Celebrate the build-up to one of the world’s biggest annual sporting events with the ONLY UK Official 2018 Tour de France Race Guide.
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Celebrate the build-up to one of the world’s biggest annual sporting events with the ONLY UK Official 2018 Tour de France Race Guide.
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Put together by the team behind Procycling magazine, BikeRadar.com and Cyclingnews.com, this year’s guide is out now priced at £9.99 and can be ordered with FREE UK delivery.
Inside your souvenir pack you will find a huge 220-page official programme packed with profiles of every team, stats for every rider, maps of every stage, interviews with the stars, expert analysis and so much more.
In addition to the official programme, the souvenir pack also contains:
* A giant wall chart for filling in the stage winner and jersey holders after each day’s racing
* A 68-page Tour de France Miscellany extracts book packed with tour trivia
* The official full-size fold-out route map
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* Limited-edition postcards
Don’t miss out order your copy today with FREE UK delivery. You can purchase it here.
The Official 2018 Tour de France Race Guide is also available as a digital edition for Apple iOS devices, Android or Zinio.
Apple here
Android here
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Zinio here
Human Race have released the following statement regarding the incident which occurred at the Royal Windsor Triathlon on Sunday 17 June.
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“We are aware of the incident that occurred during the 28th Royal Windsor Triathlon on the morning of Sunday 17 June. We are in direct contact with the horse rider who was involved, and we have offered our sincere apologies for the danger and upset that this incident caused.
“Our events are permitted by British Triathlon and therefore adhere to all industry guidance regarding event delivery. Competitors are further required to abide by the British Triathlon Competition Rules, applied by the Technical Officials in attendance. Alongside British Triathlon and its Officials, we are currently reviewing the evidence, and those found at fault of dangerous cycling or in breach of the rules will be disqualified from this event and banned from participating in any future Human Race events.
“Various measures were put in place to mitigate the chance of an incident of this nature, including the erection of advance warning signs about the event, the plans for which were drawn up by a professional traffic management company, this signage was put up along the route on Thursday 7 June. Additional cycle event signage was also installed a day in advance of the event to bolster awareness for all road users.
“We are reviewing all signage & communication plans as part of our internal review exercise following this incident. In addition, all participants in the event are informed in pre-event communications and event-day briefings to follow the Highway Code, and we do not condone dangerous cycling of any kind. We are assisting the local police with their enquiries, and we will be looking at ways that we can improve through this experience, including engaging more with horse riding communities in the local area.
“Human Race operate in this industry because of the positive impact it brings to individuals, charities and local communities. We work hard to deliver high quality and safe events, and it is saddening when the actions of a few individuals undermine an experience that is so positive for so many. We take our responsibility as an event organiser very seriously, and as such will be working with all relevant stakeholders to implement learnings from this experience. A spokesperson from British Triathlon said; “We are supporting Human Race events with the investigation of this incident and will look to take any action deemed necessary once we have all of the relevant information.”
Key Questions
“Why can you organise a Triathlon on open roads? We follow best practice as per guidelines from British Triathlon. Throughout the planning process we liaise with the local council’s highways department and with the relevant Safety Advisory Groups about the event and its routes. The bike course takes place on open roads so individual participants are required to always ride within the rules of the Highway Code, and act with due care and to ensure their own safety as well as that of all others also using the road.
” Were there warning signs about the event taking place for road users. There were signs up at all major junctions from 7 June, following consultation with a professional traffic management company. In addition, further cycle event warning signage was put in place at key locations across the course the day before the event. We understand in this case that the individual affected was not aware of the event taking part despite this. Human Race has initiated a review of the signage to see if this can be improved in the future. We are also assessing our communication plan and working on ways to communicate better with the local community including local stables and other horse owners where possible.
“Was the incident something to do with the last-minute route change? No, there was a late change required to the Olympic length course due to road works, however the route change meant that the participants used a road that was already signposted from 7 June for our sprint distance event.
“Are the riders being prosecuted/reported to the police? Human Race Events are currently reviewing the video footage to identify the individuals involved. Once it has been established who was at fault, we will be able to take further action. If any competitor is found guilty of causing this incident they will be disqualified and banned from all future events. We will also pass this information on to British Triathlon. Human Race Events will assist the police, by supplying them any information they require for their own investigation.
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“What will you be doing to educate cyclists about horse riders? We currently inform all our participants before the race that they need to adhere to the Highway code in our event communication. We repeat this on event day in our briefings to each wave. In addition to this, moving forward at our briefings we will specifically highlight the need for riders to be aware of horses and the need to pass with due care. In the future we will be working with the individual affected to look at ways to work more closely with the local riding community, so they are aware of any events we hold.”
