Monday 24 September 2012
Friday 1 June 2012
Why you should ride a bike...
Recently, Bex Love posted a blog about her tough decisions on whether or not to join our world of old clothing and filthy habits. In her blog http://blissdomestique.blogspot.co.uk/ she explains her pros and cons about the decisions ahead. Well let me just add my two penneth worth....She was bloody wrong.
The decision is already made to buy a bike. The seed is already sown in her pretty blond head because she is giving it serious thought. Ergo, discussing it it pointless. Futile even. The bike will always win. The only decision to be made is....MAX the credit card or ask hubster to buy it for her.
To help the poor lost Bex Love, I have made my own - and of course correct - list of Pros and Cons
Pros
1 Female cyclists are hot
2 Their bottoms are nice to follow
3 Female cyclists are hot
4 Lycra is awesome on women
5 Female cyclists are hot
Cons
1 Scabby knees in mini skirts are awesome....oh hang on this is a 'Pro'
2 Female cyclists are hot....dammit this one too
3 erm......cant really think of any
4 dammit woman buy a bike!
So, as you can see, my list IS exhaustive and there is no compromise. I utterly think Bex should go out and buy a Di2 equipped pashley princess.
The decision is already made to buy a bike. The seed is already sown in her pretty blond head because she is giving it serious thought. Ergo, discussing it it pointless. Futile even. The bike will always win. The only decision to be made is....MAX the credit card or ask hubster to buy it for her.
To help the poor lost Bex Love, I have made my own - and of course correct - list of Pros and Cons
Pros
1 Female cyclists are hot
2 Their bottoms are nice to follow
3 Female cyclists are hot
4 Lycra is awesome on women
5 Female cyclists are hot
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| Exhibit A- BOING! |
Cons
1 Scabby knees in mini skirts are awesome....oh hang on this is a 'Pro'
2 Female cyclists are hot....dammit this one too
3 erm......cant really think of any
4 dammit woman buy a bike!
So, as you can see, my list IS exhaustive and there is no compromise. I utterly think Bex should go out and buy a Di2 equipped pashley princess.
Wednesday 16 May 2012
Mapei - the ultimate feeder team
Whilst poking about on t'interweb, I found a few pics. Its amazing how many superstars began with Mapei...
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| not so sexy then huh girls |
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| Young cuddles buttface |
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| el grillo was still a lavae |
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| Who's the daddy Wegelius How many more rode for this Ultra-team I have no idea |
A lesson on winning
How to win - by Tom Steels
Erik the German lost because he wore glasses that made him look like a cat
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| HAVE IT!!!!!! |
Erik the German lost because he wore glasses that made him look like a cat
Monday 7 May 2012
A new chapter
Followers of me on twitter will know, I've been unwell recently. Nothing too serious that will send me to my bed. But it has been a concern for me. Its a about a 6 to 8 week illness really. It started back March. A training ride for Flanders with Kev and Carol out in deepest East Yorkshire. A hard ball breaking route taking in a relentless number of climbs. Well, it broke me. I threw up in Carols car on way home and spent 2 full days vomiting and glued to the toilet. This illness left me with chronic stomach ache. It lasted 2 weeks easily. For two weeks I could hardly eat. I had to force food into me and continue to commute to work daily and work.(i have a very physical job that often leaves me unable to hold a cup at the end of the day). I had all this to do and it was getting closer to Flanders. I had to get well. I have already told you what happened in Flanders previously in this blog. I suffered. It is possible that it was as a result of this illness.
So on my return from Flanders, I thought it was just fatigue. The muscle aches, This dizziness. The headaches. I guessed I was just run-down. It never really occurred to me or even noticed that I wasn't really eating the usual amounts of food. I normally eat unreal amounts of food. The days passed, the weeks passed and I was eating less and less. Nothing seemed to appeal. Then what food I was eating, was passing through my body naturally but in 4-6 hours instead of 24 hours as in a normal person. The stomach cramps came back 2 weeks ago. Increasing in ferocity. I was being woken at 4am my pains in my belly. What the hell was going on? I thought all the worst things obviously. but I didn't have all the symptom of any one illness. Maybe one of each I had researched.
