A lot has been made lately of the fact that riders today are lacking a little bit of the V. It’s not so much a criticism of how they conduct themselves during a race (although that has also been called into question lately), but in their general demeanor towards their life as a cyclist.
It doesn’t surprise me much; historically, riders chose a life on the bike as an escape from their other occupational choice which typically involved hard manual labor in a dark pit or on a cold field whereas today’s riders generally come from more privileged backgrounds and find their way into this world from a life of relative luxury.
A life of hardship went beyond their working-class roots, it applied to their life on the bike as well. They scaled the same passes we do today, except they did it over dirt roads aboard heavy, flexy bikes with relaxed geometries, wearing what amounted to little more than leather loafers. Hardness wasn’t something to aspire to; it was simply the way it was.
This is one of my favorite photos of a cyclist, and the bicycle is nowhere to be seen. From the look on his face, Coppi just ate himself a Schlecklette and, based on the gesture he’s making, is preparing to drop trou and shit ‘im right back out.
To put Cipollini’s sentiments above into Coppi’s words:
Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill.
To todays generation of riders, I offer this advice: take no prisoners, fucktards.
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Too bad Cuddles has the tactical sense of a Schleck combined with the certainty of cracking of Levi Eggtimer.
As to the tactical sense of a Schleck, my only response is "like fuck he does, Fronk". Please provide an example of said poor tactics? When in contention, I contend that Cadel plays his cards pretty well - refer his Worlds win (when Cance was strongest), his beautifully timed run at Fleche last year and a number of stage races like Romandie and T-A where he has won tightly contested GC races. Yes, he aint the most explosive of finishers, but I think he plays to this.
Cracking is another thing - he has done it more than once and I love him for it because in a Reverse-Schleck (or is that an About-Schleck) he is not afraid to put himself to the sword.
He has let himself down in the past with ordinary post-race comments, but he seems to have grown out of that.
Is that the response you were fishing for?
I'm with Marcus. I'm no big Cadel fan, but I think he usually rides pretty well considering his appalling team support and habitual bad luck.
I'll draft Marcus and Oli on this one. Frandy and Eggtimer combined lack the grinta and palmares Cuddles displayed practically last season alone. Not a fanboy either but he gets more respect from me than Frandy do and to even compare him to Levi is absurd.
@Marcus, @Oli Brooke-White
Tour de France '07 on Alpe d'Huez, Fléche Wallonne '07, '08, '09...not to mention the '02 Giro. Really, until he had the bands, he never showed any tactical sense or the V; his biggest talent was complaining about being outnumbered and bitching at people about his dog - which was a class act. Don't get me wrong - I actually like the guy, but lets not make him into something he's not.
I think you guys are remembering Cuddles last year and forgetting him before that - up until then, it was pretty abismal. Last year was awesome, though - Strade Biancha, Fléche, the Tour et al. Not enough to say he won't relapse, though, based on a spotty season so far due to conditions outside his control. Which it typical, by the way.
Lets not forget, though, that Frandy were the only riders in that whole fucking race willing to take Gilbert on; it was a Cancellara fiasco just waiting to happen and they went early and hard. Sure, they got cooked and Gilbert savored himself a Schlecklette, but those guys took the bull by the horns, and they're the only ones in the race who did anything. It just happend the bull skewered them.
@frank
not forgetting at all - just think his past failures have been more about being outclassed than outmanouevred.
As to your last para, I am confused. Are you now saying that the "tactical sense of a Schleck" isn't so bad after all?
Frank, you are blinded by your manlove - all those incidents bar the Giro bonk that you refer to were from Evans being outnumbered or out-legged, not tactical deficiencies. Tell me one time the Shlecks showed some tactical nous. One time.
@frank
"Really, until he had the bands, he never showed any tactical sense or The V".
Nice troll. Cadel! .... never showed any V. Great! Nearly got me ranting.
@Oli Brooke-White
"Tell me one time the Shlecks showed some tactical nous." Didn't they do quite a good job of assisting Papa Tiempo dash Cuddles' maillot jaune ambitions on Alpe d'Huez in '08? Can't recall it in detail, but I thought they'd one-two'd Cuddles with a series of rhythm-breaking pace-changes while Carlito escaped up ahead. (Of course, even if I'm right, that might have been Bjarne's tactical nous rather than Frandy's ...)
@G'phant
Pressure-wise, its a lot easier to launch attacks in support of a leader than to be the leader and attack oneself.
When you are attacking in support you are allowed/excused if you eventually tail off the back. Different story if your attack is meant to be the race-winning move.
So on that basis, the "fluffing" that the Schlecks did for Sastre that day doesn't count.
I think that Bjarne must be directing our posts on Frank. He is getting hit by multiple attacks just like Cadel was on the Alpe!