Ironman have teamed up with Facebook to provide live coverage of the 2018 Ironman season. The coverage will be available globally to fans of www.facebook.com/IRONMANnow, and debuts on Sunday, June 24 for Ironman France. In total it will cover a total of 16 races across 3 continents. This includes extensive coverage of the 2018 World Championship, which will also be available on NBC Sports for fans in the United States.
In addition to the live race coverage, there will be 20-episode live weekly show titled “Ironman: 40 Years of Dreams,” which celebrates Ironman’s 40th anniversary, will debut on Facebook Watch July 5, 2018 and run through November 15, 2018.
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“We are thrilled to add Facebook to our lineup of global digital and broadcast partners.” said Matthieu van Veen, Chief Revenue Officer for Ironman. “We are excited to bring this live and interactive experience to our global community, giving it a new way to watch and engage with Ironman. We are confident that our lineup of programming will have broad global appeal to our loyal athletes and fans and will introduce new athletes to our community.”
The live events will be hosted by IM World Champion and Hall of Famer Greg Welch, three-time IRONMAN Champion Michael Lovato, and three-time IM champion Dede Griesbauer. Ann Wessling and Michael Lovato will host the live weekly show and provide a comprehensive and interactive round-up of the previous week’s races, as well as deliver race previews and news around the season. Eight-time IM World Champion Paula Newby Fraser will also provide her unique perspective on the quest to qualify for the 2018 IM World Championship.
Live race coverage of the following events as well as live weekly episodes and a range of on-demand programming will be available in the United States on Facebook Watch and globally via the IRONMAN now Facebook Page – www.facebook.com/IRONMANnow.
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Event Name
Location
Race Date
IRONMAN France
Nice, France
June 24
IRONMAN Austria
Klagenfurt, Austria
July 1
Mainova IRONMAN European Championship
Frankfurt, Germany
July 8
IRONMAN UK
Bolton, England
July 15
IRONMAN Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
July 22
IRONMAN Hamburg
Hamburg, Germany
July 29
IRONMAN Maastricht
Maastricht, The Netherlands
Aug 5
Subaru IRONMAN Mont Tremblant
presented by Sportium
Mont Tremblant, Canada
Aug 19
IRONMAN 70.3 Zell am See-Kaprun
Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria
Aug 26
IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship
Nelson Mandalay Bay, South Africa
Sept 1-2
IRONMAN Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Sep 9
IRONMAN Italy Emilia Romagna
Cervia, Italy
Sep 22
Little Debbie IRONMAN Chattanooga
presented by McKee A Family Bakery
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Sep 30
IRONMAN Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain
Oct 7
IRONMAN World Championship (*)
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Oct 13
IRONMAN Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Nov 18
(*) Live coverage on NBC Sports in the United States
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That feeling. I can not describe. I can not dream of what just happened. Thank you for all the support it means the world to myself and my family. Big shout out to @ryanfisher20
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Zoggs have announced, as a precautionary measure, they are recalling all Zoggs Fogbuster Anti-Fog & Lens Cleaner sold from January 2018 onwards. This is due to a potential manufacturing defect which could cause temporary discomfort and short-term eye damage. No other products are affected.
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They are advising purchasers of Zoggs Fogbuster Anti-Fog & Lens Cleaner to stop using it immediately and return it to the retailer from which it was purchased for a full refund.
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They have now permanently discontinued this product.
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If you have any concerns at all you can contact Zoggs for more information on their consumer helplines (open weekdays 8am-7pm, weekends 9am-5pm): 01276 486513 or 01276 486545, or email them at cs@zoggs.com
Human Race have released the following statement regarding the investigation into the incident that involved cyclists overtaking a horse and rider, which occurred at the Royal Windsor Triathlon on Sunday 17 June;
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Since the recent incident at the Royal Windsor Triathlon on 17 June, we have been going through our internal review process and liaising with other stakeholders including the police, who are investigating the matter further.
We believe we have identified two individuals at fault, but we won’t be revealing further details or sharing their identities, as this is a police matter. One cyclist will receive a lifetime ban from all Human Race events, a 2nd (who did come forward after the incident) will receive a 12 month ban from all of our events. As the investigations are still ongoing this is pending any further information or mitigating circumstances that may come to light in the future. We are liaising with British Triathlon, who will be responsible for taking their own actions.
