This photographer knew the picture that people would remember and that would shine a light into Sean Kelly’s character wasn’t of his face; the story is all below. These are legs only a cyclist could love.
In 1988 these legs won Paris-Nice for the seventh time, Gent-Wevelgem and his only Grand Tour Victory, the Vuelta a España, at that time, held in April. He raced to win from Paris-Nice in March to Lombardia in October with no peaking, or vacations, just single minded ambition.
You have to stay with the lithe Spanish climbers to win Vuelta. Kelly’s legs show no extra fat and no lack of might.
There he sits on the top tube of his Vitus 979 Aluminum framed race bike, answering questions in his hard- to- decipher Irish brogue. Even in black and white, one can see he is deeply tanned. No sunscreen and no Look pedals for Sean- he was possibly the last man in the peloton to switch. He always rode a bike that looked too small and cramped. Perhaps this wouldn’t have worked for anyone else but how does one argue with his method?
For all The Rules followers, study the socks. Ponder carefully, for this is what yours should look like: white and the perfect height. This is the way to set off tan, veiny, incredibly powerful legs. Do your legs look like these? No, I didn’t think so, but these socks would be a start.
The Rules readers might also study the gearing; maybe a 23-tooth sprocket as his largest on his seven speed freewheel and 52 and 42 chain rings up front. This must have been a very hilly course. Rule #5 was his middle name.
For my money, American writer Robin Magowan‘s books and articles about this cycling era are without peer; his summation of Kelly is perfect.
It is customary to talk of Kelly as quintessentially an Irish rider. For my part, though, I think it helps to place Kelly better as a cyclist to see him as the last of the Flemish riders. This is usually a title associated with the post-war rider, Briek Schotte who has become appropriately enough the man in day-to-day charge of the de Gribaldy teams. As exemplified by Schotte it stood for a certain type of mentality, willing to suffer, narrowly focused, and hard, hard, hard. Kelly had all this in him from his Irish small farm background: the outside loo; the dogs that have to be chained before you can step from your car; the one career possible, as a bricklayer on a construction site, stretching away and away into the grey mists. On the positive side, along with the self-reliance, came a physical strength that even by peasant standards is impressive. In a profession of iron wills, there is no one harder.
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Awesome post John. I enjoyed listening to him commentate the Giro this year, he seemed really matter of fact and gave some measured balance to the other commentators, as if when he was speaking he was thinking; "yup, these guys are working pretty hard and are probably in a fair amount of pain, but not the kind of pain I used to dish out."
And the picture Joe put up is classic. He looks very similar to Sean Penn in that one.
Has anyone seen those pics of his daughter as a podium girl? She's a velomihottie.
@Marko
If I were single and knew his daughter and I dated here, I would be living in constant fear of her father.
And your Giro commentating story doesn't scan. Everyone knows he is impossible to understand. Most people believe he doesn't actually speak any language at all. He just makes up sounds that seem really matter of fact.
I enjoy listening to his commentary also. Its so much less the BS of most. He is sitting there most of the time maybe even looking at the scenery, the racers melodically spinning across the plains, one commentator may try to make something of it, and kelly will say 'yep'.....
And that really is it isn't it, to him.
Legs like this require 2 things:
-good genetics, plain and simple
-implementation of Rule #5 in an exponential fashion, far beyond even what most feeble and fallible man can do
and most of us don't have either. most could ride like we stole something 8 hrs a day and never develop the legs Sean Kelly did.
He is a trancendant figure for us lesser
I....bow....humbly
@frank
Frank: Uh, Mr. Kelly, sir, may I ask your daughter out on a date? Perhaps I'll take her for an afternoon bicycle ride along the path.
Sean Kelly: Well young Frank, what makes you think you can keep up with a Kelly on that Nancy-boy carbon, clipless pedalled contraption of yours? Let alone spend time with my daughter.
Frank: Uhhhhh, well sir, uhhh. Maybe you're right, I need to spend some time on Rule 5 before I ask your daughter to ride bikes.
Sean Kelly: Rule 5? What the fuck is that? Something you and your little friends made up on that bloog of yours?
Stacey Kelly: Daddy, stop scaring away boys. I promise if you let him take me cycling I'll keep it under 40kph and off the cobbles. And if he tries to move in for a kiss I'll ride him off my wheel.
@Rob. I didn't mean to throw stones at a monument, I still think that the roids without a strict application of rule # 5 are not enough to get legs like that.
I am well aware that all the riders against whom Kelly competed, not only Moser Argentin Hinault, but also the domestiques, and the rest used the same methods.
That meant that genetics, rule 5 and brains were still what made Kelly the monument that he is.
@John I did not feel you were, but since I have a clean control specimen in my mentor I can hope that my hero "might" be clean too - "can't I" - he said in a little voice with tears in his eyes???
That is awesome that he rode a too-small frame. I didn't know that. This makes me smile since I get annoyed with too much overanalysis of riding styles, fit, etc. The other week one of my riding buddies said, "Hey, look at your head in the shadow...it is bobbing a bit." Huh? Sure, my head was bobbing, since I was trying to warm up and you were busy gunning it already. I'm busy keeping up, not worrying if I'm statue-still on the bike. Everyone rides differently, so glad to see this Hard Man rode a frame that worked for him!
As for the socks. Okay, I know this isn't going to be well received, but I'm a big fan of socks that are a bit higher. Always loved mid-calf socks for other sports and I like my cycling socks higher than the typical ankle socks. Many pros are wearing higher socks these days too. What do the Cog Keepers have to say about this? Is the pro peloton breaking a rule?
@Ron
OK, I can't keep this a secret any longer. I am a persistent violator of Rule 27. I ALWAYS wear "those ankle-length ones that should only be worn by female tennis players" (except on 5am winter rides in full length bibs, when I wear black socks of more-or-less the right length). This is probably no worse than you'd expect from a confessed Rule Holist and mirror-wearer. But I still think I should 'fess up about it. And apologise - properly, not like C-diddy would. So, without spitting, I apologise.
This is not a fairy tale lads ones too tall, ones too short and then there is just right. If I was king then the too tall would get the axe. Tall socks fall down (especially in the wet) and then you look even worse.
@Geof
I would sit for two minutes in my driveway tomorrow morning in protest before setting out for my ride, but I've been known to wear the ankle socks from time to time, too. Not always, but on occasion.