Photography by Matt de Neef & Cor Vos

Rocacorba Daily

Tuesday January 6, 2015

by Matt de Neef - January 6, 2015

In this morning's edition of the Rocacorba Daily news digest: Caleb Ewan and Chloe Hosking take overall honours at the Bay Crits; Wiggins renews with Team Sky, but only until 2015 Paris-Roubaix; AIGCP managing director Eisenga says 2017 UCI WorldTour reform deadline ‘a challenge’; Cadel Evans playing down chances of Nationals win; Laurens Ten Dam's year on Strava; Reflections on the exclusivity of Rapha; Altitude training causes fluctuations relevant to the Athlete Biological Passport; Peter Sagan and Specialized - A Partnership Renewed; Fan whistle eliminates Adam Blythe from Revolution Longest Lap; The art of the track stand ... with a gas bottle on your head.

Caleb Ewan and Chloe Hosking take overall honours at the Bay Crits

Caleb Ewan (Orica-GreenEdge) and Chloe Hosking (Wiggle-Honda) have emerged as overall winners of the four-day Mitchelton Bay Cycling Classic (Bay Crits) in Victoria.

Ewan went into the final stage in Williamstown with an unassailable lead in the overall classification. The stage was won by Greg Henderson (New Zealand National Team) who, along with Roger Kluge (IAM), was the driving force behind a five-rider breakaway that got clear and contested the win. Ewen took the bunch kick for sixth place.

In the elite women’s race, third place in the final stage was enough for Chloe Hosking to maintain her slim advantage in the overall standings. Hosking’s teammate Giorgia Bronzini took the stage win ahead of Kimberley Wells (Roxsolt), despite a protest from the Roxsolt team that Bronzini had taken her hand off the bars in the last lap and pushed Wells.

Stay posted for a photo gallery later today featuring our favourite images from the four days of the Bay Crits. Results from the men’s race can be found here and from the women’s race here.

Wiggins renews with Team Sky, but only until 2015 Paris-Roubaix

by Shane Stokes

Bradley Wiggins’ oft-stated desire to scale back his road career and to refocus on track racing for the 2016 Olympic Games has been reflected in the details of his new contract arrangement, with Team Sky announcing Monday that the Briton will remain with the team until April.

After that, Wiggins will depart and is expected to be part of the new Team Wiggins setup, a Continental team with a track orientation but which will also ride road events.

The category of the team’s licence will mean that Wiggins will be unable to ride many of the top events in cycling after that point, including the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia.

“Everyone knows what this team means to me so I’m really pleased to extend my contract until the end of April 2015,” Wiggins said Monday. “I’ve been with Team Sky from the start. I’ve had some amazing experiences during that time and I hope there are a few more to come.

“Sky’s investment in cycling, and this team in particular, has helped change the cycling landscape in the UK and I’m proud to have played a part in that story.”

Click here to read more at CyclingTips.

AIGCP managing director Eisenga says 2017 UCI WorldTour reform deadline ‘a challenge’

by Shane Stokes

The UCI has been working for several years to try to reform the sport of professional cycling, with new team structures and smaller WorldTour rosters two of the changes previously specified as likely by the governing body.

This would coincide with a reworked professional calendar and possible adjustments to the length of Grand Tours and other races to avoid overlap.

However, the managing director of the professional teams’ organisation AIGCP, Luuc Eisenga, has said that he believes the projected 2017 date for the new system is now unlikely to be met.

Eisenga explained that he felt the ongoing negotiations between the UCI and teams were not sufficiently advanced to meet that deadline.

“There is still a good chunk of work to do,” he confirmed to CyclingTips on Monday. “So basically you have to calculate backwards [to see if the timescale is feasible – ed.].

“If something is to be up and running from 2017, then rule changes should be in place some time in advance. I would say that this is a challenge.”

Click here to read more at CyclingTips.

Cadel Evans playing down chances of Nationals win

On Sunday Cadel Evans (BMC) will take part in his final national road championships and despite being arguably the favourite for the race, Evans is playing down his chances.

“I’m going to Ballarat to ride the best race I can”, Evans said. “If I get a result, that’s even better. I’m going there to race well and do my best.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to win the road race at the national championships, but I’m just realistic about it. I’m going to be the most watched guy out there.”

