Merckxy Christmas and Coppi New Year!
Another year come and gone, another pile of New Year’s resolutions out the door, done and dusted. It’s a good thing I don’t recall what they were; I have a feeling this period of reflection might loom a bit darker if I was in a position to appreciate just how short I’ve come up on them.
I’m spending more time with young kids these days, and the Holiday Season is an entirely different experience when viewed within their context. To begin with, at my age I hardly notice the passing of the years. This itself is a paradox; as a Cyclist we are perhaps more aware of the passing seasons than anyone else, yet the years themselves manage to slip by without notice; for a kid, one year is a significant portion of their life and each one is remembered in astonishing (if inaccurate) detail.
Personally, it’s been a mixed year for me; the highest highs offset with some low lows, but if we are to experience life’s greatest moments, we have to be willing to walk the valleys between the peaks an for certain its been the singularly greatest year in terms of personal growth. I haven’t spent as much time on Velominati and with you, the community, as I would have liked in 2016; still for 2017 we have many exciting things lurking, all thanks to you who have kept the passion flowing through the community. We laugh, we quarrel, we reconnect. This is the beauty of Cycling and the charm of you, the Velominati community.
So here’s to you, your family’s and loved ones, and to 2017. On behalf of the Keepers, we wish you a Merckxy Christmas and a Coppi New Year!
And yes, it’s time for me to make a fresh batch of Cyclist Gingerbread cookies.
@wiscot
Excellent; I was hoping you might chime in. Let me know if there’s anyone in particular at the MCHS with whom I should speak.
Just looking at the book is on the shelves at the local library so I’ve reserved it and will pick it up tomorrow for some evening reading. Thanks for the reference! Stay warm…
Happy New Year to one and all.
Hey, have I missed the Anti-V Moment of the Year award? I can’t think of a standout favourite in any case…..
@davidlhill
Nah, you haven’t missed it. Haven’t had one for a few years now. The obvious nominee IMHO is Running Man Froome.
@teleguy57
Ben Barbera would be a good place to start. Juliet Hills is very helpful too.
@wiscot
It’s all gone a bit quiet over here recently so you haven’t missed much David… Happy New Year to you too.
I don’t know about Froome as a nominee – I thought that was pretty gutsy actually. FFS the guy is perpetually criticised as a robot, then he does something that shows intense determination to overcome a shitty problem not of his own making and that’s also a bad thing?
My nomination would be John Degenkolb at the World Championships, spraying his water bottle over a Belgian rider who was refusing to help chase down the break which included his team-mate. Petulant piece of stupidity.
Having said that the UCI and Qatar could get a meta-nomination for putting the World Championships in Doha in the first place, and then Qatar quietly cancelling the Tour of Qatar and pulling out of all cycling, even lower-level events.
There’s also that tosser smashing his bike at the Red Hook criterium – Jeremy whats-his-face.
@ChrisO
I did think about the Degenkolb bottle incident. Certainly a strong contender. Regarding Qatar, I’d agree but give the award jointly to the UCI and Qatar. $$$$ before all else.
It’s funny how it goes all quiet in holiday periods and picks up when everyone is back at work……..
Froome anti V? No way – his mad downhill descent, his two man breakaway, and the run? Plenty of V shown.
Actually, for me its the UCI. Good call ChrisO. Qatar and the change to the omnium seals it for me. A far better writer than I wrote that once sport follows the money to the detriment, or compromise, of the actual sport then it’s fundamentally doomed in the long run.
Folks, on a serious note and I’m not sure if qualifies under the spirit of anti-v (?) if is meant to be a little more light hearted or assigned to a person but the issues this past year with race mottos and safety are just not cool at all. Incidents with Antoine Demoite’ and Stig Broeckx are terrible reminders. Is this a more frequent modern times occurrence or just a perception I have?
Froome? I loved his tour this past year and the running man. Degenkolb? I can’t even assign the cool Degencobbles nickname after the WC. Petulant is good descriptor. Doha local for world champs and UCI ? Agree. But I would probably think same if was in China too.
How about the inflatable coming down on Yates? That really sucked.