As a result of our internal review, we will implement the following actions as an organisation:
– We will improve our signage for the Royal Windsor Triathlon, to ensure all road users are aware of the event. We are holding a review of the event with the local SAG (Safety Advisory Group, which includes the council and police amongst others) on signage. This will include a thorough review of advance warning signage and on-the-day event signage. The end result will be additional signage along the course.
– We will improve communication to the horse riding community in the area, through direct contact with stables, polo clubs, etc. This will provide advance warning of the event to this group. We take responsibility to make sure this is as thorough as possible.
– We will improve education to our participants and the wider cycling and triathlon community about the Highway Code and the likelihood of horses (or other users) being on the road. This will be over and above ensuring competitors are aware the Highway Code is to be abided by in our pre-event communications and pre-race briefings. Moving forward we will implement the following:
For all our participants we will specifically communicate the details of the Highway Code that are relevant, to ensure triathletes are informed of what to do and how to keep everyone safe in a similar situation.
We will also be creating an educational advertising plan to our wider audience in the cycling and triathlon community, about how best to deal with any similar situation they may find themselves in.
We take this incident very seriously and are committed to improving our processes.
We believe this mishap is a poor representation of the triathlon community. The vast majority of triathletes and cyclists do follow the rules and ride with due care towards others.
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http://humanrace.co.uk/news/follow-up-incident-windsor-triathlon/
How to cycle past a horse and rider safely
The announcement from Ironman UK that they are to shorten the bike leg by 17 miles, making it 95 instead of the custom 112, has caused debate and outrage on social media.
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Ironman made the decision because of the Winter Hill fire near Bolton, saying that this was the only solution, “which enables the race to go ahead, and ensures our athletes, volunteers, marshals and staff remain safe.’
#heroes #winterhillfire #home
However many are questioning on social media whether those that complete have the right to call themselves an Ironman, and why they couldn’t include an extra loop to make up the distance. There are also calls for compensation/entry fees to be reimbursed or the right to defer the entries.
So with the implementation of the new bike course #IMUK is no longer an IM. 6 months of hard training feels like it’s no longer worth it. Still they’ve got our cash now, haven’t they?
— Ben Belcher (@BenBelcher76) July 10, 2018
If you were gonna run a marathon and the distance was cut from 26.2 to say 23.1 miles. Would you still have the balls to look back on your day and say you’ve completed a marathon or just a long old day in your Asics?? #imuk #ironmanuk #itwontbeanironman
— Rob Irwin (@RobbieSwayzie) July 11, 2018
There are also concerns about the swim going ahead due to higher than normal blue-green algae levels at the swim venue Pennington Flash, however indications are that the swim quality there is improving
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We spoke to Ironman and put these questions to them;
What’s been changed on the bike course and why?
Due to recent wildfires, and after extensive consultation with our council partners, local authorities and other key stakeholders, a decision was taken to implement an alternate bike course for IRONMAN UK. Athletes will exit Transition 1 at Pennington Flash as normal and ride 15 miles to the start of the 2-lap section.
After climbing Babylon Lane athletes will now TURN LEFT onto Nickleton Brow instead of heading past New Road Rivington. The aid station will now be located on Nickleton Brow.
Athletes will cross Rivington Reservoir via Knowsley Lane and continue onto Moor Road. Moor Road is a technical climb with a long descent. After climbing Moor Road athletes can enjoy panoramic views of the North West before starting the technical descent.
The course will then merge onto Higher House Lane before taking a right onto Hollin Lane, left onto Coppice Lane, right onto Tithe Barne Lane merging onto Chapel Lane before re-joining the original course in Wheelton on the A674.
What will happen to competitors who decide to repeat a loop on the bike leg to make up the distance?
Athlete safety is our priority. Athletes who decide to repeat a loop will present a safety risk to other competitors which can result in a disqualification, in accordance with Competition Rules 5.01.e
Has the bike cut off times changed?
No. Cut-off times have not changed.
Are those who really want to do the distance allowed to defer their entry?
Deferrals are unfortunately not possible. All events are subject to change due to external occurrences and with this year’s race affected by wildfires, the changes are necessary for the race to safely go ahead. While we sympathise, we aim to continue to deliver an athlete experience to its fullest possible extent. Unfortunately the environmental effects on Ironman UK have occurred beyond our control and our team, who have planned and prepared for the race for more than a year, do not take lightly this decision to change the planned course.
Why has the race remained a Kona qualifying race?
Kona slots are allocated to all Ironman races on a pre-determined basis. It is standard procedure that an adjusted race remains an official qualifier. Kona qualification is awarded to athletes that perform top in their age group. As all Ironman UK athletes will continue to compete against others in their age category, and all complete the same race distance, Kona qualification still stands.
