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June 2014 £4.25

UK CYCLING IS ON THE UP!

WORLD CUP: WHAT COMPETING COUNTRIESHAVE ON OFFER FOR CYCLISTS

UK CYCLING IS

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Welcome to another edition of Cycling World Magazine. This month, in celebration of the World Cup, we explore the cycling destinations of the competing countries to see what they have to offer us cycling enthusiasts. With the beautiful blossoming routes of Japan, uncovering the rich history of Belgium by bike and venturing paths less travelled (and obvious) in Greece, we have something for everyone, no matter what your fi tness level or cycling preference.

Escape the city and join the great British adventure. This summer see’s the very exciting launch of the legendary Italian L’Eroica race, brought right here to the UK. Inspired by the Tuscan bike tour, the Peak District will be hosting the three-day ride exploring the magical and uncharted landscape. For an authentic experience, great food and lively atmosphere, we recommend you head there for a festival to remember.

Speaking of food, do culinary delights infl uence your cycling destination? Well we have the ultimate food with a view in Yorkshire’s very own mini Stone Henge. Not only does the area offer a feast of cycle trails as well as hosting the eagerly awaited Tour de France, the gourmet restaurants in this stunning location are well worth the trip.

We hope you can use the issue for some great outdoor summer inspiration.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Steve Dyster for all his hard work and commitment over the last few years as editor. Cycling World Magazine would not be where it is now, if not for all his support.

From all of us here at Cycling World Magazine.

Enjoy!

WELCOME I

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ON YOUR BIKE

EXPLORE KENT ICOAST TO COAST: C2C IBIKE BATH ITANDEM TIME ITECHNICAL & PRODUCTS IAND MORE+PLUS

June 2014 £4.25

UK CYCLING IS ON THE UP!

WORLD CUP: WHAT COMPETING COUNTRIESHAVE ON OFFER FOR CYCLISTS

UK CYCLING IS

PUBLISHED BY:Cycling World Magazine LimitedCrown HouseJohn Roberts Business ParkPean Hill, Nr WhitstableKent CT5 3BJwww.cyclingworldmag.comTel: 01227 378390Publisher: Colin Woolleycolin@cplmedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL:Art Director: Ian Denby-Jonesdesign@cplmedia.co.ukProduction Manager: David Cadyproduction@cplmedia.co.uk

Contributors:Garry Doolan, Andy Dawson, Scot Whitlock, Damon Millar, Richard Peploe

Cover Image:www.twgphotos.zenfolio.com

ADVERTISING:Sales Manager: Dan Scudder dan@cyclingworldmag.co.ukSales Executive: Alice Allwright alice@cyclingworldmag.co.ukSales Executive: Dan Hickforddanh@cyclingworldmag.comSubscriptions: 01227 378390

Distributed by: COMAGTavistock Road, West DraytonMiddlesex UB7 7QETel: 01895 444055

Although every effort is made to ensure that the content of features in Cycling World is accurate and correct, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. No guarantees can be made upon the safe return of any unsolicited copy or photographic images. The publisher reserves the right to alter or amend any submitted material that is printed in Cycling World. All material in Cycling World is the copyright of the publisher and any reproduction of said material would require written permission from the publisher. © Cycling World Magazine Limited 2014

ISSN: 0143-0238

JUNE 2014

June 2014 I Cycling World

CONTENTS I

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66 52

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JUNE 2014

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703 Welcome We celebrate the World Cup

6 News All of this months latest news

10 Reader Interview We talk to one of our readers on their pick of the best routes

12 Explore Kent Discovering the Garden of England

22 The Cycling World Cup We celebrate the World Cup, showcasing

what the competing countries have to offer

24 What’s On Your Bucket List? Cycle Tours experts, Cycle Tours Global, explain what Australia has to offer

25 The Delights of Belgium Discover the rich history of Belgium by bike

26 The Best of British England sets it’s wheels in motion for a

cycling revolution

30 Freewheeling Across France In France, there’s a road, a lane,

a véloroute for everyone…

37 Roads Less Travelled Greece; the undiscovered cycle destination

42 Samurais and Kois of Kyushu Expereince the colourful routes of japan

48 From Tropical to Desert... The varied landscapes of the USA

52 The Handsome Bike Ride Join the Great Biritish Adventure

66 20 Years of Coast to Coast Cycle Britain’s historic long-distance route on it’s 20th anniversary

