Created in 1992 by the French cycling magazine Vélo, the “Vélo d’Or” award is given annually to the cyclist considered to have performed the best over the year. An international jury consists of top cycling journalists who vote on which rider was top across the season.
As an academic researcher, I have studied drugs in society for the last 20 years. In my current job, I also study cycling history and culture, and the place of drugs and doping in this sport.
I know a lot about this topic. But something new dawned on me the other day. I realized, that in all my years thinking about this issue, I have learned much more about how to get away with doping than how to prevent it.
A funny video: one of the fans of Thomas De Gendt writes “unblock me De Gendt” on the road during Stage 16 (probably) of this year’s Tour de France. Apparently, the Belgian cyclist had blocked him on Twitter for an unknown reason. His friend Lonyo Pastor (@Lonyo77), who took the video, wrote on Twitter that “Hi @DeGendtThomas one of my friends wants to tell you something. He doesn’t know what he did wrong @excusasypupas“. And De Gendt really unblocked hem! He answered: “Even I don’t know why he got blocked. He is unblocked now.”
Stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia 2017 was won by Pierre Rolland, the French rider of Cannondale-Drapac. Rolland and his team were really needed this victory: Rolland’s last Grand Tour stage win was back in 2012 (Stage 11 of the Tour de France), and the American Squad didn’t win a single World Tour race for the last two years (actually, Andrew Talansky won Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California atop Mt. Baldy on Thursday, May 18, 2017 – but before that, the last two years were empty).
The moment the race was won was interesting: Rolland stopped pedaling and waited for the big chasing group – this was the decisive “move” of the race.
Greg Van Avermaet, BMC Racing Team’s Belgian rider won Paris-Roubaix 2017, the 115th edition of the “Queen of the classics” with a record average speed of 45.129 kph (28.042 mph). Avermaet broke Peter Post’s record of 45.204 kph (28.088 mph) which was set in 1964.
Today, twice UCI World Champion Peter Sagan published his new bike’s photo on his Twitter account: a custom Specialized S-Works Venge.
Sagan’s new bike is equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Roval wheels. On the top tube, near the junction point with the seat post, his name, the flag of Slovakia, and the colors of his rainbow jersey, which he will continue to wear next year, printed.
Kazakh team Astana will ride Argon 18 bikes in 2017, instead of Specialized. The UCI WorldTour team will also be switching the components and drivetrain sponsor: they’ll use FSA gears and Vision wheels and components (they were using Campagnolo drivetrain).
With the conclusion of Vuelta a España 2016, Lotto-Soudal’s Australian rider Adam Hansen has extended the record of completing the most number of consecutive grand tours which already belong to him.
After finishing fifth in the Olympic road race in his first Olympic appearance in Rio, Katusha’s Spanish rider Joaquim Rodríguez confirmed that he would retire immediately, rather than continuing to the end of the year. Canyon, the bike supplier of the Russian team produced a special “Purito” Canyon bike for him.
Katusha team announced on their Facebook account that “Amazing bike for a great rider! Unbelievable special edition Canyon bike for Joaquim Purito Rodríguez!”
On August 6, 2016, BMC Racing Team’s Belgian rider Greg Van Avermaet won the gold medal in the men’s individual road race event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The Swiss bike manufacturer has gifted him a special golden-painted BMC Teammachine-SLR01 bike to honor his success.
On their Twitter account, the BMC Racing Team has published this beautiful bike’s photos. Its power meter and fi’zi:k saddle gets some gold touches as well. On the side of the top tube, the colors of the Olympic rings have also been painted. The bike is equipped with the team issue Shimano Dura-Ace C35 wheels and Dura-Ace Di2 groupset.