Ingredients:

Dry vermouth
Quality gin
Cranberry juice
Juice of 2 x large limes
Ice, for blending
Crushed ice, for serving.

Method:

Put whole ice into a metal cocktail shaker, add 1 shot dry vermouth and gently 'rinse' the ice thoroughly. Drain & discard the vermouth.

Add 3 shots of gin, 2 shots of cranberry juice and juice of 2 limes to shaker. Mix vigorously for 15 seconds or until outside of shaker begins to form condensation.

Serve over crushed ice, garnish with lime slice and 3 cranberries.

It's a controversial claim, isn't it?

But think about it for a minute.

Our economy is in recession (again), exports, such as they are, are down, imports are crippling us, the expense of running a car is approaching record levels, roads are approaching overwhelmed and obesity is becoming the National norm.

Large scale bicycle manufacture would create jobs, it would give us a product to export, it would give people a widely available low cost method of commuting and running errands.

More bikes on roads would reduce congestion, making roads significantly safer (and cheaper to maintain), the extra space could be used to implement properly designed mass transit solutions and proper infrastructure to support a cycling population. Urban spaces wouldn't need to be designed with vehicular access as the main consideration, Towns and cities would become liveable, personable spaces again.

Regular use of a bicycle is fantastic exercise, our health would benefit from reduced illness, levels of obesity would decline, savings to the NHS from treating inactivity induced illnesses could be used to further critical and social care without an increase in personal taxation.

As a population we'd enjoy greater health, a better environment, more money in our pockets, greatly reduced levels of unemployment, safer roads and urban spaces, a closer relationship with the areas in which we live, a vastly improved Health Service, lower Government debt and, potentially, as a Nation that produced physical goods rather than just financial services, a more secure National economic footing to see us safely through the next Global Economic Crisis.

Only bikes can save us. It's not really such a controversial claim after all, is it?

The official announcement of which 16 Teams would be competing in the 2012 edition of the Amgen Tour of California was made today.

The Teams are: AG2R La Mondiale, BMC Racing Team, Greenedge Cycling Team, Liquigas-Cannondale, Omega Pharma - Quick Step, Rabobank Cycling Team, Radio Shack Nissan Trek, Team Garmin-Barracuda, Columbia Coldeportes, Project 1t4i, Team Spidertech powered by C10, United Healthcare Pro Cycling Team, Bissell Pro Cycling, Bontrager Livestrong, Team Exergy and Optum Pro Cycling.

The Amgen Tour of California is listed by the UCI as a 2.HC event in the America Tour, as such this means that the event is run under UCI regulations.

Now, look back up at that list of Teams again. Notice anything? Radio Shack Nissan Trek are taking part, as are Bontrager Livestrong - the UCI mandated development squad for Radio Shack.

The UCI cycling regulations specifically ban any development squads from competing in the same event as the UCI ProTeam (excluding single events)

to quote the regulations in their entirety:

2.2.001 - Participation.

Riders belonging to Teams with the same paying agent or main partner may not compete in the same race except in the case of an individual event. Furthermore, no more than one National Team of each Nationality  may compete in an event. In addition, the participation of both a UCI ProTeam and the development Team supported by this same UCI ProTeam in accordance with article 2.15.130 is prohibited.

Section 2.15.130 of the regulations dictates that all UCI ProTour Teams must support young riders or grass roots racing. Specifically:

The UCI ProTour Team must carry out a training programme for young riders and / or a programme to support grass roots cycling. The details of these programmes shall be agreed by contract between the UCI ProTour Team and the UCI.

Why is this an issue? 

Each Team competes with 8 riders. There are no substitutions, you start with 8 and finish with whoever makes it to the line. However, with both a Pro Team and their Development Squad in the same race, the effective Team size is doubled, giving an obvious (and unfair), advantage to the Team in question - in this case Radio Shack Nissan Trek.

The UCI Cycling Regulations clearly state that this situation is not permitted in events run under their rules, yet Amgen have clearly, publicly broken this rule. Will the UCI do anything about it? Or, like Lance Armstrong making his return to competition at the Tour Down Under while not having complied fully with the anti-doping testing requirements, will another rule be ignored?

If the UCI do nothing to remedy this breach of regulations that every Team has to comply with,surely serious questions have to be raised about their ability to manage the sport fairly and impartialy.

 

picture via @bikedan you can visit his website here.

I'll post up more details soon but for now I wanted to get the pictures up as I know several of my Twitter followers were interested.

They may not be the prettiest bags but they have been really well designed, weigh next to nothing, make use of really tough materials and importantly: fit great when on the bike.

Actually, I was going to post more details next week but you could just check out the excellent piece by the nice guys at @roadcc by clicking here

A special edition of the Giro Factor with some (fairly subtle), British flag waving going on.

How do you fancy a CX frame built from Reynolds 853 with a unique (to the UK market) oversized carbon fork? One that's disc specific, has two sets of bottle bosses plus a set of Crudcatcher bosses, is light (ish), stiff, looks fantastic and offers plenty of mud clearance?

Well, it's yours from this summer for £799.

The distributor isn't sure what demand will be like so if you *must* have one before the next CX season starts let Madison know or contact your dealer.

and I'm going to ask him what, exactly, the coalition Government is doing to promote road safety for cyclists and what steps he proposes to take to make punishments for drivers who injure cyclists harsher & more in line with 'regular' crimes.

Did you get a form letter in response to your Cyclesafe campaign email, do you feel that your concerns are being ignored, do you have suggestions on how the Government could take steps to ensure cyclist safety on our roads? Email them to me and I'll present them directly to Mr.Cameron in his office.

It's time politicians stopped promising and started doing when it comes to keeping cyclists safe on our roads. They seem to believe we can be pacified with letters and talk of investment while more cyclists are injured and killed due to poor infrastructure or negligent drivers. We vote, we pay tax, we're every bit as entitled to use roads as drivers. It's time to remind politicians that they work for us and that we demand something is done. Now.

Send your Emails to alex.oates@velocentric.com and I'll pass them on to Mr.Cameron.