What Are We Learning This Week? Share this story Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images Five days into the 2021 Cycling season, can I just say... OMG we are five days into the cycling season! And only one brush with catastrophe! The “preseason” (aka FSA DS signup season) is behind us and shit has gotten kinda sorta real, but my Belgiophilic brain can’t get past the importance of this weekend’s races as the event that really signals the imminence of spring. And I’m not apologizing. Part of this has to do with races being in the Arab world, which looks lovely and has roads, and which is acceptable given the investments coming from there, if not athletes. If the UAE and Bahrain are for cycling, then I... er, well let’s not get into politics. [Glass houses, after all.] But whatever that all is about, the fact is that races in the Arabian time zones do not work for west coast USA fans watching live action; CET is rough enough. So fine, peloton, go ride in the sun and pet some camels. Stretch out your legs. And come home safe.