This year’s World Championships are especially exciting for me as I will in attendance in Scotland! I was last able to attend a World Championships in 1986 at Colorado Springs. Still in High School, I was only able to see the Men’s, Women’s, and Amateur Road Races held on the grounds of the Air Force Academy, and what a treat!
Scenes from the 1986 World Cycling Championships. Photo by Dave CampbellScenes from the 1986 World Cycling Championships. Photo by Dave Campbell
This year we will enjoy the Mountain, Road, and Track events over a two-week period in a veritable celebration of cycling! Winners of the rainbow jersey compete in it for the entirety of the next year. Even after relinquishing the jersey to the next winner, past winners may wear the rainbow stripes on the cuffs and collars of their jersey for the remainder of their careers, such is the achievement! I can’t wait to be there for the international color, spectacle, and passion in person!
Test your knowledge about the World Championships with a few brain-teasers below…
Q1. Riders who can win both Grand Tours and one-day races like the World Road Championships were becoming increasingly rare until the emergence of this new generation of all-arounders like Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar. Still, the prestigious combo of the World Road Title and the Tour de France in the same year remains rare. Who was the last rider to win both in the same season?
Q2. Scotland has precious few professional riders and none it would appear with the capacity to win the World Title. However, riders from the host nation have succeeded in winning the World’s title on several occasions. When was the last time a rider from the host nation triumphed in the Elite Men’s Road race?
Q3. When was the last time a host nation’s rider became the Women’s World Road Champion?
Q4. When was the last time an American stood on the podium at an elite World Road Championship?
Q5. This year’s World Championships has been called a “Super Worlds” because Road, Track, and Mountain Bike events will all be held together in the same area at the same time! The UCI plans to hold a “Super Worlds” every four years in the year preceding the Summer Olympics to fire up the public for the following year’s Olympic competition. Mountain Bike Worlds have never before been held in conjunction with Road and Track events. Road and Track races, however, had a decades-long tradition of being held concurrently. When was the last time the public enjoyed the Road and Track World Championships together and what was the venue?
Bonus Question: Speaking of the 1986 World Championships, which riders took the wins (and the accompanying jersey) in the Men’s, Women’s, and Amateur races?
By Erica Tingey — We’re so excited to get back in the saddle! There is nothing more magical than riding through forests, aspen stands, or red-rock landscapes. Unfortunately, we have all likely experienced how a beautiful area can be ruined by careless behavior such as littering, trail destruction, and pollution. Now is a great time to review Leave No Trace principles.
Leave no trace.
The general premise of Leave No Trace is to minimize the impact of our visits and to leave the land, air, and waterways just as they are. (Visit lnt.org to read more about the seven principles.) Below, we’ll discuss some Leave No Trace actions you can take while mountain biking.
All mountain bikers need to embrace the Leave No Trace Principles. Photo courtesy Erica Tingey
Ride only dry trails.
It’s super tempting (especially after long winters) to hit your favorite trail the second the snow melts, but it’s really important to wait until they are dry. Riding on muddy trails can cause extensive damage that makes them much less safe and enjoyable. A great rule of thumb: If mud is sticking to your tires, turn around and come back another day. Waiting until trails are dry will help keep them from forming ruts, washboards, and soft corners.
Stick to legitimate trails.
Always stay on designated trails, and make sure mountain biking is allowed. Biking on undesignated routes can disrupt ecosystems and damage the landscapes we love. Follow rules for trail direction.
Don’t use shortcuts.
Don’t pave your own paths or trails. While it may be tempting to cut a switchback, doing so can create drainage patterns that result in land erosion.
Rest on durable surfaces.
When you need to step off the bike path for any reason, rest or gather on durable surfaces if possible. Look for areas with rocks, sand, or durable vegetation like dry grasses. In desert areas, avoid stepping or riding on cryptobiotic soil or biological-soil crust. Soil crust covers much of the ground in southeast Utah and is a crucial part of desert ecosystems.
Keep singletrack single.
Don’t ride two abreast on singletrack trails. If you encounter a rain or mud puddle, ride or walk your bike through the puddle instead of around it. Avoid riding around challenging features—if you don’t feel comfortable, get off and walk it whenever possible.
Following these tips will help keep trails and surrounding lands pristine for future generations of riders. As always, have fun and ride safely!
“I want to lose weight so other bikers don’t drop me on the hills.” “I plan to shed a few pounds before the marathon to be faster.” “Losing weight would really improve my Power to Weight ratio…”
By Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD — Lugging around excess body fat can certainly hinder athletic performance. Just notice how much harder you work when carrying a heavy bag of groceries up a flight of stairs! That said, if you are an already-good athlete and contemplating weight loss to supposedly improve your athletic performance, should you think again? I talk to many athletes who are fixated on having a better Power to Weight Ratio (the power you generate during exercise divided by your body weight).
Power Profile Chart. Use this chart to determine typical power outputs (watts/kg) for different categories of cyclists. Republished with permission of VeloPress from Training and Racing with a Power Meter, 2nd Ed. by Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan, PhD. Learn more at velopress.com/power.
They overlook the fact that the cost of losing weight (poorly fueled muscles, higher risk for injuries) can limit the benefits of being lighter and supposedly faster, swifter. Here’s some food for thought:
When pondering the Power to Weight Ratio, most athletes focus on fat loss instead of power gain. Losing fat is hard. (How many people do you know who have been trying to lose the same 5 pounds for the past 10 years…?) Losing fat is even harder if you are already leaner than others in your family. Genetics matters!
Being lighter and leaner works to a certain extent. Countless athletes have told me they performed their best after having lost weight. Makes sense because their bodies had been training at a heavier weight. The trouble starts when weight-reduced athletes enforce a restrictive diet for months, if not years, to maintain a leaner physique. Injuries start to happen—repeatedly! As one runner who been too thin said, “I was like a race car—until the wheels started falling off. And then the engine dropped out…”
Among 126 recreational male marathon runners, race times correlated best with training (number and length of workouts, miles per week), not percent body fat—unless body fat was more than ~17%. Runners with 8.5% to 14% body fat had similar marathon run times (1).
Wrestlers who repeatedly lost the most weight over seven seasons sustained more injuries than those who lost less weight. Cutting weight increased risk for getting injured (2).
Too many athletes restrict their food (and nutrient) intake to either maintain or attain a desired lightness. Even among top female soccer players, 88% consumed far less than the recommended baseline of 2,300 calories/day. Their average daily carbohydrate intake was only about 200 grams/day—way short of the recommended 350 to 500 grams (2.5 to 3.5 g carb/lb body weight) needed to properly support hard exercise (3).
While these players intellectually knew that “carbs are important for athletes,” they still restricted their carb intake, perceiving carbs as being fattening (4). False! Muscles preferentially burn carbs for fuel. Bread and starchy foods are important for replenishing the muscle glycogen stores that get depleted with hard training and lifting. A high-protein, high-fat chicken Caesar salad doesn’t do the refueling job. More sandwiches please!
