Bloody Peugeots, always breaking down on hills. Stockeau, 1980
We’ve all watched bike races, that’s a given, but how many of us actually listen to a bike race? It’s at this time every year that I’m reminded of something;
The Ardennes Classics sound different.
How does a bike race sound exactly? In the case of L-B-L, it’s the low buzz of the TV helicopter that is ingrained in my psyche. The subliminal hum of the rotors, droning away, overlaid with the monologue of Phil and Paul (or some Dutch or Spanish guy), also droning away, is a trance-inducing concoction not even the likes of Ken Kesey ever experienced.
Be warned, if you’re a Vietnam Veteran watching (and listening to) this clip of Argentin taking his fourth Doyenne may lead to flashbacks.
While the cobbled northern Classics elucidate a mien that takes hold of our hearts and can’t really be explained, the hillier races in the last week of the Spring campaign offer their own charms for us to appreciate. The fragile climbers, who’ve avoided the rough and dirty roads in weeks previous, mix it up alongside a smattering of the Big Men of the Stones who make the crossover to give it one last crack, or to simply help their grimpeur buddies get a slice of their own pie. These are races that can go to any number of riders who are having an on day.
Which doesn’t make picking a winner in this, the final Spring edition of the Velominati Super Prestige any easier. Will a Schleck, any Schleck, stand up (or be countered). What will the reactions be if Veino repeats, will he still be the villain, or is a year a long time in cycling and he’ll be forgiven, cheered and revered? PhilGil could make his own history and take not only the triple crown of Amstel, Fleche and Liége, but the quadruple with his Brabanste Pijl win thrown in for good measure. Whichever way the cards fall, or whoever plays them right, it’s always a worthy winner who rolls across the line first in Ans.
All that’s left to do is take a look at the start list, use your Powers of Deductionâ„¢ to decide your Top V, fill in the blanks and pick up an Obey The Rules bumper sticker for your trouble. It’s a prize older and more coveted than any other cycling-based-website-race-tipping-competition-bumper-sticker-giveaway.
Maybe listening to your heart is the way to go on this one.
Best of Belgian to you.
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@sgt
Thank you!
@Steampunk
I was deeply depressed this morning. Now I know why.
@Pedale.Forchetta
Lovely, even if I disagree about the results.
@Marcus
Fair criticism; it was the copious red wine over dinner talking. All the same, for me the Tour has a hard time living up to lofty expectations.
@sgt
Nice!
I'll be interested to see what racers say about the Schleck's lack of tactics. Maybe everyone is toast after all those hills and that distance but when I saw it was Gilbert against two brothers, two teammates, I assumed it was all over for him. They would work his ass over on the last climb until someone cracked...but no?! Nothing. Aren't these two supposed to be awesome climbers?
I was thrilled Gilbert laid the V on them all the way to the finish. Bravo. Monster win.
@Gianni
I've watched the last part of the race (from the Schleckattack to the finish) a couple of times. However nice it would've been to see a battle royal between the brothers and PhilGil, I don't think they had it in them. Both of them looked to be working much harder than the Gilbertantor. There's a passage where he is seemingly effortless, upper body dead still, arse firmly in the saddle, legs just spinning away up the hill, while the Schlecky ahead of him is up out of the saddle giving it the whole body sway boogie. And when he attacks he is so clearly in control of himself, in contrast to the Schleckies who are clearly fighting (in one case unsuccessfully) to hold on. So, yeah, it would've been nice to see them slug it out even if it meant coming to a standstill half way up the final slope, Jens-style. But I find it hard to get too critical that they didn't. At least they tried an attack. And at least they podiumed.
@G'phant
Yep, you must be right as it is the only explanation. To quote Albert (Master of the Telecaster) Collins, "Baby I'm too tired to try".
Still, I think they had their places on the podium even if Gilbert dropped them both in their attempts to tag-team him. I'd rather see it have ended up like that. That said, it was a great finish as I really didn't know what was going to happen until that final corner.
Now I have to figure out some way of watching the Giro whilst being 12 hours out of time zone. Does anyone watch it in NZ?
I don't know what TV coverage is planned here for the Giro. Last year the last two hours of each stage of the TdF were replayed from 6am, which suited very well. But I doubt the rugby/league/netball/golf-watching TV Powers That Be will do the same for the Giro. So we'll be scanning steephill.tv, etc, for internet coverage, then (i) watching the key stages live with bleary eyes (with the result that we are utterly useless in the morning when we should be getting the kids ready for school), (ii) catching up on the highlights of the other stages over our breakfast (with the result that we are utterly useless in the morning when we should be getting the kids ready for school), and (iii) banishing ourselves to our windtrainers in our garages in the evenings to avoid the inevitable (and justified) domestic recriminations for being utterly useless in the morning when we should be getting the kids ready for school. The Classics season is so much easier.
@sgt
RRRRRAAAAADDDDDD!!!!!!!!
Once again, our friend over at BRR manages in a sentence what takes up pages over here. Classic BRR right here.
Gilbert on drugs
un victoire sans dopage - as it should be
you wouldn't believe the stick pro cycling gets over here in Germany for drug use
btw I prefer my plain carbon Canyon to his white one but each to his own :)