It’s a call to arms. No, it’s a call to legs, hearts and minds.
Just as the Illuminati would stage their fabled, and somewhat feared Cabals, we the Velominati will this year stage our own modern-day versions, the Cogals. A meeting of like-minded misfits brought together by the promise of beer, preceded by a bike ride. Sound like a formula you could enjoy? Then Welli-Roubaix is just the ticket.
Assembling at Hataitai Velodrome, Wellington on Sunday April 10, the date of the Queen of the Classics, we will share a cocktail of gravel and tarmac (in the place of real cobbles). It’s a ride, not a race, but attacking on the gravé is encouraged, as is banter in between bouts of the V. Sprinting on the banked concrete at the conclusion of the ride is mandatory, but no ‘winner’ will be crowned, no trophy awarded except that of cold brews and a set of commemorative V-Cards.
The next morning (Monday), lashings of Chimay, Duvel, mussels and frites en mayo will accompany the live viewing of the the main event at downtown Belgian bar Leuven. We implore the Welliminati to gather en masse, and encourage our Aussieminati to make the jump across the ditch and join in a weekend of V-based activities on and off 700 x 25s.
*In the light of the terrible events in Christchurch, we will dedicate the ride to those unfortunately affected by the earthquake, and donate V dollars (or more) each to a reputable appeal.
Good times, good people, good cause.
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@Buck Rogers
SRV. Otherwise it's like saying Campagnoli.
The Sky is Crying. I was in Oregon on holiday when I heard he died.
@Marko
Don't forget John Candy- was he Candian too?
SRV - Texas
Jimi - Cascadia
What does this all mean?
@Steampunk
God Dammint! Acronym Dyslexia! Where's that edit post function again? :)
God DAMMIT! I even spelled Dammit wrong in the last post!
With regard to music, I wish every Velominati who has a love of blues, progressive country, Texas swing, and straight forward rock and roll could have lived when and where I lived. Read Wikipedia's history for Stevie Ray Vaughan. I grew up in Dallas and have heard, either recorded or live, every artist listed. I've been to most of the venues. Same for Austin. I lived in Austin from '85 to '94. The scene was so full of the greatest musicians ever, that it became commonplace to bump into people like Ronnie Lane (I saw at my local hardware store) and Ian McLagan--both from the Small Faces and relocated from England to Austin. Side note: Ian McLagan married Kim Kerrigan, first wife of Keith Moon. I am a huge Who fan. Kim was killed in a car accident down the road from my mom and step-dad's house in Bastrop, just outside of Austin. Mom, who owned the Old Main Bookstore in Bastrop, was acquainted with Kim (Mom knew or met everyone in and around Bastrop), but didn't really make the connection to The Who until I told her.
In Austin, Antone's was down the street from where I lived. If a huge tour band came through (Rolling Stones, U2, etc.), they'd head to Antone's after their show to jam until all hours of the morning. There was a pic of the guys from U2 at the counter of Conan's Pizza where they ate before heading over to Antone's.
Now in Houston, I live down the street from Fitzgerald's. Everyone from SRV to the Ramones played there.
One cannot throw a rock in Austin/Dallas/Houston without hitting some ridiculously awesome musician or a well respected recording studio, guitar shop, record shop, or venue.
Oh, before we were married, my wife and I lived next door to Lyle Lovett's girlfriend. I was cooking dinner one night, looked up out the window, and saw that distinct stovepipe hairstyle walking across my lawn to our neighbor's house. Listen to the song "I Married Her Just Because She Looks Like You". My wife and I swear he wrote that about our neighbor who was in Lyle's life before Julia Roberts. Our neighbor looked just like Julia Roberts. Connect the dots.
Charlie Sexton. The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Alejandro Escovedo. Eric Johnson. Kelly Willis. Charlie and Bruce Robison--in Austin, just about anytime you stuck your head in the door of a dozen different places, these folks were playing. My wife is sure that, before Natalie Maines joined, the Dixie Chicks played at a picnic where she worked.
And to bring it back to cycling, Steve Hegg stayed at my apartment for a week in between the Tour of Texas and the Spenco 500. Really good guy. Really, really fast.
And I witnessed a conversation, standing on Highway 360, in Austin, after a time trial (I think), between Eddie B. and Armstrong (when he was a killer teen triathlete) about giving up triathlon and becoming a bike racer full-time.
There really is something in the water around here.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Amazing stuff!!! But what strikes me most about your post is the chance that you had to STOP The COTHO from becoming a roadie!!!!!! Man, you could have talked him out of it, you were THERE, but you DIDN'T and just look at what happened!!!!!! It's almost as bad as missing a chance to kill Hitler or something! Maybe Tarantino can make a movie out of it with an alternate ending?
@Buck Rogers
Nah. He wasn't very nice, but we were all amazed at his talent. I have old teammates who still work for him. I can't say too much bad stuff for fear of never working in Texas again. Or maybe succumbing to a mysterious death.
@Jeff in PetroMetro
Good to know that Omertà is alive and well in Texas! :)
@Jeff in PetroMetro
My wife and I have given occasional thought to taking a year off to travel North America by RV as a family, before the kids are too old for it to be ok (in terms of their schooling). One of the things we would plan to do is make sure we got to South by Southwest. But maybe we'll just go to Austin for the whole year. What's the riding like?