Trials ace road bike party with Pinarello Dogma

So you’ve all heard of Danny MacAskill, the trials rider like no other. Well, fellow trials rider Martyn Ashton decided to do something spectacular, but with a twist.

Ashton decides to display his awesome bike handling skills using a Pinarello Dogma 2 – the £10,000 carbon road bike the same as used by Bradley Wiggins for his Tour de France win.

The 5-minute vid, a promotion for WD-40, was filmed in a variety of urban and coastal settings. Ashton also hits the skatepark, rides a wall of death at the fair, and backflips from the most unlikely of locations – a golf course bunker.

‘Tour de France 2011 – the Official Game’ for Android and Blackberry

The Official Tour de France Game for Android and Blackberry

The Official Game of the Tour de France: The global standard for cycling games, is now available to all Android and Blackberry users!

According to the description on the Android Market:

Become the team manager for your favorite team and then become a legend as you lead your team to victory!

Manage the peloton and deal with breakaways, climbs, accidents, loss of form, and more. TAKE CONTROL and take part in the most realistic virtual Tour de France ever seen! Choose the correct racing strategy and the best tactical plans. Expose the weaknesses of your competitors, and attack with your team in full force!

Tour de France 2011 – The Official Game: The best way to experience the race!

Game features include:

The official Tour de France 2011 app

Main screen with plenty of options to choose from

The 2011 Tour de France kicked off this weekend to a great start. Unfortunately not all of us get to work from home during the week and watch it live on TV. So, to make do we use the internet and anything else that can help bring us closer to the race. And this is something the Tour de France organisers, along with sponsor SKODA, have cottoned onto. They have launched the Official Tour de France Application powered by ŠKODA.

According to the Google Android App Store:

New Tour de France kit for Team Garmin-Cervélo

Team Garmin-Cervélo lightens up with a new Tour de France kit

Slipstream Sports, today unveiled its limited edition team kit for the 2011 Tour de France, created by its innovative Italian clothing partner, Castelli.

The new jersey and shorts retain the distinctive Garmin and Cervélo logos, but reverse white with black on the jersey. The signature Slipstream Sports argyle is prominently displayed.

“We’re really excited about the Tour de France kit,” said Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of Slipstream Sports and Director Sportif, Team Garmin-Cervélo. “The lighter color is perfect for hot weather and our signature argyle is more prominent.”

This is the third time Castelli have introduced new clothing at the Tour de France. “We consider the Tour de France a very special event that deserves a special design,” said Steve Smith, Castelli Brand Manager.

“This team is rider-centric, and Castelli has done its part to make sure the riders have the most comfortable and technically advanced clothing for this big event. Racing in hot weather is physically demanding, that’s a given, and despite the fact that Castelli makes some of the lightest and coolest fabrics in existence, wearing a lighter colour will make a big difference, both psychologically and physically, to a rider’s well being,” explained Steve Smith.

The limited edition Tour de France kit will be available in early July at Castelli dealers and from the team store.

In addition to the new color, the Castelli Speed Research Unit has been busy making sure it’s the fastest gear in the peloton. With new innovative thinking, fifteen rounds of sampling and numerous tests later, the Castelli Speed Research Unit and has invented the first skinsuit for road racing.

And, working with Robby Ketchell, Director of Sport Science for Slipstream Sports, Castelli created a nearly seamless Body Paint TT Speedsuit to cut through the wind better than almost any other suit ever created. For the mountain stages, the riders will be supplied with an unbelievably lightweight jersey that virtually absorb no moisture so the weight savings multiply in the most extreme conditions.

Cycle Show 2010: Team Sky’s Pinarello Graal

This year’s London Cycle Show also showcased the new Pinarello Graal that will be used by Team Sky in 2011. An awesome looking machine to say the least. The extended/integrated stem with its own unique handlebars; the one-piece fork and headtube; the front brake housed behind the fork; and the hideaway section on the rear chainstay for the Di2 battery pack (if you choose to ride with the Di2, of course).

However, the best looking part of the entire bike is the downtube. It has sections that look like raised ‘shark fin’ profiles. Whether it enhances the rider’s performance is yet to be established, but it does look quite cool. I’m sure when the 2011 season kicks off, we’ll soon be able to tell if does help when the Team Sky riders edge their way up the GC. Maybe we’ll even see Bradley put in a sterling performance at the Tour de France.

Team Sky Pinarello Graal

Super skinny

Looks alien-like from the front (ever seen Men in Black?)

The aero downtube

A close up shows the shark fin ripples on the downtube

The battery pack for the Di2 nicely tucked awy within the chain stay

A chunky but much needed integrated stem and unique handlebars

Front brakes sitting behind the forks

Team Sky Pinarello Graal

Jens Voigt – what legends are made of

Jens Voigt descends the Peyresourde Pass on a loaner bike after a crash shattered his own (Robin Wilmott)

On stage 16 of this year’s Tour de France, Jens Voigt showed us what legends are made of. About 2km’s into the descent of Peyresourde Pass, he blew his front tyre and he went down.  This crashed almost forced him out of the Tour for a second year in a row.

