Tag: racing

  • Memories of Roubaix

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    Lowell
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    A beautiful shot of the chase group, just moments behind Fabu and Sep Vanmarcke, taken by Baroudeur, Denis Yeo. The Baroudeurs celebrateing on the bank of the velodrome, Paris-Roubaix 2013.  Thank you for the memories!

  • Baroudeurs aren’t always liked

    Baroudeurs aren’t always liked

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    Lowell
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    “Baroudeurs aren’t always liked.  ‘Again!’ the peloton says to itself when they attack.  It is the Baroudeur who hand out the leg ache.  Deadly accelerations are their standard. There is no set format for a Baroudeur.  Neither a true sprinter, nor a true climber, nor exactly a rouleur, the Baroudeur is all those at once.…

  • Singapore Slingers

    Singapore Slingers

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    Lowell
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      Call it spontaneity, or a moment of madness; whatever it was, I take a plane to Singapore (SG).  Without the bike. Ever since meeting Glenn, the latest member of the Baroudeurs team, I’ve been wanting to go riding around Singapore, Baroudeur style!  Perhaps what attracts me is a change to heat, the combination of…

  • Bon Anniversaire Le Tour!

    Bon Anniversaire Le Tour!

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    Lowell
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    Le Tour on the big screen, friends and barbecue.  What more could you ask for? The climax to the 100th Tour de France would end for the pros in Parisian twilight.  As for us, it is to be a celebration at London’s ‘Look Mum No Hands’ cycling cafe. We almost, almost, almost get side tracked with…

  • A Night At The Races

    A Night At The Races

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    Lowell
    in

        Tuesday nights are racing nights at Hillingdon and the Baroudeurs are coming to the party. I can only imagine that it must be a pretty strange spectacle – a race track in suburban London. For many would-be racers coming in from town, or further afield, it can mean: navigating through the busy streets of Ealing,…

  • First Time Ventoux

    First Time Ventoux

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    Lowell
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    Today is the one we’ve been waiting for: Stage 15 of the 100th Tour! For the London Baroudeurs it is part of the race we have been quietly anticipating.  Nearly 5 years ago an intrepid band of brothers set out to southern France in search for this infamous mountain.  Tales of Tom Simpson, and of…

  • The Main Event

    The Main Event

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    Lowell
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      The first three stages of this year’s TdF took place on the stunning island of Corsica.  Three Baroudeurs were fortunate enough to be there and witness the thrill of the 100th Tour and it’s Grand Depart! So when Glenn, one of our overseas brother’s followed this with a trip to England, we simply had to give him…

  • In The Air Tonight

    In The Air Tonight

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    Lowell
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    Only Moments To Go It’s just gone midnight and to quote Phil Collins, “I can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord!” He may not have been singing about the Tour, but it sure is what I’m thinking right now, and I know I’m not alone. With only a few hours to go…

  • Bravo Vincenzo!

    Bravo Vincenzo!

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    Lowell
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    A man in comes into shot and my better-half announces it’s “Nibbles!”  Yes, the champion of the Giro, Vincenzo Nibali is affectionately called Nibbles in this household. Sun, rain, ice and more dopage; we’ve had it all.  And yet Nibali has held onto the Maglia Rosa and even championed on to win the penultimate stage…

  • Legends of an Empire

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    Lowell
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    “… Not only were they champions (Bartali and Coppi), they were also great men. Why do you think we are still speaking about them? Because they made history. I consider myself lucky because racing with them I could be part of this history. I would have won more without them but it wouldn’t have been…

  • Fade to Pink

    Fade to Pink

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    Lowell
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    Alex reminds me that this isn’t fast; in fact we’ve gone faster before! Toby smiles; it’s his second weekend out in a row, and I suspect he’s enjoying himself!  We’ve pulled over on Guilford high-street to wait for the rest of the team and are enjoying a pain-au-chocolat in the unusual, yet altogether welcome sun. …

  • Miss World

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    Lowell
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    “Ladies and gentlemen, your cyclo-cross women’s world champion…MARIANNE VOS!” MC at the UCI, CX World Championships,  Louisville, Kentucky, USA 2013 Standing out from the crowd She races, not just rides, 12 months of the year.  And each year from 2007 to 2011, she has won silver at the World Road Race Championships; a dedicated expert of Track, Road,…

  • The First of the Mohicans

    The First of the Mohicans

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    Lowell
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    Are you ready for your SHAVE? ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ Copyright © 2009 by Morgan Creek Films. All Rights Reserved. Agreed, there are far more important things that need our attention right now, both around the world and closer to home.  However, with the season heating up,  and less accessories needed for a ride, …

  • I ♡ RBX

    I ♡ RBX

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    Lowell
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    It’s official.  I’ve got post-Roubaix Blues.  And it’s clear, that I’m not the only one.  As there’s still many film reels, or in this case gigs of content to go through before making a final-cut, this short video taken by Denis Yeo might serve as a little memory-treat from our extraordinary weekend: Obviously things are…

  • Ronde Van Vlaaderen 100

    Ronde Van Vlaaderen 100

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    Lowell
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    This Sunday we witness not only a pre-cursor to the infamous Paris-Roubaix, but see history unfold as well.  For it is the 100th anniversary of the Ronde Van Vlaaderen – the Tour of Flanders. Yes, they ride up the Koppenberg, the picture that takes up much of this page! Classic Royalty As much as the…

  • Blooming Marvellous

    Blooming Marvellous

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    Lowell
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    Walk with me Every now and again I get a cycling revelation that makes a world of difference, boosting my confidence on the bike and demanding respect for those who choose to give it full welly on the pro-peloton.  This past fortnight is such a moment.   I learn four amazing facts:  firstly, there’s no shame in walking.  At the…

  • Stand up for the Champions

    Stand up for the Champions

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    Lowell
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    Let’s eat It’s Friday night and my better-half is on an African-tip.  (I am told) We have three options: a gig on the South-Bank is out of the running, as its too cold and far to appreciate; option two, is a stage-production of forbidden attraction in the time of Apartheid – interesting, but perhaps a little…

  • Red and Black

    Red and Black

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    Lowell
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    Red and Black – they are our colours. In the run-up to the Spring Classics, where 10 Baroudeurs will attempt the Paris-Roubaix Challenge on April 6, and with all the dark-hard winter riding we have shared, why not have a good cheery song to whistle to?! ‘Red and Black – The London Baroudeurs Version’ is inspired by…

  • Love the TDU

    Love the TDU

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    Lowell
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      “Let’s go to Adelaide for dad’s birthday” my wife said. I didn’t dismiss the idea completely.  Sure it was going to cost me a silly amount of money to fly myself, wife and 3 kids over to Adelaide, but I had just finished reading the Tour Down Under ride guide and I was sure…

  • Due South

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    Lowell
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      It’s February. It’s deep winter and it’s dark.  Even bike shows with shiny new gizmos and everything disc-brakey, or electrically controlled aren’t enough to light up the long nights.  Sometimes the best thing we can do as cyclists is ride through it, rest well, and be with the people we care about the most.…

  • From Russia With Love

    From Russia With Love

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    Lowell
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    If Daniel Craig forged a new era for 007, then Team Katusha has certainly reshaped the image of Russian Cycling.  Repeated triumphs by the team and team leader, Joaquim ‘El Purito’ Rodriguez, has catapulted Katusha to the premier league in what is possibly their most successful year to date. Nonetheless, on Monday 10 December, the…