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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@VeloVita
I'm sorry, that's not cycling kit - it's friggin' lingerie. Most definitely not for sale to the general public- please!
What in the fuck?! That link to Froome...the side banner has some anime porn add, just below the R&A Cycles advert. Hmm, I don't like that one bit. Nor do I like that skinsuit. Eck.
Wow, one again it is demonstrated that this place is my one-stop-news destination. I just read about LeDuc in the local NC paper. And here are ya'll talking about it. Damn.
Also, it seems like the nuts pay us a visit twice a year, once at the start when winter is getting us Northerners down, and then at TdF time. They start arguing about something that has likely been discussed, they're whiny and bitchy about it, they get all worked up, then they disappear. What a waste of time, energy, and keystrokes.
@VeloVita
I am glad I wasn't the only one weirded out by the mesh skin suit...
@Puffy Not to call you out, but your seem to want an answer of the "why" on the company name and the branding of our rims. Needless to say, all and every issue that arose between the three businesses in regards to the use of "Roubaix" are all put to bed. Any and all issues were sorted out before Mike & I sat down to talk about things.
Let's just say, YOU @Puffy, do not have the whole picture, and most reporting was fairly accurate, but after that, that is all you really need to know. We meet up at a Cogal sometime and maybe the subject comes up over some hops & barley...
@Tobin Yup, we'll all be sporting fishnet teddies in the near future just like our heros...shudder
@frank
@crucible What Frank said. Oh, and a few of us are pretty open with any credentials, especially when adding to a post or writing an article. I'd suggest you put together something for an article on our hallowed website. @Gianni does a great job helping some of the guest authors putting together coherent contributions.
Happy 2014, put some deposits in to the pain cave early today, Spring comes soon enough.
@Ron
Actually, I think you do - aren't the banner ads a direct result of Google tracking what sites you tend to visit? Just saying...
@ChrisO
The answer is clear. Not legalization. Mandatory use. Player's choice of substance; a completely uninsured, uncontained wasteland of drugs. Boonen, coked to the hilt,riding off the front, screaming at spectators. Tract marked, steel muscled sprinters. Climbers literally swollen with large amounts of additional hemoglobin. Hopefully amateurs, collegiates et al race clean to save themselves from the massive amounts of damage the drugs are going to do them when they turn pro.
I've been proposing this for baseball for years. Why won't anyone else see the light...?
I'd like to nominate a friend of mine who bought and built up a beautiful Veloforma CX bike but failed to appear at even one cyclocross race all season (leisurely long distance Sunday afternoon gravel rides in Minnesota don't count).
I also nominate the sorry bastards who frequent this site way too frequently when they should be riding their bikes like Jim does 365 days a year (always in the dark).
I also nominate myself for not riding my #1 road bike until late October and only then realizing that it's almost as much fun as riding a mountain bike (poorly) all Summer.
I'm impressed by anyone that can ride that well on drugs. When I was on drugs, I couldn't even find my bike...
@BobcatChris
You ought to credit Willie Nelson for the quote.
@G'rilla
You left off the part where your competitive goal was not getting lapped.
And point well taken on the CX racing season. I'll correct the problem and beat you soundly next season.