RACING
Updates, stories and opinions from inside the world's greatest sport, written and captured by Rouleur journalists
Top Banana: Tour de France stage 2 – Tony Martin
Tony Martin was in the driving seat and a big part of another stunning win from Jumbo-Visma
Top Banana: Tour de France stage 1 – Greg Van Avermaet
Hey, hey, GvA, what the heck did you do today? Smart racing from the Olympic champion bags a jersey
The column: Who’s (not) going to the Tour?
A dearth of sprinters, but plenty other big names missing out as well. A look at who’s missing out on this year’s biggest bike race...
Agriculture Club: Tour de France field art
Where would the Tour de France be without les agriculteurs? Keeping TV audiences amused through tedious transition stages, a look at the field art competition
Red, White and Blue: Matt Stephens
“I never won a lot of big stuff, but to have that jersey hanging up in the wardrobe, and to be on that list of...
Red, White and Blue: John Herety
“The ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality came from both sides, in all fairness. I don’t remember it getting too out of hand… until that championships.” Herety...
Red, White and Blue: Tim Harris
“All I concentrated on that year for the whole season was that one race. It gives you a lift for evermore.” 1989 British champion
Red, White and Blue: Philippa York
Pippa has a rummage around in the loft for her 1995 national champs jersey
The column: Let’s put national championships weekend back on the cycling map
National championships weekend is brilliant but doesn’t have the profile it deserves. It should be front and centre, not a footnote
Red, White and Blue: Kristian House
“The Tour of Britain I did that year in the jersey, it was insane. My profile was elevated through the roof.” 2009 British champion
Cover stories: How Velobici created the embroidered front page of Rouleur’s Tour de France special
Q&A with Chris Puttnam of Leicester-based apparel brand Velobici, who embroidered the jersey used for the front cover of Rouleur’s Tour de France special
Red, White and Blue: Colin Sturgess
“These jerseys are not quite wool, but they are warm. So I hacked the sleeves off and used to mince about the canal towpaths in...
Red, White and Blue: Rob Hayles
“It was a bog-standard skinsuit with two pockets, but with a decent helmet, narrower bars – it made a massive difference.” Aero pioneer Hayles leads...
Red, White and Blue: Russell Downing
“I went for the white shorts too – got the piss taken out of me, of course.” Russ goes for all white on the night
Red, White and Blue: Lisa Brambani
“My husband jumped over the barriers, put me back on the bike, and pushed me over the line with no chain on.” A dramatic first...
Red, White and Blue: Tara Hammond, with Roger
“The last time I saw Roger Hammond was in bed this morning.” Read on…
Red, White and Blue: Steve Joughin
“I couldn’t believe it for weeks that I was turning up at races with these blue and red bands on my jersey. It was surreal.”...
Red, White and Blue: Keith Lambert with Connor Swift
“Bill put ten lengths into me when he kicked – that’s what he was good at – but I eventually pegged him back and won...
Rouleur podcast: Matt Stephens, Ned Boulting, Lisa Brambani and Mandy Jones
Matt Stephens treasures his national champion’s jersey and his memories; Lisa Brambani has mislaid two of her four; while Mandy Jones goes one better –...
The column: Assessing Jakob Fuglsang’s Tour chances
How are they doing it and how long can they keep it up? Evaluating the Tour de France prospects of Jakob Fuglsang and his Astana...
The Cycling Hall of Fame 2019: the case for Daniel Mangeas
Voice of the Tour de France for 41 years, Mangeas is a true legend of cycling, the patron of cycling commentators. Vote for Daniel!
Desire: What riders want
Saddles, framesets, shoes and wheels. And groupsets, of course. Philippa York on what she wanted – and what she got lumped with – when it...
Desire: Me and my Factor O2
Rouleur’s Desire editor, Stuart Clapp, recently decided he needed a new bike, but what to get? Should he go with rim brakes or discs? Electronic...
The column: Football is better than cycling
It’s not, obviously, but the coincidence of the Women’s World Cup and Women’s Tour have this week shown how far cycling still has to go
Ned Boulting: 7 Reasons your dad will love to receive The Road Book for Father’s Day
He doesn’t need it, but he wants it. Rouleur columnist, dad, and the Road Book editor, Ned Boulting, with a septet of reasons why your dad...
Rouleur podcast: The Cervélo story
Company founders Phil White and Anna Dopico on the rollercoaster ride of starting Cervélo, plus dandelion tyres and thoroughbred racers
The column: Miguel Ángel López vs the Slovenian
Six of one, half a dozen of the other? Did the guy get what he deserved? Or should the UCI have thrown the book at...
Cover Stories: issue 19.4 by Thomas Danthony
French illustrator Thomas Danthony’s take on the Tour. Stillness, speed and reflections
The Giro d’Italia then and now: Interview with race director, Mauro Vegni
“Whoever doesn’t come to the Giro is missing out. It’s the Giro that makes champions, not the other way around.” The director of the Giro...
The column: Enough of summit finish snooze-fests
A summit finish in a Grand Tour ought to mean attacks galore and guarantee GC gaps. Instead they’re pedestrian, predictable and change little, as riders...
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