Does these changes make it easier to qualify for Kona from IMUK, compared to other Ironman qualifiers?
No, Ironman UK remains a challenging event and every athlete completes the same distance. Qualification is based on age group position, not finish time in relation to other events.
Is the swim affected by algae?
The recent heatwave across the UK has caused a rise in blue-green algae levels and rising water temperature at the swim venue at Pennington Flash. With weather conditions affecting the presence and dissipation of blue-green algae, we will continue to monitor the swim venue through water quality testing. If the swim gets cancelled the event will commence as a bike-run.
Was cancelling or postponing the race ever an option?
Our aim is deliver a safe race despite the circumstances. Cancellation is a last resort if the race cannot be delivered safely, however the changed course allows for a safe race.
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What do you think? Should Ironman have offered compensation/deferred entry?
It’s a fair bet that the vast majority of those crossing the Ironman Austria finish line at the start of the month were in joyous spirits and thankful to the organisers, World Triathlon Corporation, for providing a rewarding – possibly life-changing – experience.
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Albeit unashamedly for-profit, as decreed by Wanda Group, its Chinese conglomerate owners, the brand consistently deliver world-class endurance events across the world, and for two decades Klagenfurt has been a particularly popular destination given its picturesque course, and potential for fast times and Kona qualification.
It’s provided some seminal moments in professional racing too, such as in 2011 when Marino Vanhoenacker won his sixth title in 7:45:58, a time that stood as an Ironman-brand record for five years.
So what’s this gripe of a column for?
Well, nothing, if you’re counting the Ironman coffers or deservedly admiring your bling while sipping a post-race Stiegl.
Yet for those at the sharp end of the race and trying to make a living from the relatively trifling prize money on offer, or for those devotedly – or perhaps deludedly – following Ironman racing and trying to believe in its viability as professional sport, there was quite a bit that went wonky.
Unfortunately, in a week in which cycling was mired in a debacle over whether Chris Froome would race the Tour de France, Austria delivered a podium half-filled with triathletes who can be linked to the stench of doping. They comprise men’s winner Michael Weiss, runner-up Ivan Tutukin, and women’s runner-up Lisa Huetthaler. Each sorry tale has its vagaries, and a quick web-search will send you down those rabbit holes if you choose, but it underlines how triathlon is not free of the stigma that blights so many sports.
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However, the focus for this column – and an area that could be more easily rectified (if there’s a will) – was highlighted by a “Statement Regarding Drafting and Moto-pacing at Ironman Austria” released by fourth-placed British professional, Susie Cheetham, shortly after the race.
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*Statement Regarding Drafting and Moto-pacing at Ironman Austria* Many people may have been disappointed be scenes of drafting and moto-pacing at Ironman Austria. I felt that unfair racing and officiating took place at the front of the women’s race, and that it affected the results on the day. I presented video and photo evidence this morning in an appeal against one of the top 3 girls for unfair drafting, and against the race officials for inadequate marshalling and providing an unfair advantage due to inadequate Moto-discipline. I’m pleased to say that after reviewing my evidence, and race footage, my appeal has been upheld. It has been agreed that the front 3 women received an unfair advantage. Although I have been told that retrospective penalties cannot be applied under the race rules; action will be taken to ADVANCE ALL WOMEN PROS BY 5 MIN FROM 4TH PLACE. The official results will be amended. I’m happy with this outcome as it vindicates my concerns that the front of the women’s race was not raced fairly. Unfortunately this will not change the positions and I believe that the advantage gained was a lot more than 5 min. I would also have raced differently if I had known I was 9 min back off the bike, rather than 14 min. I really appreciate the genuine concern and interest that I have been shown by the race organisers, officials and Ironman management. I think the matter has been handled swiftly and as well as possible, and I hope this can be used to learn and make this beautiful race better. Susie
After a brief post-Ironman 70.3 hiatus, middle-distance racing returns to St. Croix on 2nd December 2018 with the rebranded Beauty & the Beast Triathlon. Profits from the event will be donated to the post-Hurricane Irma recovery efforts in the US Virgin Islands.
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The legendary race began life in 1988 as the America’s Paradise Triathlon, and will once again offer more Caribbean splendour of turquoise waters, golden sands and sub-tropical rainforests… and the legendary ‘Beast’ climb that delivers a sucker punch for anyone who forgets this is one of the toughest middle-distance races on the planet.
