The non-cycling event of the year has kicked off and Fifa has only gone and outdone itself. We thought it had put on the most corrupt and flagrantly irresponsible tournament of all time four years ago, but they’re back again with some monumental gains. Loads more teams, loads more money, loads more empty seats, insane temperatures, VAR gone rogue, and loads more horrible eggy Infantino on our screens. Let’s hope the German brings it home (for us) – or if not us, then Portugal, because that’s who I’ve got in the office sweepstake.
Back on two wheels, we’ve got an amazing gallery and report from the Race Around Rwanda, a dip into Eddy Merckx’s first ever Grand Tour win and lots more stuff from the current WorldTour, including previews of the Tour de Suisse and the Copenhagen Sprint, some ponderings on how the big dogs are preparing for the Tour de France, and a weighing up of how many riders have won both the Tour and the Dauphiné.
In Tech, if you missed tech editor Sam Challis’s two penniworth on the Specialized Crux now’s your chance to catch up, and we also have a new aero gravel bike wheels buyer’s guide.
And it’s a techy in the drops too, so crack on.
Zipp 202 NSW wheelset
Zipp’s new 202 NSW wheelset is the lightest the brand has ever made and has already been validated by the likes of Tom Pidcock and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney on the WorldTour’s toughest mountain stages.
‘Pro bikes are now 7.3kg or 7.4kg, so significantly over the UCI weight limit,’ Zipp’s design engineer Ben Waite says. ‘Everyone has bought into aero, so we created a wheelset that keeps the complete system aero but allows our athletes to get closer to that 6.8kg limit on mountain stages.’
The wheelset’s feathery 1,090g weight is attributed in part to a shallow 35mm carbon rim that uses what Zipp calls a ‘biomimetic laminate’. This layup places the stiffest carbon around the spoke bed, and the toughest at the tyre bed to minimise the amount of material required, creating a light rim despite a modern 23mm internal width.
Like all of Zipp’s NSW range, the wheels are hookless, although despite the lightweight claim, the 202 NSWs use stainless steel Alpina Hyperlite spokes instead of carbon equivalents.
‘We’re not 100% sure about carbon spokes’ durability,’ Waite says. ‘The material handles more force and wears in a different way than steel. For repairs, it makes sense too. If you’re not close to your normal bike shop and you break a spoke, good luck finding a carbon replacement.’
Vex Coffee subscription
Chances are, if you’re reading this message, you probably don’t dislike coffee. Cycling and coffee, as we’ve been told many times by those pros who think being into latte art gives you a personality, go hand in hand.
Vex is in the business of keeping coffee interesting. I’m guilty of getting stuck in my ways when it comes to coffee. At the Cyclist office the machine is stocked with beans from one of the bigger independent roasteries, while at home I try and dot around between suppliers, buying from anyone who will sell a kilo of beans for less than £40.
Vex makes it easy to vary your bean intake, selecting speciality coffees from across the UK, and sending you a different option every month. Each box contains two 250g bags and you can choose between different grinds, or whole bean. (If you’re on a speciality coffee website and you’re not grinding your own beans then, frankly, you’ve missed a turn somewhere along the way.)
Vex also says it works only with roasting partners who abide by its sustainability practices and transparent supply chain – so you can be gladdened by that element too. In this sample box there were coffees from Rwanda and Kenya, which had some pretty juicy flavour notes. I’m relatively conservative in my coffee flavouring – give me hazelnuts, choco nibs and cherry all day – but it was nice to try something quite different.
Woom Explore 4 kids bike
There’s a mountain of choice when it comes to sorting out wheels for the Grand Tour riders of the future, but Woom thinks it has the answer with the launch of its new Explore range. Rather than middling componetry and design that seems like an afterthought, the Explore 4 packs many of the features you’d expect from an adult’s road bike, including disc brakes, Shimano seven-speed gearing, specific geometry, mudguard mounts and ergonomic contact points.
Matthias Leite-Gürtner, Woom’s product designer, sheds a bit more light on the new model: ‘The new frame design takes a more angular aesthetic and has a less pronounced kink in the top tube, which gives the Woom Explore its cool, standout style. The bike’s geometry is optimised for children to create a sporty, dynamic riding position with superior handling and comfort,’ he says. ‘One of the biggest priorities when developing the Woom Explore was integrating components to deliver the highest-possible levels of comfort and safety.’
That’s why the Explore comes with Schwalbe’s Billy Bonkers tyres, which have a super grippy tread pattern so that they function well both on and off road. Plus they have reflective detailing on the walls to maximise visibility.
The saddle has been designed in partnership with Selle Royal and is sized differently for each frame size. Added together, with the aluminium frameset and lightweight 20in rims, the Explore weighs 7.8kg without pedals.
Woom has also tried to build in longevity where possible. The extendable stem folds out, giving ample room for kids to grow with the Explore, keeping the bike’s reach at a comfortable figure. Needless to say, the thing kids care about most is how it looks, and in this matt red shade it’s a bit of a showstopper in the playground. Just make sure to add on the optional kickstand to keep it looking fresh. Now we just need to find a skinsuit, a disc wheel and some clip-on TT bars and we’re ready for the season.
The unstoppable march of electronic tech into cycling kit continues with the launch of Oakley’s Vanguard Meta smart sunglasses. As well as being able to record everything in the glasses’ sightline by voice command using the 3K UHD camera in the frame, the Vanguards will also provide ride data.
‘Instead of looking down at a watch or cycling computer, cyclists can simply ask Meta AI for metrics such as speed, pace or heart rate and hear the answer instantly through the earphone speakers,’ says Sarah Wolfe Carr, senior director of product management and wearable technology at EssilorLuxottica.
At present, the inbuilt tech means the Vanguard Metas aren’t UCI legal, however Oakley says the added features haven’t compromised the basic functionality of the glasses.
‘The high-wrap lens provides excellent protection and clarity,’ says Wolfe Carr. ‘Elsewhere the flexible temple tips, high-grip nose pads, replaceable Prizm lenses and an IP67 water rating mean the frame is comfortable and durable.’
There are buttons built into each arm, though almost everything can be activated with voice commands. If you prefer, however, the buttons can be programmed to provide specific information. The buttons’ default settings will capture photos and start video recording.
It does raise the question of how distracting this might become, with lots going on in the frame and information chirping out of the speakers. I’m in the process of reviewing them for the magazine and my evaluation is pretty positive so far. They’re pretty chunky and not at all light, which won’t be to everyone’s liking, but these are less about pure performance than the bells and whistles they offer.
Haiti’s Duckens Nazon
He’s gone from League One to the World Cup and I couldn’t be happier for Coventry alumnus Duckens ‘feed the duck’ Nazon. An enigma that burned too brightly for the dull banks of what was then the Ricoh Arena, The Duck scored goals and provided that were just beyond belief for fans used to a reassuring blend of ineptitude and outright mediocrity. (45 seconds and 55 seconds in that video both very tasty.) we wish him all the very best.
Haiti kick off against Scotland on Sunday and I for one will be willing he draws some tears from staff writer Ewan Wilson and editor Pete Muir and pours some cold Irn-Bru on the Tartan Army’s chips. Seems early, but with Brazil and Morocco in the group, this is a must-win for both sides. Will I be staying up until 2am to see it? I’d love to say no but it’s probably a yes. Watch out for a bleary-eyed Ewan on Monday morning.