‘Tis the season for professional cycling teams to have a rummage around at the back of the service course, open a few dusty boxes, and sell off anything that won’t be of any use come January and the new season.
Last week, we reported that Tadej Pogačar’s snazzy Colnago TT1 time trial bike, along with a host of the iconic Italian brand’s V3Rs road bikes, are up for auction as part of UAE Team Emirates’ annual Christmas clear out.
> You can buy Tadej Pogacar’s official UAE Team Emirates Colnago race bike
And now, after miming their way through Celine Dion’s back catalogue, it’s Soudal Quick-Step’s turn to sell off a few race-worn bikes and left-over kit from the last few seasons.
And for the memorabilia-hunting cycling enthusiast with deep pockets and who doesn’t mind the odd scratch, it’s a real treasure trove.
Remco Evenepoel’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7 – raced to victory at this year’s UAE Tour – is currently sitting at a bid of just under €8,000, while Julian Alaphilippe’s Tour de France bike has just hit €6,000 and Kasper Asgreen’s 2023 SL7 is currently available for a touch over five grand. A signed Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio jersey, meanwhile, has almost hit the €200 mark.
But there’s one bike up for auction that’s caught the attention of cycling fans more than any other – Mark Cavendish’s 2021 SL7, used by the Manx Missile as a spare the year he pulled off one of cycling’s great Lazarus-style comebacks, equalling that Tour de France stage win record and taking the green jersey after several years in the winless wilderness.
The SL7 was also used as a training bike by Cavendish during the 2022 season, when he was unceremoniously left out of that season’s Tour while on the cusp of history, in favour of Fabio Jakobsen.
Of course, Cavendish – who, it was announced over the weekend, won’t riding the Giro d’Italia in 2024 as he prepares for one last crack at victory No. 35 at the Tour – eventually ended up at Astana this year, nabbing an emotional Giro stage win in Rome before crashing out of the Grande Boucle just as he began to hit his stride in the sprints.
However, while the 38-year-old has his sights firmly set on the season ahead, it seems that some of his fans still have a hard time forgiving and forgetting his messy second departure from Patrick Lefevere’s Soudal Quick-Step team over a year ago.
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
And, with the Belgian team now auctioning off Cavendish’s bike, it turns out that cringey lip sync kit reveal videos aren’t the only thing that can divide the internet…
“Making money out of him now? Remember how dirty the team did him in 2022?” Cav fan Mehdi commented under the team’s Instagram post advertising the auction.
“Kick him to the kerb but still try to make a buck off of his legend! You guys are a real piece of work! If it weren’t for Alaphilippe, this team would have nothing going for it!” an even more forthright Dennis concurred.
“Shameful,” added Mike. “Abandoned him and now looking to profit.”
(Chris Auld)
“You guys should be ashamed of doing this!! Are you guys giving him the money for the bike?” Martin asked, while Franco creatively dubbed the Belgian squad “the Soudal Quick Buck Team”.
“Just think how much more it would have been worth if he had broken the all-time record on one of these! Instead it will be done on a Wilier in 2024,” said Heyuguyz. “Massive marketing opportunity missed for Specialized, I’m sure they must pissed.”
“Aye right, not a chance, Wilier bike from 2023 or 2024 would be a far better choice and I bet they have the decency to leave Mark with the winning bikes,” says Chris.
Meanwhile, Ceramic Senor pointed out that “surely it should be Cav’s to sell. His bike, his wins, you drop him and continue to make money off him. Shitebag move.” Bit strong, but okay.
However, at least it wasn’t all one-sided in the comments, with Les noting for balance: “Surely it’s the team's bike to sell and let’s be honest, Cav isn’t exactly skint.
“If he wanted the bike I’m sure they’d have worked something out. It’s normal for teams to sell off the bikes at the end of the season.”
And you thought the whole Alaphilippe singing into a water bottle thing was divisive…
A month is a long time in professional cycling, as Harold Wilson almost certainly didn’t say.
In mid-November, Tadej Pogačar was notably cagey when asked about the rumours swirling around a potential Giro d’Italia debut for the Slovenian phenom in 2024, telling La Gazzetta dello Sport that, due to his focus on winning both the Olympic and world championship road races next season, “I could have too many obligations to include the Giro”.