To make matters worse, the first team car was behind Andy Schleck, and the second had decided to go up ahead to hand out water bottles at the foot of the next climb. As a result Jens had no bike as his was shattered from the front wheel blow out.

According to Jens:

So then the broom wagon pulled up and was like, “Do you want to just get in?” And I said, “Oh no, I don’t need YOU!” But there I am with blood spurting out my left elbow and no bike. Finally, the race organizers got me a bike, but it was this little yellow junior bike. It was way too small for me and even had old-fashioned toe-clip pedals. But that is the only way I could get down the mountain, so I had to ride it for like 15-20 kilometers until I finally got to a team car with my bike.

Then, I still had to get up to the grupetto. All I can say is that that desperate times need desperate measures, but I got up there. And once I did it was grupetto all day long.

Needless to say, I had plenty of time to come up with a fitting book of the day. It’s from the Disk World series by Terry Pratchett. In it, the protagonist is Conan the Barbarian, who is a 70-year-old who has just survived everything. At one point he, and his other old warrior friends capture this village, but then they find that they are surrounded by an army of tens of thousands, and his only reaction is, “Oh man, it’s going to take days to kill all these people!” And that’s the way I was today when I was lying on the ground. I just thought, “Oh no, I’m going to Paris this year, I’m going to Paris. There’s just no way you are going to get me out of this race for the second year in a row!”

This just goes to show what a legend the man is becoming! No matter what bike he was riding, no matter what his circumstances were, he decided not to give up. You have to admire that?!

Rides worth doing: The Tour Rides

For those of who have been keeping tabs on this blog would have seen that The Prostate Cancer Charity in the UK are trying to become the charity name behind cycling. Just the same as running is for breast cancer, they would like to make cycling the sport for prostate cancer. A natural association if you like.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and as a result, one man dies every hour from this horrid disease, not to mention the 35000 men that are diagnosed with it every year. So it’s not something to shy away from. But rather a disease that we need to fight against.

With that, the Charity has teamed up with The Tour of Britain to offer cyclists of all abilities the chance to ride a stage of The Tour, in The Tour Rides. Taking place in September, cyclists can try out the same routes that the pro’s get to race on in the Tour.

The same attention to detail and event planning is put into delivering a Tour Ride as staging The Tour of Britain. With extensive route signage, marshals, motorcycle support, official cars on route and neutral service, the Tour Rides offer a unique full-support experience.

Plus, there are carefully located and well stocked feed and drink stations along the route as well as hot drinks and sandwiches. I’ve been informed that this year’s Tour Rides will also incorporate timing splits and timed King of the Mountains sections (Pro Tour Ride).

The neutral service is being provided by the team at Saddleback Ltd who bring to the UK market those awesome racing machines, FELT – as currently used by the Garmin Transitions cycling team the Tour de France, as well as Lance’s groupset of choice, SRAM.

So on Tuesday 22 June, I was lucky enough to be invited by the Charity to go and try out the Stoke route of the Tour Ride. This route forms as Stage 2 of The 2010 Tour of Britain. It was a clear hot day – 22 degrees celcius. A perfect day to go out for the ride – as you will see from the pictures below. I had been looking forward to doing the ride for a whole week running up to it, especially as it was time out of the hectic schedule we were on for The Tour Series, plus I got to have my last ride on the Felt FC.

As it was a media ride, we weren’t going to do the full day’s worth of riding (ie. Pro Ride). We were only aiming to do 60+ km’s. However, we were going to take in the hilliest part of the route. Our day started off in Rocester, the home of JCB. From there we made our way to Leek taking in the stunning views of the Staffordshire Moorlands.  On the ride we took a short break in the village of Longnor, where we were welcomed with open arms by the owner of the local coffee shop called Cobbles. A true cycling fan, he offered us teas, coffees and sandwiches on the house. How could we say no to that? So if you ever in the village, make sure you stop by Cobbles.

From Longnor we made our way towards Leek, not before taking in plenty of 10% climbs and the well known, Gun Hill. I felt great at the start of the ride but the climbs were relentless and they began taking their toll. I have to say that Gun Hill was not easy at all and I can see why people gather along it when the Tour races over. There were some great downhills too (not too many of these unfortunately), but did manage to get up to speeds of 80km/h.

It was a great day out and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. If you’re on the fence about whether to take part, I would urge you to go for it. Sign up for The Tour Rides, you will not be sorry. And feel good in knowing that you are also putting money to a good cause.

I would also like to say a HUGE thanks to Andrew and team at Saddleback for providing me with the Felt FC to use on the ride! I loved riding it so much, I am now looking to buy it.

And last but not least, below are pictures taken on the day of our ride. These were taken by Joolze Dymond who is also the official photographer for The Tour of Britain and The Tour Series. If you get a chance, make sure you check out her website: www.joolzedymond.com

Remember, there are three routes to choose from and three rides at each, for the exception of London, which offers only one ride. For more details on all the Rides on offer (dates, distances, etc) in The Tour Rides, check out my previous posting on The Tour Rides.

Enjoy the pics and sign up!

