Welcome to Tuesday's live blog, with Jack Sexty, Simon MacMichael and the rest of the team.
16/04/2019, 18:22
Victor Campenaerts' UCI World Hour Record setting Ridley Arena bike
The hour record, it's not about the bike… okay, well maybe a bit. That being the case here's the piece we ran recently on Victor Campenaerts' Hour Record setting Ridley Arena TT bike… that go-faster red paint job must have been worth a few extra metres.
16/04/2019, 18:03
Victor Campenaerts breaks Sir Braadley Wiggins' UCI Hour record
Victor Campenaerts has set a new UCI Hour record in Aguascalientes, Mexico today, his distance of 55.089 kilometres surpassing the 54.526 kilometres ridden by Sir Bradley Wiggins in London almost four years ago.
Full story to follow.
16/04/2019, 17:00
He's off!
The power hour begins.
16/04/2019, 16:56
Campaenaerts is about to begin his attempt
Currently being sprayed with some type of oil on any bits of exposed skin... presumably to make it more slippery. We're expecting he'll start any minute now, stream above.
16/04/2019, 15:13
12-year-old Hannah Killick completes LEJOG
Arrived!pic.twitter.com/G989hJOJsA
— Hannah 12 cycles LEJOG 2019 (@12_lejog) April 16, 2019
Hannah arrived in John o' Groats about an hour ago, and has raised over £3,000 ang counting for Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal and United World Schools. Head to her fundraising page here if you want to donate. Chapeau, Hannah!
16/04/2019, 13:45
16/04/2019, 13:43
Victor Campenaerts UCI Hour Record attampt - watch it LIVE here
Belgium's victor Campenaerts is attempting to take the UCI Hour record from Sir Bradley Wiggins today - we've already had some coverage on the live blog today - and you can watch the livestream from the velodrome in Aguascalientes, Mexico, right here on road.cc (see main picture)>
According to the UCI, the livestream starts at 1655 UK time - but there seems to be some confusion about what time the LottoSoudal rider is starting, so you might want to check half an hour beforehand, or even earlier, if you don't want to miss it.
16/04/2019, 12:49
Behind the scenes of Katusha-Alpecin's biggest result this year
Nils Politt gave Team Katusha Alpecin the best result of what has been a difficult Classics campaign.
The German rider looked very strong over the cobbles, but couldn't beat Gilbert in the sprint on the Roubaix velodrome.
16/04/2019, 12:00
Extinct Rebellion update: pianists serenade protesters and passers-by, hooked up to speakers powered by bikes
Play piano for the planet! On day 2 of #InternationalRebellion protestors & pedestrians at our #MarbleArch block are being serenaded by pianists. Come on down, it’s beautiful - they’ll be playing into the afternoon. Speakers powered by bikes! pic.twitter.com/fTMaicW5Ip
— Extinction Rebellion (@ExtinctionR) April 16, 2019
It's day two of the climate protests that have seen Waterloo Bridge, Marble Arch and the area around Oxford Circus closed to motor traffic, with activists placing trees, plants and themselves in the way to make the streets traffic-free for the time being.
16/04/2019, 11:36
"The maximum expression of pain" - Vittoria Bussi tells Bradely Wiggins about her own successful Hour Record attempt last September
The female Hour Record holder sat down to discuss the feat on Eurosport's Bradley Wiggins Show, and attempted to explain what goes through the mind as you try to hold maximum power for 60 minutes: "You think about everything except cycling. If you think you are pedalling at 48kmp/h, you need to do almost 200 laps – it's too much. Your mind cannot support that. I just remember the voice of my boyfriend shouting to me the lap time, loud music, because I had a playlist in the velodrome... the sensation of pain in my leg, neck – pain everywhere, actually. Then most obviously the last minute, because [at that point] I understood I was bringing a world record, so it was really: 'Wow! Exciting!'"
