CRC or Wiggle – just apply Rule #58

The announcement last week that Northern Ireland’s very own Chain Reaction Cycles (CRC) will more than likely merge with the UK retailer Wiggle had me initially disappointed.  I like the CRC story, a small local bike shop opened in the early 1980’s, growing to become one of the UK’s great business successes.  And soon, it could disappear.

But then I started thinking like a cyclist.  Shit, what does this mean for me?  To hell with romance, I spend too much time on the CRC and Wiggle websites, trying to find that elusive deal of all deals and a merger will end that wasteful, yet oh so enjoyable quest.

How will it change things?  What exists today with the two separate companies?  And how do the current actual stock lines compare?

Cycling in Vietnam – 10 Pieces of Advice

I’m not a travel blogger but having just cycled for three days down Vietnam’s Central Coast, I felt compelled to share some thoughts.  Rather than wax lyrical about the experience, I’ve decided to give 10 pieces of advice which you may or may not find useful.

1. Obey the Rules – just because you’re in a different country, on a different bike and maybe riding with people you’ll never see again, you remain obliged to obey The Rules.  Velominati are the Keepers of the Cog.  In so being, they also maintain the sacred text wherein lie the simple truths of cycling etiquette known as The Rules.  As cyclists, we have the responsibility of firstly adhering to The Rules and secondly applying Rule#3 – Guide the Uninitiated.  I tried to apply this when my brother-in-law decided to ride with no top on.  His reasoned argument was that being a model (I know) apparently there’s nothing worse than turning up for a photo shoot with tan lines on your arms.  I failed in my duty to adequately explain Rule#7 – Tan lines should be cultivated and kept razor sharp and off he and his single toned torso tottered.
   

   Blatant Breach of Rule#7

2. Remember to Talk – sounds obvious?  Well, it can be easy to just sit and ride, or just talk to who you know but you’re not going to expand your mind with that philosophy so introduce yourself and hear other experiences.  Our group of 6 comprised of yours truly and my other half, my youngest brother-in-law on my wife’s side and his wife and a couple from Sydney, Australia, Steve and Patsy.  Riding in Vietnam is a very stress-free experience, certainly the route we took.  Very little traffic, decent roads and relatively flat, so it’s ideal for chatting amongst yourselves.  I spent a good while talking with Steve and established that the third male of the group is none other than an Iron Man.  So one male model, one Iron Man and me.  It was at this point I thought I felt my rear brakes rubbing on the rim and dropped back to sob quietly and reconsider the benefits of an expanded mind.
   

   Shooting the Breeze With the Iron Man

3. Look Around – an error most people make when riding bikes is that they focus on the road and view in front of them but fail to even glance at the sights around them.  You never know what you could miss and you probably will never cycle the route again so make the effort to absorb as much of the sights as possible.
   

   Take In The Views

4. Respect the Locals – one of the most endearing memories of the trip was how friendly the Vietnamese people were.  Our route took us through rural villages which are located in one of the poorest regions of the country but despite this, everyone offered us a smile, a wave or a two fingered salute (apparently this is a gesture similar to the Western wave although I’m not sure if our guide was having a laugh).  Every time we went through a village we heard the screams of “HELLO” from children who then scurried out to high five each of as we rode through their lives.  Whilst shouting “hello” back became a tad monotonous, we had to remind ourselves that the sight of us was extremely interesting for these kids so it was important to respond as if it was the first time we had done so.
   

   Life Goes On

5. Learn Something New Each Day – I guess you could apply this to everyday life.  I live in Northern Ireland and one of its most visited attractions is the Giant’s Causeway, on the North Coast.  Now I am personally greatly underwhelmed by this jewel in Northern Ireland’s crown so imagine my horror when we arrived at a place known as Ganh Da Dia to be presented with the view below.
   

