If any further proof was needed that bike riders really are the world's hardest sportsmen, look no further than Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

France declared a national disaster as violent storms blew across Western Europe and any sensible event should surely have been cancelled. Not this Belgian semi-classic of course, and the organisers only cut 20 kilometres from the route when a fallen tree blocked a climb.

With gusting winds and a slick covering of mud over many of the roads there were countless crashes but none more spectacular than Quick Step's Stijn Devolder, who managed to collide with a large plastic dustbin.

So who revel in these extreme conditions? Brits of course, with 22-year-old Sky rider Ian Stannard pulling off the best result of his career so far, finishing third. Fellow Brit Jeremy Hunt led the chasing group and closed to 45 seconds but with 35km to go he'd had enough and abandoned despite being fourth rider on the road. And he wasn't alone. Just 26 hardy souls made it back to Kuurne.

Elsewhere in the magazine you'll find Dr Hutch decrying the toughness of bike riders.

Don't believe a word of it, Ian Stannard certainly scores a 10 on our hardometer.

Robert Garbutt is editor of Cycling Weekly

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I do not want to harp on about what I have done for the last four weeks; it's only the usual winter stuff of cyclists; long training, a stint of dreaded sickness followed by antibiotics, team training, new kit.... I thought that I would rather tell you a little about the different places that I have trained in since the start of the year.

As a cyclist half the pleasure of riding is the terrain and surrounding scenery that you take in along the way. Of course we all have our favourite routes but I think it is fair to say that a new route makes a ride much more interesting and enjoyable.

I spent the first three weeks of January with Citrus Cycling; they are based just in land from Calpe on the Costa Blanca. The land is rather baron but offers quiet roads and some fantastic climbs. Take in Guadalest, Confrides, Margarida and Val d'Ebo for some challenging climbs and stunning views. Calpe is a real favourite with the pro teams in January since the weather is fairly dependable in that region. If you are looking to avoid the snow and rain that northern Europe offers in January and February book you tickets now for next year!

From Spain I returned to Belgium for a training weekend with the team. In Spring and Summer the routes and terrain would offer just as much benefit as those that I had ridden in Spain. Unfortunately the 2 degrees and rain that we had did not please my body (hence the antibiotics!)

However, riding the parcours from Het Nieuwsblad (formerly Het Volk) and the Ronde Van Vlaanderen with the team was great fun despite the weather. We based ourselves in Zingem in a small guest house specifically catering for groups of riders undertaking such training; Sigginga Haim. It is one of many such hostels which offer perfect accommodation for club trips in Spring and Summer.

To bring you to present time I am now in Majorca. This is my first time on the island so I really did not know what to expect. As our plane came in to land the first thing that struck me was how lush and green the land was.

I immediately had to stop myself from dwelling on the conclusion that such vegetation could only be the result of a rainier climate! Our first ride was relatively flat but this did not mean an easy training; the wind made sure of that! After two hours of riding we had a train of more than 10 extras all benefiting from the Redsun wind break! Subsequent trainings have taken in a real variety of terrain and have all, thankfully, been ridden in dry conditions.

I was thoroughly impressed with the route taking us up to Valldemossa then in a south westerly direction skirting along the coast to return inland via Andratx. Despite being close to the water you remain at a good height and are therefore treated to some breathtaking views. From Andratx we came back via Calvia and Coll de Sa Creu.

If you ever take a trip to Mallorca do not leave without taking in this coast road; I promise you a treat! The island is a top favourite with all levels of cyclists from top pros to the keen enthusiast willing to hire for one day. I am aware that we have been very fortunate to have had nine days of dry training but for an early Spring training camp this has to be one of the best locations on offer.

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It was another week of cycling bashing in the Daily Mail. After the recent outrage caused by James Martin, the C-list bike-hating celebrity chef, come the demented ramblings of Petronella Wyatt, who sees fit to blame us for pretty much everything that's wrong in the world.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, the big problem is that she's got most of her facts totally wrong. Ms Wyatt wants a change in the law to force cyclists to take a test because of the increased number of accidents involving bike riders. Wrong.

There has been a 107 per cent increase in cycling in London in the last decade yet the number of cycling casualties has actually fallen by 27 per cent.

