The emergence of a new style of cycling ‘magazine’ has caused waves of excitement around the community.  Not just for its content and format, but for the writers behind it. 

2r is a new multi-media magazine about cycling available to download monthly and looks to feature some very interesting and inspiring writers as well as beautiful photo essays and in-depth written articles.

2r is a monthly “magazine” about the hidden side of pro cycling; the untold stories, riders before they were stars, the politics that shape this sport. – 2r

It seems Gerard Vroomen has had quite a bit to play in this ‘magazine’ coming to fruition and recently posted basic details of the release on his blog. So too has the superb blogger @inrng who highlighted the inaugural edition on his page, which sparked a very interesting debate between people with two main issues.

The first being the inclusion of legendary cycling commentator and all round wind-up merchant, Paul Kimmage who is set to dig deeper into the endless drama of cycling every month. I’ve long been a fan of Kimmage and think his knowledge of cycling and the inner workings of teams and of course doping is superb and fully support him sharing this knowledge with the public in order to broaden their minds.

The second major talking point is one I do certainly have a problem with and that’s that currently 2r is only available on iPad running iOS 6. I don’t have an iPad… which meant it was going to make writing this review particularly difficult! I contacted some of the writers and to be honest they seemed as bemused as I did as to why the current target audience was so small. All current reviews of 2r state that they will soon be releasing it for other platforms, but this is still no good for you reading this review! It seems like a wonderful concept for a magazine and I’m really looking forward to reading it and in truth I was seriously annoyed when I realised I couldn’t view it.

However, Mr Vroomen tells us that “In issue 1, Paul interviews LeMond about his relationships with Hinault, Fignon and Armstrong. In the 44(!) page interview, they also cover races being sold, cocaine, and awkward dinners (with the chef of Renault and Lance). Boonen revisits his worst loss, Gesink draws his first bike and Nuyens contemplates retirement. To top it off, Cavendish thinks about what he would do as the UCI president. Plus the most beautiful photos from l’Équipe and Sirotti.”

So if you have already read the new 2r, or have been inspired to go and check it out following this completely flawed review (let’s not sugar coat this!) then please do comment below and let us know what you think.  How do you feel about the concept, the writers, it’s availability etc….and maybe you could write the next review after I get fired!

Stevie

The good people at the AMGEN Tour of California have announced a competition to design the jersey that will adorn the leader of the race’s Breakaway From Cancer Most Courageous rider… and you have a competitor to vote for!  VOTE HERE

I took a lot of enjoyment out of designing our Loving The Bike 2012 team kit, and in our opinion it turned out great.  The design process was made easier by knowledge of Photoshop CS5 and new designs for the team kit range are underway.

Very recently I stumbled across this competition to design a jersey for the Pro peloton and just had to have a crack at it. I kept the strong bold colours of the 2012 jersey which show off the ToC and Breakaway from Cancer spirit as well adding in the Breakaway logo in a Garmin-Sharp inspired pattern. I feel it’s striking and would be able to stand out from the crowd.

Although there is a great prize up for grabs to whoever gains the most public votes for their jersey design, I’m unlikely to be able to capitalise on it from this side of the pond and that’s not why I’m doing it. I enjoy designing cycle kits and would be very proud to see this riding the roads of California!

This competition is all based on public opinion so if you like my design, please take a few moments to vote for my jersey and spread the word. You can VOTE HERE for my jersey and design and submit your own here.

If you need a jersey or kit designed… let me know!

Stevie

By my calculations it is exactly 18 days until the start of this years pinnacle event in the season’s calender, Le Tour de France. This year’s event is set to be a real spectacle with 4 mountain-top finishes and the re-installment of the team time trial as well as enough flat stages for the sprinters to shake a stick at. [ED - While we are on the subject of mountain-top finishes, here's a neat little fact for you to taunt your buddies with. This year's Tour passes over the highest mountain it has been over in it's history. Le Col Agnel stands at 2,777m and will be at an average of 6.5% and has only been used in Le Tour once before in 2008 when Egoi Martinez crested the summit first with Simon Gerrans eventually taking the stage win.]

As I write this, the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse are in full swing where some of the big guns are showing their worth, knowing that it is vital in preparing the body for the perils of Le Tour as well as being able to get the closest possible reconnaissance of your rivals before the riders arrive on L’Ile de Noirmoutier on the 2nd of July. We have already witnessed a somewhat crazy, if not enthralling (compared to last year) Giro d’Italia with notable rides from Scarponi, Gadret, Nibali, Rodriguez and the punchy José Rujano who all seemed to be fighting for 2nd place after Clenbutador turned on the gas in the mountains.