More alarmingly, I was still cycling. I rode to work one day. I felt tired as normal when I got home. I mean. why wouldn't I? I ride at 20+mph on my commute.I got up to ride the next day and my legs were shot. Even worse coming home. And that was it. I was off the bike. unable to turn a pedal in anger. No strength, no stamina. Its taken me nearly a week to get over 2 days of cycling. My body was shot. I was physically empty. The belly aches got worse and food stopped going in completely. Last week I ate a days food over the entire week. Less that 200 calories a day as opposed to nearly 4000Kcal a day. I seriously thought something was very badly wrong. So to the Doctor I went. Tomorrow I get the results on my first batch of samples and tests. We will find out whats happening with my body. Or what I need to be doing.
The good news is, I have had 2 days of a virtually normal diet. and relatively normal bowel activity. The bad news? my belly still hurts like bastard.
What have I learnt? Well I think I have been overdoing it. I did tweet that I felt I knew how Charly Wegelius felt in his final year with Omega Pharma Lotto. When his body refused to take food.. I feel this has given me an insight in to how much pro riders much punish their bodies and how carefully they must have to look after their engines.. I push myself hard. Very hard. I have a hugely physical job and I ride like a steam train. Perhaps I am asking to much of my 41 and 3/4 year old body? I don't claim I am doing what the pros do. What I am saying is, there comes a point when your body will just say " enough already" you wont get a say in this. You just have to deal with it. I've only been on my bike 5 times in 7 weeks. Very rare for me.You as a cyclist have to look after your own engine. Fuel it right, rest it well and service it regularly. If you demand a huge output, you have to make sure the input if the right sort and a good quality. Get the balance all wrong...and you're toast!(or just eating toast for 2 weeks).
I hope this is the tail end of this illness. Only time will tell.
Take care of your bodies guys. Eat right, drink more water than you think and keep off the coffee. This is all i have done. And its working.
so far...
So on my return from Flanders, I thought it was just fatigue. The muscle aches, This dizziness. The headaches. I guessed I was just run-down. It never really occurred to me or even noticed that I wasn't really eating the usual amounts of food. I normally eat unreal amounts of food. The days passed, the weeks passed and I was eating less and less. Nothing seemed to appeal. Then what food I was eating, was passing through my body naturally but in 4-6 hours instead of 24 hours as in a normal person. The stomach cramps came back 2 weeks ago. Increasing in ferocity. I was being woken at 4am my pains in my belly. What the hell was going on? I thought all the worst things obviously. but I didn't have all the symptom of any one illness. Maybe one of each I had researched.
More alarmingly, I was still cycling. I rode to work one day. I felt tired as normal when I got home. I mean. why wouldn't I? I ride at 20+mph on my commute.I got up to ride the next day and my legs were shot. Even worse coming home. And that was it. I was off the bike. unable to turn a pedal in anger. No strength, no stamina. Its taken me nearly a week to get over 2 days of cycling. My body was shot. I was physically empty. The belly aches got worse and food stopped going in completely. Last week I ate a days food over the entire week. Less that 200 calories a day as opposed to nearly 4000Kcal a day. I seriously thought something was very badly wrong. So to the Doctor I went. Tomorrow I get the results on my first batch of samples and tests. We will find out whats happening with my body. Or what I need to be doing.
The good news is, I have had 2 days of a virtually normal diet. and relatively normal bowel activity. The bad news? my belly still hurts like bastard.
What have I learnt? Well I think I have been overdoing it. I did tweet that I felt I knew how Charly Wegelius felt in his final year with Omega Pharma Lotto. When his body refused to take food.. I feel this has given me an insight in to how much pro riders much punish their bodies and how carefully they must have to look after their engines.. I push myself hard. Very hard. I have a hugely physical job and I ride like a steam train. Perhaps I am asking to much of my 41 and 3/4 year old body? I don't claim I am doing what the pros do. What I am saying is, there comes a point when your body will just say " enough already" you wont get a say in this. You just have to deal with it. I've only been on my bike 5 times in 7 weeks. Very rare for me.You as a cyclist have to look after your own engine. Fuel it right, rest it well and service it regularly. If you demand a huge output, you have to make sure the input if the right sort and a good quality. Get the balance all wrong...and you're toast!(or just eating toast for 2 weeks).
