Below: ‘The Roubaix finish line is different to other races. You can’t be straight on because there are still riders doing laps of the track. I’d only arrived about four minutes before winner Pauline

I have a terrible habit of signing up for races I’m wholly unsuitable for. First there was the fatbike challenge in the Arctic Circle in midwinter – a chilly affair that saw me trudging through the sn

A lot can happen in just four seconds. A dropped object falls 78.4m. The Earth travels 120km. A top sprinter runs 40m. A Grand Tour turns on its head. When the Tour de France Femmes kicked off under c

I’ve been thinking about this climb for months. If I can just get up it, I’ll feel I’ve broken the back of this brutal bike leg. But talking of broken backs, mine is straining. Like fudge doughnuts, s

30 DUNHAM MASSEY DUATHLON (various distances) The Bramley Farm, Altrincham. mcafitness.co.uk 7 BLACK COUNTRY TRIATHLETES SPLASH AND DASH AQUATHLON (400m S/ 5km B) Ounsdale Leisure Centre, Wolverhampto

This city in southeastern France is known for its ancient history and legendary culinary scene — but it’s also worth visiting for its forward-looking green initiatives and young chefs who aren’t afraid to experiment