The EPO Era threw up some surprise World Champions from the early ’90s to the mid ’00s. Riders juiced to the gills meant that the rainbow jumper could go to anyone who not only had the form on the bike, but their program sorted and the luck on the day. You could throw a dart at the start list and wherever it stuck, you’d be a pretty good chance of picking the winner. Confessed juicer Bo Hamburger came close in 1997, finishing 2nd to perennial mullet-sporter Laurent Brochard, who along with the likes of Camenzind in ’98, Vainsteins in ’00, and Astarloa in ’03 wouldn’t have been on many of our radars if the VSP existed back then.
The Burger King was in the decisive break and finished 6th in Hamilton, Ontario in ’03 and did it in style. Check him out; his Gios looks damn sharp in the traditional azzura, its alloy frame with carbon fork and seatstays the pinnacle of the day’s technology. Deep dish carbon hoops and skinwall sew-ups… check. Campa. Obscure Italian Team-issue shorts and helmet with national jersey. Arm warmers neatly pushed down to the wrists. He even manages to pull off the long red socks. Tanned, shiny, sinewy legs and arms straining, head bowed and burying himself under the effort of Rule #5; Badass.
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A bit of a Rule #41 violation by the whopper......
@Adrian
Unless his mechanic's also on the juice that's a timing sensor or somesuch. The QR lever is always on the non-drive side.
@the Engine
well spotted I stand corrected
@Oli oh Oil take a pill! hehehe
You don't expect us to do this on mineral water alone?
*OLI!
@Oli
Call me a brett apologist but I don't think he's glorifying doping at all. He's got the facts right and is merely highlighting how well Hambugresa is pulling off looking pro while dishing out some pain. If we ignored all the riders who've doped or just wrote about the fact that they doped and nothing else we'd have very little material. Most riders doped in that era, virtually all the winners did. That's the premise. Accept it. That doesn't change they rode hard as fuck and looked badass nor does it glorify doping. It's honest.
Wow, the level TT, Leader's tape, traditional round bars, and nicely leveled shifters all look magnificent! And then we get to the carbon wheels & skinwall tires. Even hotter!
Also, are you thinking the main triangle is aluminum? I've kind of considered Al to suck for framesets because my first road bike was Al and it was too big for me, so I associated Al with discomfort. Then I picked up my Al/carbon cross bike and I'm beginning to think Al is pretty sweet. Light, doesn't corrode, usually less money than carbone and linked to this, not making me feel like I need to be overly gently with the bike. All of this has me thinking about getting an aluminum road bike again...
Cool photo for sure!
This is the Kwintessential Kule of the 90's and 00's - man, what a shot. I love the team kit with national jersey, it just looked so immaculately Casually Deliberate.
And those aren't just any old "deep dish carbon hoops"; those are Lightweight Obermeyers. Better hope they were true coming from the factory, because ain't no one ever gonna true 'em for you.
Looking at his physique and the way he's drilling it brings into focus the fundamental issue I have with the doping era (we're still in it, by the way): You can't dope for Rule 5. You either got it, or you don't. The jetfuel upped the speeds and so forth, but the grinta came from the heart.
@Marko
+1
Acknowledging and glorifying are two different things. It happend, and pretending like it didn't or ignoring that period of our sport's history doesn't do anyone any good.
In other news, I think this is great to see coming from the Apostle Museeuw; massive respect for his courage and I totally agree with the premise of his view.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/museeuw-calls-for-doping-confessions-from-past-riders
@MarkP
I always wanted one of those Gioseses. Super classy bikes, and good enough for De Vlaeminck is good enough for me.
http://www.cycleexif.com/roger-de-vlaemincks-gios
@Marko
Jeeeeeash, Guys, careful or Oli will quit the site for twenty minutes this time!
(just kidding with you, Oli)