Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 21.7.12

In the last of his Tour de France retrospectives, Scot Tares considers whether Mark Cavendish is the greatest sprinter of all-time.

As I sit and write this, the 2012 Tour de France has hit theAlpsand battle has commenced between the main protagonists. By the time you read this it will be fairly certain whether or not Great Britain will have its first ever Tour de France overall winner in Bradley Wiggins. For the moment however, let us look back a few years to the 2009 Tour.

Cavendish takes 2nd place in the British Junior Champs in Perth, behind Matt Brameier and ahead of Geraint Thomas

The 2009 Tour de France was a breakthrough year for Bradley Wiggins; riding for Garmin-Slipstream, he was showing he was making the transition from a World Champion track pursuit rider to a road-man with real potential. He finished fourth overall in Paris and during the following off-season he signed for the newly formed Team Sky, although under a cloud of protracted contract wranglings between Sky and Garmin. The show of class in 2009 was just a flash of the potential he had, but it would be a few years before he would be able to show that again in the Tour.

Meanwhile, another British rider was making history and laying down the gauntlet to the world. Many saw, and some still see, Mark Cavendish as precocious and arrogant, but to my mind his character reflects an utter dominance in his sport, the like of which has never been displayed by any other British rider. Cavendish does not just win; he often destroys the rest of the field with a sprint so ferocious he looks like he is riding for his life and often the emotional outpouring at the end demonstrates that he has put every ounce of his being into winning.

Cavendish’s sprinting finesse had been proven in other races over the previous few years, but it was in 2009 that he opened his account for Tour de France stage wins. By the time the race reachedParisafter 20 gruelling stages, Cavendish had already raised his arms in victory as he crossed the finish line on no less than five occasions. However, if his rivals were still in any doubt as to who was the best, Cavendish was about to kick that notion into the stratosphere.

As the teams lined out on the Parisian roads on the closing minutes of stage 21 of the 2009 Tour de France, Cavendish’s team, HTC-Highroad, had paced him to the front of the peloton. The speed was close to 40mph and Cavendish tucked in behind two of his team-mates, George Hincapie and Mark Renshaw, who led the race round the final corners. The television camera sped alongside the riders on the final straight and Mark Cavendish jumped out from the wheel of Mark Renshaw and exploded into his sprint. The commentator, Paul Sherwen exclaimed, as Cavendish crossed the line first, “I don’t think we need a photo-finish for that one as there was nobody else in the photo”. Indeed the overhead shot of the sprint finish made it look more like a solo attack, rather than a closely fought sprint finish, as Cavendish was clear of his nearest rivals by metres, rather than centimetres. In Mark Cavendish, a new superstar of not just British Cycling, but World Cycling, emerged from that 2009 Tour de France and with his Tour de France stage win tally mounting every year and an Olympic Gold medal in his sights, Cavendish has already started carving his name on the wall of the greatest cyclists of all time.

Scot Tares

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 14.7.12

Scot Tares looks back to a sad day in British cycling history

In 1967 Barry Hoban won the 14^th stage of the Tour de France, his first, under tragic circumstances.

During his 11 year career Barry Hoban won eight stages of the Tour de France and this record for a British rider was held until Mark Cavendish surpassed it in 2009. Hoban’s first stage win came on stage 14 of the 1967 Tour de France and should have been a celebration of a new force in British cycling. Instead it was as an emotionally charged win as a result of the tragic death of his Great Britain team mate, Tom Simpson on the slopes of Mount Ventoux. Simpson collapsed on the ascent of the “Giant of Provence” and despite the efforts of Dr Dumas; he died where he fell, 3km from the summit.

Born in Wakefield, Barry Hoban rose quickly through the amateur ranks and he moved to Northern France in 1962 to follow his dream of racing as a professional. He set himself a target of achieving his dream within two years and after winning 35 races in those years he was awarded with a professional contract with the Mercier-Hutchinson – BP team, with a salary of £20 a week, which as he remembers, “…was more than a Manchester United player earned”. However the French teams that the British riders tended to race for would pick French riders above others for selections in the Tour de France. This meant Hoban missed selection for the race in 1966 and that may have been the same situation in 1967, but for the Tour organiser’s decision to revert temporarily to national teams, rather than the recent trade team format. This meant that Hoban raced alongside Tom Simpson and Vin Denson among others in the British team.

