Spokes

1 week ago | spokessports.substack.com | Sophie Smith

Same players, different order. That was the result of Paris-Roubaix overnight – the top three from the Tour of Flanders reshuffling on the podium. This time it was Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) celebrating a solo victory ahead of men’s road world champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG), with Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) besting Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Florian Vermeersch (UAE Emirates-XRG) in a sprint for third.

2 weeks ago | spokessports.substack.com | Sophie Smith

I remember the first time I saw Tadej Pogacar. It was at the end of the 2019 Tour of California. Everyone raved about the now defunct week-long stage race in the USA. It had a relaxed, early season vibe, but proper racing. I have epilepsy and ultimately as a result kept a low profile because after flying into LA from Australia and checking into my hotel, I’d realised I’d forgotten to pack a bunch of necessities.

2 weeks ago | spokessports.substack.com | Sophie Smith

Tadej Pogacar has tightened his stranglehold on the WorldTour peloton, winning the Tour of Flanders overnight. Again, there was daylight between the Slovenian and first loser, Pogacar (UAE Emirates-XRG) celebrating a solo victory after riding away from pre-race favourites including Lidl-Trek duo Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven, Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease A Bike) and defending champion Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) on the Oude Kwaremont - the penultimate short but steep cobbled climb.

2 weeks ago | spokessports.substack.com | Sophie Smith

There’s no experience comparable to being on the road and not just observing bike races but the people, smells, sounds, colour, culture, food, and history of the lands around you, especially at the spring classics. Some of the experiences over time become forgettable. Some blend together. Others create lasting memories.

4 weeks ago | spokessports.substack.com | Sophie Smith

You can tell Michael Storer has been based in Europe for a while, and not just because he’s fluent in Italian. Most Australians would pull out their puffer jackets and winter boots on a 10-degree Celsius day, but the climber, speaking on the phone from his base in Italy during the early spring, doesn’t flinch at the figure. Storer (Tudor) himself admits when he first moved to the continent to compete the concept of layering clothing was foreign to him.