I hope this is the tail end of this illness. Only time will tell.
Take care of your bodies guys. Eat right, drink more water than you think and keep off the coffee. This is all i have done. And its working.
so far...
Saturday 5 May 2012
Saturday 21 April 2012
Wednesday 18 April 2012
I finished what I started
One week on and I still have some muscle aches in my quads and my right calf. This year's Ronde van Vlaanderen was arguably the hardest thing I have ever done. Even harder than the pre-flanders ride with big-kev and CJ(and that ride made me throw up for 2 days). Even harder than last years RvV which broke Big-Kev.
As always the apprehension of the build up was incredible. See the route, the bergs my friends. It all made me buzz with excitement. This year was special for a number of reasons. Not just the change of course and finish town but because of the words of ego exchanged between Big-Kev and myself. and the fact that it marked a year since separating from my wife.
Last year, Kev and I went mildly prepared and rode with fire and got a damn good spanking. I suffered from being overweight and Kev had Sciatica. This year, Kev had ridden like pro in his preparation. 400km a week in the hills of East Yorkshire. I had moved house and had a 15mile commute and had shed over a stone in weight. How could we lose?
This year my best friend and neighbour Mel came with us. This was gonna be an eye opener for her. Sheer madness sharing a car and hotel with us too heathens.
So Saturday morning came and dang!! it was soooooo cold. bitterly so. This was my first problem. I had forgotten my sexy le Col jacket. I also forgot my Garmin. Problem number 2. We rolled out of Oudenaarde just before 10am riding along the river until the routes separated and we waved goodbye to Mel. Kev and I soon found a small group and tagged on. Rolling at a good tempo and even trying to drop a couple of Belgians didn't seem to matter. We were riding like gods.
16km in the Molenberg approached. Kev and I did our usual "good luck mate, see you at the top". We tipped into the bottom of the Molenberg from the far right of the road and for a brief moment felt a little bit pro. I hit the berg hard at about 25mph and just applied power. And it came in bootfuls. Stamping on the pedals I flew up the Molenberg and shot out of the top past a group of cheering Belgians...one of which shouted Big Ring and pointed at me. I rolled over the summit grinning like an idiot and looking over my shoulder for Kev. Sadly Kev got his gearing wrong and lost all his speed and almost stopped. Shame. Much back patting ensued and we rolled onwards to the next cobbles. The morning pretty much blurs here until we get to Koppenberg. again, rolling along the flat at well over 20mph we had a massive peloton behind us. no-one was coming through. This told us we had a high speed.. Turning left into the Koppenberg this year, we put the power down and began yelling as we shot up the left hand side of the road. the groups moved and we hurtled towards the steep section. This year I had Kev's wheel and I was keeping it. Heads down and spinning we climbed higher and higher. Kev spotted a gap in the crowds and slipped through. At this point the gap closed and I was off. My last view was Kev bouncing skywards through the crowd. I screamed "GO ON KEV" The whole berg spun around to see who was shouting. Amazing to see him ride effortlessly up.
This set a rhythm for the day. Fast flats and bergs ticked off. Taaineberg I loved, Eikenberg was easy, Varent and Foreest were fast and fun. Each time we rolled into a cobble section or berg. "good luck mate - see you at the top" sometimes Kev up first some times me. The flat sections were my favourite. I love just stamping out a big gear and bouncing over them. Even an errant water bottle couldn't take me off. Merely riding over it. Front wheel skipping sideways into the dust. but maintaining all my speed. I love the cobbles.
Unfortunately the lack of garmin and warm jacket meant I was beginning to suffer. Riding beyond my ability and getting colder. I wasn't eating enough and I began to get very cold. Kwaremont was fast approaching...
Cresting the hill, we shot down the main road to the foot of Kwaremont at over 50mph. I know it was 50mph as I spin out at 49.7mph on my compact. Turning right and right onto the bottom of Oude Kwaremont we applied the power again. Only this time, nothing came. I was empty. Only pain in my legs. Kev disappeared up the road.
