Sad news of Laurent Fignon’s early death from cancer at the age of fifty. Laurent conquered all in cycling for a brief period back in the early 1980s. He was nicknamed the ‘professor’ and with his thick-lensed spectacles and ponytail was an unmistakable figure in the peloton. He won the Tour de France in 1984 and I remember seeing him take part in a crit in Brittany that year, one of the many cycling ‘personal appearances’ which TdF winners were contracted to undertake in those days. Fignon’s achievements in the saddle will for ever be overshadowed by the cruel loss in 1989 to Greg Lemond on the final stage on the Champs-Elysees of that year’s TdF when, after three weeks of racing he lost by a mere eight seconds. Allez Fignon!
Farewell Fignon
September 3rd, 2010Sky Train Passenger?
August 21st, 2010Love this photo from the Tour de France supplement with this month’s (Sept) issue of Cycling Plus magazine.
Random bloke urges the Sky train to 'Get a move on!"
Wonder what the Sky rider was saying to the random bald bloke who’d tagged on at the back - “Stay there and don’t show us up by overtaking on a hill again”?
Feeling blue? Go for a spin!
August 18th, 2010
Spotted this quote by Arthur Conan Doyle on Who rides? Facebook page. Says it all really.
“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”
Brad tells it like it is…
July 19th, 2010Bradley Wiggins’ interview with reporters at Ax-3 Domaines after yesterday’s Pyrenean stage of the Tour de France was a breath of fresh air in these days of anodyne PR bullshit. The Guardian reports his words as follows: “Want me to be honest with you? I’m fucked, mate. I’ve got nothing. I just don’t have the form, it’s as simple as that. I’m not going to lie to you. I’m just trying my hardest, battling on rather than giving up. I just haven’t got it as I did last year. I don’t know why. I just feel consistently mediocre. Not brilliant, not shit, just mediocre. It’s form - it’s a funny old thing.”
Scarecrow weekend
January 7th, 2010At the back end of September I rode west over Waseley and out to Belbroughton where Scarecrow weekend was in full swing. Might just dress up (or should that be down) for the next one.
Eccentric tea party
These crows don't scare easy...
Cycling in the groove…
January 7th, 2010You’ve seen and felt them on the motorway but when you’re in a car the suspension absorbs the shock. Ride over them on a bike and you’ll know all about it and, if you’re really unlucky, you might even be thrown to the tarmac…There used to be a couple on the westbound side of the Hagley Road between Five Ways and the Ivy Bush but these seem to have been ironed out by recent road repairs. Bet there’ll be a few more in Birmingham and loads of potholes too due to this freezing weather, so watch out and, when you spot one, report it via the city council website.
Toronto Star
Share and share alike…
January 7th, 2010Some sound comment in the Canadian press about the relationship between motorists and cyclists…applies here too.
Toronto Star 6th September 2009
Ottawa Citizen 11th September 2009
Handy advice?
January 7th, 2010Read this in the US Bicycling magazine when I was out in Canada and thought, “What a good tip.” Until I got home and realised that rear braking on my Claud Butler is a left-handed action!
Bicycling October 2009
Temper fugit…
January 6th, 2010It’s been weeks now since I’ve been able to cycle regularly which isn’t helping my health or temper - missing the endorphins! First the bad, rainy, windy weather kept me indoors. Then an attack of gout in my left big toe prevented me from even attempting to put a cycling shoe on, let alone ride anywhere. Then Christmas and now all this white stuff and, blow me, another gout flare up!
I did manage one outing early in December with a few guys to raise money in support of Focus Birmingham in aid of the blind and visually impaired. The ride was well organised by Andy Kilminster and took us from the Old House at Home, Harborne, up the Harborne Walkway and into town along the canal. Thence out on the Rea Cycleway to Northfield, along the roads over Frankley Beeches and back through Bartley Green to the pub for lunch. Twenty five miles or so with a couple of much appreciated Christmas cake stops! Andy had even organised emergency support from the St. John Ambulance in the form of two cyclists. They were both equipped with what looked like a mini Queen Elizabeth Hospital strapped to each bike!
Pitstop in Cannon Hill park.
Andy completed the ride dressed topically as Santa. I’m looking forward to the next fund raising ride….in warmer weather!
Adieu Albert
January 6th, 2010I read, in the Daily Telegraph 05.01.10, of the death of Albert Beurick on 12th December. Albert was a Belgian cafe owner, friend, confidant and business partner of Tommy Simpson. The two friends were pioneers of two-week training camps for cyclist based at their ‘velotel’ outside Ghent. He must have been a delightful guy and great fun to be around especially as one of the songs played at his funeral was Monty Python’s ‘Always look on the bright side of life’!