I felt bad for big Tony (Juan) Flecha last year in Paris Roubaix, when Pozatto had the balls to complain about him falling in front of him. Hell Pippo, it’s not like he did it on purpose, maybe you shouldn’t sit so close to his wheel! So if anyone was going to beat our Heinrich, then I don’t feel so bad seeing Tony giving the “bow and arrow” on the line. Did he really just ride Philip Gilbert off his wheel without getting out of the saddle? It looks like that new fish n’ chip, and deep fried Snicker British diet is working out for the Spaniard (did I just give Brailsford’s secret away, sorry Dave). Very impressed to see Heinrich take second, despite declaring himself “less than fit” before the race. Looking good for MSR Mr Haussler! Also nice for the Belgium commentators to be the first to say “the sky’s the limit” – I wonder how long it took them to think that one up? I doubt it will be the last time we heat that…Cycling’s March madness is well under way.
ADDITION:
….and they just picked up a 3rd in K-B-K, with Ian Standard. Man, I could feel Standard’s legs lock up after he went in the last KM – still a great ride. This team is looking good for another win in the classics.
Walking around a flea market in Switzerland I stumbled across an old guy who had a stand full of sports memorabilia. It took awhile for him to get past my Irish-tainted pigeon French, but when he realized I was asking him if he had anything to do with cycling, he broke into a wonderful smile. He reached to the back of his table and presented me with two things of beauty. The first is this feature, a Jacques Anquetil Souvenir Magazine published by Miroir De Cyclisme in Paris in 1987. It captures the absolute essence of one of the most stylish riders to ever grace the roads of Europe, in victory, and the pain of defeat. One of the few riders to ever wear the Tour’s yellow jersey all the way from day one to Paris. Click on for the feature.
Whenever you waken up and find that the weather has contrived to dump snow all over your plans for Training Camp in Austin, and you are stuck dealing with airline hold music, life is not all bad as demonstrated by Big Jan. There are still some good things to enjoy like beer, pies and Lederhosen. This is how you do retirement. Chin up!
1. Denis Menchovfalling, getting up, and going on to win the the final time trial and the overall at the Giro. Every Italian watching him was willing him to hit the deck on the wet streets of Milan, and give Di Luca the only chance he had for victory. What was amazing was that while Menchov was sliding along the street he was still trying to grab his bike and get back up. He crossed the line with time to spare, and the Ice Man melted to reveal a fist-pumping crazy horse hero! Emotion rarely seen at the end of a bike race.
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2. The Milan San Remo finish. I was screaming at the TV and I didn’t know for which rider. Cav got himself over the Poggio with the help of George, and into the final mix. Haussler came up the line so fast no one could take his wheel, and he went seven lengths clear. It wasn’t the final throw for the line, which is being called the sprint of the decade and a win that came down to millimeters, that was incredible, but the scenes after the riders crossed the line. We have access in our sport to the athletes in the moment of victory, or in this case crushing defeat, that no other sport can deliver. The shot above is Heinrich Haussler lying on the ground after finding out he has lost MSR by 1cm. Crushed.
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3. Ireland had waited 17 years for another Grand Tour stage win, and it came on a shitty Irish weather day. Philip Deignan refused Roman Kreuziger’s supposed offer of money in the last 2km to give up the win on stage 18 of the Vuelta. His response, “get stuffed”, and a killer sprint to take the win.
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4. Jens Voigt’scrash on the descent of the Petit-Saint-Bernard. I had tears in my eyes. It didn’t look good. I hate to see riders wipe out like that, but you know when Jens Voigt stays down it is going to be serious. We all know how hard a rider he is, so when he doesn’t get up……I will be looking forward to his comeback this year, because this is not how a rider of hiscaliber should leave the sport.
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5.Bradley Wiggins did what we all hoped he would do. Took that superior speed and engine from the track to the road, and turned himself into a serious GC rider. Watching him on The Ventoux bury himself to hold his position on the overall was what this sport is all about. Absolutely buried himself, one of the rides of the year. Now let’s go one better in 2010.
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6. Johnny Hoogerland of Vacansoleil. The beauty of a wildcard slot is that a team and its riders know that this might be the best and only chance for them to make a name for themselves. Get noticed in the public eye. Impress the sponsors and make them want to keep investing. Every break that went up the road in the Veulta seemed to have the name Johnny Hoogerland on the screen. It was amazing to see him hang on the back of the break on Stage 21 and just gut it out. This guy is value for money and never gives in. A Pro Tour team has to pick him up? A fans’ rider. The sort of guy you want to ride up to Nyack with on Sunday.