But fast forward four weeks, and with a snazzy rap-inspired social media video in the bag, and the 25-year-old UAE Team Emirates rider is now all set for a tilt at the Corsa Rosa and the third grand tour victory of his career.
So, what will this mean for Pogačar’s 2024 season – and what effect will it have on both his rivals and the racing itself?
(Zac Williams/SWPix.com)
Well, first of all, the news that Tadej is heading to Italy in May doesn’t mean we won’t see him at the Tour, with La Gazzetta reporting this morning that the double yellow jersey winner will almost certainly be targeting a mouthwatering Giro-Tour double next year.
However, this July marked 25 years since Marco Pantani became the last rider to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same calendar year. Since then, Chris Froome (first at the Giro, third at the Tour) and Tom Dumoulin (second, second) in 2018 have come closest to repeating the feat.
Received wisdom dictates that the double is simply too difficult, even for a rider as unbelievably talented as Pogačar – and with a fresh, focused Jonas Vingegaard standing in his way on the roads of Frane, not too many punters would be willing to stake a significant amount on the Slovenian making history. Not this year, anyway.
6. Every cycling fan pic.twitter.com/3VMx4Ae6Vb
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 17, 2023
Not only will Pog, beaten by Vingegaard twice over the last two years at the Tour, be hindered by an extra three weeks racing in Italy, he will also likely have a partially full classics season under his belt, with Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège (the scene of his unfortunate race-ending and Tour-hindering crash last year) on the cards for 2024.
And with the Olympic road race in Paris following hot on the heels of the Tour, could we see Pogačar simply using the Grande Boucle as a warm-up for his shot at gold?
In many ways, the Slovenian’s decision to race the Giro is indicative of his approach to cycling in general. Unlike Vingegaard and almost every other Tour winner for the past 25 years, he knows there’s more to life than cycling’s biggest race, and he’s currently building an impressively broad palmares – complete with monuments, cobbled classics, week-long stage races, and grand tours – to rival anyone’s in the sport’s history.
6. Every cycling fan at the same time pic.twitter.com/JPR3ET1tfi
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 17, 2023
But, while the Giro and its organiser Mauro Vegni will be delighted that the 25-year-old superstar is set to make his debut at their race, cycling fans can feel slightly aggrieved that the tantalising prospect of a four-way duel for yellow in July between Vingegaard, Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Primož Roglič – complete with a groundbreaking and potentially decisive finale in Nice – will be slightly reduced by Pog’s Italian job.
Not to mention what Giro hopefuls Geraint Thomas, Eddie Dunbar, and Simon Yates must be thinking right now…
(Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)
Meanwhile, the news has certainly divided the cycling world.
“So basically, both the Giro and TDF is ruined!” says an emotional Martin.
“Damn, so Pogi really going to hand Jonas another Tour?” asked a deflated Pugdev.
However, others praised the 25-year-old for stepping outside the Tour box, with Caity arguing that Pogačar’s newly announced schedule would be “certainly more novel and fun for him than just rinse and repeat”.
Meanwhile, respected cycling journo William Fotheringham wrote: “Much to like about Pogi but his awareness that the cycling calendar doesn’t begin and end with TdF is the most significant and most likeable in my book.
“Light years away from cycling of two decades ago. Bring on the Giro.”
After a day packed with speculation, and some frivolous live blog polling, Tadej Pogačar has confirmed that he will ride both the Giro and the Tour next year, before focusing on a maiden rainbow jersey at the world road race championships in Zurich, setting the Slovenian up for a possible tilt at cycling’s iconic ‘triple crown’.
At UAE Team Emirates’ Spanish training camp today, the 25-year-old confirmed that he will kick off his season later than usual on 2 March at Strade Bianche, before taking on a truncated spring campaign including Milan-Sanremo, the Volta a Catalunya, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Tour of Flanders, Flèche Wallonne, and Amstel Gold – all won by Pogačar this year – are not part of the Slovenian’s plans he builds up to the Giro-Tour double.
After his two grand tours, Pogačar will head to the Paris Olympics, before turning his attention towards the worlds and his usual season-ender at Il Lombardia.
