PREFACE

EDWARD PICKERING EDITOR Both editions of Strade Bianche

GALLERY

THE WORLD’S BEST CYCLING PHOTOGRAPHY

PROLOGUE

PROCYCLING: AT THE HEART OF THE PELOTON

COMMUNIQUÉ

NEWS GOSSIP CHATTER

NIAMH FISHER-BLACK

The SD Worx Kiwi rider on sourdough, Manuka honey and the beauty of languages

ANTTI-JUSSI JUNTUNEN

The Finnish champion who is cutting his teeth in Estonia

OBJECTS OF DESIRE

THIS MONTH ’S ESSENTIALGEAR

WOUT POELS

The experienced Dutch rider on becoming a leader at Bahrain Victorious

ACCESS DENIED

WHY CYCLING’S UNIQUE MODEL OF ACCESS MUST BE PRESERVED

DAN MARTIN

ISRAEL START-UP NATION

CHARLIE QUARTERMAN

Illustrations: David Despau. T R E K -

BRODIE CHAPMAN

F D J N O U V E

KÉVIN RÉZA

B & B H O T E L

THE BEST VERSION OF HERSELF

She has been a professional cyclist for 15 years but Marianne Vos is still at the top of her game. For 2021, however, the greatest rider of the modern era, who counts 285 wins, has changed teams, for the first time. She tells Procycling why she has made the move to Jumbo-Visma

MARIANNE VOS’S BIGGEST WINS, YEAR BY YEAR

Timeline: Getty Images. 2006 Aged 19, Marianne Vos

COACHING A CHAMPION

Marianne Vos’s coach tells Procycling what sets the Dutchwoman apart and how you train such a unique rider

RENAISSANCE WOMAN

Italian Maria Canins won the women’s Tour and Giro in the 1980s, as well as being a world-beating mountain runner and cross-country skier.  Procycling looks at the career of one of the greatest athletes in history

WISHLIST

THE WORLD’S BEST CYCLING KIT

Debrief

ANALYSIS •  INSIGHT  •  DATA

SD Worx make their numbers count

Italian champ and former Strade winner Longo Borghini

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED THIS MONTH

DECEUNINCK HAVE THE HEX ON THEIR RIVALS Is

#TACTICS 101: HOW TO WIN WITH PLAN B

Brambilla soloed away to the stage 3 win,

Press Conference: LOTTE KOPECKY

What was it like to win your first

WINS BY TEAM

ONE-DAY RACES WINS UP TO MARCH 7

Quick Step live up to their reputation as

STAGE RACE WINS

Ineos Grenadiers stay in the lead thanks to

MEN’S WINS BY COUNTRY

Two wins for Gianluca Brambilla at Tour des

MEN’S WINS BY RIDER

BEST TT SPECIALIST

Proving why he's the time trial world champion,

WOMEN’S WINS BY RIDER

Images: Claesson (Ballerini, Kopecky), Franklin (Ganna top), Czerwinski

MOST CONSISTENT

Out of the 19 riders who rode all

ONE-DAY RACES WINS UP TO MARCH 7

The BikeExchange team currently lead the way with

WOMEN'S WINS BY TEAM

TOP TEAM RESULTS

SD Worx's strength in depth is already visible.

WOMEN’S WINS BY COUNTRY

While there's been limited women's racing so far

THE NUMBERS

THE BEST STAGE RACERS Alejandro Valverde hasn’t won

The Guide

RACE CALENDAR / APRIL 2021

L AURENS TEN DAM

I have been retired as a pro for

A FINE BALANCE

Tayler Wiles is a key part of Trek-Segafredo, bringing both race wins and emotional intelligence to the American team. She lives with her wife in California, works a part-time job to keep her mind occupied and her first sporting dream was to play in the World Cup. She tells Procycling why she is on a quest to find the grey areas which lie between black and white

PARIS-ROUBAIX

Paris-Roubaix is a unique race in cycling, dating back 125 years and covering cobbled roads only seen once a season.  Procycling asks people who have a special relationship with the race what makes the Queen of the Classics so special

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY

According to popular wisdom, the Brtish cycling boom began with the 2008 Beijing Olympics and peaked in the summer of 2012, as Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France. But there has always been more to the sport in the UK than that. Procycling looks at a nation that has always done things a little differently

BRITISH HEROES

British riders have been world beaters since the 1960s, though the modern era has seen much more consistent success, with 11 grand tour wins since 2011, more than twice as many as any other country

SCHACH ATTACK

Multi-talented Max Schachmann is among a crop of riders spearheading a resurgence in German cycling. The 2020 Paris-Nice champion speaks to Procycling about his aggressive style and big ambitions

THE LONG WAY ROUND

DION SMITH  is a Kiwi who took the long road to signing for BikeExchange, heading to Europe via California, the UK and Belgium. And after five years as a pro, he won his first race in 2020. He tells Procycling why he feels he’s finally getting there

MØRKØV QUITE THE TRACK RECORD

DECEUNINCK-QUICK STEP'S MICHAEL MØRKØV HAS CARVED HIMSELF A NICHE AS THE BEST LEAD-OUT RIDER IN THE PELOTON. BUT HE IS ALSO A TRACK WORLD CHAMPION IN THE MADISON. HE TELLS PROCYCLING HOW HE BALANCES HIS ROLE AS A DOMESTIQUE ON THE ROAD WITH HIS AMBITION TO BE AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST ON THE TRACK

RAISING THE INTENSITY

RESEARCH SHOWS THAT FEMALE CYCLISTS AT THE TOP LEVEL RACE WITH MORE INTENSITY THAN THE MEN. PROCYCLING LOOKS AT HOW SPORTS SCIENCE IS TAILORING THEIR TRAINING TO HELP THEM

ZEN AND THE ART OF GOING DOWN HILL FAST

Descending is one of the most important parts of a rider’s skill set. Procycling looks at how modern pros are training their brains to enable them to go downhill at speed and, most importantly, safely