The voodoo cycliste High on the climbs and cols above Nice, a crime spree had been taking place. Out of sight but not out of mind, an anonymous rider was snatching Strava KOMs more effectively than Burke and Hare ever snatched their bodies. There was blood on them there roads… Ignore the poetic licence for a moment and consider the cold, hard facts. At one point, Ce…oops…Kong Fùfù held over three hundred and eighty KOMs in the Cote d’Azur and Alpes-Maritimes. I’m going to say that again, three hundred and eighty, more than one for every day of the year on routes that must surely be some of the most competitive anywhere on the planet. The area is brimming with pros living and training, using famous climbs and not so famous cols to put the miles they need into their legs before and across the season. “Living in Nice there is a high density of both climbs and professional riders, which makes the KOM times on Strava quite competitive locally. It's not that most pros are looking to go take down KOMs on Strava in training, but we all train on the climbs and by default, we'll end up setting some fast times.” Joe Dombrowski, Cannondale-Garmin And that’s before you even consider the thousands of high quality local club riders and the myriad of enthusiasts who travel here to ride from the four corners of the globe. But who is he (I’ll give you that scrawny bone for free), this stealer of records, this hunter of pros, this magical Magua of the mountains? “Honestly, at first, I thought that Kong Fùfù was just a pseudonym for one of the local pros. Not every pro rider wants their identity on Strava known, so I know of several guys in the area that will post under pseudonyms.” Joe Dombrowski, Cannondale-Garmin Like Roswell, Atlantis or who killed Roger Rabbit, the lack of any firm information only deepens the mystery. The clamour for answers creates an echo louder than the original voices and conspiratorial theories arrive to fill the void. A never quite made it pro with a grudge against those who have? An instrument created to unsettle riders from rival outfits and knock their confidence? Or one whose purpose is actually motivational, to drive team members to train harder and climb faster. Was Kong Fùfù really just a marginal gain wearing our new gloves? Rumours were rife and stories abundant. Of him going head to head and neck to neck as a young (ish) MTB rider with Jean-Christophe Peraud who has a third place finish in Le Tour to his name, of him leaving Sky’s go to domestique and sometime team leader in his wheel and of him riding away from another pro who only a few weeks later went on to finish fourth in the Paris-Roubaix. And still it went on. “Occasionally I'd get the 'Uh oh! Kong Fùfù has stolen your KOM on climb 'x' email” Joe Dombrowski, Cannondale-Garmin Of course it sounds implausible, improbable and down right incredible that an amateur can keep such company but when you consider that his time for the Col de La Madone is only two minutes shy of Chris Froome’s, it becomes clear that this is a rider who can mix it with some of the very best climbers in the world. Yet despite the mass of, often contradictory, information, the single most important question remained answered. His identity. To be continued…

Batteries Included When we are 75 years old, if we haven’t retired to Tahiti and are still living on the Côte d’Azur, we would like to hope we can continue to ride to the summit of the Col du Turini on a regular basis.  The truth is that sometimes we struggle enough already to make it to the top so realistically by the time we hit 75, the 1607m of elevation might be out of reach.  Unless of course, we have some assistance. Whether you are coming back from a long break from the sport, recovering from injury or have just seen too many birthdays, the eBike can open up a world of possibilities.  Alternatively, if your local roads or trials are becoming over-familiar and you want to escape to the next valley, mountain range or province, with motor assistance you can go further and higher with the same effort required on a traditional bike.  And once you realise this, then any possible stigma you attach to a bike with electric motor assistance quickly fades away - it doesn’t just have to be a way of getting around town without sweating in your suit! Put simply by our friends at Moustache Bikes, “An e-bike is a bicycle with additional functions that make riding simpler and more enjoyable”. Moustache are one of the innovators of the eBike industry and their name epitomises their inspiration - French heritage of design and function, personified in the classic handlebar ‘moustache’ shape that made city bikes so comfortable. For them the cycling industry has lost sight of the utilitarian aspect of the bicycle and it’s time to refocus. Their range of urban, touring, mountain and road bikes take their names from the days of the week when you might need them most so, for example, their mountain bike is called Samedi (for weekend fun) and the practical urban bike is called Lundi 26 (Monday 26 speed). Perhaps the most significant bike in Moustache's history, the Lundi's main purpose was to 'keep the car at home' - the original and main objective in the company's early days. But they are always seeking to push the envelope and as part of their continual development, they decided to take on the best of rest of the eBike industry at Rad am Ring. Rad am Ring is a 24 hour race run on Nürburgringʼs legendary Nordschleife, or ‘Green Hell’. Throughout its history since original construction in 1925 it has claimed many lives and some estimate that over 200 drivers or riders have raced their last kilometres at the ‘Ring. It is a fearsome place, with four possible configurations which can give a longest lap of 28kms. The eBike race was run over a parcours of 25kms which required 500m of climbing each lap, through legendary corners such as Fuchsröhre ('Fox Hole'); Bergwerk ('Mine'); and Caracciola Karussell ('Carousel'). A perfect test of machinery, just as motor giants such as BMW and Ferrari have done before them. Six months after the initial planning began, Moustache’s Dimanche 28 was sprinting into the lead of Rad Am Ring within the first 500m after waiting for a delayed start due to biblical weather conditions that threatened the entire running of the race. The Moustache team of four riders were all experienced racers, but only one of them had previously competed on an eBike. It was a learning curve in all respects and the team soon discovered how to find the balance between human effort and letting the Bosch motor (designed and made in Epinal, Northern France) do the work. Nowhere was this more apparent than on the 27% (yes, that’s 27!) ‘wall’ between the legendary 'Karussell' and 'Hohe Acht'. And they adapted well as they led for the majority of the first half of the race, before being overtaking by the Chinese ‘Bafang’ team. In a cycling endurance race such as this, consistent pace is the key. Moustache’s lap record exemplifies this with 40-42 minute laps for the entire race proving that once the rider perfects the balance between human effort and motor assistance, speed and distance can be maximised. In the end the Moustache Bikes team came away with second place. Extremely admirable for their first attempt on the race but knowing them, they will not be satisfied with anything less than the top step of the podium and will be back for more next year. Here at Café du Cycliste we will be keeping the Moustache activities firmly on our radar in the constant search for all things new and different in the cycling world. Café du Cycliste provided Moustache with classic Josephine bib shorts, silk and merino Louise jerseys and lightweight Madeline windproof gilets for their Rad am Ring endurance adventure.

