ENGLISH N° 09 - JANUARY 2015 Dan Craven: From “Nam” to Top Ambassador: Luca Parmitano Tech bulletin B1-r brakes Dan Craven COLNAGO V1-r Dan Craven PEOPLE With a beard and long hair, Dan Craven does not look like a typical cyclist. The Europcar team rider recently sat down for an exclusive interview with our magazine. His secret to becoming a professional cyclist? Never give up, and travel the world! “I’m a born and bred Namibian star ting my second season with Team Europcar - after a very long journey to get to the upper levels of cycling. I got into cycling via triathlon after stumbling across the spor t in my final year of high school. No one knew about cycling where I lived, and my town didn’t even have a swimming pool, so needless to say I wasn’t very good. Once at University in Stellenbosch, South Africa, I got into road cycling and it’s taken me around the world. I spent four years on Team Fidi BC, an Amateur team in Switzerland, then four years on British Continental teams in the UK (Rapha Condor Sharp and IG - Sigma Spor t). From there I spent a year and a half without a real home-base – riding for Synergy Baku Cycling Project from Azerbaijan in 2013, and in the first par t of 2014 with the German squad Team Bike Aid. I’ve had many highs and even more lows along the way. Living in the backyard of a scrap-metal yard for years, crashing into sign posts at full speed, and, of course, racing until I was purple in the face – but somehow I’ve always kept going (I’ve never claimed to be a bright spark…). I’ve never done this for the money and as much as I love the “fame” (for lack of a better word), it is really only an added bonus. Being out on the road and feeling like a little child again, trying to ride away from my buddies (or the best cyclists in the world - trying!) – I suppose that’s why I do it.” 2 COLNAGO V1-R Dan’s bike Tell us about your 2014 season with Europcar “I only joined the team in late July but was thrown right into racing, racking up 43 race-days in three months - with the definite highlight being the Vuelta Espana. I had been very nervous joining the team mid-season, and I was not speaking French all that well, but the reception from the squad was absolutely amazing and I felt right at home within days. That said, I wasn’t overly impressed with any of my results and really have to pick up on that side of things in 2015. I usually enjoy getting into all day breakaways, but somehow failed to get into a single one while racing for Europcar. That cannot continue, so I’m really looking forward to doing something about that in the near future”. What was your best racing moment of the year? “As I didn’t get any big results, or, as I’ve already said, get into any proper breakaways, my highlights obviously will be of a different manner. Without a doubt, my highlight is the simply fact that I got to put on the team kit and swing my leg over one of the team bikes. It’s taken me so long to get to this level that just being in the team bus, in the peloton, at training camp, or where ever, still feels somewhat surreal to me. Like a kid in a candy store, you’ll probably find me grinning from ear to ear most of the time. I just hope this feeling remains for as long as possible”. MOVIE: V1-r / DAN CRAVEN What are the differences between racing in Africa and in Europe? “Pretty big - but getting smaller every year. In African racing the field is not as deep as in Europe, and even though it is easier to be counted as a strong rider, one is also marked more by others in the field as a result. This makes it a very good place to learn certain aspects of racing for young and developing riders - how to handle pressure and leadership roles especially. Also, most African racing takes place on wide open roads without many corners, this is very different than in Europe where you are constantly changing direction and racing on roads of varying sizes. This might explain why I am not all that fond of cornering at high speeds”. INTERVIEW Dan Craven Team Europcar Colnago V1-r, size 54s Selle Italia SLR saddle Deda 42mm handlebar and 130mm stem Campagnolo Super Record mechanical (I love the Campy “clunk”) Sigma Rox 10.0 speedometer Power2Max Campagnolo Record power-meter Campagnolo Bora 35 racing wheels – 11-25/27 Campagnolo Zonda training wheels – 11-27 What expectations do you have for the upcoming season? “After the recent news about the team’s license a lot has changed, and I will need to find out what my racing program is before I can say for