Athletes who take this advice to consume more starchy foods than usual should know they will likely gain a few pounds. It will be water-weight. Each 1-ounce of carb stored as muscle glycogen holds about 3-ounces of water. This weight gain means you are better fueled. Pay attention to how much better your next workout feels!
Female athletes who restrict their food intake often experience amenorrhea. Under-fed males experience low testosterone and low libido. Both males and females experience low thyroid, low bone mineral density, and have a higher risk for bone injuries. One study reported dieting athletes lost ten-times more training days due to injuries than non-dieters (5).
Among young girls, body fat gain associated with puberty is often seen as a threat to performance. Some girls go to great extremes to cut back on food and curb the developmental changes that are supposed to happen. Bad idea!!! Restricting food (valuable nutrients) puts them at a three times higher risk of getting stress fractures, as compared to their male peers. About two-thirds of weight-obsessed young ladies will develop disordered eating habits, if not an outright eating disorder.
Athletes younger than 18 years should not manipulate their body weight (6). Parents, coaches, and teammates alike need learn how to talk comfortably about puberty and the body changes that are supposed to happen throughout middle and high school.
Super-runner Mary Cain’s story sums it up: “I was the fastest girl in America until I joined Nike” (7) Mary had been shamed about her weight and pressured to get smaller because her breasts and bottom had become too big. She lost her period for three years and broke 5 bones. Unhealthy! Mary Cain’s terrible experience opened the door for many other athletes to become more vocal. The New York Times article “Female college athletes say pressure to cut body fat is toxic” (8) highlighted the need for a culture change that is now happening. Body fat measurements are no longer taken at many colleges.
Even the military has changed their focus from percent body fat to performance (9). Soldiers need to be strong and powerful. The military now uses Fat-free Mass Index* as a way to track muscle gain, as compared to requiring soldiers to control their body fatness. (*FFMI = fat-free weight/height)
The bottom line: As an athlete, you want to:
Train to improve performance, not to burn calories. Surround your workouts with food, so you are not exercising on empty, in muscle breakdown mode.
Consume adequate calories so you are not living in energy deficit during the active part of your day. Being under-fueled leads to lethargy, cold hands, loss of menstrual periods (women) and libido (men), reduced bone health, and less pep—to say nothing of reduced ability to heal and recover from hard workouts.
Remember that restricting food means restricting important nutrients like protein, iron, zinc, calcium, etc. that reduce your risk for injuries. Drink milk with meals; snack on yogurt. (The current science suggests moderate amounts of dairy fat are unlikely bad for health). Enjoy sandwiches made with peanut butter. (PB-eaters tend to be leaner than folks who avoid this supposedly “fattening” food.)
Enjoy the success that comes with being well fed, healthy, strong, and powerful. You will always win with good nutrition!
References:
Tanda, G & B Knechtle. Marathon performance in relation to body fat percentage and training indices in recreational male runners. J Sports Med, 4:141-9, 2013 Open access
Hammer E. et al, Association of in-competition injury risk and the degree of rapid weight cutting prior to competition in Division I collegiate wrestlers. Br J Sports Med 57(3):160-165, 2023
Morehen et al. Energy expenditure of female international standard soccer players: A doubly labeled water investigation Med Sci Sports Exer 54(5):769-779, 2022
Carbohydrate fear, skinfold targets and body image issues: a qualitative analysis of player and stakeholder perceptions of the nutrition culture within elite female soccer McHaffie et al. Sci & Med in Football, 2022
Heikura et al. Low energy availability is difficult to assess but outcomes have large impact on bone injury rates in elite distance athletes Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 28(4):403-411, 2018 Open access
Ackerman, K et al. REDS: time for a revolution in sports culture and systems to improve athlete health and performance. Br J Sports Med 54(7):369-370, 2020
Harty et al. Military body composition standards and physical performance: Historical perspectives and future directions. J Strength Cond Res 36(12): 3551-61, 2022
Name of Artist: David Vincent Gonzales, Title: Zooming Through the Divide
Medium: Acrylic, Size: 36x30x2
Brief artist’s statement: When I was one years old, I was nearly flattened by a truck in Germany, and it was a cyclist who swooped in to save me. My parents turned their backs for a moment, and there I went rolling down the sidewalk in a stroller to meet impending doom. My parents were hysterical and chased me down. After they saw that I was okay, they looked up to thank the man on the bike. My parents said that he was nowhere to be seen.
After I won the art poster contest in 2015 for the USA Pro Challenge in Colorado; this story came flooding back into my memory. Ever since then, it has deepened my connection to cycling.
Title: Zooming Through the Divide, by David Vincent Gonzales. Medium: Acrylic, Size: 36x30x2
“Zooming Through the Divide” is a painting I created during the Pro Challenge that depicts cyclists racing through the Continental Divide near Aspen, CO. One of my career highlights was collaborating with Tour de France legend Greg LeMond to help raise money for inner-city youth. Taking on a challenge like a bike race is physical, emotional and can be a transformative experience. It is this cathartic encounter with life that I strive to depict in my paintings.
Where can people find or buy your art?: DVGart.com, Thomas Anthony Gallery (Park City, UT), Raitman Art Gallery (Breckenridge & Vail, CO) and Inart Gallery (Santa Fe, NM)
Team SD Worx completed their dominant Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 with an absolute triumph. Marlen Reusser powered to the stage win in the closing ITT of Pau, ahead of Demi Vollering, 2nd on the day but the winner of the Maillot Jaune after she conquered the Tourmalet on Saturday, and Lotte Kopecky, whose performances also bring her the second place in the overall standings! Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) delivered a strong performance but she finishes 3rd due to the split seconds recorded in the ITT. The Polish climber conquers the polka-dot jersey, while Kopecky wins the green jersey on top of her GC achievement. Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) is the best young rider and Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) was named the Super Combative of the race.
Among the very first starters, the U23 ITT world champion Vittoria Guazzini (FDJ-Suez) immediately sets a strong reference: 30’36” to cover the 22.6km at an average speed of 44.3km/h. Anna Henderson (Jumbo Visma) is 3” faster at the intermediate point (km 12.1) but she can’t keep up with Guazzini’s pace all the way to the finish and eventually drops 15” on the line.
BROWN AND REUSSER UP THE ANTE
The intensity rises with the starts of the Australian ITT champion Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez), a silver medallist in last year’s Worlds, and the European ITT champion Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), a bronze medallist in the Worlds. Brown is 35” faster than her teammate Guazzini after 12.1km … But Reusser starts even stronger, already putting 27” between herself and the Australian champ!
Brown eventually betters Guazzini’s reference by 40” … But Reusser powers to the finish with an average of 51.8km/h in the last 10.5km to build the same gap to Brown and clock a time of 29’15” (46.3km/h).
