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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@Barracuda
perhaps not, however the impending double arrival has ensured that the holiday budget doesn't exist!
Title photo showing some great whale shark action also @Gianni
As we were watching that race I said to my cycling buddy Tim that I'd come to the conclusion that even in a box of hammers Vandenbergh would not be the sharpest.
Love that picture. GT looks fucking cool.
@frank
I used to have 2 riding buddies well over 6 foot and near 50% heavier than me. Drafting them for me was great, for them drafting behind me was near useless. Hills were my domain but in the wind it was a different matter. I'd get blown all over the place like a fallen leaf and they would be rock solid (pun intended).
@Teocalli
@Teocalli
I've oft longed for deep-section wheels. They just look so pro. But with some of the crosswinds I have to put up with, some of my rides might end just like Hoogerland's didn't. I've finally found a sport where my (lack of) size is generally an asset, but riding in a crosswind is just no fun.
check these, superb photography http://www.yarak.cc/gentwevelgem
Best race I've seen in a long while - absolute cracker!
Paolini was this fucking close (holds thumb and index finger 1mm apart and peers through the gap) to being dropped! And the little shit held on to bring it back and then his move to break away from the group was just so slick - like a Michael Jordan stutter step followed by a drive through the lane. Loved it!
Etixx really do need to sort their shit but their embarrassment of riches is not always an easy problem to deal with in the classics. We've seen plenty of teams lose races from a numerical advantage because its so much harder to shift tactics when Plan A gets wobbly and you have second guess a team mate's sensations. Maybe Terpstra would have won G-W and the Omloop if he was alone in the selection. Maybe Vandenbergh would have too. I thought he looked awesome in G-W and could have been a threat if he wasn't looking around for Terpstra.
1.72 meters here, so I gotta love a win by Paolini. Or Gerrans, Pozzivivo, Nairo, or one of the other vertically challenged PROs. Coming from a childhood of mainly U.S. balls sports, where size was a big factor, I'm thrilled to now be a part of a sport where height isn't a big deal. Oh, and I also love Paolini (and Cavendish!) because no matter how skinny they get, they always look a bit stout and barrel-chested. That's me. No matter how slim my waist, I'm just not a skinny dude. Slim, maybe, but I'm never going to look like a Schleck or Wiggins.
Also, on the topic of Mr. Vandenbergh's intelligence, can I bring up his camouflage station wagon? What would Clark Griswold think about a non-wood paneled family truckster?