Stuck in the Dark Ages: Why Professional Road Cycling Needs a Revolution

Professional road cycling is stuck. Trapped in a cycle of tradition, ego, and outdated thinking, it’s a sport that fails to reflect the values and energy of modern society. While the world around it evolves — embracing inclusion, mental health, authenticity, and meaningful leadership — cycling clings desperately to a “win-at-all-costs” mentality that no longer serves anyone, least of all the athletes themselves.

This isn’t just about the lack of diversity or the outdated team structures. It’s a deeper, systemic issue. Professional road cycling is one of the most cutthroat environments in sport — where results are everything and human beings are often reduced to statistics. It's an industry driven by fear, pressure, and a narrow definition of success.

One of the biggest reasons for this is the recycled leadership model that dominates the sport. Former riders step into managerial roles with the same philosophies they raced under, perpetuating a culture that’s resistant to innovation. Of course, there are exceptions — incredible, forward-thinking individuals and teams do exist, including my own — but they remain the exception, not the norm. They are the minority in a system that rewards conformity over vision.

There is no strong, collective leadership in professional cycling. There's no central mission to develop well-rounded human beings or to foster environments where riders thrive beyond the bike. Instead, the message is clear: your worth is your performance. And that mentality is dangerous.

We are creating generations of athletes who have no identity beyond the bike. Cyclists who are so singularly focused on results that when the wins dry up or their careers end, they are lost. They haven’t been taught life skills. They haven’t been supported as people. And when their usefulness to the team fades, so too does their self-worth.

Sport — especially cycling — should be a vehicle for something greater. It should be a platform for inspiration, resilience, connection. But we’ve reduced it to a highlight reel of podiums and power numbers. Victories fade. What lasts are the values, the lessons, and the personal growth earned through the journey.

Professional cycling has an opportunity — one it’s failing to seize — to evolve into something far more powerful than a results machine. Because the world has changed. The way brands engage with consumers has changed. Visibility on a jersey isn't enough anymore. Brands want connection. They want storytelling. They want to be associated with athletes who are real, relatable, and human.

That’s where the true potential lies — in the stories behind the stats. In the processes. The setbacks. The sacrifices. The mental battles. The community. That’s what inspires people. That’s what grows audiences. That’s what brings value to sponsors far beyond logo placement.

By continuing to centre everything around winning, cycling excludes the very people it claims to want to reach: young people, women, casual fans, and new audiences. Because most people don’t live in a world of constant winning. They live in a world of ups and downs. They want role models who are human — who show them that struggle and vulnerability can coexist with strength and ambition.

And if we want to grow the sport — if we want cycling to matter in the years to come — we need to rethink the model. We need to stop chasing short-term wins and start building long-term impact. That means investing in people. In leadership. In education. In storytelling. It means shifting the definition of success away from just victories and toward value.

The current system might still work for a small group — for the same old audience, the same egotistical, performance-obsessed bubble. But it is not sustainable. It is not modern. And it is certainly not inclusive.

It’s time to break the cycle.

Explore Can Campolier

A Zwift Victory

The countdown timer for the race to start ticked over on the screen. I sat mounted on my bike, warmed up and ready to go, completely focused. I was genuinely in race mode and, after almost a month in lockdown, that was a welcome feeling. But the unfamiliarity of e-racing was making my heart beat a little faster. 

I had been invited to race the Zwift Classic Trofeo Bologna but initially I was hesitant. I’ve made a big effort to embrace Zwift since lockdown but I had been watching some of the other pro races and the power stats were intimidating. I had never done an e-race before so I also wasn’t sure how to strategize or use the power-ups. Even though I had actually raced the course in real life, this really was racing in a different world, but the newly addicted Zwift athlete in me couldn’t say no.

In the comfort of my own home, I waited for the start absolutely tingling with nerves. I hadn’t been this nervous for a race in years! When the race officially began, I over-powered the start and shot right out in front. In the peloton I was like a yo-yo. As a first-time e-racer, I didn’t have a sense of the delay between pedal power and on-screen position. I would be leading the race and then almost out the back, off the front and then instantly back to 30th. Eventually, I got the balance right and as we approached the first ascent up the Madonna di San Luca, I moved to the front and set the pace. I crested with only one other rider but we were caught at the bottom of the descent by a chase group of eight riders. By then, however, I had the hang of things.