KOPECKY EDGES NIEWIADOMA BY THE SMALLEST MARGIN
The top-10 riders on GC begin their effort as Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) sets off at 16:43. Demi Vollering (SD Worx) is the last rider off the ramp, at 17:01. But she’s the best of the GC contenders at the first intermediate point, only 12” behind Reusser, while Kopecky (+30”) threatens Van Vleuten (+1’01”). Niewiadoma is off to a strong start (+31”).
In the end, Vollering seals the overall victory with a 2nd place in the ITT (+10”). Kopecky (+37”) makes it a 1-2-3 for SD Worx … And Niewiadoma eventually drops 1’22”. Kopecky moves past her in the overall standings due to the split seconds recorded in the ITT (27 hundredths of a second for Kopecky vs 48 for Niewiadoma).
“I’m really proud to be on the podium today. My crash from two days ago was harder than expected. I felt really bad yesterday and it was a bit like that in the TT as well. We fought through it and I’m proud to win the Super Combativity award. This one is for the team. The stage win was my first pro victory. I still don’t really realise it. In the Tour, you go from one day to the other and you have to stay focused. Tomorrow I’ll go home and then I will realise how strong this was and how cool this is. I have a criterium in the Netherlands and then I’ll go on holiday!”
30/07/2023 – Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 – Etape 8 – Pau / Pau (22,6 km CLM) – KASTELIJN Yara (FENIX-DECEUNINCK)
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “I AM THE FIRST FRENCH TO WIN A JERSEY”
“The whole team is happy, I’m happy, it’s a success! I am the first French woman to win a jersey in the Tour de France, that’s something. Today, I was hoping to do better but I made do with what I had left. The legs were really tired. It wasn’t terrible, but I did what needed to be done. I have a lot of relatives, friends who are there … It was a great week.”
KASIA NIEWIADOMA: “THE TOURMALET GAVE ME AN AMAZING FEELING”
“It feels amazing to climb again on the podium of the Tour de France. It was a goal of ours. We lost the 2nd place by so little but we have the polka-dot jersey and that’s an extra-bonus. We always kept in mind that we wanted to take every opportunity, for the stages, for the jerseys … So it’s very nice to be in the place I’m in right now, especially after the very hard last two days. The Tourmalet gave me an amazing feeling.
The team has changed this year with Mag [Magnus Bäckstedt, the sports manager] and a lot of new young riders. They changed the whole dynamics. When you have the same people around you, you get into some patterns and you miss the extra trigger to aim for more. I love working with young riders. Once you’ve spent a couple of years in the peloton, you’ve seen some crashes, you experience failure, and you lose some confidence. The younger girls calculate less, worry less, they see less obstacles … And it brought me back to better times.
I’m also happy I’m getting closer to my 30s because every race I do I feel like it’s the hardest race of my life. Every year it gets harder, faster, more professional … I can’t imagine what the level will be like 10 years from now!”
“I still haven’t had time to realise. Yesterday, I arrived at the hotel at 11:30, we had a very quick massage, shower and off to bed. But then, I couldn’t sleep so I thought about things and I realised a little bit … This morning, I was a bit too relaxed when I woke up and then I reminded myself I still had the goal to do a good time trial.
Yesterday, I just focused on my own effort, and when Annemiek [van Vleuten] crossed the line, I was happy with the gap. I didn’t want ti to be too close before the time trial, I didn’t know if I could do a good time trial.
It’s amazing what we did this week. We’ve had lots of ups, also some downs, and we showed how strong our team is and how motivated we are to get the best of each day, to fight for the wins. We make each other stronger. I love to see it, and I think it’s nice for the world to see you can conquer everything with good people around you. It inspires me a lot.”
“I surprised myself quite a lot, especially yesterday. I’ve been one of the best sprinters, one of the best climbers, a good time-trialist … This Tour was just amazing for me! It’s not how I approached it but everything went really good. It’s really nice to be 2nd and to also have an amazing team around me. I didn’t think about it before the Tour so I had nothing to lose today, I just stayed relax and I tried to give everything I had left.
Trying to become a GC rider and to win the Tour is not something on my mind at the moment. I’m really happy with the type of rider I am, I still love the classics the most. I’m not going to try to change, at least not in the coming years. Maybe in a few years but so far I’m happy!
Now I fly to Glasgow for the Worlds and I have my first event on the track next Sunday … I’ll try to recover as much as possible from this Tour.”
“I’ve been working all week and I’m quite tired, so I’m very happy with this result. I was aiming for this time. I’m super happy there’s a timer, I think it’s good for the Tour. And to be honest, I’m a bit in shock at our accomplishments. We knew how strong we are coming here. But to conclude like this is crazy.
I am super happy that my work for the team has paid off and that it was seen. Sometimes, you do a lot, and it’s not visible. Going full gas for myself and winning is important for me and it makes it nicer. We are friends with Demi [Vollering] and I knew the deal was to help her and give up on my own ambitions. It’s special, sometimes weird, but I know why I do it.”
By Charles Pekow — Crashes “disproportionately” occur in low-income and minority communities, according to a five-year study in New Jersey. To make matters worse, location data for these unfortunate bike incidents tend not to be coded, making it harder to pinpoint problems and develop solutions.
Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons. Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
“Cyclist crashes in low-income neighborhoods were more likely to be fatal – a finding that the authors attribute to lower access to bicycle facilities in low-income areas,” says “Pedestrian- and Bicyclist-Involved Crashes: Associations with Spatial Factors, Pedestrian Infrastructure, and Equity Impacts”, appearing in the Journal of Safety Research (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022437523000580).
The authors conclude that while more data is needed, sidewalks and crosswalks appear to lower risks. Better info would help determine where countermeasures would likely help. The researchers couldn’t find adequate data to study about 20 percent of incidents, especially those that didn’t involve an auto. Therefore, the study looked only at crashes that involved motor vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists. More complete info on locations of sidewalks and crosswalks, for instance, would also help.
The study looked at four counties in Southern New Jersey between 2016 and 2020.
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 7 | LANNEMEZAN > TOURMALET BAGNÈRES-DE-BIGORRE
The queen stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 saw an all out battle over the Pyrenean summits. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) already put the hammer down up Col d’Aspin, to try and wear down her rivals, but she couldn’t repeat her one-woman-show from last year, with Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) throwing everything she had in this fight, before Demi Vollering (SD Worx) surged on the iconic ascent of the Tourmalet. Through the mist, the Dutch star covered the last 5 kilometres on her own to open significant gaps on the line: 1’58” to Niewiadoma and 2’34” to Van Vleuten. Vollering also takes the Maillot Jaune on the eve of the closing ITT in Pau.
The higher summits of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 lie ahead of the 130 riders starting from Lannemezan (after they finished inside the GC top-10 last year, Elisa Longo Borghini and Veronica Ewers don’t start due to physical issues). And many riders are inspired according to the flurry of attacks on the way to the first ascent of the day, up to Col d’Aspin.
