Stuck for something to feed your addiction to the wonderful world of cycling? Check out our handy guide to some of the things to do in December.
DECEMBER 2009
Ride this... Rollapaluza
Tuesday, December 22
Roller racing fanatics, courier-types and cyclists of all varieties will descend on the Horseshoe pub in London's Clerkenwell for the first winter league meeting. Roller racing is enjoying a revival thanks to events like this. It couldn't be simpler - get on the rollers (don't worry the front wheel is fixed so balance is not a problem, anyone can have a go) and pedal like heck till they tell you to stop. The league features a qualification round and a knock-out competition.
Watch this... National Trophy cyclo-cross at Bradford
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Sunday, December 13
Peel Park in Bradford, which staged the National Championships in January, is the venue for the next round of the National Trophy series. If you can't get to foreign fields to see a race this winter, why not head to see some of the country's top riders in action. Take your wellies.
Through December we'll be counting down the Best British Riders of 2009, starting with number 30 in our list on December 1. By Christmas Eve we'll have reached number 7, with the top six revealed in the December 31 issue of the magazine. Last year's top three were Sir Chris Hoy, Mark Cavendish and Nicole Cooke. Who will it be this time?
Website Cycling Weekly
Race this... The Imperial Winter Series
Hillingdon Cycle Circuit, every Saturday in December
Winter circuit racing may not be everyone's cup of tea - particularly if your idea of winter riding is steady base miles with a long cafe stop. But fields at Hillingdon and Hog Hill last winter were large and they are set to be again. The Imperial Racing Team runs the Hillingdon series every Saturday until mid-February. There are races on December 5, 12, 19 and 26. With stand-alone races for fourth-cat riders (and this year a third-cat event too), there's something for everyone. Hog Hill will also host winter circuit racing. Check the British Cycling website for more details.
Team Forza lead the way after round one of the Revolution's new championship format. The second race of the season sees Bradley Wiggins line up for the Slicks and former Olympic skier Alain Baxter making his cycling debut in the 200m time trial. The Scot had to postpone his first appearance on the boards last month when he was suffering from 'flu.
Read this... Official Treasures of the Tour de France
This book combines a written history and a living museum exhibit. Uniquely this book contains superb items of removable facsimile memorabilia slipped into the pages, plus photographs - some never seen before - that not only bring the text to life but show other personal items from long forgotten Tours.
Reduced from £34.99 to £25 for a limited time only
Former Talking Heads front man David Byrne travels the globe on his folding bike and waxes lyrical on city planning and the view from the saddle.
Published by Faber & Faber, £14.99
Watch this... A Sunday in Hell
A classic cycling film. Perhaps the classic cycling film. A Sunday in Hell is a psychological and dramatic study of the battle between Merckx, De Vlaeminck, Maertens and Moser in the 1976 Paris-Roubaix. Mesmerising, spine-tingling, this film defines the cobbled classic in a way that hasn't been done before or since.
Watch this... BBC's Sports Personality of the Year
BBC1, Sunday, December 13, 7pm
Last year Sir Chris Hoy was the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year, after winning three gold medals in Beijing. The Olympic cycling squad was crowned team of the year and British Cycling's performance director Dave Brailsford was named coach of the year. Cycling truly dominated in 2008. No one is expecting a cyclist to win again, but Mark Cavendish and Brad Wiggins should be involved prominently. Wiggins has already filmed a feature that will be shown during the programme.
Sports journalist Lionel Birnie has written professionally for Sunday Times, Procycling and of course Cycling Weekly. He is also an author, publisher, and co-founder of The Cycling Podcast. His first experience covering the Tour de France came in 1999, and he has presented The Cycling Podcast with Richard Moore and Daniel Friebe since 2013. He founded Peloton Publishing in 2010 and has ghostwritten and published the autobiography of Sean Kelly, as well as a number of other sports icons.
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