11 things we've learned this week

1. This is our kind of wrap battle... 

Watch as Rigoberto Uran races his team mechanic in a bar tape wrapping battle. The result is probably as you'd expect, but the Cannondale–Drapac rider holds his own...

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2. Just the twelve countries? What a let-down! 

Originally aiming to cycle through 14 countries, Robbie Ferri had to settle for twelve as he set a Guinness World Record for the most countries rode in seven days. It'll do I suppose...

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3. The MAMIL documentary looks to have done a great job of celebrating this cultural phenomenon

The trailer for the upcoming MAMIL documentary (click the link below to see it) appears to be a funny yet fascinating look at the epidemic of middle aged men in lycra (MAMILS) and a celebration of the simple pleasure that is riding a bike has brought to so many. We'll be looking forward to watching it in full. 

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4. This might just be the guy who has what it takes t beat the hour record

"Sometimes you have to be a bastard as a cyclist. I don’t have that quality";  "If I’m honest, this is exactly what I’m good at; just an hour of hard work". This might just be the brutal honesty and humbleness that could see Dion Beukeboom challenge Bradley Wiggins' mark of 54.526 kilometres. The dutch rider is going to dedicate his entire 2018 to breaking the record, and will attempt it at altitude with no distractions to give himself the best possible chance. It's a bold move, and one we can kind of get behind. 

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5. It's frustrating how little can be done about bike theft

Some recent stats showing that 75% of stolen bike investigations close without a suspect, only 1.5% lead to a conviction and one in four victims give up cycling afterwards makes for some dismal reading. 

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6. Perhaps this isn't the most ethical solution to preventing doping, but still...

“We’re prepared to chip our dogs and it doesn’t seem to harm them, so why aren’t we prepared to chip ourselves?” said the World Olympians Association chief executive Mike Miller this week. We'd like to think in an ideal world athletes would just be honest, but while that's not the case maybe it's the final frontier...

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7. Cars and bikes could be in conversation with one another in the not too distant future

As one of the biggest bike brands in the world, Trek announcing that their collaborative research into AI to improve cycle safety is "the most important thing happening in cycling right now" is quite head-turning to say the least. Around $1.5 million has been pumped into the project so far, in which cars would be notified of cyclists' presence and vice versa. Could this dramatically improve the safety of cyclists? We hope so. 

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8. We definitely want one of these for Christmas...

A hydrofoil, that's also a bike, that can actually move pretty damn quick? Take my money! 

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9.  We don't think Lance Armstrong can be taking the moral highground in any circumstances...

The disgraced cyclist expressed his delight at the news that David Walsh gave a character reference to a former Irish Times journalist who has been convicted of grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl. It's certainly not a great PR move for the investigative journalist that was instrumental in bringing Armstrong down, but road.cc readers weren't exactly glowing in their assessment of his character... 

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10. Forcing high-vis on cyclists doesn't exactly seem popular with the main target audience... cyclists

As Ireland's transport minister said he was exploring the possibility of compulsory high-vis gear for cyclists, you weren't too happy about the proposals with comparisons being drawn to needing similar measure brought in for pedestrians. it certainly seems like a 'victim-blaming' stance, and one we hope is thought about carefully before being taken further whether in Ireland or the UK. 

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11. Potholes are getting on our nerves in more ways than one

After recent research suggested that continual riding over potholes and rough road surfaces could lead to permanent nerve damage, we think it's even more reason for local councils to make haste in fixing battered British roads ASAP! Here's to hoping... 

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