I sat in the wheels, taking my turn on the front but also saving my legs as much as I could. In the one-day Giro dell'Emilia, we race up the Madonna di San Luca so, even though I was an avatar in a computer-generated representation, I knew exactly what to do. When the gradient screamed up on a sharp hairpin around 1 kilometer to go, I attacked. In the 2016 Giro dell'Emilia, I had come up short and finished second to Elisa Longo Borghini but that wasn’t happening today. As my family stood right next to me in the grips of excitement, cheering me on, I put down the watts and claimed the victory.

My family swarmed around to congratulate me, as did the virtual community. I knew the London Dynamo Club I often rode with on Zwift were watching from England and their messages began to pour in. I had tons of messages from riders I knew in real life and riders I had only ever “met" in Watopia. A lot of people were reaching out and, maybe it’s because of lockdown and the current situation, but the response seemed bigger than some of my real-life race wins.

The race was only 41 minutes so, even though it was around 21:00, I rode on for a long time after. The house settled back to quiet but I could feel there was lift in the atmosphere, a buzz from the race. I never imagined that Zwift would be such a big part of my life and I definitely never imagined I would be the winner of an e-race! I also never imagined that physical distancing would bring the cycling community so close together or that our sport would continue on in such a new way. Change brings uncertainty, as my racing nerves reminded me, but it also brings the hope and excitement of new opportunities and that makes my heart beat a little faster too.

Finding Peace and My Place in Lockdown

So, life has changed. If you’re a human on the planet, you’ve been affected by Coronavirus. For us at Rocacorba Cycling in Spain, that has meant full lockdown. It happened with very little notice and, with the exception of groceries, medical care, or walking a pet, we are confined to our homes. 

The notice of our lockdown came fast. In about 48 hours we went from rumours to “effective immediately” and with that came a lot of fear and questions. As the gravity of reality sank in, so did my fear about the future. In the big picture of life, sport is not an essential good. Everyone is vulnerable—physically, mentally, and economically—and in such unprecedented times, I was struggling to find peace and place in the global pandemic. 

The biggest obvious challenge for me was shifting all my training indoors. I’ve always rather put on a jacket and trained outside, rain or snow, so, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t looking forward to being stuck inside. But, whether injury, illness, the racing calendar, team decisions, training, family, work, or whatever, the best athletes are the ones that can adapt, period. Ready or not, I had to rise to this scary and extraordinary challenge. 

Rocacorba Cycling has always had a top-of-the-line indoor training set up thanks to our friends at Zwift. With a Tacx smart trainer and Zwift, I knew I had the best possible tools for success. Still, I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep it together mentally. A week was one thing. I was confident I could handle three even four weeks but what if it was longer? What about the Olympics? CCC-Liv? 

I just started out riding around Wattopia (one of the Zwift virtual worlds). Pretty quickly, I started to discover all the people; I began joining group rides and eventually started hosting meet-ups of my own. I rode with guests who were supposed to be staying with us, friends from across the planet who I never get to ride with, and I’ve even joined the London Dynamos for what’s become a regular Saturday morning ¨race¨. A whole new world of indoor training opened up to me and with real people behind every avatar, there was real engagement, real fun, and even real DOMS. I have a meet-up almost every day now and, unexpectedly, it’s actually allowed me to be more social than ever.

It took a while but I began to make peace with the situation. The Olympics weren’t gone, they were just a little bit farther away. The races would come back and I hoped women’s cycling would be able to find more ground in a post-pandemic world. We might not be racing as CCC-Liv but we were still very much a team. We had started meeting twice a week over the internet and that was actually bringing us closer together. The future of cycling was going to be different but CCC-Liv was already building a new, stronger normal and that security and support is just as comforting as it is a source of motivation. 

And I had also found my place: the indoor trainer. I felt blessed to be healthy and committed to doing my part and staying home. I was grateful that technology and Zwift allowed me to continue working and more grateful it became a source of motivation that also kept me connected to so many people. 

