Categories: Anatomy of a PhotoAwesome Belgian Guys

Anatomy of a Photo: Maximum Awesome

Baller.

Freddy effortlessly demonstrates Rules #80 and #82, the Three-Point System, and the Goldilocks Principle while his mechanic calmly swaps a mortal’s wheel for one that can withstand his ferocious sprint. All the while, a young Colonel Sanders looks on with bemused disapproval.

For anyone still wondering whether the 70’s was the coolest decade ever, it was.

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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frank says:

Nov 19 2013 at 12:58 pm

Crushing the Gypse on the Muur.

And again on the Mur de Huy.

And the very definition of Flemish Facial.

A mountain of Freddy Love over on Tumblr.
the Engine says:

Nov 19 2013 at 2:31 pm

The man leaning on the Peugeot doing an impression of a pair of scissors (a not uncommon pose in AOAP circles) has neglected to leave the bottom button of his waistcoat undone. This

may mean that he is an American or a communist agent but more likely that he is a cad and up to no good. My suspicion is that not 10 minutes prior to this picture being taken he was scattering tacks on the thoroughfare all the while twirling his soupstrainer in a suitably villainous fashion.
frank says:

Nov 19 2013 at 2:39 pm

@wiscot

So how awesome was Freddy? In 1977 when with the Red Guard of Flandria, he won 13 stages of the Vuelta! That's right, 13 fucking stage wins. He led the race from start to finish and his teammate Michel Pollentier won a stage too. That is dominance never seen since.

Pollentier being the ugliest rider of his generation and also did a major fumble when peeing into a cup at l'Alpe in the '78 Tour after winning the stage and taking yellow. The ol' condom-fill-with-pee ploy.

@wiscot

@ped

@wiscot How 'bout de Vlaeminck paying Jan Raas a shedload to chase down team-mate Moser in Paris-Roubaix, to make it look like he was just sitting in the wheel, they didn't manage to catch him tho

I can believe it, but did Roger pay up? Freddy's beef was that Roger never paid him what he said he would for Flanders. Robert Millar complained that he lost the Vuelta because his manager would not do deals with some of the other teams against Spanish opposition. This raises the question: in team budgets are payoffs a line item on listed under miscellaneous expenses? Or are riders expected to cough up personally?

Race organizers typically pay their appearance fees and winnings in cash so the payoffs happen under the table; its one of the ways the organization of the sport has been complicit in all the cheating going on.

All paid in cash, and the deals are usually, "If you help me win..." meaning that they only pay out if the win comes.
frank says:

Nov 19 2013 at 2:45 pm

@kixsand

@DerHoggz

@scaler911

@Haldy

More 70"²s awesomeness V-Locus style....

Love love that photo!

My puny mortal brain cannot even begin to comprehend his position.

Yeah...having trouble wrapping my head around that paperclip like turn from back to leg - fuck me freddy.

That's pure flexibility of the hammies and lower back; no forward hip rotation going on there.
wiscot says:

Nov 19 2013 at 2:51 pm

@frank

@wiscot

So how awesome was Freddy? In 1977 when with the Red Guard of Flandria, he won 13 stages of the Vuelta! That's right, 13 fucking stage wins. He led the race from start to finish and his teammate Michel Pollentier won a stage too. That is dominance never seen since.

Pollentier being the ugliest rider of his generation and also did a major fumble when peeing into a cup at l'Alpe in the '78 Tour after winning the stage and taking yellow. The ol' condom-fill-with-pee ploy.

@wiscot

@ped

@wiscot How 'bout de Vlaeminck paying Jan Raas a shedload to chase down team-mate Moser in Paris-Roubaix, to make it look like he was just sitting in the wheel, they didn't manage to catch him tho

I can believe it, but did Roger pay up? Freddy's beef was that Roger never paid him what he said he would for Flanders. Robert Millar complained that he lost the Vuelta because his manager would not do deals with some of the other teams against Spanish opposition. This raises the question: in team budgets are payoffs a line item on listed under miscellaneous expenses? Or are riders expected to cough up personally?

Race organizers typically pay their appearance fees and winnings in cash so the payoffs happen under the table; its one of the ways the organization of the sport has been complicit in all the cheating going on.

All paid in cash, and the deals are usually, "If you help me win..." meaning that they only pay out if the win comes.

Yeah, Freddy and Michel P - not the two most handsome dudes in the 70s peloton. I'm crap at posting, but if you're a hot bike groupie, who you gonna call: Roger DeVlaeminck? The Prophet? Didi Thurau? Lo Scerifo? or Freddy or Michel? Mind you, sometimes fame cancels out lot of ugliness.
frank says:

Nov 19 2013 at 4:46 pm

@wiscot

Moser is still a fucking stud.

It angers me how some of these men just keep looking more badass as they get older. I, on the other hand, look increasingly like washed-up seaweed.
frank says:

Nov 19 2013 at 4:50 pm

@wiscot Damn!

Then you've got Fabian and Bone-dog holding up the rear on the current generation.

[dmalbum: path="/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/frank/2013.11.19.16.46.12/2//"/]

Would someone please post the assos girl and bring some reason back to this thread for fucks sake??
PeakInTwoYears says:

Nov 19 2013 at 5:32 pm

@frank

That's pure flexibility of the hammies and lower back; no forward hip rotation going on there.

No shit, his lower back is perpendicular to the surface of the earth. Unearthly.
unversio says:

Nov 19 2013 at 6:23 pm

@frank

Would someone please post the assos girl and bring some reason back to this thread for fucks sake??

Cinelli girl may also be accepted.
unversio says:

Nov 19 2013 at 6:37 pm

Cinelli Lady is awesome!