certain what my goals will be. Whatever the program - top of the list will be breakaways! It’s time I get into some again”. Can you describe your daily (training) routine? Tell us about your food choices (pre, during, and post training) “I’m a sucker for a daily routine - I function a lot better when I have a general routine (it can’t be too strict though, otherwise I might go crazy). The problem is that with so much traveling, and with having several places I call home at different times of the year or even month (Namibia, UK, France, and soon Spain as well), it is hard to get into a comfortable routine. Generally I like getting to bed before 10 p.m. This allows me to wake up before eight the next morning, in time to make my girlfriend coffee on the rare occasion that we are spending time together. Hopefully a bit of core work before breakfast... Breakfast is a combination of eggs (and bacon), and then oats. The training/racing schedule of the day defines which (big day - a lot of both; medium - just oats; short day - just eggs). Training varies between a complete rest day (once every three weeks if travel doesn’t get in the way), and six hours on the bike. All plans can change on pretty short notice, dependant on how I’m responding to the previous day’s efforts – and, of course, what the local weather has decided to do for the day. Post-training I’ll vacuum up whatever leftovers there are from the previous day’s dinner. Dinner at the end of the day is hopefully a massive salad filled with avocado, rocket, tomatoes, and other delicious goodies. I always have a healthy portion of protein - chicken breast being easy and fast but, as an African, I am always particular towards a nice juicy, medium/rare steak. Carbs all depend on what I’ve been up to, but I do my best to avoid bread and pasta – as impossible as that is at times. I find it nigh impossible to follow the paleo diet, but I am a very big fan of it and try to follow the general principles to a certain degree. Sugar is a delicious evil that I try and side step at every moment of the day, unless it’s right before or during a ride”. DEDICATED SEATPOST MAXIMUM COMPATIBILITY How many kilometers do you ride per year? “Good question. I’ve had consistent computer issues the past few years, so honestly can’t tell you how much. Added to that, the last few years were wrought with a lot of chaos, so the total wouldn’t be quite as you would expect”. What do you like most about your Colnago bikes? “The brand – there are few top brands that have survived over the years with the family connection that Colnago has (Condor in the UK is another rare example). These days all of the top bikes are good, so if you’re spending top dollar you have to find something that appeals to you - for me, the old-school family connection, history, and image of Colnago far outweighs the flash and fanfare that many “racing brands” have. Not to mention the value that Colnago’s maintain over time - part of their old-school charm. My very first bike in Europe was a Colnago Dream, back in 2005 when I arrived in Switzerland – that obviously helps, even though I was already fond of Colnago before then”. Which is your all-time favorite Colnago model? “Funny thing is that even though my main racing and training bike is the V1-r, I am a massive fan of the C60 (which I do also have, as my secondary racing bike). The carbon lugs and the resulting classic look of the bike really appeals to my tastes. It’s the kind of classic bike that you could ride forever and not worry about changing fashions. Just look at how expensive C40 frames on eBay still are… But, if there’s one Colnago that I really want (and don’t YET have), it’s the Master. I already have the parts that I want to put on a Master, I just have to save up some more so that I can afford one”. 4 DEDICATED BRAKE SYSTEM Tech bulletin PAG.9 CARBON FRAME DROPOUTS THREADFIT 82.5 BOTTOM BRACKET 5 At 38 years old, Air Force Major Luca Parmitano completed the world’s most difficult triathlon in Hawaii this past October – 3.8km of swimming, 180km cycling, and a full marathon-length run! AMBASSADOR: Luca Parmitano The Astronaut Triathlete “My legs feel like they did when I came back from the International Space Station – sitting or standing is easy, getting up is more complicated,” so said Parmitano the day after completing the Ironman Kona, Hawaii. An astronaut with the ESA (European Space Agency), Luca Parmitano, ambassador of Italian Presidency of the European Council, took 12 