“I am now not so young anymore and I think I can do two grand tours,” Pogačar said this afternoon. “I could probably do it before but now is a nice time to do a new challenge in my career. I think everybody wants to do the double and it is one of the hardest things to achieve.
“I think the main goal from all the GC riders that already won some grand tours, is to have all three of them. This is something to have in your palmarès, so let’s see how it goes with the Giro and how it goes with the Tour. Let’s not think about the double, let’s just go to enjoy racing.”
While he may not be thinking about the double as yet, Pogačar could become, if all goes to plan, the first rider since Stephen Roche in 1987 to win cycling’s triple crown – the Giro, Tour, and world championships in one season – with the punchy course in Zurich suiting the Slovenian down to the ground.
And if there’s anyone in the current peloton who can manage the triple crown, it’s Tadej Pogačar.
“OIympics are a bit so-so, but of course World Championships is one of the main goals for next year,” he said.
Meanwhile, the results from this morning’s poll are in, and it seems that the vast majority of you are backing Pog’s attempt to expand his grand tour horizons – which could possibly culminate in one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen…
Roll on 2024.
Out with the old bold new look, and in with the new bold new look…
Well, that’s what Pinarello are telling us anyway, as the iconic Italian bike brand this afternoon unveiled the new paint job that will grace the Dogma F road bikes set to be raced by the Ineos Grenadiers during the 2024 season.
And, according to Pinarello, the 2024 Dogmas represent a “bold new look” for Ineos, making a radical, earth-shattering move from the “brigade red and navy blue design” of this season to a “more striking” orange and black combo.
Yep, that’s right – the “bold, eye-catching new look” is orangey red and black. Instead of red and navy.
Even by Ineos’ risk-averse, marginal gainy standards, “bold” is a bit of a stretch, surely?
Spot the difference – Geraint Thomas riding this year’s “old” look, which is completely, utterly different than the 2024 design. Apparently…
What’s more, the reintroduction of a radical black colour palette allows Pinarello to reduce the bike’s weight by a whopping 16g.
“The return of black to the palette means we’ve been able to reduce the amount of paint we use on the frames, with only the lightest coat being applied to our black T1100 1K carbon, which brings with it weight (and watt)-saving benefits,” says Fausto Pinarello.
What will they think of next? Dark red?!
Cycle Pal’s website has disappeared amid a backdrop of frustrated and out-of-pocket customers reporting that their orders have not arrived, and that they are unable to contact the company most famous for its tyre-seating tool and claiming to offer “top level do-it-yourself cycling tools at a reasonable price”.
Oh dear, we’re now into that horrible period of the winter when, thanks to the sport’s calendar year contracts and sponsor obligations, pro cycling turns into your local club ride for a month, packed with horribly mismatched kits and equipment.
— 𝓪𝓱𝓻𝓭𝓲𝓬𝓽 (@ahrdict) December 18, 2023
And leading the way in the hideous Frankenstein kit stakes is Bora-bound Primož Roglič, whose yellow and green training camp monstrosity boasts an added layer of intrigue following the very public spat that has engulfed the German outfit and Jumbo-Visma over Cian Uijtdebroeks’ future in recent weeks.
A clash in more ways than one, then (I’ll get my coat).
What the hell is this? pic.twitter.com/GZyaCwZMyo
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) December 18, 2023
Before we have a peek at the result of our definitive reader’s poll on whether Tadej Pogačar is wise to take on both the Giro and Tour next year, let’s head over to Italy for some expert opinion from none other than Tour, Giro, and Vuelta winner Vincenzo Nibali.
“I’m not surprised,” Nibali, whose own career and astonishing breadth of results stand as shining examples of what can be gained by refusing to solely focus on one all-encompassing race like the Tour de France, told La Gazzetta today.
“After four years spent racing on the Tour, winning two editions, it’s a correct and logical decision. Mentally, it does you good to change objectives. Adding the Giro would be a step closer to winning all three grand tours. He’d only be missing the Vuelta. A rider like him has to try it.”
