We reflect on another year of cycling; who has been naughty and who has been nice. The rusty chain award used to go to the biggest tool of the year but that has been folded into the Anti-V award. In years past the rusty chain award usually went to the present day dopers. Multi-year winners like Danilo “triple threat” Di Luca would now be eligible for the Anti-V award. To finally earn a lifetime suspension which should have been issued after his last infraction, that is something. To bring down a whole team because of his cretino behavior, that’s impressive. How many riders, coaches and support staff on Vini-Fantini Selle Italia lose a living because of his bad brain? But really, enough of him and his 2013 doping colleagues, let us leave them behind.
For those who did not read the Freddy Maertens recent interview, please do so before 2013 expires. It’s important to be reminded how tough he and his competitors were. They were racing more and being paid much much less. We have to admire how much Rule #5 was fueled on passion alone. This brings us to another personality in the running this year, Abandy Schleck.
We cannot criticize an injured rider. One can only compete at the professional level with mind and body working in harmony. Abandy seems to be suffering on both sides of the equation. We can criticize him for his lack of professionalism before he was injured. If you are a terrible time trialist and you want to win a stage race that might include time trials, you really should be working at that, even if it slows your awesome climbing talent. Contador was an impressive stage racer when he beat Cancellara in a TdF TT. Ha! When Freddy says today’s pros are paid too much and are too soft, he was winking at the interviewer and using international sign language to spell out “Abandy”.
Specialized threw itself in the running with it’s abysmal treatment of Dan Richter and Café Roubaix Bicycle Studio. CEO Mike Sinyard pulled Specialized out of the top spot for the Anti-V award with a personal apology to Dan and a promise to do business differently in the future. We take people at their word, let’s move on.
What really made us crazy was the notion that corporations have some legal rights to stop anyone to using the word Roubaix. Roubaix is a town in which the world’s most awesome velodrome decides the world’s most awesome bike race. Trek has a trademark on Alpe d’Huez and Specialized (and Fuji) have one for Roubaix? How clever of you. Well, keep it to yourself, leave the cycling community out of it. Cyclists made these places iconic, not lawyers so if want to have a slap fight over trademarks, do it in the privacy of your law offices. If you would like to do this in public, please make your argument in a bar in Northern France, in early April. You are not welcome to ride the secteurs of Roubaix on two wheels. Piss off. And yes, trademark lawyers, We are looking at you, you have earned both our incredulity and the 2013 Anti-V award.
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But remember: If you have a good idea and believe in it -- trust it and trademark it.
How fitting to just put "lawyers" what an all encompassing anti-V award.
@unversio
Well, if "Roubaix" is an idea rather than a place, go for it, yes.
@DCR
Actually just trademark lawyers and I could change that to "cycling industry related trademark lawyers", that's sounds more lawyerly anyway. I bet most trademark lawyers are fine people and they are working at the behest of their CEO overlords, but Roubaix? No, that's going too far.
I like this choice. When trademarks stop being an incentive to create and start becoming a cudgel for corporations to whack small companies (cycling companies, for buggertifuck's sake!) half to death with, that is Anti-V.
@Gianni
Forget the Roubaix debacle. In a normal world, a business idea or identity should be iron clad. And iron clad implies that research has given good reason to move forward -- registered trademark ®.
@unversio
I understand the basic idea but I can't get my head around getting a trademark on a place, like Alpe d'Huez or Roubaix unless the city of Roubaix wanted to protect its name. Maybe the problem lies at the feet of those who grant trademarks. When asking for one like Roubaix, which is a city, they should have said, Roubaix? get the fuck outta hea', as they would say in New Jersey.
( Ed McMahon voice) "You are correct sir!"
Man, a lot to consider. Every year I love cycling more and more, both turning the cranks and paying attention to other crank turners, both the folks 'round here and the folks getting paid to do it.
Even weeks after reading the interview with Freddy I'm still spinning. What an excellent transportation back to a great career he had. Imagine doing all that on a bicycle? Amazing.
Passion. My mother-in-law asked me yesterday what got me "obsessed" about cycling. I said obsessed carried too many pejoratives. I'm not obsessed, I'm passionate. I ride to work, I ride for fun, I ride for exercise, I ride to see how far my ol' body can still take me.
The last day of the year looms, three hours away. Here is my biggest conundrum - do I ride ride some cyclocross (new chain with a new Red right shifter, oooh boy) or do I ride a road loop on the Italian steel road steed.
I'd say it's been a good year, and thinks are looking up for the near future. VLVV.
Well done. Well done indeed. Seemed a big year for "anti V". Teams folding, guys not getting contracts, douchbag tour de save face, this:
But all in all my biggest disappointment was not winning that freaking Veloforma for the TdF VSP. All Contador had to do was sit in 2nd at the end. Damnit.
A-Merckx. It's just plain wrong for a corporation to be able to trademark the name of a city or a mountain in another country. FFS!