Eddy Merckx Last-Minute Race Prep
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Australia/NZ ROADFor the The thrill of the ride the of thrill The Wild west Cyclist hits the historic roads of Albany, WA E d d y Merckx Our long-awaited chat with cycling’s greatest Last-minute race prep What to do when you’ve left your run late ] ] ISSUE 18 JAN 2016 AU $12.95 NZ $15 (INC GST) Reviewed: Cannondale Synapse Hi-Mod, Trek Madone 9 Series Project One 18 PRINT POST APPROVED PP100009560 CYC18_001_Cover-v2-WA.indd 1 26/11/2015 7:26 pm January 2016 // Issue 18 56THE BIG RIDE Way out west Cyclist goes cross-country – literally – to explore the roads in and around Albany, WA CYCLIST 11 ED’S Welcome to the latest issue of Cyclist magazine LETTER ecently, our sister publication, Cyclist UK, hosted an online discussion entitled ‘Who is the second best cyclist of all-time?’ It generated a fair amount of debate among Cyclist readers, who argued for the likes of Hinault, Coppi, Anquetil and even Armstrong. RNo one questioned, however, why we were only looking for the number two. That’s because there is no argument about who is the greatest cyclist the world has ever seen: Eddy Merckx. Adam Scroggy, Since we launched this magazine almost three years ago we’ve been keen Editor to get time with Merckx for an interview and photo shoot, but it hasn’t been easy. Merckx is a fairly private individual who has no love of the limelight and little inclination or need to talk to journalists. We would make discreet enquiries about whether Mr Merckx would be able to spare an hour or two, only to be told that he was not doing any interviews at the moment and that we should try again another time. When, finally, he did agree to meet us, we were both excited and nervous. What if he just wants to get it out of the way? What if he views us as just another bunch of intrusive hacks and responds to our questions with a shrug and a one-word answer? He always came across as pretty moody and brooding during his time as a pro; what if he’s still like that? After all, every journalist has a sad tale of the time they met their hero, only to have all their illusions shattered. We shouldn’t have worried with Merckx. Charming, witty, opinionated and passionate about his sport, he proved to be the man, the hero, the legend we hoped he’d be. You can read all about it starting on page 70. All I’d love to get your thoughts about Cyclist so that along with your usual mix of expert insight, performance tips, bike and we can keep improving the magazine all the time. gear reviews, stunning Big Rides and more – we’ve left nothing in reserve. Send emails to [email protected]. @CyclistAus cyclist.com.au facebook.com/cyclistmagazine @CyclistAus 14 CYCLIST The open road Albany, Western Australia Web: cyclist.com.au Email: [email protected] Facebook: facebook.com/ cyclistmagazine Twitter: @CyclistAus Instagram: @CyclistAus EDITORIAL Editor Adam Scroggy Creative Director Paul Cook Editorial Assistant Constantina Pilatos [email protected] Staff Photographer Trent van der Jagt Contributors Alex Malone, James Witts, Michael Donlevy, Rob Milton, Stu Bowers, James Spender, Juan Trujillo Andrades, Danny Bird, Peter Maniaty, Jenni Lekinen, James Spender, Tim Bardsley-Smith, Trevor Ward, Peter Stuart, Hans Schmidt, George Marshall, Fred MacGregor, Mike Hawkins, Henry Carter, Nick Squillari Con Chronis, Tom Palmer, Veeral Patel Cover Image Tim Bardsley-Smith ADVERTISING Commercial Manager Alex Malone [email protected] 0404 991 260 PUBLISHED BY Citrus Media Pty Ltd PO Box 20154 World Square NSW 2002 CONTACT: Tel: (02) 9186 9171 MANAGEMENT Publisher Jim Flynn Financial Controller Stuart Harle Editorial Director Richard Ryan Production Manager Ian Scott Distributed by Network Services Company in Australia and Netlink in NZ. Printed by Offset Alpine Printing © Citrus Media 2016. All rights reserved. No articles or images may be reproduced wholly or in part without prior written permission from the publisher. Citrus Media is a division of Media Factory Pty Ltd. Except as expressly and otherwise indicated in any specific material or editorial content, this magazine is published under license from Dennis Publishing Limited. All rights in the material, title and trademark of this magazine belong to Dennis Publishing Limited absolutely and may not be reproduced, whether in whole or in part, without its prior written consent. SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE see page 100 for details NEXT ISSUE ON SALE: FEB 11 CYCLIST 17 Albany - WA Rugged and relatively unknown, the roads around Albany