Comments on: Guest Article: Anatomy of A Photo-Perseverance

By: Oli

Oli — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 12:24:29 +0000

@Tony Tinworth Awesome.

By: Tony Tinworth

Tony Tinworth — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 11:13:50 +0000

@pello

By: Weekly Schedule/Newsletter – August 4 to August 10, 2014 | Cornwall Cycle Club

Mon, 11 Aug 2014 11:27:55 +0000

[…] probably seen this photo before. Now read about it here. The toughest rider ever to […]

By: piwakawaka

piwakawaka — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 20:55:32 +0000

Very Judge Dredd, “I am the Law”.

By: KW

KW — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 19:35:08 +0000

@Deakus Ironic that the visor reflects the "STOP" on the road. Last I checked, Jens doesn't stop.

By: DeKerr

DeKerr — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 16:05:57 +0000

@Deakus there is nothing... NOTHING!... that is not absolutely fantastic about that photo.

By: Deakus

Deakus — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 11:37:22 +0000

I am sure that somewhere over the last couple of years I have seen an article on the Pain Face. Scrolling back I cannot find it and if I am wrong then someone needs to get on an write one pretty damn quick because Jensy pulled out an absolute blinder at the Tour of California this year....or rather the photographer did! Here it is to start you off.

By: osk

osk — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 06:43:56 +0000

By: osk

osk — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 06:42:54 +0000

Fiorenzos bike from Museo del ciclismo

By: kbbpll

kbbpll — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:07:15 +0000

I think we’ve missed what’s truly hardman in this photo. Both bottle cages are EMPTY.

By: North Drinks. Every Tuesday 6pm - The Flask (ft Death TT) - Page 381 - London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 21:55:46 +0000

[…] […]

By: Obey the Rules! OR DON’T! | surf-matic

Obey the Rules! OR DON’T! | surf-matic — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:26:16 +0000

[…] to beat myself up, and cycling does that job perfectly. And pro cyclists are hardcore, like really hardcore. So it makes sense that they have a code of rules– or in this case mock rules. They are funny […]

By: TexasRouleur

TexasRouleur — Tue, 10 May 2011 02:30:01 +0000

Superhuman. Rule V to the Vth power. Awesome story, and greatly told.

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:25:29 +0000

@Cinghiale I haven't read the Rouleur piece as my subscription started late enough to miss the most recent edition. However, during my research (Merckx bless the interwebs), I learned about when he brought in Nivea. In fact, he's wearing a Nivea jersey in the above photo. Pretty cool.

By: Cinghiale

Cinghiale — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:07:18 +0000

The Rouleur piece also describes how Magni revolutionized cycling by landing the first non-bike company sponsor, Nivea.

By: drsoul

drsoul — Sat, 07 May 2011 04:58:10 +0000

This is a truly inspiring tale told in an inspired way. Hardcore. Thanks, JiPM!

By: Karolinka

Karolinka — Sat, 07 May 2011 02:57:36 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro Nice work, JiPM; you really take your research seriously... seen this photo before, knew the name Magni and a few very undetailed descriptions of what was going on in the photo, but nothing like this. Definitely not to take away from Magni, but nobody here needs to be told how rich both the past and present of cycling are of equally unbelieveable stories/riders...

mcsqueak : I'm not trying to bag on athletes in other sports, as all athletes in semi-pro/pro level competition are in amazing shape and work damn hard at what they do...

Well said and worth saying. Which is more than what a lot of people seem to be able to do (see nattering below). But...

mcsqueak : ...but most of my friends aren't into cycling and see it as a "pussy" sport, especially when it comes to lycra, shaving, and all that. They have simply not witnessed the brutality of it. Not to mention these guys are racing for a solid 8 months... it's not like they come out in July to do the TdF and then it's over for the season.