Some of you will know, I have an emotional switch for moments when I need to apply supreme levels of effort. This was that time. Flicking though the cassette was running out of gears and getting ever slower. I looked down at my top tube and saw my sticker (@roadbikedave) all the emotions of losing a friend came flooding back. Telling myself, its 20km to the end. Its only pain. Dave cant feel pain anymore Dave cant ride up hills anymore. COME ON RICH FUCKING DIG IN. I did dig in and slowly the power came back and before i knew it, I was on Kev's wheel again. Climbing through the village I drifted off his wheel again and once on the flat, I pulled him back again. I cried nearly all the way up with images of Dave flooding my brain. Eventually the top came and the pain subsided. A huge pat on the back from Kev and we were rolling on to the patterberg. But alas, the cold, the effort and the lack of food meant that as soon as the steep bit came up, I was empty. I physically couldn't turn the pedals. I just stopped. It took all my effort to walk up. I was physically empty. Nothing left.A broken man and still 12km to go. As I got to the top I heard "MARIO" Kev shouting to make me laugh to spur me on.. We gathered ourselves at the top and rolled on.
I lost Kev. He kicked and just rode away. I was done. Leg pain and an empty tank. I hopped from group to group in what felt like a ferocious headwind. I saw the kilos tick away. 5km to go. 3 km to go 2km to go. .Everytime my head dropped, i saw the sticker on my top tube - @roadbikedave - and there was my next kick. Through 1km to go and there was Kev, waiting at 300m to go. We rolled over the line holding hands. "thanks for that buddy.that was fucking hard" i was empty. I had given 100% and left it all on the road.
We rolled though Oudenaarde to Qubus to find Mel. We had worried about Mel, Was she OK without phone coverage. Hope she is OK. She was waiting for us and apparently just got there. Unbelievably, we road 140km in the same time she rode 80km. no wonder i was dead. Unbelievably, in 2 years of riding with Mel, she has never seen me totally empty. This was that day. We were still in high spirits though. Taking the piss out of folk and devouring our body weight in Burgers, frites and beer!!! I love Belgium, pretty girls just thrust tins of beer in your hand.
Yes this was a good day. Fuck me it was hard. I have never felt pain and suffering on bike like it.But i did it. and like the commemerative Tshirt says, I finished what I started.
This week is the 6 month anniversary since we lost our friend Dave(@roadbikedave) I only knew him a short while but enough to call him friend. This amazing man continues to affect peoples lives as he did in his life.
This year's Ronde van Vlaanderen will be remember for years to come. Thank you Kev for being the best friend a guy could want. Thank you mel for being a tough cookie and riding that. And thank you Dave for getting home that day.
As always the apprehension of the build up was incredible. See the route, the bergs my friends. It all made me buzz with excitement. This year was special for a number of reasons. Not just the change of course and finish town but because of the words of ego exchanged between Big-Kev and myself. and the fact that it marked a year since separating from my wife.
Last year, Kev and I went mildly prepared and rode with fire and got a damn good spanking. I suffered from being overweight and Kev had Sciatica. This year, Kev had ridden like pro in his preparation. 400km a week in the hills of East Yorkshire. I had moved house and had a 15mile commute and had shed over a stone in weight. How could we lose?
This year my best friend and neighbour Mel came with us. This was gonna be an eye opener for her. Sheer madness sharing a car and hotel with us too heathens.
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| The Start - oh you're smiling now... |
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| not sure which climb but as always side by side Big-Kev |
So Saturday morning came and dang!! it was soooooo cold. bitterly so. This was my first problem. I had forgotten my sexy le Col jacket. I also forgot my Garmin. Problem number 2. We rolled out of Oudenaarde just before 10am riding along the river until the routes separated and we waved goodbye to Mel. Kev and I soon found a small group and tagged on. Rolling at a good tempo and even trying to drop a couple of Belgians didn't seem to matter. We were riding like gods.
