Author: M. Özgür Nevres

I am a software developer, a former road racing cyclist (at the amateur level), and a science enthusiast. Also an animal lover! I write about cycling on this website, cycling-passion.com. I also take care of stray cats & dogs. Please consider supporting me on Patreon.

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Cycling Tips Training and Nutrition

Top 10 tips to climb better and faster

Pierre Rolland climbing Alpe d'Huez.
Pierre Rolland climbing Alpe d'Huez.

Top 10 tips to climb better and faster: Climbing is not fun, for most of the cyclists. It is slow, painful and sometimes you feel beaten up, especially you’re out of form and overweight. To make things worse, climbing ability is the key to win most of the races. But you can climb better following these tips.

The tips below do not have magical effects. You cannot be a better climber from today to tomorrow. And if you want to climb faster and better, you must be ready to suffer, especially in the beginning. It is impossible to write a guide like “5 minutes a day, and you’ll climb better. You won’t even sweat.” The real world doesn’t work like that.

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Cycling and Music, Cinema, Art Cyclists and Teams History and Legends

35 Best Cycling Quotes

Albert Einstein, riding a bike
"Life is like riding a bicycle. In order to keep your balance, you must keep moving." --Albert Einstein

Cycling is perhaps the most inspiring sport in the world. It’s not only inspiring, but also brutal, punishing, filled with pain and suffering, yet still beautiful. It inspired many writers and poets. Here are the best cycling quotes below (ordered by owners’ surname):

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Olympic Games Races

Alex Zanardi won a second hand-cycling gold of Paralympics

Alex Zanardi won his second gold medal in London 2012 Paralympics.
Alex Zanardi won his second gold medal in London 2012 Paralympics.

Alex Zanardi won a second hand-cycling gold of Paralympics. The ex-Formula 1 and CART driver, who lost both legs following a horrific crash in 2001, won the road race with a sprint finish ahead of South Africa’s Ernst van Dyk and the Belgian Wim Decleir.

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Cycling Books Cyclists and Teams

Tyler Hamilton’s book “The Secret Race” has been published

Tyler Hamilton and Lance Armstrong
Tyler Hamilton and Lance Armstrong were teammates between 1999-2001.

Tyler Hamilton was a teammate of banned cyclist Lance Armstrong during 1999, 2000, and 2001 Tour de France where Armstrong won the Yellow jersey. According to the forthcoming book of Hamilton, “The Secret Race”, Armstrong built an elaborate doping program within his Tour de France teams and hid his corruption from the adoring public through intimidation, lies, and sabotage.

Hamilton says: “If you were careful and paid attention, you could dope and be 99% certain that you would not get caught. They’ve got their doctors, and we’ve got ours, and ours are better. Better paid, for sure.”

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Olympic Games Races

Alex Zanardi won the gold medal at London Paralympics

Zanardi wins H4 hand-cycle class individual time trial gold medal at Paralympics 2012
Alex Zanardi showed one of the most inspiring performances of the London 2012 summer as he won H4 hand-cycle class individual time trial gold medal and the hearts of millions.

Alex Zanardi showed one of the most inspiring performances of the London 2012 summer as he won H4 hand-cycle class individual time trial gold medal and the hearts of millions.

In the H4 hand-cycle class at Brands Hatch, where he once raced as a Formula 1 driver, the 45-year-old Italian’s time of 24min 50.22sec over the 16km course was good enough to clinch victory. Norbert Mosandl of Germany finished in second, 27 seconds behind, and United States rider Oscar Sanchez, finished in third, 45 seconds back.

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Reviews Bicycles and Equipment

Veloflex Master Clincher Tires (700x23c) Review

Veloflex Master 700x23c clincher tires - Handmade in Italy
Many people don't know Veloflex as a bicycle tire producer; and few that do, will know them well. Veloflex is a small scale Italian operation built from the remains of Vittoria after that firm shifted production to Taiwan a few years ago. In fact, the staff at Veloflex have so much experience and talent, gained from their years of tyre manufacture at Vittoria before Veloflex existed. The company is very soon to hit the big time now that a certain Sir Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France riding on a pair of Veloflex (with Veloflex Sprinter and Record tubular tires).

I am trying a pair of Veloflex Master Clincher Tires (700x23c) for a while. Frankly, Continental GP4000s is my favorite tire. Or might I say it “was”?

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Cyclists and Teams History and Legends

Nicknames of Cyclists – A

Jacques Anquetil, 1956 Grand Prix des Nations (featured)
Jacques Anquetil was born on January 8, 1934. He died on November 18, 1987. He was the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five-times. His victories in stage races such as the Tour were built on an exceptional ability to ride alone against the clock in individual time trial stages, which lent him the name "Monsieur Chrono". His other nicknames were "Maître Jacques" (English: Master Jacques) and "la Caravelle" (English: The Caravelle). In the photo, Anquetil on his way to winning the 1956 Grand Prix des Nations, an an individual time trial event which run from 1932 to 2004.

