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.....

ダニエル・ラーソン - 37歳 - アーカンソー州、ベントンビル拠点 - 大学部1、 7種競技選手 - 元ボールルームダンサー - 栄養士、バイクコーチ 私は主にトラックとフィールドを経験してきました。大学部1に所属する7種競技選手として活動した後、長年の間ボールルームダンサーとして活躍しました。現在はサイクリングを専門としており、私の情熱と全てを注いでいます。サイクリングで米国中を回り、新しい居住地であるアーカンソー州ベントンビルに落ち着きました。バイクで山頂や川、ワシントン州北の泥地やアラバマの赤土、ウィスコンシンの雪に覆われ凍りついたツンドラを走りました。自然の偉大さを堪能するのにバイクほど適した手段はありません。 グラベルライドではどこにでも行くことができます。木々の間を飛ぶように走るシングルトラック、美しく舗装された山々のスイッチバック、廃れた森のロード、全てを含むライドがグラベル。グラベルでは車が少なく、友人との会話を楽しむこともできます。ワールドツアーのプロから週末専門のライダー、パーティーを愛する気軽なライダーまで、誰でも参加できるのがグラベルです。 レースを愛し、特にスペインのトラカでのレースを楽しみにしています。ヨーロッパに行くのは初めてで、郊外を訪れ、ダンスができる場所を探したいと思っています。チームメイトにルンバを教えたいと思っていますが、覚悟はできているかしら？新しい場所を訪れ、新しい文化に触れることに興奮しています。このプロジェクトのゴールは、グラベルに誰でも参加できることを明確にすること。そして激しく、速く、恐れを知らない女性ライダーに焦点を当てること。女性は偉大です。多くのスポーツ分野で障害を体験しながらも、スタイルと優雅さを保って突き進んでいるのです。 instagram @danieller.larson strava Danielle Larson モンセラートのチームスピリット。 グラベルは他のサイクリング分野に増してパイオニア精神に誇りを持っており、性別に関わらず対等な立場を尊重することが重要です。女性は男性と同じスタートラインから等距離で競い合い、同じ環境に対応します もっと読む アンバウンド - サウンド＆フォース 2。 フルタイムのバイクレーサーであるダニエル・ラーソン。2回目のグラベルレースである有名なカンザスのアンバウンドでは、321キロのレースを12.5時間で完走。 もっと読む 2022アンバウンド、米国 - ダニエル・ラーソン。 月初めにCDC-GTがキャンペーン第2弾目のグラベルレース、米国アンバウンドに参加しました。200マイルコースを走るダニエル・ラーソンの識見、グラベルレースに対するアプローチを追ったショートフィルムをご覧ください。 もっと読む CDC GTに戻る

アナベル・フィッシャー - 33歳 - スイス、ジュネーブ拠点 - 英国ヨークシャー出身 - ケンブリッジ大学在学中にレース参加開始 - 現在プロフェッショナルサイクリスト - The Traka （100キロ）と2022年The Riftレースで優勝 チームに参加することになったきっかけを教えてください。 ニースのカフェ・ドゥ・シクリステカフェで女性に会い、とても楽しい会話をして過ごしました。数ヶ月後に彼女から電話があり「アナベル、あなたは非常に印象深い女性だわ」と言われ（良くも悪くもですが）、「グラベルチームを作っているのだけど、あなたは理想的なメンバーだと思うわ」と言ってくれたのです。 2022年シーズンの印象に残っている出来事を教えてください。 たくさんあります！面白いことにメカニカルな問題が多かったモンセラートのレースかもしれません。数日間にわたるクルーとチームの温かいサポートは素晴らしく、家族のような雰囲気でした。 2023年シーズンのゴールは？ The TrakaとThe Riftでの勝利の座を守り続けたいと思っています。そして今年はアフリカへ行きます。ステージレースの経験はありますが、テントでの宿泊を含むステージレースは初めてです。通常であればホテルへ戻り、熱いシャワーとマッサージが待っている効率的なものです。