   The Stuff of Nightmares

6. Always Remember the Joy of Riding a Bike – We can all remember the freedom that riding a bike brought to us when we were kids.  But we grow up and if we’re lucky, we manage to squeeze a few hours a week of riding into our allegedly hectic lifestyles and we forget those feelings.  Well on day 3, the weather was more North Atlantic than South China Sea, slightly cooler and pretty heavy rain.  Everyone was a little bit apprehensive, we had a 70km ride coming up and no sign of the sun breaking through.  Our route started with a 4km descent on a dirt road.  Now you can approach this in two ways 1) take it easy, it’s not a race, remember healthcare costs in Vietnam or 2) ride it like a kid, almost lose control, get caked in dirt and laugh.  I selected option 2) not because I’m particularly daring but because it’s just too much of an effort to slow the bike down when you’re my weight.
7. Acknowledge History – My knowledge of the modern history of Vietnam is probably similar to everyone else’s – it was two countries, Communist North and Democratic South, Ho Chi Minh was a bad guy, the Americans tried to save the South from the bad guy, the Americans failed, Ho Chi Minh won, North and South were unified and Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City.  On the second day we stopped at My Lai, the scene of the 1968 massacre of a village and its inhabitants by an American Unit.  Unlike many of the war museums in Vietnam, there is no need for the Government to embellish this story.  It is a poignant reminder of the horrors of war and the lottery of where and when you are born.
   

   My Lai

8. Eat With the Locals – On an organised trip, it’s very easy to dine at the hotel/resort that you are spending the night and that’s fine, particularly if you’re knackered.  But I would always recommend asking your tour guide where is there a good place for local food.  We did and whilst in some cases we had no idea what we were eating, we knew it was fresh, we knew it was healthy and we knew we were directly supporting the local economy with our tourist dollars.
   

   Not Really Convinced

9. Hydration & Sunscreen – dehydration can ruin your entire day and on a 3 day tour that’s a shameful error.  Half a litre (at least) an hour is a good measure and if you’re running low, stop, wait for the support vehicle and fill up.  Your fellow riders will always ease up, you’ll catch up with them soon enough and sometimes it’s nice just riding alone in a foreign landscape.  Failure to apply and reapply sunscreen is an even greater sin and will do more than ruin your day.
10. Make Memories – at the end of the day we’re just passing through so savour each moment and make memories.  And inadvertently advertise Saddle Skedaddle.  And bad photos.  And bad hair.  Mine, not hers.
    

    Just Making Memories

Our trip was provided by the team at Vietnam Bike Tours who are based in Nha Trang and guided us there from our pick up at Hoi An and our routes can be seen in the Route Section of the site.

So there you have it, my 10 pieces of advice after a wonderful experience, cycling in a truly foreign land, absorbing the local culture and just having some good old-fashioned fun.  Take my advice or leave it but as Baz Luhrmann said – trust me on the sunscreen.

Xin Cam on

The Giant

Top 10 Cycling Moments of 2015

It’s the time of the year when I both look forward to the coming season and look back on the season that was.  2015 was another massive year for cycling and so I bring you my personal top 10 moments:

10 Northern Ireland’s Giro Legacy

In 2014 Northern Ireland hosted the Grande Partenza (Big Start) of the Giro D’Italia and this year saw the first major legacy event, the Giro Gran Fondo which was a closed road sportive.  Almost 3,000 riders took part in the two routes which were joined by Stephen Roche (1987 Giro winner), Richie Porte (Team Sky) and myself (Ayr Roads Cycling Club).  Once again, the folks of Northern Ireland took to the streets, pinked up and provided endless support and encouragement for the riders, embracing the cycling festival once again.

9 Froome Does It Again

In July, Chris Froome (Sky) won his second Tour De France and Team Sky’s third in five years.  We should always remember that this so-called dominance is a new phenomenon, as prior to 2012 the UK had no winners in over 100 years of trying.  Furthermore, it will undoubtedly be short-lived with Sky leaving cycling in the near future making it harder for a UK-centric team to deliver at the top level.  So enjoy it while it lasts.

8 Nibali Has No Shame

Now we all know about Dave Brailsford’s concept of marginal gains but Vincenzo Nibali took it to the extremes in Stage 2 of this year’s Vuelta a Espana.  Having been caught up in a crash with about 30km to go, Nibali and his Astana team fought like dogs to catch up with the favourites.  They got to the front of a chasing group and as the Astana team car came alongside Nibali, helicopter footage clearly showed the Italian hold on to the vehicle and being catapulted away not for a few metres but for a few hundred metres.  He caught up with the peloton although ended up about 90 seconds down on the winner (the same deficit as he had before he took the free ride).  Result?  Disqualification.  Some have said that this punishment was harsh as all riders have taken a pull or a sticky bottle to get back up to the peloton after a crash. But using the car to get away from your peers is just a no no.

