Belgian’s death at the Paris-Roubaix reminds us of the price that can be paid for our pleasure, but riders return each year to this fiendishly difficult race in an act of non-rational courageThe death of young Michael Goolaerts following a crash in the Paris‑Roubaix on Sunday reminds us of the price that can be paid for our pleasure. First held in 1896, which makes it seven years older than the Tour de France, Paris‑Roubaix has a reputation resting on the sustained brutality of the physical challenge it presents to those brave enough to take it on. Related: Belgian cyclist Michael Goolaerts dies after cardiac arrest in Paris-Roubaix Continue reading...
A combination of athletic prowess and personal eccentricity made him a beloved national figure but the latest allegations against him and Team Sky have at the very least tainted that legacyThe golden throne outside Hampton Court Palace. The Sun’s stick-on sideburns. The ringing of a 23-ton bell to open the Olympics. The quirky victory speech on the Champs-Elysées. The crescendo of noise that greeted the smashing of the world hour record in the London velodrome. A kaleidoscope of memories. How far in the past they seem now, and how faded the images, as a beleaguered Bradley Wiggins seeks to preserve his reputation.The incessant attacks, including the particularly massive one provoked by yesterday’s release of the parliamentary report into doping in...
Dave Brailsford’s lofty ideals when setting up Team Sky have been exposed under the pressure of top-level competitionTo judge from Dave Brailsford’s words the other day it seems he still doesn’t get it. He was talking in a press conference about the business of the abnormally high salbutamol level in a urine sample taken from Chris Froome in Spain last September but not revealed – by this newspaper and Le Monde – until three months later. While re-emphasising his belief that Froome had done nothing wrong, he added that the finding should not have been made public.But when Brailsford set up Team Sky eight years ago it was on the basis of absolute honesty and openness. We are going to...
Brain power is increasingly a major battleground in sports science as elite athletes search for a critical edgeTowards the end of Kyle Edmund’s breakout performance at the Australian Open, his coach Fredrik Rosengren was asked about his great leap forward. The British No 2’s improved serve and fitness had helped, the Swede acknowledged – but there was something else, too. “You have to believe you can do it in tough situations,” said Rosengren, who stressed that Edmund now had the “mindset” to go deep into grand slams.Belief. Mind over matter. Taming your inner chimp. Hang around elite sports people long enough and you will hear multiple variations on the theme. The race to run a sub-two-hour marathon, for instance, is sometimes...
Melbourne crowds are likely to offer warm support to her this week and research suggests fans continue to back stars and sports laid low by doping scandalsHere is a prediction. Every time Maria Sharapova steps on to court at the Australian Open this year she will be greeted with shrieks of: “Come on Maria!” and elongated waves of goodwill. There will be smiles. And, before even the Russian’s first practice stroke, the unease generated when she received the honour of parading the women’s trophy at the draw last week will be ancient history – much like her positive test for meldonium at Melbourne Park two years ago, and her 15-month suspension.The thing is, we – the public – talk a...