Sometimes we need to be reminded that originality is paramount to leading a good and honest life. It took some home truths from a poster in Frank's Gavia post to jog our memories that old news is, well, just that; old news. We need to come up with some new material man, that shit is going on two tours old now.
It's with some embarrassment then that we bring you yet another blog post on yet another ride (we already did this one last year, sheesh) that took place on the same weekend as the greatest one day professional road race of them all: Paris-Roubaix. It's the original cobbled classic, one whose heritage leaves no doubt as to that fact. As they say in the commercials, beware of cheap imitations (especially if you're in the market for a Sybian). It makes me wonder, why do riders all around the world think it's 'cool' to mock this grand event by putting on their own rides, rides including as many cobbles, gravel roads, dirt tracks or even made-up names that rhyme with pavé as they can conjure?
It's a farce.
There's only one thing for it; Welli-Roubaix will be no more. No more shall we gather and ride our bikes for hours over surfaces we'd never consider going near the other 364 days of our cycling year. We didn't create this, it's not ours to use, so we must walk away after we've had our way with it. Why should we bother to do reconnaissance rides, into territory unchartered, risking our beloved machines to the chance of flats, breakages and damage, to mark out a course that we think might be befitting of the Queen, to give us some tiny amount of insight, some small perception of what the real riders go through during their own, proper race? It's a waste of time. Like a Waffle House waitress would say, “why ride when you can just flick on the tube?” She's got a point.
There go our plans for a full Mock Spring Classics series next year. No Ronde Van Vellington. No Gent-Wellingtem. No Fleche Walloneton. No Export Gold Race. No Bays-Bastogne-Bays. And no Roubaix.
These photos then are a documentary of the very last edition of Welli-Roubaix. I know, I know, a lot of the ideas have been done before. Gavin and myself did our best, but we are not professional photographers, like some. We could've shot them a lot more originally. I mean, come on, have you ever tried shooting from the back of a Vespa, or when doing 40kmh on a road bike, on gravel, one-handed, looking backwards? It's a piece of cake, and frankly I'm ashamed of the results.
Have a look anyway, and I'll try and describe how the Hell„¢ we had any fun, and also the original concepts we blatantly ripped off.
Gavin Walker's Flickr stream here.
A crappy video here…
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/welli roubaix 11/”/]
*On Monday morning a throng gathered at Leuven Belgian Beer Bar in downtown Welly, and we witnessed the Queen on a delayed telecast. No-one was silly enough to yell out the result, although G-Phant knew who'd won he held his tongue and enjoyed the spectacle again with us.
We raised $210 for Papanui and Pegasus cycle clubs in Christchurch, so a big thanks to all who donated and made it a great way to start the week. Thanks to Todd at Leuven also.
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Nice one.
The thing with rehashing old brilliant rides, and paying homage to the Monuments (and their little siblings - I particularly like the sound of Bays-Bastogne-Bays) is that it gets newbies who are starting to think "there's a certain something about this sport that I think I might like" to see some of the basis for why the rest of us are all mad about the sport.
Last week there was a documentary in Australia on Stuie O'Grady's Roubaix win from a few years ago. I am working with pro sportsmen in a completely different sport, and it was gratifying that those who saw it raved about Roubaix for the remainder of the week, and a good number of them stayed up late and watched the race. One of the team leaders is sourcing a copy of the documentary to show the rest of the team so they can think about hardness, fighting and never giving up. We're going to see what we do about getting the boys to have a chat to Stuie when he's next in Aus for a decent period.
Obviously this is an oft-rehashed tale in Australia, and by the rationale of some is thus not worthy of mentioning, but it has brought a group of newbies to an awareness of the beauty of the sport of cycling, and an appreciation of just how tough a sport it can be.
We use the shining examples to remember what our sport is like at it's best.
Nice work Brett and crew. Love the gravel trophy. Did anyone propose in the velodrome?
Nice one, Brett. Sorry to hear though that I'll not get the chance to make it along next year - missing it was the big disappointment of my recovery.
Looked like a great day... question though: in photo No. 22, the dude is wearing a cap with Rule 5 on it... isn't it written upside down?.. shouldn't it be a constant reminder to himself, lurking just there in the periphery of his vision when it really starts to hurt? You mention 'beware of cheap imitations'... this should include unofficial, knock-off Sacred Garments (and accessories)
Enjoyed the tour Brett, it felt like being there to see a place I may not get to in this lifetime.
Nice one Bretto. Looks like a good ride and something I would enjoy.
I went out on Sunday morning with a group of 60 odd other riders for the second Melbourne Gravel Grinders CX ride as a warm-up to the Queen of the Classics that night. 3 hrs on gravel roads up in the Dandenong ranges through forest gravel roads with a bunch of mad keen mountain bikers and 'crossers.
If anyone is interested some pics can be found on the blog here: http://melbournegravelgrinders.blogspot.com/. The guys that run it plan to hold them every 2 months here.
As for cobbled riding I'll do a write up later in June after the 6th edition of the Melbourne Roobaix is held - we ride about 15 odd ks worth of cobbles through the back alleys of Melbourne and finish at Brunswick outdoor velodrome. The winner also gets a piece of cobblestone mounted on a plaque presented in the pub.
Kiwicyclist
How that will not be repeated I do not understand. Looks to me like the day had every ingredient of awesome. Good turn out, nice weather, gorgeous place, epic ride, Velominati everywhere, end of season fitness, beer, the list goes on. Very nice, it would have been splendid indeed to have been there.
Not to mention that the cap brim being up is a flagrant Rule violation. And if it's not it should be!
Great photos, Brett, but the most chronologically confusing photostream I've ever tried to follow...
Man, I sound surly! I assure you I don't mean it that way!
Dammit, I should read some of these posts before I press 'submit'...
On a more positive note, I love Josh's red Bianchi, very cool!