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As I said last week when we announced the new book, The Hardmen, we had a much harder time of it writing this one than we did with The Rules. There are a variety of reasons why this is true, not least the fact that we had to actually choose which Hardmen to include in the book, a bigger chore than it might seem. Some of them were pretty obvious, some were pretty obscure, but mostly it was simply a difficult chore to narrow down the list to something we could fit in a single book without turning it into War and Peace.
Not to mention that we were basically working from memory, for our oft-stated Anti-Research Policies.
Given that, there are some major omissions, whether deliberate or otherwise. Maybe we simply didn’t like a particular rider, hardness notwithstanding (Pharsmstrong). Maybe we loved a rider and we acknowledged their hardness, but the hardness was so universal that we couldn’t zero in on a particular ride that would make the book (Boonen). Other riders featured more than once because they were so universally hard but still managed to drop majorly epic rides in often enough that we simply couldn’t keep from adding a few of their stories (Kelly, Merckx).
With that, I give you your weekend assignment: which is the most glaring omission from the book, and why? But here’s the catch: you have to be specific on which rider, and you have to be specific on preciesely which ride/action merits inclusion. Vote for your favorite omission by using the (new) like button*. If you’d like to add your own notes to someone else’s entry, just respond inline as usual. Top three omissions** will receive a free copy of The Hardmen, signed by all three authors (this will take a little time as we have to ship them around the world.)
* I have resisted adding a Like button to posts since Velominati’s inception in 2009, feeling strongly that if you have something to say, you should take the time to say it rather than anonymously tapping a like button. However, given my own limited available time to commit to posting, I have come to appreciate the elegance of being able to recognize a post for its humor without needing to respond to it with something unimaginative like, “Ha!” I hold fast on my view that there will never be a “Dislike” button, as I firmly believe that while you are welcome to dislike something, you need to hold yourself accountable for your remarks.
** We reserve the right to override the voting system and choose the winner at our discretion.
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@frank
As f0r the LVC kit order--please remember that my address has been updated to Germany since last year. I gave you the new address last summer when I moved but I can resend it to you if you need it. Thanks.
Cadel Evans 2011 Tour de France. Pretty sure it was Stage 19. He's isolated, has a bike problem at the bottom of the climb (Tourmalet?). Contador attacks at the same time. He drags himself up and bombs the descent, limits his losses up the other side while pulling others with him and then wins the race with the time trial the next day.
@frank
I'd suggest that if one of Fignon's rides was put forwards then his ITT to LOSE that tour was also epic. He was suffering a saddle tour, had been told previously by the UCI that the aerobars he'd trialed wouldn't be allowed, only to see LeMonde turn up to the Tour with a full aero set up...and he gave it EVERYTHING.
The photos of him after the finish tell the tale eloquently.
@Kunanyi
Cadel got airborne on that TT!
@sthilzy
Go to 8:50
Recall Evans rode the whole course on the day, the Schleck's drove out in the car and rode back to the start! Spoke to Cadel about that ITT day and he said, "It was a relaxing ride"!
@frank
If you can't find anyone, I want to do it. Had a lot of fun reading The Hardmen. Wrote a book myself on the different types of riders amongst the mamils and interviewed some pro's to ask what they think of the rules.
Fignon again.
1988 Milan-San Remo: won by Fignon in a 2-man sprint with Maurizio Fondriest.
Instead of being happy winning a Monument he was annoyed that the Italian had stayed with him on the Poggio and prevented him the glory of winning alone and decided to come back and do it.
1989 Milan San Remo: Fignon drops everyone and crosses the line alone as he planned.
I think that is badass.
@Buck Rogers
I would never have the time to do so in the timeframe allotted...
@Kunanyi
If memory serves, it was on the Galibier, Schleck attacked and went clear, Evans had a mechanical much later on the lower slopes of the Galibier (technically the Lautaret) but started to bridge up and closed the gap massively. Contador got dropped early...is that the day you're talking about?
@RobSandy
Indeed. Or his ride over the cobbles during the 1983(?) Tour. One of the stages was through the pavé and he'd never ridden them before. He killed it but destroyed his hands because he didn't know how to ride loose on the stones. Won the Tour at 21 or whatever idiotically young age he was at the time.