Sheeeeyuuut! Forget the 8 months. Tell your friends (I do): "Pussy sport. Hmmm. OK then, get on a damned bike and ride 200 klicks (of course I have to say it in 'miles' or I get a blank stare). The next day, get on your damned bike and ride 175 K. The third day, get on your damned bike and ride 200 K with three 10 k climbs. The fourth day... oh. You can't ride 200K? You can't ride 10 miles? Then shut the fuck up. If you were in the TdF you have to do that -- except fast -- TWENTY(ish) DAYS IN A ROW. Oh, pardon. You get two rest days." (I adjust appropriately if using Spring Classics as examples, etc.) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ What even the lowliest but regularly working european domestique does is STILL amazing to me. What American pros do is still amazing to me. It seems incredible that other people can't see it. Years ago I remember watching something like ABC Wide World (what a joke!) of Sports. They had a clip or two of one of the Spring Classics, I don't remember which... but it was the equivalent of a shot of riders going up the Mur de Huy. And the friggin' announcer - on network TV - says something describing briefly what/where, then adds (can't remember complete exact words, but this is close) "bike racing, what's the deal. I can ride a bike. In baseball..." Ouch! That was my chin hitting the floor. Still happens, thinking about that, even now. My sig other at the time (who'd seen it with me) and I, though horrified, were gleefully overusing the phrase "I can ride a bike" (e.g. for describing puffed up idiots) for months. @Jeff in PetroMetro Redux - great story! Thanks for sharing.

By: Dan O

Dan O — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:44:06 +0000

Man, what a story. Nice write up. Heroics like that make daily riding issues – being sore, a little tired, whatever – look like total excuses…

By: pello

pello — Thu, 05 May 2011 19:50:37 +0000

Unbelievable story…
The photo reminded me of another one, also Italian. I have been trying to find it again with no luck as I only saw in my childhood and stuck in my mind.It was the Italian 100km team time trial team. It must have been the 92 Barcelona Olympics or a world championship a couple of years before. They used what looked like a “metal rope” to tight them from the jersey to the frame, almost to the start of the handlebar and keep them down, in an aerodynamic position. I didn’t think that they might also have been to pull a bit from it like Magni.

By: Pedale.Forchetta

Pedale.Forchetta — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:40:24 +0000

Strictly abuot the photo, I’d like to underline how much I like the a bit longer sleeves of Magni jersey.

By: MrBigCog

MrBigCog — Thu, 05 May 2011 08:10:23 +0000

This pic should be submitted under Rule 5. Brings a whole new meaning to grin and bear it!

By: LA Dave

LA Dave — Thu, 05 May 2011 07:35:09 +0000

Great post. If ever there was an image of Rule 5, I would say this is it. He always looked more like a boxer than a cyclist to me, and this story shows he probably could have been one. I can’t imagine getting out of bed with the injuries you describe above… let alone racing for days. That generation truly was a different breed.

By: Pedale.Forchetta

Pedale.Forchetta — Thu, 05 May 2011 05:47:10 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro Unfortunately not, I did not attend, it should has been a sort of Walhalla of Cycling, past and present...

By: la Vela

la Vela — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:43:23 +0000

minion:
Marcus :
Oli Brooke-White :
Marcus:Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur's version.
Not quite, I'm afraid. I had my copy of Rouleur the week before last...Not that that means anything - this is one of those great legends that can stand re-telling many times, and Jeff told it well.
I meant quality-wise OBW. Bet you kiwis get all excited when the stagecoach arrives with the mail from the ship...
Not really, the ship comes from 'Strayla and the bloody convicts have ususally stolen all the letters.

I represent that remark!

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:14:50 +0000

Pedale.Forchetta : @Jeff in PetroMetroOf course! I'm a founding member of the Museum!

Did you attend the museum's gala for Magni last December? They celebrated his 90th birthday. If so, was it amazing?

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:10:21 +0000

@Minion They do seem to make a happy couple.

By: Minion

Minion — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:03:48 +0000

Jeff in PetroMetro: Hmmmm.

Ahhh, date night in Australia. Where the three S's, shower shampoo shave are for the sheep, not the bloke.

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:59:53 +0000

@Cyclops HGH?

By: Xponti

Xponti — Wed, 04 May 2011 23:54:14 +0000

@Cyclops Gold, pure Gold!

By: frank

frank — Wed, 04 May 2011 21:42:30 +0000

@Cyclops You're just a little too good at that.

