Categories: EtiquetteLook ProNostalgiaTradition

Look Pro: Souplesse

Master Jacques, master of souplesse.

Souplesse. Only the French would have such a word; one you can sink your teeth into, chew on. It begs to be spoken over a plate of assorted cheeses and a bottle of vin rouge. Its exact definition is unimportant; such things conjure up an image in our minds that is cheapened by words. Souplesse is the ideal, sought by all and obtained only by The Few.

Souplesse is the perfect storm of Looking Pro; harmony between grace and power, casual and deliberate. It speaks of the entire organism, the perfectly manicured machine together with the perfectly refined position and technique of its rider. It is the combination of Magnificent Stroke, gentle sway of the shoulders and head, the rhythmic breath, and of knees, elbows, and chest converging on the V-Locus.

Jacques Anquetil is man of whom we have spoken surprisingly little in these archives. Perhaps it is because he is a man who inspires us in death as little as he did his fans in life. A calculating man, he pursued Cycling not for the love and passion of it, but for the business of it; for him, the bicycle provided a path from peasantry to aristocracy. That was all.

Be that as it may, he was a gifted cyclist whose fluidity on the bike exemplified Souplesse:

A Magnificent Stroke is more than pushing or pulling on the pedals. The stroke flows from the core and hips, driving the pedals round and belying the effort to do so.
Feet sweep the pedals around in perfect revolutions, one leg cannot be distinguished from the other – they work as one to counter and balance the forces to drive the machine ever faster forward.
The legs can not do their work without the arms, the lungs, the chest, the heart, the mind. Each unit functions independently to do its work, yet feeds seamlessly into the other. In a phrase: Fluidly Harmonic Articulation.
Move to the V-Locus; the body is folded such that legs, arms, and chest overlap but do not intersect. Knees tucked in, shoulders hunched, wrists rolled inwards, elbows angled such that the knees only just slip inside them with each revolution of the cranks.
Face calm, eyes cooly focussed up the road; a grimace is energy that is better spent on turning the pedals.

I give you Master Jacques.

More: Jacques Anquetil Part II & Part III

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

RedRanger says:

Feb 16 2012 at 8:08 pm

@Buck Rogers
that movie does have some nice bike porn if I remember correctly
frank says:

Feb 16 2012 at 8:53 pm

@Buck Rogers, @scaler911, @RedRanger
growing p in the states with little or no cycling coverage and almost no mainstream media on Cycling, it's impossible to separtate that movie from the thrill of seeing a bike on a TV screen instead of just reading about one or seeing a photo. I loved that movie and still do. But that has nothing to do with whether the movies any good, but I think we'll all agree Kevin has some serious souplesse in the sprint on stage 1!!
scaler911 says:

Feb 16 2012 at 9:01 pm

@frank

@Buck Rogers, @scaler911, @RedRanger
growing p in the states with little or no cycling coverage and almost no mainstream media on Cycling, it's impossible to separtate that movie from the thrill of seeing a bike on a TV screen instead of just reading about one or seeing a photo. I loved that movie and still do. But that has nothing to do with whether the movies any good, but I think we'll all agree Kevin has some serious souplesse in the sprint on stage 1!!

Nipple Lube!
brett says:

Feb 16 2012 at 9:15 pm

Cav mustn't be considered a leader at Sky. Black tape.

And black helmet, black shoes, black bibs. Stylin.

@minion

Hairy pudgy littlefucker. Jealous, Moi?

Why would you be jealous? At least you're taller than him...
minion says:

Feb 16 2012 at 9:27 pm

Good point. I AM taller than him.
King Clydesdale says:

Feb 16 2012 at 9:31 pm

@Buck Rogers

Listen. You can't get your panties in a bunch every time Hollywood fucks up something you like. I'm a meteorologist, there are so many things wrong with Twister, The Day After Tomorrow, Category 6, etc. Half of those aren't even close to realistic.

But how many people saw Twister and got into storm chasing? Or went to meteorology school? More good came out of those then not, even though some of those are so much pseudo science its almost disgraceful. Those who were inspired by the content eventually went on to learn the reality. I'm sure some kids watched American Flyers, started racing bikes, and figured out how it really is.
Dr C says:

Feb 16 2012 at 10:50 pm

@Bianchi Denti

@heinous

I once had a girlfriend whose souplesse was outweighed only by the enormity of her bottom.

Maybe she should have had cake less and soup more.

quality ++
Dr C says:

Feb 16 2012 at 10:56 pm

@minion

My guess is that the curse of the rainbow jersey is going to increase the amount of empathy people feel towards Cav, since he's already had a less than ideal start to the year. (Crashed already this year, sick during the start of Qatar) just have to hope that he doesn't overdo the celebrations on the wins he is going to get, like Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Bettini

I actually thought his 70kph bunny hop was pretty cool at the Giro??? Or am I alone in thinking that?
Nate says:

Feb 16 2012 at 11:11 pm

@Bianchi Denti

@sthilzy

@scaler911.. damn! Beat me to it! I was going to mention the bar tape!Howz-a-bout, note the orietation of the Cinelli finishing tape!Love the Avocet wire and what Rule #74 is all about! Don't know about the HRM?

HRM tells when he's stressed enough to need another cig.

Is that really a HRM/ditigal wristwatch thing strapped to his stem? I call bullshit, that photo is less real than one of Anquetil climbing with his bidon in the cage.
ChrisO says:

Feb 16 2012 at 11:23 pm

@Marcus

@ChrisO

Personally as one who winces at the commonplace misuse of words like enormity, I have some sympathy, but I suggest you are pointing the finger in the wrong direction.

Do you have a few examples of "words like enormity"? Bigness maybe? Or maybe you should have written "...words such as enormity...".
Gee, pedantry is fun after all.

Actually enormity doesn't have anything to do with size - that's the mistake. Maybe you should have checked that before trying to be a jackass. Better luck next time you try to have a pop at me, as you undoubtedly will.

And may I also point out that my pedantry is usually directed at articles and I rarely if ever correct spelling or grammar in posts. That's just trying to be a twat.

Still, batting 500 is not bad.