June 2013

GCN's Tour de France Hangout number one - every Monday during the Tour de France we'll be taking your questions on the Tour so far, and in episode one we had some great questions from you guys.
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Covering the crashes and busses on stage one, the battle for the green jersey between Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish, Team Sky's chances, how Michal Kwiatowksi is getting on and how many dogs will run in front of the peloton we talk about it all - despite Simon being on a ferry from Corsica to mainland France!

We'll be back next Monday at 9pm CET, 8pm BST, 4pm EST, 1pm PST, so get your questions ready.

The Global Cycling Network puts you in the centre of the action: from the iconic summit of the Stelvio to the epic trails of Fort William, Scotland, everywhere there is pavé or dirt, world-class racing, and pro riders, we will be there bringing you all the action, essential analysis and unparalleled access every week, every month, and every year.

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Music licensed by Cue Songs
Music - licensed by Cue Songs

GCN's Live Tour de France 2013 Hangout - Episode One

Bleeding Shimano disc brakes is simple when you know how. Improve the performance of your bike with our how to.
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If your disc brakes are feeling spongy, it could be because there is trapped air in the brake hose. If this is the case, bleeding your brakes could solve the problem. This may sound like a daunting job, but if you have the right tools it can be made much easier. 

In this video GCN shows you how to bleed Shimano brakes. The technique is the same across the Shimano range, and the general principles can be applied to most disc brake systems out there. 

As your brakes keep you safe, please take your bike to your local bike shop if you are at all unsure when it come to servicing them.

Music: The Ramona Flowers - Dismantle and Rebuild (Instrumental): 

How To Bleed Shimano Hydraulic Disc Brakes

GCN's preview of Stage 10 of the 2013 Tour de France gives a detailed fly through of the 197km route from Saint-Gildas-des-Bois to Saint-Malo. 
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GCN's stage previews are Google Earth fly throughs of each stage of the 2013 Tour, giving you a detailed look at the Tour route, the terrain, and highlighting all of the king of the mountain (KOM) and sprint points along the route, along with insights from GCN's ex pro and 2010 Tour de France finisher, Daniel Lloyd.

Music: Future Loop Foundation - Bossa Latino: 

Tour De France 2013 Stage 10 Fly Through

The Tour de France faces the first mountain top finish on Stage 8 to Ax-3-Domaines.
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The first mountain top finish of Tour comes on Saturday 6th July. Stage 8 takes the peloton 165km from Castres to Ax 3 Domaines. With 13 days of racing left after today, it could be a cagey affair amongst the favourites, but it's sure to give a clear indication of who will and who won't be competitive.

We'll look to Team Sky to control this stage from the outset, but with difficult alpine stages to Alpe d'Huez and Mont Ventoux coming in the final week, it could be that one of the lesser favourites or an opportunist with good climbing legs takes the win.

Daniel Lloyd raced these roads as an amateur and then as a pro in the Tour de France in 2010. He gives his insights on roads he has raced and knows well.

Tour De France 2013 - Stage 8 Detailed Insights

The Scott Addict HMX-SL weighs in at under 1kg and was debuted at the 2013 Tour de France.
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The Scott Addict HMX-SL was launched the day before the 2013 Tour de France started and it will be used by the Orica-GreenEdge riders in the mountain stages of the Tour de France. It is the first time that a production frame and fork have come in at under a kilogram. We spoke to Sebastien Servet, Scott's lead designer on the project about how they managed to get the frame and forks down to just 990g.

We also took a look at  Matt Goss's own Addict HMX-SL, which he will likely keep for the hillier days, preferring his more aerodynamic Scot Foil for the sprints. It almost goes without saying as the frame is so light, but even using a heavier-than-standard build, the Orica-GreenEdge mechanics have had to come up with new ways to add weight to the bike.

Music: Cause 4 Concern - Scatterbrain (Hybris Remix): 


Music licensed by Cue Songs
Music - licensed by Cue Songs

Orica-GreenEdge's Scott Addict HMX-SL

The Tour de France sees the debut in a World Tour race of a rider using hydraulic brakes. The team at SRAM took us through the setup of their Hydro R system on Mark Cavendish's Specialized Venge.
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These are one off SRAM Red 22 levers which actually run 10 speed instead of 11 - due to the teams not having switched to 11 speed this year. With increased power when braking from the hoods and consistent modulation of braking power, these UCI approved hydraulic rim brakes are sure to be seen in increasing numbers throughout the peloton. 

We're pretty sure that this is the future, but what do you think about hydraulic braking? Yes or no?

Mark Cavendish's Hydraulic Road Brakes By SRAM

GCN's preview of Stage 9 of the 2013 Tour de France gives a detailed fly through of the 168.5km route from Saint-Girons to Bagnères-de-Bigorre. 
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Tour de France Stage 9 Fly Through

The Tour de France is celebrating its 100th edition, and GCN were there to capture the atmosphere of the Grand Depart.
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The start of a Grand Tour is always an emotionally charged atmosphere. The riders nervously evade the media, conscious of their next three weeks in the limelight. Teams show off new products, bikes and sponsors to an expectant public, hungry for some of the glamour of the sport's biggest event. 

Here on Corsica, the relative inaccessibility has meant that crowds are smaller than elsewhere, but passions are running high among the local fans and those that have made the big trip. 

Tour de France - The 100th Grand Depart

Peter Sagan's rode his Cannondale SuperSix Evo to the Tour de France green jersey. We took a look at it at the 2013 Tour de France.
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Peter Sagan, last years green jersey, enters the Tour fresh off a victory in the Slovakian national championships. Ahead of the Grand Depart in Corsica, we took a look at his custom Cannondale SuperSix Evo.

Sagan's bike is equipped with SRAM Red 10 speed and a Cannondale chainset, FSA finishing kit and Vision wheels. Sagan perches on a Fi'zi:k Aliante saddle.

Although the kit may sound standard, Sagan's bike is far from it. It has custom weights to meet the UCI weight limit, you won't find this size in the shops, and the SRAM Red could be SRAM 'green' with custom accents and details.

Music: A Flock Of Seagulls - Telecommunication: 

Peter Sagan's Cannondale SuperSix Evo

Marcel Kittel of Argos Shimano rode a Felt F1 FRD to 4 stage victories at the 2013 Tour de France.
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The frame is built from the same carbon fibre weave as is used in F1 cars. The groupset - as expected from a Shimano factory team - is a full top of the range 11 speed Shimano Dura Ace electronic one, with the battery inside the Pro seatpost. Kittel uses a Pro Turnix saddle.

Pedals are also Dura Ace, cranks are 175mm, mated to an SRM powermeter. The Stem is an oversized Pro vibe sprint stem and handlebars. Kittel also uses satellite shiters on the lower part ofthe bars so he can shift while sprinting out of the saddle.

Wheels are Dura-Ace C50 carbon with 25mm Vittoria Corsa CX tyres. Lastly, Kittel uses Elite custom bottle cages.

Marcel Kittel's Felt F1 FRD

GCN's preview of Stage 8 of the 2013 Tour de France gives a detailed fly through of the 205.5km route from Castres to Ax-3-Domaines. 
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Music: La Rochelle - Madame Parov (Stellar Remix): 

Tour de France Stage 8 Fly Through

The Tour de France is the world's biggest annual sporting event. Here are GCN's recommendations for watching the Tour.
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What is the best way to watch the Tour de France? It has to be live, on the roadside in France. But, if you can't make it out to the Tour, how can you keep up with the race? Here are GCN's recommendations for the best ways to watch the Tour.

Comment and let us know how where you'll be watching the Tour from. Maybe we'll see you in France?!

June 2013

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