by Anna Magrath | Jan 1, 2015
Strava Launches Annual Achievements for 2015
Annual achievements brings new yearly trophies for segments and personal records
London, UK (1st January, 2015) — Strava, the online network for athletes, has launched new Annual Achievements trophies for segment leaderboards and personal records.
Today [1st January 2015] will see Annual Achievements trophies added to Strava. Cyclists and runners will now receive annual KOM [King of the Mountains], QOM [Queen of the Mountains] and CRs [Course Records] trophies.
Strava members are still able to filter to view yearly leaderboards, making it easier to see progress over a year and give everyone a chance to earn a spot on a segment leaderboard.
Previously earned KOM, QOM or CRs will live on as all-time records and badges of honour. They will still be viewable on profile pages or on the overall default leaderboard. All-time achievements will always supersede annual ones in segment results.
New icons have been added to coincide with the Annual Achievements launch. In the segment results section of an activity, you will see solid icons for all-time achievements and outlined icons for annual ones.
“We know that for many of our athletes on Strava, they plan goals and track improvements a year at a time,” explained Gareth Nettleton, Director of International Marketing at Strava. “The new Annual Achievements leaderboards give priority to yearly progress and give Strava members the chance to stake their claim in 2015, while still respecting the all-time achievements of Strava members.”
He added: “We’re thinking of this as honouring the world record holder in the marathon but also recognising the leaders each year.”
Strava encourages members to set goals for 2015 and tackle segments sensibly and safely as outlined in
Stand With Us, a few simple guidelines created to ensure that Strava’s impact is positive.
Strava is the online network that connects the global community of athletes. Founded in 2009, millions of athletes have joined Strava for the competition and camaraderie found in tracking and sharing their fitness activities.
Strava’s free mobile apps and website help members discover and plan workouts, record and share activities, and analyse and compare performance. Strava’s ability to connect athletes around the world makes fitness a more social experience, providing extra motivation even when training alone.
by Anna Magrath | Dec 22, 2014
The start and finish lines have been announced for the first ever Tour de Yorkshire international cycle race. Bridlington, Leeds, Scarborough, Selby, Wakefield and York will all host a prestigious start or finish of the new UCI-approved 2.1 race.
The race, which will be held on 1-3 May, is expected to become a flagship cycling event in the UK in 2015 and an outstanding cycle race in the international calendar, including the participation of top international teams and cycling stars. It will be broadcast live on national TV and throughout Europe.
The full route details will be revealed on January 21st, on the 100 days to go to the race.
The Tour de Yorkshire is a new race being held by Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) and Welcome to Yorkshire (WTY), supported by British Cycling.
Director of the Tour de France at A.S.O., Christian Prudhomme, said: “I am delighted we are returning to Yorkshire where we saw the grandest ever Grand Départ for the Tour de France. It is clear the people of Yorkshire are passionate about cycling and we can’t wait to bring them this new race.”
More than 3 million people turned out to see the Tour de France in Yorkshire and the economic impact has been put at well over £100million. Organisers say the new race will build on the hugely successful Grand Départ and is at the heart of Cycle Yorkshire, the legacy of the Tour de France.
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “This is another huge milestone for Yorkshire as we position the county as the cycling heartland of Europe. This is the first ever Tour de Yorkshire, I am confident it will become a huge annual event and something that will raise Yorkshire’s profile year on year.”
Much of the new race will be in parts of the county the Tour de France didn’t touch.
Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The East Riding is an area with a great passion for cycling, a passion that can be summed up by the on-going success of the East Yorkshire Classic Cycling Weekend, which sees some of the country’s top cyclists ride through Beverley, and the mass participation of the recent Sky Ride Local scheme. Hosting a major sporting event will have untold benefits for the whole county in terms of tourism and boosting the local economy and the council will make every effort to capitalise on this.”
The deputy leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Councillor Carl Les, added: “There is no doubt the Tour de France was a huge boost for North Yorkshire and we’re keen to support this new race, which will further strengthen the region’s economy. After the dales benefited directly from the Tour de France, we’re particularly pleased to welcome the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire to North Yorkshire’s beautiful east coast and moors.”
British Cycling are supporting the new race and their President, Bob Howden, said: “This new annual race partnering Welcome to Yorkshire and A.S.O. with British Cycling will help to maintain the legacy progress gained so far, helping us to achieve our collective goals of inspiring more people to get on their bikes and get active. Events of this calibre show to the world that Britain has what it takes to be the par excellence deliverer of iconic world class showpieces.”
