pursuit world during the 90s, but Shaun Wallace was at the cutting edge from the early 80s and through the 90s, taking medals at National, Commonwealth and World level. Ed Hood caught up with Shaun to hear his story.

National champion

Great Britain has always had a fine tradition in the UCi Men’s Individual Pursuit World Championships with the late Norman Sheil twice world amateur champion; then the legend that is Hugh Porter picking up the baton in the professional event followed by names like Tony Doyle, Colin Sturgess, Chris Boardman, Graeme Obree and Bradley Wiggins. But a man who twice stood on the world professional pursuit and Commonwealth Games pursuit podiums as a silver medallist has largely been forgotten; perhaps because he plied most of his trade across the Atlantic in the USA?

GB team pursuit

We’ve had a few nice Litespeed bikes here in Readers’ Rigs over the years, but today’s reader, John, takes the prize with the oldest Litespeed featured rig; a ‘Team Issue’ bike from back in 2000 that he’s lovingly cared and ridden for the last 20 years.

Name: John R Petrocik
Location: Carlsbad, California USA
Bike: Litespeed Team Issue
Groupset: Campagnolo Chorus 11-speed
Wheels: Mavic Open Pro with Continental Grand Prix 4000S2
Pedals: Look Keo
Saddle: Avocet O40 Air Ti
Weight: Approximately 18.5 pounds, per my bathroom scale. (8.4kgs)

When did you buy it?
I bought the bike in the Spring of 2000 from Colorado Cyclist. It was reported to have the geometry of the Litespeed Classic of that period with some custom tubes for the Colorado Cyclist racing team that used it as their ride (hence the “Team Issue” designation).

John’s Litespeed in its original livery before Joe Bell’s new paint scheme.

Ex-Rider Interview: There have been many Australian riders who have come to Europe, but there is a brave band who made the big time. Stephen Hodge is one of them with a ten year career on the top rung of the pro ladder.

Steve Hodge in the pink

Stephen Hodge is a Bachelor of Science; but as his Kas team leader, the legend that is Sean Kelly rightly observed as Hodge battled his way up to the business end of the peloton with the Irishman in tow; ‘yer university degree’s no use to you now, Hodgey!’

But Hodge rode 10 seasons as a professional at the highest level in a career which saw him ride and finish 14 Grand Tours, 10 World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. As well as ‘King Kelly,’ he was right hand man for another of the late 80’s and early 90’s legendary names, slim Basque climber, Marino Lejarreta, nicknamed, ‘The Reed of Bérriz’ (El Junco de Bérriz).