@ChrisO
Agree with the Red Hook guy but I do not want to bring any more publicity to that tosser. I think he is also a model or something. Dude just needs to disappear forever.
@davidlhill
yeah. Froome don’t lack for nuts.
@Cary
Pharmstrong’s ingredients all seem to be too healthy and organic. Surely the missing ingredients to the right of the picture will include things that increase production of natural EPO levels.
@KogaLover
Home made Pickles about sums it up?
do y’all think Froome is dirty? maybe i’m naive, but i think it’s possible he’s clean. it’s all about power to weight for a GC rider, no? look at the guy.. Froome looks like he was raised in Darfur, not South Africa.
@Cary
I’m pretty sure as he’s clean, and also that he’s a physiological freak who trains super hard, and super smart.
Anti-V moment – was the thing with the motor in the CX bike this year?
@Cary
I wouldn’t bet my house on any of them being clean, but I believe in Froome as much anyone. That said I believed in Wiggins too, and whilst I don’t believe he used EPO etc, as far as I’m concerned the medication taken prior to the 2012 Tour WAS cheating, even if it was “legal”.
@RobSandy
Of course – we have a winner.
@Steve Trice
Re Wiggins. Yes – I think another rider put it like this (paraphrasing). “He was 5% down, got the TUEs signed off, ended up 5% up”. So Legal, but……
Still, he’s a legend as far as I’m concerned, and so happy to have been in Ghent to see him and Cav win the 6 day. What a night that was!
@davidlhill
I think that was a low for cycling in general.
What about V Moment of the year? I’m going to ignore Froome and offer 3 for initial consideration:
1. Sagan riding away from everyone to win the Ronde
2. Steve Cummings TDF Stage Win
3. Sagan retaining the rainbow bands
@RobSandy
Matty Haymen winning P-R and Boonen being such a class act at the awards ceremony?
(all of your suggestions are great as well)
@davidlhill
Yeah, me too tbh, just with a slight tarnish.
@Buck Rogers
Yeah, I loved that – the vid of how amazed and elated Haymen was afterwards was beautiful.
I also liked Stannard’s solo stage win in the Tour of Britain. He’s my hero, nice to see him take the glory for once.
@Cary
@KogaLover
Right! The Lance should just be a steaming pile of shit between two perfect pieces of bread just like he was so “clean” on the outside but just a pile of shit through and through.
And shouldn’t Le Blaireau’s sandwich be a huge piece of raw meat that you just grab and ravage, kind of like he did to everyone that he raced against whenever he felt the fuck like it?
@RobSandy
Right! Just loved that video with his disbelief at the end and his saying, “This doesn’t happen?” and his Mate saying, “It does today to you!”
Literally choked me up watching that.
And then seeing Boonen looking up at Haymen on the podium from the lower step and being such a good sport even though you just have to know that it KILLED him not winning his fifth, esp in that final group.
@Buck Rogers
Yeah, you’re right.
I’d vote for that one. Hayman FTW.
@Steve Trice
I thought this was a good article on Froome’s physiology.
@Rick
that’s pretty interesting. of all Froome’s wild performances of the last few years, the one that really made me take notice was his breakaway with Sagan and Geraint Thomas last year. flatland power is not the same as mountain power. i was very impressed that he went off the front with those animals.
@Cary
That was impressive but as I recall that break Thomas buried himself as did Sagan’s team mate who was also in the group. When it came time to sprint, Sagan easily distanced Froomey even though the latter got the jump on him.
@Rick
It would have been pretty well drilled had it been a TTT
I’ll go with the Hayman if Tommeke gets an honorable mention. Boonen and Vos are two of my favorites because a) I believe they’re clean, b) they ride with panache, and c) when they lose they are 100% class acts in giving the victor the respect they deserve. No pouting on the podium.
@Teocalli
yes! this is the one. Froome did some clever racing at the Tour last year.
@Buck Rogers
@Teocalli
All good votes, but I’d forgotten about this little escapade from two of our favourite riders…
http://www.velominati.com/awesome-french-guys/tough-boys/
@Teocalli
One of my highlights of last year, so beautifully unexpected.