With an average of 41.6km/h all the way to km 48, Margot Pompanon (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) and Susanne Andersen (Uno X) are the last attackers to be reeled right at the bottom of the climb.
VAN VLEUTEN OPENS UP THE BATTLE
Annemiek van Vleuten’s Movistar immediately set a strong pace that wears down the peloton. And the winner of the Tour 2022 puts the hammer down with 5km to go to the summit of the cat-1 ascent up Col d’Aspin (12km at 6.5%). Only Demi Vollering (SD Worx) and Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//Sram) can accompany her. At the summit, Lotte Kopecky, Marlen Reusser (SD Worx), Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Juliette Labous (DSM-Firmenich), Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez), Ane Santesteban (Jayco-AlUla), Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) trail by 45”.
Niewiadoma accelerates on the downhill towards the final ascent of the day. Vollering and Van Vleuten look at each other. They’re eventually caught by the chasers, while Niewiadoma keeps pushing. She faces the HC ascent to Col du Tourmalet with a lead of 45”.
With Reusser setting the pace, the gap drops down to 5” with 12km to go. But the Swiss powerhouse is done with her work, and the gap increases again, up to 35” for the last 10km. Labous tries to attack several times. Vollering, Van Vleuten, Moolman Pasio and Kopecky match her moves.
Vollering eventually attacks with 5.5km to go. And nobody can react. Niewiadoma is caught 500 metres later and the Polich attacker can’t keep up with the pace set but the Dutch climber.
Through the mist, Vollering never looks back. And she celebrates an iconic success with significant gaps: 1’58” to Niewiadoma, 2’34” to Van Vleuten, 2’43” to Moolman Pasio, 2’46” to Labous and 3’32” to Kopecky, who gives her Maillot Jaune to Vollering on the eve of the final ITT, in Pau.
DEMI VOLLERING: “I WENT FULL GAS AND NEVER LOOKED BACK”
“In the team, we said: ‘Let’s not talk about seconds, let’s make it minutes.’ I wanted to take as much time as possible and I’m happy I did it for my team. They kept saying: ‘You’ll set things straight on the Tourmalet.’ But I told them, it’s one thing to say it but I need to do it, and I was a bit nervous. I know they said it because they truly believe in me and that gives me a lot fo strength. I told Annemiek [van Vleuten] it was not up to me to ride with her because I had teammates behind, and if the girls wanted to drop Lotte [Kopecky], then it was up to them. At one point, I felt it and I just went. With the mist, I knew that if I opened a gap quickly, then they wouldn’t be able to see me. I went full gas and never looked back. When I crossed the line, I was just happy that it was over, that I had made it happen.”
“It’s the stage I was waiting for, but also the stage I feared. My direct rival [Ella Wyllie] was very, very strong on the climbs today. But I built confidence in myselfand I figured: ‘Do as you always do, find your pace like in time trial and you’ll come back.’ The third time she attacked, she put a harder pace. I tried to be not too far. I had a lead of 2’45”, I tried to control my losses, and I still have 2 minutes.”
KASIA NIEWIADOMA: “DEMI SHOWED HOW STRONG SHE IS”
“On the climb, I could see that Demi [Vollering] didn’t want to work with Annemiek [van Vleuten] so I knew that they would look at each other and I decided to take my chance on the downhill, go quite fast and see if I would be able to go. It was a perfect scenario. I heard at the bottom of the Tourmalet that the chasers got back together so that wasn’t ideal but I just rode my pace and tried to stay in my zone. I was just hoping they would be looking at each other more and I could get more time. But Demi showed how strong she is when she passed me. Somehow on the first stages, I knew I would get the polka-dot jersey. I was the only favourite scoring points here and there, so I had a feeling it was gonna be mine. I definitely believed I would get the victory! But I often come 2nd or 3rd … Maybe I need to come to terms with that [she laughs].”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “THE CHANCE OF MY LIFE TO GET ON THE PODIUM OF THE TOUR”
“This is why we came here, to win the Tour with Demi [Vollering]! And I think the way she did it, she showed she is the best. I wanted to enjoy my last day in yellow … But it was pretty painful [she laughs]. I just went all out and we wanted to see where I could get. Now I’m less than 10 seconds behind Annemiek [van Vleuten] … So tomorrow, one last day full gas, and maybe I can be on the podium of the Tour! Winning the green jersey is also something that won’t happen every year. I’d like to say I’ll enjoy it tomorrow but I will go full gas. This is the chance of my life to get on the podium of the Tour! One last day and then it will be recovery mode.”
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colorado (July 27, 2023) – The Copper Triangle cycling event, operated by The Ride Collective, has benefited the Davis Phinney Foundation since 2006. Over the last 17 years, the event has raised just under $2 million, helping the Foundation bring to life essential programs, research, and content for those affected by Parkinson’s.
Copper Triangle Bike Race 2022, 8/6/22. Photo courtesy The Ride Collective
By registering, riding, and participating in the Copper Triangle, riders can help raise money for the Davis Phinney Foundation. A portion of every Copper Triangle registration is donated to the Foundation through The Ride Collective, and riders can personally contribute to the Foundation during registration. Finally, riders who desire an even more meaningful experience can sign up to join Team DPF and ride and fundraise together. Benefits of joining Team DPF include private team gatherings, post-ride hospitality, and the chance to fundraise to earn a robust suite of Team DPF gear and incentives.
Copper Triangle Bike Race 2022, 8/6/22. Photo courtesy The Ride Collective
The Copper Triangle is a Colorado cycling classic based at Copper Mountain. This 79-mile road ride has three climbs over 10,000 feet, each with a timed segment. The loop crests three Colorado mountain passes—Fremont Pass, Tennessee Pass, and Vail Pass—for a total elevation gain of 6,500 feet.
The 2023 Copper Triangle is on Saturday, August 5, 2023, and spots are still available for participants and Team DPF fundraisers.
Copper Triangle Bike Race 2022, 8/6/22. Photo courtesy The Ride Collective
Step 1: Join Team DPF
By joining Team DPF at Copper Triangle, you turn your ride into a meaningful fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation to help people with Parkinson’s live well today. Joining Team DPF means riding with others making a difference, invitations to pre- and post-event team get-togethers, and a chance to earn team prizes.
Step 2: Register for the Copper Triangle Ride
After you’re all set with a fundraising page, remember to register for the ride itself.