それとは違う環境を体験し完走したいと思っています。クライムと降下を含むコースが私にぴったりなThe Octopusでの勝利も願っています。 冬季のトレーニング方法を教えてください。 冬の間はバイクにはほとんど乗りません。移動が多いシーズン中は精神的にもエネルギーを消耗するため、冬季には少し距離を置きます。全身のトレーニングにもなるクロスカントリースキーをし、全く違う活動を行います。 グラベルライドを始める女性ライダーにアドバイスをお願いします。 私自身の世界でより前進できるだろうと感じてライドをしています。他の誰とも比べないことが大切です。 ウィメンズレースの進化についてどう思いますか？ 女性レーサーにプロフェッショナルレベルの給料が支給されることを願っています。トレーニングやレースの間に夜間仕事をして生活費を賄うことなく、集中して全ての時間を使えるようになって欲しいと思います。 今シーズンのご自身へのメッセージはありますか？ 身体的レベルでは、「骨を折ることなく、よくやった」と自分に言いたいと思います。経験レベルでは、「最善を尽くし、後悔のないシーズンだった。よくやった」と言いたいと思います。」 instagram @annabelelizabeth89 strava Annabel Fisher モンセラートのチームスピリット。 グラベルは他のサイクリング分野に増してパイオニア精神に誇りを持っており、性別に関わらず対等な立場を尊重することが重要です。女性は男性と同じスタートラインから等距離で競い合い、同じ環境に対応します もっと読む CDC GT舞台裏 CDC GTは熱意に溢れた女性ライダー3名のチーム。ジローナのトラカで初めてのグラベルレースに参加したアナベル・フィッシャーに話を聞きます。 もっと読む トラカ - 音と力。 2022年5月1日土曜日、カフェ・ドゥ・シクリステのグラベルレースチームCDC GTがジローナで初イベントに参加。100キロループでアナベル・フィッシャーが一位通過、グラベルレースでの初勝利となりました もっと読む グラベルチームに戻る

マリア・グズムンズドッティル - 42歳 - アイスランド、レイキャビク拠点 - アイスランドナショナルサイクリングチーム初の女性メンバー - 2女の母 - サイクリングコーチ、心理学者 - アイスランドロードレース優勝回数20回 チームに参加することになったきっかけを教えてください。 インスタグラムを通じて写真撮影の誘いを受けた後、カフェ・ドゥ・シクリステがニースのロック・ダジュールグラベルイベント参加招待してくれ、 結果は2位でした。数週間後「女性のみのグラベルチームメンバーになりませんか？」と声をかけられ、私は「もちろんです！」と答えました。 2022年シーズンの印象に残っている出来事を教えてください。 素晴らしい思い出はたくさんありますが、特にアイスランドに人々が来てくれることを誇りに感じ、どのような質問をされるだろうと常に興味津々です。アイスランドでThe Riftレースにチームと参加できたことは一番の思い出だと言えるでしょう。 シーズン最高のレースはどれでしたか？ The Trakaレースが一番でした。シーズン最初のレースだったためフォルムがどうなるかなど分かりませんでしたが、とても素晴らしい時間を過ごすことができました。ルート上で多くの素敵な出会いがあり、結果は3位でシャンパンを堪能することもできました。 2023年シーズンのゴールは？ ありきたりな答えなのかもしれませんが、毎回ベストを尽くし、楽しみながら進み続けたいと思っています。 アイスランドの冬は非常に厳しいですが、どのようにトレーニングをされているのですか？ 寒さのために身体中が硬くなってしまうことや、外に出ることすら不可能な天候の日もあります。アウトドアでライドすることが喜びである私には理想的とは言えませんが、トレーニングは屋内で行う他ないのです。海外にトレーニングに行く場合もありますが、ウェイトリフティングやローイングマシン、クロスカントリースキー、水泳、サウナ等も行います。もっと多くライドをしたいと思いますが、仕方ない状況です。 ご自身の強み、弱みを教えてください。 あらゆる天候に慣れていることは強みだと思います。悪天候でのライドは質への期待が低まる点で楽しみやすいし、達成感があります。