Starting out in Rocester where our ride began

A beautiful day to be out riding the bike

Making the most of my last day on the Felt FC

The start of many many climbs to come

Easy for some, others not

The scenery was just spectacular

Riding on roads that were virtually clear of traffic. Made for a superb day out

You can almost see the heat come off the road

Some more uphills

Working the Felt. Plus, enjoyed the SRAM groupset. Definitely a convert to its style

How can you say no to that?

Peter and Liz helping us out on the ride, a day after the Chester round of The Tour Series

Some more ups

Peter trying the typical 'fan with water bottle' you see in the Tour de France

He was loving it

...and the fact that I was getting wet

Mind you, afterwards it did feel quite refreshing

Then just for the camera decided to do a typical rider 'response' to getting wet

Maybe over doing it a little

Watch out for the BIG hand! Getting a fresh bottle from Liz

Seriously enjoying my day out on the Felt. I think I should keep it!!

And there were some downhills too

But what goes down must go up

Liz and Peter enjoying their day out of the office

Quiet roads

Coffee stop in the village of Longnor. Check out Cobbles if you are ever there

Making our way towards Gun Hill

But before we get there, a few more clims to negotiate

Boy it was hot out there

There were loads of these too - 10 per cent climbs

Doing some close ups for the Charity

Taking the mick out of Joolze who's sitting in the boot of the CRV

Suffering on the first killer section of Gun Hill

Really thankful that Paul was there to encourage me along

My legs were hurting big time

Finished the second killer section

Enjoying the fact that Gun Hill levels out towards the top

Almost there

Joolze making us sprint for the top. She loves to see us suffer

Freewheeling into Leek

Enjoying the post ride chat with Paul...

...and laugh

2010 Le Tour de Femmes: Babes on Bicycles

Babe on a bike

I came across this site today – COED Magazine – and thought, “Why not share it?!” As I’ve described on my About section, this blog has to do with all that is bicycles. And that is what I’ve done here. So for all the guys out there, enjoy! And for the ladies, well, just turn to all the cycling news sites around the world and enjoy!

Bianchi Babes

Fishnet babe

Orbea babe (for those eagle eyed readers, she's holding an Orbea Orca)

Victoria Pendleton

Beach babe

Swimsuit babe

Well, if you want to see more, make sure you head over to COED Magazine and see the masses of babes on bikes that Pez Cycling News’ Daily Distractions would be very proud of.

Astana to be tainted by the doping brush thanks to Kloeden

Astana's Andreas Kloeden

A report to come out on Monday from German publication, Der Spiegel, is set to implicate German riders Andreas Kloeden and Matthias Kessler in illegal blood transfusions, citing the findings of an independent commission investigating doping.

The commission spent two years looking into doping allegations against two doctors who allegedly put a doping system into place at Freiburg University Clinic between 1995 and 2006 for the former Team Telekom, later known as T-Mobile.

Doctors Lothar Heinrich and Andreas Schmid, fired by the university in 2007, have admitted providing and administering doping material until 1999. But the commission concluded they continued until at least 2006, Der Spiegel reported.

Kloeden who now rides for Astana and has always denied doping. Kessler is currently serving a doping ban.

Astana have just managed to get some good press on Lance being allowed to ride the Tour de France and now this little bombshell is going to hit them hard. It will be interesting to see how the team responds to it and what the future wll hold for Kloeden within the team. I’m hesitant to speculate just yet, so won’t

Memories of the ’92 Tour

This past weekend I had to clear up my study to make space for a guest that will be staying with us in the very near future. So as I was cleaning out the room, I came across an old box of photos. Mostly of the family, but there were a few from my racing days as a youngster. The one’s that brought back the most memories were those of my first visit to France (at the age of 13) and my first experience of the Tour De France.

So, here are some pics of what I saw there and of the guys we like to watch and aspire to be like. Enjoy!

One of the most remarkable stages of modern history of the Tour. Claudio Chiappucci took off before the race left France and soloed to a glorious victory at Sestriere high in the Italian Alps. We were standing a few meters short of the 3km mark

Miguel Indurain is second rider up Sestriere. Miguel took the yellow jersey away from Pascal Lino on this stage. He went on to take overall honours in the Tour

One of my favourite pics - Laurent Fignon climbing his way up Sestriere and there I am cheering him on (2nd from the right in the white t-shirt)

Standing at the monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour de France, near the summit of the Col du Galibier

Spectators lining the road up Alp d'Huez

Andy Hamspten making his way to taking the stage win on Alp d'Huez

Followed in hot pursuit by Indurain and Chiappucci

World Road Champion Gianni Bugno being paced by team mate. (Not much space on the road going up for bicycles, cars and people)

All time favourite Laurent Jalabert

Former green jersey winner, Sean Kelly

At the stage finish in Tours. Thierry Marie took the stage win that day. Miguel on his way to receive another yellow jersey

Claudio Chiappucci following the finish in Tours

A glimpse of Laurent Jalabert at the Tours stage finish

Best picture! Me and Laurent Jalabert

Well, that’s all for now. I’d be happy to see more pics from the ’92 Tour. So if you have any, please let me know where I can go and see them.