The race will have three stages over the Bank Holiday weekend in May running from Friday through to Sunday.
A mass sportive with several distances where people can ride the same route as the Pros will be held on day three (3 May) and thousands are expected to take part in what will be a historic first for the county. The mass ride will be delivered by Human Race – owners of the Dragon Ride and many other sportives – in collaboration with the Tour de Yorkshire organisers. Starting today, people can apply to enter the sportive on the Tour de Yorkshire website in order to enjoy a privileged entry fee www.letouryorkshire.com
Bernard Hinault, five times Tour de France winner, said: “The Tour de France has had a sportive alongside it for many years and it’s a unique experience for amateur riders to ride at L’Etape; so to have this similar experience available at the Tour de Yorkshire will be magnifique and something all keen riders will want to be part of.”
The Tour de Yorkshire will be an annual event with 2015 being the inaugural race.
Images ©CyclingShorts.cc / ChrisMaher.co.uk – 2014 Tour de france Grand Depart.
by Bikeboyslim | Dec 13, 2014
Beet it Sports Bars
This time last year I had the privilege to test Beet It Shots and wrote quite an in-depth review and report about the product and the impact 0.4g Nitrate has on sports performance. This year I have had the privilege to test Beet It pro-elite Beetroot and oat flapjack.
For those who do not know much about the idea of using Beetroot as a super food then I recommend reading my previous review but in a nut shell.
Research has shown the the consumption of 0.4g of Nitrate prior to taking part in a sport significantly boosts your performance.
The science: beet nitrates are converted into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a signalling agent that causes vasodilation, a widening of the blood vessels. Wider blood vessels equal increased blood flow. Better blood flow means more stamina and improved oxygen usage, leading to a 15%ish boost in performance.
But beetroot products are not just for endurance athletes, a lot of the famous beet root juice users like Mo Farah are distance aerobic-energy-based athletes. Additionally, the majority of studies have been performed on runners, swimmers, rowers and cyclists. On the surface, the science behind beet root juice seems like it only provides a simple aerobic/endurance boost.
Beet juice-derived nitric oxide works so well it has been used in the Olympics as a supplement by endurance athletes for years now. No wonder this preconception is so pervasive. However, improved oxygen usage can be a boost to any athlete.
Nitric oxide is able to temporarily bolster the aerobic/oxidative system and helps traditionally non-aerobic, non-endurance athletes recover faster, even if they aren’t participating in a long-distance, endurance-based activities because the body draws its ability to regenerate energy from that system.
Therefore, if you’re an olympic athlete or a recreational sports person, you can benefit from beet root juice products.
This has certainly been born out this summer from my experience in the heat of riding in the Vendee. Beet It sports bars are easily digested and taste much nicer then the shots, with the added bonus that they contain slow releasing oats for addition food supply while riding.
I followed a simple regime, eat a bar 1 hour before riding and I also tested a second bar towards the end of rides over 2/3 hours. I did not start using the product until I had built up some miles in my legs and I had that ever present thigh burn at the start of rides.
The most instantly noticeable affect of the Nitrate is the lack of thigh burn at the start of rides and the ability to ride longer before fatigue begins to set in. Which is pretty much the same finding as last year so the delivery system does not affect the absorption and performance of the product.
What was new for this year was the consumption of a second bar on longer rides, while this did not necessary boost performance further but it did have a more noticeable effect on day two. Riding out on day two I did not have the expected heavy legs but it was as if I had had another bar that morning. So now my routine is to have a second bar post long ride to aid recovery.
I really can not recommend this product highly enough, it is the best sports nutrition product I have ever used, and I have used a few, it is way better then any gel, protein carb mix you can buy and to be honest is the only thing other than a zero calorie electrolyte that I will ever use.
If I was Victor Kiam I would buy the company the product is that good. Beet It pro-elite beetroot and oat flapjacks are a must.
I’d give it 110% but my editor tells me I have to cap my enthusiasm at 100% they are a CyclingShorts.cc star buy!
RRP: £25.00 for a case of 15 bars
by Bikeboyslim | Dec 11, 2014
Earlier this year my wonderful wife surprised me with a Tandem for our 25th Wedding anniversary, which does fit in the back of our people carrier however does not allow us to have anyone else in the car, which would be a bit of a problem when we head to France for our family summer holiday. The solution a tandem roof rack, but which one?
