In our new series looking at bike-friendly destinations, we will be visiting locations in the UK and abroad that have something special to offer cyclists.  Kicking off, we start with the Borders region of Scotland…. It rains in Scotland.  A lot.  Witness the Tour O’ the Borders sportive earlier this month.  That rider in the photo above hasn’t even reached the start yet, and he's already drenched through.   ...

There are still places left for probably the most glamorous sportive in the world – if you can afford the eye-watering entry fee. The Campagnolo Gran Fondo New York starts in Manhattan, rolls out over the George Washington Bridge, heads up New Jersey along rural roads to Bear Mountain State Park and finishes on the banks of the Hudson overlooking the most famous skyline in the world. All this can be yours o ...

Could Team Sky’s conspicuous lack of success in this season’s one-day Classics be down to the appliance of too much science? Are riders such as Jonathan Tiernan-Locke being worn out by relentless, hard riding up and down the slopes of Mount Teide, the notorious volcano in Tenerife where Team Sky sends its riders for intensive training camps? This was the intriguing theory offered by former professional ride ...

The Paris – Roubaix “Hell of the North” is in danger of becoming the Farce of the North unless the responsibilities of riders and fans are taken more seriously. Cyclists riding on pavements or grass verges, bunny hopping on and off kerbs or steaming across traffic islands is against the law in most civilized countries – so why is it allowed in professional bike races, when these areas are usually thronged w ...

Has Peter Sagan overstepped the mark with his behaviour on the podium after the Tour of Flanders bike race? Previously the young Slovakian has celebrated winning races with gorilla impersonations or wheelies, but his reaction on the podium after finishing second to Fabian Cancellara risks bringing the whole sport of professional cycling into disrepute. After six hours in the saddle competing in one of the t ...

  Team orders were very much the flavour of the weekend’s big races in Malaysia and Corsica. While F1 driver Sebastian Vettel made his frustration with team-mate Mark Webber very clear over race radio, we can only guess what Team Sky riders Chris Froome and Richie Porte had to say to each other behind closed doors after Froome – not for the first time in his career – launched an impromptu attack on his ...

The real story behind the snow, sleet and freezing temperatures of the Milan-San Remo race was one to warm even the coldest of hearts. The team of the winning rider, Gerald Ciolek, is the Barcelona of the professional peloton.  Team MTN-Qhubeka promotes a charity that is changing the lives of thousands of impoverished South Africans, and all with the help of the humble bicycle. While Team Sky shamelessly pl ...

Here’s proof that pro riders are human after all.  A group of riders – who shall remain nameless to protect their dignity(and because I can’t make out their race numbers) – have come to a virtual standstill at the foot of the final climb of Stage 6 of the Tirreno Adriatico. It was an epic stage of racing, that echoed the sport’s heroic past when riders like Merckx and Hinault would think nothing of riding u ...

The Borders is an area of Britain where brave Morris dancers daily patrol the remnants of Hadrian’s Wall for incursions by any kilted invaders offering deep fried Mars Bars and the right to vote to schoolchildren. OK, so it’s not quite that bad.  I’ve probably lived north of the border far too long.  Even if the national urge to deep fry everything isn’t a cliché  – my local chippie offers “Deep Fried Confe ...

This coming July, on the weekend following the finish of the 100th Tour de France, will see the very first Orbital Cycling Festival, hosted at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit, near Chichester. The festival will be a celebration of all things pedal powered with attractions and events for riders of all ages, abilities and disciplines. The Paddock Expo will sit right next to the race track and provide dist ...