Heroes of cycling

Who is Puck Pinxt? In the world of cycling, Puck P has been pretty much synonymous with success for several years now. And for those who didn't know it yet: besides Puck Pieterse, we have another Dutch talent with the same initials: Puck Pinxt. Like Pieterse, she is a multi-talented cyclist who likes to combine multiple disciplines. When Puck Pinxt started cycling around age 10, cycling was all about having fun. Without a doubt the number one ingredient to stay motivated when cycling your way to the top. After her studies and a year in the snow, the bike was brought out from under the dust again with a sharp focus mainly on the off-road disciplines. Outstanding performance in beach races During the winter season, Puck is active in a special branch of cycling: beach racing. In case you don't know this discipline (yet), these are tough races on the beach along the coastline, characterized by the wind at your back or against your nose. That Puck, who is living near the sea, is made for these kind of races she has proven many times. Last winter season she took many podium finishes, with a victory in the final race in Rockanje as cherry on the cake. She finished 3rd in the final standings of the Dutch top competition. A summer fully packed with MTB marathons After a busy winter with beach races there was hardly a rest period because on March 9th the first MTB marathon in Apeldoorn was already scheduled. Puck proved that she was still in good shape by taking the win. In a strong field of competitors including former pro cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten, there is no better way than start the season with a win. In the spring and summer it is full focus on mountainbike marathons (XCM) with the Transalp as the main event! This multi-day marathon race crosses Austria, Switzerland and Italy between July 14 and 20. Over 500 kilometers are completed in 7 rides over rugged terrain with over 16.000 altimeters. In preparation, Puck runs several marathons in different countries. Especially important are the races in the Belgian Ardennes, part of the Belgian Ardennes Marathon Series (BAMS). For the altimeters, the rough terrain and to measure up with the other top female cyclists. The goal in the Transalp? Podium! Follow Puck during her challenges With Puck we have an ambassador who full of enthusiasm likes to find her route off the beaten track. Together with her 'Beach Bastards Sports Club' team, she will participate in challenging races in find of many great cycling achievements. We won't doubt about that. Are you curious about what Puck will encounter in her journey to the top? Follow @puck_pinxt and her @beach_bastards_sports_club on Instagram!

Hilly roads through open landscapes, over changing terrain with unpaved strips and cobblestones, Belgian Limburg really has it all!

Love it or hate it, it becomes winter every year. But put your bike on the hook for six months? No way! Check out the alternatives to winter cycling in this blogpost.

The days are shorter again, it is autumn outside and winter is approaching. The time of track cycling has come again. We can only say: let's start the track party!

When you have a plan to start a bikepacking adventure, everyone would asks themselves: “How do I start?” To save you the time on research I described the six most important bikepacking essentials in detail.

Do you also love the real beauty of nature? Let's find out more about the mytical mountain range called "The Dolomites".

Our TeamFFWD ambassador Marie from France shared a great ride she rode near her new hometown, the cycling paradise of Gerona.

There are many ways in cycling how to ride a bike. Track cycling is one category. But within this category there are also many different disciplines. The diversity of these disciplines combined with some entertainment comes together in The Sixdays. An event that, as you can imagine, takes place over six days or nights actually. Teams of two riders compete against each other in the different disciplines by scoring the most points and/or rounds over all those days. The scene knows a long history with first races around late 19th century. Editions popped up in the UK, US and soon also in Germany, Belgium, France and The Netherlands. ‘t Kuipke in Ghent One of the races that began in 1922 is still here and celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2022. We’re referring to one of the most iconic races in Ghent Belgium on the Velodrome under the name “’t Kuipke”. With only 166 meters this track is one of the shortest and therefore most spectacular. Rotterdam sixdays Another example of a popular Sixday event is the one in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. First organized in 1936 it also hasn’t been organized in many years. From 2005 it is a yearly returning event. Each year the track is built again at event location ‘Ahoy’ where in other weekends big artist perform. The facts Six days of racing does not sound all that impressive. However the timing is quite different as the riders race between 8pm and 1am. In total 12 couples - 26 riders – team up per event and ride all disciplines together with an occasional individual race. For example the derny race is always done as individual of a team. On each night the races combined make a total of 145 kilometers so over six days they ride about 870 kilometers. With 26 riders on the track and top speeds reaching easily 70km per hour this ain’t a simple job. A crowded pack on a small track and single speed bikes without brakes are ingredients that ask for super skilled riders. It’s therefore also that not all road riders are by definition good riders on the track. Although challenging for the riders it’s super attractive for the crowd to watch. You do need to pay attention though to follow who’s in the lead or making a move. Especially when couples steel a lap! The material Racing different disciplines each night requires also different kinds of materials. Wheels and gears play a big role in this. Each discipline asks for a preferred gear and wheels combination. For a TT and derny races the riders ride with a DISC wheel in the rear combined with a high front wheel. Normally sprints are ridden with a FIVE-T front wheel but due to the shorter tracks with Sixday races this is not the best combo. In peloton races like the Madison for example all riders go for a set of high wheels. They offer stiffness and speed while still be able to fully control the bike. As the races during a night are back to back riders have multiple bikes ready with the right gear and wheel setup. The couples work with a mechanic who prepares the bikes, gears and wheels. Sometimes tires need to be glued during the week. As we’re going a bit back down memory lane here we have a nice video from the 2012 Ghent race that catches the vibe of a Sixday event. Merci Iljooo The 2022 Sixdays of Ghent also marks the last race of one of the legends from the last decades. Local hero Iljo Keisse ends his career with the Sixdays of Ghent. It’s the 18th edition where he starts and so far he won seven times already. We share good memories with Sixday races in general but also with the support of Iljo. From the sponsoring of Team Quickstep in 2010 and some years after we were proud partner during his Sixday adventures and successes.  Not only with Iljo but in general we have a good track record in Sixday races. Many riders got their confidence to go fast on our wheels.

This event really had everything to make all riders say: what a ride!