Procycling

Procycling is the monthly magazine that takes readers inside the world’s toughest sport – professional road racing. From the mud and rain of the spring Classics through to annual summer spectacular of the Tour de France, the magazine combines thoughtful, probing sports journalism and insightful interviews with incredible sports photography. The rich, often scandalous history of cycle sport and its high tech future also feature in a magazine that’s a must for every follower of the grand tours and the peloton.

PREFACE • I SSUE 287 / NOVEMBER 2021

Vuelta a España • Stage 20, Castro de Herville, Galicia

Tour of Britain • Stage 4, Great Orme, Llandudno, Wales

European Road Championships • Trento, Italy

Stage racing’s ‘Big Three’ emerge

THE BIG THREE’S GRAND TOUR FORM

NOTHING WITHOUT FANS

COMMUNIQUÉ • NEWS• GOSSIP• CHATTER

ANNA SHACKLEY • SD-Worx’s young Scottish climber on drawing, unread emails and Off Menu

ETHAN VERNON • The British Olympian with a glittering road career ahead of him

MATT BRAMMEIER • TRACK AND ROAD COACH, BRITISH CYCLING

OBJECTS OF DESIRE • THIS MONTH’S ESSENTIAL GEAR

HANNAH BARNES • The British all-rounder on her time at Canyon-Sram and moving to a new environment

GROWING ALL THE WAY • FRAN CONTADOR HOW VALUES UNDERPIN A TEAM’S GROWTH FROM JUNIOR ALL THE WAY TO WORLDTOUR

DAN MARTIN • ISRAEL START-UP NATION

DAN’S LIFE IN CYCLING

BRODIE CHAPMAN • FDJ NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE

KÉVIN RÉZA • B&BHOTELS P/BKTM

CHARLIE QUARTERMAN • TREK-SEGAFREDO

KASPER ASGREEN THE RIDER • Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Dane Kasper Asgreen became a monument winner at the age of 26 this spring when he triumphed in the Tour of Flanders. He tells Procycling why he has remained true to his Danish roots, and how a childhood spent competing as a horse rider set him up for life in the WorldTour

KASPER ASGREEN HIGHLIGHTS YEAR BY YEAR

HOME ADVANTAGE • Kasper Asgreen is just the latest in a long line of Flanders winners from Deceuninck-Quick Step. Why are they are so dominant?

The last Danish classics star

FLANDERS PODIUMS IN THE QS ERA

ASGREEN’S CAREER RESULTS

DANISH CLASSICS WINNERS

QUICK STEP AT FLANDERS • The best finisher each year over the 19 seasons that the team have been at their home race

PRIMOŽ ROGLIČ SAME, BUT DIFFERENT • There was a familiar conclusion to the 2021 Vuelta, as Primož Roglic took his third consecutive red jersey. However, the assurance of his win, and the Slovenian’s relaxed, fun demeanour were new developments. Procycling reports on a spectacular grand tour

THE 2021 VUELTA, DAY BY DAY • All the stage winners and the final standings

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL • The Netherlands is first and foremost a cycling country, so it’s no surprise that it has produced some of the greatest riders of all time, and the current world-beating generation of female athletes. Procycling looks into the roots of Dutch cycling culture, to find the reasons for its continuing success

DUTCH HEROES • The Netherlands have been producing world-beating riders since the 1950s, and they have won every major race, some multiple times. We pick out six of the best from the last half century

NETHERLAND’S BESTRANKED RIDERS

BEST RESULTS IN THE BIG NINE

WINS BY YEAR • International wins ranked .1 and above by Dutch riders, WorldTour era. (Women: .2 and above)

FLAMES FROM THE FENIX • ALPECIN-FENIX STARTED OUT AS A TINY CYCLO-CROSS OUTFIT BUT HAVE GROWN INTO ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE WORLD, WINNING STAGES AT EACH GRAND TOUR AND CLASSICS. HERE’S HOW THEY DID IT

A MONUMENT THAT STANDS ALONE • Il...