Measuring Power: Watts or Horses?

Super punch. Supermoto vs Rally car vs Muur van Geraardsbergen.

Stefan Everts, Belgian, multiple motocross world champion time trials Sébastien Loeb, French, multiple WRC champion, up the Muur making it look like short unimposing hillock.

My excuse, whilst not being a bicycle, the two wheels still won and motocross runs deep through the veins of the Belgian's. I still need to make a pilgrimage to the citadel at Namur.

If only they'd ridden on bicycles afterwards.

To come out punching

I can only shrug my shoulders at the outcome, and perhaps feel we were a little cheated.

The fireworks, a burst of explosive speed, bridging across and driving on. Our spectacle and their chance of escape foiled by high tempo. Chavanel under team orders, Ribellin trying in vain, Bettini's absence noticeable.

Until next year. Yet I shall return to the concept of the Puncheur, and it's relevance to cyclocross in further posts.

Until then. The jewels in the Spring Classic crown.

Ronde Van Vlaanderen & Paris-Roubaix - Puncheur vs Rouleur.

Enjoy.

La Primavera: A race of two hills

Milan - San Remo this weekend and to be honest up to this point I wasn't feeling it. The field seems a little depleted and I'm having difficulty picking favourites to get behind.

That was until I watched this.

Cipressa and Poggio. Forza.

Me Me and the Gimme Gimmes

So the Caravane Publicitaire arrives and begins the process of dispensing free gifts to all and sundry via the medium of open window and carefully pitched throw, all while traveling at a healthy lick (the breakaway won't slow down to accommodate our lust for a free sunhat).

Every time a window opens from a speeding vehicle I'm blocked/mobbed/jostled (call it what you will) by an overly enthusiastic gentleman jumping up and down giving the gimme gimme sign with both hands whilst trying to control the goodies he's already accumulated, a feat in itself. At this moment he's managed to catch everything thrown from said windows and whether he's fueled by his own greed or is collecting for a legion of kids left at home, his passion's commendable yet amusing and annoying in equal amounts.

The next auto arrives and throws.

He leaps, catches, drops his booty and bends down to pick it up.

I get hit in the face by an eraser and a packet of hard boiled sweets.

And a newspaper.

Roubaix shocker!

You can see the headlines now:

Housewife disqualified from win for receiving illegal push!
Shopper baskets, the new suspension fork!
Brighton Flashback: Revivalist Mod outrage as Rockers invade pavé.
Cycling Weekly: Roubaix bike special - Shoppers!

If only it were true. In reality it's for this:-



Which I saw while reading hipsternascar but is actually being promoted by fyxomatosis which I'll be visiting on a regular basis as the photo's are fantastic.

Either/Or

Either.
You're out on the bike.
Or.
You're sitting down to write (with varying degrees of literacy).
Yet while you're riding, you don't write and if you write while the sun shines, you aren't riding.

Dichotomy.

The sun has been shining so I've been riding. Laying down the base miles without actually getting too stressed about it, surprisingly. I found Swiss Hill having never been there before, miscalculated and ended up riding down it. After stopping to gather my fillings and put my eyes back in I decided to carry on rather than turn around and ride back up, as the ride would have become far to contrived for my liking preferring the loop to have some semblance of flow. I'll be returning on a regular basis to put this secteur to the sword.

Apparently the spring weather we've been experiencing is going to turn around and bite us, which is what I thought would happen at last years Roubaix. I was ready for the whole mud and guts, Hincapie falling in a ditch experience. I had thermals, goretex, wellies, the whole shooting match.

The weather was glorious sunshine, fresh breeze, but no need for the extreme weather gear. The wellies enjoyed their holiday to France, even if they didn't make it out of the car boot.

This weekends weather reminded me of last years raceday, surely the weather will have a hand to play after a good few years of sun and dust.

Cipo San Remo

I cross the line, arms aloft, sitting back in the saddle legs slightly splayed. For a second I was Cipo crossing the line of Milan-San Remo, only to open my eyes to find I've finished a session on the turbo in the garage. I realize I've actually got my arms outstretched , put em down, chuckle and wonder what I was thinking*.

La Primavera is soon upon us, bring on the big guns!



*This pretty much.

Il faire du vent

I thought it was windy this weekend but this puts it in perspective...

"There is something very unsettling about riding at 60 kph learned over at a 45 degree angle into the wind and your front wheel becoming airborne as you fighting to stay upright..."

Read more on Christian Meier's blog which should develop into an interesting read this year as he's riding for Garmin/Slipstream.

Ride.

Great photo. Leave your desk, get out and ride.

Don't know who took it, I'm guessing a Lotto photoshoot. I saw it while reading this.

Come on Legs, do your stuff!*

After a nights sleep interrupted by a howling gale driving torrential rain against our window, I expected to wake and find a washed out road system covered in storm debris. Nope, clear blue sky, dry road and a biting cold wind.

The weather was good, the wind was bad, my legs were worse.

Even so, a couple of hours with decent km covered, climbs made in bigger gears (even big ringed) and finding a beautiful (to look at, not to ride on) section of pavé that connects to a mini Muur, made it all worthwhile.

So not a bad ride really, once the suffering placed in context.

As a sidenote, my computer joined my legs in turning itself on and off throughout my ride, left me 'confused.com'

*Tribute to Rocket Ron Fawcett

Secret Rapha Product Update

As promised. Sorry if I got you all giddy.

Inspirational , I still watch the video clips and it happened weeks ago. Ridiculous.

Secret Rapha Product

I have inside information on a Rapha product not shown on their latest update yet tested on the Tour of California Ride.

All will be revealed later this week.

There went Two Minor Classics

A quick apology for anyone who followed my link for live coverage to find a blank live feed screen, of which no amount of refreshing seemed to cure. Seems like 'Geo-restriction' was to blame (what this means I have no idea but Al Gore will undoubtedly be making a film about it in the near future).

I (like you) didn't manage to see any live footage of Het Volk/Niewsblad* and could've kicked myself on Sunday when I remembered to use cyclingfans to springboard to a French feed of Belgian footage (confused yet?). Why didn't I think of this on Saturday?

Velopix has a few photos from the weekend which portray Belgian racing in a simple honest fashion.

Man, Machine, Cobble, Hill.




*delete as applicable according to ability to embrace change (Het Volk sounds better doesn't it though).