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 6 | ALBI > BLAGNAC
Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Movistar) was beautifully inspired by the previous attackers’ successes in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 as she powered to a thrilling success in Blagnac, at the end of a fast stage 6. The Dane is among the fastest riders in the bunch … and she decided to make the most of her raw power in the breakaway, joining Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon//Sram) and Sandra Alonso (Ceratizit-WNT) at the front of the race. The peloton almost came back … but for the third day in a row, an attacker claimed glory, as Charlotte Kool (DSM-Firmenich) dominated the sprint from the bunch and finished 2nd, 1″ behind the 24 year-old Dane, who celebrated her birthday on Wednesday. After a fast and furious six days of racing, the riders head into the decisive final week-end of the race, with a summit finish at Col du Tourmalet on Saturday and the Pau ITT on Sunday.
ANOTHER BREAK, OR A SPRINT?
After they saw breakaway riders succeed on days 4 and 5, many riders want to race aggressively. April Tacey (Lifplus Wahoo) is the first attacker to open a proper gap but she’s caught ahead of the first ascent of the day, the cat-4 Côte de la Cadène (summit at km 30.9).
Agnieszka Skalniak-Sojka (Canyon//Sram) sets off at km 29 and Sandra Alonso (Ceratizit-WNT) tries to follow her, unsuccessfully. Emma Norsgaard Bjerg (Movistar) attacks over the top, joins Alonso, and the two of them eventually get back to the Polish ITT national champion on the second ascent of the day, the cat-4 Côte de Puycelsi (km 51.3). The peloton trail by 2″. But more aggressive racing is about to unfold.
Lidl-Trek and FDJ-Suez are determined to get on the move, with several attacks from Amanda Spratt, Lizzie Deignan, Jade Wiel and Grace Brown. With a very hard pace on the Côte de Puycelsi and the following Côte du Clos Pourtié (cat. 4, km 58), the gap to the front trio drops down to 40″ and Charlotte Kool (DSM-Firmenich), one of the hot favourites of the day, is momentarily dropped.
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck), leader of the QOM standings, and Veronica Ewers (EF Education-Tibco-SVB), a contender for the GC top 10, are involved in a crash with 49km to go. The polka-dot jersey quickly resumes racing while the American struggles to get back up but refuses to give up.
ANOTHER THRILLING FINALE
An intense battle is engaged between the front trio and the peloton, mostly led by Charlotte Kool’s DSM-Firmenich, Marianne Vos’ Jumbo-Visma and Chiara Consonni’s UAE Team ADQ. The gap is down to 45″ into the last 10 kilometres, and 18″ with 5 kilometres to go …
Norsgaard Bjerg ups the ante with 4km to go and Alonso is dropped. But Skalniak-Sojka is still up there and the gap is still up to 10″ with 1 kilometre to go! The Dane opens up her sprint with 400 metres to go. Her Polish companion is caught inside the last 100 metres but Norsgaard Bjerg manages to maintain a gap of 1″ to Charlotte Kool on the line!
EMMA NORSGAARD BJERG: “IT’S MY BIGGEST VICTORY EVER, I’M SO EMOTIONAL”
“I am lost for words, really. It’s been a very difficult start of the year. I want to thank everyone, my family, my husband, the team for believing in me after being out the whole spring. It’s my biggest victory ever, I’m so emotional, so happy. A few years ago, I might have gone for the sprint, but I need to realise that I’m not as fast Charlotte Kool or Lorena Wiebes anymore, and I need to find other ways to find success. This morning, when I woke up, I was like: ‘Oh no, another day where I have to work, another day where I have to suffer …’ I was in such a bad mood I needed three cups of coffee before anyone could speak to me. And then my sports director came to tell me about that plan of going in the breakaway. I was thinking: ‘Are you kidding me?’ Now I love him! Obviously the big goal is to win the GC with Annemiek [van Vleuten] and we truly believe she can finish it off. But it’s nice that we can also chase stage wins. I was so emotional when Liane [Lippert] won. It gave me a huge boost.”
YARA KASTELIJN: “I’M HAPPY THAT I DIDN’T LOSE POINTS”
“After my crash, in the beginning, it felt a bit bad. After 20-30 km, it was fine again. So normally it will be fine tomorrow, I hope so! I’m really happy that I didn’t lose points today, because Anouska [Koster] was not in a break. I am 4 points ahead of her, I will give everything tomorrow to keep the jersey. Here, I feel strong on the climbs. We will see tomorrow.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “WINNING THE GREEN JERSEY OF THE TOUR IS A REALLY NICE THING”
“I don’t know why the break has won three times already in the Tour. Maybe we need to start and learn how to count. But the break was really strong, teams were fully chasing behind. Again, it went pretty fast and in the finale the breakaway was probably stronger. It’s really nice [to be out of reach in the points standings]. At the end of your career if you look back an can say you won the GJ of the Tour de France, it’s a really nice thing. We’ve won two stages, we’ve had the yellow jersey since the start. Now, we have one goal, so we hope we can help Demi [Vollering] tomorrow and hopefully she can finish it off and make big differences on the Tourmalet.”
AGNIESZKA SKALNIAK-SOJKA: “I WANTED TO FIGHT UNTIL THE END”
“For sure, I’m disappointed about the ending, but I’m happy about my performance today and how we ride as a team. What I can say? I’m happy with this red number for tomorrow, and tomorrow it will be a new day for us to fight for the win. From the car, they said that two riders were behind me, like 40″, I just kept going, and then they said it’s like 25″ so I waited for them on the climb. It’s easier to work with three than by myself. We rode full gas until the end, but Emma [Norsgaard Bjerg] was sitting on my wheel with like 1km to go. But I wanted to fight until the end, and they caught me 25m from the line. I think I gave my whole, it’s cycling, and it happens.”
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “I’M EVEN MORE HUNGRY FOR TOURMALET”
“With 50km to go, we got thrown off road with the polka-dot jersey, so that was not nice but we quickly came back to the bunch. Then it was quite calm, we didn’t have to worry too much. Sandra [Alonso] was at the front, she did a very good job. I didn’t suffer too much from the crash, it’s just a bit of skin, so everything is good. There was another crash with 1km to go, around 15 riders went down but nobody from the team was involved. After crashing, I’m even more hungry for Tourmalet! It’s usually like that: when I crash, I want to smash everything on the next day. I look at as an uphill time trial, I’ll give it everything.”
BIG BEAR LAKE, California — The Big Bear Cycling Association (BBCA) announces the return of the Tour de Big Bear in 2023. The event has recently been named the Number One Gran Fondo in North America for 2023 by Gran Fondo Guide.
Big Bear Lake is Southern California’s four-season mountain lake escape. Situated in the San Bernardino National Forest at 6,752’ elevation, it has cooler summer temperatures along with stunning mountain scenery.
Photo courtesy Tour de Big Bear
The Tour de Big Bear features alpine roadways and trails over high mountain passes like Onyx Summit (elevation of 8,443 feet), and around Big Bear and Baldwin Lakes – plus fully staffed Aid Stations that feature ribs, bacon and other tasty treats.
