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

Bianchi Denti says:

Feb 15 2012 at 2:55 pm

@roadslave
"There are some words that should never be translated from their home language into English... Think Maserati Quattroporte (literally, Maserati "Four door")... it should only ever be said in Italian."
Agreed. The literal translation is not what we are after. We are after the sensation created by the word in its original language.
"Barchetta" sounds better than "Dinghy", "Testa Rossa" sounds much better than "ginger haired freak", etc...
UNPULL says:

Feb 15 2012 at 3:11 pm

You may witness nothing finer than the graceful, calculated effort on a race bike -- ciclismo en ruta!
Thanx for posting the video as evidence that we are part of something more than words can describe.
frank says:

Feb 15 2012 at 3:41 pm

Another study of souplesse, from my favorite Cycling-scene ever: Ole Ritter prepares for a Contre la Montra during the '73 Giro.

There's another phrase you could go on about: Contra la Montra. Time Trial doesn't say it nearly as well as that. Though this time, the translation - "Against the Clock" embodies what you go through: a race against time.
frank says:

Feb 15 2012 at 3:46 pm

Wow, getting into a YouTube funnel here. Breukink is another one, though it would have been nice if he'd gone faster more often!

And, despite his great awesomeness, LeMan did not embody the concept at all when climging (though he did when riding contra la montra.
wiscot says:

Feb 15 2012 at 4:27 pm

Nice job Frank! You're right - not enough Maitre Jacqus around here. I'm just finishing Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape - the superb bio of the man. A complex, amazing (in both good and bad ways) rider and man. Highly ecommended.

I'm also just finishing a big piece for submission on THE greatest sporting achievement (according to L'Equipe) ever - Anquetil's Dauphine/Bordeaux-Paris double. Even if such a possibility still existed today, I doubt anyone would try it. The ultimate manifestation of the V.
wiscot says:

Feb 15 2012 at 5:19 pm

Jeez! Bugno was a wee bit cocky with the victory salute in that video. I'd love to see a side shot to see what his winning margin was. It looked as if it was damn close to being a Zabel/Petacchi scenario.
wiscot says:

Feb 15 2012 at 5:35 pm

@frank
LOVE this video. A masterpiece of film-making and commentary. All modern commentators should study it, but it just wouldn't come across as well.

As a former TT rider in the 80s, I love the shots of the riders fiddling with their toe-straps before the "off." It's akin to baseball batters adjusting their gloves before a pitch. Nervous tension and expectation.
RedRanger says:

Feb 15 2012 at 5:59 pm

@frank
I may need to start watching the Grand Tours in Spanish. that was awesome.
mouse says:

Feb 15 2012 at 6:18 pm

@frank
Pedant ahoy!
Contre la Montre is the proper spelling.
Calmante says:

Feb 15 2012 at 6:24 pm

@Oli

I don't know how else to put it; I think I have a bit of a man-crush on you, Oli. Seriously, you are the real deal, regardless of how little you think of me!