70 Following the Roses Immerse yourself in natural beauty and experience the red and white roses

74 Products Our pick of the best products

94 Tandem Times Tandem teams talk

June 2014 I Cycling World

P R O U D L Y P R E S E N T I N G T H E

C U P 2 0 1 4

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NEWS I JUNE 2014

Katie Archibald claimed victory in this years elite women’s Milk Race whilst Graham Briggs claimed the 1st prize in the elite men’s.

Riding around the city center course in Nottingham for team Pearl Izumi

Sports Tour International, the second year running that the legendary event has been held in the city, Katie beat two of the stars of the Wiggle Honda team, Laura Trott and Charlotte Becker into second and third place.

Meanwhile, in the men’s race Graham Briggs of Rapha Condor JLT was victorious over Raleigh’s Mathew Boulo and Velosure-Giordanas Matt Cronshaw, who came in second and third respectively.

Speaking after her triumphant win, Katie said: “It’s great to win such a prestigious event in front of such amazing crowds. Here’s hoping The Milk Race returns next year!”

Following his victory, Graham said: “Its great to be of an event like The Milk Race. It’s probably the best event in England for the amount of support there is from the crowd and its super motivating to hear them shouting your name!”

In an elite fi eld containing numerous world, Olympic and British champions, the women’s Milk Race has become a key event in the annual cycling calendar offering a fi rst prize of £1,000 the same value as the men’s event.

BRADLEY WIGGINS SCULPTURE UNVEILED IN KILBURN

Winners of the Milk Race

On Friday 16th May, South Kilburn Trust and Groundwork London hosted a unique celebration event to recognise the achievements of local hero, Sir Bradley Wiggins at St Augustine’s Sports Centre in South Kilburn. Students from St. Augustine’s CE School in South Kilburn unveiled the sculpture they helped design to celebrate the success of Gold Medal

winning Olympic cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins, a former pupil of St Augustine’s.

Sir Bradley Wiggins told us, “It’s an honour. I grew up around here and my mum and brother still live nearby so I have strong connection to the whole area around St Augustine’s. I doubt there’s an inch of road around here I haven’t cycled through the years; I used to cycle down Maida Vale to Hyde Park to train when I was younger though I was about the only person on a bike in those days”

Current students from the school were involved in designing inscriptions for the sculpture inspired by their own personal aspirations.The sculpture will be a striking feature in the heart of the local community.

The sculpture was commissioned by South Kilburn Trust to celebrate the energy and creativity of the Kilburn community. I

www.groundwork.org.uk

Leaving from the prestigious 4 star Stratford Manor Hotel and taking in the picturesque countryside of South Warwickshire and the Cotswolds, it has everything cyclists have come to expect from the annual event.

The Great Shakespeare Ride offers three routes, providing something for all abilities.

The 100 Miles Sportive ride and the 100 KM Challenge ride incorporate some truly awesome climbs mixed in with rolling countryside – a perfect way to spend a summer’s day!

New for 2014 is The 40 Miler. This is a fl atter route with lots of support, to encourage beginner cyclists who are new to sportives and to give them a realistic target to aim for.

After a mass start cyclists in the Sportive and Challenge routes warm up their legs on Frizz Hill before the fi rst ‘big’ climb at Tysoe Hill. Following the route split the 100 Mile ride takes an undulating route until the 4 mile long Sudeley Hill outside Winchcombe, which will really test your training.

Joining back with the 100 KM route cyclists fi nish up with the infamous Larstoke Hill– you either love it or you hate it! – before fi nishing back at Stratford Manor Hotel for a BBQ and massage.

Sue Oakes, regular participant and the fastest female in the 2013 100 KM route, said “The GSR is an enjoyable and challenging, but ultimately rewarding ride for all abilities depending on how hard you want to push yourself. The event is a continued success due to its friendly and relaxed atmosphere, fantastic organisation throughout the event. I love being able to ride around the picturesque local countryside feeling safe and amongst friends. A great event!”

