TEAM ALPECIN
We meet the team training to ride the 2018 L’Étape du Tour with Alpecin
Three lucky readers, plus editor-in-chief Rob, discover how the pros live as they join the Team Alpecin riders as they prepare to start their training for this summer’s L’Étape du Tour.
LATE LAST YEAR we invited Cycling Plus readers to enter a competition giving them the chance to train like a pro cyclist in preparation for the 2018 L’Étape du Tour. Well over 1500 threw their hat into the ring to be part of Team Alpecin, but only three were lucky enough to be selected.
It appears that there is an internetbased conspiracy theory that the German city of Bielefeld ‘doesn’t exist’… Apparently, it all stems from a conversation at a party in 1993 and somehow spread across the web. The story goes that you’ll never meet anyone who’s from, has been to, or knows anyone who has been to Bielefeld (which is, of course, a construct of the Illuminati…)
We can put the ‘Bielefeld Conspiracy’ to bed – it is definitely a real place free of – as far as we know – ritual sacrifices or people dressed like the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu.
For the 12 cyclists, drawn from six European countries, who gathered in North Western Germany in March it turned out to be a pretty magical place where dreams might just come true…
Bielefeld is home to the Dr Wolff group, the company behind Alpecin shampoo and long-time supporter of both professional – backing AlpecinKatusha with riders including Marcel Kittel and Alex Dowsett – and amateur cycling. It was those amateurs – including Brits Murray Cox, Laura Cook and Les Pegler – who spent a weekend getting an insight into what it’s like to be paid to sprint or race a time trial.
The first team meet was, even to our seasoned editor Rob who’s shoehorned his way onto the team, eye-opening. After a presentation led by the team’s entertaining ‘directeur sportif’ Jörg Ludewig – a three-time Tour de France finisher – the riders from Germany, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, England and Scotland were inundated with information, advice and gear [see boxout]. And they had their hair and make-up done for photo and video shoots.
“The first Team Alpecin meeting was like a dream come true. This was the phrase of the weekend, regardless of whether it was uttered in English, German, Italian or Dutch,” reflected London-based Scotsman Murray, 44. “Amazing hospitality, incredible generosity and more top-quality swag than you could shake a stick at. My teammates from the UK, and the continent seem like an excellent
The rst meeting was like a dream come true - amazing hospitality and generosity