The 2023 Tour de Big Bear will start and finish at Snow Summit Mountain Resort. Routes include:
Family fun ride
25-, 50-, 70-, or 100-mile routes
50-mile Dirty Bear and 25 mile Dirty Cub gravel rides
Tour de Big Bear Cycling Festival Events
The Big Bear Cycling Association hosts a two-day cycling expo that includes 40+ cycling vendors, a complimentary bike valet, food and beverages, family-friendly activities plus live entertainment during Saturday’s festivities.
Come up early and get acclimated to the altitude with Glow Rides and Poker Rides. Wind down on Sunday with the Recovery Ride.
FREE Friday Poker Ride – August 4
FREE Friday Night Glow Ride – August 4
FREE Cycling Expo, Family Friendly Activities & Live Entertainment– August 4 & 5
FREE Sunday Recovery Rides (road and gravel) – August 6
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 5 | ONET-LE-CHÂTEAU > ALBI
At 23 years old, Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//Sram) delivered a stunning performance to take the solo victory in Albi on day 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. After a furious battle over the first climbs of the day, the young German champ attacked with 36 kilometres to go. And nobody was able to come back to her as she soloed her way to the greatest victory of her young career. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) round out the stage top 3 after they escaped the peloton in the final kilometres.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) was the fastest from the bunch as she retained the Maillot Jaune on a day also marked by the withdrawal of her teammate Lorena Wiebes. Stage 6 will offer a new battle between sprinters and attackers ahead of the final fireworks for the overall standings this week-end.
WIEBES ABANDONS
A 140-woman peloton sets off from Onet-le-Château without Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx), winner of three stages of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, whose team reports she suffers stomach issues. Mie Bjorndal Ottestad (Uno X) and Jenny Rissveds (Coop-Hitec Products) are non-starters as well. And the relentless pace from the start quickly leads to three abandons of riders weakened by several physical issues: Kaja Rysz (Lifeplus Wahoo), Gabrielle Pilote Fortin (Cofidis) and Évita Muzic (FDJ-Suez), who finished 8th in last year’s edition.
AN ALL OUT BATTLE ALL DAY LONG
Eleven riders try to get away: Paula Patiño (Movistar), Mischa Bredewold (SD Worx), Amber Kraak (Jumbo-Visma), Olivia Baril (UAE Team ADQ), Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez), Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland), Hannah Ludwig (Uno X), Clara Koppenburg (Cofidis), Ella Wyllie (Lifeplus Wahoo) and Clara Emond (Arkea).
But the peloton is not willing to let them go and a huge battle ensues over a rolling terrain, much more demanding than the speeds suggest. The attackers cover 42.4 kilometres in the first hour but their lead never gets higher than 50″. They’re eventually caught on the slopes up the first categorised climb, the cat-3 Côte de Najac (summit at km 74.9). Some 40 riders remain at the front due to the relentless pace.
BAUNERFEIND’S SOLO
Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) chases the QOM points in Najac and on the next climb as well, the cat-3 Côte de Laguépie (km 85.2). Then Ricarda Bauernfeind (Canyon//Sram) attacks at km 90. Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland) tries to follow and comes 2nd at the Bonus point, with Ashleigh Moolman Pasio (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step) sprinting to the 3rd position.
Bauernfeind pushes her advantage, up to 1’30″ as she summits the cat-4 Côte de Monestiés just inside the last 25km. She then tries to resist the bunch. Her lead is down to 38″ with 10 km to go… But she maintains a gap of 37″ with 5km to go.
Marlen Reusser (SD Worx) and Liane Lippert (Movistar) get away from the bunch in the finale but it’s too late to get back to Bauernfeind, who maintains a gap of 22″ on the line. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) dominates the sprint in the bunch and retains the Maillot Jaune.
RICARDA BAUERNFEIND: “IT’S JUST INCREDIBLE”
“To be honest, I can’t believe it, it’s just incredible. I had the support from my teammates, from the car behind, all the partners… Everyone helped me and supported us. It was an incredible team ride. First we had to chase the breakaway because we didn’t have anyone there. My teammates did a fantastic job. Then, it was up to me, I tried to attack and it worked out. It’s fantastic. As a team, we waited for such a win all year, and now we did it.
A few years ago, I made the decision to focus on my studies. I wanted to become a teacher. Then there was the pandemics, I did a lot of Zwift to stay in form. When I stopped, it was because I had lost a bit of fun, I was always pressuring myself. Then I got the opportunity to join Canyon//Sram Generation. They focus on developing the riders without pressure. It was the best step for me. And now I’m here with Canyon Sram.”
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “IT WAS VERY FAST ALL DAY”
“Mentally, it was really intense. Even in the neutral start, the whole peloton started to rub shoulders. I was behind the car, normally I was safe but I got pushed straight away! There was a lot of tension. I told my teammates: ‘Be careful, when the flag goes up, something is going to happen. It didn’t miss.’ The bunch split in several groups… The 2nd in the best young rider classification [Ella Wyllie] was in the breakaway. We were not too worried, there was a maximum gap of 45″. But we said to ourselves that at some point we would have to bridge the gap. Sandra |Alonso] rode a lot, then Canyon//Sram took over as well. It came back on a climb, it was very intense, it was very fast all day. When Bauernfeind attacked, I was a little more focused on Ella Wyllie, because she had also tried to put in attacks. I was playing it safe. I wanted to try something in the sprint. But without a teammate, it was complicated to position myself.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “IT’S DEFINITELY NOT THE BEST DAY FOR US”
“I think I was the reason why nobody wanted to chase! It’s a missed opportunity but I can’t ask Demi [Vollering] to start pulling the bunch. In the end, the general classification is the most important thing, we don’t want to waste energy we will need later on. And it’s also nice that the women who attack also get a reward. It’s definitely not the best day for us. Losing Lorena [Wiebes] was not nice to start the day. And Demi receiving a 20″ penalty is bullshit I think. If you get dropped, I think it’s normal, but if you have a mechanical, it happens all the time.”
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 4 | CAHORS > RODEZ
On the day after Julie Van de Velde’s heartbreak in Montignac-Lascaux, attackers ruled the longest stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023. An impressive breakaway surged at the front early in the day, built a gap of more than 10 minutes and eventually battled not only for the stage win but also the Maillot Jaune. Yara Kastelijn, a teammate of Van de Velde in the ranks of Fenix-Deceuninck, tamed the final ascents of the day to power her first professional victory on the road (she’s also a cyclo-cross European champion). After an explosive finale, Demi Vollering (SD Worx) surged to the 2nd position, ahead of another early attacker, Anouska Koster (Uno X). It took an impressive effort from Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) to retain the overall lead, 43″ ahead of Vollering, while Kastelijn moves up the rankings (7th, +1’).
After Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) came agonisingly close to the upset on day 3, attackers are inspired by the length and the uphill challenges of stage 4. Henrietta Christie (Human Powered Health) leads the way early in the stage but she’s caught on the first ascent, the cat-4 climb to Col de Crayssac (summit at km 16.5).