The Great Shakespeare Ride is organised by The Shakespeare Hospice, a charity providing care and support to patients and families affected by life limiting illness such as cancer. All money raised will have an impact on the lives of people in need of Hospice care.

To sign up and take part in the event, please visit:

www.thegreatshakespeareride.org.uk

CHARITY LAUNCHES NEW FUNDRAISING RIDES

1. Legendary long life // 2. Rolls incredibly smoothly //3. Ideal for e-bikes // 4. Saves resources

The Original. Next Generation. The only one that can be called flatless. Not even thumbtacks stand a chance. 1. Anti-aging: Side walls extremely resistant to stress and aging cracks. Endurance compound for thousands of kilometres.2. Extremely low rolling resistance, distinctly lower compared to other tires with similar puncture protection systems. 3. European approval for fast e-bikes.4. Puncture protection insert (5 mm, patented) of special rubber, one third made of recycled material.

A fl at tire can never be entirely excluded. However, with the Marathon Plus, you are optimally protected against the typical puncture demons like shards and fl ints.

schwalbe.com/fl atless

MARATHON PLUS

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IIf you want to stuff your

panniers with perfect panoramas

(and maybe even a pie or two)

Lord Stones Country Park is a

must-cycle gem.

As Yorkshire’s mini Stonehenge, the

160-acre North York Moors Park has its

own iconic standing stones and offers a

feast of talking points and trails with a

side order of glamping and gourmet food.

Fantastic food-with-a-view is on tap

at the Lord Stones Restaurant and Grill,

which teeters 408 metres above sea level,

and situated at the top of a winding road

that climbs for two miles from the village

of Carlton-in-Cleveland, you’ll certainly

work up an appetite.

Once there you can take a roller coaster

ride over the shale tips of old mines,

moorland sheep track and steep but

stunning climbs on the challenging ‘Lord

Stones Loop’, or hoof it along the bikeable

bits of the UK’s best walking trails on the

‘Coast to Coast’ or Wainwright’s horseshoe

‘Cleveland Way’, with its vibrant heather

moorland, bridal ways and minor winding

roads.

The Lord Stones Loop will test your

biking skills to the limit, taking in 12 miles

of tough terrain including boggy streams

and sticky screes (so pack a few extra inner

tubes!) and, offering two to four hours of

riding, there’s enough ridges and climbs to

satisfy the most psyched-up cyclist!

As a favourite spot for cyclists, there are

great facilities and biking events throughout

the year. On June 8 this year, mountain

bikers from across the UK will descend on

the park for the Lord Stones Mountain Bike

Sportive Challenge, a 27.2 km circular off

road route with two optional time trials with

a trophy for fastest cumulative time.

If you can make the meet, fill up on the

breathtaking hilltop views over Teesside and

Roseberry Topping instead or stock up at

the smart on-site food complex – café and

shop by day and restaurant by night – that

offers big breakfasts, luscious lunches and

FEATURE I YORKSHIRE’S MINI-STONEHENGE

Food With A ViewEnjoy the culinary delights with Yorkshire’s Lord Stones

9 I Cycling World

main meals made from local ingredients.

After extensive redevelopment by a local farming family,

this secluded gem offers everything from prawns and

pancakes, local pigeon salads and steaks to hearty pies and

pork belly. The signature dish, the ‘Beltie Burger’ (from the

neighbouring Belted Galloway herd) is cooked in a bespoke

‘Josper’ charcoal oven by head chef Michael Chase, formerly

of The Star at Harome.

If you can’t stop, the onsite shop is a perfect pedaling

pit-stop to pick up some snacks or high energy drinks, or take

it up a gear and pitch up and pig out for longer with a stay

at the camping complex, which offers 15 pitches in secluded

spots, enclosed by mature woodland.

Get out your guy ropes or have your foot in both camps

and opt for a night of luxury in one of the fi ve bespoke

camping pods that sleeps four people, complete with en-suite

toilet and washbasin.

With the Restaurant and Grill on site, there’s everything

from baked beans to gourmet burgers on tap – but with

kitchenettes, wood-burning stoves and dining table and

chairs, ‘podders’ can also cook up their own gourmet goodies.