The ‘Alternative List’

Over the next few weeks you will undoubtedly be inundated with lists of possibles, probables, big hitters and no hopers for this years Tour. Quite boringly these official publications, online and in print, have their image to think about and don’t generally rock the boat… well now you have me! Here is the ‘Alternative List’ of information on some of the biggest riders (and one other) in this years race with my own take on their chances…

Alberto Contador, Clenbutador, Clenty… what ever you want to call him he is going to play a big part in this years Tour, as he has done over the past few years. The diabolical state that he and the UCI have left our sport in over the last 12 months is unexcusable to you and I but the powers that be seem to sleep soundly at night. The wins that he gifted to José Rujano, Igor Anton and Paolo Tiralongo in this years Giro in an attempt to gain kudos points to cash in at Le Tour made me choke on my filet mignon. Personally, I cannot fathom how anybody who knows anything about professional cycling could cheer for Clenty and I hope he snaps a spoke or drops a chain on every major climb and gets found to be the cheating ass that we all know he is. That is all.

Brother Grimpeur the Younger, Andy Schleck has to be classed as the bookies favourite of all ‘never-tested-positive’ riders. Baring a mind bendingly stupid Schleckanical, Andy will have a strong team around him that will able to control the race until they hit the mountains, and if all else fails, he has been working on his camouflage and concealment to enable him to hide 10km from the summit and just jump out from the woods in front of the leading group. After coming so close in the last two years the Grimplette will need a large wallet in his jersey pocket to take this years event and may be better off trying to secure the white jersey of the Young Rider classification for the last year he is eligible.

I’ve never hidden my feelings about dopers or those ‘that have never tested positive’ but annoyingly I have a soft spot for Veino. Whether it is his sheer brazenness, his tears following his first win after returning from his ban in the 2009 Tour de L’ain, or the realisation that he is one of the only remaining cyclists left in the peloton who I loved to watch when I begun to get into the sport. Every sinew of my body tells me I should want to throw a lead filled bidon at his tiny blonde head but my noggin-box stops me every time and I end up screaming “Gitmek Veino, sadece fincanda piss yok!”

Cadel ‘Cuddles’ Evans generally looks like a bulldog chewing a wasp but opitimises everything that is Australian. He might look like a bag of melted Hershey’s Kisses but with a flash of those amazingly vein-busted legs, a cheeky joke with his 2km wide gob and the dulcet tones of his Northern Territory upbringing he could have your girlfriend away from you in a second… and have you believe it was your fault! A true Aussie! Cuddles may be 63 years of age but he is one of the most exciting riders to watch in the Pro peloton and able to finish 3 week grand tours with only 1 working elbow, which is not something that has been said about many cyclists. I love Cuddles’ post race comments as much as seeing him gnarl his way to victory and hope he can be the first man in history to race Le Tour for a full 50 consecutive years.

Given his recent Tour de California victory and the fact that 90% of this posts’ readership is probably American I though I should add a Yank into the list to keep the flying monkeys from the window. If you hadn’t already realised this post does not have a massive basis on facts… and that’s what makes Chris Horner a perfect pick for the US’ entry into the ‘Alternative List’. After being shepherded around the suburban roads of California by his team to the biggest win of his career, Horner made my favourite quote of the year thus far when discussing his Tour pedigree:

“I have definite plans of riding there in 100 percent form. I will focus solely on working to bring my form back up to 100 per cent for the Tour de France. I plan on being top five, if not on the podium. I think I can climb with anyone in the world and I’ll show that in July.”

Sorry what!? You can ‘climb with anyone in the world’ now that you’ve won the Tour de America!?!?! I beg to differ… nay… I say you frickin’ can’t! I’m not belittling the ’4th Grand Tour’, really I’m not, it really was an exciting event this year that I enjoyed watching, but Horner was in the same kindergarten class of ’48 as Cuddles! He got 10th overall last year but I think he may have inhaled some funny smoke from all of those college kids lining the Californian roads if he thinks he can mix it with the bog boys come July. Not to mention, I can’t think of a suitable nickname for him… he’s got no chance!

Twiggo has just taken victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné and in doing so, has probably smashed to smithereens all possibilities of winning Le Tour. Like any true Brit, the Mod-father performs well when he is able to be humble and stay out of the limelight but falls to useless stiff upper-lipped pieces when people start looking at him. After his great performance in the 2009 Tour, his preparation for 2010 mainly consisted of riding every race that supplied you with a starting number and thus he had enough energy to competitively race the first 70% of every Tour stage and began to falter just in time for the live TV coverage to start, which made him look like an ass! This year is different. He and Team Sky’s Davey B recognised the mistakes they made with his preparation straight after he’d ballsed up the 2010 event and are ready to crack some skulls… but then he went and won on Sunday and now his odds are as short as Samuel Dumoulin, D’oh!

Let us know who you will be cheering/booing for in July and please remember, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are entirely mine and do not represent those of The Boss or Lovingthebike.com! If you wish to sue, please be aware I have very very little money… it’s probably not worth it!

Lead, follow…. or get out of the way!

@StevieDexter