There isn’t a lot about a climb several kilometers long ending in a sustained 20% cobbled gradient that communicates ‘Attack’ and/or ‘Respond’. Certainly not when it comes after 240 kilometers with only 20 left to race. Nope, I’ve double-checked the calibration and used a control-case: the only reading I’m getting on the Pain Gauge is the needle dropping all the way over to and past ‘Survival’.
Here we have Roger De Vlaeminck containing a vicious attack from Freddy Maertens on the hardest bit of the climb, giving more than a little bit of insight into why we refer to these guys as Hardmen. On an unrelated note, I find it to be a crime beyond articulation that the Kapelmuur won’t feature in this year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen; but that won’t stop us from riding it during the Keepers’ Tour; we’re all about history and tradition. I want to keep seeing this scene repeat itself over and over. After all, if a joke is funny once, it should be funny a thousand times.
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"There's another rider down and it's...Freddy Maartens."
Great photo, Frank! I have been busy with work lately and haven't been riding daily. It's crazy how just a few days off can make me feel completely out of rhythm, since typically I'm lucky enough to ride daily. This photo, the snap of cold that has finally hit the east coast of the U.S., and a new winter steed have me vowing to get out there every day, even if I can only squeeze in one hour of saddle time.
20 kilos? Wow, that is great & I can't imagine how much better you feel on and off the bike. If I gained 20 kilos I'd need arm extenders to reach my bars, even the flats! Nice work, very nice. Keep it up.
@Buck Rogers
I'll see how good I feel again tomorrow, another 80 km ride with similar people. I'm hoping it was mostly hard work paying off. I've been putting in a lot of deposits in the V-bank this summer, hoping to get some more payoffs.
@Bianchi Denti
They go even bigger for Paris-Roubaix than 42, Boonen rides a 46T inner ring. I *think* this is partly to get the right gear ratio when riding through the sludge, but its also to keep down on chain slack for better shifting.
A great write-up on Boonen's bike:
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/article/pro-bike-tom-boonens-specialized-s-works-roubaix-sl2-custom-21190/
@Oli
Oh, what he siad.
By the way, in addition to Nemesis rims and FMB tires, I'm obviously also bring over a 46T inner ring. I'm not a savage, after all.
@itburns
That actually sounds like a pretty good option. Or, at least, better than most. Shooting for 200k tomorrow, provided I have the (a) daylight for it and (b) don't explode.
@ChrisO
My favorite cycling moving, along with the Impossible Hour. The Thousand Mile stare is indeed Ritter, and he's just buggered up his position as #1 Bianchi Guy. But who was he kidding? No way he was ever going to beat Gimondi.
My favorite scene is from the time trial, when the mechanic is prepping Ritters bike, while he's off having a steak for breakfast. Classic!
@Buck Rogers
Mine too, in 1989 (up until then I'd been riding my dad's old 1972 Raleigh 535, wish I still had it). I had to buy a 39T. I think I bought it on the same day that I bought my Scott Drop-Ins. I was boss with those things on there.
@mblume
Alright, if I remember, you're getting the +1 badge next week. Absolute solid gold!
@Buck Rogers
I did 160ks on a hilly circuit in the rain on no food because I was trying to lose weight. Not very smart. Better to eat right and keep the reserves up!
@King Clydesdale
Its awesome when it starts paying back! Good luck!
@drtyrm
I too just watched "A Sunday in Hell" last night as well. Simply outstanding.
I think that quote "Only a Merckx would attack at this late hour." was my favorite as well, and gave me a bit of a chuckle at the wording.
And that damn Brooklyn kit is so full of awesome. I must procure more than the simple cap I have now.
@frank @King Clydesdale
Yeah, if you're trying to lose weight I believe careful management of food off of the bike is important.
However, not eating on a ride could put the hurt on you for sure. If you think about the average American male consuming something like 2,500 calories a day, but when one cycles you could be burning 300-600 cal/hr depending on the intensity. Given a good ride of 3-4 hours (or more!), you could be possibly burning half a day or more of your normal intake, and I don't think most people's bodies are built to handle that.
Further, from what I understand you could wind up forcing your body to convert muscle to energy rather than fat reserves to energy, which is not what you want obviously.
I'm fully in the camp that believes trying to consume an average of 100-200 cal/hr in food of some sort during a hard effort on the bike is very beneficial to keeping energy up, and I don't think it'll impact weight-loss regimens if you continue to watch what you eat while not riding.
(someone please correct me if I'm wrong here! I'm not a doctor or nutritionist or anything, just trying to recall what I've read off of the top of my head! I'd rather be corrected if I'm wrong on such matters.)