Toute la nuit As a graphic designer, Matthieu of Manivelle.cc sees the beauty of cycling through creative eyes. His inventive mind couldn't help itself and he devised 'Toute La Nuit' - a 260km night ride from his home town of Marseille to our new Café in Nice to prepare himself for the challenges he faces on this year's Paris-Brest-Paris Brevet. If I were to sum up this last night out on the roads of the French Riviera, here are the words that come to mind: a sunset, an Istanbul Kebab, a funfair, the Milky Way, a fox surprised by my headlight (I think), the hairpins, dawn on the Corniche de l'Esterel, the Croisette and a welcome arrival at the finish. In order to maintain my endurance fitness and try out some new accessories for the upcoming Paris-Brest-Paris race, I decided to embark on a night ride from Marseilles to the cycling stronghold that is the Café du Cycliste, located in Nice. For a route, I opted to follow the coast as far as possible and so at the stroke of 8pm, I find myself at the top of the Col de la Gineste. I briskly make my way through all these familiar roads where I used to train so that I can ride along the sea at dusk. Once I’m there, I alternate between the main road and the sandstone bike path. The night quickly becomes black, and after a stop-off for water in a Toulon Kebab shop (the only open shop with drinking water along the way), the route alternates between fast deserted roads and street lamps that twinkle in the distance like marine lights. It’s Monday night, well past midnight, and the summer season hasn’t quite begun so it’s rare to see anyone else along the way. And so much the better. These roads seem like gifts: empty, and mostly in very good condition. A sequence of bumps keeps my headlight beam on its toes, giving me the sensation of steering and speeding blindly through a heady Milky Way that I haven’t witnessed since the BRM 600. The somewhat troubling soundtrack of wild animals makes me cross my fingers for no flats. In that regard, luck was on my side . This time around, I made sure to take my time. I don’t mean that I slowed to a leisurely crawl; I came to a complete stop to indulge in the simple pleasures of cycling. That’s to say, stop, shoot some pictures or just take a few minutes to drink in one of the countless panoramas while nibbling on the food in my musette. I also made sure that I was all on my own (apart from the sea beside me), a required precaution for my senses when riding at night. It’s the perfect weather, with moments of fresh breeze, and so it’s in short sleeves that I begin the sublime L'Esterel Corniche at sunrise. Surrounded by a glassy sea and a landscape worthy of an old western film, I don’t cross paths with a single soul whatsoever until arriving in the next town: absolutely magical, 'my' road. In the same way that the sun rises, the human body tends to wake up at the same time, providing a second wind to push through the journey and arrive exactly on time. La Croisette, its luxury shops and its sleepy municipal employees who prepare the film of the day see me whiz by like a ghost ... I won’t stop until I reach the port of Nice. It was at exactly 8am that I arrived at Café du Cycliste. Coffee in hand, I finally discovered the place I had only seen under construction and I can only admire the work done by the team to create a truly welcoming space: outside of coffee (or tea for that matter), there is a series of gleaming bicycles available for hire, a mechanical workshop, a bike wash station (very cool idea!), and brand new changing rooms. The café is certainly the perfect ambiance to meet with other cyclists and exchange about all kinds of adventures!

Riding through a Walt Disney film It's only after two nights of riding and not sleeping that the hallucinations start, says Michel. They come first in that moment between day and night, when your eyes are trying hard to make sense of the lengthening shadows. Michel, you might remember, rode the Mille du Sud 1000km ’Brevet’ in 2014, and wore his Josephine bib shorts for 59 hours while doing so. Animals run around at the corners of your vision, he says: telephone poles become people, and you are suddenly surrounded by an enchanted forest. Even without hallucinations, long-distance Brevet rides are a magical experience, Michel says. Dawn at the top of a remote col or riding through the crashes and bangs of a thunderstorm at night are unforgettable experiences. The birdsong just before dawn or passing from the pitch-black silence of night on a country road to the noise, smells and colour of a village en fête, with food cooking over an open fire, wine flowing and all the residents dancing in the square. Michel doesn't fear the hallucinations when they come. He enjoys them and feels safe. 'It's like riding through a Walt Disney film,' he says. This summer, he is riding the 1100km Paris-Brest-Paris, and has his sights set on London-Edinburgh-London in three years' time. We'll be outfitting him with classic Josephine bib shorts, merino Violette jersey and our reflective Lucette gilet to make him visible during the night.

