World Championships in Bergen

My old hometown hosted this years World Championships in Road Cycling. And after chatting with the Swedish Champ Sara Penton I booked a ticket. Who doesn’t want to see all Bergen and many more cheer on your friend:

I’ve been on the Women’s World Cup in Vårgårda and seen a few XCO World Cups but this was something extra. So much people and so many riders I followed just on internet before.

While I always hope Annemiek van Vleuten will win I was happy to see the Netherlands teamwork work out and with Chantal Blaak soloing to the finish. A women with style and that will wear the most beautiful cycling jersey in a correct way:

Happy to see that finish. But as for Kristoff the finishline came to far away for the 2nd group. Annemiek van Vleuten was first in the group when they passed me with 70m to go. 70m for Katrin Garfoot and Amalie Dideriksen to pass

Fully crowded as you can see. Going to the podium at Torgallmenningen was even more crowded. More people than on 17th May, thought for a while I wouldn’t get in on the square:

1. Chantal Blaak – The Netherlands
2. Katron Garfoot – Australia
3. Amalie Dideriksen – Denmark
4. Annemiek van Vleuten – The Netherlands

3rd year Boels-Dolmans take the World Champion win on a Specialized S-Works, 2 earlier on Amira, now on the New Tarmac.

Yesterday time for the men and the crowds grew. I met a polish guy that had come with ferry and bus to watch Kwiato. Dedication. And the crowds was happy seeing Odd Christian Eiking from Bergen in the 2nd breakaway:

A lot of people including a peloton:

The guy to the left had understood that we where there for the atmosphere and to cheer on our favorites live, not just following the race. Which is best in a sofa in front of the TV, but not as fun.

Alaphilipe and Moscon on the last lap, including the VideoMC that lost it’s connection some seconds after as the power got down on Fløyen. The other view of this:

Including me in blue in the red circle taking the picture above 😀

Just after the chasers/winners came:

I was hoping for the third guy here, Matteo Trentin but he did as van Vleuten and ended 4th.

If you missed the last 5km they are here from the helicopter:

Peter Sagan covering some gaps and attacks when people try to get rid of the sprinters. I’m not the biggest fan of Peter Sagan but he is incredible and clever being in the right place in the right time. It’s impressive and it was a clean sprint just like the way we want to see it.

1. Peter Sagan – Slovakia
2. Alexander Kristoff – Norway
3. Michael Matthews – Australia
4. Matteo Trentin – Italy

Peter Sagans 3rd World Champ title in 3 years. And he did it on Specialized S-Works Tarmac 😉

Peter Sagan does it alone what Boels-Dolmans do together. Both on Specializeds. For me I think Sagans win in Richmond was his best and Chantal Blaaks in Bergen the best in Boels-Dolmans. Coming in solo to the finish in the Worlds biggest road race is making the win even bigger, dropping the best riders in the world.

Progressing

I never want to settle and be satisfied. I always want to be better in some way.

My comeback now is a lot about that. Keep on pushing my leg further and harder, make it work at least as good as before. Sometimes when you don’t feel any difference and just being home and alone it sucks. But when meeting friends and being out in the real life you understand what to push for and that the efforts you make are making a difference.

Being able to lift your foot. Being able to sit on a chair with 90° bent leg. Being able to change from two to one crutch. Being able to walk without crutches. Being able to get dressed without tools to help you. Being able to get on my Colnago and spin a bit on the trainer. Being able to go out, step on your daily, get that leg in and pedal away (happened yesterday). Being able to measure progress and see when angles like 95, 115 and 125 is every day getting closer to 143°.

This day was about progress too. Talking about the future and seeing the future from Specialized (2018). And be able to step on a real bike, with real cycling clothes, and after a few tries get the left foot in and be able to ride with friends. Never tried to push so hard and while being fully focused on moving my leg around it was a big step in my world 😀

Extra fun to do it on the 2018 Specialized S-Works Tarmac with new Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 🙂

So keep looking forward no matter where you are in life. Make life better, and if you got a perfect life there is always someone else who needs help.

Cafécycling to Vaxholm

The longest day of 2017 was yesterday. Sun was up between 3 and 22 😉

We were a nice group riding around Vaxholm after work in the sunset. Nice to get the legs spin a bit, sometimes not so fast and sometimes fast. Got some PR and a couple of top 10 times 🙂

Stopped for Pizza in Vaxholm looking at the local roundabout. But in Sweden it’s not super warm so got a bit cold on the ferries so we sat inside:

Ferry waiting:

Rille and Oliwer pushed the tempo a bit so sometimes it went really fast, really fun. Oliwer got a flat just before Gustavsberg so me and Rille stopped with him while the others just passed by… Team time trial back and we got ourself a nice training effort 😉

A fun evening 🙂

Map and stats: Strava

The new Specialized Tarmac?

Dropped seatstays like Roubaix and Venge Vias. Seatclamp like Vias. Rear derailleur hanger and drop-outs like Vias. Direct Mount brakes. And a straight slim beautiful fork. Also said to be superlight, steeling technology from the superlight Epic HT

What do you think? And the question is when it will be released…

Morningspins

No day is as yesterday, or tomorrow. Like every ride is different, there are always good and bad things.

