The lads
This article could be just about the wearing-o-the cotton cap. That is the Pro look right there folks. It’s too bad this helmet craze has gone and ruined it all. It’s almost reason enough to ride the old timey Eroica Strade Bianche; a natty cap worn backward with no-one having a moan about it. @Wiscot is doing his usual excellent work here. Thanks @Wiscot.
VLVV, Gianni
As we all know, a certain rider from a southern US state famously threw out a “look” at Jan Ullrich on L’Alpe d’Huez during the Tour de France in 2001. It was a look that said “I’m outta here and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Given the Texan’s masterfully measured intake of pharmaceuticals, there was indeed little Ullrich could do.
Let’s turn the clock back to 1978 and the Tour de France. Two young professionals are lined up at the stage start, ready to do the bidding of their team leaders. English-speaking riders were still relatively scarce at the time so these two had something in common besides their status as domestiques.
On the right we have the 22 year old Paul Sherwen from England. He turned professional in 1978 for Fiat-La France, a French team and whose teammates in the 1978 Tour included no-one of any real accomplishment, although the directeur sportif was the legendary Raphael Geminiani. Sherwen would win seven races as a professional, establishing himself as an excellent and tough domestique who fully earned his few opportunities to win.
On the left is the 22 year old Sean Kelly from Carrick-on-Suir in the Irish Republic. He turned professional a year earlier than Sherwen in 1977 and rode the 1978 Tour for Flandria, a Belgian team containing such hard men as Marc DeMayer, Michel Pollentier, Freddy Maertens, Joaquim Agostinho, Rene Bittinger and Marcel Tinazzi. He would win a stage of the Tour that year, outsprinting Gerrie Knetemann on stage six to Poitiers. He would go on to lead teams for 12 years and win Paris-Nice seven times.
However, in 1978, both riders’ palmares were very slim indeed as their job was not to win for themselves, but to assist others in doing so. Their futures were unknown, but surely neither could guess that they would both later land gigs as commentators – and both in English. At the time that would have been regarded as highly unlikely as Kelly’s grasp of the English language was famously difficult to ascertain. He was a rider who, legend has it, nodded in affirmation to a question asked on radio. English-speaking teammates found it easier to communicate with Kelly in French.
But back to the expression on Sherwen’s face. The look Sherwen is giving Kelly is, to me, one of pure disdain. “Who is this barely intelligible tattie-howking peasant from Ireland, and why is he next to me? I rode for the Altringham Road Club, he rode for the Carrick Wheelers.”
Kelly, on the other hand, does a great job of not caring. His crystal ball says “I will become an all-time great. I will win five stages of the Tour, four green jerseys, nine Monuments, podium twice in World Championships and win a Grand Tour. In 1984 alone I will win 33 races, you will become an apologist for one of the greatest cheaters in the history of sport.”
Be careful who you give the evil eye to.
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View Comments
@Gianni
@Gianni
I really wish nowadays cyclists could pose for a photo just like that instead of totally goofing off like a bunch of girls.
@Chipomarc
Why are you using the phrase "bunch of girls' in a pejorative sense?
@Oli
They are the ones who started the silly act when having a picture taken, and now everyone is doing it.
@Oli
I had to google ' pejorative '.
Didn't mean it that way.
That's just a term that was common back in the day and I haven't updated myself yet.
That little exchange between Oli and Chipomarc is one of the reasons I love the Velominati.
Wow, some good history lessons here and some great information about the racers. Thank you all for sharing. As much as I knew Freddie M. was a stud, this has demonstrated he's pure class.
Wiscot - I'd expect nothing less from you! As your work is always classy.
@freddy
Yep, me too. Funny funny stuff.
I had to look up pejorative also.
@Oli
Maybe he meant this bunch of girls?
I'm actually surprised to see piping on the sleeves and collars of the Flandria riders who never won the WC. It's not about adhering to Rules, but actually an adherence to the Regulations. I have no idea when this version of UCI's Regulations were made, but today those jerseys would never happen.
"1.3.064
Without prejudice to paragraph 2 below, only the current world champion rider may wear rainbow piping on his equipment (such as bike, helmet, shoes) as per the technical specifications in the brochure which will be sent to him by the UCI. However, he may use the equipment bearing the rainbow piping only in events of the discipline, speciality and category in which he won the title and in no other event. The current individual time trial world champion is authorised to use rainbow stripes on their time trial bicycle for individual time trial and team time trial events.
When he no longer holds the title of world champion, a rider may wear rainbow piping on the collar and cuffs of his jersey, to the exclusion of any other equipment, as per the technical specifications in the brochure which will be sent to him by the UCI. However, he may wear such a jersey only in events of the discipline, speciality and category in which he won the title and in no other event. In compliance with the provisions 1.3.056 and 1.3.059, he is not authorized to add the rainbow piping on his national team clothing. Any equipment bearing the rainbow piping shall be submitted to UCI for approval before production. (text modified on 1.01.05; 1.09.05; 24.09.07; 1.10.10 ; 1.01.15)."
@LIIIXI
@Oli