Rising to the challenge of Coronavirus, for me, has meant finding my place and making peace with reality and the unknown. Lockdown, no matter how long it will be, is always going to be hard but doing our part and staying safe from COVID-19 is about physical distance not social isolation. Whether it’s training inside and meeting-up for virtual rides, making a home office or a home gym, or picking up the phone and giving a friend or family member a call, staying together is the best way we can all rise to the challenge, stay healthy, and make it through Coronavirus. 

Transformation Underway

Can Campolier is a bit like an archeologist dig: we slowly uncover the past and discover new potential as we make our way through the house. We always had the idea to develop the downstairs area but it wasn’t until we took a high pressure hose to the floor and walls that we really saw all that it could be. 

Originally, the downstairs was where some of the livestock were housed and cared for. When we moved in, there was even still old hay piled up in the corners. It was dusty, dark, and, frankly, we had other areas to focus on. But as the business expanded, we needed more space. Slowly, the downstairs became storage and then, over time, it was clear it had to be cleaned up and made into a proper usable space.

 We started to clean, chip away at the disintegrating concrete, and then the vision was really clear. We called in the contractors. In a few weeks the team of 8 workers had transformed the area and revealed beautiful arched ceilings, exposed stone walls, and a crystal clear vision. It would be a space that was all about the bike. Of course, our bike workshop and rental bikes would be stored there but now it would also be a space for riders with shower facilities, seating areas to enjoy a coffee or two, and space to get ready to ride. 

Plus, we all kinda liked that the foundation of the house is the foundation of our business: bikes. 

Although it has moved on from cattle to bikes, as with the rest of Can Campolier, we will preserve the authentic feel of the space. Our top of the line carbon Cervelos and 3Ts will be perfectly at home next to the old brick but we hope bringing the space back into use will also tie a little of our cycling DNA into Can Campolier. 

Work is still ongoing with but we look forward to sharing coffees and ride stories in our new cycling zone very soon.

Bringing The Fire

There wasn’t going to be fireworks this race, it was going to be a patient burn. The relatively short 104km course left a lot to be desired with nothing more than a few roughly surfaced uphill drags and undulations to test the peloton. I wanted a hard race so, even though I was happy it wasn’t another 38°C day like TT champs, I knew the parcours weren’t enough to make the race. 

My strategy became more about patience rather than power. In the past, I probably would have attacked a lot, tried to liven up the race and risked the win in favour of good racing; but with experience comes composure. We ticked over the majority of the race but, finally, with 12km to go, I turned up the heat and attacked. Carla Oberholzer came with me and, although we were working well together, we were brought back by the bunch with 5km to go. The composure I had maintained the whole race was wearing thin.

Just then, however, we rolled over a section of really rough rumble strips and suddenly, my gears were frozen. Luckily, I was stuck in the middle of the cassette but then, of course, someone attacked on the downhill. With some furious cadence I was able to stay with the bunch and thankfully no one seemed to noticed. I couldn’t believe it. I had kept it together the whole race and now, with the national title being decided in a matter of kilometres, I only had two gears. 

Image: Cyclenation

This was really the moment for composure. But it was also the moment for fire. I wanted the win badly and, two gears or no gears, I had to keep it together and wait for the right moment. I took a calming breath, I got into position, and at the exact spot I had planned, I laid it down. I had the lead but the entire bunch reacted and I could feel the heat of the chase. By less than a second, I crossed the line first and took the title.

The rush of winning is always special but, unlike most races, the national champs win is something you get to be proud of every time you pull on the jersey. I’m really proud of the way I raced; even when it was time to bring the fire, I kept my cool from start to finish. Especially in an Olympic year, I’ll be proud to wear the South African colours for the 2020 European season. 

On Fire at TT Champs

We’re up in the far north of South Africa. It’s beautiful but it’s seriously hot—38C hot—it’s humid, plus there’s even a risk of malaria. It’s definitely not Europe, it’s home and it’s national championships time. 

I’ve been training up at altitude in Mpumlanga for the past few weeks and it’s actually been refreshing to get back to what we used to do. Back to the tried and tested winter training that has always put me in a great place for the European season. Great training, fantastic weather, a good healthy dose of the homeland and, of course, national individual time trial championships as the first race of the season. 