Evans will have just two teammates to support him on the day — Rohan Dennis and Campbell Flakemore — compared with the nine-strong Orica-GreenEdge team.

To many fans, Cadel Evans winning the nationals in his third-to-last race as a professional would be a fairy tale.

“I don’t believe in fairytales,” Evans said. “We just have to be realistic about these things. We’ll prepare as well as we can, do the best race we can, and the result will tell the story.”

Laurens Ten Dam’s year on Strava

If you use Strava you would have seen that the ride-tracking service provides a bunch of handy data at the end of the year to give you a snapshot of your year of riding. Dutch cycling magazine Soigneur.nl has sifted through Laurens Ten Dam’s Strava data from 2014 and put together a fascinating infographic.

Here are some of the more interesting points:

Distance covered: 28,138km
Average speed: 33.5km/h
Time on the bike: 863 hours
KOMs gained: 773
KOMs lost: 574
Max speed: 116.6km/h

Click here to see the full infographic at Soigneur.nl.

Reflections on the exclusivity of Rapha

Rapha is one of those brands that seems to be increasingly polarising these days. Those that love Rapha’s clothing love Rapha’s clothing, and those that don’t can be quite scathing about what the brand has come to represent.

In a well written blog post on Medium, Alexander Rose-Innes tackles the issue of Rapha’s “exclusivity”, the company’s Imperial Works program and the limited membership available to the new Rapha Cycling Club.

Here’s an excerpt:

“

The Rapha Cycling Club is taking the worst aspects of the English caste system and applying it to a traditionally equitable sport. “By application only” and “Like minded” have always been ciphers for something more venal. Most people not burdened with certain preconceptions realise that this whole thing sucks. Cycling membership in Australia has always been a simple matter of signing up with your local club in order to race or participate in group rides. For me, the Rapha Cycling Club has neither a desirable social compact nor a value proposition.

What’s your take?

Click here to read more.

Altitude training causes fluctuations relevance to the Athlete Biological Passport

Swiss and Danish researchers have published a research paper looking at the impact altitude training has on “haematological parameters” and the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), using elite, international athletes as a case study.

A group of swimmers was made to “live high and train high” for three to four weeks at 2,130m above sea level, while a control group trained for three weeks at sea-level.

To quote the researchers:

“

After altitude training, six swimmers exceeded the 99% ABP thresholds: two swimmers exceeded the OFF score thresholds at day +7; one swimmer exceeded the OFF score threshold at day +28; one swimmer exceeded the threshold for RET% at day +14; and one swimmer surpassed the ABPS threshold at day +14. In the control group, no values exceeded the individual ABP reference range.

In conclusion, the researchers claim, living high and training high induces changes to an athletes physiology “which can exceed the individually generated references in the ABP”. The researchers thus suggest that “training at altitude should be considered a confounding factor for ABP interpretation for up to four weeks after altitude exposure but does not consistently cause abnormal values in the ABP”.

Click here to read more at the Wiley Online Library.

Peter Sagan and Specialized - A Partnership Renewed

We’re certainly looking forward to seeing what Peter Sagan will be capable of with his new Tinkoff-Saxo squad in 2015.

Disclosure statement: Specialized is a long-time supporter of CyclingTips but they did not ask us to share this video.

Fan whistle eliminates Adam Blythe from Revolution Longest Lap

Orica-GreenEdge recruit Adam Blythe was disqualified from the Revolution Track Series longest lap race over the weekend after mistaking a fan’s whistle for the whistle used to signify the start of the sprint. Check it out in the video below.

The art of the track stand … with a gas bottle on your head

And speaking of track stands, check out this impressive effort from a man believed to be from São Paulo, Brazil.

The Rocacorba Recap

And finally this morning, here are a few things you might have missed at CyclingTips:

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Today’s feature image was shot at yesterday’s final stage of the Bay Crits in Williamstown. Stay posted for a gallery of images later today.