Early 20th journalists started creating nicknames for the cyclists. This effort popularized the cycling sport and make the racers interesting to the people who were not interested in cycling much. This tradition is still continuing today. Here the list of cyclists’ nicknames in alphabetical order (by surname, starting with A).

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Cyclists and Teams History and Legends

Nicknames of Cyclists – B

Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi behind
Gino Bartali with Fausto Coppi behind him. Unfortunately I couldn't find in which race the photo was taken. Some sources say it's from 1952 Tour de France, but I think it's unlikely, because Bartali was a gregario of Coppi at the 1952 Tour, and it seems Bartali is attacking Coppi here. But it must be 1950s though, since Bartali seems very old here. And what was going on behind Coppi? It seems like somebody is fighting. Gino Bartali (18 July 1914 – 5 May 2000) was the most renowned Italian cyclist before the Second World War, having won the Giro d'Italia three times (1936, 1937, 1946) with 17 individual stages and the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948, with twelve individual stages. His second and last Tour de France victory in 1948 gave him the largest gap between victories in the race, which still remains. He also won Milan-Sanremo four times, Giro di Lombardia (today Il Lombardia) three times, became the Italian champion four times (first in 1935 and the last one was in 1952!), Giro d'Italia mountains classification seven times, Tour de France mountains classification twice, among with many other important stage races and one day classics. In September 2013, 13 years after his death, Bartali was recognised as a "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem for his efforts to aid Jews during World War II. Bartali has earned respect for his work in helping Jews who were being persecuted by the Nazis during the time of the Italian Social Republic (Mussolini's fascist Italy). It emerged in December 2010 that Bartali had hidden a Jewish family in his cellar and, according to one of the survivors, by doing so saved their lives. Bartali used his fame to carry messages and documents to the Italian Resistance. Bartali cycled from Florence through Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche, sometimes traveling as far afield as Rome, all the while wearing the racing jersey emblazoned with his name. Neither the Fascist police nor the German troops risked discontent by arresting him. Giorgio Nissim, a Jewish accountant from Pisa, was a member of DELASEM, founded by the Union of the Israelitic Communities to help Jewish Italians escape persecution. The network in Tuscany was discovered in autumn 1943 and all members except Nissim sent to concentration camps. He met Pope Pius XII and, with the help of the Archbishop of Genoa, the Franciscan Friars and others he reorganized DELASEM and helped 800 escape. Nissim died in 2000. His sons found from his diaries that Bartali had used his fame to help. Nissim and the Oblati Friars of Lucca forged documents and needed photographs of those they were helping. Bartali used to leave Florence in the morning, pretending to train, rode to a convent in which the Jews were hiding, collected their photographs and rode back to Nissim. Bartali used his position to learn about raids on safehouses. Bartali was eventually taken to Villa Triste in Florence. The SD and the Italian RSS office, Mario Carità questioned Bartali, threatening his life. Bartali simply answered "I do what I feel [in my heart]". Bartali continued with the Assisi Underground. In 1943, he led Jewish refugees towards the Swiss Alps himself. He cycled pulling a wagon with a secret compartment, telling patrols it was just part of his training. Bartali told his son Andrea only that "One does these things and then that's that". In June 2012 a book about Bartali's wartime activities, Road To Valor by Aili and Andres McConnon, was published. I strongly recommend this book, you can buy it from amazon. In 2013 Yad Vashem recognized Gino Bartali the title of Righteous Among the Nations. He is a central figure in the 2014 documentary My Italian Secret: The Forgotten Heroes.

Early 20th journalists started creating nicknames for the cyclists. This effort popularized the cycling sport and make the racers interesting to the people who were not interested in cycling much. This tradition is still continuing today. Here the list of cyclists’ nicknames in alphabetical order (by surname, starting with B):

By Surname: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W

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Cyclists and Teams History and Legends

Nicknames of Cyclists – C

Early 20th journalists started creating nicknames for the cyclists. This effort popularized the cycling sport and make the racers interesting to the people who were not interested in cycling much. This tradition is still continuing today. Here the list of cyclists’ nicknames in alphabetical order (by surname, starting with C):

Continue reading “Nicknames of Cyclists – C”
Categories
Cyclists and Teams History and Legends

Nicknames of Cyclists – D

Early 20th journalists started creating nicknames for the cyclists. This effort popularized the cycling sport and make the racers interesting to the people who were not interested in cycling much. This tradition is still continuing today. Here the list of cyclists’ nicknames in alphabetical order (by surname, starting with D):

Continue reading “Nicknames of Cyclists – D”