hours and 30 minutes to complete the event. He arrived in 1513th position amongst the 2200 athletes who started. Although triathlon is often a race against one’s self, the long “journey” of preparation is often the focus. “The preparatory phase lasted about six months. I started training before I knew I would be invited to the World Championship, because my intention initially was to join the race in Arizona (also in the Ironman circuit). The hardest part for me was also the longest – the bike leg. For various reasons, I had never used a triathlon bike until recently! I chose an Italian bike, the Colnago K.Zero, because Italy has always been at the forefront in the creation of highperformance bikes. Unlike in cycling, in swimming and running there is the work of adapting the body – this is the tool itself, and you just have to learn to push the limits. The challenge for me was to finish the race. The possibility of not being able to finish not only exists, but it is very real. I would not choose to do this race if I did not think that there is the possibility of not being able to finish it. The ‘challenge’ is this: do not do something because you are sure to be able to, but because you have not! “ COLNAGO K.ZERO 7 NEWS: Tech bulletin Mara Abbot Joins Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling Team Assembling and Adjusting B1-r Brakes American Mara Abbott is one of eight new signings for Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling for the 2015 season. The 29 year old is coming over from the American UnitedHealthcare team, and has won the prestigious and toughest stage-race for women, the Giro Rosa, twice in her career (2010 & 2013). In 2010, Mara was the first ever American to win the race. Mara’s climbing abilities and determination will make her one of the lead riders for stage races, and an indispensable member of the Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling team in 2015. Featuring direct mounting to the frame, Colnago B1-r brakes need special attention during the adjustment assembly. For best performance, it is necessary to pay special attention to the two washers that are included in the brake pad assembly – moving them according to the type of wheels: - Wheels with very wide rims (25-27 mm): 2 external (a + b) - Wheels with “standard” width (22-25 mm): 1 internal + 1 external - Wheels with narrow rims (19-22 mm): 2 internal (a + b) After this first crucial adjustment, you can proceed with assembling the brake on the frame as instructed. An additional fine-tuning of the distance between pad and rim, as well as the centering of the brake, can be done by adjusting the side-screws (2mm hexagonal head) visible above the two brake pads. NEWS: RusVelo Strongly Confident for 2015 The Rusvelo team will continue to ride Campagnolo-equipped Colnago bikes, changing the model to the new V1-R. There are also noticeable changes in the rider line-up, with two of the team leaders, Ilnur Zakarin and Sergey Lagutin, leaving for Katusha, and a big group of under-23 youngsters coming in. Still, the team is determined to hold on to the UCI rating positions it occupied in 2014. True to the strategy of giving the green light to a professional career for the most talented young Russian riders, the team roster remains 100% Russian. Team roster for 2015: Ildar Arslanov, Ivan Balykin, Igor Boev, Alexander Evtushenko, Ar tur Ershov, Petr Ignatenko, Sergey Firsanov, Alexander Foliforov, Alexander Komin, Roman Kustadinchev, Roman Maikin, Ar tem Nych, Ar tem Ovechkin, Kirill Pozdniakov, Alexander Rybakov, Alexander Serov, Andrey Solomennikov, Mamyr Stash. Sports directors: Alexander Efimkin, Sergey Honchar, Alexey Markov, Fabrizio Tacchino, Rober to Vigni. Technical partners: Accapi, Campagnolo, Casco, Colnago, Deda Elementi, Dion Spor tlab, Elite, Errea, Look, Parentini, Selle Italia, Tufo. 8 9 I N C O L L A B O R A Z I O N E C O N Location: MARANELLO LINEA DI PRODUZIONE V12 LIGHTNESS, AERODYNAMICS, SAFETY. The V1-r is the new frame from Colnago designed for cyclists who are particular about their bike’s weight-toperformance ratio. It is made with the highest quality carbon fiber, selected in cooperation with Ferrari, which is why is we use the Cavallino logo on each frame. The frame is monocoque, with aerodynamic shaped tube sections, and full-carbon rear dropouts. The V1-r is the best monocoque frame produced in Colnago’s sixty year history. c o l n a g o . c o m
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