le grimpeur

The Giro d’Italia as epic0
Guy WR posted in Classic Stages on June 29th, 2009

Dino Buzzati’s 1949 Giro and cycling writing at its most heroic.

Coming soon…

Hemingway revisted0
Guy WR posted in Climbers on June 20th, 2009

This blog has already written on Ernest Hemingway’s interest in cycling, particularly the Italian riders Ottavio Bottecchia and Bartolomeo Aymo.

“I have started many stories about bicycle racing but have never written one that is as good as the races are both on the indoor and outdoor tracks and on the roads,” he wrote in A Moveable Feast. (more…)

Pedalare nel pasato2
Guy WR posted in Local Climbs on May 26th, 2009

While France and England can probably take shared credit for the invention of the bicycle and its first mass production, Italy certainly deserves praise for the popularization of cycling.

Italians have done much to sustain cycling as a sport over the years and were, of course, early adopters of the notion of the Grand Tour with the Giro d’Italia - celebrating 100 years this year - started just six years after the Tour de France.

Much like the Tour came to symbolize a sportive France, and became infused with the history, culture and politics of the country, the Giro in Italy has had much the same role. One might even argue that the Giro has retained something distinctly Italian while the Tour has become a more international, cosmopolitan - even European - event. One certainly hopes that the great race will soon receive similar scrutiny and study in English-language writing as the Tour has done. (more…)

3′ 10″2
Guy WR posted in Climbers, Classic Stages on May 7th, 2009

The remarkable aspect of the Grand Tours in cycling is that despite covering hundreds of kilometres over several weeks, the margins of victory are often very small. Seconds and minutes are lost relentlessly as small time differences on insignificant stages can have the same effect as larger margins on key days.

Such was the 1958 Tour de France when Italian racer Vito Favero lost the overall race to Charly Gaul by 3 minutes and 10 seconds. It was not the smallest margin in the history of the race - see 1989 - but for Favero it was the difference between a secured place at the forefront of Tour history as the vanquisher of the great Charly Gaul or a footnote as a great rider but not a great champion. (more…)

The grimpeur of the pavé0
Guy WR posted in Climbers on April 29th, 2009

With his third win in Paris-Roubaix this year, Tom Boonen joined some illustrious company in the three-time winner club, including Rik van Looy, Eddy Merckx, and Francesco Moser. He is now only one victory short of equalling ‘Mr Paris-Roubaix’ himself, Roger De Vlaeminck, but perhaps five wins is beyond even ‘Tornado Tom’.

The first three-time winner, though, was Octave Lapize who won in 1909, 1910, and 1911. Defying the idea that maturity and experience are essential on the cobbles, his win in 1909 was in his first race and he was aged just 21 years. (more…)

La casquette5
Guy WR posted in Classic Stages on April 8th, 2009

The cycling cap, la casquette, has a long and venerable tradition in our sport. The most current design, with the lightweight fabric shell and a small peak - easily stowed and adjusted - can be dated to the 1960s when it replaced some earlier designs.

While bare-headed, and often immaculately coiffured, riders are the iconic imagery of cycling, the cap has also offered defining images. There are a number of styles that that wearer can adopt, peak forward or to the back, peak raised or lowered, or the cap itself poised jauntily in moments of easy frivolity, or snug for serious racing. (more…)

The café raid2
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on March 24th, 2009

The organizers of professional cycling races, particularly the Tour de France, have always had some strange ideas about water. Restrictions on water consumption by the riders has been one way race organizers for Grand Tours have tried, even in recent times, to keep the races tough, as a test of the survival skills of the riders. As if the long stages, broken roads, heat, cold, furious attacks, terrifying descents, and interminable climbs were not enough, tyrants like Henri Desgrange and his successors have imposed rules on drink bottles (as well as many other trifling regulations). (more…)

The point of the journey2
Guy WR posted in Climbing Skills on March 10th, 2009

Some recent reading has given your author some pause on the issue of riding (and climbing) better.

Firstly, if one is to believe Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers, “personal explanations of success don’t work” and that those who achieve success in their field “are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.” Gladwell, in his analysis of success, stresses the opportunities that allow the beneficiaries to dedicate themselves to their profession (the often-cited 10,000 hours of practice), which leads to that success. There is not too much room for natural talent in Gladwell’s scheme. (more…)

Urban climbing - a photo essay0
Guy WR posted in Local Climbs on February 18th, 2009

Riding through the countryside, on quiet roads in the forests and mountains, provides a singular experience. Nature is like a comforting blanket, soothing, giving relief to the senses. It is like a departure from the real world that most of us inhabit, a fantasy world devoid of traffic and noise and smog and the detritus of the city. Just tyres quietly hissing on the road; and ideal often elusive that it must be savoured is small bites and then tucked away in one’s memory. (more…)

René Vietto - Part 3: the return of the king0
Guy WR posted in Climbers, Classic Stages on February 12th, 2009

The 1939 Tour de France concluded just before Germany’s invasion of Poland in September 1939. The threat of Fascism an outright aggression from Germany and Italy had been building during the 1930s and France - mindful of the horrors of a European war just two decades previously - took a defensive position both politically and militarily.