16km in the Molenberg approached. Kev and I did our usual "good luck mate, see you at the top". We tipped into the bottom of the Molenberg from the far right of the road and for a brief moment felt a little bit pro. I hit the berg hard at about 25mph and just applied power. And it came in bootfuls. Stamping on the pedals I flew up the Molenberg and shot out of the top past a group of cheering Belgians...one of which shouted Big Ring and pointed at me. I rolled over the summit grinning like an idiot and looking over my shoulder for Kev. Sadly Kev got his gearing wrong and lost all his speed and almost stopped. Shame. Much back patting ensued and we rolled onwards to the next cobbles. The morning pretty much blurs here until we get to Koppenberg. again, rolling along the flat at well over 20mph we had a massive peloton behind us. no-one was coming through. This told us we had a high speed.. Turning left into the Koppenberg this year, we put the power down and began yelling as we shot up the left hand side of the road. the groups moved and we hurtled towards the steep section. This year I had Kev's wheel and I was keeping it. Heads down and spinning we climbed higher and higher. Kev spotted a gap in the crowds and slipped through. At this point the gap closed and I was off. My last view was Kev bouncing skywards through the crowd. I screamed "GO ON KEV" The whole berg spun around to see who was shouting. Amazing to see him ride effortlessly up.
This set a rhythm for the day. Fast flats and bergs ticked off. Taaineberg I loved, Eikenberg was easy, Varent and Foreest were fast and fun. Each time we rolled into a cobble section or berg. "good luck mate - see you at the top" sometimes Kev up first some times me. The flat sections were my favourite. I love just stamping out a big gear and bouncing over them. Even an errant water bottle couldn't take me off. Merely riding over it. Front wheel skipping sideways into the dust. but maintaining all my speed. I love the cobbles.
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| Giving the taainenberg a damn good spanking |
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| Oude Kwaremont - it all came out here |
Unfortunately the lack of garmin and warm jacket meant I was beginning to suffer. Riding beyond my ability and getting colder. I wasn't eating enough and I began to get very cold. Kwaremont was fast approaching...
Cresting the hill, we shot down the main road to the foot of Kwaremont at over 50mph. I know it was 50mph as I spin out at 49.7mph on my compact. Turning right and right onto the bottom of Oude Kwaremont we applied the power again. Only this time, nothing came. I was empty. Only pain in my legs. Kev disappeared up the road.
Some of you will know, I have an emotional switch for moments when I need to apply supreme levels of effort. This was that time. Flicking though the cassette was running out of gears and getting ever slower. I looked down at my top tube and saw my sticker (@roadbikedave) all the emotions of losing a friend came flooding back. Telling myself, its 20km to the end. Its only pain. Dave cant feel pain anymore Dave cant ride up hills anymore. COME ON RICH FUCKING DIG IN. I did dig in and slowly the power came back and before i knew it, I was on Kev's wheel again. Climbing through the village I drifted off his wheel again and once on the flat, I pulled him back again. I cried nearly all the way up with images of Dave flooding my brain. Eventually the top came and the pain subsided. A huge pat on the back from Kev and we were rolling on to the patterberg. But alas, the cold, the effort and the lack of food meant that as soon as the steep bit came up, I was empty. I physically couldn't turn the pedals. I just stopped. It took all my effort to walk up. I was physically empty. Nothing left.A broken man and still 12km to go. As I got to the top I heard "MARIO" Kev shouting to make me laugh to spur me on.. We gathered ourselves at the top and rolled on.
I lost Kev. He kicked and just rode away. I was done. Leg pain and an empty tank. I hopped from group to group in what felt like a ferocious headwind. I saw the kilos tick away. 5km to go. 3 km to go 2km to go. .Everytime my head dropped, i saw the sticker on my top tube - @roadbikedave - and there was my next kick. Through 1km to go and there was Kev, waiting at 300m to go. We rolled over the line holding hands. "thanks for that buddy.that was fucking hard" i was empty. I had given 100% and left it all on the road.
