Les Maîtres de la Casquette

The last masters of the Cycling cap slipped into the shadows at the close of the 20th century

It doesn’t take a genius to see what’s going on here. Rule #5, Rule #9, Rule #10; every rider in this frame Looks Fantastic (most other Rules). The riders are in short sleeves and shorts while the public apparently has scavenged materials from rubbish bins and the local grain elevator in a very visually unpleasant effort to keep warm. When I visualize the 90’s, this photo pretty much shows what I see. (Why was the weather so crap in France during Big Mig’s reign? Only redeeming quality of his wins.)

What this photo also shows is the highest concentration of Les MaÃ®tres de la Casquette, the masters of the Cycling cap, in recent recorded history. We discussed the art of wearing a Cycling Cap before, probably more often than necessary. Like all art, it begins with some founding principles, and then opens itself to the artist’s vision and expression. And like with art, there are The Masters.

In the art of wearing the revered casquette, we are guided by the Three Point System. From there, we are at liberty to express ourselves. In the days before helmets, the peloton was overflowing with masters of this studied art with an early style peak coinciding directly with the point of bushiest sideburns, but it has since all but died out. The last peak was in 1991, when Big Mig, Chiappucci, Bugno, Luc LeBlanc, and Richard Virenque were all at the height of their powers. Like the Jedi after the rise of the Sith, it is the responsibility of The Velominati to keep this art alive.

It also occurs to me in the state of high fever in which I write this, that the transcended Velominatus is always engaged in a Cycling-related activity which could possibly provide a release-clause for any accusation of a Rule #22 violation.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Buck Rogers says:

Nov 20 2014 at 4:55 pm

@fignons barber

(and is there a new secret to posting pictures?).

This! I have not been able to post a photo for a few days now at work or at home.
brett says:

Nov 20 2014 at 5:40 pm

@Buck Rogers

Marc Madiot
Buck Rogers says:

Nov 20 2014 at 5:43 pm

@brett

@Buck Rogers

Marc Madiot

DAMN! That's Madiot??? Never would have called that. Thanks, man!
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 6:07 pm

@Buck Rogers

@brett

@Buck Rogers

Marc Madiot

In 1991 no less.

(Captions didn't make it through somehow)

@Buck Rogers

@fignons barber

(and is there a new secret to posting pictures?).

This! I have not been able to post a photo for a few days now at work or at home.

Email me specifics - rouleur at you know where and I'll look into it. I tested it with an account like yours and it worked for me and others are posting, so not sure what the deal is.
Buck Rogers says:

Nov 20 2014 at 6:14 pm

FUCK me! Now it's working. You must have scared it into line!
Buck Rogers says:

Nov 20 2014 at 6:31 pm

Fucking Madiot in '85.
piwakawaka says:

Nov 20 2014 at 7:54 pm

Brim should only be up when climbing steep gradients as you need to see the road ahead, this also means that sweat will run off the edges instead of dripping off the peak onto your stem. At all other times you should be riding fast enough and deep enough that wind pressure will not allow it up.
Giles says:

Nov 20 2014 at 7:55 pm

@Buck Rogers Without the context of the other photos, you'd swear he's enjoying a crafty ciggie while racing in that photo - which obviously while this would be extremely cool, is unlikely to be the case. Great photo - but seriously those conditions, shit when you have to clean your own bike.
PeakInTwoYears says:

Nov 20 2014 at 8:02 pm

@Giles

@Buck Rogers Without the context of the other photos, you'd swear he's enjoying a crafty ciggie while racing in that photo - which obviously while this would be extremely cool, is unlikely to be the case. Great photo - but seriously those conditions, shit when you have to clean your own bike.

And the nice spectator lady in white standing ankle deep in shit. Fucking awesome.
Markp says:

Nov 21 2014 at 3:15 am

@frank

@Markp

Ignore Jaja

This photo puts in sharp relief what has happened to the European peloton due to the introduction of the helmet, a device that has flummoxed the French in particular more than anyone.

Compare Jaja below with cap with the above.

How can a dude who can even crush a sweat band still look that bad in a helmet.

While this photo below puts the de Kaiser at throttle sans Cap in a completing different perspective. That said only Pantani could get away with a bandana.