Weekend Competition: The Hardmen

Contents Page 1

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.

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

Dean Brett says:

Jun 10 2017 at 9:19 am

Geraint Thomas - Crashed in the opening stage of the 2013 Tour and fractured his pelvis, managed to complete the tour as the fracture wasn't likely to get worse and the pain could be controlled. In the 2015 tour he was forced off the road by a crashing rider and hit a telegraph pole head first and disappeared down a bank. When he was interviewed at the finish line he made light of the knock to the head and was more concerned with the loss of his favourite sunglasses as they didn't make that model anymore.
Charles Barilleaux says:

Jun 10 2017 at 9:20 am

How about Bob Roll?
Buck Rogers says:

Jun 10 2017 at 9:33 am

Right, I can see where it could be really hard to limit it but I was baffled not to find Le Professeur, LeMan, Coppi and Gimondi in the pages (but Virenque, Hansen and McEwen made it???).

But in life it is so much easier to criticize and destroy than build and do (but Hansen???)
KogaLover says:

Jun 10 2017 at 9:42 am

Just started reading it today as it arrived in yesterday's mail. Gimme a second to digest the contents....
frank says:

Jun 10 2017 at 9:45 am

@Buck Rogers

Right, I can see where it could be really hard to limit it but I was baffled not to find Le Professeur, LeMan, Coppi and Gimondi in the pages (but Virenque, Hansen and McEwen made it???).

But in life it is so much easier to criticize and destroy than build and do (but Hansen???)

0

That's absolutely why, for the conpetition, we're asking you to come up with a specific example
frank says:

Jun 10 2017 at 10:00 am

@Charles Barilleaux

How about Bob Roll?

0

Now this, I gotta hear.
Fausto says:

Jun 10 2017 at 10:17 am

Adam Hansen, stopped counting how many tours he has ridden in a row.
George Mount says:

Jun 10 2017 at 10:19 am

You need to go back further. Bobby Walthour (read Homans book on him), Frank Kramer, Major Taylor, the list is not complete without these really hard men.
Buck Rogers says:

Jun 10 2017 at 10:28 am

@frank

@Buck Rogers

Right, I can see where it could be really hard to limit it but I was baffled not to find Le Professeur, LeMan, Coppi and Gimondi in the pages (but Virenque, Hansen and McEwen made it???).

But in life it is so much easier to criticize and destroy than build and do (but Hansen???)

0

That’s absolutely why, for the conpetition, we’re asking you to come up with a specific example

0

Ahh, got it.

For starters there's one of the most famous Hardmen story ever with Fiorenzo Magni riding the Giro with a broken collarbone (and he did not have his unborn twin to help him, either!)
Seppe Dewulf says:

Jun 10 2017 at 10:31 am

Fiorenzo Magni (aka The White Wolf/ The Tuscan of Flanders) - The man who won 'De Ronde van Vlaanderen' 3 times in a row and has won 'Giro d'Italia' 3 times. Magni was a cyclist who was known for is courage and stubbernness. He illustrated this perfectly in the Giro d'Italia in 1956 were he had fallen of his bike during the descent of the Volterra and broke his collarbone. He stood up, picked up his bike and finished the race. He went to the hospital where they examined him. He refused to retire and started the next day with an innertube wrapped around his handelbars so he could pull with his teeth on the bars to be able to go up the mountains and finish the Giro. He eventually managed to secure the second place in the general classification.