Anatomy of a Photo: Gatorade
If Gatorade had any marketing sense whatsoever, they would have plastered photos of this pair all over every billboard in Europe.
If Gatorade had any marketing sense whatsoever, they would have plastered photos of this pair all over every billboard in Europe.
Back in the day. :-)
Or as the Burlington VT sports anchor called him “Gia-ni-ni Bug-no”.
I confess Bugno is one of those guys who was sort of “whatever happen to…” Simply put: super strong rider in an era of super-duper strong riders.
His Wikipedia page says he is now a TV and rescue helicopter pilot, even flying for Giro coverage.
So much awesome.
I think Gianni’s showing Laurent how they drink Gatorade out of teacups in Italy. “No, Laurent, the pinky is always extended when one sips one’s hydrating electrolyte beverage of choice.”
Damn, I miss Le Professeur. Rode just about everything and with such panache. Legend.
I’m glad ‘Gatorade showers’ never took off as a thing at the end of a big race
Gotta wonder if either of them used Gatorade. Not in my bottles on long rides for sure. Anyone know if coke cans passed out late in some races are special ones – flat instead of carbonated?
@chuckp
You are the man with the man! And that shirt is classic too!!
Chateau d’Ax is the only jersey I would like to own — an original.
@Rob
That is exactly what I was thinking!!! What a shirt you’ve got on! That would be the thrift store find of the century, though who would ever give that up?
On another note, goddamn, Idiocracy is proving prophetic. I think the majority of Americans no longer drink water, just sports drinks, soft drinks and energy drinks.
I’m eagerly awaiting a study showing how many people consumer their RDA of calories in liquids alone. Blows my mind.
I have to confess I don’t drink as much Gatorade (or any other sports drink) while riding these days as I used to. Water seems to do just fine and I’ve found that after a long ride you basically just need to drink tons of water to rehydrate no matter how much you drank during the ride. I did 200 kms on Saturday and went to a party afterwards. I drank a couple of beers and what seemed like a gallon of water and felt pretty good the next day. It’s pretty easy to tell you’re dehydrated – your piss is dark and no matter how much you drink, you don’t go to the bathroom too much.
That photo. Clear distilled quintessence of cool.
I assumed Chateau d’Ax was a cheap hotel chain, for some reason but no, Italian furniture.
What a pair! Fantastic photo. I hate to see the arc-en-ciel jersey soiled with such advertising on it but that Bugno still looks good in it.
@chuckp
Is that you in the photo? If so, we need to know more. Awesome.
@Ron
And sweet tea! Don’t forget sweet tea. With banana pudding! Probably need to add Bud Light to the list. Though I prefer Miller Light I think Bud Light is pretty big seller. When we do local road side clean up it’s pretty clear that the folks that like to chuck their empties out of the car are Natural Light drinkers. I’m not sure what kinda beer that would be but must be a pretty big seller. And Red Bull ! I love that stuff. The 8 oz originals are good for me. But kids are more drawn to Monster Energy. Of course, lines at Starbucks are pretty long. I generally skip the lines and pick up my coffee when not at home from wherever the line ain’t. And I drink it from large cups. People that talk in “starbuckees” when they order crack me up but at least they’ve bothered to learn the language so they can order something other than large black coffee at a coffee shop. Water?? As long as comes in a plastic bottle and costs more than gasoline… cheers
Fuck yeah. I own a 1992 Gatorade Jersey. Got it when I was at school, couldn’t really afford it. Gianni Bugno rode like bikes should be ridden.
wilburrox – you’ve got a lot of variety in your liquid life! For me it’s tap water, beer, and whiskey. If I’m truly suffering in the southern summers, I’ll put some sea salt in my water.
My first jersey was a 2nd hand Santini in dueling blues, baby and royal. It’s still awesome, but it has a neck zipper. Once you’ve gone full zip, ya can’t go back.
@PeakInTwoYear.
Gatorade are one of this world’s great marketers. They have seemingly god-like skills in marketing poo. They did not splash this all over Europe for many many good reasons. The picture is lame on so many levels – the exposure sucks, the framing sucks, the subjects suck (to look at), and the jersys suck.
A clear, distilled, version of runny poo.
@El franco
There was a rumor that golden [gatorade] showers did in fact take off in the Astana quarters at race end when they were “on top” of things. Can’t verify it though…
All – Yes, that’s me … a much younger me (today is my birthday and I’m … uh … now older than what used to be the national maximum speed limit). And yes, I still have the shirt. :-) Pic is from 1992 Tour Dupont. Taken at a party for riders that we were invited to after the final TT stage in Washington DC.
@Ron
My favourite Gianni Bugno story is about how Gerard Vroomen wrote to him to suggest that Cervelo (then in their infancy) could make him a better bike. Vroomen did not have an address and so just addressed the letter:
Gianni Bugno
World Cycling Champion
Italy.
It reached him and he wrote a reply. He also subsequently rode a Cervelo I believe. But that is less important than the letter-writing.