Welcome to BIKE Magazine March 2026
March is cycling’s hinge month: the turbo‑charged promise of spring, a dash of grit (and gravel), and the first time each year we feel like form and freedom might finally meet. Inside this issue, we’ve tried to bottle that feeling-and give you plenty of reasons to pump tyres, not brakes.
We begin where white roads and imagination meet: Siena’s Strade Bianche sets the tone before Paris–Nice and Tirreno–Adriatico test legs and logistics, then Milano–Sanremo asks its eternal question on the Cipressa–Poggio: dare, or wait? You’ll find our at‑a‑glance calendar and what‑to‑watch notes to steer your own early‑season Sundays.
If your heart beats off‑road, don’t miss our big report from the SCOTT Mediterranean Epic on Spain’s Costa del Azahar. David Valero and Natalia Fischer sealed the overalls, while Charlie Aldridge turned a late puncture into a stage‑four masterclass-a finale as sharp as the senda dels Treballadors itself.
Staying in Spain, the Marathon World Cup fired its opening salvo on the Costa Blanca. Wout Alleman timed his run to perfection in the men’s race, and Anna Weinbeer lit the fuse early and never looked back in the women’s-results that will echo all the way to Elba in May.
For the tourers among you, Kanishka Poddar’s Thailand bikepacking guide is a keeper: practical routes north–south, smart stopovers (hello, Spinning Bear Hostel), and the kind of tiny phrases that open big doors-and bigger smiles. Pack light; go far.
Prefer quiet water to crashing surf? Join the Bicycle Adventure Club on the Grand Union Canal from London to Birmingham-towpaths, lock flights, unexpected picnics, and the reminder that adventure can start on your doorstep (and sometimes finish beside a pub).
Performance isn’t only miles and maps. Our nutrition feature asks the month’s most over‑marketed question-“Are you getting enough protein?”-and answers it with evidence, examples and everyday swaps that work for real cyclists with real kitchens. Pair it with this month’s Ask the Coach for pragmatic fixes on cramps, training plans, and building to your first 100 km with consistency, not heroics.
We’ve also got stories for the soul: Markus Stitz’s new short, Still A Race, captures the mental calculus of ultra racing-filmed from the saddle, felt in the gut-and an uplifting classroom conversation with Kleon Papadimitriou, who pedalled from Scotland to Greece and found that courage, stubbornness and a phone call home can carry you further than you think.
Finally, a nod to the present tense: data‑driven coaching is reshaping how top teams prep and recover-see our news on Vekta’s expanded WorldTour partnerships-and yes, those tools are trickling down. Less time wrangling files; more time riding bikes. That’s a future we can get behind.
See you on the road, the towpath, or the singletrack. And as ever, tell us where your wheels take you next:
[email protected].
Nick Branxton
Editor, BIKE Magazine
