@steampunk dropped this beauty of a photo on us. Volumes being spoken here, none of which makes being a pro look so great. Thanks Steamy.
VLVV, Gianni
I’ve waxed lyrical on the darker side of le métier on these pages in the past””on the physical and psychological demands that pro riders endure. But this photograph requires even more of the cycling fan. Tan lines? Check. Eye wear? Well placed. These are pro, right?
But this kind of voyeurism almost inspires an awkward kind of guilt. Witness: the still-open door; the suitcase stand still leaning against the wall””suitcase dumped on the floor beside it; shoes (as beaten and worn down as the rider) askew in the general vicinity of the shoe mat. How do we process these? Dingy hotel. Emaciated rider. Sun-burned face. Chapped lips. Hunched shoulders. Heavy head. Distant eyes. Broken. Total, utter, complete fatigue. And tomorrow they expect panache. Again.
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@steampunk: As you say in your previous article on Barry's book, Le Métier, "...milking every last ounce of power and energy from his body and soul," and "I can no longer begin to believe that I can even come close to achieving any modicum of Rule #5."
@Buck Rogers
Yes, a crucifix would beg two questions for me:
Suffering king or suffering servant?
Where is the redemption?
and the key is still hanging in the lock.
@Buck Rogers
I was JUST about to add a crucifix post when I read yours! Man, that pic is a shitstorm of awesome. Completely spent, and knowing he's gotta find some nourishment and rest before doing it again tomorrow.
ah, Le Metier....the book was just returned to me this week, after I loaned it to a training partner. I can't help but stop and look at all the photos, everytime I hold it. The photos are beautiful and as mentioned above strangely compelling in their voyeurism: watching the riders sit in a cafe, in their hotels, or out in rule #9 winter conditions. This Barry picture is always one that seems to catch me the most. His face tells the whole story of the craft: absolute bleeding yourself dry for this obession. Nice work, Steampunk
Just finished this lovely book a couple of days ago, I got it for Christmas and enjoyed the entire thing. It is a worthy work and a great piece of writing.
A great passage to go along with this photo:
Page 173 of the 3rd Edition:
"Cyclists who are en forme can look ill when compared to an average human - we become gaunt with hollowed cheeks; our ribs protrude as muscle and fat have been stripped from our upper bodies; and flushed veins run across the skin's surface. The French say: "Un homme en forme est un homme malade." A cyclist at his peak is a sick cyclist. Not because he is unhealthy but because his body has been pushed to the limit. Like a Formula 1 car that can fly on a racetrack but can't cope with a bump in the road, our bodies are so specialized they are useless off the bike."
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Yes, and all for what. Almost like a heroin addict. Painful, sublime photo. Speaks volumes about our sport over the last decade and about Barry, whom I have always liked, and still do.
The only think that would make this picture more awesome would be if it was in black and white or sepia. Composition and ambiance are the principal elements, color is not. Cyclops, with your photoshop skills, can you give it a shot?
It is a hard life, but I'd give my left nut to have lived it.
And yes, someone please, put this one in B&W.
The look is actually "oh crap. They put the room together with 2 beds shoved together to make a king, and my teammate is gonna wanna snuggle again tonight."