The Spin Cycle is the Escape Collective’s news digest, published every Monday and Friday. You can read it on this website (obviously) or have it delivered straight to your inbox. You can sign up here.
Hello!
Welcome back to Spin Cycle! The Escape Collective’s news digest.
We’re currently wading through the limbo period between the spring Classics and the Giro d’Italia, where cycling takes a deep breath and gathers itself before going again. To tide fans over, the Vuelta Femenina starts today, and we can guarantee that Trek-Segafredo’s Gaia Relaini is definitely up for it, evidenced by her ability to deal with the latest social media innovation
Speaking of the Giro, we have the notable Roglic vs Remco duel, plus confirmation today that Mark Cavendish will be on the start line with his Astana boys. Keep an eye out for a full preview from Dane Cash on the site this week.
Smile for the swivelling camera of doom!
First of all, shout out to Realini for not only putting up with the seemingly sentient and swivelling selfie stick of doom, but for actually coming across like she’s having a good time. She’s a natural.
Presumably, this is Creating Content™️ for the hallowed halls of social media, an innovation by race organisers ASO to boost the numbers in order to get various French supermarkets and energy suppliers to pour even more money into their pockets.
You’ve got to hope this is a trial run before rolling it out at the Tour de France in the summer, where Mark Cavendish will stand on the spinning stage looking like he’s just eaten a wasp before giving a middle finger to whichever unfortunate ASO employee has been tasked with bringing the whole project together.
Muddy hell
The sixth stage of the Tour de Bretagne was cancelled after: peloton travelling at high speed + wet and muddy road = inevitable crash.
With 80 kilometres until the finish at Plancoët, around 50 riders came down, and with all ambulances on the race needed to treat the injured athletes, the race organisation had no option but to cancel the stage as they could no longer guarantee the safety of the riders. Those who had managed to stay up still rode to the finish, meaning the spectators didn’t waste their day out, while the race will continue with the final stage on Monday.
Feed Zone ?
? Jumbo-Visma won the opening TTT at the Vuelta Femenina.
? Giulio Ciccone is confirmed to be out of the Giro d’Italia due to Covid.
? Adam Yates won the Tour de Romandie while Fernando Gaviria took the final stage.
?️ Rumour has it that Jumbo-Visma has beaten Soudal Quick-Step and Ineos Grenadiers (amongst others) to signing Movistar’s young American Matteo Jorgenson.
? While Tom Pidcock was thwarted by a mechanical incident (on his new bike) at the Coupe de France race in Guéret, his Ineos Grenadiers off-road teammate Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the women’s race.
?? Lorena Wiebes won the TRAKA 100 gravel race in Girona.
? Lukewarm pre-Grand Tour quote of the week ?
“I’m not afraid of them…”
…says Geraint Thomas of lining up against Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel at the upcoming Giro d’Italia, the Welshman sounding like he’s treating the Italian Grand Tour as his very own version of Ghostbusters. Maybe that’s because he’s planning once again on slipping on a strewn bidon early doors, or maybe his new SunGod sunnies have given him the superpowers required to overcome the two big favourites for the pink jersey.
Cycling on TV (all times CET) ?
Tuesday
• La Vuelta Femenina, Stage 2 (14:30-16:30)
Wednesday
• La Vuelta Femenina, Stage 3 (14:30-16:30)
Thursday
• La Vuelta Femenina, Stage 4 (14:30-16:30)
And finally …
A news article dedicated to: two riders being at the same cafe in a known training haven AT THE SAME TIME. OH MY GOD THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED.
When Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel bumped into each other at the Velosol Cycling Bar in Alicante, they presumably had a brief catch-up while pouring liquids down their gullets.
Either the above image is an AI-engineered recreation, where the other Alpecin-Deceuninck rider definitely looks at least slightly computer generated, or the photographer has kind of done them a bit dirty by snapping his picture at the most awkward moment. Van der Poel looking down at his phone, Evenepoel, hand on hip, with a hundred-yard stare, his jersey open as he considers the next few hours of riding in the currently swelteringly hot Spain.
Corrections corner ?️?
- In the segment about the Belgian newspaper HLN using a photo of the DSM women’s team to visualise recreational riders, we incorrectly called for whoever wrote the headline to be punished when it should have been the photo editor. We regret the error.
Primes (for helpful members) ?
- Lucian Stănescu has come through again, this time with a photo (used in today’s title image) of an outdoors laundromat on his way back from a day out riding up La Super Planche des Belles Filles and Ballon d’Alsace.
Until next time …
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