showcase the region’s natural beauty and storied past. Cyclist discovers this alluring, remote location, learns of its Indigenous and colonial significance, and survives a couple of close encounters with the local wildlife... Words HANS SCHMIDT Photography TIM BARDSLEY-SMITH CYCLIST 57 flash of feathers The magpie reminds me of one of my regular The wind farm was and Andrew ducks rides back in Sydney. The asphalt is the same an unexpected and impressive feature his head. We’re too colour, I’m riding the same bike, and even my of our Big Ride busy scanning the feathered friend appears to be a clone of its eastern roads for snakes and cousin. But we’re on the other side of the country, craning our necks 3,000km away, in a state that comprises almost over the horizon for one third of our continent. This is one of the oldest whales to notice a solitary magpie. It appears in and most biodiverse regions on earth, and yet so slow motion, spreading its wings in a fan of black often it goes unnoticed by the majority of us over and white, its shining beak locked on Andrew’s on the east coast – perhaps because the distance helmet. It breaks the silence of the dead road. is so daunting. A transcontinental crossing is no I know it’s schadenfreude, but I’m glad it small trip, especially when you have to add on a wasn’t me. He swoops again. Fortunately he’s day’s drive through the cape to the Great South, easy to spot, black against the clouds. We’re where Albany awaits. But here we are – and at beginning a descent and about to pick up speed. this moment, there’s no place we’d rather be. He changes target – karma does exist. I tuck in, get low. Hopefully I’ll outrun him. Right as rain After just a few hours – barely enough time for Wedged between the granite outcrops of Mount breakfast to settle – I’m relieved to see the road Melville to the north-west and Mount Clarence stretch down to the ocean. The water’s glistening to the north-east, and nestled on the shores of and that bird is now but a mild distraction. Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sound, There’s nothing like cresting a rise to be greeted Albany lies protected from the forces of the with a gentle downhill roll to reaffirm your Southern Ocean. The natural harbour running decision to push on when your legs are telling south of the city is the perfect area to explore by you to turn back. Even in an unfamiliar region, bike. The map looks promising, with roads and some things remain the same. tracks running the length of the peninsula. 58 CYCLIST Albany - WA Detours are abundant as another red dirt path beckons us along Vancouver Peninsula Amazing Albany Follow Cyclist’s route, complete with detours aplenty Nestled amongst the hills, harbour and sound, Albany is very easy to navigate – just follow the water. From the seclusion of Bayside, travel south down Golf Links Road and past the Turtle Crossing to Middleton Beach, taking a left into Adelaide Crescent and Bay Merchants Cafe. Then take either the high road, Marine Drive, or the low road and bike track, Ellen Cove Boardwalk, to the historic Stirling Terraces and Albany town centre. Cross the tracks and prepare to stop for trains – don’t try any Paris-Roubaix stunts here – and then continue along the shoreline on Princess Royal Drive, past the Brig Amity to Frenchman Bay Road. Frenchman Bay Road offers plenty of possibilities. Recommended detours include an out and back to the wind farm with a sharp short climb; an alternative route via Bay View Drive to follow the water before climbing the ridge into Torndirrup National Park; and a roll down to the Southern Ocean and Gap lookout followed by a climb to the highest point on the ride, Stony Hill. Enjoy the descent back to the sound via the beautiful ocean beach of Salmon Holes (watch out for the magpies!) and the whaling station at Discovery Bay, returning back through Goodes Beach with one last detour through Vancouver Peninsula along Quaranup Road (a gravel bike could be a bonus here). Then it’s back to Albany, with a coffee stop at Stirling Terrace then up Mount Clarence and Adelaide via Marine Drive. To reach the elusive century, try the secluded beachside bike path, Ellen Cove Boardwalk, all the way to Emu Point and back. It’s flat and perfect for spinning out a hard’s day pedalling. 200m 150m 100m 50m 0m 0km 10km 20km 30km 40km 50km 60km 70km 80km 90km ESTERN - W AU Y ST AN R B A L L A IA Emu Point McKail Mt Clarence It’s 5am at Middleton Beach, the long stretch connecting Point King to Emu Point north of the city. The white sand glows in the morning Albany light.