This Saturday sees one of the most important races in the calendar as the Giro di Lombardia sets off from Como to Bergamo in Northern Italy. It is, of course, one of the five ‘Monuments’, the most important one-day races of the year, along with Milan - San Remo, The Tour of Flanders, Paris -Roubaix and Liege - Baston - Liege. It may not be the oldest of the Monuments, but it’s certainly the most romantic, nicknamed “la classica delle foglie morte” or translated to the slightly more prosaic, “ride of the falling leaves.”
Read MoreTour of Britain Preview
Tomorrow sees the Tour of Britain set off from Glasgow to Port Douglas on the first of eight stages that cross Scotland, the Lake District, Cheshire, Wales, South West England and a finale on the streets of the Capital on 11th September. No less than eight medalists from Rio’s Olympics are taking part, 21 teams, 11 of which are UCI outfits: this is now a highly rated, prestigious and important race in its own right that attracts some of the best cyclists in the world.
It’s come a long way from its humble origins when, in 1945, a group of disgruntled cyclists who’d been banned by the National Cyclists Union set up the Victory Cycling Marathon to celebrate the end of the war. A stage race from Brighton to Glasgow, it was, by all accounts, a disorganised shambles with riders sleeping in barns and sheds in between stages. That first race was very much a French affair: 6 of the top ten finishers were Frenchmen as was its winner, Robert Batot. But it was also hugely popular with as many as 20,000 spectators watching the race set off.
Read MoreCritérium du Dauphiné 2016 – Froome lays down his marker
Chris Froome sealed his third win in the Critérium du Dauphiné today in a classy field of leading riders, sending a strong message to his Tour de France rivals. His previous 2 victories here presaged his brace of Tour victories and he looks very strong as the countdown to July 2nd begins in earnest.
Read MoreGirona Gran Fondo 2016
The number of UK based sportives has exploded in the last couple of years, giving amateur cyclists a huge choice of opportunities to experience well-organised, semi-competitive, supported rides in our beautiful countryside. The only downside is our unpredictable climate – who can forget the wash out that was Ride 100 in 2014? In August! So it is that many of us have started to look further afield and beyond our shores and dark satanic mills for our next cycling challenge.
Read MoreMediterranean Cycling Holidays
Last week Ride Velo looked at bucket list cycling holidays of a lifetime. This week we come back down to earth a little, exploring seaside and coastal holidays near the Mediterranean and along the Algarve. There is such an array to choose from, we've just picked out the best road cycling holidays for fairly able riders, but if you're into MTB, ebike or family holidays, don't stop reading now, as all the companies we've featured have a whole host of different trips to try and locations to experience. There really is something for everyone!
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