The December 2018 event will offer three races: Long Distance Course (2km swim/90km bike/21km run), a sprint and a sprint aquathlon. Relays are offered in the Long Distance Course and Sprint Triathlon races. In addition, the Long Distance Course race is designated as the Caribbean Long Distance Triathlon Championship.
“We’re are bringing the race back to its initial grassroots nature,” says race organiser Theresa Harper after Ironman dropped their 70.3 event in 2017. “Once again as an independent race, we’re focusing on community involvement. Our goal is to bring back legendary pro triathletes who were part of the beginning years of making history on St. Croix. So far we have Michellie Jones, Karen Smyers and Wendy Ingraham coming. Karen has offered to put on a tri clinic as a contribution to our post-hurricane recovery efforts.
“Nearly 100% of the proceeds of this year’s race, including the clinic, will be donated to several local non-profits who were devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017,” adds Harper. “Recovery is happening (slowly) but there are still many homes without roofs and businesses that have yet to reopen.”
Those who came and conquered St. Croix over the past 30 years essentially reads like a who’s who of the sport’s legends. That cast list has included Mark Allen, Scott Tinley, Dave Scott, Scott Molina, Mike Pigg, Paula Newby-Fraser, Erin Baker, Karen Smyers, Greg Welch, Michellie Jones, Natasha Badmann and Spencer Smith.
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Head to stxtriathlon.com for more information on the Beauty & the Beast Triathlon.
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2016, 2017, 2018… it’s a THREE-PEAT! What a come-from-behind performance by @mariomola to win #WTSHamburg for the third straight year! pic.twitter.com/W38KA1BmNM
— World Triathlon (@worldtriathlon) July 14, 2018
Mario Mola underlined why he’s the firm favourite to win a third consecutive world title with victory in Hamburg.
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The north German city has proven a happy hunting ground for the 28-year-old Spaniard, who relied on his formidable leg speed on the 5km run to come from behind and triumph for the third straight year.
Britain’s Jonny Brownlee raced aggressively to forge a three-man breakaway on the bike, but was eventually out-sprinted by France’s Vincent Luis and South African Richard Murray and had to settle for fourth.
“The atmosphere is unbelievable,” Mola said of the city where he’s enjoyed such success. “I enjoy the course and the venue.
“I am very happy with how things have gone, but know from past experience it’s not decided until the end. I just have to keep doing the work and hopefully will be at my best in [Gold Coast in] September.”
Hamburg is the longest-standing venue on the ITU World Triathlon Series calendar, having hosted events since 2002. It reverted to sprint distance in 2012 and consistently draws crowds of thousands.
Mola went into the race with a commanding lead over Luis in the series thanks to a win in Yokohama, runners-up spots in Abu Dhabi and Leeds, and a fourth place in Bermuda.
Tom Bishop was the highest-ranked Brit in 14th, with Brownlee having competed just once in an injury and illness-ravaged season.
Belgium’s Marten van Riel and Slovakian Richard Varga led out the 56-strong field over the 750m swim, which included a short, dark tunnel section before they reached the ramp to T1.
New Zealand’s Ryan Sissons also marked his 50th WTS race by joining Australian Ryan Bailie in picking up a 10sec penalty for a false start.
After the race looked like it might come together on the flat, city centre course, Kristian Blummenfelt, Luis and Brownlee managed to make a breakaway stick and grew the lead to 15secs halfway into the 20km and retained the advantage into T2.
Brownlee (2013) and Luis (2014) had both won previously in Hamburg, and Norwegian Blummenfelt had recorded four runners-up spots in his past seven WTS races, so it looked as if all three were strong podium contenders.
But on the first lap of two on the run, Blummenfelt pulled up with what looked like a stomach issue, and Murray and Mola all but eroded the lead of Luis and Brownlee.
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The four came together with just 2km to go, before it was Mola who seized the initiative to ease clear clocking a 13.59 5km split, with Luis just having the speed to pip Murray for second. Bishop finished 17th with Sheldon being lapped out on the bike.
The team mixed relay takes place tomorrow and the next stop on the World Triathlon Series is Edmonton on July 27-29, with Montreal and the Grand Finals at Gold Coast to finish the season.
Hamburg WTS: Race result.
Mario Mola, 53.24
Vincent Luis, +5sec
Richard Murray, +8
Jonny Brownlee, +12
Jacob Birtwhistle, +18
Series standings.
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Mario Mola, 4641pts
Vincent Luis, 3133
Richard Murry, 2507
Jacob Birtwhistle, 2389
Pierre Le Corre, 2226