Unfortunately for France, this position proved a disaster. Nazi Germany under Hitler became bolder and when the attack on France finally came in May 1940, France’s famous Maginot Line of defence proved to be illusory. Germany moved its mobile forces through the supposedly impenetrable Ardennes and French armies, on paper quite strong, were hopelessly out of position. With British and French forces fleeing for safer shores from Dunkirk, it was all over for France by June. (more…)

René Vietto - Part 2: the fall and rise0
Guy WR posted in Classic Climbs on January 21st, 2009

The young French grimpeur René Vietto was riding high following his Tour de France exploits in 1934, which boosted his public profile as well as his earnings, even though he was the benefit of considered myth-making by Jacques Goddet. Over the next four years, however, his performances waxed and waned as he struggled to live up to expectations. (more…)

Race to train0
Guy WR posted in Local Climbs on January 14th, 2009

It’s mid August, a balmy late afternoon, when Mt. Seymour beckons. The purpose of his ride is not entirely clear. It could be end-of-season training outing, in advance of a last chance at racing glory. Or another opportunity to “knock the bastard off” by tackling the toughest of the local climbs. Or simply a chance to spin the wheels and mash the pedals in the peace and quiet of the uphill road, the final rays of the sun slanting through the trees.

Whatever its purpose, he quickly establishes a steady climbing rhythm; setting that exquisite pace where the pain and strain of climbing is just bearable, breathing forced but not laboured, heart rate metronomic but not racing; a pace where he can still lift his gaze from a few metres from the front wheel to actually enjoy the scenery; and any time the effort in its totality becomes too severe, a slight easing of the pace to prevent too much lactate acid washing through the legs.

The road is quiet: a few passing cars but no other riders. He feels himself easing off early, distracted as often seems to happen by the contemplation that cycling seems to engender. Plots and schemes, wild kinetic dreams of grand designs, the fermenting of new ideas, imagining epic rides in distant locales, a magnum opus on cycling writing itself in his head. (more…)

Grimpeur of the year & happy holidays!0
Guy WR posted in Climbers on December 14th, 2008

Last year, your author touted Leonardo Piepoli for le grimpeur de l’année. Noted as the only black spot on his record of outstanding climbing was his ‘positive’ doping test at that year’s Giro. This year, of course, it would seem that the farmer caught up with the old fox and Piepoli was ejected from the Tour for using the third-generation EPO drug CERA.

We may never know how long Piepoli had been doping as many unanswered questions remain about CERA (such as how long it has been available) and indeed about Piepoli himself. Once again, outstanding performances in the current season - and perhaps previous seasons as well - were thrown into doubt by the revelations of cheating. A shame. (more…)

The politics of bicycles5
Guy WR posted in Local Climbs on December 3rd, 2008

A recent comment in Bicycling magazine caught the attention of your author. To paraphrase, perhaps unjustly, the essential thesis was that bicycle buyers are not swayed by brand image but are instead focused on the frame build and components that can be obtained at various price points. Forget whether a bike is a Giant, Specialized, Trek, Colnago, or Sachs - it’s all about the specs.

It was perhaps a throwaway comment, a general observation that what a frame has on it matters as much as, if not more, than the label that adorns the downtube. Which may well be roughly correct: a consumer faced by a 105-ed Giant for the same price as a Ultegra-ed Specialized would probably chose the latter (although the price points seem to be mostly the same these days for many mainstream brands) and be unphased by minute differences in the frame.

The comment, though, did prompt some thinking about the importance of the brand in cycling. In fact, your author would go so far as to suggest that the brand of a bike plays a very important role when the buyer makes his or her decision. That this thesis is true is essentially the assumption of every manufacturer that sponsors a pro team; the company wants fans of the team to bask in the collective glory of the team by riding the same brand of bike. Witness, for example, the ‘I am Specialized’ campaign with Quick-Step’s Bettini and Boonen - that’s powerful advertising stuff! (more…)

The anti-grimpeur returns1
Guy WR posted in Climbers on November 21st, 2008

It’s in some ways surprising that Magnus Backstedt didn’t end up in the second row of the forward pack of a Welsh rugby team. At 1.93 metres, or 6′4″, and a handy 210 pounds, Backstedt has plenty of physical presence and clearly the endurance for a high work load. And, of course, he lives in Wales and is a supporter of the game.

But the Swedish hard-man chose cycling. Never likely to win in the mountains (unless he can pull out an Eros Poli performance), Backstedt has nonetheless proved his mettle in the sport, notably winning Paris-Roubaix in 2004 and become a confirmed legend.

Your author recently spoke to the man himself for Pez Cycling News to catch up on what has been (another) tough season and, most importantly, to find out whether Julian Dean was able to help him improve his haka.

Follow the link here to read the full story.