..!! FIRST DATE !!..

WHAAAT?? A date, on a Cycling Blog!! You must be kidding,my son would say to me.

Not exactly a date but close enough.I am talking about my first experience as National Team Manager for the Mongolia Cycling Federation(MCF) at the latest UCI Road World Championships in Doha.

To cut the story short....

The morning after my late arrival in Doha,I had an email from MCF General Secretary Naran Zundui delegating me as Team Manager for the Championships...

WOW...

I was like a kid with his new favourite toy.I don't want to sounds monotonous.

City of Great Architecture.

During the championships I had the pleasure to meet great new people,see friends of the past, attend meetings, visit the commissaires office & much more. We had long,hot & exhausting days but the ambience of the UCI RAOD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016 made it easier.

6 hours late finally room service arrived.

The MCF represantation was composed by 5 riders,1 Coach and Me as Team Manager.I had the pleasure to be a DS(Directeur Sportif), Mechanic,Soigneur for the riders while they were training or resting and working alongside their coach.

You can use anything to make a Coffee Bar

It was a great place to see the SD logo amongst the big cycling brands during the championships, but mostly important enabled me to meet some of our supporters around the globe.We are looking forward to see all of them again soon.

Tegsee before the start of the Junior Race.

Under 23 waiting to start a training ride.

A typical day at the Championships:

• 0530 Wake up call
• 0630 Breakfast
• 0730 Training ride for few hours before the temperature going up
• 0900 Attend Meetings at UCI Event Hotel
• 1200 Maybe lunch
• Shopping for rider's food
• 1600 Chillax by the pool
• 1800 Meeting again
• 2000 Dinner of course
• 2200 Bed time

Supporting(Shouting Tegsee) out of the car during the Junior ITT race.

Tegsee con la nostra bella amica Australiana TIffany Cromwell

The Cannibal(EDDY MERCKX) with Tegsee

Belgian Fans walking to the Start Line.Behind one of stadiums for the FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

Instructing Miga before the start of the Elite race, with the rest of the Delegation arrived for the main event.

Desert Feed Zone #1.South Africa 

Live Cam in the middle of the Peloton!!

Team Germany had few DNF's.Doctors checking body temperature.

We are now working  to get the MCF team across for the CycloCross World Championships 2017 in Luxembourg.If you like to support them please get in touch with us.

The Teams watching the last few KM of the race on the TV's

Vamos en España , 23rd March 2017 !!

Ciao a tutti,

In collaboration with PA Cyclism we have created a cycling package to Spain for March 2017. Those Spanish tour can be for Road Bikes or Mountain Bikes. There will be plenty of climbing this is why the area has been used copious times by the VUELTA.

Fresh water to keep you hydrated.

History on route.

The date for March trip is departure on 23rd of March 2017 and return on the 26th late evening.

3 Days of cycling + 3 Nights = 570€ plus flight

Every night amazing fresh food.

The prices above includes:

• Half Board accommodation in double room
• Great local Staff to make your wonderful trip amazing
• Daily Energy pack (gel + bars + powder)
• Transfer from & to Madrid Airport
• Daily Support Vehicle to transfer your luggage between hotels
• Full travel Insurance
• Free Cycling Jersey

Wild Nature

We have left the freedom to each individuals to book their own flights,given them the flexibility to stay longer or depart at different times.

If you are interested in joining us please email for more infos at ride@saddledrunk.com

Ride the Unbelievable!! Intoxicated with the Freedom of Cycling.

SaddleDrunk start a new Collaboration with PA Cyclism. 

In the Northern hills of Madrid riding into the unknown at altitude, we have started an amazing collaboration with Projecting Adventure Cyclism.

Patagonia

Projecting Adventure Cyclism will give the chance to everyone,from beginner to pro cyclist the chance to ride the unbelievable,destination such as Mongolia,Atacama Desert,Patagonia,Oman,Ethiopia,Sahara Desert,Sicily,Tuscany,Spain,italy and many more to come.

