Evanescent riders of the 90s: Franco Vona
One of the most enduring images in my mind of the Tour in the early 90s is of the monumental Stage 13 of the 1992…
Velominati Super Prestige
Browse the VSP archives →
Browse the VSP archives →
The Big Engine that Just Might
I think the last time I cheered for the guy who won the Tour de France must have been Greg LeMond in 1990. Although he…
The Cycling Aesthete
There are those who are challenged to find the value of aesthetics in a sport which requires eating 11T cogs buttered with chain oil for…
The Dotted Jumper
I’m not sure if it’s because I’m too fat to climb and therefore admire those who aren’t, or if it has something to do with…
Evanescent riders of the 90s: Piotr Ugrumov
To describe Piotr Ugrumov's professional career as fleeting may be a tad on the unfair side. While he enjoyed a good deal of success in…
Le Mecanicien
Each of us remembers how they became a Velominatus. For me, it was at Grimpeur Wielersport, in Zevenaar, The Netherlands. Its the perfect place: a…
Velominati: You Must Obey
What motivates a Velominatus? It seems a simple question, but the answer is complicated and gets into various issues that are neither interesting nor compelling.…
Italian Thoroughbred, Hand Built with Care in China
While walking about town, one of my favorite things to do is to puruse the commuter bikes locked up outside stores and study some of…
The Bar Shape Paradox
I almost look forward to riding in bad weather because it means I have a perfect excuse to climb aboard my old Bianchi XL EV2,…
Race Radio
Anyone who watched Flanders and Paris-Roubaix can agree that the strongest and most deserving rider won both events; Fabian Cancellara dominated both races and did…
Tino
The Kennett brothers have produced a series of great books on some of New Zealand's most successful, least successful, hardest, most famous, infamous and iconic…
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Folklore
Flahute: The Hardest of the Hardmen
Few images inspire the Keepers more than those of hardmen grinding away large chainrings on roads of antiquity built as cattle paths in northern Europe.…
Study of a Hardman: Johan Museeuw
For my generation, he is the Lion of Flanders. Unequivocally. Unchallenged. Evermore, evermore. Boonen is a monster; but he is only the apprentice. In Flemish,…
The Unsung Hardmen
I was searching the internet this morning for photos of Gianni Bugno (because he’s Awesome, and sometimes I just need more pictures of Awesome). It…
Anatomy of a Photo: 1990 Paris-Roubaix
I stared at this photo for about 13 minutes before realizing I should stare at it at least one minute longer. The simple reason is…
Rouleur, Issue 16
Getting each new copy of Rouleur is almost a religious experience. It is printed on heavy paper, and has a particular smell about it; the…
Il Pirata’s 1998 Bianchi: The Elusive Stallion
In 1998, Marco Pantani staged one of the most prestigious coups of cycling by winning the Giro-Tour double. He made this run aboard what I…
Rouleur, Issue 15
Issue 15 just arrived on my doorstop, and it is especially good and is going to take a good long time to work through all…
Haleakala Sufferfest 2007
A non-climber rides up Haleakala Volcano on Maui, and suffers.
Bikeography
I’ve reflected on my bike stable, where it started and where it is now. Peugeot PX10-LE. 1977. A champagne gold hunk of French madness. It…