Gourmet cycling One day we’d love to see a heat map showing the global movements of photographer, Harry Engels. His most recent jaunt was in the company of Stefan from Pannier.cc and Danny out of Always Riding, one of our excellent retail partners. The trio escaped London and headed west, almost as far as you can go without needing a boat, for a four day, 200km ‘all you can eat’ cycling tour of Cornwall. It turns out that it's a county with a good claim to being one of England's best-stocked larders. Combine that with coastal roads and single track lanes, camping out in God's green country and the occasional visit to a local pub and you’ve got all the ingredients for a fantastic trip (pun intended). The “DO one thing well” mantra echoed around the modest walls of Jelberts in Newlyn: one tub of vanilla ice cream; one pot of clotted cream; and one counter. The only option was how to combine the ice and clotted cream. A pot was easier than a cone for us because we could stow them in our handlebar bags whilst we rode around to eat them on the harbour front. As we sat over the harbour wall with our delicious ice creams, made by the Glover family’s dairy farm, it was easy to imagine the harbour-side bustle earlier in the day as the boats came with their morning’s catch into one of the UK’s largest fishing ports. Even then, in the calm after the storm, flocks of seagulls squawked frantically and forklifts busied themselves dumping used ice into the harbour waters. With our fresh mackerel from Stevensons strapped to Harry’s rack, we pedalled west along the coast. Mousehole was the first port of call – one of the many quaint Cornish villages whose harbour wall shelters a fleet of small fishing boats that bobbed around in the afternoon sunshine, having headed out in the morning. Riding up and along the quiet coastal roads out of Mousehole, Harry and I were quickly reacquainted with the ‘Cornish Mile’ – a steeper and longer version of a traditional mile – as the roads track the relentless coastline and rolling hills. Riding out of Lamorna Cove was the steepest section we rode that day; we noticed how steep it was when Harry’s Garmin auto-paused. Even after our short ride, we were ready for our seafood dinner. After meeting Danny in St Just’s central square, we went to pitch our tents at the Secret Garden campsite in Bosavern before riding in search of a beach to cook on - cooking equipment strapped to our racks. However, after following the South West Coast Path for a while, we soon realised how inaccessible the beaches on that part of coastline were; we resorted to finding a spot on the cliff tops before the light went… The three of us cracked straight on lighting a small fire, with the kindling and firewood we had collected over the course of the day, and preparing our food. We gutted and washed the two large mackerels before seasoning them with lemon, the ‘Pepper’ Cornish Sea Salt, and lots of parsley. Once we had our small fire at the right temperature, we grilled the fish for a couple of minutes to start before parcelling them up in foil with more seasoning and putting them on the ember bed. In the meantime, Danny opened a variety of St Austell Brewery beers and we handed them around as we listened to the fish parcel bubbling away and sea crashing over the rocks below. After ten minutes or so, a sneaky peek under the foil let us know it was OK to get our sporks out and get stuck in – the delicious moist flesh scraped easily off the bones as the sun went down over the Celtic Sea horizon. Our remote Cornish cliff tops location, meant the mackerel tasted even better.

A point on the atlas The Atlas Mountains stretch across more than two and a half thousand kilometres of North Africa and top out at over four thousand metres yet despite this scale and obvious majesty, they can often seem under appreciated when compared to some of the world’s other great ranges. Providing a natural barrier between Europe and the Sahara desert, they nestle close to Mediterranean in Tunisia and almost touch the Atlantic in Morocco, a country I’ve been to regularly over the last decade to surf and fallen, at least a little bit, in love with. My first visit was with a very old friend and almost as soon as we arrived we found ourselves at Taghazout’s Anchor Point battling waves far too big for either of us to handle. My surfing has gradually improved and whenever possible I’ve taken the chance to return to a land of mild winters, mint tea, orange juice and a refreshing nonchalance. The latest opportunity came very recently but this time I’d be packing my bike rather than my board and the first decision of many to make about the trip was who to invite as a travelling companion. In truth it wasn’t a hard choice to make. Despite all the miles I’ve put in over the years, on some days I still struggle to call myself a ‘cyclist’ (or a surfer for that matter) but I wouldn’t hesitate to call my dad one. And I mean a bone fide, genuine, no doubt about it, cyclist. He’s never raced, never even been a member of a club and yet cycling has shaped not only his body but also whole swathes of his life. Starting before I was born and continuing to this day, he’s averaged eight thousand kilometres a year and each and every of those kilometres has been for the pure and simple pleasure of being on his bike. Riding is how we spent a lot of our time together as I grew up and the reason I became hooked. On countless rides in my native region of Alsace I’d return sheltered from the winds in his wheel and struggling with those endless last few kilometres. Often eating his energy bars or wearing his wind jacket, exhausted but still obsessed about staying within 10cm of that wheel. Always totally reliant on his unerring ability to avoid potholes, make the correct turns and eventually bring me home. Without him I like to think I still would have discovered my passion for riding but who knows? So now, on the challenging passes that reach two thousand metres and more, it was finally my turn to pay back just a little piece of that ‘debt’, to ride out front and return the favour. Replacing energy bars with delicious dates and bananas and energy drinks for that sweet mint tea. Not that he needed me to of course but in truth that was never really the point. In reality I was simply looking forward to introducing him to a country I know well and that he was yet to discover but even that wasn’t quite as simple as I had imagined. In contrast to Anchor Point, which when I first went there was still known for its anchor factory and relatively quiet but which is now a world renown break with surfers flying in from around the globe whenever the forecast is promising, the mountain roads and tracks we explored for our four days remain almost untouched by the outside world. We didn’t see a single other cyclist of any description and at most saw one or two cars an hour as we rode in our summer jerseys and bib shorts in February (!) and then layered up to battle strong northern winds which made the temperature drop despite the constant sunshine. For those who like to ride off the beaten track, who enjoy a bit of adventure and whose bikes can handle some mud and rough roads, the Atlas Mountains deserve serious consideration. For my dad it was an introduction to Morocco while for me it turned out to be a re-introduction to the more serene and unspoilt Morocco I first visited so many years ago. And it was all the better for that.

