Categories: Anatomy of a Photo

Anatomy of a Photo: Depletion

One eye open and dreaming; were the building on fire, I suspect this shell of a man could hardly be bothered to move from his bench.

As a Cyclist, the enormous weight of the total exhaustion felt by LeMond at this moment fills my spirit with equal measures of dread and envy.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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  • @Chris

    +1 Great call... has McCullen all over it.... I know we aren't supposed to draw military parallels (for obvious reasons) but, Jesus... LeMond is clearly over the edge.... That is a 2,000 yard stare

  • Wow! What a photo.

    I suggest a photo contest for those of you going on the Keepers' Tour. Best attempt to emulate this photo.. you may swap out the Coca-cola for beer.

  • @Roadslave525
    Very carefully didn't go there, there's no comparison between war and racing bikes but there's certainly comparison in the mastery of the photography.

    Are you watching the track racing? Swift was awesome in the elimination?

    When are we going for a beer?

  • Another great thing about this photo is that in this day and age, the showers at Roubaix are primitive to say the least. In other sports the organizers, or more likely the riders, would demand state-of-the-art facilities. Not here. The showers are part of the hell of the North deal. You ride the race, you take a shower - and if you win, you get a cobblestone trophy and a shower stall named after you. It's about tradition, history and putting yourself up against those who came before you. You're on the same stones as Hinault, RdV, Merckx, Coppi, van Looy et al. Riders come and go, the cobbles - and the pain - stay the same.

    Mind you, if you've just done the kind of ride GL has done, you probably don't care what the showers look like - the suffering is over.

  • @chris. Starting new job on Monday... Let the dust settle, let me get feet under desk and build cover story... Then we shall drink, and talk about @frank's Diva tendencies

    BTW FUCK ME.... Track senSATional this evening... I thought WRs were rare.... But, wow! I *heart* Pendleton

  • @wiscot
    Absolutely, the showers remind me of shit school sports changing rooms in the eighties. You wouldn't find any nimby pamby footballer slumming it like that!

    @Roadslave525
    Hang your jacket over the back of your chair! They'll think your elsewhere in the building. Not this week though! He'll of Ashdown next weekend.

  • " It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better,
    The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who's face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"

    Teddy Roosevelt.

  • @Roadslave525

    @chris. Starting new job on Monday... Let the dust settle, let me get feet under desk and build cover story... Then we shall drink, and talk about @frank's Diva tendencies
    BTW FUCK ME.... Track senSATional this evening... I thought WRs were rare.... But, wow! I *heart* Pendleton

    The start of a job is the only chance you have to set the bar. Go for an eight hour V session on Sunday followed by a good piss up. Work will think a limp, glazed corneas, and whiskey cologne is normal. Smooth sailing from then on.

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