EDITOR’S LETTER
10 YEARS OF LE TOUR MAG
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
& PUBLISHER
Paul Ingpen
[email protected]
021 438 5972 / 082 990 8408
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Elinore de Lisle
MANAGING EDITOR
Anne Duncan
COMMERCIAL MANAGER
Abré Roux
[email protected]
021 438 5972 / 078 099 5473
OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE
Naz Jones
INTERNATIONAL LICENSING
James Poole
Sports Press International Ltd
To advertise in these publications
please call Abré on 078 099 5473
or email [email protected]
The Tour de France Official Guide is published
by Electric Ink Media under licence from Tour
de France organisers ASO in Paris, France.
Copyright: Electric Ink Media. No portion of
this publication may be reproduced without
prior written consent from Electric Ink
Media or the authors. The publishers are not
responsible for any unsolicited material. The
opinions expressed are not necessarily those
of Electric Ink Media, the editors or the Tour
de France Official Guide office.
Editorial & advertising enquiries:
[email protected]
7 Pitlochry Road, Bakoven, Camps Bay 8005
Printed by Novus Print Solutions
Distribution: Mia 083 445 5097
s we started planning
this 2019 Tour de
France edition of
RoadBike magazine,
our 10-year celebration issue,
I grabbed a copy of our 2010
launch edition. I was at a bike
stage race so I had time to
reflect on how the world’s
biggest annual sports event
and our official annual guide
had morphed over time. I never
thought I’d read a mag I had
worked on 10 years ago, but it
was fascinating. Here’s why.
Daryl Impey, the most
successful South African rider
in history, featured on the 2010
cover, just as he has now a
decade later. It was his
first year with Lance
Armstrong’s Radioshack
team and he was beyond
excited to ride with The
Boss and other legends
like George Hincapie.
Looking at how Daryl
pulverised this year’s
A
Lee Augustyn – he also rode that
2010 Tour as part of Team Sky.
Robbie Hunter, who forged
the path for SA riders into the
Tour, and famously won our first
stage in 2007 by out-sprinting
the fabulous Cancellara, joined
Team Garmin that year. Robbie
had proposed Impey to the
Radioshack team, thereby
giving SA a real presence in
world cycling. He remains a
staunch cycling ambassador
and finished the Absa Cape
Epic this year.
One feature that caught my
eye was a story on Lance’s
comeback to possibly become
the oldest rider to win the world’s
Right: Salut! Vigne riding with
Vincenzo. Below: The cover of
our very first edition in 2010.
SA Champs field, riding solo,
and his impressive GC title
defence at Tour Down Under, it’s
clear that our man has potential
to get back into yellow and win
more tough stages.
Back in 2010, Chris Froome
was riding as a designated
climber alongside Bradley
Wiggins and Geraint Thomas
in Team Sky’s first Tour. At the
time the Tour had never had
a British winner… Who knew
then how they would come to
dominate? And remember John
biggest bike race. There was
talk about it being a risky way to
end an illustrious career as he
wasn’t the rider he had been,
but his presence on the start
list brought massive interest to
the 2010 Tour. His build up was
less than ideal as he was rocked
by the Landis doping scandal
and a subsequent crash during
the Tour of California, funnily
enough on the same day he’d
also uncharacteristically fallen
and broken his collarbone racing
in New Mexico in April 2009. In
retrospect, this day signalled the
start of Lance’s spectacular fall
from grace. I laughed out loud
at Lance’s comment about the
accusations from his discredited
teammate Floyd Landis: “These
incredible, baseless concoctions
by a bitter and scorned Landis
who quite simply has zero
credibility”. And before anyone
feels sorry for Floyd, it was
equally nauseating to read how
he crowdfunded $500 000
from cycling fans to defend his
unsuccessful ban appeal.
They were interesting times
indeed, and the sport has been
under the doping spotlight more
than any other since. Despite
this, what has been reassuring,
and quite surprising, is how the
sport has not lost any popularity
with either fans or riders. What
it’s proved is that the show
goes on despite the death of
lead characters. The dynamics
of bike racing and the uniquely
scenic stage on which they
perform makes the sport much
bigger than the riders. When the
familiar Kraftwerk jingle plays,
cyclists hit their couches with
beer and biltong like
Pavlovian dogs… It’s
simply addictive.
The show goes on,
and what a Tour we
have lined up this year.
The next 160 pages will
explain why.
Speaking of stars, I
was beyond fortunate
to ride my 19th
Coronation Double
Century with the star-
studded Breitling
Squad, in SA on a
mission to raise funds
for Qhubeka. The illustrious
members included Vincenzo
Nibali, SA-raised Jan Frodeno,
Daniela Ryf and Nino Schurter.
To spend quality time with them
on and off the bike, and witness
their generosity towards the
young bike recipients, was truly
inspiring. You can read all about
our fun weekend on page 36.
Whether you love racing
bikes, or just soaking up the
three-week velo show, enjoy the
sunflowers, the historic castles
and the frenzied, crowd-lined,
switchbacking cols in the Alps
and Pyrenees. Salut!
Paul Ingpen
FOLLOW US
Road Bike Magazine
roadbikemagazine
@RoadBikeMag
2 0 1 9 TO U R D E FR ANCE
| 11