弱みは、以前のようにスピードが出ないということでしょうか。 サイクリング界の女性ライダー達にアドバイスをお願いします。 結果を気にしないで、ライドを楽しみ最善を尽くしてください。 今シーズンのご自身へのメッセージはありますか？ そうね…体験に感謝してすべての瞬間を楽しむことかしら。もっとよく考えてみなくては。 instagram @mariaogng strava María Ögn Guðmundsdóttir モンセラートのチームスピリット。 グラベルは他のサイクリング分野に増してパイオニア精神に誇りを持っており、性別に関わらず対等な立場を尊重することが重要です。女性は男性と同じスタートラインから等距離で競い合い、同じ環境に対応します もっと読む The Rift 火山景観とユニークな地表を走るThe Riftは、グラベルレースでは欠かせないイベントです。200キロレースで優勝したアナベル・フィッシャーにとっても比類のないコース。 もっと読む マリア・グズムンズドッティル アイスランドとThe Riftを巡るカフェ・ドゥ・シクリステ・グラベルチームを撮影したシリーズ最新フィルム もっと読む グラベルチームに戻る

リディア・イグレシアス・バレス - 26歳 - スペイン拠点 - 看護師 - クロスカントリースキー優勝者 - チーズ好き - 2022年The Traka （200キロ）優勝 チームに参加することになったきっかけを教えてください。 良いスキーシーズンを経た後、La Trakaレースに参加し、優勝しました。チームメイト数人とそこで出会いました。ジローナで友人とコーヒーを飲んでいる時にアイスランド出身のトーマスとマリアがちょうどインタビューを受けている時で、「グラベルとは何？」と私に聞いたのです。「グラベルは陽気な楽しみ」と答えたのを覚えています。トーマスは笑顔で撮影しており、感じの良い人達だなと思いました。レースの後チームの1人にアメリカで行われるThe Riftレースでチームに参加しないかと誘われ、もちろん「イエス！」と答えました。 2022年シーズンの印象に残っている出来事を教えてください。 多くの素晴らしい思い出がありますが、あえて選ぶとすればアメリカで行われたレースUnboundでしょうか。チームの一員として参加した初めてのレースであり、全てはとてもリラックスしていました。巨大なキャンピングカーで旅をし、レースを含むイベント全てが本当に楽しかったのです。 シーズン最高のレースはどれでしたか？ アイスランドでのレース、The Riftです。結果が理由ではありません。私はレースに適した脚の状態ではなかったために非常に苦労しましたが素晴らしい体験をし、景色は壮大でした。グラベルの一番の長所は結果や身体的能力が全てではないこと。何を見て何を体験するかが大切です。 2023年シーズンのゴールは？ 今年はコンディションをより整えたいと思います。プロ時代のようにトレーニングに多くの時間をかけることはできませんが、今シーズンはより準備をし、身体を鍛え、レースを楽しみ、グラベルを体験し続けたいと思っています。 冬季のトレーニング方法を教えてください。 今住んでいる国スペインでは、雪が多く降るためスキーに最適です。グラベルライドも行い、ジムも利用します。シーズンが始まるまでにできる限り多くのスポーツをするようにしています。 グラベルライドを始める女性ライダーにアドバイスをお願いします。 テレビでレースをしている女性を目にして初めて、私も試してみたいと思い始めたので、サイクリングの開始時期がとても遅かったのです。クロスカントリースキー競技を終え、両親がロードバイクを購入してくれました。これは素晴らしいきっかけでした。男性、女性、もしくは両方で自身のレベルを見極め、ひたすら進むのみです。グラベルは楽しむべきスポーツです。より多くの女性がレースのみならず、グラベルライドやバイキパッキングにチャレンジして欲しいと思います。 今シーズンのご自身へのメッセージはありますか？ 事故に気をつけて！そして多くの経験を積み、レースを楽しみ、新しい出会いを見つけ、グラベルを堪能して。 instagram @lydiaiglesias_97 strava Lydia Iglesias もっと読む モンセラートのチームスピリット。 