Fresh Belgian blood "Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae". Of all these, the Belgae are the bravest/strongest, Julius Cesare in Gallic wars book. And he had never heard of Eddy Merckx. We’ll be announcing some exciting new developments at Café du Cycliste in the coming months and to make sure some of them stay on track, we’ve welcomed a new member to the team. Philippe is bright, imaginative and a cycling fanatic. Oh, and he’s …Belgian. A Belgian who’s a cycling fanatic now there’s a thing. Except it’s not actually very much of a thing at all, rather just the natural way that things are. In France we’re lucky enough to have a pretty rich cycling history, a special place in the sport which looms large in the national consciousness. But Belgium is on a whole different level. It’s a place where cycling is bordering on a religion. In fact, scrub that, for many it is a religion. There’s a national obsession with everything two wheels - the routes, the races and of course, the riders. And Philippe’s no different but what we wanted to know from him was why. Where does this passion for the sport we all love come from and how has it managed to permeate what seems like the whole of an, let’s face it, otherwise fairly unremarkable country? If you’re looking for a clue in the Belgium landscape, you’ll probably be disappointed. At first glance it might not strike you as obviously made for extraordinary racing. Of course there are the infamous cobbles and the many bergs but there are no mountain ranges to play host to epic stages and never to be forgotten climbs. In fact quite the reverse, Belgium is flat, almost totally so. The highest point in the whole country is the Signal de Botrange at only 694 meters. There are buildings taller than this in the rest of the world. So perhaps the key is buried in the history of Belgium cycling. With a population of not much more than eleven million Belgium has five World Tour early season classics, some of which go back over a hundred years. To put that in to some kind of perspective the UK and the USA with a combined population approaching four hundred million have precisely none. And they don’t just host them, they win them as well with a remarkable sixty one percent win ratio for Belgian riders across the five races. Yet surely this feeds the obsession rather than explaining it, a consequence rather than a cause? Which leaves us with the population itself who are obviously what this is all about. After all it’s an individual obsession when you break it down, a country made up of obsessives rather than an obsessive county. The obvious truth is that the love of cycling doesn’t come from the landscape or the history, it comes from deep within the people themselves. And as we ride we experience this passion for ourselves in the best possible way. Almost every stop in almost every village turns into a friendly question and answer session. Kids want to look over our bikes, old women smile knowingly and men want to offer advice. People want to know where you’re going and where you’ve been. They have tips about the next part of your route and suggestions about the route you should be taking. They want to tinker with your set-up or ask about your shoes. They all want to talk bikes. So what did we learn on our all too brief trip? Lots of things, some more interesting than others. Who knew Belgium has a hundred and eighty different breweries and makes eighty percent of the world’s billiard balls. But what about the answer to the question we started out with, what drives this Belgium obsession? We still have no idea except to say there probably isn’t one single answer and why should there be. And of those things we did learn the most important of them was probably that it simply doesn’t matter in any case. Belgians are fanatically passionate about cycling just like a lot of the rest of us. Isn’t that great?

Three days in the north Until a few months ago, we'd never heard of Åfjord in Norway. The first time was when David, who has settled in the area, came into Velo Pavé and described it as the perfect place to ride. We've long believed that northern Norway is an overlooked cycling destination, but now there was someone else enthusiastically telling us the same thing. We had been toying with the idea of organising cycling tours for some time. We'd decided to only do it if we find the perfect location though. It sounded incredible a place : the sea, fjords, rivers and lakes…we'd have to see it for ourselves. The earliest we could get away was the 4th of December. Perhaps too late for Norway but the idea has taken hold now and there's no turning back. We will clearly need to be very well equipped so we turn to Cafe du Cycliste for a selection of their winter cycling gear. Once that's arranged, we know we'll be dressed to survive whatever weather is thrown at us. The sun seems to rise in slow motion in the north at this time of year and we have to wait patiently but by 9.30 the day is bright enough for us to start our adventure. Skirting the fjord towards Stokkøya and making use of the network of bridges which connect a myriad of small islands to the mainland. The landscape is never less than dramatic, seeming to be both threatening and peaceful at the same time. Crossing on to the island of Linesøya, a haven for many species of wildlife, we're lucky enough to see both eagles and black grouse. There's a sense that the 'real' winter could arrive at any moment. This late in the year, the sun barely rises above the low mountains to the north. It’s lived up to all the hopes we had for it and more. The incredible landscape provides for a completely unique riding experience and one that will appeal in many different ways. It's difficult to pick a favourite part of the trip, even a favourite section of the ride. But there is one thing I know for certain. We'll be back.

French Allies Victoire Cycles has become one of Cafe du Cycliste's closest allies in the battle for marriage between cycling style and performance. This French company from Clermont shares our focus on artisan, quality products that make us proud to say we're cyclists. Road, mountain, cross or city, Victoire has you covered. Their 2015 lineup features a unique frame build in every category, in addition to any custom build that suits your fancy. Just like ours. With a full range of passionately designed and carefully crafted products, we'll ensure that you're rolling in style both on the bike and off. Because cyclists are still cyclists beyond the bike. We have several exciting projects and events planned for 2015 that we're excited to team with Victoire in producing. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, head over to Victoire Cycle's website for more details on this artisan frame builder that we're only too happy to think of as family.