Nibali celebrates his spectacular Giro win in 2016 (Ansa-Peri-Di Meo-Zennaro)
The 39-year-old retired Italian pro – who, along with his two Giro triumphs, won the 2014 Tour, the 2010 Vuelta, two editions of Il Lombardia, and Milan-Sanremo during his 17-year pro career – also believes that next year’s Giro route, seemingly tailored to Pogačar with its difficult start, more moderate finale, and abundance of time trialling kilometres, will stand the Slovenian in good stead as he aims for the double, especially if he builds his form steadily during the early part of the season.
“The start of the Giro isn’t so easy, and he could build up a good advantage straight away with the stage to Oropa, the dirt roads at Rapolano Terme and the summit finish at Prati di Tivo. Time trials aren’t a problem for him and with a strong team, he could manage the final week,” Nibali said.
“Pogačar could easily delay his season debut by participating in Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, but I think he will have to sacrifice races like Paris-Nice and Tirreno. Maybe he could include Liège in the build-up to the start of the Giro, but not much more.
The Shark strikes in Sheffield on his way to the 2014 Tour title
However, the Italian hero also noted: “I never managed to cope with two big stage races so close together: first the stress of the Giro and then the pressure of the Tour.”
Nevertheless, Nibali believes that winning the maglia rosa could fill Pogačar with the confidence required to take on and beat the seemingly indestructible Jonas Vingegaard at the Tour.
“He would arrive at the Tour with a great result in hand and he wouldn’t carry the weight of being obliged to win the Tour,” he said.
While cyclists in London launch their latest campaign to secure adequate bike hangar storage, a new provisional agreement has been reached between the EU Parliament and Council which will ensure that two cycle parking spaces will be allocated for each flat in new residential buildings.
The revamped and strengthened Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which is set to be officially rubberstamped by the European Parliament and its member states early next year, aims to “strengthen the EU’s efforts to decarbonise buildings across the whole Union”.
According to the European Cyclists’ Federation, the legislation will also be “no less than ground-breaking for bicycle parking norms” across the EU, and represents an “important recognition for cycling as a climate-friendly and energy-efficient means of transport”.
> Worst bike racks — from the useless to utterly unusable places to park your bicycle
The directive will ensure that for any new residential building or one undergoing major renovation that includes more than three car parking spaces, at least two bicycle parking spaces will be provided for every residential unit.
With an average household size of 2.3 persons in the EU, this should mean that almost everyone will have access to cycle storage (while a non-legally binding part of the legislation stipulates that the rule of two bike spaces per residential unit should also “ideally” apply to buildings without car parking).
Meanwhile, in non-residential buildings with more than five car parking spaces, bike parking should represent at least 15 percent of the average or 10 percent of the total user capacity of the building. Spaces for larger cycles, such as cargo bikes, should also be taken into consideration, with these changes set to come into effect by 1 January 2027.
Alright, hands up – who’s sleepwalked into the last week before Christmas and is now desperately flailing around trying to find the perfect present for the cyclist in your life as delivery deadlines loom ever larger?
Well, don’t worry last-minute shopper, we’ve got you covered…
UAE team emirates: calm, relaxing ride on their team camp
Tadej Pogačar: pic.twitter.com/SkkeNIGIzG— Katie (@medicinexthings) December 17, 2023
Meanwhile, over at Intermarché’s training camp:
Training on 23% gradient 🥵 pic.twitter.com/UhForS3PvF
— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) December 16, 2023
I reckon that’s the off-season well and truly over now – makes my legs hurt just watching that…
The publication of NHS figures, showing hospital admissions linked to obesity have doubled in six years to more than 3,000 people a day, has prompted renewed calls for the government to prioritise active travel and use cycling as a “proven way to improve the health of a nation”.
“There is a proven way to improve the health of a nation: by designing our urban areas to promote walking and cycling,” West Midlands’ walking and cycling commissioner Adam Tranter said in response to the new figures.
“Active travel has the added benefits of saving people money and fitting into existing routines. Even the gentlest of exercise can transform health outcomes.”