The evening after Simpson’s death, the peloton agreed that stage 14 would be a tribute to the popular Tom Simpson. They decided that a British rider would win. However, even today controversy surrounds whether that British rider was meant to be Barry Hoban, or if the peloton had agreed it would be Tom’s close personal friend, Vin Denson. On the day Hoban crossed the line first, his tearful eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.

Hoban went on to win many more races including several more Tour stages and was a dominant force for British cycling on the continent throughout his career. In a strange twist to his story Hoban later married Tom Simpson’s widow, Helen and brought up his children Joanne and Jane.

Scot Tares

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 7.7.12

In 1958 Brian Robinson became the first Brit to win a Tour de France stage.

Today is stage 7 of the 2012 Tour de France and it holds special significance for British cyclists.

Brian Robinson’s first stage win in the Tour de France was a triumph for road cyclists in Britain. In the late 19^th century the National Cyclists Union (NCU) had banned road racing in theUK and it took the concerted efforts of many, including Percy Stallard, to encourage regional groups of clubs to affiliate to the newly formed British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC). Under the BLRC, these clubs started organising road races against the wishes of the NCU and a bitter feud began that was to last for many years. Under this schism the NCU was asked to send a British team to the 1955 Tour de France and this team featured Brian Robinson, who had already been prominent in other Continental European road races. It was a tough race for all, and Brian Robinson and Tony Hoar were the only British riders to complete it.

After the 1955 Tour de France, Hercules, the main sponsor of the British team, ceased to exist and it shows the tenacity and determination of Brian Robinson that he continued to race in Europeá la musette, without a contract and unpaid and relying on prize money to pay his way. By 1958 he was firmly established as a racer and earned enough to make a living, though he never made it to the top end of the earning hierarchy.

Robinson’s stage win in 1958 was unusual as he never climbed the podium to receive his sash and flowers. Earlier in the day Robinson had been in a breakaway group with Frenchman Jean Dotto and the Italian Arrigo Padovan. Robinson felt strong and as the chequered flag approached he wound up his sprint only to find that Padovan left his sprinters line, obstructing Robinson into second place. It wasn’t until Robinson was back in his hotel having dinner that he learnt that a “stewards enquiry” had relegated Padovan to second place, thus giving Robinson the first ever Tour de France stage win for a British cyclist. Although he missed the glory of the podium appearance, Robinson went home “chuffed, because I knew I’d got my contract safe for the next year and probably the year after.”

Brian Robinson retired in 1961 after a seven year professional career that saw him take 11 professional wins, including a second Tour de France stage win in 1959.

Scot Tares

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 30.6.12

Chris Boardman crashes in the 1995 TdF Prologue

Today sees the start of the Tour de France and all eyes will be on Brit, Bradley Wiggins who is on the verge of an historic first British Yellow Jersey win. In 1995 it was another Brit who was feeling the pressure.

The 1995 Tour de France will be remembered for the last win in the reign of the Spanish rider Miguel Indurain, who had dominated the Grand Tours for several years and this would be his 5^th overall victory in the Tour de France. It would also be the last Tour de France that a young Lance Armstrong would complete prior to his diagnosis of cancer, (he rode in 1996, but pulled out on stage 7 after becoming ill). In the 1995 Tour he won stage 18 in honour of his team-mate Fabio Casartelli who had crashed on a descent of the Col de Portet d’Aspet in the Pyrenees and later died as he was being flown by helicopter to hospital.

