Volta a Catalunya preview

The Volta a Catalunya is the next test for those seeking fame in this year’s Grand Tours. Like a number of the Spanish events this year, there was initially some doubt as to whether or not there would be sufficient funds to hold the race. But the piggy banks have been raided, it’s firmly on the calendar and its licence has been extended through to 2016.

It’s a WorldTour event, ranking second in popularity in Spain behind the Vuelta a Espana, and is the third-oldest stage race in the world (1911), after the Tour de France (1903) and Giro d’Italia (1909).  Continue reading

A birthday treat: Why Cancellara is Fab …

Today at Casa Fondue, it is a Day of Great Thanksgiving and Celebration for it is the birthday of the Red Hammer, the Swiss Time Machine, Spartacus himself, Fabian Cancellara. Disappointed that he didn’t win Milan-San Remo yesterday but coming in second on a storming ride ain’t half bad. I had tons of ideas of how to construct this little birthday billet-doux and then I thought, let’s just watch him … so here are some of my favourite video clips of the mighty Cancellara.

Let us begin …

When I’m on the bike I’m a gladiator. I want to kill my opponents, physically and mentally. When you see that you can kill them, you have to do so.

We’ll drink a beer afterwards, but the race is a battle against all. When I attacked in Flanders, or in Paris-Roubaix with 50 kilometres to go, I wanted to show them that they were riding for second place.

(Quote from Cyclesport magazine)

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