The Rouleur Classic 2018 is the fourth edition of the world’s finest cycling show. It’s also gearing up to be the best edition yet. As well as superstar names in conversation, there’ll be exhibits by all of the biggest brands and vintage memorabilia that you won’t find anywhere else.
From the theatre to the halls, here are twelve of the things you definitely won’t want to miss.
The Cycling Hall of Fame
An absolutely unique event that will go down in cycling history. The Cycling Hall of Fame will open on Thursday November 1 at the Rouleur Classic. While in future years we will open the selection process out to you, the Rouleur reader, for the first edition there could be no arguments as to who the first man and woman riders should be. The greatest, Eddy Merckx, will be there to receive his award in person while Beryl Burton will be represented by her daughter Denise.
Larry and Conor talk the #NoGoTour
Life gave these two lemons and they made lemonade. The collapse of their team, AquaBlue Sport must have come as a devastating blow to Larry Warbasse and Conor Dunne, particularly as it meant their withdrawal from the Tour of Britain. Instead of drowning their sorrows, the two Nice-based riders went bikepacking for a week. While out on the road they not only rediscovered their love for riding but produced some wonderfully-written blog posts for Rouleur. Both will be regaling us with stories from the stage at the Rouleur Classic.
Bradley Wiggins and Eddy Merckx in conversation
Bradley Wiggins’ brand new book, Icons, celebrates 21 of the riders who have most influenced the Belgium-born Wiggins over the course of his career. To launch the book, the Tour de France winner, World Champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist will be joined on stage at the Rouleur Classic by one of those named icons, Eddy Merckx. Wiggins will also be signing and selling copies of the book at the event.
The launch of Trek-Segafredo 2019
Two riders who have had quite monumental years – albeit in rather different ways – Lizzie Deignan and John Degenkolb will be on stage on Friday to launch Trek-Segafredo’s very first women’s teams and the men’s team for 2019. Rouleur Classic guests will get the first glimpse of the team’s 2019 kit
The Voxwomen Sharon Laws Road Rider of the Year
The rider of the spring and summer public polls produced a rider of the year shortlist of four: Coryn Rivera, Amanda Spratt, Anna van der Breggen and (last year’s winner) Annemiek van Vleuten. At the start of October we held a final vote of those four to give us one winner. Whoever she is will be crowned live on stage at the Rouleur Classic on Thursday November 1.
14 World Champions (and Kenny Van Vlaminck)
By our count we’re going to have a 14 UCI World Champions gracing our stage over the three days of the Classic. From 3-timer Eddy Merckx on Thursday, four-time ITT World Champion Fabian Cancellara on Friday and double road World Champion Freddy Maertens on Saturday, between them our guests have won the rainbow bands on an enormous 22 separate occasions.
We’re also lucky enough to have Belgian legend Kenny Van Vlaminck coming along to do… well, this:
Yorkshire 2019 with Sir Gary Verity and David Lappartient
The UCI’s head honcho hoping to bring the sport into the 21st century, next to the man who has singlehandedly – we exaggerate only slightly – transformed God’s Own County into one of the world’s great cycling destinations. The 2019 World Championships will see how successful both Gary Verity and David Lappartient have been at realising their visions for the sport. At the Rouleur Classic we’ll hear from both men about what we can expect.
*That* CeramicSpeed bike
The idea of a shaft-driven bike might be almost as old as cycling itself. However, as CeramicSpeed’s Ben Powell told us recently, “what’s novel about this design is the engagement mechanism. The shaft engages with the front chainring but instead of there being teeth there’s bearings.” If our Instagram comments provide any indication, away from the theatre, the CeramicSpeed Driven bike is sure to be the talk of the Rouleur Classic. We might even need a velvet rope.
Driven: the CeramicSpeed groupset that’s caused a chain reaction
Michael Blann’s Swiss mountains
Thanks to the Giro, Tour and Vuelta, the climbs of Italy, France and Spain get plenty of press but those aren’t Europe’s only high points. For a recent assignment, we sent mountain man Michael Blann to Switzerland to capture some of the landlocked neutral state’s most cycling-friendly ascents. As you’ll see from the selection of prints he’ll have on display at the Rouleur Classic, when it comes to shooting landscapes nobody does it better.
Vintage gear and memorabilia
The museum’s worth of memorabilia on display will include a collection of casquettes from Prendas, 144 out of Mike Sweatman’s 1744 different derailleurs, and an impressive display of World Championship posters straight from the Horton Collection.
The artisans
Is the era of all-black, off the shelf bikes and kit over? Thanks to an increasing array of talented artisans, such as Artful Kicks, Fatcreations and HydroOptics, it might be. Whether it’s in the form of custom painted frame, shoes, helmet or glasses, the artisans allow the not-so-average Joe or Jo to wear their personalities on their sleeve (and face and feet) and show off the full extent of their personality. All three of the above will be bringing their talent to the Classic.
The biggest brands in the business
Around the Rouleur office we often describe the Rouleur Classic as being “like a party in the world’s best bike shop, staffed by the world’s greatest riders and bike gurus.” You’ll find an Aladdin’s cave of premium cycling brands showing off all their lustworthy wares that you simply will not see anywhere else.
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