For British fans though, all eyes in the 1995 Tour were on Chris Boardman as expectations were high that he would pull on the coveted “Yellow Jersey”. The faith was grounded in stunning results: the previous year, Boardman had won the Prologue Time Trial after posting the fastest time over the 7.3km course with an average speed of 55.182kph and became only the third ever Briton to wear the Yellow Jersey in the Tour. Since then, only Scotsman David Millar has been added to this list, which also includes Tom Simpson and Sean Yates. Boardman was well known as a track rider, having broken the world hour record and also as a time-trial specialist.

Boardman took to the start as the leader of his team, wearing number 81 and also proudly displaying the “Rainbow Stripes” of the Time Trial World Champion, a jersey he had won the previous year. The conditions had steadily worsened as the later riders set off, and by the time Chris took to the start ramp the TV pictures showed a dark and dank evening, with camera flashes and car headlights reflected off the rain soaked tarmac, giving the viewer the impression of an ice rink rather than a road. A few minutes into Boardman’s ride and commentary from Phil Ligget gave early indications that Boardman was riding strong; then the reports that Boardman had crashed were broadcasted. No news or TV pictures followed and it wasn’t until later that the TV cameras replayed the accident that had befallen Boardman and the picture quality betrayed the atrocious conditions the riders were racing in. In the replay, a circular graphic is used to pick out Boardman as the darkness and rain make it almost impossible to see him. What is visible however is Boardman descending at speed and then at a left hand corner, his wheels disappearing from under him as he slides across the road and into the barriers, with his team car skidding behind to avoid driving over the top of him. The initial reports were that he had broken his collar bone, but it was later confirmed that it was his ankle that he had broken, thus bringing his 1995 Tour to a sad and painful end after only a few minutes.

The accident put paid to the rest of the season’s racing for Boardman, but he was back in 1996 on the TdF start line. In this year however, due to wet roads and perhaps a nagging doubt in the back of his mind, he rode conservatively and finished second behind Swiss rider Alex Zulle. In the following years Boardman again won the prologue in 1998, the year of the infamous Festina affair, before pulling out after a crash on stage 13. In 1998, he again won the yellow jersey, but crashed on stage two. Boardman’s riding career came to an end after the 2000 Olympics when he retired from professional cycling altogether; he had been diagnosed two years earlier with Osteoporosis but was unable to take the required hormone replacement therapy as this required testosterone, which was against the sport’s doping rules. He is still part of the British cycling scene though and now runs a successful bike business and commentates regularly on the ITV Tour de France and Track cycling events.

Scot Tares

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 23.6.12

Scot Tares finds that cycling to work doesn’t have to be taxing.

 “There has been no direct relationship between vehicle tax and road expenditure since 1937.”
Policy and External Communications Directorate, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

Why don’t cyclists pay Road Tax? It’s a common misconception ingrained into our culture and psyche, and even MPs and the national media have got it wrong. The concept of road tax does not now actually exist after a process, instigated by Winston Churchill in 1926, led to motorists making the last “Road Fund” payments in 1937. Indeed, the maintenance and development of the road infra-structure is now paid for by general and local taxation that we all contribute to and the “tax disc” on a car is actually a Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and cars are graded from Band A (up to 100g per km of CO2 emissions) right up to Band M (over 255g per km). A vehicle in the Band A grade is exempt from VED and according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders there are currently 65,000 such vehicles on the UK’s roads and this is rising quickly; because of this it is likely that the government will reduce the threshold limit further still.

Certainly this puts the claim that cyclists should pay “road tax” in a different light; producing 0g CO2 per kilometre a bicycle would be eligible for Band A, making it exempt from charge, along with the two million other exempt vehicles (including disabled drivers and police cars amongst others). Furthermore, the cost of registration and duty compliance would be borne by motorists who currently fall out-with Band A as they picked up the tab for the 25 million exempt bicycles that would need a VED disc under such a scheme.

Commuting by bike may not seem like an option for many of the Scottish population, but for a vast number of people the use of a bike, even out-with the larger population centres, makes a lot of sense. Scottish Development International estimate “the average commuting distance across Scotland is between five and six kilometres with almost 90 percent of workers living within 25 kilometres of their workplace.”