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7. Heinrich Haussleron Stage 13 of the Tour. The riders were greeted by a wet and miserable day, one made for Mr. Haussler, who openly admits to loving to race in these conditions. He went away early on the roads he trains on and eventually rode Sylvain Chavanel off his wheel (not an easy thing to do) on a descent to finish by himself with a 4-minute gap and a break that lasted for 197km. On crossing the line, it was obvious what the victory meant to him. The biggest win of his career, and a little bit of make-up for coming so close at MSR. A rider not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve (well, arm warmers then). Love this rider.
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8. A sprinter steals the headlines on the Queen mountain stage of the Tour.Thor Hushovd, spurred on by the big-mouth comments of Mark Cavendish, went off the front on a very tricky descent, to show that it takes more than big thighs and an attitude to win the Green Jersey. It was strange to see the Green Jersey lead the field over two Cat 1 climbs and a Cat 2, holding time, then using his amazing bike handling skills to gain more time going downhill. Green Jersey in the bag, “unstained”, thank you very much. An amazing solo effort, a classy rider and a gent.
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9.Wait, Valverde is on the start list? Banned from the Giro. Banned from the Tour. Well, I guess you get to ride your home Tour, right? Valverde gets to ride the Vuelta and is gifted it by a messed-up wheel change for Cadel Evans. Now that is a tainted win. All but 23 seconds of his winning margin were gained on that wheel change. No gentleman’s rules here, Basso and Valverde go straight to the front and hammer it on the descent to gain as much time as possible on Evans. Well that is one way to kill off your biggest threat. That look that Cadel gave to the camera, “Man! Do you #@*%ing believe this shit”. No Cadel ,we don’t, but the World’s helped us get over it a little bit. Now just what was the nationality of that neutral service mechanic, and is he still employed?
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10.Russell Downing winning the Tour Of Ireland. A rider who I have watched for years and seen never really get the recognition or chances he deserves. Well this year sees the new British Sky Pro Tour team began, and if there was ever going to be a chance for him to move up, this was it. But to do that he had to earn it, he needed a big result against a quality field. Even a Saxo Bank or Columbia B-Team would be considered serious competition in most races, but there was no B-Team in the Tour Of Ireland. Downing didn’t really have a team of his own to protect him, which meant this win was that bit even more impressive. Using his head, legs and bike handling skills he killed them all off on St Patricks hill in Cork, in terrilble conditions. On a day when most of the “names” pulled out due to the weather, or partying too hard with U2 in Glasgow.
Wonderful footage of Hennie Kuiper riding off the front to win the 1985 Milan San Remo, leaving Vilet and Ricco (not the snake) in his wake after jumping on the Poggio. What gear was he pushing!?! I can feel the acid gather in my legs just watching it. I am betting a 53 X 12….
In the days of wool jerseys and drilled bike parts, and when Ireland ruled the Tours, Worlds and the Sprints, the Fagor jersey and one of its riders was a huge source of inspiration. Martin Earley was one of the most respected riders on the local Irish racing scene. Practically unbeatable in his day and someone that was obviously going to follow on the path blazed by both Roche and Kelly. I remember one particularly bad day at a race near Naas in Dublin, when Ireland gave us one of its worst days. They called off the junior races but the seniors still went ahead. We were on our way home along the course when out of a cloud of car spray Earley emerged by himself a long way ahead of the field. I guess he just decided the quicker you could get this over with, the better. Seemed no one else agreed or couldn’t participate. The gap in level was pretty obvious, we all just wished he would bugger off to the continent.
He eventually did, and turned pro in 1985 with the Fagor team, staying with them for three years where he had some great results for a new pro. The best of these was a stage win at the Giro in his second year. It was difficult to get coverage back then, and the Internet was still all “tubes and wires” at a military facility somewhere in the Midwest. Finding out about results and the story behind the race meant buying Cycling Weekly or showing up at races where people had phoned home and given the back story. Stage 15 of the 1986 Giro was a hard one, with a mountaintop finish. Martin probably benefited from the fact that not a lot of the peleton knew his ability, which allowed him to get a break. He managed to stay away with Roberto Visentini, Greg LeMond, Giuseppe Saronni and Francesco Moser all chasing him up the climb, crossing the line with 1 minute 30 seconds to spare. Pretty impressive. One week later this picture appeared in Cycling Weekly (I think?). The expression says it all. Having raced in a bunch with him when the ICF decided the juniors needed “toughing up” and threw us in with the seniors, there was a connection between me and local races, and one of the greatest races in the world that wasn’t there before. This picture stayed above my bed for a really long time. Not Kelly, not Roche, but our Martin. Maybe because he wasn’t “god like” in the way that Kelly and Roche was, he felt like one of us.
