If you ever doubted for a minute that the hardmen of yore drafted the blueprint for The Rules, you need only look at these fine examples to be reminded that no matter how limited the resources they had to work with, they still managed to do a better job of Looking Fantastic than we ever could.
It matters not to them that having pockets in the front of the jersey gave the impression of gynecomastia, their aching backs ably supported by crude inner-tube mansierres. They didn’t care that their cycling caps were actually just handkerchiefs tied at the corners, or that the bulging gusset in their shorts needed to be covered up at all times when off the bike by a strategically placed hand. It meant they got to fraternise with the likes of Wevelgem Mayor Wally de Schmoi, infamous for his love of wine, women and tucking his tie into his pants.
That’s just the way they rolled back then. And if you think they gave a fuck, well, think again. They were too busy laying waste to fools like us to even consider rolling their socks back up.
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
Dude in the Roche whatever jersey with the misplaced sense of modesty looks like he's about ready to rampage.
Also: bidon contents. Discuss. My theory is cheap Calvados, straight up.
@Nate
Scotch and cocaine apparently, see no reason to argue with that, EPO of the day ?
@Barracuda Good point on the yeyo but it probably has more in common with the venerable amphetamine than the blood-boosters.
@Nate
He's not being modest - he's in the middle of an anecdote about how he told that sorry-ass bitch Tullio Campagnolo he don't need no motherfuckin QR skewers cause his cock was so damned hard, last week he put a wheel on it to win Paris-Roubaix and then balled three podium hos and their sisters.
On the right of the picture in the "Direct" jersey is Hugh Janus the (in)famous British cobble specialist. He's doing the impression of a pair of scissors that allowed him to eke out a living on the variety circuit after his road racing career was cut short by the Flemish mafia for suggesting that Don "Crazy Trousers" de Schmoi give up on the blind Corsican tailor that he'd been frequenting in memory of his mother and buy something that actually fitted him in the local C&A store.
Great photo. We British doctors are no longer permitted to wear ties at work but when I was a junior, it used to be common to see older physicians arrive on the ward with not only ties but also stethoscopes tucked into their trousers (and presumably their underpants). At least no-one complained about it being cold...
I was just reading about the rigors of racing in wool garments in an interview with Stan Brittain - a local rider who rode the Tour in the 50's. I think I posted a link to this free digital magazine before but there's a new issue now - edited by a clubmate of mine, there are some cracking photos:
http://www.spincyclemag.com/
@the Engine
Speaking of rock the punctuation - the Oxford Comma in question, here's a little sing-a-long by Vampire Weekend
To the original 'article', the 'gents' above back then were the 'pro' benchmark at 'looking fantastic'. (Did I just overuse the comma? Not sure to use " or '. Prefer ' it's neater.)
As a juvenile kid in the club, I was handed down a woolen , yellow jersey with two button up pockets on the front. Geez I was looking fantastic waay back in the early eighties!
@heinous
Is that some sort of loony H&S directive from Brussels or PC bullshit brought in during the Blair/Brown years to stop you looking like a well educated professional and help you fit in with the proles?
@Chris
Not - it was just that they decided that growing penicillin on one's neck wear probably wasn't the best idea they'd ever had. I believe some have even been persuaded that they should wash their hands.
@Chris Spot on. Ostensibly in the name of "Infection Control", the ties went out with the white coats and all without a shred of evidence to support the strategy. The only ones wearing (shiny) suits and ties now are the hospital managers. I can't say too much more or I'll be packed off to the gulag...