Gent-Wevelgem Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media
The wind-swept break in last weekend’s Gent-Wevelgem was a perfect example of the bike being the great equalizer. Stijn Vandenbergh, 2 meters tall and Luca Paolini, 1.74 meters tall were both there. And until the last few kilometers, no one would bet against either.
I’m always cheering for the tall professionals. I’m no pro but I am tall; it’s all I have in common, actually. In a sport where the average professional might be more Van Avermaet than Van Summeren in stature, it really does not matter. Had Nairo Quintana been in that break, he would have been just as much of a threat as any of the others. Not being fat is a given in cycling but beyond that, all bets are off. The question is how fast can one make the bike go? Short femurs, flat feet, no calves, little hands, gibbon-like arms (cough, strack, cough), horsey teeth, all are welcome on the bike.
As much as I have scoffed at Bradley Wiggins’ chances in Paris-Roubaix, mostly due to his twiggo-sized body, he can make his bike go very fast, again and again. He cannot be discounted.
We have all seen the highly unlikely cyclist disappear up the road ahead of us. I’ve learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut and judge no one by their short femurs. The same holds true for old bastards, but that is another article.
Luca Paolini showed what makes a successful racer. As he rolled over the finish line he pointed to his head and his heart. It was mind over matter: crash a few times, change a bike, solo bridge up to the break, get dropped by the break, chase forever to get back on and finally win from a select group that contained two Quick Step teammates. Bravo. Body type in cycling is no matter; it is all heart and mind.
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Yeah, but it is the hills that bring the fatties back to earth so to speak.
Nice one Gianni, yes, there really is no one type in cycling. Being somewhere in the middle of the charts, I think, gives one the option of being an all rounder. But if you are at either of the extremes then you generally might be excluded from one discipline or another... I do not think Nairo would have won the sprint?
Man that was a fun race to watch. I loved the shots of the peloton canted over like they were on an off camber slope and Poalini took home a great win.
It was a great race.
Vandenbergh may be tall, but he's got to be one of the least tactically adept riders in the peleton! That's the second classic EQS have botched where Terpstra has been their strongest rider in the selection, but he & VdB seem unable to work out how to win...not to mention his unfortunate timing when it comes to removing his radio earpiece.
@gianni. I learned about judging others in my first ( and only to date) TT. I was 19, fit lean and had muscles in my piss. I signed on in front of a guy the wrong side of 50 with a jersey on that looked like he did his ironing on an upturned wok. It was a serious beer belly. I smiled inside, safe in the knowledge that I wouldn't come in last. He caught me for a minute at around the 10 k mark and I never saw him again. He could bang the 53 all day long, like a metronome. I came in last
Went on a ride Sunday with some folks I know through work. Four in the group, 3 looking Mucho Pro and one in sneakers on flat pedals. One of the people asked him if he was riding or running.
Lets face it, we Keepers wrote the book on judging a book by its cover; but this kid rode like a storm. If he'd been on a bike anywhere near as amazeballs as our collective carbone di2'd-out states of the art (well, I was on Campa 10) he's have been dropping our asses like yesterday's paper.
Fucking kid could lay the hammer down. So fun to see. Judgement repealed.
Poetry.
If you ignore Paris-Roubaix, that is.
If you have ever ridden with me, you might start to draw a connection between being tall and being a moron tactically. Its because drafting makes fuck all difference to us (no use drafting a mouse) so we ride on the front all the time and get confused as soon as the pace changes.
@Mikael Liddy
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory !
@frank
If you ever came to the right side of the equator I might have a chance!
@Mikael Liddy
Perfect time to get a commitment from @frank and @Gianni and all to come for the TDU and associated Cogals. Of which there WILL be two.
Surely the KT2015 wouldn't have sucked much cash out of the holiday budget !?!?