グラベルは他のサイクリング分野に増してパイオニア精神に誇りを持っており、性別に関わらず対等な立場を尊重することが重要です。女性は男性と同じスタートラインから等距離で競い合い、同じ環境に対応します もっと読む The Rift 火山景観とユニークな地表を走るThe Riftは、グラベルレースでは欠かせないイベントです。200キロレースで優勝したアナベル・フィッシャーにとっても比類のないコース。 もっと読む アンバウンド グラベルレースといえば、アンバウンド。熱心なグラベルライダーにとってアンバウンドはレース以上の意味を持ち、もはや巡礼と言えるでしょう。フォロワーが夢に見るような泥と火の洗礼 もっと読む グラベルチームに戻る

イザベル・ベッカーズ - 40歳 - ベルギー拠点 - Medical advisor - 元プロサイクリスト - 2022年UCIグラベルワールドチャンピオンシップ第３位 チームに参加することになったきっかけを教えてください。 5年間にわたって私はフルタイムのロードレーサーでしたが、十分な収入を得ることが出来なかったため仕事に戻りました。その後グラベルレースを始め、モンセラートでのレースに参加した際にカフェ・ドゥ・シクリステチームと彼らのウェアに目を惹かれました。今はそのチームの一員として参加することができ、お互いから刺激を受け経験をシェアできることを嬉しく思っています。 シーズン最高のレースはどれでしたか？ 一つはベルギーで行われたナショナルタイムトライアルロードレース。準備に力を注ぎ、ヨーロッパチャンピオンシップ予選通過したことを誇りに思っています。もう一つは去年行われたワールドチャンピオンシップ。コンディションがとてもよく、結果も3位でした。 2023年シーズンのゴールは？ ワールドチャンピオンシップで再び予選通過すること。去年より前進するため、今回は勝利を収めたいと思っています。大きなゴールではありますが、それほど遠くないとも言えるでしょう。グラベルレースをとても楽しんでおり、他のライダーと共に過ごし自然を満喫して、チャンスを全て掴みたいと思っています。 お気に入りのレースはありますか？ フラットな地表でのレースが好きです。私は高身長で182センチなので、体重も比例して重く、クライムは得意分野ではありません。去年オランダで行われたUCIレースに参加しましたが、ルートは完全にフラットで非常に楽しいライドとなりました。 冬季のトレーニングや準備を仕事とどのように両立して行なっているのですか？ ランニングを再開して楽しんでおり、ボディコアのトレーニングも頻繁に行なっています。スイミングに行くこともあり、平日はZwiftでのインドアサイクリングをします。週末にはバイクで出掛けます。 ご自身の強み、弱みを教えてください。 簡単に諦める性質ではなく、パワフルで長い脚を持っているのが強みです。弱みはクライム、明らかにね。 グラベルレースを始める女性ライダーにアドバイスをお願いします。 グラベルレースは誰にでも始めることができ、完走する事自体が素晴らしいゴールです。他のライダー達とレースに参加することで、たくさん学ぶことができると思います。 今シーズンのご自身へのメッセージはありますか？ 楽しみ、チャンスを逃さないで。 instagram isabellebeckers strava Isabelle Beckers モンセラートのチームスピリット。 グラベルは他のサイクリング分野に増してパイオニア精神に誇りを持っており、性別に関わらず対等な立場を尊重することが重要です。女性は男性と同じスタートラインから等距離で競い合い、同じ環境に対応します。 もっと読む グラベルアドバイス CDC GTの女性グラベルレーサー3名に、ウィメンズレースとコミュニティ、歴史的に男性中心のスポーツとして捉えられている分野で女性アスリートとして活躍することについて話を伺いました。 もっと読む CDC GTがUCIサイクリング世界選手権に参加 UCI 方式では、グラベルは技術的な大きな問題はなく多少乾いたロードのある軽やかなルートのように見えます。しかし公平なスポーツの会場になるのかは不明、バイクレースではないのですから。 もっと読む グラベルチームに戻る