Oman

Challenge your self to new places,ride into the wild.

If you need any more information please contact us at store@saddledrunk.com.

Relaxing in Oman

Join us in our next trip in Oman in December 2016.

See you Soon.

SD Team

GRANFONDO LA MONT BLANC

Nick named "La Granfondo on top of Europe's Roof" will be held again this year in the stunning surrounding of the Mont Blanc,in Courmayeur.

The event will be held on the 26th of June 2016 and thousands of riders will attend this astonishing Granfondo.

The rides available caters for everyone,from novice to expert.There will be plenty of climbing,plenty of elevation gain.The feed stations manned by the friendly local people will be able to provide local delicacies given you the boost to ride those mountains. 

You can reach the event from various airports, Geneva,Turin,Milan. Transfers could be arranged via private  buses or car hires.

Accommodations can cater for every needs, from apartments to 5 star hotel,Cycling and golf could also be combined.A little tour to the Mont Blanc,horse riding,relaxing at the SPA and food & wine tasting are a great combination for an amazing weekend.

Check this video to feel the immense of this location. 

We can help in arranging your weekend away in the top of Europe. Packages can be provided,for more info email us store@saddledrunk.com.

Otherwise you can find the registration link by clicking here .

Profile of the long distance. 

The SaddleDrunk Team will be there,you can also be there in sharing great emotions with us.

SD TEAM

Fueling a champion: what Orica GreenEdge feeds Tour Down Under race winner Simon Gerrans during a race

Interview with Orica GreenEdge soigneur about what riders eat during the stage.Author James Raison & Credit Photos to Chris Komorek,EcoCaddy.

Danny Clarke

Seven hours before Simon Gerrans won Stage 4 of the Tour Down Under in South Australia, his soigneur Danny Clarke was hard at work preparing food for him and the rest of the Orica GreenEdge team to eat during and after the race.

It’s theoretically simple but logistically complex.

Danny starts by explaining exactly what is in the consistently wrapped foil packages he’s laid out.

He prods the largest packages containing rye bread sandwiches.

“That’s walnut and philly (Philadelphia cream cheese) spread, and this is philly with ham,” he says, before moving down to the smaller ones marked ‘sweet’.

“Those are orange and poppyseed cakes.”

On the bench next to him is an enormous slab of savoury rice cake ready to be sliced and wrapped

“That’s just ham, Arborio rice to make it sticky, and some soy sauce,” says Danny, handing me a slice of the chewy and mildly salty cake.

The sweet rice cakes sound a bit more palatable.

“They have cranberries, sultanas, honey and condensed milk to bring it all together.”

The food is simple but nutritious. The texture is important too, riders have to be able to chew and swallow it during the race.

“I alternate sweet and savoury rice cakes every day,” says Danny.

“One batch will last me two days, so the riders think I’m cooking them a different flavour every day, but I’m just alternating them,” he laughs.

The wrapping has been as carefully chosen as the ingredients.

“This paper has come from somewhere in Germany,” says Danny. “I don’t know what they do with it, but we use it for wrapping race food,”

It looks like tinfoil with a thin paper on one side and it is so important that it travels with the team around the world.

Danny lays out the full contents of a musette: two sandwiches, a sweet rice cake, a savoury rice cake, two gels, and two water bottles. Each musette will feed one rider for the stage and Danny personally hands the bag over to the team in the feed zone.

Post-race food is being prepared too, but unlike at other tours, the riders have the luxury of eating it back at the tour village in the middle of Adelaide because the stages all finish close to the city.

It’s a precise mix to take care of all the riders’ post-race needs.

“First they get a protein shake straight off the bike,” says Danny. “Then a couple of water bottles. “

Thirty minutes later they are fed meat and salad sandwiches, then an extra carb snack, he explains pointing to his slab of rice cake again.

The Orica GreenEdge team won four of six stages of the Tour Down Under, and Simon Gerrans took overall victory and the points classification. That phenomenal success is built on the efforts of unsung helpers like Danny Crke.