The good things today was friends, weather, coffee and the route.

The bad things was my legs…

Instead of riding Morningspins with 7 riders from Sumo Cycling starting with a slow lap that ended fast, a fast lap where I was dropped way too early but got to ride with Ingrid and a 3rd Instalap which ended after I chased back to the group managed to win the sprint. Instead of that I share some awesome pictures me and mostly Rille took today:

Map and stats: Strava

Without the cx

Yesterday morning I rode my Tarmac for the last time this year to work. Dismounted the Force1 levers and brakes and got them ready to be mounted on my new cyclocross. A Specialized Crux aluminium frame had been ordered before I left to Canada and after some hassle it should come yesterday. Planned to build it up after work and ride it tonight and on CX Peloton tomorrow.

The frame didn’t arrive, Postnord doesn’t say anything and it didn’t arrive today either. Called Postnord who would look into it and get back to me, strange.

So without a working roadbike, without a cyclocross it should be hard to ride Peloton tomorrow or anything else. But I work at the best store, Specialized Concept Store Stockholm which has some good testbikes. Got to borrow a Specialized Tarmac Expert and a couple of Roval CLX60 wheels from a colleague 🙂

Black and white, many gears and pretty awesome. Took it for a little test on my way home and rode to Sköndal and met up with the CXguys celebrating CX Sthlm group was 5 years 🙂 And got company by Birjer on the road home afterwards.

It’s a really nice bike except the handlebar is 4cm wider than what I got on my tarmac and it’s not an S-Works. But I don’t know about rimbrakes, feels strange when I’m used to discs now…

Map and stats: Strava

Matched the bike with a black and white Café du Cycliste kit and S-Works shoes and helmet too 😉

She Rides to Drömkåken

Christ went to Heaven, we went to Drömkåken. Thank God for life.

Free day from work means cycling and when it’s great summer weather in early May it had to be a long one. Plan was to ride to Drömkåken with some She Rides Ambassadors and it all started at a museum:

Met up with Ann-Sofie and headed north to meet up the rest. Met up Pia who was today’s awesome guide. Magic roads and great speed, great group. Met up with Noor and her friends at Vikskolan and then the adventure started after 40km:

After a little more than 60km more we came to Drömkåken where I was more focused on coffee and cake than on pictures.

Only picture, of my awesome Specialized S-Works Sub6 shoes and Gelatosocks that really suits me.

There I also met a couple of friends, but just the best looking of them (sorry Håkan) on picture:

Linda rode with Stockholm City Triathletes and rode a shorter route before they continued to Uppsala.

We rode south towards home instead 😉 With a stop where our group got split into two

Great to ride with Noor again. So different but so matchy today with Evade helmets, Jawbreaker glasses, She Rides clothes and Specialized Tarmac bikes 😉

3 left going on a super road, small roads that goes a little up and down in the middle of nowhere is so nice to ride on.

Left Pia in Täby and me and Ann-Sofie rode back to Stockholm again, a long day in the saddle (a good saddle) but with soft tempo so after I got left alone and crossed the central Stockholm I rode some more bridges to come up to 200km 😉 The stats you know. Stats here: Strava

And ending with a idolpicture you can print and put up on your wall. If you meet me I can sign it for you 😉

Cyclingnews and Inside Specialized

Cyclingnews has it’s TVseries called Incycle, here is the first episode of 2016. Where Lizzie Armitstead talks about the style of Sagan, hmm. I thought Armistead was the most stylish World Champ. Yes she looks awesome but that wasn’t the point, she got style and class racing. Watch and enjoy the latest:

And for the first (?) time I will talk about triathlon, I’m not a fan but got many good triathlete friends and it’s a great sport to keep your body look as good as possible. First Inside video from Specialized is about a women I’ve tried to keep up with on Le Peloton and the first (and only) women who has given me a birthdaycake in Stockholm. Worth watching this video about Lisa Norden:

Strade Bianche

The Spring Classic I really want to ride. So beautiful and always great racing. Stybar isn’t perfect as he couldn’t repeat his last years victory but ended 2nd after Cancellara.

One that seems perfect is Lizzie Armitstead, check the highlights from the race yesterday:

But she isn’t perfect either, she needs to learn by Tony Martin how a proper cycling cap looks like and how to wear on the podium. But awesome racing 🙂

Project 16 continues

Got the first and last package with parts yesterday. Shorter valve extenders, pedals and a lighter QR for my rear wheel.

Sure, Specializeds QR are good but light aren’t they:

Changed for a Tune DC17, great lightweight QR:

The pedals I thought of getting a pair of Time Xpresso 8 like I have on my Allez or 10 but changed my mind as I’m trying to get under 6,5kg (which will fail) so wanted a pair of Xpresso 12. Only available in black and red which won’t suit my bike I found Mavic Zxellium SLR Ti pedals which are the same as Time Xpresso 12 but with different logo and all black. Seems great and really like the Time function. Here with a couple of pedalshims which I use after the BGfit I did last winter: