The Radavist

Tro Bro Leon is Its Own Unique Race
Photos and words by Ethan Glading

Don’t call it “the Paris-Roubaix of the west.” Or “Paris-Roubaix on dirt.” Don’t call it “the Paris-Roubaix x” of anything. Tro Bro Leon is its own unique race with a character and charm you won’t find at any other event.

Held in late April in far western Brittany, the race covers 205 kms of the beautiful Bretagne countryside, including 27 sectors of ribinou, narrow dirt roads that wind through woods, farmers’ fields, over hills, along the sea and even through tunnels. The weather is typically Breton: the riders face rain, dust, mud, sunshine and strong winds from all directions in the course of the race.

Trophy of Nations, You’ve Got my Mind Racing
Words by Kyle von Hoetzendorff, photos by Sven Martin

The EWS (Enduro World Series) and the UCI recently announced The Trophy of Nations.  A multi-day enduro race with a team racing component. Since 2013 the EWS has been run independently from the UCI and for good reason. It allowed the EWS to develop and hone the series from track selection to race format and rules without the bureaucratic lethargy and bungling that is typically associated with the UCI.  Chris Ball and the rest of the EWS staff deserve high praise for taking the mandate to independently foster the growth of this series.

Veld Notes: Faces in the Flemish Cyclocross Crowd
Words by Andrew Juiliano  and photos by Ethan Glading

Beneath the coniferous canopy of an Antwerpian pine forest, somewhere close the Dutch-Belgian border, I’m standing and waiting to hear my name. It’s the final of the DVV Verzekeringen Trofee, one of the two major cyclocross series in Belgium. The announcer rattles off the names of the cycling superstars who will line up in front of me. World Champion Mathieu Van Der Poel, Belgian National Champion Toon Aerts, Czech National Champion Michael Boroš…there’s about 30 more. I’ve been champion of a few group rides in California, but I’m not sure that news has made it onto the announcer’s list of fun facts.

Veld Notes: Rubber Side Up Hoogstraten Belgium
Words by Andrew Juiliano  and photos by Tomás Montes

Start Graf

The wind gusts. Rain blows straight through my skinsuit. I shudder. It’s Forty American degrees and pissing Belgian rain.  The grey buildings of Hoogstraten’s fruit-packing district try to blend into the angry sky.

“Dertig seconden…Thirty seconds to start!”

Neither rain nor wind nor biting chill will stop the penultimate stop of the Telenet Superprestige today, and this is the weather the sport lives for. The fans lick their chops at the shivering, skinny bike racers. The clock ticks toward start time, 3:03 p.m. on a wintery Belgian Sunday, and muddy entertainment awaits the Flemish masses.

Squid World Tour: China V2.0, Way Outside of Beijing
Photos by Angel Perez and words by Emily Kachorek

We kicked off the cyclocross portion of Squid World Tour early again this year in August. After a successful weekend of UCI racing Down Under in Melbourne’s winter cyclocross conditions, we made our way up (way up) to Beijing, China for the 6th Edition of the always hot and muggy Qiansen Trophy Cup. In the past the majority of the races have been held in the outer rings of the capital city. This edition, however, the events would be held at all new venues outside (way outside) Beijing. The Squad was excited for all new courses, new roads, and a whole new Chinese adventure.

Dutch Veld Dispatch: My Roller Romance (AKA Euro Bike Racing)
Words by Andrew Juiliano  and photos by Tomás Montes

Tien…negen…acht…zeven…

I hear the pitter patter of tiny feet and look out the window.

Zes…vijf…vier…

A little girl runs around the corner and crouches behind the car.

Drie…twee…één!

She locks eyes with me, and holds a finger to her lips. I don’t need to speak Dutch to understand the universal sign for “Don’t blow up my hide-and-go-seek spot, bro!”

Dispatches from the Veld: On the Road to the Pontchâteau World Cup
Words by Andrew Juiliano  and photos by Ethan Glading

It was just after midday in Western France when Max dragged two bike bags off the train in Pontchâteau. The 31-year old Californian had reached the end of his four-hour journey from Paris. For the past month, he’d paused his career as an upright bass player to race cyclocross across Europe. The tour had taken him to World Cups in Belgium and as far as the burgeoning Swiss EKZ scene. In two days, he’d be on the start line for the penultimate stop of the UCI World Cup circuit, right there in the small Bretton city.