The words of our guide, Enrico, are cruel but true: “Today is another battle in the war between cyclists and food. And I’m afraid you are going to lose again.”
With that, I polish off the last remnants of cheese, ham, almond tart and chocolate croissant from my breakfast plate, say a silent thanks for the elasticity of Lycra and head out to my bike for our latest day of touring the remote mountains and rugged coastline of Sardinia’s world-famous ‘Blue Zone’.
In an age of high-tech wizardry designed to wring every ounce of performance benefits from the bikes we ride, kit we wear and food we eat, we have come to this sun-soaked Italian island in search of the ultimate marginal gain – the secret of a long and healthy life. We’ve been kindly hosted by touring company Tourissimo, who are as keen to show off the island’s culinary delights as the breathtaking riding it has to offer.
This morning we have laboured beneath the soaring, pale limestone cliffs of the Supramonte mountains before ascending a quiet, twisting road to the village of Orgosolo for a class in the art of making the island’s wafer-thin bread, pane carasau.
This mountainous area used to be notorious for untimely deaths at the hands of bandits, but these days it’s the longevity of its residents that makes the headlines. The so-called Blue Zone has the highest proportion of 100-year-olds anywhere in the world, with one recent study documenting 90 centenarians in a population of 18,000.
Denne historien er fra October 20, 2022-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra October 20, 2022-utgaven av CYCLING WEEKLY.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CLASSIC BIKE - JOHNNY BERRY
Johnny be good at making beautiful lightweight bikes
UK SCENE - WUNDERKIND HUDSON WINS YORKSHIRE CX
Newly crowned junior hill-climb champ shows his versatility by winning round seven on the mud
WATT WORKS FOR ME TADEJ POGAČAR
The man himself - subject of this special issue - explains the key performance changes behind his record-breaking year
11 WAYS TO POG-UP YOUR PLAN
Tadej Pocačar's performance is out of reach but you can adapt his training to raise your game. Chris Marshall-Bell consults the experts to find out how
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Are today's aero bikes really faster, or is marketing just getting better? Joe Baker investigates...
REVIEW OF THE YEAR
An Olympic year is always special and the cycling season once again delivered a year of highs and lows, from Pogi's triple to Katie Archibald's pre-Olympic trip
MEET THE PARENTS
What made Tadej Pogačar the phenomenon he is today? Chris Marshall-Bell went to Slovenia to meet his mum and dad, Mirko and Marjeta
HALF MAN HALF GOAT
Tadej Pogačar may have had a phenomenal season, but has he done enough to cement his status as the greatest of all time? Chris Marshall-Bell weighs the arguments for and against
Lefevere cashes in his chips and leaves cycling management
The news that Patrick Lefevere will step down as Quick Step boss marks the end of an era, after 22 years in charge
Mathieu van der Poel weighs up skipping Tour de France
Dutchman hints at missing Tour in favour of mtb Worlds bid, reports Tom Thewlis from Dénia, Spain