We rolled though Oudenaarde to Qubus to find Mel. We had worried about Mel, Was she OK without phone coverage. Hope she is OK. She was waiting for us and apparently just got there. Unbelievably, we road 140km in the same time she rode 80km. no wonder i was dead. Unbelievably, in 2 years of riding with Mel, she has never seen me totally empty. This was that day. We were still in high spirits though. Taking the piss out of folk and devouring our body weight in Burgers, frites and beer!!! I love Belgium, pretty girls just thrust tins of beer in your hand.
Yes this was a good day. Fuck me it was hard. I have never felt pain and suffering on bike like it.But i did it. and like the commemerative Tshirt says, I finished what I started.
This week is the 6 month anniversary since we lost our friend Dave(@roadbikedave) I only knew him a short while but enough to call him friend. This amazing man continues to affect peoples lives as he did in his life.
This year's Ronde van Vlaanderen will be remember for years to come. Thank you Kev for being the best friend a guy could want. Thank you mel for being a tough cookie and riding that. And thank you Dave for getting home that day.
Friday 23 March 2012
Kevin van Impe retires?
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| Kevin van Impe by @KristofRamon |
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Nokere Koerse 2012
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| Nokere berg passage |
Just look at the faces of these riders. Mid pack, burrying themselves. Its torture, elation, pain, suffering, exquisite joy. So many things can be can be gleaned from this one snapshot of a race. One of the best i have seen of a modern race that really made my hairs stand on end.
Brilliant work Kirstof....more please.
Wednesday 22 February 2012
Time to roll out the hard men
Yes yes yes its that time of the year when i start getting giddy. You know what this weekend is?
Its the magical Omploop het Nieuwsblad / Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne weekend.
This weekend is what i think really says the spring is here. Its will no doubt be blowing a gale, raining sideways and snowing like hell. Only 20 riders will finish and they will have frost bite and numb nether regions. And, to make it just a little harder, they're ride over the cobbles surrounding Oudenaard for the first of many weekends. Cobbles which are horribly hard in the dry but are just trecherous in cold and wet conditions. It really is a weekend to show early form or just to be a double hard bastard. Some scary 85kg flandrian may very well win.There'll be no skinny 60kg winners here. This is my kinda riding. Me and Big-Kev would kick ass at this.
Sweet baby jebus i really love springtime in Belgium.
Its the magical Omploop het Nieuwsblad / Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne weekend.
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| Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne 2010 |
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| Omloop Het Nieuwsblad |
Sweet baby jebus i really love springtime in Belgium.
Tuesday 21 February 2012
Monday 20 February 2012
Heroes of the cobbles
The first ever winner of Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1913 over a distance of 330km which incidentally culminated with four laps of a small wooden circuit around a pond in Ghent.
His cycling career is not terribly remarkable. A winner at Bordeaux-Paris over the insane distance of 592km. His story becomes more poignant with the outbreak of the first world war.
He Joined the Belgian Espionage Service smuggling documenst into Holland. His life and cycling career was almost cut dramatically short when he was captured by the Germans and was due to be shot. Thakfully, the Armistice intervened and was released.
Following the war, he started racing again and won Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Tours
Sunday 19 February 2012
Heroes of the cobbles
Eric Leman 1946 - date
Continuing my discovery of hard men of Flanders. I found this chap. I thought i knew cycling but then, i'd never heard of this chap. Another scary Belgian rider.
So let me tell you about this chap. There are no stories of this chap drinking his weight in beer and winning races. Or riding with a broken leg on a bike made of cheese. But this guy for a period in the 60s and 70s pretty much won everything. including winning de Ronde van Vlaanderen an impressive three times in 1970,1972,1973.
He also won such scary hard races as Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne, Omloop Vlaamse, Four days Dunkerque, Four days Flanders, many stages of Paris-Nice, Vuelta and five stages at the Tour de France.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Eric Leman. Another hard riding Belgian that rode like his life depended on it.
Continuing my discovery of hard men of Flanders. I found this chap. I thought i knew cycling but then, i'd never heard of this chap. Another scary Belgian rider.
So let me tell you about this chap. There are no stories of this chap drinking his weight in beer and winning races. Or riding with a broken leg on a bike made of cheese. But this guy for a period in the 60s and 70s pretty much won everything. including winning de Ronde van Vlaanderen an impressive three times in 1970,1972,1973.