Like father, like son Michel and Florent Icard are two friends of Café du Cycliste. They also happen to be father and son. We met Florent when he came to our office in Nice to buy a Josette waterproof jersey. He happened to be a serious racer, with ambitions of turning pro, and he joined us part-time, shipping customer orders all over the world. He also introduced us to his father, Michel, who is an ultra-long distance cyclist. Michel just finished third in the 1000 du Sud, a 1,000km 'Brevet' ride through the hills and mountains of Haute Provence and the Alpes-Maritimes. They've been riding together in our photoshoots for two seasons now. So we're pleased to present a little about the cyclists behind the photos. Florent, you've just decided to stop racing at elite level. What would you like to do with the bike next? F.I. -- Yes, I've stopped, but without regret. It’s been an unforgettable and enriching experience – cycle racing is a real school for life, it's given me a lot for the future! I'm going to continue with the sport, and try another discipline, triathlon. On the work side of things, I now work in a sports shop in the cycle department, where I can share my experiences of cycling with the clients. After that, why not work with a cycling brand or something like that! … and Michel, you've finished the 1000 du Sud: do you have any new goals? M.I. -- I've been into long-distance rides since 2010, and take real pleasure each year crossing France on a bike. 2015 will be equally full of kilometres! My main goal is PBP, Paris-Brest-Paris, a 1,200km challenge that takes place every four years in August, and which brings together 5,000 international competitors. Did you really wear your Café du Cycliste jersey and bib shorts for 59 hours and 1,000 km? How were they?! M.I. -- Yes, I wore my Cafe du Cycliste clothing from start to finish, as I usually do for long distances. I particularly like the quality, comfort and support of the fabrics used, the practicality and the discreet vintage style. Do you have any favourite rides in the region – any cols or Strava segments? F.I. -- The Côte d'Azur is a playground for cyclists! In winter we like the corniche roads overlooking the Mediterranean between Nice and Monaco in particular, the red rocks of the Esterel from Cannes to Saint Raphaël, and the Tanneron at Mandelieu in February, when it's covered in mimosas. M.I. -- In summer season cyclists desert the crowded seafront for the medium and high mountains. Our favourite places? We escape towards the summits where the climbs are. We're pretty knowledgeable about the cols in the *departement* – Vence, Ecre, Bleine, Pimpinier, Bruis, Braus – and also the high-altitude cols like Bonette, Allos, Cayolle, Champs, Lombarde or Turini. Out of the Café du Cycliste Winter 2014 collection, which pieces did you like wearing best? M.I. -- I particularly like the Martine winter tights, for their comfort and warmth. I also use Josette a lot, in all conditions – particularly when competing in the rain, but even out training in uncertain weather. Then the Colette rain jacket, for rainy training rides, and always rolled in my back pocket in case of sudden storms. It's great, water doesn't get through!

59 sleepless hours and a Josephine Starting on the 6th of September, the ‘1000 du sud’ (which means ’The South’s 1000’) is not a race, it is what’s known as a brevet. Brevets are long-distance, free-paced cycling events. Each rider can ride at his own pace. And it actually gets more complicated as riders don’t have a support vehicle, they must be self reliant and of course there are the time limits reducing the down time and forcing you to ride at night... At the beginning of the last century, a brevet was a certificate given to the finishers of some cycling event, and one was required in order to sign up for the biggest races of that time. Participants are called randonneurs but people also call them crazy ! Indeed, a bit of craziness is necessary to ride for 59hours and 12 minutes without sleeping a wink. Our friend and hero Michel did exactly that. A tough rider that you might spot on our website pictures but most of the time you will find him out there riding long distance and testing our products. Even if there is nothing to win, (apart from the piece of paper), he took 2nd overall, riding the 1000 kilometres and the 15500 metres of elevation that the route offers. Michel was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ride through wonderful places such as Luberon, the Haute Provence boardering Mont Ventoux, the Vercors massif, the Dévoluy, the Ubaye valley, the col de la Cayolle, the Vésubie valley, the perched villages of the Arrière pays Niçois, the Verdon gorge and et the Sainte Croix lake... All this had to be done within 75 hours, which is the condition to get the certificate...with 59 hours, Michel has it for sure. Michel was wearing our Josephine bib shorts and Violette jersey for his adventure. 60 hours of riding almost in a row. On that type of distances everything has to feel good, and comfort is the key. We believe that the highest praise and best testament of all is hearing from a 1000 du sud finisher who says he still loves his bibshorts-even after 59 hours of sitting on it!

Shooting in Gorges du Cians I'm a freelance photographer, normally based in London but living in Aix en Provence for the month. A friend had suggested I get in touch with Café du Cycliste whilst I was down there so I sent Remi an email asking if he'd be interested in doing a shoot somewhere around Nice. As luck would have it... The morning of the shoot the weather was perfect; sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. It may be winter everywhere else in Europe but the Cote d’Azur is holding out for a little longer. The original plan was to follow two riders for the shoot, Catherine & Julia, but sadly on the way out of Nice Julia received a phone call from the school that her daughter had run into a wall and needed to go home (she was fine, just a massive bump on her forehead poor thing!) Remi knew this little side road with some great switchbacks so we parked at the bottom, got the bike out and off Catherine went. That’s what I enjoyed so much about this shoot - we didn’t set anything up, we just let Catherine ride and Remi and I would drive either along side her (if the road was wide enough, which it rarely was) or just in front. I would tell Remi to speed up or slow down depending how close to Catherine I wanted to be and I just snapped away as she made her way up the climbs. Because we were deep in the mountains the light was all over the place. One part of the road would be in bright sunlight but a few metres further on would be in the shade. Technically this made it quite challenging, constantly changing exposures from one extreme to the other, but it was also hard to find views which worked with this contrast. We would be driving along in front of Catherine, and Remi would shout back to me “The sun is coming!” as I desperately fiddled with camera settings to get ready for a brief bit of light on the road. At the top of the switchbacks there was an amazing view down the valley we’d just climbed and the light pockets on the road made for some interesting pictures.Driving further into the gorge we found a great section of road surrounded by red rock and icicles. We couldn’t have been luckier as this was the only section in sunlight we found the whole way up. Words & photographs: Harry Engels

