Despite being a bald, visually challenged Velominatus, I envy only one other man from the peloton past. The only man who could pull off the historically near-impossible chrome-dome/ponytail combination, and couple it with a pair of wire-rimmed reading glasses yet still manage to exude a lethal concoction of Gallic style, hardness and pure V that could defeat opponents with its very presence.
Even the cobbles here in the 89 Paris-Roubaix are being blown dry by the force of The Professor’s big ring whirlpool, floating millimeters above the surface and forcing the rider he’s just passed into a muddy pit of broken stones while he continues his assault down the middle, on the crown.
Though he rode for teams with some of the most unflattering kits ever, The Professor always managed to look immaculate. This is just another example. He was a template for The Rules long before any notion of them was ever dreamed of. Except of course Rule #36, which he naturally transcends and earns him an automatic pass on account of his sheer badassness.
I’m tempted to dig out my very first pair of prescription specs, similar to these and which I would’ve acquired around that time, and rock them in honour of Le Prof on our Roubaix ride on Keepers Tour 13 next April. The ponytail, well I’d be wise to not attempt that one…
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@frank "Awesome" has 5 V's in it. An "m" is an upside down "w" and therefore counts as two V's.
Great shot of the Professor Brett. It shows the floating over the pave effect and that bike is bloody bewdiful.
@Nate
Yes, a few days before didn't he ride something like a gazillion k's with virtually zero food, putting his body into complete depletion/exhaustiion, forcing it to overcompensate in recovery allowing him to have a surplus of energy (something like that)? Did the same the following year as well I believe. Does anyone train like that nowadays? Doubt it.
@unversio
Indeed.
@Marko
+1
@unversio
That little hunnie I showed up top is rollin' Record 10spd with downtube shifters. Friction shifters don' t give a shit!
@G'rilla
+1 as well. How many is that now?
@il ciclista medio
Rule 91, Bitches.
Since you're bringing the subject of "The Professor", I was really surprised to read in his biography (Nous etions jeunes et insouciants - We were young and carefree) the following (loosely translated):
"Contrairement a la plupart des autres géants de la route, on ne m'a jamais affuble d'un surnom. Du début a la fin, qu'on m'ait aime ou non, qu'on ait été impressionné par mes exploits ou non, qu'on ait vu ou refuse de voir en moi un champion d'exception, je suis reste Laurent Fignon. Rien que Laurent Fignon. Moi et rien d'autre en somme."
"Unlike most of the other giants of the road, I never dons a nickname. From start to finish, whether I was liked or not, whether one has been impressed by my deeds or not, whether one has seen or refused to see me as a champion of exception, I was still Laurent Fignon. Just Laurent Fignon. Me and nothing else really."
Anyone else noticed that? Did the Professor nickname stick later on or was he just not aware of it?
@Georges
Maybe he's talking about nicknames in the peleton?
@frank
Correction: It was Boone Lennon, the '84-'86 US Ski Team coach that developed them. The prototype was bent out of a ski pole.
My roommates in college were coached by him when they were on the JO team in Bozeman MT. I knew about those bars before they were 'vogue', and before I raced bikes. Good stuff.
Yo Frank - what tires are those on the Bianchi? And since color is key with the B's...what is the factory name for that color? And, does your name for it differ!
I was about to say that much like Professeur Pave there might not be a bad photo of Boonen. And then I see him in a towel. Jeez.
I already put this up somewhere here, but that photo needs some counterweight. I dig this:
@frank
I hear that Rule 91 gives you prostate cancer. You might want to watch out Frank, you might get sued for that.
@scaler911
Boone developed them, but by the time LeMan was on 'em he was rollin' some pretty well defined Scotts. The 4th stage ITT had apparently had some prototypes, but by the final stage, he had some production or near-production bars. You can see the difference in the arm rests between the two photos.
Also, didnt' mean to imply LeMond invented them, just that he is credited with igniting the revolution...
Damn, I love that crankset.