If you're getting big bike race cravings after the road world champs concluded last month, fear not because there's plenty going on this weekend.
I suppose the first one is more someone racing themselves but it's a race against the clock nonetheless, because Filippo Ganna is after the Hour Record that his Ineos colleague Dan Bigham broke in August. It's led to a unusual situation where Bigham, as his role as performance engineer for Ineos, has been heavily involved in helping Ganna take the record off him by imparting his expert advice to the Italian on aerodynamics and bike fit. Maybe Filippo should have a quick check his tyres before the gun goes?*
Anyway, you can catch Ganna's attempt live on YouTube for free at this link from 18.45 UK time tomorrow.
Over in Ganna's native Italy, the inaugural Gravel World Championships is being taken more seriously than we anticipated and will be live on Eurosport from 1pm-3pm for the women's race on Saturday and between 1pm-3pm on Sunday for the men's. It will be the first race back for Mathieu van der Poel after some time in Australian police custody, and from this Insta snap it seems like he's going for a road bike in the new Canyon Ultimate with some thicker tyres over something more gravelly.
Will the Dutchman prevail? He'll have names such as Peter Sagan, Nathan Haas and Greg Van Avermaet to fend off, so we're expecting some fireworks.
* Tongue very very firmly in cheek...