Off the back: Top five stories from October 2017
If you missed the big cycling stories on VeloNews, you can catch up right now. These are the five most-read stories of October 2017.
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Were you off the back last month? Don’t worry, if you missed out on some of the big cycling stories on VeloNews, you can catch up right now. These are the five most-read stories of October 2017 on VeloNews.com.
5. Will Talansky thrive at Ironman? The pros weigh in
Can a pro cyclist win Ironman?
It’s a question that cyclists and triathletes have mulled for decades. Swiss rider Karin Thurig balanced both disciplines simultaneously, winning five Ironman races and two UCI world time trial championships in the mid-2000s. Steve Larsen won Ironman Lake Placid in 2001 after retiring from his decorated pro cycling career. Chann McRae, Rolf Aldag, Kai Hundertmarck, and even Laurent Jalabert all gave it a try over the years.
4. How will U.S. market respond to Canyon’s arrival?
Inside a nondescript warehouse perched on a hill outside Koblenz, Germany, an alarm beeps and green lights flash every few minutes. A line of bicycle frames hanging from a conveyor belt jolts forward with each buzz. Frames move down the assembly line, stopping at workstations along the way, where workers install cranks, shifters, cables, and other components. Each time the green lights flick on, the conveyor sends the frames ahead. Station by station, frames are transformed into bikes and then packed into boxes, loaded onto trucks, and sent out across Europe.
3. Amateur cyclist caught with motor in bike at race in France
A cyclist was caught using a motorized bike during an amateur race in France on Sunday, the local public prosecutor revealed.
The tampered bicycle was discovered following a race in southwest France, with the rider, whose name and age was not published, “admitting to using this system.”
2. Commentary: Our rules for motorized cheaters
By now you’ve probably read that French amateur Cyril Fontayne was busted with a motorized bike in a race on Sunday near Périgueux. The French Cycling Federation and local authorities, led by ex-pro Christophe Bassons — known for clashing with Lance Armstrong back in the day over doping allegations — mustered all of their resources to catch the cheat. According to some reports, Bassons jumped into his car to chase the guy down, making Bassons the closest thing cycling has to an anti-doping superhero.
1. GoPro video helps California police catch driver who injured four
Thanks to a good Samaritan’s motorcycle-mounted camera, California police arrested a man suspected of injuring four cyclists in a hit-and-run. California Highway Patrol Marin apprehended Aaron Paff, 21, who they say injured four cyclists Saturday morning with his truck at the Jensie Gran Fondo in Marin.
