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Welcome, Cycling friends! We have another great episode for you where the complete team discussed the last week's races. 

Both men and women raced in Belgium, and we also talked about Tour the Catalunya.

The weather was horrible this week in Belgium, which made for racing into a crosswind and lots and lots of rain. Needless to say that there was enough drama with riding in echelons, crashes, missed corners, and even chain lube was a topic of debate...

The Jumbo Visma team again showed great form taking most of the wins on the men's side. The women did not disappoint either, and we talked about a remarkable new talent from the United States who did really well in Brugge- de Panne and Gent- Wevelgem. 

Join us for this podcast so we can help you prepare for next week's Tour de Flanders!!

Welcome to today's podcast, where we'll discuss the exciting race that took place over the weekend: Milan San Remo. The first monument of the cycling season was filled with thrills, spills, and some incredible performances from some of the world's top cyclists. From the lengthy 294 km route to the infamous Poggio climb, the riders faced plenty of challenges. So, buckle up and join us as we review the highlights and take a closer look at the winners and losers of Milan San Remo.

The crew questions if you need to ride multiple disciplines now a day to win these big races.  Men and women that combine disciplines like: track, cyclocross, mountain bike road, TT etc.

Before we review Milan - San Remo, we closely examine other races, starting with Nokere Koerse Men and Women, Torino-Milan, Trofeo Alfredo Brinda, and Cape Epic. Lotte Kopecki and Shirin van Anrooij raced incredible races for different reasons.

https://www.epic-series.com/capeepic

Today the team talks about past weeks' racing in the Tireno Adriatico and Paris - Nice. 
The Slovenians ruled both races. The Tireno was won by Primoz Roglic and Paris Nice by Pogacar. Geoff, Jack and Gerry contemplate how it is possible to stay in form throughout the spring classics, rest, and be ready for the Giro (Roglic) and the Tour de France ( Pogacar and Vingegard). 
How are Wout, Mathieu and Pidcock doing? Let me tell you....they all had headliners one way or the other.

There is an excellent segment in the podcast where they talk about tires, rolling resistance, and tire width, and they reminisce about their old bikes!
A short preview of next week's races tops of this podcast. 
And yes......we kept the podcast within the hour! 

Enjoy episode 46!

Join Jack, Stewart, and Gerry for this week's Cycling news. Heads up, this is a long-form podcast cast of 1 hour and 20 minutes, but if we said so ourselves, it's an excellent podcast. Episode 45!
We talk in-depth about last week's racing, including Strade Bianche and the first stage of Paris-Nice. 
The Tech corner is fully loaded, discussing the new SRAM Force and Shimano Cues group set, new continental GP 5000 tires, and the SRAM vs Princeton Carbon works lawsuit.
We top it off with some cycling media news and introduce our future podcast guest.
Enjoy this podcast, and please subscribe and like :-)

Agenda:
Race ReviewCycling industry/mediaTech CornerNext week + Guest interview announcement Paris Nice - “the race to the sun”
The 2023 Paris–Nice is a road cycling stage race that will take place between 5 and 12 March 2023 in France. It will be the 81st edition of Paris–Nice and the sixth race of the 2023 UCI World Tour.
8 stages. 2 flat, 2 hilly, 1 flat, with uphill finish, TTT, 2 mountain stages.
Ttt individual time counts!
https://www.paris-nice.fr/en/overall-route
Tireno Adriatico
The 2023 Tirreno–Adriatico is a road cycling stage race that will take place between 6 and 12 March 2023 in Italy. It will be the 58th edition of the Tirreno–Adriatico and the seventh race of the 2023 UCI World Tour.
New Shimano groupset 
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/shimano-launch-the-cues-ecosystem-to-unify-its-mid-tier-groupsets
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/shimano-cues/
Key points about Shimano Cues: 
Shimano Cues (Create Unique ExperienceS) is a new range of 9, 10 and 11 speed drivetrain components. 
A series of current flat bar group sets, including 10 & 11 speed Deore, Alivio, Acera and Altus, will be replaced by Cues. 
Shimano has strongly hinted Cues will also replace drop bar Tiagra, Sora and Claris road groupsets
Cassette spacing, chains and cable pull ratios are shared across all components, boosting inter-compatibility
All components are based on Shimano LinkGlide technology
All of this will make the lives of bike shop owners and mechanics – and in turn, consumers – easier and, theoretically, cheaper.
Assuming Cues becomes dominant as existing mid-tier components are phased out, shops shouldn’t need to hold as many distinct replacement items in stock.
New SRAM force
https://www.sram.com/en/sram/road/series/force-axs-d2?utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram%2Froad&utm_campaign=introducing+new+sram+force+axs
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/new-sram-force-etap-axs/
SRAM lawsuit
https://roadbikeaction.com/sram-versus-princeton-wheel-lawsuit-a-winner-loser
New Continental GP 5000 AS Tubless tire:
https://www.bikeradar.com/news/continental-gp5000-as-tr/

What a fantastic week of racing! It is starting to be very repetitive, but its true. This week it was the opening weekend for the classics season with Omloop het nieuwsblad and Kuurne - Brussels - Kuurne. Jack, Stewart Geoff and Gerry review the races in detail and share their opinions and exciting actions that caught their eyes. 

