Journal / Pro
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Dec 17, 2019
Local Riders Q&A ~ Ben Swift
Born in Rotherham in 1987, Ben Swift has had a amazing professional career and is currently the British National Road Race Champion, riding for UCI WorldTeam Team Ineos. He made his professional road debut in 2007 joining Barloworld as a trainee during which time he won the King of the Mountains title in the Tour of Britain. After joining Katusha, he lead out teamate Filippo Pozzato in 2009 and described himself as "an allrounder who can do well in the Classics". He has proven himself with some amazing rides, most notably, finishing third (2014) and second (2016) at the prestigious...
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Jun 18, 2019
Local Riders Q&A - Hugh Carthy
Born in 1994 in Preston, Hugh Carthy is a British racing cyclist with a bright future. In 2014 he won the Tour of Korea stage racing in the colours of Condor-JLT before joining the Spanish Team Caja Rural-Seguros RGA until 2017. He now rides for UCI WorldTeam EF Education First and has been on the start line for the 2016 Vuelta and the 2017 Giro. This year saw Hugh race an amazing Giro d'Italia finishing 11th overall (+16' 36") and hung-out with the favourites in the mountains, including an epic wet assent of The Mortirolo; thus proving he can mix it up with the best and perform on the...
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May 17, 2019
Lincoln GP 2019
This years Lincoln GP. All words and Photos by Thom Barnett
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Apr 23, 2019
Fluid Mechanics #5 ~ Michele Bartoli
During the 1997 edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Italian Michele Bartoli broke away with another Italian, Marco Pantani and teammates Alex Zulle and Laurent Jalabert of the ONCE team. The climbing specialist Pantani was quickly dropped on the flat stretches and the World Champion Johan Museeuw failed to bridge the gap to the leaders by 50 meters. With 16miles remaining, the breakaway trio had 1min10 on the chase group. Teammates Zulle and Jalabert attacked one after the other on the Cote Sart Tilman but were unable to drop the Italian. A tired Zulle was dropped after an acceleration by Bartoli in the...
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Apr 08, 2019
Fluid Mechanics #4 ~ Andrei Tchmil
10th April, 1994. 167.8 miles PARIS ~ ROUBAIX Easily recognizable with his signature grimace, old-style helmet, and powerful riding style. The only cyclist to have four nationalities. A retired Soviet (until 1991), Moldovan (1992–1995), Ukrainian (1995–1998) and Belgian (since 1998). In an apocalyptic maelstrom of mud, blood, and cobblestones he won alone that day with an advantage of over a minute in front of Fabio Baldato and Franco Ballerini. Tchmil used Rock Shox Paris~Roubaix SL suspension folks which subsequently launched an 'ad-blitz' for the product. The race time that day was 7h 28' 02" At the age of 31 Andrei...
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Apr 01, 2019
Fluid Mechanics #3 ~ Jacky Durand
The 76th running of The Tour of Flanders was held on Sunday the 5th of April, 1992. For the first time in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, a rider from the early breakaway stayed ahead until the finish ~ that rider was Jacky Durand. The race started in Sint-Niklass and finished in Meerbeke, a total of 257km and featured 14 categorised climbs including the Paterberg, Muur-Kapelmuur and the Oude Kwaremont. Durand broke away with Thomas Wegmuller and two others after only a quarter of the race. There was 217km still to ride. By the time the escape reached the first climb their lead was 24 minutes. That...
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Mar 18, 2019
Fluid Mechanics #1 ~ Gianni Bugno
In 1990 the Italian Gianni Bugno won Milan ~ San Remo in very classy fashion. Crosswinds along the Riviera had broken up the peloton, scattering the riders into three large echelons. Angelo Canzonieri took a punt off the front after passing Imperia. Bugno followed the move. On the Cipressa, with his upper body still, arms fixed on the hoods, turning over a huge gear, Bugno dropped Canzonieri effortlessly and took off solo. He held 18 seconds at the top of the Cipressa and 15 seconds on the Poggio. Rolf Golz stalked Bugno all the way to San Remo ~ Bugno...
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Feb 25, 2019
Local Riders Q&A - Gary Speight
Gary Speight was a road racing cyclist from Doncaster, South Yorkshire. He started riding at the age of 13 years old after his Dad bought him a bike from a local auction for £15 - A 25" Puch frame, which enabled Gary to ride to his (then) girlfriends house, instead of catching the bus! Soon after he joined the Rotherham Wheelers in 1982 and began to take bike riding more seriously after riding from Doncaster to Castleton at the age of 15. He described this as "a great feeling". He then joined the Chesterfield Couriers the next year. In 1985 he went with a local friend Steve Goff (Rutland.CC) to Belgium for...
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Jan 03, 2019
Local Rides Q&A - Colin Sturgess
Colin Sturgess, is a former English road and track cyclist who enjoyed a 14 year career between 1986 and 2000. He won gold and bronze in the individual pursuit on the track at the world championships in 1989 and 1991. He won the British National Race Road Champs in 1990 on the road. Born in Ossett, Wakefield, Colin turned professional after the 1988 Olympic Games and rode for Greg LeMond at the iconic ADR team. Colin has also worked as a wine maker and wine educator near Sydney, Australia, winning national awards for this work. __________________________________________________________________________ As a racing cyclist,...
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Aug 20, 2018
Barnsley GP 2018
A night out in Barnsley. All image by Thom Barnett.