The Hardmen: Legends of the Cycling Gods
Today’s a big deal over here at VHQ; V-Pints are being clinked and backs are being slapped in celebration of our second book, The Hardmen, being released in the UK and Commonwealth countries today, June 1. (It is due out in the United States in the Fall as well as The Netherlands and Belgium in Spring 2018.)
I have a new appreciation for what a band might go through when faced with putting out their sophomore effort (which in our case was something of a sophomoronic effort). While I would never put forward the idea that writing our first book, The Rules, was in any way “easy”, its writing was one unencumbered by the notion that anyone might actually read it. The pressure of expectation for our second book might well have been something we placed on ourselves, but the pressure felt very real nonetheless. The irony did not go unnoticed that we had to harden the fuck up and focus on the business of writing the best book we could manage, given the book was centered around the general notion of Rule #5.
The Hardmen is just that: the tales of the most epic rides and riders in history, or at least in our collective recollection. We wrote it in the style you’ve become familiar with, (ir)reverently with a focus more on legend than on fact, and avoiding research wherever possible for the simple fact that research feels a lot like cheating. Our inclination to make words up also proved an interesting challenge for our copyeditor.
Of the variety of obstacles we encountered along the way, that of selecting the riders to include in the book figured prominently; there are so many worth including that we could hardly set about including them all. So we picked at our whim and whimsy, and we welcome you to challenge us on both our inclusions and omissions.
With that, I will retire to the patio and indulge in more celebratory pints but not before leaving you with this very flattering and possibly unjustified review on the Washing Machine Post.
Thanks to everyone here for your support as our writing slacked off over the past year while we labored to get this book done. We owe you each a debt of gratitude and look forward to enjoying your company online and back out on the roads. Vive la Vie Velominatus.
Congratulations. Just ordered mine.
What the hell?!? How am I supposed to wait until the Fall?
@MangoDave
Exactly. Perhaps we can take solace in the up coming book about soccer players (non-American Football to the rest of you) The Pussies: flopping legends.
Can’t wait and congrats to ye all. I’d be challenged to think that you cannot order it online and have it sent to outside-common-poverty-regions. I saw various sites where you should be able to order it from.
Just occurred: you know the Big Mac index, which is an alternative way to compare foreign exchange rates? Well, there’s a new Fx-converter in the making….
As I said, can’t wait. Just ordered it. Shipping to Switzerland.
@MangoDave
It’s coming out in the Fall here because @frank is a jackass. Albeit a funny jackass.
@litvi
Or have one of us in EU ship you a copy?
@Ccos
+1
@Teocalli
Better get your skates on while we’re still in it!
Or vote Lib Dem.
Very cruel to force your own countrymen to endure such a wait. Aren’t we suffering enough with the current group of clowns at the wheel, and now you foist this delay on us?! This might have proven to be a spark of hope, a beacon in a treacherous landscape, a ray of light that inspires a weary country.
Or, it might just be something that sits on my nightstand through the winter. Time will tell.
@Ccos
Really! I mean … WTF? FFS!
WTF?! The V-Bunker has a patio? You lot are going soft.
Congrats on the good timing! Finished just in time for the decent weather here in the NW.
Mine is ordered and on its way.
Just one more reason that all true Velominati should live in Europe!
It has been far too long since I’ve lurked around the site but this announcement has woken me from my slumber. The order went in yesterday, and I am informed that it shipped today.
Even though the local atheneum emporium stated it would be unavailable until well past Il Lombardia I exercised my membership in the Commonwealth to procure a copy. Being Canadian does, at times, have its advantages.
But I have to say, what the fuck is up wth the cover??? If you are going to have a silhouette with the maglia rosa, jesus fucking christ, don’t make it a full body suit, eh? Who is that silhouette anyways, Cipollini???
@Buck Rogers
I’m going nuts trying to figure out who the silhouette is of! It might be Cipo. My question is: why does he have a stick of beef jerky in his right hand?
@wiscot
Thanks, Mate for weighing in with me! We’ll have fun in the penalty box together while we are banned from the site, eh???
@Buck Rogers
I think it’s an orange kit, but that still doesn’t excuse the Rule #14 and Rule #15 violations. Now, to your tastiest point, I don’t think there’s a rule against carrying beef jerky… but there had probably ought to be one against mounting the rear derailleur on the left side of a bike.
