It has been a busy couple of weeks in the Velominati Boardroom as we’ve been scrambling to finalize a few partnerships and get all the products for the Keepers Tour customers designed and produced. Suffice to say, fists and beers were slammed in tandem as we feverishly worked out the final designs.
Producing V-Pints, V-Shirts, and V-Musettes seems a simple enough task; and we also needed a flag and banner to fly at the roadside of the various races we are due to watch from the roadside, including de Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix. There was also a the small matter of getting our hands on musette bags, which aren’t commonly found on the market, as far as we could tell. Fair heart, never worry; Gianni and his VMH took matters into their own hands and made them up from scratch. If their other business ventures fail, musette-sewing may be a good fallback, they Look Fantastic.
The most significant effort due was for the Keepers Tour Cobbled Classics 2012 design; enter our graphic-design mastermind, KRX-10. We tossed a few emails across the net and settled quickly on the notion of using a variation of the Lion of Flanders. “Now we need a public-domain vector graphic. Race you to it”, was the last word from KRX10 on the matter before the design was finalized. Then it was on to deciding on a tag line, with the result being perhaps the best example of what happens when the Keepers argue long enough on such matters.
With that, we proudly present the official artwork for Keepers Tour: Cobbled Classics 2012:
The last two weeks I’ve felt like a kid waiting for Christmas as orders were placed and we entered into the torturous period of time while we waited to lay our hands on the final products and see the fruits of our labor. And I have to say, this round may have produced our finest products yet; the V-Lion and tagline turned out magnificently, as did all the other items. The flag and banner are actually breathtaking – waving in the wind. We hope you like it as much as we do.
A few items of note: Attendees of Keepers Tour will receive a musette packed with their V-Shirt and V-Pint along with a few lovies from our sponsors, and will also have the honor of commenting for the next year with the V-Lion badge. Also of note is the matter that these products are not available for sale and will never be; the only way to get Keepers Tour products is to attend a Keepers Tour, so bear that in mind next time around. Finally, if you’re looking for a real photo of the V-Pint, you’ll have to wait until we arrive in Belgium, as they were shipped ahead while I was away on business and as such they have not yet been seen by anyone, even me.
Please also get yourself acquainted with our Twitter and Tumblr sites if you’ve not done so already – we’ll be reserving the site for major updates, and will be posting minor updates in those to locations throughout our trip, with Twitter being used for small updates, and Tumblr for the ones that are too much for a tweet and too little for the V.
VLVV.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/Keepers Tour CC2012/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@marko
I trust you packed your polyester leisure suit.
BTW, the Prophet has been indicted in a corruptionn case. Details ici.
...corruption... Someday I will learn to type/spell.
@Ron
The trifecta of budgetatus, the lack of unlimited vacation time, and the fact that there's no way my VMH would let me leave her with the kids while I was on The Continent riding the cobbles.
In Hong Kong, been awake for 20 hours, flying for 13, a 3 hour stopover now then 12 more to Amsterdam.
My goal for the Keepers Tour is to stay awake.
@Ron
Im a full time student(like 40 hours a week full time) and then work part time. a proper vacation, of any kind, wont be in my cards for another few years. although when I got my aid check at the beginning of the semester, I got some crazy ideas about blowing off rent and food and gas for a week on the cobbles.
Arrived in Amsterdam with bike and huge suitcase. I have already lugged bike much more than I ever wanted, I rather ride the damn thing. I have a better chance injuring myself hauling this thing up and down flights of stairs than riding the stones. Hotel is a proper dump(no lift or storage) but enough room in shower to shave guns. I got a look at Iceland for an hour, excellent espresso at least. Brain not working well yet.
Frank must be beside himself if bike is not by his side. At least he can hassle people in Dutch. Poor Brett and Rigid, that's a long haul.
Now what's all this talk about a red light district?
@Flying Crowbar
All that for me, plus the fact that I'm perpetually two months from peaking.
@frank
Yikes. Chapeau for the calm demeanor. I would be Freaking. The. Fuck. Out.
@Gianni
Congrats on a successful transfer. Pro cyclists of Merckx's era never had proper hotels. So you're right on track for an authentic, epic ride on the pave. As far as the Red Light District, that's where you hire your soigneur feminine for the week.
@brett
Hang in there, Bretto. Sleep is for the weak.