Just think of the knock-on benefits of even 5% of that number commuting by bike at least once a week: the roads would be less congested, less traffic would mean less wear and tear on the road infrastructure and people being more active would lead to a healthier population. Across the world, major cities are embracing the bicycle as an essential mode of transport in their efforts to develop and grow while keeping one eye on the environmental impact of expansion. This further enhances the culture and lifestyle of the people who live there, and with Dundee looking towards a vibrant future it would be remiss if the bicycle did not become part of a confident, sustainable and progressive growth of the city and have a positive impact on the lives of those who live there.

Over the next few weeks I will be discussing the benefits of commuting to work by bicycle and looking how it has become part of everyday life for millions. This week’s route looks at a commute from the western bounds of Dundee, right into the heart of the city.

Scot Tares

Cycle Route – Perth Road, Dundee

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 16.6.12

Scot Tares gives the “heads up” on bicycle helmets

“Let me first say that I didn’t start wearing a helmet regularly until AFTER I WOKE UP FROM THE COMA… Helmets can’t save you from every accident. Nothing can. But they can save you from a lot of accidents, maybe even most of them. If I had been wearing one on Dec. 2, 1988, I might not be taking anti-seizure pills every day, twice a day, for the rest of my life.” – Lloyd Alter

To wear or not to wear, that is the question; and the answer is a contentious issue. From the age of two until I was 32, I rode my bike “topless”, that is, without a helmet. It is only in recent years that racing regulations and club event protocol have determined that I now wear a helmet and it has become a habit. It is, however, not a legal requirement that a cyclist wears a helmet in the UK unlike say, Australia, where it is mandatory. Numerous reports, arguments, counter-arguments and emotive stories have been given for the pros and cons of helmet use and for such issues as whether it puts people off cycling or if they will actually protect you in the event of an accident, the space here is too confined to even dip my toe into such waters.  However, I now wear a helmet and ensure my children also do so and if you choose to do so too, you should ensure that the helmet that is you use is safe.

A helmet that is either too big or too small will mean that it does not protect the head properly; both expose parts of the head that the helmet wearer is trying to protect. Even a correctly fitting helmet can be dangerous, if the straps and buckles are not adjusted properly. Often this results in helmets slipping back on the head and leaving the forehead vulnerable.

Here’s a quick question: how old is your bicycle helmet? If you are not sure then most helmets will have a “date of manufacture” sticker inside. Most helmet companies advise replacing your helmet between three and five years from the manufacturing date. The Snell Memorial Foundation – a non-profit organisation set up in 1956 after the death of racing driver William Snell – are dedicated to the research, education, testing and development of helmet safety standards and recommend you change your helmet about every five years.

It is clear from the evidence that UV light can cause degradation in the structure of the moulded Expanded Polystyrene foam (EPS); also general deterioration can be caused by hair products, sweat and general wear and tear. This can cause the EPS to split, which isn’t easily noticeable, unless you are specifically checking your helmet on the inside.

If you do wear a helmet on your bike, but are unsure about whether it is fit for purpose, then please speak to your local friendly bike shop staff who will be able to give advice.

Cycle Route – Forfar Loch

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 9.6.12

Scot Tares gets all fired up as the Olympic Torch comes to Courier country

“There is something in the Olympics, indefinable, springing from the soul that must be preserved.” – Chris Brasher

I am starting to get very excited about the Olympics; come the 27^th July 2012 I will be glued to my television set. Cycling has a long history with the Olympics. Indeed it is one of a few select sports that have appeared in every Olympic Games of the modern era that were first held in Athens in 1896, but I would happily watch dominoes if it was an Olympic sport; there is something about the spectacle that lures me in and I know exactly where Chris Brasher is coming from in the quote above. To whet my appetite, my family and I will be heading out to see the Olympic Torch as it passes through Tayside on Tuesday 12^th June. My kids are very excited and I feel quite proud, despite our family not being able to get tickets for any events, that they will still be able to partake in a little bit of history being made and they too may feel that “indefinable, springing from the soul”. My daughter is particularly excited about seeing Chris Hoy winning Gold again. She sat on my knee, four years ago, aged two, not quite understanding, but getting caught up in my excitement as the British cycling team swept the board of medals.