Anouska Koster (Uno-X) takes the 2 QOM points at the summit and a flurry of attacks follows, with 14 riders rapidly opening a gap: Sheyla Gutierrez (Movistar), Christine Majerus (SD Worx), Coryn Labecki (Jumbo-Visma), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Kathrin Hammes (EF Education-Tibco-SVB), Thalita De Jong and Jeanne Korevaar (Liv Racing Teqfind), Yara Kastelijn et Marthe Truyen (Fenix-Deceuninck), Anouska Koster (Uno-X), Célia Le Mouel (St-Michel-Mavic-Auber93), Romy Kasper (AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step), Alice Arzuffi (Ceratizit-WNT) and Audrey Cordon-Ragot (Human Powered Health).
More riders try to join this strong group, unsuccessfully. On the longest stage in the young history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the gap reaches heights never seen before in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift: up to 10’35″ at km 100 (the largest gap a group of attackers had managed to open so far was 3’45″ on day 5 of the 2022 edition, a 175.6km stage).
SD Worx, Canyon//Sram and UAE Team ADQ eventually react. And the gap is down to 7 minutes at the bottom of the third climb of the day, the cat-3 Côte de Colombiès, to be summited with 34.4km to go to Rodez. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) attacks on the ascent. Lidl-Trek and then FDJ-Suez restore order in the bunch. The gap drops down to 4’ at the summit. Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar) also tries to get away on tricky roads, laying the groundwork for an intense finale.
On the main ascent of the day, the cat-2 Côte de Moyrazès (4.6km at 5.5%), Yara Kastelijn drops her breakaway companions inside the last 20 kilometres. Kopecky enjoys the same ascent to power away from the GC group. At the summit, Kastelijn’s chasers trail by 42″, Kopecky by 3’03″ and the bunch by 3’25″.
VOLLERING SURGES BEHIND KASTELIJN
Kastelijn tames the final ascent of the day and flies towards the stage win. Can she also take the Maillot Jaune? She was trailing by 2’41″ in GC at the start and she took 4 bonus seconds through the stage, with 10 more seconds up for grabs on the line. Behind her, Annemiek van Vleuten and Demi Vollering attack and a group of leaders get back together with Kopecky.
Kastelijn maintains a strong pace on the run-in to Rodez, where the road rises again for the last 600 metres. At the summit, she takes her first professional victory on the road, 1’11″ ahead of Demi Vollering. Early attacker Anouska Koster rounds out the stage top 3. Kopecky finishes with a gap of 1’27″ and saves her Maillot Jaune.
YARA KASTELIJN: “THE FINAL METRES WERE INCREDIBLE”
“We started the race with the goal to take points for the polka-dot jersey, but I’m not that explosive so Anouska [Koster] and [Kathrin Hammes] took the points. I was very happy to have Marthe [Truyen] with me so I could stay relax and we had a gap of 10 minutes. I didn’t expect that in the beginning. When I went alone on the penultimate climb, then it was just about staying focused and riding to the line as hard as possible. The final metres were amazing. Yesterday we were really proud of Julie [Van de Velde]. It’s incredible just to be here. We’ve taken two jerseys. And today we have a victory. It’s just amazing. I think tonight we deserve champagne.
My mom and dad were also at the finish and my brother will join us. My family is everything to me so I’m very happy and proud to celebrate with them.
This winter, I spoke with my coach to change things a bit, do less cyclo-cross and focus on the road. In the spring classics, I was a bit annoyed, I was always up there but I couldn’t finish it off. To take a victory here is crazy and amazing.”
“It’s a really nice jersey! At the beginning of this Tour, it was not a goal but I grabbed some points in the first stages and we made a goal of it. I feel strong, especially on the climbs, so it’s nice to have been part of this good breakaway. The polka-dot jersey is a nice reward after a hard day at the front. The biggest goal was the stage win so I collaborated well with the girls, only Yara [Kastelijn] didn’t work much. It was nice to almost make it to the finish, only Demi [Vollering] passed me right at the end. For sure I will keep fighting for that jersey. The team supports me really well and I’m happy we can show the colours of Uno-X like that.”
CÉDRINE KERBAOL: “IT WAS A BIT STRESSFUL”
“We had a teammate in the break and the gap quickly rose to 10 minutes. It was a bit stressful because then we thought we might finish the stage with a gap of 5 minutes. It wouldn’t have been good for GC. Then the peloton really accelerated in the final quarter of the race. I tried to hang on for as long as possible in the group for the main contenders. On the penultimate climb, I couldn’t stay with the big guns but I finish in the group right behind, with some impressive girls. I still lack a bit of power to follow the strongest moves.”
LOTTE KOPECKY: “I TRIED TO HELP DEMI ATTACK”
“My moves were mainly to help Demi [Vollering] attack, maybe drop GC contenders and help her towards the finish. At one point, the situation was confusing, I didn’t know the time gaps. On the final climb, we managed to bridge a few riders but I heard on the radio that Yara [Kastelijn] was at the front with a 1 minute gap. We raced a bit different because it was such a long stage. At some point, the break had a very big advantage. I don’t mind having long races like this.”
By Nancy Ziegler — What Is it like for me to bicycle tour? I become totally immersed in the journey. Every part of my body is performing. My body sets a rhythm that moves me forward. I am aware of every feature of every bit of pavement over which I move. My brain is totally “on”. I am listening to every subtle change of sound that registers in my brain. I hear the variations of the sounds of vehicles approaching from behind. My body adjusts and prepares for the passing of the vehicle. Is it a school bus, a semi, a slow-moving car or truck, a souped-up car? Sometimes, I know it is roaring down the road far too close to me.
Nancy’s Ziegler’s final stop in Duluth, Minnesota on a 100 mile day (with a smile on her face). Photo by Nancy Ziegler
What is absolutely most frightening is when an oncoming car does not see me and passes a slower moving vehicle in its lane. I bale! That is, I hit the gravel on the side of the road. In those circumstances, the driver usually notices me at the last second and swerves back into the other lane. By that time, my adrenaline has peaked, and I am thanking God I was not hit.
Then, I move along. Yes, there by the grace of God go I. I smell the different livestock on those large farms. I enjoy the peacefulness of watching animals quietly graze in green pastures. I see and smell plants growing, blooming. I love the smell of the wet earth after a rain storm. Oh, those rain storms that come on the winds of huge, dark, foreboding storm fronts. It is great to have those winds push me along on my journey. The phenomenal layering of steel grey clouds threatening, getting ever closer. I pedal hard and fast, hoping I will reach my destination before the lightening, thunder and rain hits.