If I am honest I have never really been a fan of bike racks that clamp onto the frame, they often scuff
or damage the tube they clamp to and the the thought of only one clamp point with a Tandem did not appeal.
I scoured the marketplace and came up with three main options but the cost of two of the choices really ruled them out, so I finally plumped for the Pendle Tandem Carrier with front fork clamp. It also meant that I would be supporting a British Engineering firm, in my eyes a big bonus.
The prices direct from Pendle where not great so I placed an order via www.roofbox.co.uk a company I have used over the years to buy roof rack items at very reasonable prices and that was certainly true of the Pendle Rack.
I eagerly awaited the arrival of the bike rack, almost like an expectant father. Roofbox did not let me down, rapid delivery to my place of work in plenty of time for my test run for the Great Manchester Cycle a few weeks before our holiday.
The weekend before the ride I decided to fit the rack to our roof bars, as we no longer live in the 70’s flat pack world of missing parts and several trips backwards and forwards for missing screws and nuts, I assumed I did not need to go through the check list provided with the rack. How wrong could I be!!
I quickly and easily assembled the main part of the rack body and got it in place to clamp to the roof bars, but wait there is something missing. No maybe I missed them in the shrink wrapped packaging, surely the bottom plates for clamping to the roof bars are still in the box. After several minutes of vigourusly shaking the box nothing, they where missing, unbelievable! A quick email to Pendle to ask for the parts job sorted, but no joy ‘please contact supplier’. Ok fair enough but surely they will only contact Pendle etc etc. A quick call to Roofbox and a very helpful customer service assistant kept me on hold while she rang Pendle and got the parts shipped directly to me (Roofbox 10, Pendle 0!).
The parts arrived the following day and I fitted the rack to the roof bars, but wait I am two bolts short! A quick hunt through my own spares box and two suitable bolts later rack fitted and set up in time for the Great Manchester Ride.
I contacted Pendle direct about the missing bolts and the over all initial lack of service. I did get an email back from one of the directors offering me bolts but to be fair it was sorted. I really wanted to point out that we are no longer in the era of parts falling off cars and missing bits from self assembly furniture, and that it might be an idea to actually do some quality control on final packaging.
On a positive note the rack does do what is says on the tin and works really well holding the tandem in place very securely, which is all it needs to do. (Pendle 10 out of 10 for functionality). It is not perhaps the most aesthetically pleasing item and maybe not of the highest quality for chroming and powder coating but that does not matter too much.
When we arrived in France I noticed another family with a Pendle rack and asked if they had any problems with supply. They too had bought from Roofbox with excellent service, and yes they too had parts missing for the bike rack, you’ve guessed it bottom plate and bolts. Hmm looks like mine is not an isolated instance. Come on Pendle! Nelson, Lancashire is surely not languishing 30 years behind us all, get your quality control sorted!
Functionality 90%
Quality of Service/ Customer service attitude (Pendle) 10%
Quality of Service/ Customer service attitude Roofbox 100%
I would recommend Roofbox for bike rack and roof bar supplies, but I might just pay the extra and avoid the hassle of buying a Pendle rack again.
RRP: £162.00 for both versions
by Bikeboyslim | Dec 10, 2014
I know that mitts can be somewhat of a personal thing and that is certainly true for me. I have being pursuing the perfect set of mitts ever since I bought my first pair of classic crochet backed leather palmed road mitts in the 1980’s.
To be honest not a single pair of modern gel inserted synthetic mitts have ever cut the mustard in comparison to my first pair of classic mitts, that is until I bought a pair of Giro Monaco’s from www.sportspursuit.com, the discount online sports clothing company.
The top of the Giro Monaco’s may not be the longed for crochet cotton but rather a modern nylon/polyester mix, for which I can forgive them, as the mitts are very comfortable. But the, hands down, wining feature has to be the sheepskin leather palms, with no gel inserts but slightly thicker padded areas in the key contact points of thumb, heel of hand and base of fingers.
The mitts have been comfortable from the moment I slipped my hands inside, dare I say they fit like a glove, well a fingerless glove! But seriously they have been the most comfortable pair of mitts I have owned, even twelve months on and over 2000 km of riding in mixed conditions they are providing a far superior level of comfort. As time has passed they have become just like that pair of favourite trainers or slippers the ones you know you will be gutted when they finally give up the ghost. There are some limited signs of wear on the palms but the leather is not splitting or cracking even after the soakings in the rain they have received.