Now that we are 17 months after the fact, lets pause for a minute and think about who was really hurt in the honors at the Olympic road race. David Rebellin is upset and confused at having to give back his Olympic medal and some winnings. I am less concerned about the money; he has had a lot of success, but an Olympic experience, that is a little different. I can only imagine that a huge part of that particular experience is standing on the Olympic podium and feeling proud to be an Olympic champion – any Olympic medal is a fine result. Whilst you can give back the medal, what you can’t give back is that stolen moment to a rider who deserved it more. You can’t make that up, ever.
I am assuming we all accept the fact that Rebellin doped with CERA. I doubt very much that there is a conspiracy against David Rebellin. I also assume we except the test for CERA is reliable (otherwise Ricco, Pipolli and host of others would all be innocent…. I am not buying that). But in all of the news and blog columns about this subject we have spent too much time talking about Rebellin, who really doesn’t deserve our attention. He let us down; he used to be one of our idols. What makes a rider turn to dope at 37, with the career he has had? His reputation now ruined in the eyes of his fans and will be forever remembered as “well he was always a bit suspicious“. All in the chase to get one last result? Was it really worth the risk?
Enough talk about Rebellin, what about Alexander Kolobnev. A rider with huge depths of talent. The guy who made the move at the Worlds, and killed off all but two of the best riders in the world, one of them Cadel Evans. Maybe a rider with better legs than a strategic head? But man he is strong. He is always in the mix at the end of the big races, but has never ended up with anything to really show for it (well, since the Olympics he has a World’s silver, but that chance comes every year). An Olympic bronze might be one of the best results of his career. Standing on that podium, in that company, may have been the moment that changed him as a rider. We all need that little spike, natural, not chemical, to take us to the next level. A bronze medal could have been his. At that level in any sport the difference between nearly and did it is often mental, not physical.
Nobody remembers 4th, especially in the Olympics. So instead of talking about a great ride we waste our time talking about a man who literally stole 2nd. In all of the “Rebellin is a snake and a cheat” headlines, let’s spare a moment for Kolobnev and what he really missed out on. Not money, not a medal, but the high of standing on an Olympic podium and being an Olympic champion. Rebellin? Now known as the only Italian to be stripped of an Olympic medal, a career wasted.
Man I miss Europe! I so wish we had this here. Watch this film and be amazed at the life of these Pro’s. What is missing here is “smellivision”. Beer, smoke (before the bans), sweat and embrocation. All topped off with ear splitting noise during the finals. Shot in 2009 by Rob Hodselmans.
I am seriously happy for Cadel Evans. He has had some pretty bad luck over the last couple of seasons, and hopefully this is the turning point. Everyone says the rainbow jersey carries a curse – look at Ballan this year, he had a terrible season – but I think with Cadel it will be the antidote. He has had all of the bad luck any one rider deserves, and hopefully this will be the start of some great results for him. He has looked and sounded a little demoralized this season, but what better way to kick the blues than with the rainbow stripes. He rode a great tactical race and showed real class and guts in his attack and then to hold off the chase over the last climb. I was lucky enough to be back in Ireland while the Worlds were on. Which meant I got to watch the live coverage on Eurosport with running commentary by Sean Kelly (certainly better than the guys they have unearthed for the Universal Sports Commentary). I am looking forward to seeing the new aggressive and confident Cadel in the Race Of The Falling Leaves. Can I also add that the three Irish muskateers rode well, with Deignan right up there until the final selection.
Riders today really are spoiled. Air conditioned buses with showers and coffee machines. Radios back to team cars to get everything from a fresh sandwich, to a rain coat and live TV of who is up the road. PLUS a car full of new bikes and wheels. This poor guy, Giusto Cerutti in the 1926 Tour De France fell under the “No help” rule, where basically riders had to get to the finish line under their own steam, and not accept any help from his team or the public. Crazy no? No doubt the rough road surface broke a wheel, lost a tyre, crashed and gashed his leg, only to pick himself up and walk to the finish so he could start the next day. Very Pro.