She thinks there is a proposal to make motorists responsible for all accidents involving cyclists, irrespective of who was actually in the wrong. But Petronella is wrong again. The proposed Strict Liability legislation will always allow a driver the chance to prove a cyclist's guilt.

And she says police have found that half the collisions between bicycles and cars are the fault of the cyclist. Not even close. In non-fatal collisions involving cyclists aged over 25 police solely blame the driver in about 70 per cent of cases and divide responsibility between both parties in 10 per cent more.

There's already enough anti-bike hatred, without inventing nonsense statistics to support a deluded rant.

Robert Garbutt is editor of Cycling Weekly

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After a long season is very nearly at an end I've decided to put together a couple of top tens of the season starting with my top ten moments, so here they are in reverse order:

10. Cross Vegas has to be in any ones top ten just for the unique experience, crazy atmosphere and surreal place that Las Vegas is. It's not higher on the list purely because of the air quality. Next year I'm taking a bottle on my bike!

9. Next are the two victories in one week during a mini-tour of Europe. Not only was the racing great and the results amazing but I had a really nice training week in Italy which included a hot chocolate and sunset in San Marino, a very beautiful place.

8. Another great moment for me was when I went to Bamberg and Strullendorf in Germany for the weekend. Not only was it funny to see the next turn off on TomTom to be in 520km but I had a great battle with Hanka Kupfernagel in the race. It's always good to go head to head with Hanka as she knows how to win and trying to beat her is a real challenge. Unfortunately she did win but only in a sprint at the end of the race.

7. This year I was lucky enough to be able to try lots of new things to help find those missing percents. This has involved a lot of work off the bike to find new partners and training aids. Part of this was structuring a mid-season training camp into my schedule in Portugal. Not only was the weather amazing but the roads were perfect and it's always nice to relax in a new environment. I'd love to be able to do this more, so fingers crossed for next season.

6. Included in those little extras from number seven, are some of the amazing sponsors I've got supporting me. By far a highlight for Stef as well as me would be since my use of Sleep Athletes products (and their expert advice), I no longer snore. Equally as importantly is my new PowerTap from CycleOps as I've been able to record data both in training and racing that can only lead to more improvements next year.

5. Signing for Kona-FSA alone has been a seriously cool part of the season. Since I signed, I'd been pretty excited about meeting the guys and getting to ride the Major Jake bikes. Both of which experiences lived up to expectations when I arrived in the USA. Probably the most exciting moment was when my team kit arrived; I was like a kid in a candy shop with my boxes of new clothes! It wasn't until the National Champs in February that I got to wear the orange kit, but I was very proud in my 40 minutes in the famous colours.

4. Goodwill still exists in cycling and to not mention the support from everybody would be a crime. If it wasn't for the race organisers and their team of helpers there would be no races. I've raced all over Europe and America this year and consider myself very lucky to have had those opportunities. Without the help of my crew chief Jurgen and also ‘Drum and Salami' in America, I wouldn't be able to race. There are too many people to mention but every race has a highlight for me so I'm truly grateful to these people.

3. Moving into the top three in my first race for Kona-FSA, Star Crossed, in America. Not only was the race seriously good fun, but to get a win in my very first race for my new team was definitely a great experience. It was great to do battle with riders like Sue Butler and see that cyclo-cross is becoming a serious sport all around the world. All the help I got from the team and my good Portland crew, ‘Drum and Salami', meant all I had to do was race. I even got to see a few Brits there who'd come to watch the race, including a family friend Robert. Fingers crossed I can go and do the same this next season.

2. Winning nationals for a fifth time in a row was definitely a highlight. I didn't expect to win by as a big a margin as I did, but that shows me what I can do when the brain and legs work in tandem. It gives me more inspiration and drive for the next season. So fingers crossed there will be an increase in the podium count for next year (it stands at 10 for this season, with two races to go).

1. Number one is without question the best moment for me for the entire season. It's not always just the result or performance that gives you a good feeling but how it affects the people around you. The look of excitement and pride on Jurgen's (my leg guru) face when I was third at the European championships was just the best feeling in the world.