By: Cyclops

Cyclops — Wed, 04 May 2011 21:33:35 +0000

hassling the Schlecks

Does this count? Andy Hasselschleck

By: frank

frank — Wed, 04 May 2011 20:41:56 +0000

ChrisO:
Great story – wonder what he would make of Boonen’s recent non-V utterances.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-looks-to-tour-de-france-and-vuelta-a-espana
What is the opposite of V anyway… Anti-V ? As in
“The apparent asymmetry between V and anti-V in the universe was one of the greatest unsolved problems in cycling. Prior to 2011 physicists had predicted that mixing V and anti-V would lead to the annihilation of both, however the presence of Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady on the same team as Frank and Andy Schleck led to the scrapping of this theory.”

Masterful. The Anti-V is officially the force that causes one to not be awesome. I kinda prefer your definition. Might have to made a reference to it.

But would everyone stop hassling the Schlecks? They were the only fucking riders in that race (and Amstel, btw) who tried anything at all and didn’t roll over when they saw Phil’s name on the start list.

By: frank

frank — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:58:05 +0000

Marcus:
Oli Brooke-White :
Marcus:Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur's version.
Not quite, I'm afraid. I had my copy of Rouleur the week before last...Not that that means anything - this is one of those great legends that can stand re-telling many times, and Jeff told it well.
I meant quality-wise OBW. Bet you kiwis get all excited when the stagecoach arrives with the mail from the ship...

HA! Seriously, though, WTF is up with the shipping time? I've had that issue for at least a month. I think it's already gone down to the Rouleur Archive. (Only missing issue #1. *sob*)

By: mcsqueak

mcsqueak — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:15:49 +0000

pakrat: @mcsqueak This past world cup football was ridiculous as well. My daughter falls down less in the AYSO U-6 league. Can you imagine any of those handbaggers taking a 50 kph skid on asphalt and actually getting up to continue playing as Jens would.

Ha yeah, exactly (in regards to the 50 kp/h skid). I love football but they have a fair bit of diving as well (which has trickled over into the NBA, and I've even seen it while watching American college football). I'm not trying to bag on athletes in other sports, as all athletes in semi-pro/pro level competition are in amazing shape and work damn hard at what they do, but most of my friends aren't into cycling and see it as a "pussy" sport, especially when it comes to lycra, shaving, and all that. They have simply not witnessed the brutality of it. Not to mention these guys are racing for a solid 8 months... it's not like they come out in July to do the TdF and then it's over for the season.

By: pakrat

pakrat — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:56:15 +0000

@mcsqueak This past world cup football was ridiculous as well. My daughter falls down less in the AYSO U-6 league. Can you imagine any of those handbaggers taking a 50 kph skid on asphalt and actually getting up to continue playing as Jens would.

By: xyxax

xyxax — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:50:34 +0000

@minion Strangely enough, that's a near-perfect replica of my brain map when I'm off my medication.

By: ChrisO

ChrisO — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:37:05 +0000

Great story – wonder what he would make of Boonen’s recent non-V utterances.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/boonen-looks-to-tour-de-france-and-vuelta-a-espana

What is the opposite of V anyway… Anti-V ? As in

“The apparent asymmetry between V and anti-V in the universe was one of the greatest unsolved problems in cycling. Prior to 2011 physicists had predicted that mixing V and anti-V would lead to the annihilation of both, however the presence of Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady on the same team as Frank and Andy Schleck led to the scrapping of this theory.”

By: mcsqueak

mcsqueak — Wed, 04 May 2011 17:27:32 +0000

Late to the party here, but a very good article JiPM. Enjoyed reading it very much and learning about someone I had previously never heard of.

It also fit in perfectly with a conversation I was having with a friend last week about sports where people go down hard, yet get back up and keep going (cycling, hockey) vs. sports where there is a decent amount of ‘faking’ and the athletes act like spoiled brats (NBA, I’m looking at you). Not saying the whole modern peloton is full of hardmen, but those guys work damn hard for their paychecks.