@litvi
Damn good spot! Must be one of those US track bikes with the left hand drive converted for road use.
@wiscot
It’s OK. I’ve confirmed we can eat beef jerky in the saddle. See?
@Teocalli
I’m calling His Nibs, Campa shaped hoods, but with a curved bar top, which rules out the Movistar Canyons.
@Mikael Liddy
And the wheelset as well? Deep section with possibly bladed spokes??? And hopefully me eyes deceive me but it looks like a sloped top tube? Maybe for the last few years a few (rare few) Hardmen rode such abominations but Coppi/Merckx/RDV/Kelly/LeMan/Hampsten, etc sure as hell didn’t.
Come on, Velominati–there is still time to fire the cover designer and get a right proper one for the US release, right???
@litvi
I have occasionally taken beef jerky on rides. It is great protein, which I like to pack because my stomach doesn’t react well to all carbs and gels. As far as I know there are no rules against this.
@litvi
Perhaps it’s a disc brake caliper. C-Record, by the look of it, just like what Merckx used for the 1972 hour record in Mexico City.
I’m going with Spartacus on the cover.
@MangoDave
Nice.
It’s Kittel in last year’s Giro. Duh.
@Teocalli
Track bikes have no derailleurs nor brakes.
@KogaLover
Ha – wouldn’t sort you fitting one per the methods before D Mounts were built in…..you could even then just about fit it on the wrong side.
Brakes only slow you down……….
Anyone caught the Hammer Series events over the last few days? Interesting to see some new formats and coverage on the web from people like GCN.
The final event, a TTT, literally came down to a sprint finish between Sky and Sunweb… in fact a sprint between their fourth riders. And behind them 6 other teams were all riding in a bunch on TT bikes – insane.
Maybe it needs some tweaks but I hope it continues from a sporting as well as a politcal point of view, with teams more in control not ASO or UCI.
@ChrisO
The Hammer Series was an absolute hoot to watch. Today’s TTT was very exciting even if one was not rooting for either team. Seeing the judges trying to keep the six teams that were riding together from drafting on narrow roads was comical. I also enjoyed watching the GCN commentary, good job by the guys.
@litvi et el
As I was writing this, I was going to remark on the non-black bibs…but didn’t. Can’t remember who the rider is but I think it might be Nibbles. The shorts are orange indeed but it has to do with the graphical composition to the cover more than anything.*
*Apparently authors don’t get to be as controlling over graphics on the books as they do on their own websites.
Done. ordered.
this is the cover as it appears on Amazon. Fignon, Delgado, Lemond. pretty outstanding.
@Rick
Now ya tell me! I completely didn’t bother tuning in. Sounds like I missed a good show!
And, congratulations on the book! Must feel awesome to get a second one under ye belts. Good job, Keepers!
@Ron
https://youtu.be/qkF0wd1hQZg
@frank
Nailed it…
I was delighted to pick up my copy from my local bookshop here in the north of England today, if a little disappointed to discover I didn’t merit my own chapter; did you not hear about my 5 hour snowbound schlepp across the north Yorkshire moors back in 2013?
I’m always happy to give a blow by blow account if you’re curious?
@Cary
Now THAT is a FUCKING Spot On cover!!!
@Buck Rogers
yeah i really like it. this era of cycling is what made me a fan for life. Lemond, Fignon, Hinault, in particular. they elevated cycling to pure ART. this book doesn’t come out until the fall here in the states, but i’ll be right at the front of the line when it does.
@Cary
That’s the US cover…or at least a draft of it. Ironically, none of those guys actually made the book.
@frank
NO SPOILERS!!
Chapeau! Another most enjoyable book.
Since I am more of a pedant than a Hardman, my contribution would have to be to point out the typo in the Robbie McEwen story: the reference to the Tour first stage should surely be to 2007 and not 1997 (p 185).
@Cary
This will keep you wondering… According to books.google.com the US version looks like this:
however it turns up, i can’t wait to read it
@Pete Linsley
Is this your first post? If so, chapeau.
@frank
WTF? No Fignon?!
@Pete Linsley
Reminds me of the story of some chap who got stuck up there in a car one winter, when asked how he survived he said something like “Well I was stuck in the car when this chap appeared across the moors on a pair of skis, he gave me a sandwich and a thermos of tea and disappeared back the way he came”……wasn’t you by any chance?