Tags: 2015 Australian Road Nationals, 2015 Bay Crits, AIGCP, biological passport, Bradley Wiggins, Caleb Ewan, Chloe Hosking, Laurens ten Dam, Longest Lap, Peter Sagan, Rapha, Rocacorba Daily, Strava, Team Sky, track stand

Cam

Rapha is a brand, the Rapha Cycling Club is a mechanism for establishing brand loyalty and selling more products to the Rapha faithful. I think it is a bit far fetched to compare membership to the English caste system. I’m pretty sure that the primary eligibility criteria for membership would be a history of purchasing Rapha clothing, which is open to anyone.
- jules
  
  but it’s the image that they’re trying to sell. I most value the experiential aspects of cycling. I’m not too fussed about image and aesthetics. sometimes my bike is covered in crap if I’ve had better things to do than clean it. I tend to wear plain clothing. I admire the quality of Rapha stuff and I’d wear it, except that I can’t justify the cost. but I’m not down with the brand image they have built. for me this stems from when i went to a private school. I hate the elitist theme that runs through those places. like Rapha, elitist private schools are an artificial construct designed to market an expensive product. i don’t hate private schools or Rapha themselves, I just don’t ‘buy’ them.
  
  i also like Wiggo. instead of cultivating an image based on his Tour win like Lance did, he hates that stuff and prefers to get pissed and joke about his nan’s incontinence. /rant
- dbranson
  
  Purchasing Rapha clothing is only open to those that can afford it, it is not open to anyone.
  - James
    
    It is open to anyone, it is the choice of individuals how they spend their money. People have to make the same assesment on any consumer purchase they make, can’t see how this is a Rapha specific issue.
    - dbranson
      
      Unfortunately not everyone has the money to spend in this manner; there are many people that simply do not have this choice. As the gap between rich and poor widens in many countries, it is good to question the intention of increased exclusivity. There is a message behind the intent of what Rapha is creating and it is important to consider its meaning and what it says about the world. It is a specific issue for Rapha and each of us.
      - jules
        
        but it’s not increased exclusivity. inequitable access to healthcare based on its costs is a material problem. enticing a wealthy person to pay a lot of money for a product that is really just as available to less wealthy people, for a lower price, actually increases social equity. it just tricks their customers into believing the opposite. it’s a figment of their imagination.
        
        dcaspira
        
        Jules, probably more like taking advantage of individuals desire for “social validation” than a trick, much like posting thoughts on this forum. You invest your thoughts to be rewarded with replies, and votes etc. On a serious note, has CTips created an imperial line? -:)
        
        jules
        
        seriously i don’t get enough votes for the time i put in ;)
        
        the difference is that i enjoy ranting about cycling stuff, while attempting to purchase ‘social validation’ in the form of cycling attire does not come with any experiential benefit or gratification. it’s just insecure.
        
        dcaspira
        
        Just gave you a vote, shop wisely ;-)
      - Cam
        
        This is a consumable item not an essential service. I would agree with your point if you were talking about education and health care, but we are talking about bib shorts and socks, let’s keep this in perspective.
        
        dbranson
        
        Yes, true the forum is cycling, but there are large forces at play here that cross these boundaries and it is important to reflect in all facets of life. Bib shorts and socks speak louder than words some times.
  - Andy
    
    I don’t really find Rapha gear all that expensive if you buy it at the right time; there are much more expensive brands available, just wait for the many sales and discount coupons they have and you can get good deals and good quality gear
- Steve
  
  Exclusivity creates desire and Rapha has always played on this. Making their product inaccessible to everyone through high prices or exclusive access is nothing new. Their whole RCC thing makes you go through an application process to make you feel you’re worthy of being accepted. Their Imperial Works program simply meant that you were in the top 4% of spenders. Trying to establish a class system is exactly what they’re doing, but brands do this all the time and this is just an evolution of what Rapha does. Does it fit into the ethos of cycling? Certainly not for me. All they attract now are the attention and status seekers who care about showing off their kit on instagram and hashtag the hell out of it #rapharide etc. I find it unbelievable that people still fall for it. What Alexander Rose-Innes writes is spot on.
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/rivos Rivo Sarapik
  
  I don´t see them as creating cast system. There are loads of companies selling “exclusive” stuff but them saying it is exclusive (something you should grab) doesn´t mean you should or have to. I think it works the same way with Rapha. It is, and has been from the beginning, a company. It´s aim is simple - sell and earn profit. That´s the way to look at the things they do. And it has been more creative than others (like various versions of conent marketing - videos to RCC, new materials and making different kind of products). Plus it has given the competitors a reason to show some effort - again new materials, ideas for marketing etc. I wouldn´t blame them for that. I suppose everybody has their own “ethos” for cycling.
Gordon

