Anatomy of a Photo: Full Gas

This qualifies.

We are just about done with our next book, The Hardmen. At its core is the question: how hard is hard enough when it comes to effort.

None of us really know the answer, but when you can’t stand up after winning a Tour de France stage, even with the help of several adoring fans and staff members, you got pretty close.

Chapeau, monsieur Millar.

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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KogaLover says:

Nov 21 2016 at 12:47 am

@Gianni

@Cary

Did you see any footage of Gent six-day with Twiggo and Cav? That track is so short. All the action is compressed. What a place. That is on my big list.

I saw it on Eurosport only yesterday. Missed the preceeding 5 days but keen to keep tabs on the Amsterdam six early December. Too much adverts on the track though!
Cary says:

Nov 21 2016 at 2:19 am

@MangoDave

@Cary

Me too. not sure about this or the spring classics, but I really want to experience all of it. Plus, I spent part of the day researching a Jaegher frame, would love to pick it up in Belgium.

i checked out the Jaegher site. those rides look nice, but for that kinda coin i'd buy two Ritchey Road Logics.
MangoDave says:

Nov 21 2016 at 9:20 am

@Cary

@MangoDave

@Cary

Me too. not sure about this or the spring classics, but I really want to experience all of it. Plus, I spent part of the day researching a Jaegher frame, would love to pick it up in Belgium.

i checked out the Jaegher site. those rides look nice, but for that kinda coin i’d buy two Ritchey Road Logics.

You're not really helping my cause. I'm trying to justify a trip to Belgium. Don't tell the Mrs. that I could get something for half the cost and pick it up locally.
LeoTea says:

Nov 21 2016 at 2:06 pm

@KogaLover

@Gianni

@Cary

Did you see any footage of Gent six-day with Twiggo and Cav? That track is so short. All the action is compressed. What a place. That is on my big list.

I saw it on Eurosport only yesterday. Missed the preceeding 5 days but keen to keep tabs on the Amsterdam six early December. Too much adverts on the track though!

According to Carlton Kirby Eurosport weren't able to cover the first five days because the organisers didn't set up the production facilities or something like that....
Cary says:

Nov 21 2016 at 2:45 pm

@MangoDave

@Cary

Me too. not sure about this or the spring classics, but I really want to experience all of it. Plus, I spent part of the day researching a Jaegher frame, would love to pick it up in Belgium.

i've never seen a Euro race, road, track, or cross. the thing about track and cross races is that it seems like you get to see more of the race. i don't know about sitting in a field, waiting to watch Tom Boonen pass at 55kph, then go home, although maybe i can understand sitting in the velodrome for hours, waiting to see the winner. am i missing something? i know there's a lot of people here that have seen a LOT of live racing. looking for some input, please.
Cary says:

Nov 21 2016 at 7:17 pm

@Cary

semi off topic, but tangentially relevant is the subject of track riders. they don’t necessarily get the same credit for being “hard” as roadies do, and they’re nowhere near as famous, but guys like Patrick Sercu, Urs Freuler, Etienne DeWilde are right alongside Sean Kelly, to me. to race six days for a career is not for the faint of heart.

add Azizulhasni Awang to this list of track studs. his ride in heat #2 in the 2009 sprint finals was THE track ride of the DECADE, afaic. the last track sprinters to combine such thorough tactical mastery with equally beastly ability were Lutz Heßlich and Koichi Nakano.
Mikael Liddy says:

Nov 21 2016 at 8:23 pm

@Cary

@MangoDave

@Cary

Me too. not sure about this or the spring classics, but I really want to experience all of it. Plus, I spent part of the day researching a Jaegher frame, would love to pick it up in Belgium.

i’ve never seen a Euro race, road, track, or cross. the thing about track and cross races is that it seems like you get to see more of the race. i don’t know about sitting in a field, waiting to watch Tom Boonen pass at 55kph, then go home, although maybe i can understand sitting in the velodrome for hours, waiting to see the winner. am i missing something? i know there’s a lot of people here that have seen a LOT of live racing. looking for some input, please.

So much more to a 6 day than just the racing, it's basically a boozed up nightclub that happens to involve some bikes going around at some point...
davidlhill says:

Nov 22 2016 at 1:32 am

I too have just got back from watching the Saturday night session at Ghent with my son. Absolutely fantastic atmosphere. And I second the Derny race as being one of the best. Watching Cav win one of them by a hairs breadth after spending 4 or 5 laps trying to pass - watching Keissel slap his derny rider as he was going too slow.......just superb.

As for the nightclub atmosphere - well, I wasn't expecting to see Cav lead the YMCA dance routine during one of the breaks. The racing finished at around 1.30. They didn't close the bars at the track until 2.30.

And as for Wiggins' bars - what on earth is the idea behind them?

We shall be returning next year.
davidlhill says:

Nov 22 2016 at 1:35 am

I meant to add this link:

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/in-depth/1881/a-day-at-the-ghent-six
LeoTea says:

Nov 22 2016 at 2:01 am

@davidlhill

I too have just got back from watching the Saturday night session at Ghent with my son. Absolutely fantastic atmosphere. And I second the Derny race as being one of the best. Watching Cav win one of them by a hairs breadth after spending 4 or 5 laps trying to pass – watching Keissel slap his derny rider as he was going too slow…….just superb.

As for the nightclub atmosphere – well, I wasn’t expecting to see Cav lead the YMCA dance routine during one of the breaks. The racing finished at around 1.30. They didn’t close the bars at the track until 2.30.

And as for Wiggins’ bars – what on earth is the idea behind them?

I think it lets him ride "on the hoods". I've read stuff saying that riding on the hoods with forearms horizontal is actually more aero than being in the drops.