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...