I suspect that they have another 12 months or more left in them but I think it is time to buy another pair to give me time to gently say good bye to a comfortable old friend while taking time to introduce myself to my new friend.
What will I replace my old friends with? Yes you’ve guessed it another pair of Giro Monacos. They get aCyclingShorts.cc Star Buy Rating!
Rating 95%
Giro Monaco Mitts at Amazon
by Chris Maher | Dec 9, 2014
UCI Track World Cup 2014/15 Round Two, London
Round One, Mexico 09 November 2014
Round Two, London 05 December 2014
Round Three,Columbia 17 January 2015
UCI Track World Championships 2015 France , 18-22 February 2014
Great Britain Cycling Team, Who Rides What UCI Track Cycling World Cup Event?
On Sunday 7th December:
Women’s Omnium – Laura Trott
Men’s Omnium – Jon Dibben
Men’s Sprint – Phil Hindes, Callum Skinner
Women’s Keirin – Jess Varnish
Sunday December 07 2014
Morning Session: 08.00 – 14.00
1 Men’s Sprint Qualifying – 200m TT
- Edward Dawkins 9.975
- Robert Forstemann 10.008
- Matthew Glaetzer 10.015
- Peter Lewis 10.015
- Stefan Botticher 10.025
- Seiichiro Nakagawa 10.032
- Hersony Canelon 10.037
- Matthew Archibald 10.047
- Fabian Puerta Zapata 10.052
- Michael D’Aleida 10.070
Great Britain’s Philip Hindes qualifies in 16 with a 10.146
2 Women’s Omnium IV 500m Time Trial
- Jolien D’Hoore 35.595
- Marlies Mejias Garcia 35.747
- Laura Trott 35.918
- Jennifer Valente 36.065
- Malgorzata Wojtyra 36.228
- Anna Knauer 36.541
- Isabella King 36.566
- Yuanyuan Tian 36.583
- Laurie Berthon 36.710
- Leire Olaberria 36.714
3 Men’s Sprint 1/16 Finals
4 Men’s Omniun IV 1km Time Trial
- Scott Law 1:03.513
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon 1:03.583
- Bobby Lea 1:04.084
- Tim Veldt 1:04.203
- Oliver Beer 1:04.305
- Jonathon Dibben 1:04.580
- Casper Pedersen 1:04.603
- Hao Liu 1:04.975
- Loannis Spanopoulas 1:05.317
5 Men’s Sprint 1/8 Finals
6 Women’s Keirin 1st Round
Safely through to the next round were Shaung Gou, Kristina Vogel, Anna Meares, Wai Sze Lee, Simona Krupeckaite and Olivia Montauban.
7 Men’s Sprint 1/8 Final Repechages
8 Women’s Keirin 1st Round Repechage
Great Britain’s Jessica Varnish qualifies through the Repechage.
9 Men’s Sprint Quarter-finals match A
10 Women’s Omnium V Flying Lap (250m)
- Jolien D’Hoore 14.364
- Kristen Wild 14.377
- Jennifer Valente 14.423
- Tatsiana Sharakova 14.537
- Laura Trott 14.541
- Xiao Juan Diao 14.559
- Marlies Mejias Garcia 14.572
- Anna Knauer 14.639
- Laurie Berthon 14.675
- Isabella King 14.734
11 Men’s Sprint Quarter-finals match B
12 Men’s Omnium V Flying Lap (250m)
- Scott Law 13.186
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon 13.288
- Tim Veldt 13.325
- Olivier Beer 13.382
- Casper Pedersen 13.383
- Jonathon Dibben 13.437
- Bobby Lea 13.473
- Thomas Boudat 13.539
- Loannis Spanopoulos 13.557
- Viktor Manakov 13.564
13 Men’s Sprint Quarter-finals match C
Afternoon Session: 16.45 – 19.00
1 Men’s Sprint Semi-finals match A
2 Women’s Omnium Final 25km Points Race
The New Format Women’s Omnium Points race is now placed at the end of the series. Point’s are now added to the combined total from all the previous rounds.
Great Britain’s Laura Trott led the series going into the final round. Current World Cup leader Jolien D’Hoore had moved up to second. Netherland’s Kristen Wild dropped down to third place.