Next week Le Samyn, Strade Bianche and Paris Nice - Whoop!!

In addition to the races mentioned above we start with the UAE tour and Gran Camino in Spain.

Following global cycling news we also have an XC nationals update.

Jack and Geoff share some exciting technology like: 
the Uno X aero helmet, which reminded us about the movie Spaceballs. https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/is-the-new-uno-x-time-trial-helmet-the-wildest-one-yet/new tires developed by NASA? https://www.startengine.com/offering/smart-tire-companyupdated Zwift companion app. https://www.zwift.com/news/29779-companion-leaderboardsShimano 3 wheel pully. https://www.bikeradar.com/news/shimano-three-pulley-rear-derailleur-patent/Last but not least we talk about recovery. See top 10 tips below:


Reduce intensity and volume during your recovery week. I usually recommend a 3-1 schedule where you increase volume and/or power over the course of 3 weeks, followed by 1 week of recovery.Adequate Rest: Getting enough sleep is crucial for recovery. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night.Proper Nutrition: Consume a balanced diet with adequate protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Eating enough calories is essential for recovery after long workouts. Remember to lower your calorie intake during rest days in your recovery week. Active Recovery: Engage in low-intensity activities such as yoga, walking, or swimming to promote blood flow and speed up recovery.Massage: Massaging tight or sore muscles can help to increase blood flow, reduce inflammation and promote relaxation.Compression: Wearing compression socks or leggings can help to increase blood flow and reduce muscle soreness.Hydration: Drinking enough water is essential for recovery. Aim to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily.Ice baths: Taking ice baths after a long workout can help to reduce inflammation and promote recovery.Stretching: Incorporate stretching exercises into your routine to help maintain flexibility and prevent injury.Listen to your body: Pay attention to how your body feels and adjust your training accordingly. Rest and recovery days are just as important as training days.

It’s still a bit cold outside, but Jack, Stewart, Geoff and Gerry got some miles in this past week and weekend. Now the crew gathered to bring you another episode of Cycling Talk!
So early in the season, but many riders, both on the men’s’ and women’s side, are already showing great form. Are they peaking too early, and why does it seem that there is now off-season anymore? Pocagar and Pidcock are already killing it, and what about Magnus Cort?!
This past week and weekend were not only about racing outside, but we also enjoyed the E-Racing world championships that was on full display using a new format. Hear all about who won and what they thought about this new format. 
Please take a look at the agenda and speaking notes below. We hope that you enjoy this episode!
Agenda:
Into - everyone's week (end)Pro cycling update - review and previewTech corner - new and interesting techLocal races and ridesCycling industry updatesPro cycling update:
Ruta del Sol - Pogacar, Mikel Landa and Enric Mas show great form. Plus riders getting blown of the road!
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/ruta-del-sol/2023/gc
Tour de Algarve in Portugal. Magnus Cort wins two stages, and Pidcock wins the mountain stage.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/volta-ao-algarve/2023/gc/stages/winners
Womens Stage race Valencia. Asleigh Moolman beats van Vleuten uphill stage.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/setmana-ciclista-valenciana/2023/stage-4
World championships E-racing on Zwift UCI
https://news.zwift.com/en-WW/222798-your-2023-uci-cycling-esports-world-champions-are
Cyclocross
Fem van Empel win brussels. Drama at the start. Lights not working. ¾ field starts at whistle others wait amongst Celine Carmen Alverado, which probably cost her $12,500
Next races
Start UAE Tour 2/20 (tomorrow)
Big favorite Remco Evenpoel.
Pogacar not racing in UAE tour
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/pogacar-skips-uae-tour-defence-and-shuffles-early-season-calendar/
Omloop het volk 2/27 - start list https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/omloop-het-nieuwsblad/2023/startlist

Updates on Nationals? Let's do a brief update each week.
From the MASS FB Page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MASSRACERS
Mountain Bike Nationals Update
I see a lot of you have some questions regarding Nationals.  What John and I plan on doing is to host a Q & A on Zoom on Thursday, 2/23 at 6 PM to try and answer your questions.  I will send a Zoom link out later.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please ask them by responding to this post by next Tuesday.  That way I can try and have the answers.