The Great Britain Team has become an indomitable force in the sport of cycling, and not just on the track; our female and male cyclists lead the world in all Olympic and Paralympic disciplines and it would take a brave person to bet against the GB team taking another hefty haul of medals on home soil in 2012. However, don’t expect our cyclists to medal more than once in each event. The Union Cycliste International (UCI), who are the sport of cycling’s governing body, have taken the unprecedented step of only allowing one athlete from each nation to take part in each event, even if that nation has two or more of the top riders in the world in that event. This is particularly frustrating for the British team, with their strength in depth. It is a move that would be similar to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) saying to the 100 metre sprinters that only one sprinter was allowed to compete; could you imagine the athletes from Jamaica and the USA swallowing that one? Furthermore, it would also detract from the spectacle of the event as you would not have all the world’s best sprinters in one race. So the spectacle of the cycling events may be tarnished slightly, but I’m not going to let that dampen my enthusiasm for what I’m sure is going to be a stunning Olympic Games.

The Olympic Torch will be heading from Aberdeen, down through Angus, Perth and Kinross and into Dundee and Fife on the 12^th and 13^th of June. Many of the roads in these areas are worth cycling, but the route below is a good steady ride, suitable for all. Why not give it a go to get into the spirit of the games?

Scot Tares

Cycle Route – Forfar to Perth

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 2.6.12

A summer of cycling brings a smile to the face of Scot Tares.

 “When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

In the last few weeks I have been bumping my gums more than usual. Living in Scotland I know that my weather related expectations should be less than sanguine, but my hopes do rise as we get a few days of sunshine, only to see them saturated and battered in endless days of wind and rain that follow.

As I write this late in the evening with the windows of my study open and the heat of the day still drifting into the room on a gentle breeze, the last few days of glorious sunshine and the prospect of more to come fills me with hope of a beautiful summer of cycling. Today I rode a gentle pace and mileage on off-road cycle paths and quiet roads just to enjoy the bike and soak up the beauty of Scotland. And when the weather is good, even the cycle path that runs along the back of Inveralmond Industrial Estate in Perth felt beautiful. The smell of grass and blossom filled the air and lots of people were out cycling and walking, all with smiles on their faces.

For me, rides like that of today empty my mind of everything that life can throw at me and is a better tonic for the heart and soul than many a GP could prescribe. For the majority of those who read this column, I would expect a similar response, but how do we prescribe two wheels to the unconverted? Well, the “Summer of Cycling” is one way of trying to encourage others to get out on a bike. It’s a simple plan and the website looks for each cyclist to pledge that they will get one saddle-shy friend out on a bike this summer. I’ve already made my pledge, although the first my “saddle-shy” friend may know about it is reading this article.

Scot Tares

Cycle Route – Almondbank

The route this week follows mainly off-road cycle paths and some short quiet road sections, making it an ideal ride for a family with older children

Details:

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 26,5.12

Scot Tares finds there is more to riding a bike than just pedalling

“You want to ride like silk gliding on soft air. Think slow and smooth and one day you’ll discover you’re riding so easy you’ll laugh out loud at the joy of it all”  – Hank Barlow

In France a smooth pedal stroke is elegantly described as “souplesse”, an apparently effortless pedalling motion. The achievement of such a pedal stroke is beneficial for all who cycle as eliminating any dead spots in the pedalling action, relaxing and avoiding a choppy rotation, can save you energy and make riding easier and more enjoyable.

There are many ways to improve your “souplesse”, such as riding on fixed gear bikes or undertaking various pedalling drills and workouts. However, simply being aware of your pedalling technique and motion can be a very good place to start.