The guy with the gas bottle is my new hero….and his shape is not dis-similar to mine. there is hope for me.
And to echo some similar comments from yesterday I look forward to the year with CT. I hope it goes bigger and better, even if it doesn’t need to.
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  That trackstand with the gas bottle on his head puts him down as a legend in my books
  - dbranson
    
    Agree! Either full or empty it is still mad skill!!!
- Daniel
  
  I struggle walking back from the petrol station with my gas bottle!
LeeRoy

^ I’m not sure the author of the anti-Rapha blog realises the inherent contradiction in his article. He waxes lyrical about how the exclusivity of the Imperial club is undesirable because it reinforces class divides and elitism but it would seem that the deciding factor for him in deciding to walk away from Rapha is that they sold out on him by scrapping the Imperial Works club redundant in favour of a new exclusive club (which he cannot automatically join) thereby devaluing the “exclusivity” and “value” of his Imperial Works wardrobe.
- Daniel
  
  Yep. I suspect a more valid gripe would be he was “sold” exclusivity and that no longer exists.
  The private school analogy is stretching it a bit. Lots of people dislike expensive brands like a private school, Mercedes, Gucci, Rapha just like lots of people dislike poorly funded public schools, Hyundai, Target, Netti.
  If the Rapha Cycling Club was preventing people from participating in cycling I would be bashing my keyboard angrily. Until that happens I will bash my key board angrily (in other places) about the inequitable school funding system in Australia
  - They call me Bruce
    
    What an interesting article. Good analysis, Daniel. I must confess, bitterness from being spurned by the fashion industry is not something I had previously attributed to male sports journalism : )
    
    Totally agree that education should be more generously funded by the Government, but…..I’ve worked in THE MOST disadvantaged public school in my state and also one of the most exclusive independent schools. I can assure you, there is plenty of money floating around the public system and plenty of resources whereas much of the prestige and capital of private schooling is marketing gloss. The classrooms often have few computers and even fewer learning support teacher aids. No amount of click-bait anti-private-school media articles (not saying yours is) can convince me otherwise because this reality makes my life difficult every day. Generally, the public system is not underfunded, they just have less choice as to which staff they are able to attract and retain and an inability to dismiss those who aren’t doing their job.
    There, I feel better now :) Looking forward to my ride this afternoon….
- dbranson
  
  I believe the author does realize in his argument that the emperor has no cloths and now sees that the Imperial Club was only ever a marketing scheme. Specifically the discounted sale of Imperial Club cloths shows the author the true value of the once exclusive club gear. Seeing the mistake the author is thus not participating in another more exclusive Rapha club and is warning others not to participate.
  - LeeRoy
    
    Agreed - but it seems he was willing to go along with it while he enjoyed the exclusivity and “prestige” membership conferred.
    btw - as others have mentioned, a club like this is really marketing 101 and exists in countless other spaces - some exclusive and some less so. Think American Express, Qantas, your local nightclub etc
RWH

I’m a bit lost on the Rapha discussion, but I guess I can see some of the authors point.
In short, there are cycling brands that I like and ones that I don’t (some for no real reason than I just don’t like them), and there are things I will spend more money on than others.
There is just as much exclusivity in certain bike stores in Melbourne and around the world, who, when you walk in if you’re not 65kg with shaved legs simply won’t give you the time of day - which I find interesting when my disposable income is probably a multiple of some of the folks they pander over whilst ignoring me! This to me is a much more direct “class” system than a slick marketing campaign and unfortunately has turned me away from several local stores.
At the end of the day I chose where to spend my money, on some things I will spend more (the good kit just seems to last a bit longer) and on others I won’t (do I really need to chase my bike weight down when I could lose some kg’s myself?).
Life is all about choices folks, don’t get bitter just be happy with the ones you make and enjoy the ride! (and yes I have purchased Rapha, and Assos, and Castelli, etc etc)
scottmanning

Rapha - A fool and his money are soon easily parted.
LeeRoy

Not sure why Rapha is so polarising. Their clothing is well made and comfortable albeit somewhat expensive. In Melbourne there are a number of other local niche brands which command similar, if not higher prices, for clothing of similar quality.
- RWH
  
  Great point
- dcaspira
  
  I agree Lee,
  
  There was a fantastic quote / insight found in the KTC (rapha manufacting blog) by Rapha Founder Simon Mottram (SM).
  
