Categories: La Vie VelominatusLook ProTechniqueThe Rules

Look Pro: Éclatant de Panache

Sur La Plaque. Photo via BikeRaceInfo.com" src="http://www.velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/1998-17-Pantani-Guerini-620x449.jpg" width="620" height="449" /> Pantani always moved Sur La Plaque. Photo via BikeRaceInfo.com

The Prophet was very clear on how best to ride an individual Time Trial; start as fast as possible and finish as fast as possible. As for the middle, his advice was to ride that as fast as possible.

The same can be said of climbing; as we covered in Part I and Part II of the Sur La Plaque series, the key to climbing well is to hit the bottom as hard as possible, and then move into the big ring as you go over the top in order to finish the climb as fast as possible. As for the middle section; well, hit that as hard as possible and focus on keeping your momentum going.

The trouble is with this pesky notion we have of “gauging our efforts”. Certainly, the perfectly measured climb would result in riding the whole of it Ã bloc before moving Sur La Plaque over the top, blast down the other side and – just as you hit escape velocity – explode spectacularly, using your perfectly honed LeMond Tuck to recover in time to crush it in the valley to the next climb where you repeat the process. Panache.

Panache is a dualistic thing; almost without exception do we admire it in others, and almost without exception are we too cowardly to hold it inside ourselves. Panache doesn’t speak of caution, or of measured action. It speaks of impulse – compulsion, even – to attack despite one’s better judgement. It speaks of throwing caution to the wind. It weighs heavy with the risk of exploding magnificently and trading angel’s wings for the devil’s anchor.

But those who venture freely into that realm have blown up so many times that it hardly features in their reasoning. Pain and climbing are inseparable; what difference does it make if you blow up and suffer a bit more for a bit longer? And, should we blow up often enough, we will learn how to suffer through and push to the top with grace. And perhaps by that same grace, will we recover enough to try again on the next climb.

Vive la chance. Vive le Grimpeur. Vive la Vie Velominatus.

Exhibit A: The master of Panache, Marco Pantani. And the master of blowing with grace, Richard Virenque. For a prime example of how to blow up properly, jump to 2:00.

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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Marcus says:

Mar 13 2013 at 9:08 pm

@The Grande Fondue Der Kaiser was almost perfectly engineered - if only for his fatal flaw of fondness for Black Forest Gateau
Ron says:

Mar 13 2013 at 9:10 pm

What bike is Marco on there? Not sure I'm familiar with that steed.
GT says:

Mar 13 2013 at 9:54 pm

@Ron This could be the start of a bunch of Tasmanian jokes. If you don't know, "mainlanders", in a loving way, characterise Tasmanians something like the banjo family in Deliverance. Anyway, Richie Porte is certainly an honorary Australian, as is any Tasmanian who has done good. The other one is David Boone the cricketer, who still apparently holds the record for beer volume on the Qantas long-haul from Melbourne to Heathrow. Ritchie's only blockage to outright communal adoption is the slightly unsettling membership of Sky. Anybody but the Poms ....
Mikael Liddy says:

Mar 13 2013 at 10:54 pm

@Ron in the video? Think that's a Wilier & I'm pretty sure they released an Alpe d'Huez model in honour of that ride with a similar colour scheme.
Mikael Liddy says:

Mar 13 2013 at 10:57 pm

@GT

@Ron This could be the start of a bunch of Tasmanian jokes. If you don't know, "mainlanders", in a loving way, characterise Tasmanians something like the banjo family in Deliverance. Anyway, Richie Porte is certainly an honorary Australian, as is any Tasmanian who has done good. The other one is David Boone the cricketer, who still apparently holds the record for beer volume on the Qantas long-haul from Melbourne to Heathrow. Ritchie's only blockage to outright communal adoption is the slightly unsettling membership of Sky. Anybody but the Poms ....

Who the fuck is David Boone? The holder of the beer drinking Ashes is David Boon & I believe the figure was something along the lines of 52 cans from Melbourne/Sydney to London...
Russ says:

Mar 13 2013 at 11:04 pm

Good work Frank, good timing for me as i have a training ride in an hour. Watching him dance up the climb is pure Art.

@scaler911 it's not the winner that is the best to watch in a race, it's the guy that try's the hardest, and has the most panache. Good shit.

This is my belief as well, the real hard men stand out for the work they do on the front of a group. whether it be on the lead breakaway or back in the chase group. Always makes for a good day of racing.
Barracuda says:

Mar 13 2013 at 11:33 pm

@Ron

That question should read more like...does it upset Tasmanians to hear Richie referred to as Australian? To me, Hawaii is part of America only in the sense of political acquisition. And Tasmania seemed a lot different to me than Australia, though I did leave from and return to Melbourne, which is just a tad bit busier and bigger.

They are only Tasmanians unless we want them to be Australian, even though Tasmania is part of Australia. Let that be clear !
Barracuda says:

Mar 13 2013 at 11:35 pm

@scaler911

Nice. I had a buddy that used to say that sometimes it's not the winner that is the best to watch in a race, it's the guy that try's the hardest, and has the most panache. Good shit.

Ala Taylor Phinney in the penultimate stage of the Tirreno -Adriatico perhaps
minion says:

Mar 13 2013 at 11:44 pm

@Chris

@frank Great article but, a spot of Pantani worship aside (of which there can never be enough), is this really the season for panache? Isn't this the season for suffering in shit weather; freezing rain, the last remnant of lowland snow and brutal cross winds or smashing races apart over the pave whilst covered in cow shit? Panache is a summer's whimsy.

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WIth these photos in mind, how shithouse does the weather forecast for Milan San Remo look? Given they're 300km apart, the forecast for Milan is for a high of 8 with rain all day, while it's a bit warmer at San Remo (12 degrees) and rain.
minion says:

Mar 13 2013 at 11:47 pm

Oh what the fuck where did my comments go. I'm clearly too stupid to use the internet (Marcus go fuck yourself) The gist of my post was that the weather forecast for Milan San Remo is appalling.