For hot days, there’s also hot coals, with barbecues housed on

decked patios.

And, if saddle burn becomes a real problem, the camping

pods even have comfy double beds and sofas!

www.lordstones.com

June 2014

FEATURE I YORKSHIRE’S MINI-STONEHENGE

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READER INTERVIEW I

a Specialized Dolce, (48cm), carbon chain stays and forks - I love her!

• My favourite is my hard tail a 2009 Specialized Myka (15”), this bike floats over anything; it’s so neat and smooth. I love it!• And the old fat beast, ‘The Orange Patriot’ (14.5”) from 2004, also known as Tracey, but coming in at 40lbs she isn’t really designed for Enduro, she’s a blast on the downs! I swap the forks from singles to triple crowns for racing Enduro and Downhill. I can also alter the rear suspension by moving the coil. So its pretty handy, but I really want a bike that’s more suited to the pedaling and flow of the Enduro trails.

Q5 WHAT BIKE WOULD YOU LOVE TO HAVE?Something that is ergonomically designed for tiny people! I’m 5 foot 1” and everything feels too big for me! I’m quite into big wheels such as some 650B’s. I also fancy trying out 11 speed chain rings, but I’m pretty set on 140mm travel, wide bars, and some sparkly components. I love the look of the Propane and I really like the design spec that’s gone into the Pivot, which is an ergonomic wonder piece for midgets. The Canyon Spectral is also a great bike and they do an XS for teeny people. I like Orange’s too, I think the single pivot has fewer problems

Q1 WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF CYCLING?A lot of my earliest memories are from cheering on my Dad and brother while they raced for the club that my Dad founded, Bonnyrigg Cycling Club. My Dad raced elite in time trial and road until I was about 13. As a child I travelled around the country a lot, in the caravan with the cycling club. I remember following groups of cyclists and having to get out the car and cheer for a short period of time, and then back in the car to do it all over again. I always liked watching the sprint to the finish; my brother would literally come out of nowhere. I remember seeing some really bad crashes, where lycra suits were ripped to pieces. When my dad finished his race he would put me on his handlebars and cycle around with me. That seemed to make me pretty happy.

Q2 WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE UK DESTINATION/ROUTE AND WHY?Innerleithien in the Scottish Borders – Without a Doubt, but I’m just about to go on a tour of Welsh trail centres, so this may all change.

I like Innerleithen because it forever challenges me and pushes my limits. The terrain and trails are so varied, they cover all disciplines for the mountain bike; XC, Downhill and Enduro. I feel like I can develop and work on lots of different aspects of my riding at Innerliethein, the centre sits on quite a steep gradient and the trails can be very tight in the tree runs, along with the mud and roots, making the trails very technical and flowing. I don’t know what my favourite trail would be, maybe Cresta or the Luge. The Enduro trails are great fun but I don’t know if they have names.

Q3 WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE WORLDWIDE DESTINATION/ROUTE AND WHY?The Women’s only run on Mount Seymour, North of Vancouver, I tried to take one of my boyfriends down there after he was nearly sick on the climb up. We didn’t make it down, he was a bit scared and so was I. It’s a good memory though. The Canadians build big! I’m going out to France this year for the Mega Avalanche and I hope to race abroad more in the future.

Q4 WHAT BIKE(S) DO YOU CURRENTLY OWN?• A semi lightweight

road bike,

and they move solidly over tough terrain. I love the female specific carbon Trek road bike too, that’s definitely on the wish list! ! Trek and Specialized have put a lot of research and technology to help ease the comfort and performance of female riders.

Q6 WHAT PIECE OF KIT/ACCESSORY COULD YOU NOT DO WITHOUT?My helmet, I don’t mind going for the odd cycle here and there without it, but anything off road, is just stupid, I’ve forgotten it a few times and tried to ride, but couldn’t ride properly because I was so worried that I would knock myself out on a tree.

Name: Roslynn Newman • Age: 35 • Location: Kinlochleven, Scotland • Type of Rider: Mountain biker – Enduro rider

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READER INTERVIEW I If you would like to be featured, please provide us with an image of you with your bike along with your answers to the questions below