67 Replies to “Anatomy Of A Photo: Looks Don’t Kill, Guns Do”

  1. Mmm, hairnet draped from obscenely long quill stem! Properly worn cap! Lubed guns! Freshly shaved face. And, how about the classy watch?

    Too many gaudy “Real Housewives” oversized watches adorning toothpick wrists these days.

  3. I see two scenarios here: 1) From the look on face of the fellow behind him, Planckaert must of told Mr Green Polo to F-off. Or 2) He’s about to tear a new one into disembodied hand about to touch the spotless jersey.

    Either way, badass then, badass now. Except now he looks like an almost washed-up roadie for an 80’s hair band.

  5. Awesome. I wonder which edition of worlds the photo is from. Based on the logo on the bibs, I’d guess 79 or 80.

  6. The year would be 1988 and the picture taken at the worlds. He rode for Panasonic the year before and ADR-W Cup, Bottechia, Coors Light in 1989. 190 victories listed for the man with his Panasonic years (84-87) being the best with 61 wins.

    In the famous Jeff Pierce photo of the “sprinters with sponges” Eddy is on the left, Van Calster in the middle and Hinault on the right.

    Talk about being from a cycling family: Willy and Walter were older brothers, Jo was his uncle and Francesco is his son. And anyone would question anything he did on the bike?

    I think that could be Fondriest behind Mr Red polo shirt. If it is, it’s the year Fondriest won after Bauer and Criquelion got “tangled” up in the sprint. Eddy didn’t place.

  7. @wiscot

    The year would be 1988 and the picture taken at the worlds. He rode for Panasonic the year before and ADR-W Cup, Bottechia, Coors Light in 1989. 190 victories listed for the man with his Panasonic years (84-87) being the best with 61 wins.

    In the famous Jeff Pierce photo of the “sprinters with sponges” Eddy is on the left, Van Calster in the middle and Hinault on the right.

    Talk about being from a cycling family: Willy and Walter were older brothers, Jo was his uncle and Francesco is his son. And anyone would question anything he did on the bike?

    I think that could be Fondriest behind Mr Red polo shirt. If it is, it’s the year Fondriest won after Bauer and Criquelion got “tangled” up in the sprint. Eddy didn’t place.

    Thus the “F-you and all of your decedents” look on his face.

  10. @brett

    Perfect cap luft with upturned peak.

    3PS perfection.

    And those guns.

    Don’t even start me on how perfectly that jersey fits him. The biggest bane of the modern Cycling fashion is the speed jersey and speed suit. Fuck that shit. Just push on the pedals for Merckx’s sake.

  12. @frank

    @brett

    Perfect cap luft with upturned peak.

    3PS perfection.

    And those guns.

    Don’t even start me on how perfectly that jersey fits him. The biggest bane of the modern Cycling fashion is the speed jersey and speed suit. Fuck that shit. Just push on the pedals for Merckx’s sake.

    Tell me about it. I did the Tuesday night smashfest in my Giro New Road gear tonight and it didn’t slow me down any. (Possibly because I can’t go much slower.)

  13. @brett

    Tell me about it. I did the Tuesday night smashfest in my Giro New Road gear tonight and it didn’t slow me down any. (Possibly because I can’t go much slower.)

    You’re not going to turn up at the Keepers’ Tour in mtb kit are you?

  14. @Chris

    @brett

    Tell me about it. I did the Tuesday night smashfest in my Giro New Road gear tonight and it didn’t slow me down any. (Possibly because I can’t go much slower.)

    You’re not going to turn up at the Keepers’ Tour in mtb kit are you?

    Is that a challenge? I think Frank would have kittens… so maybe, yeah!

    The real question is, are you gonna turn up at Keepers Tour in any kit?

  15. @DCR

    He makes Marcel Kittle look like Marcel Kittens with quads like that!

    That is possibly the greatest photo of all time.

  16. @brett

    If I do make it to the Keepers’ Tour, I will be wearing kit, yes.

    Unless the weight loss has gone so well that I want to show everyone.

  17. @wiscot

    The year would be 1988 and the picture taken at the worlds. He rode for Panasonic the year before and ADR-W Cup, Bottechia, Coors Light in 1989. 190 victories listed for the man with his Panasonic years (84-87) being the best with 61 wins.

    In the famous Jeff Pierce photo of the “sprinters with sponges” Eddy is on the left, Van Calster in the middle and Hinault on the right.

    Talk about being from a cycling family: Willy and Walter were older brothers, Jo was his uncle and Francesco is his son. And anyone would question anything he did on the bike?

    I think that could be Fondriest behind Mr Red polo shirt. If it is, it’s the year Fondriest won after Bauer and Criquelion got “tangled” up in the sprint. Eddy didn’t place.

    Definitely Fondriest, good spotting. Ronse, Belgium 1988

  18. @brett

    @DCR

    He makes Marcel Kittle look like Marcel Kittens with quads like that!

    That is possibly the greatest photo of all time.

    And the white helmet looks surprisingly….modern.

  20. Yeah, that white helmet looks a whole lot like some of the new aero lids. I’m intrigued by Kittel’s new helmet and also those Lampre were wearing at the Tour Down Under.

    And goodness, those are some guns. They’re so massive they’ve caused the Wall Squatter to lose control of his eyebrow, which is arched in sheer wonderment.

  23. @brett

    @Chris

    @brett

    Tell me about it. I did the Tuesday night smashfest in my Giro New Road gear tonight and it didn’t slow me down any. (Possibly because I can’t go much slower.)

