Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
[rule number=”95″/]
This festering blight on the Cycling landscape seemed to start with cross-country mountain bikers, who often finish their race alone and have time to stop at the finish line, look around to see if there are any spectators in attendance, then bend over like a shaved praying mantis to struggle with the 7 kilogram heft of their carbon hardtail, holding it aloft for the mandatory three seconds until their imaginary judges give the green light to drop it back to earth…Should you be neck deep in a river or for some reason need to throw your bike over a prison wall, exceptions can be made -Brett Kennedy. The Rules
Exceptions can be made as Brett points out, and how could one end up in prison with one’s bike?
Far be it from us to criticize Fabian Cancellara’s Strade Bianche antics. Doesn’t he read The Rules? He would have had to read all the way to page 228 to get to this gem and admittedly, he is a busy man.
Well if Fabian can do it, I can do it. That is how the trouble begins. Tim Wellens couldn’t resist. He had a solo victory and time to kill and maybe deep in every professional’s contract there is a clause that says one is paid 10,000 euros for raising your bike over your head. But damn it, professionals are supposed to act like professionals or every school yard kid will be trying it. And then where will we be?
If you want to hold your bike over your head, you can; find a deep river to ford or when being incarcerated, bring your bike.
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Good to see some Italians still know how it should be done, Brambilla was much better today.
@Teocalli
Ha, I totally thought you were Welsh for some reason. Must've been because of a previous rugby related discussion.
@wiscot
Ahh yeah, definitely one of the greatest tries. And most probably the greatest ever, I was just poking some fun at @Teocalli's Welshness, or non-Welshness for that matter! That particular match was a little bit before my time, but I must try and watch it in full some day. Love how the game was played back then. Less brute force, more skill.
@Mikael Liddy
One word for Brambilla today:
Classy.
@Teocalli
@wiscot
Best moment in the whole sequence of play is when Phil Bennett catches the ball, looks up and sees the whole All Black team running at him...and decides to run rather than kick.
I'm getting drawn into discussions about guitars, music, rugby...can you tell I'm on holiday and I've been away from my bike for a while?
I'm going to swim against the tide and risk the wrath of @frank and the rest of you, but f**k the rules. I'm not saying do this all the time, mind you. But cut these guys some slack. Let them celebrate every once in a while and savor the moment. It's like the 16th hole at the Phoenix Open. It totally goes against the grain of what golf is supposed to be because it's loud and boisterous and golf is prim and proper. The fans are drunk and screaming. You don't want that on every hole and every week, but it's great spectacle, a nice change of pace from week in-week out pro golf, and part of what gives the tournament it's character. Honestly, we need more "characters" in cycling. Like Sagan. So I say "chapeau" to Wellens.
@chuckp
I think you're going to take some shit for that golf reference! It's a blasphemous pursuit around here.
Closest golf gets to a mountain ascent, fanwise.
@chuckp
you lost me at "golf"
@Mikael Liddy
Was a great stage, and I challenge you to find better commentators for the duration of a stage than Matthew Keenan and Robbie McEwen. Giro snacks allround
@Danimal
/delurking temporarily
Many years (~30, iirc) ago I did well in a race, a big one. In a moment of pure exuberance and gratitude to my most helpful teammate, I dumped my bottle over his head, it being a sweltering summer day. Sadly, that was the bottle of my special coke and coffee w/ honey, save-for-the-last-twenty-miles concoction. I'm reminded of that special moment to this day.
/back to lurk
@Gianni
My 1985 steel frame De Rosa with 36 spoke wheels comes in at about 10kg. I think most of us could get that over the prison wall.
@Barracuda
Great racing to watch. That descent was terrifying! I feel a bit dirty because I almost liked Valverde today.