@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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@allezfignon
or service his bike, especially the saddle, in his hotel room circa 'A Sunday In Hell'
@razmaspaz
I would imagine it rings true for any profession which also seconds for some as a leisure activity, whether you sing karaoke at the weekends, ride a bike, write or fuck. I would imagine that once you take it up as a profession you are restricted by not choosing when you do it and that takes away some of the joy because you have to do it on days when you don't want to. On the flip side, on those days when you don't want to get on with it and everything comes good, you feel a heightened sense of achievement.
Essentially the highs become higher, and the lows become lower....
@brian
Sounds like you needed some VLVV it also sounds like you had a rather rose tinted view of cycling (in the pro world). I will not go on because we have done this stuff ad nauseum on the site, but pros have always cheated...from the very first one, all that changed was the means and the impact.
The important thing is to find and maintain YOUR love of cycling...leave the pros to fuck up their own lives. Watch them and love what they do but never confuse this with the pain and ensuing joy at your next personal ride or goal achieved...
I am glad you got that stuff off your chest because this now leaves you free and unencumbered to get out and ride ride ride!
Enjoy!
@Deakus
@brian Shit that sounded really preachy when read back, I would have scattered it with well meaning emoticons to tone down the cheese factor but I feared public retribution from those here who do not follow "the way of the emoticon" on the site...either way..welcome to the site!
@brian
No stress, mate. Everyone has an opinion here and you'll find that people will not cast you off for that. They may argue or disagree, but that's part of the fun. Welcome!
@Deakus
@brian argument and dissenting opinions are always allowed, but as Deakus alluded to there, avoid emoticons
@Steampunk
Steamy, I tweaked it in B&W and it looked good. Sepia was awful.
@brian
Welcome! No need to apologize. Read the posts on other sites and you'll know we have a great community here who offer quality posts (for the most part - and I've posted some pish at times) and what you offered was well-written, sincere and based on experience. Stick around!
@brian
Welcome to the site. I've been in the bunch with COTHO (back when he was a development kid with Motorola). While i (we) didn't know what he was about then, and it's probably right to assume that he was clean at the time, he was a arrogant prick. That just got worse over time, even though I'll admit still that his domination at Worlds was one of the best finishes I'd ever seen.
Don't let any Pro ruin your love of the sport. Our is unique in the fact that we can participate in it for our entire lives (including racing if you choose), and our access to the athletes is unparalleled; I mean can you imagine being 50, putting on pads and playing football? Or being able to shimmy up next to Drew Bledsoe and having a quick chat on the sidelines like you can with Jensie?
Browse around. There was an article written about this very thing just a few days ago.
@steampunk: great photo! So much going on there. Pretty sure he spent a long day in "The Tunnel".
@scaler911 Written like a true Velominatus. Additionally, how often to amateurs/enthusiasts get to tee up at Augusta, shoot hoops in MSG, play football at Lambeau, or anything of the sort for rugby, cricket, or soccer? We can ride the cobbles, climbs, and hallowed roads of cycling whenever we want. Unless of course it's during a race, in which case we get to stand at the side of the road for free and watch our sporting idols go by.