By: wiscot

wiscot — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:04:42 +0000

Love this photo and the story. That simply wouldn’t happen today. Couple of things worth noting: the tremendous contrast between Magni’s hairy forearms and the smooth guns. He’s clean-shaven too – none of that “shaving saps my strength” pish here. If that was true he’d have sported a full beard by the end of the race! Gotta love the bar-end shifters in the age of clip-on everything. Also, the bars look to be triple taped – especially on the right hand side and there also seems to be some kind of extension there too – the shifter doesn’t come out the end of the bar as the lefthand one clearly does. Finally, gotta love the cool-looking dude at the side of the road in suit, shades and bunnet – super-casually deliberate spectating!

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:00:04 +0000

@minion Don't mess with Texas, pal.

By: hansinator

hansinator — Wed, 04 May 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Great stuff!

By: G'phant

G'phant — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:59:18 +0000

@Marko A+1 on both counts.

By: Marko

Marko — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:55:56 +0000

What interests me about most of these old photos, especially from that era, is that most of the riders look old enough to be my uncle or the older badass down the street. I'm older than they were at that point but they still look older, and probably always will. Maybe it was the grainy photos, the hard knock lives, or all the Rule 9 that seeped into their pours and weathered their faces. @Pedale.Forchetta Once again, your reach and involvement in our sport humbles me. Very cool.

By: Brett

Brett — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:23:56 +0000

It’s these guest articles from the Community that keep us Keepers on our toes and the site looking good, especially when we (I) occasionally stuff up with our Anatomy tomes. Chapeau Sgt and JiPM, some great work in the last week.

By: Pedale.Forchetta

Pedale.Forchetta — Wed, 04 May 2011 07:12:21 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro Of course! I'm a founding member of the Museum!

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:57:12 +0000

And I’m still at work. I just walked into my own trap.
Touche, good sir, touche.

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:56:10 +0000

Amanda Palmer from the Dresden Dolls?

Ahhh. Few more seconds of teh Google and all is explained.

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:39:49 +0000

@minion So what kind of saddle do you think Amanda Palmer rides?

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:29:46 +0000

Yeah but yeah but yeah but you guys START these conversations, and I just…

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:21:36 +0000

@minion You're the one who brought up taco holder. Not me.

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:14:48 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro BTW DO NOT GOOGLE MAP OF TASMANIA if you're at work! Or at your own house.

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 05:10:48 +0000

You know what a map of tasmania is a euphemism for don’t you?

Look at it. I mean really look at it.

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:45:26 +0000

So. I obviously know nothing of New Zealand. With @minion's map, I now know something about Australia. Then I googled Tasmania. I got this. Seems friendly enough.

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:24:11 +0000

Hmmmm.

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:18:20 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro Australians love externalising their foibles and tastes on us but really it's all a con. New Zealanders are urbane, charming, polite and friendly people, with only passing interest in agricultural animals and their prettier, younger sisters.

By: Xponti

Xponti — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:08:04 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro
Sheep – then you are riding in New Zealand
Each Other – Then you are riding in bed (unless it is a relative you are riding in which case you are riding in Tasmania)
Wooden Bikes – Then you are riding in the dark ages
Take your pick.

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:07:09 +0000

@minion I need a map.

By: Xponti

Xponti — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:04:51 +0000

@Oli Brooke-White Oli Brooke-White : A ship? Luxury! In my day magazines were delivered a page at a time by carrier pigeon, and we had to glue the pages together using larks vomit and spit, blah blah blah... Pages? Carrier Pigeon? I remember reading about the latest tech (the invention of the wheel) in the Stone Tablet Times, ahh those were the days......

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:03:57 +0000

@Jeff in PetroMetro Sounds like you're in Tasmania to me, Australia's dirty little secret...

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 04:01:50 +0000

@Xponti Riding what? Sheep? Each other? Wooden bikes? Now I'm lost.

By: Xponti

Xponti — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:59:17 +0000

Marcus:
Jeff in PetroMetro : @G'phant ...and from tripping over sheep?
JiPm - you clearly know very little about Kiwis. They don't get injured tripping over sheep. They get injured tripping over each other to get to the sheep...

And that's where the injuries happen, and you have to hold rubber things in your mouth while riding.......

By: il ciclista medio

il ciclista medio — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:39:29 +0000

Cool story JiPM.