Read more: > Concerning obesity statistics spark calls for greater promotion of cycling and walking
Your monthly reminder that, just because someone works for a professional cycling team, doesn’t mean they can’t be guilty of the odd bit of terrible driving (and, as history shows us, cycling team staffers can make some of our Near Miss of the Day motorists look like saints)…
Checking into my hotel in Valencia, found a friend. pic.twitter.com/O0NkYVzrf1
— Justin Britton (@Justin_Britton) December 17, 2023
According to recent research by the Clean Cities Campaign, it is currently more likely that an applicant will gain admission to the University of Cambridge than it is for Londoners, currently sitting on a waiting list for a safe storage space for their bike, to secure a cycle hangar spot (yes, bear with me on this one).
Clean Cities says that 60,200 people are currently waiting on a cycle hangar place across London – where only 8,500 spaces have been created since May 2022, meaning that seven applicants are fighting for every safe bike parking spot.
Meanwhile, Cambridge on average receives around six applications for every place at the prestigious university (see, I told you it would make sense in a minute).
In response to this elitist, class-based system (oops, I’m still talking about the university), cycling campaigners, along with London charity ‘Poetic Unity’, are launching a new campaign this week in Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, and Lambeth to highlight the desperate need for more cycle hangars in the capital.
The campaign follows last month’s ‘lamppost laments’, decrying the rising bike theft in London brought about by unsecure cycle storage.
“Having somewhere to safely keep your bike just shouldn’t be this hard,” Oliver Lord, Head of UK at Clean Cities Campaign said.
“We know that encouraging cycling is important to the Mayor and the boroughs so prioritising the provision of secure parking seems like a no-brainer, particularly as we know it's a huge barrier for people starting out.
“It’s a shame that there’s such a postcode lottery for having a safe place near home to leave your bike - everyone deserves equal access. There are innovative ways to address the backlog and we urge every borough to look hard at these waiting lists and to deliver what is needed as quickly as possible.”
Cheers Puck! 🍻 #ICYMIpic.twitter.com/7dQ1eK4MKD
— Cyclocross24.com (@cyclocross24) December 17, 2023
Sterling work there from the 21-year-old, who finished second at yesterday’s ‘cross World Cup round in Namur behind the rampant Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado.
Meanwhile, Tom Pidcock – who capped off an encouraging return to cyclocross with a thrilling through-the-pack victory at Namur, after finishing second the day before behind the irrepressible Mathieu van der Poel at Herentals – didn’t seem as impressed with his podium offering:
Big win. Bigger beer! 😅🍺
Cheers to @tompidcock on that classy victory in Namur #CXWorldCup🍻 pic.twitter.com/9a4Tzwz1If
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) December 17, 2023
Few more wins Tom and you’ll be downing them in no time…
With cycling fans divided even in their own heads about 2024’s Pog/Giro collaboration, let’s put this one to a poll, shall we?
Do you think Tadej is right to ride the Corsa Rosa next year – the punchy route suits him and, after all, isn’t a Giro win worth more to a rider’s career than potentially a third consecutive second place behind Vingegaard at the Tour?
Or do you reckon Pog’s Italian job could lead to us missing out on a Tour GC battle for the ages in 2024 – and that, after his injury woes this year, all the Slovenian’s grand tour energy should remain, at least for the time being, focused on unseating the Danish king of France?
Or maybe you think the Slovenian is more then capable of emulating Pantani, Roche, Merckx and the rest by rewriting history, putting Thomas and then Vingegaard to the sword (after already winning a couple of monuments), and taking a sensational Giro-Tour double?
Get voting…
A popular local bike shop has fallen victim to a shocking attempted burglary during which a car was rammed into the shopfront twice, causing heavy damage to the building and writing off high-value stock inside.
The attack on Godleys Cycles & Triathlon Equipment in Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, happened in the early hours of Sunday morning, with owner Paul Godley telling road.cc that no bikes were stolen, but “more than a dozen are buried under the rubble and damaged beyond repair”.
Read more: > Bike shop targeted in “lawless” raid attempt, major damage as car rammed into building twice
Plus, here’s your usual Monday morning catch-up on the all the goings-on from around the cycling world at the weekend, including the latest in the never-ending Chris Froome Channel 5 soap opera…
> "It's a Christmas miracle!": Charity's £5,000 stolen bicycle returned days on from break-in
> Wearing earphones while cycling — is it allowed? What does the Highway Code say?