7 John Degenkolb Monument Double

In 2015, John Degenkolb (Giant Alpecin) achieved something which is very rare, a Monument double.  For the uninitiated, think winning two of the four golf majors, or two of the four tennis grand slam events.

First of all, he claimed the Milan-San Remo in typical fashion by sprinting to victory.  But as any rider will tell you, sprinting at the Milan-San Remo is like no other sprint as you cannot really gauge what you have left in the tank due to the fact that you have already raced almost 300km.  Secondly and probably more impressive was his victory at Paris-Roubaix where he chased down Zdenek Stybar (Etixx-Quickstep) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) in the last few kilometres before winning the sprint in the Roubaix velodrome.  He became the first German to win Paris-Roubaix since Josef Fischer won the inaugural event in 1896 and the first winner of both events since Ireland’s Sean Kelly in 1986.

6 Cometh the Hour

I remember travelling down to the Leicester velodrome with my dad in 1984 to watch Francesco Moser ride around the track on his aerodynamic bike which he had used the previous month to capture Eddy Merckx’s 1972 World Hour Record.  Over 10 years on I remember Graeme Obree and Chris Boardman duelling with Boardman achieving the furthest distance ever in 60 minutes (56.375km).  Then the UCI outlawed the superman position and aero bikes so the Hour record seemed destined for obscurity as it was recognised that no-one could beat 56km on a standard bike.

Roll forward to the end of the 2014 season and the UCI updated their rules and created the “unified record”.  I won’t bore you with details but in essence the World Hour record is very firmly back, with 6 attempts being made on it in 2015 alone, 3 of which succeeded.

The UK did well, Alex Dowsett (Movistar) 52.937km broke the record in May and Bradley Wiggins in June with 54.526km which is the current benchmark.

5 Stannard’s Omloop Fun

Whilst Team Sky have excelled at the Grand Tours, particularly the Tour De France, their achievements in one day races and the Classics are somewhat shoddy with a couple of exceptions.  Geraint Thomas won the 2015 E3 Harelbeke and in my opinion more impressively, Ian Stannard retained the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title.

Stannard spent the last 40km in a break with three Etixx Quickstep riders, Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh.  Now, anyone could tell you that Stannard simply should not be able to have won the race.  But win he did, much to the confusion, embarrassment and downright incredulity of Etixx.  To be fair, there were many factors at play, a fast approaching group only 20 seconds behind, no race radios etc. although the  Etixx riders did make a few questionable decisions in the last 5km.

Anyway, Stannard, was there for the sprint finish and cruised his way past Terpsrta to take the win for Team Sky and hand defeat from the jaws of victory to Etixx.

4 Tom Comes of Age in Spain

The Vuelta a Espana has had a bit of a renaissance over recent years, capitalising on the popularity of the sport but also from what has happened or not in the other two grand tours.

2015 did not disappoint and a strong field including Froome, Valverde, Nibali and Quintana took to the start but with Froome and Nibali exiting the event opened up slightly.  Esteban Chaves (Orica Greenedge) and Tom Dumoulin (Giant Alpecin) battled for the leader’s red jersey over the early stages but surprisingly Dumoulin, kept his form throughout the three week race.  He had no support from his Giant Alpecin team at all and only succumbed to Fabio Aru (Astana) on the penultimate stage.

Whilst Aru deserves many plaudits for his maiden grand tour victory, it is a huge chapeau to Dumoulin who surely has to go on to bigger things over the coming years.

And so to my top 3. Each of these moments had me screaming at the TV, jumping up and down for joy like a big kid and smiling for hours afterwards.

3 Mandela Day Magic

On stage 14 of this year’s Tour De France, as the French duo of Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Romain Bardet (AG2R) crested the final climb of the day, contemplating how to beat each other, Britain’s Steve Cummings whizzed by them unexpectedly and time trialled the final kilometre to a sensational win.  It was Cummings’ first Tour De France win, his South African MTN-Quebeka team’s first Tour stage and it all took place fittingly on Mandela Day.  Watch the reaction in his team bus here http://youtu.be/KO0d6GTvUs4

