Anatomy of a Photo: Just Go Faster

Phil Anderson does the Cipolini "Where are you guys?"

This photo of Phil Anderson’s genuine surprise at the gap between himself and the guy who won at losing reminds me of a story my dad tells of a crewmate from his boat at Laga. My dad was the stroke in a boatful of guys who went on to the compete in several World Championships and the Olympics, some of whom actually won medals there.

Two of the guys even became World Champion in the double one year, winning the race by a few boat lengths. During his post-race interview, one of the two was asked what the secret was to their dominating win. In all seriousness, he responded as follows:

For an important race like this, I’m a little surprised the other guys didn’t pull on the oars harder.

I loves me a good, Stead Up with More Speed Paradox.

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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View Comments

scaler911 says:

Oct 5 2011 at 2:44 pm

Always liked Phil. Check out the cap backwards over the sausage helmet! Awesome. And rocking monster Oakleys. Pony tail flapping in the breeze. He got it done.
Nate says:

Oct 5 2011 at 2:50 pm

@wiscot

By the way, who's finishing 2nd to Big Phil in the picture? Look at he size of that frame with extended head tube!

Unless my research skills have failed me and as long as it's the middle of the night in the antipodes where someone knows the answer off the top of his head, I believe Phil has just won stage 2 of the 1989 Tour of Britain over Remig Stumpf.
Nate says:

Oct 5 2011 at 2:53 pm

@Oli , @wiscot
What a relief, apparently I was right.
scaler911 says:

Oct 5 2011 at 3:01 pm

@Oli

@wiscot
That's Remig Stumpf of Toshiba. This was Anderson's stage 2 win into Liverpool in the 1989 Kellog's Tour of Britain.

I've got an idea for the site. It's called "Stump Oli". We submit photos of obscure pro races from antiquity and Oli figures out the Who, Where, When. Somebody stumps him and Frank sends them a sticker (probably should check with Frank first. Ha!).
Marko says:

Oct 5 2011 at 4:56 pm

@scaler911
Nipple lube.
Nate says:

Oct 5 2011 at 5:04 pm

Why does Phil's cycling cap have a chin strap and where are his ears?
timbo says:

Oct 5 2011 at 6:34 pm

@Nate
And amazingly, even though I'm also now Down Under, I was in Liverpool city centre that day watching after a day at Uni.

Phil was, and still looks, mighty on a bike.
frank says:

Oct 5 2011 at 7:00 pm

1989 had to be one of Phils best years. Sure, no Yellow Jerseys, but no illusions of grandeur, either. Just raced like a badass. To @Steampunk's point, a lot like Gobbles this year, except Gobbles won nearly every monument.

But scanning through the book that I shot that pic out of (WInning's Legends of Cycling 1989 - I'll get the full title later today) has him ripping it up all year long.

I hope the bottom one is the same race as the main shot, or else he had a systemic problem getting his cap to stay on right over his hairnet. Same color rims on his Oakleys, too. Studying the pic, I don't see much evidence that it's not the same race.
Oli says:

Oct 5 2011 at 7:11 pm

@frank
The Lotto sign on the follow car is a giveaway that it's not the Kellog's Tour - I'd suggest it's the 1989 LiÃ¨ge-Bastogne-LiÃ¨ge that Kelly won with Anderson in 3rd.
itburns says:

Oct 5 2011 at 7:26 pm

What's up with the freaky Tron gloves?