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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frank says:

Feb 15 2012 at 12:57 pm

@MarcL
Ah, Bugno! I actually almost used a picture of him instead. What a stud. The man could pedal a monster gear and hardly move a muscle. Loved him and his green bollÃ©s!

@Nate

@Oli
Not anymore than "jante" simply means "rim." (Thanks Tim Krabbe).

Exactly.

A word is a crude tool to describe something that takes years and years and years with hundreds of hours of devotion to achieve. Watching someone ride with souplesse - Coppi or Bugno, for example - fills your eyes with beauty and your heart with emotion.

I hardly think that is conveyed by using a word like "supple". Supple describes a piece of worn leather, not a cyclist.
Souleur says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:00 pm

yes to Oli, and yes to Frank, great article

Oli, I have to agree and disagree, and in respect I offer this

Yes, indeed Oli, that is the meaning, suppleness in its strictest of definition, but thats limited and fairly legalistic. I get that and agree with that.

Yes, indeed Frank, to us who are Keepers, the context is deep and broad in that our observations, our miles in the saddle, our years of suffering and discovering that perfect stroke and souplesse holds a very deep and rich meaning. Its not only the suppleness that becomes instinctive every time you throw your leg over your dearest ride, its also the realization of what you have done to attain it. Its sometimes pedaling squares after 160k, then realizing in recovery, you got it back. Its virtuous, its alive and it can die depending on how one keeps it. I see it as very much fluid, coming and going over a very long time that I have been riding. Every cyclist wants it, and as Frank said, some have it, some don't

In my humble opinion, since there is differences of opinion, & because I agree with Oli nearly all the time.
Gerard says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:01 pm

@Oli
I think sprezzatura is what you are after......
Oli says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:02 pm

Okay, you're the boss.
Oli says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:04 pm

@Gerard
Nice!
Oli says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:10 pm

@Souleur
What I'm trying to say is that the word souplesse has been used as a romantic descriptive concept within cycling for ever, but not this new one that Frank has given it! His reworking of the meaning changes the history of cycling with the stroke of a keypad - I have myriad old books that talk about the great riders having souplesse, but then they also talk about the other aspects of what I'll now refer to as 'sprezzatura' as well. Trying to broaden the concept dilutes it, I believe...
Souleur says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:11 pm

there are many great examples of souplesse however, this is how you do it. Blow the peloton to smithereens, with a souplesse stroke and ride to victory at Les Deux Alpes
Souleur says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:19 pm

@Oli, ok, I'll bite, since your logical and so am I

whats the differences in history, when they talk about the differing aspects of souplesse and how its being done now, by us?

Is it watering it down, or enriching it?
I tend to see things like you do, really, I am totally left brain, and the creativity in my right brain could be measured in picograms like clenbuterol in a spaniards blood sample. My gut was reading this article is that this is all an enrichment of the term, not watering it down.

do we parse it down into categories then?
paolo says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:20 pm

@Oli

It never occured to me that you were being a prick Oil. It's just a difference of opinion that's called conversation.

I love all the romatic notions about this sport. Probably because I lack grace and style in reality. But I read articles like this and I go ride my bike and in my mind I'm as graceful and stylish as these former Gods of cycling. It gives me something to aspire to as I revel in the sensations of the ride. I think my utter lack of cynicism is because I haven't been around this sport as long as a lot of people here have.
Buck Rogers says:

Feb 15 2012 at 1:20 pm

@Oli

@SouleurWhat I'm trying to say is that the word souplesse has been used as a romantic descriptive concept within cycling for ever, but not this new one that Frank has given it! His reworking of the meaning changes the history of cycling with the stroke of a keypad - I have myriad old books that talk about the great riders having souplesse, but then they also talk about the other aspects of what I'll now refer to as 'sprezzatura' as well. Trying to broaden the concept dilutes it, I believe...

Very interesting!

In your opinion, how would you define what souplesse means? I am not disagreeing with you at all but I am really curious as you have wayyyyy more knowledge of cycling and cycling history than me and I am curious as to how you would define it.

Thanks!