The 20km time trial was an out and back course with the first half dragging uphill. I went out hard to take advantage of the uphill and had the rider who started 1 minute before me, Carla Oberholzer, within my sight fast. Carla was the perfect carrot to chase and I made the pass at the turnaround point. 

Image: Cycle Nation

I maintained a good advantage, as per my race strategy, but with 4km to go all I was thinking was “where is this finish line?!”. I was boiling hot. At that point, I had no fluids on my bike and my core temperature felt like I had swallowed the sun. Carla came back and passed me. Chasing her and dreams of ice cold water at the finish line, I kept her in reach and crossed the finish line just behind her. 

I had a good feeling I had the win but I also felt like a human desert. First priority was liquid and lots of it. Thank goodness for my support team and the 4 bottles of cold water I chugged immediately. The weather would be similar in Tokyo so, actually, it was a good experience to have now to better prepare for the Olympics—a realization that only came after bottle of water #2. 

The results became official and I had done it! I am the 2020 South African Time Trial Champion and I am so proud to earn the title back, especially in an Olympic year, and take the stripes up to Europe for the rest of the season. 

The 104km road race is in a few days and, hopefully, the only thing that will be on fire are my legs! 

Image: Cycle Nation

You can follow the race here. 

Keep Fighting. Period.

Everything was falling apart. 

I got off my bike and it was dead quiet. I had just finished the individual time trial at the Giro Rosa and, I knew it wasn’t my best day, but was it really that bad? Being met with silence from my team affirmed my worst fears. I had finished three minutes off the pace, out of the top ten, and it was a really hard pill to swallow. At the biggest stage race of the season, as my teammates sacrificed themselves for me, I just couldn’t deliver. I rode back to the team bus, taking that silence with me. 

Image: Jojo Harper

I started to spiral. I’ve had tons of bad races but this felt like more. My period had arrived early, leaving me feeling completely flat and in pain. I had strange and severe stomach pain that was keeping me up at night. Even my skin was sensitive to touch. I couldn’t eat and I didn’t want to. I knew it wasn’t true but it felt like everyone else was having a perfect race while mine was a disaster. Nothing was going right this season, it was just obstacle after set back after bad luck, and now, as I slid down the GC from 3rd to 9th, I felt completely disheartened. 

Of course, all of this was also happening in front of an audience. My teammates, the peloton, friends, family, and fans were all seeing me struggle and so the messages started. What was happening and why, I still wasn’t sure, but the support messages were clear: I had to find a way to keep fighting. 

I made it through the next two stages, getting dropped, clawing back, and fighting for every single pedal stroke. Every time an attack went or the pace surged, I couldn’t draw on my physical abilities like I was used to. I had to really dig deep into my experience to keep it together. My mum called to remind me how I had overcome an eating disorder, a serious head injury and a hip fracture. My husband, who was thankfully there by my side, kept reminding me what I was normally capable of and what we had accomplished, although, really, just his presence was a source of strength. My team was incredibly supportive, fully understanding how much impact your period can have on performance, let alone stomach issues. My phone was also constantly beeping with encouragement from fans through messages on social media. I didn’t have the physical power but I was constantly reminded that I did have the strength. 

Image: Sean Hardy

By Stage 9, the Queen Stage, the team doctor had helped get my stomach under control and I was over the worst of my period. I started to feel like myself again and Montasio, the big mountain top finish, was my chance to prove it. It was against the odds and the top riders in the world but, finally, my guts were saying let’s go for it. 

The stage played out exactly as predicted. We hit Montasio and Annemiek van Vleuten attacked. All the favourites respond and—hallelujah—so did my legs. Anna van der Breggen, Lucinda Brand, Amanda Spratt and I chased hard. As we caught Annemiek, the pace was…you can’t even believe! I knew it was impossible to keep that power going without blowing up and, after Lucinda dropped off, so did I. Moments later, Amanda did too. While Annemiek and Anna powered on, I set my sights on chasing down Amanda. 

I bridged to her strong and steady and as we hit the steep part together, I tried my best to get rid of her. I couldn’t shake her so when we hit the flat section, I slammed my gears into the big blade and punched the speed. I escaped from Amanda, crossed the line for 3rd on the stage, 4th in the GC, and I had never felt so relieved. 

