Really, Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist should have been a better film. The constituent parts are so strong that the documentary could have almost made itself: A modern day story with the narrative arc of classical tragedy; reams of historic footage with electrifying sporting battles across breathtaking vistas; and newly conducted interviews with…
In limited release right now, T.C. Johnstone’s Rising From Ashes documents the struggle to establish a competitive cycling program in Rwanda. Cycling is hardly the first thing you associate with thoughts of Rwanda, but as this film reveals the sport’s rise in the country has provided a vehicle for hope. The film follows the…
I couldn’t wait to wear out my Vittoria Corsas … I was vaguely concerned the Veloflex Masters would clash with my dark label Fulcrum Zeros, but I reckon they look pretty good! Straight out of the box the rubber felt much more supple and tacky than a new Vittoria tyre. I was concerned this…
Pre-history A year ago, I’d been road cycling for a few months and looking towards a move into competition. With some friends, I took part in a sportive event which climbed Mt Buller from Mansfield. I didn’t even know that the next day a road race was held covering the same ground. When I made…
I had one of those rides yesterday which makes me so glad to live in Melbourne’s outer north. Descending into the Yarra Valley from Christmas Hills we were greeted with a layer of wispy cloud wrapped around the base of the ranges from Mt St Leonard to Mt Donna Buang, their peaks appearing above. One…
Well, I’ve healed enough to get back to competition. This might have seemed obvious to anyone who has followed some of my climbing lately, which has been for an approaching goal. But the crash in December didn’t just hurt me, it spooked me. Descending, and even just cornering has caused flutters of anxiety in the…
Last Friday marked the tenth anniversary of Marco Pantani’s death. Amidst the various commemorations, one of the interesting things to emerge was a trailer for a new feature length documentary on ‘Il Pirata’. Directed by James Erskine, Pantani: The Accidental Death of a Cyclist, looks good as cycling documentaries go: Seeing this made me think…
Thoughts on the Edge 510. The short version: Pros: Excellent satellite accuracy with GPS + GLONASS. Much improved data transfer rates. Cons: The touch screen is clumsy. Inferior virtual partner function compared to the 500. The LCD requires permanent back lighting for 500-level contrast. Caloric measurement is less accurate. Power calibration is slower to set…
766,000 people can’t be wrong! That was the crowd figure announced at the final presentation for the Tour Down Under, for the whole event. Of course that must include counting the same people twice or we are approaching a thirtieth of Australia’s population – just at a bike race. Let’s assume most people who went…
An amazing day for us on Willunga Hill today, though not quite the result we were hoping for. We got to Willunga early and strolled along the climb which would define the day’s racing. The views down the valley were pretty special: Local landowners had put in some effort too: By the time the breakaway…
Allez Alain 