A simple way to improve pedalling efficiency (and one that often strikes fear into the very core of many who cycle) is by using “clipless pedals”. Clipless pedals are a misnomer as they actually refer to both feet being clipped into the pedals using a mechanical device on the pedal and a “cleat” attachment to the shoe. The discrepancy in the name derives from the historical use of toe straps and toe cages, where riders would “clip-in” to pedals by pulling on a strap that tied their feet to the pedals. When the strapless pedals came to the fore, due to the absence of the toe cage and strap, they were described as being clipless. Confusing? Yes, especially so as many cyclists refer to clipping in, despite clipping in to clipless pedals!

The clipless pedal as we know it today was originally introduced by the French company “Look” who applied their technology used in downhill skiing to cycling. This innovative design was then developed further by Shimano with their SPD (Shimano Pedalling Dynamics) pedal system. This system meant the cleat was recessed into the shoe itself, making it a popular choice for mountain-bikers.

The worry of many who clip in to their pedals is that they won’t be able to get their foot out in time when they stop and the ignominious fall at traffic lights has been a feature for many who have newly adopted the clipless pedal; but perseverance and practice pays dividends and the efficiency achieved when the skill is mastered is worth the effort, especially when it comes to up-hill efforts.

For those who wish to try out their new found souplesse, a favourite route of mine that heads out from Inchture and up through Abernyte is a great climb to start on. It’s steep, but the road surface is good and if you continue over the top towards Coupar Angus you can combine it into a loop that includes the ascent of a previous week’s route up Tullybaccart.

Scot Tares

Cycle Route – Inchture to Abernyte

Copyright DC Thompson 2012

Taken from the Blazing Saddles Column in the Tayside Courier Weekend Supplement 19,5.12

Scot Tares bites off more than he can chew cycling at the Highland Games

“Bike is a terrible thing that drives you to make excessive efforts, inhuman efforts. It takes a racing cyclist to understand what it means to hurt yourself on a bike. Apart from that, everything else about cycling is wonderful: the friendships, the tactics, the ambience, the glory” – Jacques Anquetil

One of the great pleasures of cycling is the variety of disciplines within the sport; indeed, even the term ‘mountain biking’ is a generic phrase and covers many different activities that simply take place off-road, from downhill riding to dirt-crit racing.

One of the lesser known cycling disciplines is grass track racing which happens regularly throughout the summer at various Highland Games events around Scotland. The first Highland Games of the year that features grass track racing is Blackford, on 26^th May, but Tayside and Fife have an abundance of games throughout the summer which include Dunkeld, Markinch and Glenrothes.

Races are usually run on a 400metre lap and several different races take place, usually culminating in a “Deil tak’ the hindmost” showdown. This a frantic multi-lap sprint where the last rider across the line each lap is withdrawn from the race until the final three fight it out for the top places.

From a spectator’s point of view the racing is great viewing and closely-fought competitions provide great excitement. For the riders, the effort is full-on and lung-bursting where knowledge of the track conditions at each event is invaluable in choosing the correct gearing. At tracks such as Blackford where the back straight drags up, too big a gear can prove to be fatal and the rider will “blow” as he sprints to maintain the pace on each lap.

I remember watching my first grass track race in Dunkeld years ago and thinking, “That looks easy!” I duly registered with the Highland Games Association, picked the games I was going to ride at and arrived at my first race full of confidence. How wrong I was; despite having experience in hard track racing atCairdPark, road racing and XC, I suddenly found myself hanging on for dear life. Despite being way out of my depth back then, both in knowledge and fitness level, I learned a lot and had the time of my life as we raced in front of large crowds often just inches away, racing full-on, shoulder to shoulder, doing some of the most exciting cycling I’ve ever done.

If you are interested in racing, then I would heartily recommend “grass track”, and for youth and junior riders, it’s a great experience to ride in front of cheering crowds and have a great day racing on the bike. Even if you don’t want to race then they are still great races to spectate at; just don’t go thinking, as I did, “That looks easy”.

Cycle Route – Kinkell Bridge to Balgowan

If you are heading to Blackford then this short road loop in Strathearn is a lovely ride on quiet roads:

Copyright DC Thompson 2012