Compressing Distances Some might remember @doubletrackfanatic from two summers ago. Andy Cox called by the Côte d'Azur, was briefly tempted by the topology and meteorology to actually stop adventuring and set up semi-permanent camp. But it was never going to happen. Having been all over Europe and across to America to tackle the Baja Peninsula he's back, zig-zagging the continent looking for somewhere where he might one day call home. It's a different view on distance and scale that, as it turns out, is quite simple. How far is a long way to ride your bike? What is a distance that seems impossible at the time but after you've ridden it seems not so far any more? Can I make it to that point and back again, simply by pedalling? It's these type of questions that have fuelled my cycling adventures from the beginning, and that begins in Oxford with me aged 7: I remember riding with my dad and brother to a place called Sandford which is just along the Thames towpath from the city of Oxford. We made pâte sandwiches and I distinctly remember having a can of Quattro, which was a popular fizzy drink in the 80s. I don't recall all that much of the day except the feeling of accomplishment from getting to a seemingly far off place by pedal power alone. It was a great track alongside the river, we stopped for our picnic in a field en-route and it probably took us all day to ride the 20km there and back. It was my first taste of an adventurous ride. The first of many. There then followed many years of just being a kid, and then a teenager on a bike; having fun in the woods with my friends, pulling skids, building jumps, falling off and getting back on again, but always exploring my local area more and more. The freedom to ride to a friend's house without the need to rely on my parents for a lift there, to push the boundaries of how far seems a long way to ride. In short, I was becoming an adventurous cyclist. I'm not a competitive type of guy, so I never joined any bicycle clubs or wanted to race, so pushing my limits was always a gradual process. It was always fuelled by wanting to explore more, to see what's over the next ridge, to see the view from the top of that hill. I remember my first 50 mile ride and running out of energy only half way. Then my first 100 miler and being in pieces at the end. Then in my thirties finally riding 200 miles in one day on an audax in south Wales. Looking back on that now it still seems quite extraordinary that you can travel so far on a bike even if my remberance of the suffering that I went through that day has mellowed with time. I always had feeling of being amazed though, that I could actually cover such a distance just by the simple act of turning the pedals over and over until I finally returned home. Fast forward to today and I'm almost 40,000 kilometres into a two year bikepacking adventure. Riding around Europe, looking for a new place to live seemed like an obvious way to change a life that I was getting bored of. I've reached turning points on this journey where I've got to a place and thought to myself 'Where to next?'. I've then decided on a place on a map and just started riding there, even though that place is usually in another country that could be thousands of kilometres away. These seemingly huge distances have compressed into just a certain number of days of traveling; across a mountain range, following a river valley from its source to the coast, international borders blurring from one into the next. I was in south west Spain last autumn and had some time to wait until flights to Los Angeles were cheap enough for me to want to fly there for the winter. Rather than just ride in circles around there, I did a quick distance check from Plasencia to Oxford, and it being approximately 1800km, decided to ride home. It took two and a half weeks, of which it seemed like two of those weeks were into a headwind, but I got there through the simple act of just turning the pedals, one after the other. So in reality the distance from A to B is just hours, or days of pedaling. If you have the time and determination then almost any distance is achievable. You don't need to be a superhero, a racing cyclist, or even even a gnarled world tourer to cross a continent on a bike. Just an idea, a sense of adventure and being inspired by what's over the next hill.....

Danielle Larson - 37 years-old - Based in Arkansas, Bentonville - Collegiate Division 1 Heptathlete - Former Competitive Ballroom Dancer - Dietician and Bike Coach My background is mostly in track and field. I was a collegiate division one heptathlete and then after college I competed in ballroom dancing for many years. But cycling is now my profession, my love, and my outlet. Cycling has taken me across the United States and brought me to my new home here in Bentonville, Arkansas. It has taken me to mountain tops and river bottoms. It has shown me the loamy trails of northern Washington, the red clay of the Alabama bayou, and through the crystallised snow-covered frozen tundra of northern Wisconsin. Nature is a magical place, and a bike is the perfect vehicle for exploring its depths. Gravel riding to me means I get to ride my bike everywhere! It means I get to fly through the trees on single track, climb the switch backs of a beautiful paved mountain pass, and then turn off-course to explore an abandoned forest road - all in the same ride! Gravel also means very few cars, and riding three abreast chatting with my friends. A particularly unique aspect of gravel is lining up with everyone from former world tour pros to the weekend warriors, to the beer chugging here-for-the-party folks. It’s fun and there is room for everyone. I love racing and I’m particularly excited to race the Traka in Spain. I have never been to Europe, so I am particularly excited to see the countryside, as well as find a place to do some dancing. I plan to teach my teammates to rumba, I hope they are ready. I love visiting new places and experiencing new cultures. My goal for this project is to illuminate all the things that make gravel a place for everyone. It is also my intent to pedestal the women that are fierce, fast, and fearless in cycling. Women are amazing. We face unprecedented obstacles in sport across the board and yet we persevere with style, grace, and lovely calves. instagram @danieller.larson strava Danielle Larson Team Spirit in Monsterrato Gravel, more so than other cycling disciplines, prides itself on its pioneering spirit. It is apt, therefore, that it puts both genders on equal footing. VIEW MORE Unbound - Sound and Force Part Two Danielle Larson is a full-time bike racing addict. In her second Gravel mission, at the prestigious Unbound in Kansas, Danielle went full throttle, completing the 200-mile race in 12.5 hours. VIEW MORE UNBOUND USA - Danielle Larson CDC GT embarked upon their second gravel race at Unbound in the USA. This short film gives an insight into rider Danielle Larson’s fortunes on the 200 mile course, and her general approach to gravel racing. VIEW MORE BACK TO CDC GT