I received lots of messages after Stage 9. The messages that recognized my low along with my stage podium were the ones that stayed with me. The people who noticed me struggle, saw me fight, and how I turned it around from such a low place, had seen something that felt vulnerable to me. The exposure of my difficulties had demonstrated, even to myself, a strength that went beyond watts and bikes. 

Image: Anton Vos

We all go into big races as prepared as possible but reality constantly shows us that races, seasons, and life never go to plan. The lesson, however, isn’t that life is unpredictable but that we can be resilient and rise above whatever challenges come our way. I’ve learned that lesson over and over again but, still, I keep learning it because as we rise, the difficulty of our challenges rise with us. It never gets easier but our capacity to handle what we once thought impossible is unfailing if we have faith in our fighting spirit. 

Join Ashleigh at the Harvest Tour

The Harvest Tour

Our first olive harvest last year was, well, our first: complete novice farmers with no olive picking experience who realized pretty quickly that our olive trees make a ton of olives—almost literally. In the beginning we called on a few close friends to come help us out but, as word got around town, more and more people asked us if they could come pick olives too. Soon, people were riding over to spend an hour or so in the orchard, others driving up to spend the day in the trees.

Surrounded by wonderful old olive trees and friends, what seemed like a daunting task turned out to be fun that was actually short-lived. When all the olives were picked and pressed into wonderful olive oil, the fun began again as we gave each pair of helping hands a piece of the harvest. We still get messages and pictures of fond memories and wonderful meals made with Can Campolier olive oil.

With such a successful first harvest, this year we’re officially opening the orchard with the Harvest Tour. Spend the morning with us on bikes and then return to the estate in the afternoon for an orchard lunch and olive picking. Enjoy the roads, the olive trees, and take home delicious hand-picked, cold-pressed olive oil.

Join us for the Harvest Tour

Our All New Fleet

The new bike hire fleet has been in action for a few weeks at Rocacorba Cycling. The beautiful, fast, and brand new 2019 Cervelo R3 complimented with the versatile, alluring, and just downright fun 3T Exploro means we have bikes to cover all means of cycling adventures in Girona.

If you’ve always chosen to travel with your bike you’re really missing out on the opportunity of hiring a bike. Cyclists who travel with their bikes know all too well what a hassle it can be and, even worse, how expensive it can be when you have to replace damaged equipment on holiday. When you hire a bike, you don’t have to stress about packing, building, lugging around a bike bag, excess baggage fees, or surprise damage. Still, there’s something about having your own bike with you—we get it! You have your set-up dialled in, you’re comfortable, and, well, it’s your bike! But can you really say no to a beauty like the Cervelo R3?

Bike hire is a great chance to ride and experience a different bike, try out new equipment, and let’s not forget the amazing convenience of stress free travel while your loyal steed stays safely at home. You don’t have to worry about bringing tools, setting the bike up, or maintaining it; you get the absolute pleasure of riding a top-end bike. We take care of everything so you can just ride and enjoy.

Before your arrival, we will be in touch to get your measurements so your bike is set up specifically for you. Don’t know your measurements? We can help you figure them out or book a bike fit upon arrival. Whether you need a 80mm stem or you’ve never measured your saddle height before, we can ensure you a perfect, stress-free set-up. 

All of our rental bikes are the latest 2019 frames with the newest technology. Haven’t tried disc brakes yet? Been on the same soft carbon frames for years? Never been on gravel? Enjoy the excitement, responsiveness, and speed of something new with high-level components. Whether you’re renting a Cervelo R3 or a 3T Exploro (or both as many of our guests like to do), when you arrive, our in-house mechanic will have your bike set up to your exact measurements and ready to go. Along with your pedals, you’re encouraged to bring your own saddle that we will install for maximum comfort. Our mechanic is also bike fitter so any changes can be done on the spot to ensure you’re comfortable and ready to perform.

There’s been more than a few holiday romances that have turned into something long-lasting after a week of riding around Girona and the Costa Brava. If you fall in love with the nimble, light Cervelo R3 or you can’t let go of how the world opened up on a 3T Exploro, we’re not in the business of breaking hearts. We can always have a new one delivered right to your door. 

Rent a bike when you stay with us and explore all Girona has to offer.