Cover stories: issue 106 – Empower

Cover stories: issue 106 – Empower

Our issue 106 cover stars. Empower is the word

Photos: Sean Hardy Rouleur issue 106

We wanted somebody special for this very special edition of Rouleur. When we walked into our local velodrome for a Thundercrit meeting – brakeless fixed-wheel criteriums on tight, twisty circuits – we knew we’d found the right crowd.

Everywhere you looked, there were joyous, wonderful faces enjoying the vibes – whether racing or spectating with a drink in hand. And everybody was happy to have their portrait taken by Sean Hardy – well, who wouldn’t?

Subscribe now to receive issue 106

Ten of the best made it into the magazine feature too – not necessarily because they had the loveliest faces, but because they had interesting things to say regarding widening the demographic of cycling and improving its appeal across the board, which is the theme of this issue.

For the cover, it had to be Yewande – or Yewie to her friends. Everything about her is just right, even her nails.

Special mention to Tommy, below, who also merited serious consideration. Sean clocked him the second he appeared in the velodrome and whisked him aside for a photograph.

And he also provided one of the quotes of the issue, which we put with his portrait on page 3: “Anybody can come. Just bring yourself, bring your bike. It’s a fun thing.”

Thank you, Tommy. And thank you, Yewande. You made our day.

Subscribe now to receive issue 106

Photos: Sean Hardy Rouleur issue 106

READ MORE

‘From learning to walk again to learning to win bike races’ - Tom Gloag is on his way back

‘From learning to walk again to learning to win bike races’ - Tom Gloag is on his way back

The British rider has had a turbulent few years with crashes but remains positive about his place in the sport

Read more
New riders, new mentality: Are there finally positive signs for the Ineos Grenadiers?

New riders, new mentality: Are there finally positive signs for the Ineos Grenadiers?

The opening race of the WorldTour saw promising performances from the British team who say that big changes have been made ahead of the 2025...

Read more
'Whenever you win, people expect more': How Biniam Girmay is building on his history-making season

'Whenever you win, people expect more': How Biniam Girmay is building on his history-making season

The Eritrean was one of the stars of the 2024 Tour de France, but now he is preparing to cope with the pressure of building...

Read more
‘Massive cojones, but absolute suicide’ - How Jhonatan Narváez proves that the smartest bike racer wins

‘Massive cojones, but absolute suicide’ - How Jhonatan Narváez proves that the smartest bike racer wins

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider executed a perfect victory on the penultimate stage of the Tour Down Under, while others fumbled ambitious plans

Read more
‘The yellow card system isn’t changing anything’ - Is it really possible to make sprinting safer?

‘The yellow card system isn’t changing anything’ - Is it really possible to make sprinting safer?

For the second time in the race, there was discourse surrounding fair sprinting after stage four of the Tour Down Under

Read more
‘My life has changed’ - Justine Ghekiere on 13 hour turbo sessions, Tour de France fame and helping Kopecky to rainbow stripes

‘My life has changed’ - Justine Ghekiere on 13 hour turbo sessions, Tour de France fame and helping Kopecky to rainbow stripes

From struggling in the peloton to winning a Grand Tour stage, the Belgian woman tells Rouleur about her whirlwind ride to the top of the...

Read more

READ RIDE REPEAT

JOIN ROULEUR TODAY

Get closer to the sport than ever before.

Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines.

SUBSCRIBE