On the pure pain, Bussi says: "Okay, I'm preparing for a world record, so it's normal that I'll feel pain. And it's good if I do, because then I know I'm overriding my limits. So I was searching for pain, actually. It's a change of perspective. But it really changes your relationship with pain, because you're searching for him. It's not him who comes to you and you're scared... Don't be scared of pain."
16/04/2019, 11:28
Victor is hoping to be top trumps tonight...
Good luck Victor Campenaerts #UCIHourRecord#vocsnor#Victor2VictorYpic.twitter.com/Qdf3OSrdWO
— pro cycling trumps (@procycletrumps) April 16, 2019
16/04/2019, 09:11
How The Race Was Won: Paris-Roubaix 2019
Want to know exactly how the Deceuninck Quick-Step tactics helped Philippe Gilbert to victory? Cosmo Catalano takes us through the Hell of the North.
16/04/2019, 08:55
Guess the hour record distance to win a signed jersey
WIN a signed jersey by @VCampenaerts ahead of his #UCIHourRecord attempt at 18:00 CET today!
Retweet this post
Guess the distance he will complete in the comments below!Entries close today at 17:30 CET and we'll announce the winner who guesses the closest tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/p010kw5LCA
— UCI Track Cycling (@UCI_Track) April 16, 2019
With a retweet of the post above and an accurate guess of the distance Campenaerts will cover, the UCI are also giving someone the chance to win a signed jersey from the man himself. The time now seems to have been changed to 18:00 CEST, although we previously understood it was set to take place 'from' 17:30. The UCI Youtube stream is currently showing that it will go live at 4.55pm UK time.
16/04/2019, 08:26
Victor Campenaerts makes final prep, with hour record attempt set to go ahead at 16:55 this evening
On his blog for Lotto Soudal posted yesterday, Campenaerts says: “The last days before the Hour Record attempt are not hard to fill. Three weeks ago, I could already have predicted how they would go. That is exactly what gives me peace and confidence. The tough training sessions are over; now it is important to still stimulate the muscles a bit. In terms of nutrition, it is time for carbo-loading, which means eating as many carbohydrates as possible. Fats, fibers and proteins are mostly eliminated, but even for an effort of 60 minutes, my muscles still need to be fully charged, which is at least as important as the Classics riders in Paris-Roubaix. Throughout the day, I have to take ten to twelve grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight to fill my tank. ”
“The moment of truth is getting closer. My body is totally ready for it. Mentally, I am pretty relaxed due to the perfect preparation. My schedule is minutely planned. Meanwhile, my body has completely adapted to the special biorhythm: getting up at 5 o’clock and going to sleep at 8 o’clock is very easy now.”
The attempt is set to take place from 17:55 CEST (16:55 in the UK according to the latest update on the Youtube live stream) and the mark Campenaerts is aiming to surpass is 54.526km, set by Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2015. If you want to clock off early or stay late to watch the pain unfold, the link to the live stream on Youtube is here.
16/04/2019, 09:01
If you're going to get hit by a car, you could do worse than America...
According to law.com's Dail Business Insider, a cyclist who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury at the hands of a Porche Driver negotiated a $6 million settlement for his injuries.
31-year-old Andy Introini was cycling in Miami Beach on 8th November 2017, and was hit as he crossed an intersection. The driver Raymond H. Maroon Jr. allegedly made a high-speed right turn and struck Introini’s bike, sending the cyclist flying onto the windshield before slamming onto the tarmac, where he hit the side of his head. The damages were sought for medical expenses, plus pain and suffering.
16/04/2019, 08:45
Froome says "Yorkshire and cycling now go hand-in-hand"
Quoted in the Tour de Yorkshire official programme, Froome says: “Having the Tour de France start in Yorkshire obviously got a lot of people out and got a lot of people really excited about cycling.
“And the knock-on effect that it had is just massive, to the extent where Yorkshire and cycling now go hand in hand.”
The Tour de Yorkshire takes place between 2nd-5th May, and as there's no Giro d'Italia in his plans this year, it's allowed Froome to make his debut at the event.