  GK: Bob Sheard (of FreshBritain) once said that the ‘truth’ of
  Rapha is that they have unearthed the romance of cycling?
  
  SM: Yes and I am very happy to talk about romance and the
  emotional side of the sport. I think it is very relevant but you
  have to be very careful. Romance and romantic is a very
  pejorative expression or word isn’t it? It can be taken to be not
  serious or perhaps not technical and not performance but for
  us it is about not making that compromise. We lead first with
  emotion. When someone sees the Rapha image it’s their heart
  talking and not their head but they will also need the
  reassurance that the product is good and correct and will fit
  well. So, all the rational side is very important but they are
  definitely making their purchase decision with their heart.
- Ralph
  
  This is a good point. There are a lot of brands scrambling for Rapha exclusivity (though I haven’t turned my mind to this club thing yet). Isn’t the elephant in the room though not the $200 jersey or whatever but the $10,000+ bikes? This is where the snobbery (hello high BMI with unnecessary carbon rims) and massive price gouging exists, not the shirts on people’s backs.
  
  Welcome back for 2015 by the way ct, glad to have you back :)
Jim

That Rapha spiel is going to get ugly … buy it if you like the look and want to spend the dollars - if you want similar woolly quality in a jersey without the label just get Torm as an alternative.
Rowena

Why does it matter that Rapha is being exclusive? It is their right, there are other labels out there that are not as expensive and just as nice and functional. Everyone can buy a Giant bike, but not everyone can buy a top of the line Giant bike.

My experience of Rapha clothing is that it lasts well and I prefer to spend my dollars once not twice, three pairs of quality knicks over 6 pairs of cheaper knicks; then it also comes down to a discussion on consumerism and how much a person chooses to consume. What is your environmental impact could be another facet of this discussion.

Cycling is already an elite group of people, sure you can buy a cheaper bike or a second hand bike, but it is still only open to a specific group of people. It’s not like soccer or AFL, it doesn’t have that grass roots accessibility that those sports have and we know this to be true because of the participation levels at a local club level in juniors racing.

We’re now more than ever becoming dissatisfied with the gaps between rich and poor. Not just the economic difference difference of how they earn more than me, but the opportunity afforded to those who can and those can’t.

For example my boss asks me to recommend a place for dinner, “I’m sorry sir, but I don’t go to fancy restaurants, best that we let the Executive General Manager who frequently eats out deal with that.” Obviously there are way around this and the example is rather flimsy but it’s all that I had.

Rapha’s exclusive little club means that you will probably mix with a more financial group of people, you will be accepted much easier into groups around the world with this little badge and your linkedIn connections will obviously begin to widen.

Ultimately the question will be, exactly what does this little club give you? Can it improve your financial prospects by introducing you to other well-to-do men and women who’re perhaps holding better positions than you currently are. Can it help you make more money? If the answer is yes, then by all means write your 100 words about the perfect riding adventure or whatever it is they’re after.

However, regardless of how much I love my Rapha knicks (comfort/pink letters) that I bought on sale and would never pay full price for just in the same way that I try not to pay full price for anything I buy… they’re the most boring kit designers on the market.

An arm band? Wow. Yawn.
raphanatic

For me, the Imperial Works thing was simply a nice recognition of supporting the emerging company by buying lots of their stuff. I got a card for a free coffee at one of the Rapha clubs (never used), access to buy a small range of other clothes (only bought a few- not to be special but because they looked good) and invites to a few Rapha club events (which i did attend). I thought it was a great way to acknowledge brand loyalty in a way that repaid that loyalty to their biggest customers and I probably did buy more because i suppose they showed that they valued those who bought lots of their gear. Despite knowing it was just marketing i thought the whole IW thing had some air of authentic appreciation of their loyal customers. I didn’t even know the IW scheme existed before being sent the card.

But now that’s gone and they want and annual $300 to be part of the “club” offering the same sort of IW things plus a bunch of exclusive services that I’ll never use- There’s no more recognition of their loyal customers (call us fanboys if you like) but a request to pay up for not much- feels like their trying to wring as much as possible out of customers and pushing how far people will be sucked into their exclusive lifestyle image.

I’ve read a few other blogs about people not happy with the new scheme. I think they’ve gotten this wrong