It is both awe inspiring and daunting a tale. My first thought after looking at the photo was that he had just ripped the flesh of some puny opponent and was chowing down, beef jerky style!

By: Oli Brooke-White

Oli Brooke-White — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:38:11 +0000

Marcus:
Oli Brooke-White :
Marcus:Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur's version.
Not quite, I'm afraid. I had my copy of Rouleur the week before last...Not that that means anything - this is one of those great legends that can stand re-telling many times, and Jeff told it well.
I meant quality-wise OBW. Bet you kiwis get all excited when the stagecoach arrives with the mail from the ship...

A ship? Luxury! In my day magazines were delivered a page at a time by carrier pigeon, and we had to glue the pages together using larks vomit and spit, blah blah blah...

By: Tab Hansen

Tab Hansen — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:26:22 +0000

Holy Sh*t!!! I just found the Velominati two weeks ago, but that is the most
inspirational story I’ve heard in a long time! I’d like to shake his hand while
he’s still with us. Thanks Jeff for bringing this story to light. Your right Frank,
They were WAY tougher than us! It’ll be a while before I complain again!
Wind, Cold, Rain, bring it on!!!

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:06:03 +0000

@Marcus Ah. Now I know. Maybe too much.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:59:36 +0000

Jeff in PetroMetro : @G'phant ...and from tripping over sheep?

JiPm - you clearly know very little about Kiwis. They don't get injured tripping over sheep. They get injured tripping over each other to get to the sheep...

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:40:10 +0000

@G'phant ...and from tripping over sheep?

By: Marcus

Marcus — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:34:55 +0000

G'phant : @Marcus There's a monthly scramble to be first to the ship for the newspapers from Old Blighty. Many of us are injured falling off our wooden bikes when our grass skirts get snagged in the flax and whale tooth chains...

Guess that's how Greg Henderson learnt how to sprint?

By: Jeff in PetroMetro

Jeff in PetroMetro — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:32:56 +0000

@all: Thanks for the kind words.

I’m reasonably well versed in cycling history from Merckx forward, so I was kind of amazed I hadn’t heard this story before. Then I read about how influencial Magni was at establishing corporate sponsorship from companies outside of the bicycle industry. THEN I found out he was the patron behind the Museo del Ciclismo which houses the overflowing collection of bicycle racing memorabilia from the chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo. (Pedale.Forchetta, I hope you’ve been there.)

I can read Italian at the kindergarten level, so I was able to (barely) enjoy articles and tributes to Magni in various Italian newspaper and magazine websites.

This guy is great. I’m so happy for Magni and his family that he’s getting lots of press in other parts of the world besides Italy. He turned 90 last December, so he may not be with us too much longer. He deserves all the recognition he’s getting this year.

By: ajft

ajft — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:21:38 +0000

respect.

By: G'phant

G'phant — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:20:46 +0000

@Marcus There's a monthly scramble to be first to the ship for the newspapers from Old Blighty. Many of us are injured falling off our wooden bikes when our grass skirts get snagged in the flax and whale tooth chains...

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:13:48 +0000

Marcus :
Oli Brooke-White :
Marcus:Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur's version.
Not quite, I'm afraid. I had my copy of Rouleur the week before last...Not that that means anything - this is one of those great legends that can stand re-telling many times, and Jeff told it well.
I meant quality-wise OBW. Bet you kiwis get all excited when the stagecoach arrives with the mail from the ship...

Not really, the ship comes from 'Strayla and the bloody convicts have ususally stolen all the letters.

By: minion

minion — Wed, 04 May 2011 02:12:29 +0000

Nice work JIPM, but Mercxk help me riding a bike meant something to you to come second in the Giro with broken bones. Forgive my ignorance but where’s the humerus? ISn’t that kind of important?
Next time I hear a bratty 20something complaining that it was too hard and that he didn’t take this or that PED then sits out a 2 year suspension only to be welcomed back into the fold, I’m gonna think on this story and ask what they’d really put themselves through.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:40:39 +0000

Oli Brooke-White :
Marcus:Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur's version.
Not quite, I'm afraid. I had my copy of Rouleur the week before last...Not that that means anything - this is one of those great legends that can stand re-telling many times, and Jeff told it well.

