CATEGORIES

OBITUARY Vic Hopkin: 22 July 1933–21 May 2021

Former British Cycling board member Vic Hopkin, who was well known for his work in the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, has died after a short illness.

No more suffering in silence

After years of agony with gut problems, Sam Gray was finally forced to face his demons – and is now encouraging others to speak out and seek help

BRITAIN'S OTHER MEDAL FACTORY

South London club VC Londres has an extraordinary number of international champions among its alumni. James Shrubsall speaks to the members to find out the secret of its success

TWIN PEAKS

Identical twins have all but identical DNA. Does that mean their cycling potential is exactly the same too? Chris Marshall-Bell asks the Oliveira twins

Dr Hutch

Tight margins at the business end of Grand Tours should equal high drama – the Doc has a theory why that’s not always the case

DOMINATING THE VIRTUAL ROAD

The pandemic has fast tracked the rise of e-racing ahead of its natural progression. Paul Knott asked British time triallist turned e-racing star, Alice Lethbridge, how her Team Heino has become one of the most dominant teams on the Zwift racing scene

Small crash can derail a season

The highest of highs, and the lowest of lows. I went from the breakaway of the Volta ao Algarve – while not a result, it was a personal goal – to sitting on the tarmac within 24 hours.

Lowden hopes to drop flag on Hour record race

Brit targets official attempt after February’s record-breaking training run, writes Vern Pitt

Thomas: ‘We'll have all guns blazing at the Tour'

A hugely impressive Dauphiné performance gives the Ineos Grenadiers a significant pre-Tour boost

£1,000 ROAD BIKE HEAD TO HEAD

Four entry-level builds, contesting the most competitive price point, get put through their paces by Michelle Arthurs-Brennan and Simon Smythe

Should You Measure Your Every Move?

Can wearable devices really make you a fitter, healthier cyclist? Deena Blacking straps on a plethora of gadgets and endeavours to find out

PYRENEAN GEMS

With so many climbs to ride in the Pyrenees, CW spoke to Peter Cossins about his new book on cycle routes in the range

Vitus ZX-1 EVO CRS eTap AXS £4,199.99 | 8.4kg

Stefan Abram reviews an aero rig offering plenty of clout for your cash

Dr Hutch

The information vacuum of interrupted coverage at the Giro is a great simulation of the spectating experience, finds the Doc

THE LAND CYCLING FORGOT

Quiet roads, a mixture of terrain, Shropshire could be one of the country’s best kept secrets when it comes to riding. Once restrictions had lifted we went to see if what the local riders had been keeping to themselves was as special as they said

Tour de Suisse: 5-6 JUNE (WOMEN), 6-13 JUNE (MEN)

Dumoulin to resume riding at Swiss tour in preparation for Tokyo TT tilt

IT'S FINALLY OVER

Three gruelling weeks, 3,449.6km and more than 47,000m climbed, and now, as I write this, there’s only 30.3km left until the 2021 Giro d’Italia will be finished.

Cycling 20 March, 1946 - Cycling and Britain's war effort

Unsurprisingly the war continued to loom large over the country in 1946. Manufacturing was key to the country getting back on its feet as Dunlop proudly exclaimed on the cover that they were backing Britain’s recovery. And not just making tyres. The 583 products they were involved in making in various factories included hot water bottles, gas cylinders, shoes (or at least the soles), hosepipes, armchairs and beds, or parts of.

Chris Walker's 1991 Milk Race-winning Banana Falcon

Retro revamp proves steel’s still got it

Bernal resists Yates's bold final assault

Brit comes good in final week but Colombian proves too strong

A Cyclist's Guide To Caffeine

We all know cyclists have a thing about coffee, but does the caffeine really boost our riding? TJ Waterfall investigates

The Big CW Fitness Project 2021

Three new riders, three fresh sets of cycling goals – we’ll be following their progress every step of the way

WHY IS THE PELOTON HIDING ITS TRUE COLOURS?

There is a conspicuous absence of openly LGBTQ+ riders in the pro peloton, especially among the men. How to cast off the stigma and free everyone to be themselves? David Bradford speaks to pros with first-hand insight

Lincoln to host postponed road champs

Delayed National Champs worth waiting for

THIS GIRO ISN'T PRETTY

It’s the eve of the Queen stage and the end of another hard week at the Giro. Tomorrow is shaping up to be one of the most gruesome days of my career. A bit stiff and sore from a crash today and staring down the barrel of 212km, 5,600m climbing, rain all day that will be sleet and then snow on top of the Fedaia, Pordoi and Giau passes. It won’t be pretty. [It was shortened, but still grim - ed]

REMEMBERING THE COMRADES OF THE ROAD

The National Cyclists’ War Memorial was unveiled 100 years ago as part of a remarkable ceremony in the heart of England

Great inventions of... 1946 – the big ring

To be fair, the big chainring and the small chainring were invented at the same time – although we’re not quite sure by whom or exactly when.

Dr Hutch

When the Doc’s friend Bernard agrees to coach a rival, he finds personal success at odds with his new-found professional reputation

Carthy rides on to Giro podium despite setbacks

Brit loses key climbing domestiques and time in the first two weeks, reports Vern Pitt

Cycling 13 August 1977 - Pomp and pageantry at Leicester track

All eyes were on National Championship week – the popular promotion held annually at the famous Leicester outdoor velodrome from 1973. At this time the 333.33-metre track was still white concrete (it had a makeover for the 1982 Worlds when it was given a wooden surface) and it was Mick Bennett, riding in his first season as a pro, who made the headlines. He beat Olympian Trevor Bull to the sprint title.