As the Point’s race unfolded, It was clear that the top three riders would mark each other. The race was rode very tactically by all three girls, and this allowed minor breakaways as the rest of the field tried to climb up the rankings.
The first five points went to Sharakova, the second to Trebaite and the third to Romanyuta.
Three girls were allowed to gain a lap as the main contenders looked at each other. Jupha Somnet (MAS), Sofia Arreola Navarro (MEX) and Caroline Ryan (IRL).
World Cup leader D’Hoore injected a bit of pace for the seventh points sprint, Wild managed third.
The crowd were thrilled though when the penultimate sprint came round. Great Britain’s Laura Trott accelerated into sprint nine and claimed maximum points and sealed the Gold Medal.
3 Men’s Sprint Semi-finals match B
(Previous Winner: BEL, Jolien D’Hoore)
4 Award Ceremony Women’s Omnium
- Laura Trott
- Jolien D’Hoore
- Kristen Wild
Belgium’s Jolien D’Hoore is the World Cup Women’s Omnium Jersey Holder.
5 Men’s Sprint 5th-8th
- Stephan Botticher
- Edward Dawkins
- Nikita Shurshin
- Robert Forstemann
6 Men’s Sprint Semi-finals match C
7 Women’s Keirin 2nd round
8 Men’s Sprint Finals match A
9 Men’s Omnium Final 40km Points Race
Columbian Fernando Gaviria Rendon claimed the Gold Medal after the 160 lap Points Race. Featuring in five of the sixteen sprints on offer, Rendon had been consistant through out the competition.
A strong performance from Australia’s Scott Law in the last three rounds helped the Aussie maintain his silver position.
Veldt, whom had crashed the night before didn’t feature in any of the sprints, and dropped down to fourth overall, whilst American Bobby Lea chipped away as the sprints counted down. Veldt and Lea both went into the Points Race, with a 156 points.
A four man breakaway were the only ones to gain a lap in this final Omnium round. Gate (NZL), Cheung (HKG), Manakov (RUS) and Ahiyevich (BLR) were all active throughout the sprints and were able to finish the competition on a higher note.
10 Men’s Sprint Finals match B
(Previous Winner: GER, Lucas Liss)
11 Award Ceremony Men’s Omnium
- Fernando Gaviria Rendon
- Scott Law
- Bobby Lea
American Bobby Lea is the current World Cup Men’s Omnium Jersey Holder.
12 Women’s Keirin 7-12 place
13 Women’s Keirin Final
- Shaung Gou
- Kristina Vogel
- Hyejin Lee
- Wai Sze Lee
- Jessica Varnish
- Tianshi Zhong
14 Men’s Sprint Finals match C
A thrilling third round for both the Gold and the Bronze Sprint play-offs.
Venezuelan Canelon was thoroughly delighted to take the third deciding race to claim the Bronze medal against New Zealand’s Archibald.
Hoogland whom qualified thirteenth earlier in the day took the third deciding race, to claim the Gold against Columbian Fabian Zapata.
(Previous Winner: MSP, Shuang Gou)
15 Award Ceremony Women’s Keirin
- Shuang Gou MSP
- Kristina Vogel GER
- Hyejin Lee KOR
Shuang Gou is the World Cup Women’s Keirin Jersey Holder.
(Previous Winner: AUS, Matthew Glaetzer)
16 Award Ceremony Men’s Sprint
- Jeffery Hoogland Netherlands
- Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata Columbia
- Hersony Canelon Venezuela
Columbian Fabian Hernando Puerta Zapata is the World Cup Men’s Sprint Jersey Holder.
17 Award Ceremony After World Cup Round 2, Leaderboard Top Twenty.
- Germany 2898.5
- Great Britain 2804.0
- Australia 2247.5
- New Zealand 2198.0
- Russia 2067.5
- Netherlands 1896.5
- China 1740.5
- Colombia 1487.0
- France 1400.5
- Spain 1197.5
- Canada 1148.0
- Poland 1061.0
- Jayco-AIS 1007.5
- USA 914.5
- Italy 895.0
- Belgium 881.0
- Japan 877.5
- Hong Kong 849.0
- Denmark 810.0
- Cuba 747.0
My photos are regularly updated on https://www.flickr.com/photos/23913935@N07/
Strava members are still able to filter to view yearly leaderboards, making it easier to see progress over a year and give everyone a chance to earn a spot on a segment leaderboard.
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