I meant quality-wise OBW. Bet you kiwis get all excited when the stagecoach arrives with the mail from the ship...

By: Xponti

Xponti — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:19:48 +0000

Simply Awe inspiring. Never (well maybe hardly ever) again will I drop out of a race unless I loose an apendidge or I’m required to do a millarcopter due to a schlecanical with no support car.
(Hmmm are there any other V-words that I can use?)

A-Merckx JiPM

By: harminator

harminator — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:17:38 +0000

Wow. 60 abandoned. Would love to see footage of those conditions.

I’d like to draw attention to the immaculate spectating attire worn by the man far right. Something else for us all to aspire to.

By: Sprider

Sprider — Wed, 04 May 2011 00:12:25 +0000

Holy HTFU! I love that guy, (in a manly sort of way).

By: Oli Brooke-White

Oli Brooke-White — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:46:08 +0000

Ron: In case you didn't see it, this was on cyclingnews today. Love the photo of Merckx with the tifosi. Look at those dudes! Classic.

I wonder why he has the tubular wrapped around his shoulders, old school style? He must have been joshing someone...

By: Oli Brooke-White

Oli Brooke-White — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:42:59 +0000

Marcus: Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur's version.

Not quite, I'm afraid. I had my copy of Rouleur the week before last...Not that that means anything - this is one of those great legends that can stand re-telling many times, and Jeff told it well.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:39:10 +0000

In case you didn't see it, this was on cyclingnews today. Love the photo of Merckx with the tifosi. Look at those dudes! Classic.

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:36:36 +0000

Wow, the V has taken on new meaning. Time trialing with an inner tube bit between your teeth? Refusing to see a doctor? Attacking with broken bones?

Stunning.

Nice article, Jeff!

Can’t wait for Saturday!

By: Marcus

Marcus — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:18:01 +0000

Nice work JiPM. You beat Rouleur’s version.

Makes Tyler seem like a pussy for dropping out of GC contention and only winning a Tour stage with a busted c/b.

By: blaireau

blaireau — Tue, 03 May 2011 23:08:54 +0000

That’s flabbergasting.

Since we’re on to Giro-related stories, here’s some gratuitous pix of the Great One, courtesy of the punters over at cyclingnews:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/giro-ditalia-the-merckx-years

By: Oli Brooke-White

Oli Brooke-White — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:44:33 +0000

Great stuff, Jeff!

By: Pedale.Forchetta

Pedale.Forchetta — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:49:00 +0000

I literally grew up with this story, but I’m never tired of it, thank you Jeff!
Fiorenzo Magni was an outstanding cyclist and still is an outstanding man.
At 91 he’s the vulcanic President of the Museo del Ciclismo at the Madonna del Ghisallo.

By: ramenvelo

ramenvelo — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:47:02 +0000

Great piece. I’ve seen this photo before and always wondered what the heck was in his mouth. Also, judging by this dude’s arms, he is definitely in compliance with Rule 33.

By: G'phant

G'phant — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:32:07 +0000

@Xyverz
That’s an excellent interview. Thanks.

“The day after the end of the Giro I went to an institute that specialized in bone injuries. And they gave me a dressing-down! They said I had two fractures – I thought I had only one – and forced me to put a plaster cast on.

The next day I went to my machine shop and asked my mechanic to cut the plaster cast away with the special scissors he used for sheet metal. This way I could start training again. Well, my shoulder is a little crooked now, but that’s that. Can you notice that??”

Good grief.

By: Xyverz

Xyverz — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:10:13 +0000

Here's a great interview with the man. This guy is an inspiration. Rule #5 indeed!

By: G'phant

G'phant — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:17:51 +0000

Hey, Rouleur – I’ll see your William Fotheringham and raise you a JIPM. A very worthy addition to the Anatomy series. ‘Hard’ doesn’t even begin to do justice to the man.

By: Buck Rogers

Buck Rogers — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:06:33 +0000

Fuck me. What else is there to say? Just need to think about this any time anything short of my legging fall off is bothering me. Awesome story.