And, when the rain comes there is always the gamble of when to stop to put on the rain gear. Oftentimes, I optimistically wait just a little too long. That means wet clothing. If it is warm, that’s okay. There have been many times when I go into a restaurant with water dripping off me. I quietly shed the rain gear. I take napkins and clean up dripping water. I put my feet up on the chair opposite me and let my legs relax while I gather the warmth of the room. I am re-energized after some food and rest. Hopefully, the rain has stopped, and I am ready to move on.
There is an energy, a joy that fills me when I re-count my cycling day. I see something in my mind that opens up an incredible horizon of the beauty of this earth. It is when I am by myself, rolling through the country. It is when I am away from the urban world, away from the barrage of our media.
Hills? Yes, they exist. I just downshift and climb. I move at a slower pace, but the rhythm is continuous. I have certain tunes I always sing when climbing. Sometimes I say repetitive prayers that are my “hill climbing” mantra. How funny?
I imagine most folks would assume flying down hills is absolutely great. Sometimes yes, sometimes, no. If the pavement is smooth and straight and not too steep, it is great. Most of the time, there are patched spots, or holes, or curves or possible other vehicles on that downhill. Applying the pumping action of breaking is very tiring on the hands. “Heads up!” I say. Keep alert.
I come across some very interesting sites along my routes. I am able to check on some needed information using a smartphone, but some of the richness of the journey comes from interacting with local folks. They are often curious. I almost always have a friendly smile to offer. I often get good directions of local roads and their conditions. The GPS doesn’t give me what someone who travels the back roads every day can give me.
When all is said and done, the whole experience of solo bike touring fills my whole being like no other experience. I am still able to do it after 45 years of touring. I need to lessen my miles. I need to stretch before and after I ride. I need to rest and let my body re-energize. A good night of sleep in my tent is perfect for that.
I have the stars and moon in my eyes. I bicycle and am alive.
Nancy Ziegler is a retired high school teacher living in Duluth, Minnesota. She took her first self-contained bicycle tour in 1974 through the Canadian Rockies and down into Glacier National Park.
TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES 2023 | STAGE 3 | COLLONGES-LA-ROUGE > MONTIGNAC-LASCAUX
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) showed her speed to dominate the sprint at the end of stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift… But victory almost escaped the Dutch sprinter in the streets of Montignac-Lascaux as Julie Van de Velde (Fenix-Deceuninck) was caught with only 200 metres to go. On the line, Wiebes got the best of Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma), with Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx) rounding out the stage podium. Wiebes is the first rider to make it three stage wins in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift (Vos and Van Vleuten have 2), and the first to win both in 2022 and in 2023. Most combative rider of the day, Van de Velde will wear the polka-dot jersey as the new Queen of the mountains on stage 4, the longest of this edition with 177.1 km to go from Cahors to Rodez.
25/07/2023 – Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023 – Etape 3 – Collonges-la-Rouge / Montignac-Lascaux (147,2 km) – HAMMES Kathrin (EF EDUCATION – TIBCO – SVB)
The uphill start inspires early attackers but Kathrin Hammes (EF Education-Tibco-SVB) is the only one who manages to get away, after 4 kilometres of battles. The German rider opens a gap of up to 2’10″. Meanwhile, the different attempts to counter-attack are neutralised by the bunch. And two riders, weakened by physical issues, are forced to abandon: Marte Berg Edseth (Uno-X) and Lucie Jounier (Coop-Hitec Products).
Hammes takes the most QOM points atop the ascents of Côte du Peyroux (cat. 3), Côte de Pératel (cat. 4) and Côte de l’Escurotte (cat. 4). She racks up 7 points, but Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) also takes one point to defend her polka-dot jersey, with a tally up to 8 points.
The peloton accelerates and Hammes is caught with 83km to go. A flurry of attacks ensue, with Jumbo Visma’s Anna Henderson and Amber Kraak, Lidl Trek’s Lizzie Deignan and Lauretta Hanson, Canyon//Sram’s Agnieszka Skalniak Sojka and Fenix-Deceuninck’s Julie Van de Velde among the most active riders. But Lotte Kopecky reacts in person to control the moves and SD Worx eventually restore order.
Onto the penultimate ascent of the day, Van de Velde attacks again. This time, she opens a gap of 45″ atop the cat-4 Côte des Andrieux (km 89.4), and still leads by 25″ atop the cat-4 Côte de Saint-Robert (km 92.2). With a total of 9 QOM points, she all but secures the polka-dot jersey at the end of the stage.
VAN DE VELDE ALMOST RESISTS WIEBES
Counter-attacks fail while Van de Velde keeps pushing – her gap is up to 2’30″ into the last 30km of the stage. But Canyon//Sram try to spilt the bunch through the wind, and DSM-Firmenich up the ante as well with Lidl-Trek. The attacker’s lead is down to 1’05″ with 20km to go. And 25″ as the riders enter the last 10km… But Van de Velde pushes her lead back up to 35″ under the 5km-to-go arch.
The Belgian attacker was only caught with 200 metres to go. Sprinters flew past her, with Lotte Kopecky launching Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx) to victory, ahead of Marianne Vos. Kopecky rounded out the podium herself, cementing her status as the leader of the race.
WIEBES: “SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO GAMBLE”
“I didn’t think too much. The most important is to have full trust in your lead-out and that’s how I feel with Lotte [Kopecky]. We went into the last corner and I realised we were gonna catch Julie [Van de Velde]. Lotte was pulling really fast and hard. I was also looking to the side of the road to see the distance to the finish and when Marianne [Vos] went, I also went and I’m happy to win like that. We felt it was not up to us to start the chase because hard days are coming and we don’t our teammates to give their whole now and not play a part in the GC battle. I also know DSM from riding with them last year and I had a feeling they would commit to the chase for Charlotte [Kool]. Sometimes, you have to gamble. We also found ourselves in this situation many times where we had to lead the chase. It’s part of the game.”
“It’s a bit of mixed feelings because I came so close to the stage victory. But it’s a dream to be in the polka-dot jersey, it’s an amazing day… With Yara [Kastelijn], we were 1 and 2 in the QOM classifications, so we could try both as long as the jersey stayed in the team, that was the most important… I heard that the teammates were doing a great effort to try to block the speed in the bunch. And I heard my sports director saying that the gap was growing again, so I tried to give everything, tried to not look back, but unfortunately they came in the last few hundred meters.”
“Julie [Van de Velde] was very strong and it was nice to see but in the end, it’s always hard for a lone leader out for so long against the peloton. I tried to stay calm, because if I got nervous, so would have Lorena [Wiebes]. In the final corner, I could see Julie and I went on instinct. I just felt I had to go and I felt really good. Lorena passed me, I kept going, she won, and I got 3rd, it’s really nice. We’re having a very special year. And everything is going great in this Tour. I don’t mind doing a bit more effort to help my teammates. Demi [Vollering] is well positioned in GC, we have two victories, a place of 2nd, the green jersey… But in the end, having the yellow on the final day is most important and we focus on that.”