Annabel Fisher - 33 years old - Based near Geneva, Switzerland - Born and raised in Yorkshire, UK - Started racing at Cambridge University - Currently a professional cyclist - Victory at The Traka (100km) and The Rift in 2022 How did you get involved with Café du Cycliste and the team? I met a girl at the shop-café in Nice and we got on really well, a few months later I got a phone call, and it’s her, and she says ‘Annabel, you were unforgettable,’ (whether that’s good or bad) ‘we are creating a Gravel team and I think you would be the perfect fit.’ And the rest is history. Best memory from the 2022 season? There were lots! Strangely the Monsterrato, I had mechanicals and it was a bad race for me…But the support I got on those few days from the crew and team around me were so warm and supportive. It really felt like a family. What are your goals for the 23 season? I’d like to defend my wins from last season at the Traka and The Rift. And also we’re going to Africa. I’ve done stage races before but never done stage races where you have to sleep in a tent. Usually, it’s back to a hotel for a hot shower and a massage, it’s very civilised. I’d really like to survive that experience. I’d also like to win the Octopus, as that course really suits me, you climb and descend, you climb and descend, it was made for me. How do you prepare and train in winter? During winter I’m very much off the bike. Travelling a lot during the season takes a lot of energy mentally. The winter allows you to step away from that. So I cross country ski to give me a total break. It’s great training for the entire body. What advice might you have for women getting into gravel riding? How I did it, I knew deep down I had the capacity to be better within my own world, not comparing myself to anyone else. And how about the evolution of women’s racing? I’d like to see female racers being paid a professional wage. So they can do it full time without worrying about not earning enough and so having to work in the evenings or between training and racing. Any messages for Annabel from Annabel this season? I’d like to say to myself - on a physical level - ‘well done, no broken bones’. And on a more experiential level, ‘well done, you gave it everything, no regrets.’ instagram @annabelelizabeth89 strava Annabel Fisher Team Spirit in Monsterrato Gravel, more so than other cycling disciplines, prides itself on its pioneering spirit. It is apt, therefore, that it puts both genders on equal footing. VIEW MORE The Traka - Sound and Force CDC GT tackled their first event in Girona on Saturday May 1st 2022. Annabel Fisher took top spot in the 100km distance, her first ever Gravel race. VIEW MORE Inside the CDC GT In this video we go behind the scenes, speaking to the first of our three athletes, Annabel Fisher at the Traka, Girona - her first ever Gravel race. VIEW MORE BACK TO THE GRAVEL TEAM

María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir - 42 years old - Based in Reykjavik, Iceland - Iceland's first woman on the national cycling team - Mother of two daughters - Psychologist, coach and guide - 20 times Icelandic champion How did you get involved with the team? After being asked to do a photo-shoot via Instagram, Café du Cycliste then invited me to Nice for the Rock d’Azur gravel event. I got on the podium in 2nd place. A few weeks later they called me to say ‘would you like to be on an all-women’s gravel team?’, and I was like, ‘yeah!’. Best memory from the 2022 season? There were so many favourite moments, but I’m always really proud when people come to Iceland. I’m always so curious what questions people want to ask. So that was my favourite moment, racing at The Rift in my home country with the team. Best race? My best race was The Traka. It was the beginning of the season so you don’t know what the form is like, but I had such a good time. There were so many amazing people that I met along the route and also I came 3rd and got to have the champagne on the podium. What are your goals for the 23 season? It’s a cliche but I want to do my best every time. Yeah, having fun and going for it. How do you prepare during winter in Iceland when it’s so cold? Some days you get really stiff in the cold and some days you just can’t go out. So you have to train indoors, which is not my favourite because I’m in cycling for the joy of outdoors. I do go abroad and take some training. But also I do a lot of weight lifting, the rowing machine, cross country skiing, swimming and sauna. I would prefer more time on the bike, but it is what it is. Strengths and weaknesses? I’m used to all kinds of weather. Sometimes I think rides in bad weather are more enjoyable as my expectations are lower and I come home happy that I did it. Weakness is probably… I’m not as fast as I was. What advice do you have for women in cycle sport? Don’t worry about the results, it’s about time on the bike and doing your best. Any messages for Maria from Maria this season? I don’t know…Be thankful for the experiences and enjoy every moment. That’s a good question. instagram @mariaogng strava María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir The Rift Its topology of Iceland is unique, consisting of active volcanoes. If there is one Gravel race not to be missed for the beauty and power of the landscapes it offers, it is The Rift. VIEW MORE The Rift - María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir The latest installment in the series chronicling the exploits of the Café du Cycliste gravel team takes us to Iceland for the Rift. The heroine of the film is María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir, a cycling legend in Iceland. VIEW MORE Team Spirit in Monsterrato Gravel, more so than other cycling disciplines, prides itself on its pioneering spirit. It is apt, therefore, that it puts both genders on equal footing. VIEW MORE BACK TO THE GRAVEL TEAM