He also won such scary hard races as Kuurne-Brussells-Kuurne, Omloop Vlaamse, Four days Dunkerque, Four days Flanders, many stages of Paris-Nice, Vuelta and five stages at the Tour de France.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Eric Leman. Another hard riding Belgian that rode like his life depended on it.
Sunday 12 February 2012
Heros of the cobbles
Alberic Schotte. 1919 - 2004
Never heard of him? hardly surprising. A little known Belgian cyclist of the 1940s.
So whats so special about him? How about, he was twice Road race world champion in 1948 and 1950. Twice winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1942 and 1948. And competed in 20 Tours of Flanders between 1940 and 1959. He was nearly 40!
He was a fiersome athelete and earned the nickname in the peloton of Iron Briek. A phenomonal competitor and has a statue in Waregem in Flanders. A revered cyclist of a bygone era.
Never heard of him? hardly surprising. A little known Belgian cyclist of the 1940s.
So whats so special about him? How about, he was twice Road race world champion in 1948 and 1950. Twice winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen in 1942 and 1948. And competed in 20 Tours of Flanders between 1940 and 1959. He was nearly 40!
He was a fiersome athelete and earned the nickname in the peloton of Iron Briek. A phenomonal competitor and has a statue in Waregem in Flanders. A revered cyclist of a bygone era.
Following his retirement he became a coach of his beloved sport. He died in 2004 on the very day of the Ronde van Valaanderen. I'm sure he smiled on his way to heaven.
Wednesday 11 January 2012
de Ronde 2012
Can you believe it? Its come around so quick again. 31st March will see me once again riding the de Ronde (Tour of Flanders). Heading out again with my super hard friend Big-Kev but also with my best friend Melanie.
This year de Ronde changes from the usual course in that they have dropped the mesmorizing Muur and the downright awkward Bosberg in favour of a number of laps over some of the other classic climbs such as the Koppenberg.I'm sure the pro race will be as exciting and gripping as always. How can it not be?
But what of us, the lowly amateurs? Well our sportive will this year be 134km and just as hard as in previous years. Leaving Oudenaard, we will barely be rolling when we hit the Molenberg after 8km.WHAT THE F***? That cobbled monster after 5miles? Mental. Tacx better be supplying turbos to warm up on in the start area.
What I am particularly looking forward to this year (apart from beers with my friends) is the new climbs. Climbs I've not heard of before. They all look challenging worthy of respect you'd give the classics.
Training wise, well i've had a mare of a couple of months. but as of next week I will have a 30 mile a day commute. this will help and once my life settles a bit, I'll be out with big kev hitting the hills as hard as a i can.
As always, I want to be fit enough to enjoy it and not suffer too much. But, being on Kev's wheel will stretch me further than i can ever imagine. and he will just drag me round faster than I dare think. Time to implement Rule#5
This year de Ronde changes from the usual course in that they have dropped the mesmorizing Muur and the downright awkward Bosberg in favour of a number of laps over some of the other classic climbs such as the Koppenberg.I'm sure the pro race will be as exciting and gripping as always. How can it not be?
But what of us, the lowly amateurs? Well our sportive will this year be 134km and just as hard as in previous years. Leaving Oudenaard, we will barely be rolling when we hit the Molenberg after 8km.WHAT THE F***? That cobbled monster after 5miles? Mental. Tacx better be supplying turbos to warm up on in the start area.
What I am particularly looking forward to this year (apart from beers with my friends) is the new climbs. Climbs I've not heard of before. They all look challenging worthy of respect you'd give the classics.
Training wise, well i've had a mare of a couple of months. but as of next week I will have a 30 mile a day commute. this will help and once my life settles a bit, I'll be out with big kev hitting the hills as hard as a i can.
As always, I want to be fit enough to enjoy it and not suffer too much. But, being on Kev's wheel will stretch me further than i can ever imagine. and he will just drag me round faster than I dare think. Time to implement Rule#5
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| Berendries |
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| Berg Ten Houte |
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| Foreest |
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| kapelleberg |
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| Knokteberg |
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| Varent |
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