KOMs and the UCI

Finally the Sports Tracker website is back and so I can bring you the map from the Canal biking ride I did last Wednesday. For your information this includes a couple of Strava top tens, although one is on a road, so I'm not really claiming it considering I was on a mountain bike. So anyway, four hours of suffering in the Midlands for you.

Moving on I was able to ride more at the weekend on a bit of a favourite loop. Without getting too obsessed with Strava this was the ride where I appeared to have scored a King of the Mountains, beating a veteran rider sponsored by local shop AW Cycles. Partly I wanted to see if it was for real. This meant I went at the climb in question with all guns blazing and did even manage to beat my previous best time. However, it hurt a lot. Still, there's a bunch of top tens in there and the added incentive of virtual racing does spice up a route you know well.

Well there you go, I officially do have a KOM and more to the point I really enjoyed the ride in perfect conditions, with a soft top surface and grip below and woods to thread fast and smoothly through.

Elsewhere there was disappointment in the World Road Championships as all the British riders withdrew during the race in torrential rain. Rui Costa took the victory and the stripes as, I imagine the GB team all watched on television. Prior to the race the torments of Tiernan-Locke continued as he was pulled form the race after being informed of an irregularity in his biological passport dating from before he joined Sky.

There was better news for Wiggins back in London where he was awarded a blue plaque to be placed at Paddington Rec where he learned to ride a bike.

In news from the UCI there was rejoicing in many quarters as Brian Cookson, the head of British Cycling, was elected to be president of the organisation, ousting Pat McQuaid and, for many, signalling the end of an era where cycling has had suspicion over it.

Finally, a former world champion did a ride with a huge amount of descending.

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