    You’re not going to turn up at the Keepers’ Tour in mtb kit are you?

    Is that a challenge? I think Frank would have kittens… so maybe, yeah!

    The real question is, are you gonna turn up at Keepers Tour in any kit?

    I can’t believe you ride your road bike in mountainbike clothes. And you call yourself a Keeper.

  25. @Ron

    Uh oh, not quite so smooth and dapper…

    Oh, he’s still got it.

    But I have to say I have absolutely no idea what is going on here in this photo. Beyond bizarre. This is why Belgian TV doesn’t make it Stateside.

  27. And speaking of killer guns and the shorts the right length to show them off, I always had a thing for Claveyrolat.

  28. @wiscot

    I was at the Worlds in 1988. I am an American and was racing with a small Belgian amateur team that season. I watched the race from about 100m from the finish.  The finish is still burned into my memory. I still race and manage a small amateur program where we revere the V and the awesome Belgian men!

  29. @frank

    And speaking of killer guns and the shorts the right length to show them off shorter than short shorts…

    …whilst towing the press bikes home.

  30. @frank

    And speaking of killer guns and the shorts the right length to show them off, I always had a thing for Claveyrolat.

    Racing then

    Racing now

  32. You know, when helmets and sunglasses became de rigeur in the peloton, something was lost in our ability to really connect. Look at Plankaert’s face. That’s a man whose gas light is flashing and his check engine light has just come on. And he’s ignoring them both.

  33. @Tom Saccone

    @wiscot

    I was at the Worlds in 1988. I am an American and was racing with a small Belgian amateur team that season. I watched the race from about 100m from the finish.  The finish is still burned into my memory. I still race and manage a small amateur program where we revere the V and the awesome Belgian men!

    We need to hear more from you!

  34. @ped

    @wiscot

    You know, when helmets and sunglasses became de rigeur in the peloton, something was lost in our ability to really connect. Look at Plankaert’s face. That’s a man whose gas light is flashing and his check engine light has just come on. And he’s ignoring them both.

    I had to put those two pics side by side to compare. Emotion, humanity, Kodachrome warmth. Corporate, digital, robots. Sure, it’s partly nostalgia, but photographers definitely have a harder job capturing emotion under sunnies and helmets, and I expect contemporary riders aren’t allowed to express much individual character anyway. 

  35. @wiscot

    You know, when helmets and sunglasses became de rigeur in the peloton, something was lost in our ability to really connect. Look at Plankaert’s face. That’s a man whose gas light is flashing and his check engine light has just come on. And he’s ignoring them both.

    Very well said.  I think so much of that is connected to the sunglasses, and not being able to see in to the riders’ eyes.

  36. @pistard

    @ped

    @wiscot

    You know, when helmets and sunglasses became de rigeur in the peloton, something was lost in our ability to really connect. Look at Plankaert’s face. That’s a man whose gas light is flashing and his check engine light has just come on. And he’s ignoring them both.

    I had to put those two pics side by side to compare. Emotion, humanity, Kodachrome warmth. Corporate, digital, robots. Sure, it’s partly nostalgia, but photographers definitely have a harder job capturing emotion under sunnies and helmets, and I expect contemporary riders aren’t allowed to express much individual character anyway.

    Hmm.

  37. @The Grande Fondue

    @pistard

    @ped

    @wiscot

    You know, when helmets and sunglasses became de rigeur in the peloton, something was lost in our ability to really connect. Look at Plankaert’s face. That’s a man whose gas light is flashing and his check engine light has just come on. And he’s ignoring them both.

    I had to put those two pics side by side to compare. Emotion, humanity, Kodachrome warmth. Corporate, digital, robots. Sure, it’s partly nostalgia, but photographers definitely have a harder job capturing emotion under sunnies and helmets, and I expect contemporary riders aren’t allowed to express much individual character anyway.

    Hmm.

    Touché, but I still think the eyes have it. I miss seeing the shift too:

  38. @The Grande Fondue

    That’s a good image but still lacks a certain feel. That aside it was a great stage to watch at TDU. I am finding a fondness for the earliest races of the year. They seem to wet the whistle just in time for the classics.

  39. Richie does a good pain face, “I’m about to take a few big bites of the V, are you coming with me?”

    Cuddles has his tongue in cheek thing going one last time, Rohan Dennis seems pretty OK with the whole thing and everyone else just gritting the teeth.

    from http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/01/porte-climbs-to-stage-5-win-in-the-tour-down-under-dennis-retains-overall-lead/

  42. Do you think anyone had the nerve to give it to Moser about the length of his shorts? A little playful ribbing at the start line.

  47. @The Grande Fondue

    @pistard

    @ped

    @wiscot

    You know, when helmets and sunglasses became de rigeur in the peloton, something was lost in our ability to really connect. Look at Plankaert’s face. That’s a man whose gas light is flashing and his check engine light has just come on. And he’s ignoring them both.

    I had to put those two pics side by side to compare. Emotion, humanity, Kodachrome warmth. Corporate, digital, robots. Sure, it’s partly nostalgia, but photographers definitely have a harder job capturing emotion under sunnies and helmets, and I expect contemporary riders aren’t allowed to express much individual character anyway.

    Hmm.

    He gives good pain face, but I see your glasses covered pain face and raise you a stage 5 TdF.

    http://images.cyclingtips.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2014-Tour-de-France-Stage-5-16.jpg

  50. Speaking of spring classics and snapshots… my favorite from last year. SPRING CLASSICS ARE FOR BADASSES. I love this one:

    g

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