Lydia Iglesias Bares - 26 years old - Based in Spain - Nurse - Cross country ski champion - Cheese lover - Victory at The Traka (200km) 2022 How did you get involved with the team? After a really good ski season I went to race La Traka. And I won that race. I met some of the team there. I was having a coffee with some friends in Girona and Thomas and Maria (from Iceland) were doing an interview and asked me ‘what is Gravel?’ And I remember saying ‘Gravel is fun.’ Thomas was smiling as he filmed, and I thought ‘I like these guys.’ Then after the race someone from the team wrote to me and asked me if I wanted to join the team at The Rift in the USA. Of course, I said yes. Best memory from the 2022 season? I have a lot of good memories, but if I had to choose one I think Unbound, the race in the States. It was my first race with the team, and everything was super relaxed, we travelled in a massive camper van and the race and the whole event was super fun. And the best race of the season? I would say it was Iceland, The Rift. It was not for the results at all. I didn’t have good legs, I suffered a lot, but the experience and landscape was amazing. That’s what I like about gravel the most, it’s not always about the results, or how fit you are, it’s what you get to see. What are your goals for the 2023 season? This year I’m really trying to prepare myself a little bit more. Not training like when I was a pro because I don’t have time. But this season I want to be more prepared, fitter, and enjoy races more, and just keep enjoying Gravel. How do you prepare and train in winter? Where I live, in Spain, we have a lot of snow so it’s the perfect place for skiing. I also ride my gravel bike, do indoor training, and use the gym. I try to do as much sport as I can before the season begins. What advice might you have for women getting into gravel riding? I got into cycling super-late, and never thought about getting on a bike until I saw some girls racing on the TV and thought ‘I want to do that.’ I had finished competing in cross country skiing and my parents got me a road bike and I think it’s the best thing I ever did. You just need to find your level, find your group whether it’s men or women or both and go for it. Gravel is supposed to be fun. I think there’s still a lot to do. But I’d like to see more girls not only racing, but gravel riding and bike-packing and things like that. Any messages for Lydia from Lydia this season? Don’t crash! Also, gain more experience and make the most of the races, meet new people and keep enjoying gravel. instagram @lydiaiglesias_97 strava Lydia Iglesias The Rift Its topology of Iceland is unique, consisting of active volcanoes. If there is one Gravel race not to be missed for the beauty and power of the landscapes it offers, it is The Rift. VIEW MORE Unbound In terms of Gravel racing there is Unbound, and then there is the rest. For Gravel enthusiasts, Unbound is more than a race, it's a pilgrimage, a baptism of dirt and fire that every follower dreams of one day living. VIEW MORE Team Spirit in Monsterrato Gravel, more so than other cycling disciplines, prides itself on its pioneering spirit. It is apt, therefore, that it puts both genders on equal footing. VIEW MORE BACK TO THE GRAVEL TEAM

Isabelle Beckers - 40 years - Based in Belgium - Medical advisor - Ex-pro cyclist - 3rd at the UCI Gravel World Champs 2022 in her age category How did you get into racing gravel, and become involved with the team? I was a full-time road racer for five years or so, but it didn’t pay too well so decided to start working again. I got into gravel racing and I was riding the Worlds at Monsterrato, I noticed the team and their clothing at that race. So it’s great to now be part of the team with these other girls, learning from each other, and sharing experiences. Best race? One was on the road, I came 2nd in the national time trial in Belgium, I was really proud of that as I worked very hard towards it and qualified for the European championships. And the other one is last year at the World Championships. I was feeling so good and, well, it showed, and I came 3rd. What are your goals for the 2023 season? Again, to qualify for the World Championships, but to do even better than last year so trying to win this time. It’s a huge goal but it’s in reach. Furthermore, really enjoy racing on the gravel. Being together with others, enjoying nature and all the chances I get. What are your favourite races? The races I love are flat! I’m really tall, I’m 1.82m, which also makes me heavy, so climbing is not my thing. I’m not the one to do it. I did a UCI race in Holland last year, which was totally flat, and that suits me more, and I had a lot of fun there. How do you prepare and train in winter with work? I picked up running again and love doing that and I do a lot of core work. I also sometimes go for a swim, and during the week it’s indoor cycling on Zwift. At the weekends I got out on my bike. Strengths and weaknesses? I’m not the girl that gives up easily, I’m very powerful, I have long legs. My weakness is climbing, obviously. What is your advice for women trying to get into gravel racing? I think it’s possible for everybody to start a gravel race. It’s a great goal to just to finish it. And being in a race together with guys, it doesn’t matter, just learn from them. Any messages for Isabelle from Isabelle this season? Enjoy it and take every chance you get. instagram isabellebeckers strava Isabelle Beckers Team Spirit in Monsterrato Gravel, more so than other cycling disciplines, prides itself on its pioneering spirit. It is apt, therefore, that it puts both genders on equal footing. View More GRAVEL ADVICE We sat down with the CDC GT, our female trio of Gravel racers, to talk about women’s racing and community, and how it feels to be a female athlete in a traditionally male-focussed sport. View More GRAVEL TEAM AT THE UCI WORLDS In its UCI form, Gravel appears to be more of a rolling route with somewhat crunchy roads, without any major technical difficulty. But is sport ever a level playing field? Not in bike racing. View more BACK TO THE GRAVEL TEAM