2 King Peter

Peter Sagan is undoubtedly one of the most consistent riders at the top level of professional cycling.  He boasts an enviable palmares but many, including himself, know that it could be even more impressive as he is also known for his ability to accumulate a ridiculous number of 2nd and 3rd place finishes.  But at the World Road Race Championships in Richmond, Virginia this year, Sagan attacked the peloton on the final cobbled climb of the day and managed to stay away to claim the coveted rainbow jersey.  Having crossed the finish line, he left his bike and proceeded to walk back up the finishing straight high fiving his fellow competitors who to a man seemed as happy for his victory as he was for himself.  Those images are captured here http://youtu.be/ScuAqTMhEKk

1 Queen Lizzie

My best moment of 2015 was watching Yorkshire’s Lizzie Armitstead becoming the Women’s World Road Race Champion.  Her effort in the final 20km to catch a dangerous break at the foot of the final incline meant that she had to lead out the sprint and it all worked beautifully.  It capped a great season for Armitstead who has also won the World Cup and the British National titles.  Her reaction was so different from Peter Sagan’s but no less enthralling.  Another worthy rainbow jersey wearer for 2016.

So that was 2015 in 10 short bursts.  2016 promises so much with two exciting world champions, a possible changing of the guard with Dumoulin and Aru coming of age, maybe a final chance to see Fabian Cancellara and Tom Boonen duel at the Ronde and we have the Rio Olympics where good old Wiggo may sign off in style.

Happy New Year

The Giant

Why It Should Be Lizzie

On Sunday 20 December the BBC Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) event shall be held a few miles down the road from me in Belfast, the latest of a long list of major events which Northern Ireland has proudly hosted.
This year’s contenders are:
– Lizzie Armitstead (cycling);
– Lucy Bronze (football);
– Jessica Ennis-Hill (athletics);
– Mo Farah (athletics);
– Chris Froome (cycling);
– Tyson Fury (boxing);
– Lewis Hamilton (Formula 1);
– Andy Murray (tennis);
– Adam Peaty (swimming);
– Greg Rutherford (athletics);
– Kevin Sinfield (rugby league); and
– Max Whitlock (athletics).
An impressive list as ever, highlighting the strength and depth of UK sporting talent in 2015. OK, it’s a little bit English-centric and also a tad male dominated but it is what is. The list does reflect who has achieved the most during the year and now it is up to the general public to decide who should receive the accolade.
My own personal opinion?

Lizzie Armitstead.
Armitstead has achieved huge success in her career to date and 2015 saw her reach new heights with the following wins:
– World Road Race Champion;
– Road World Cup Champion;
– British National Road Champion;
– Tour of Qatar;
– Trofeo Alfredo Binda;
– Boels Rental Hills Classic;
– Philadelphia Cycling Classic; and
– GP de Plouay.
Her victory in this year’s World Road Race in Richmond, USA was acknowledged by her peers as a justification of her form and talent.
But what is most impressive is that she plies her trade relatively quietly, across the globe, in a sport which still has a long way to go in terms of rewarding its participants with financial security.
Yes, cycling in the UK is one of the fastest growing and popular sports but women’s professional cycling remains a bit of a novelty as far as the UCI (cycling’s governing body) is concerned. The UCI say the right things but they aren’t really delivering for this element of the sport.
UCI President, Brian Cookson, stated earlier this year in an interview with Shane Stokes from http://www.cyclingtips.com
“I think it is important that we allow women’s cycling to grow in that economically sustainable way. I think that we are seeing that now. We are involving women in the decision-making processes much more than has ever been the case before and I think we are seeing the benefits of that now.”
That’s great Brian, slightly condescending and a little bit patronising but at least you and your organisation seem to be getting it.
Oh, but wait a minute. In the same interview he also said:
“I think that within a short period of time we will be in a position to have rules about minimum wage and I will take advice from the women’s commission, from women who are involved in the teams and the riders’ associations and so on as to when the right time for that is.”
The right time for a minimum wage? THE RIGHT TIME FOR A MINIMUM WAGE?
How about 2015 Brian? How about remembering that you don’t represent an organisation or a company but that you represent a sport? How about thinking about saying that last statement in the presence of Beryl Burton who would have made sure you wouldn’t be able to sit down for weeks? Or have you gone native in a such a short period of time?
It is despite the UCI that Lizzie Armitstead and all the other women professional cyclists are performing to the highest level, providing entertainment to the public, delivering quality events and scraping a living. They do it because fundamentally they love the sport, are hugely talented and are fiercely competitive.
I digress, apologies.
Why Lizzie Armitstead over the others?
Armitstead is at the top of her game. She has consistently delivered results not just in 2015 but for the last five years. She doesn’t just turn up for the big events. She doesn’t talk up her achievements. She doesn’t disrespect her fellow professionals. She is clear blue sky with no clouds lingering around her. She rides a bike with grace.
But maybe the most compelling reason for Armitstead to win SPOTY this year is the perfect symmetry of it being exactly 50 years ago when the late, great Tom Simpson became the first cyclist to win the award.
A minimum wage FFS Brian.
The Giant

Giro (the aftermath)

So the Giro D’Italia came to Northern Ireland for a few days and disappeared in a flash of pink to its homeland yesterday. Did it live up to my expectations?
OH MY GOD DID IT EVER.
As a cycling fan, I knew it was big. What I didn’t quite appreciate was how much the people of NI would embrace it.
My guests from Ayr Roads Cycling Club arrived on the Thursday morning and we parked up at Cushendall before hitting the Glens of Antrim for a reccy of the Stage 2 route on the Antrim Coast. There was pink everywhere, bunting over the streets, pink bikes at random corners, pink bus stops, pink fishermen on tiny islands. Various police cars driving up and down checking the route and acknowledging us with waves and smiles.
After only 11 miles we decided to stop at Carnlough’s Harbour Lights Cafe for breakfast. They had covered the place in pink and as we left we asked them if they were looking forward to the Giro coming through their neck of the woods. The response was very endearing – they had no idea what to expect. They weren’t even sure if anyone would turn up. We promised them that everything would be OK.

After our ride we hit Belfast for the opening ceremony which brought out thousands just to welcome the riders. It was fast becoming a festival of cycling.
Friday morning saw us riding to Stormont to watch the TTT practice and we enjoyed good old fashioned craic with the other fans.

It was all starting to really buzz. The highlight of my morning?

Yes, I have a thing for AG2R. I think that a team who wears brown shorts is just that little bit more special than the others.
Friday evening’s TTT starting at the Titanic slipway in Belfast allowed the people to get up close and personal with the teams and thousands flocked to see what it was all about. And as my father-in-law commenced his two hour quest to see a team warm up on their rollers, I went to the start line to satisfy my fetish for all things brown.

The only downside of the evening was being a couple of hundred metres from Dan Martin’s crash which ended his Giro only 15 minutes after it started.
Saturday was our rest day and we hit Belfast early to experience the whole event. We camped out at the finish line more than two hours before the riders were due and were asked by this guy called Stephen Roche if he could get a picture with these three Ayrshire cycling legends. Sometimes it can be frustrating to not get through a day without the public recognising you but I understand that I’m in the entertainment business so we put on our forced smiles and made the lad’s day.

We saw Marcel Kittel do his thing and win the sprint which he replicated in Dublin yesterday and will continue to dominate unless Viviani or Swift step up.
And that was that.
But I can’t blog without acknowledging a few establishments who made our weekend a little bit special.
Coppi Belfast
Il Pirata Belfast
The Crown Bar
Dirty Onion
The Duke of York
Sweet Tree Cafe
Katch27
Salty Dog

And what about the Harbour Lights Cafe in Carnlough?
Well……………..you decide how it went for them the day the Giro D’Italia came to town.

Brown rocks.
The Giant.

The Big Start (Giro D’Italia 2014)

So in four days the 2014 Giro D’Italia will be underway in my adopted country, Northern Ireland. It’s hard to put into words how tremendous it is to have written that sentence.
This is my tenth year here and in that time I have seen Northern Ireland evolve from its dark past into a hub for culture, sports, tourism and more recently, global events. Sure, the politicians (all of them) still try to hold us back but despite them, the people have taken this place by the scruff of its neck, shaken it up like a snowstorm paperweight and gotten on with living their lives to the full.
We’ve had the Irish Open at Portrush, Derry/Londonderry as the UK City of Culture, the MTV Europe Awards and now we have the Giro D’Italia.
And it’s going to be massive.
We do flags and symbols very well over here and it’s great to see these skills being used to paint the place pink.
Here’s some examples:

Everything else you need to know about the experience is here Giro Start 2014
So to those who made it happen – thank you.
To those who are coming to Northern Ireland – you’ll be made more welcome than anywhere else in the world, enjoy yourselves.
And to Northern Ireland – well done, you deserve this.
ForzaNI
The Giant