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Comments - The two best bike racing articles you've never read
May 22, 2009
The era I started cycling was even worse for news, early seventies. I actually had a subscription to Miroir du Cyclisme and would buy International Cycle Sport at Cupertino Bike Shop from Spence Wolf for english continental racing news. Speaking of the Columbian participation at the Tour de France, I had the opportunity to build all the team bicycles for that initial participation by Luis Herrera and the Columbian team in 1984. They rode "tout Mavic" Vitus bicycles.
- REG, San Francisco
May 22, 2009
Aspro...
That's just too funny.....
- Steve, La Selva
May 21, 2009
After LeMond's thrilling 1989 Tour victory, the World Championships followed in late August, and despite the heightened awareness of the sport, I was forced to call the AP Newsdesk and plead to get the results of the road race. Standing in the hallway of the Wine Press restaurant, I heard, (over the pay phone!), from a sympathetic journalist that LeMond had won the race over Sean Kelly and Konyshev. This news was only 20 hours old, and I felt privy to one of the most exciting conclusions to a cycling year. Despite still spotty television coverage, now we can see races that were just exotic sounding locales back in 1989. Only recently have I seen the Milan San Remo's Cipressa or the Flandrian climb in Geerardsbergen, which were once only still images in my memory.
- Nathan Scot, Dallas
May 21, 2009
Since we just got off topic, check out the Craft underwear article provided by our own beloved Competitive Cyclist in the Specials Apparel section. This article will one day find itself in the Best Underwear article you've never read. Some great writing!
- Mark, Roswell, Ga
May 21, 2009
Totally off topic, Carlos Sastre beat Lance Armstrong in a time trail, wow !
- Jomo, Maplewood,NJ
May 21, 2009
Wow modern day Lemond is close to twice the size of the 80's Lemond, I used to love the guy, but unfortunately he has lost a lot of his luster in recent years with his negative antics, and I am not even talking about the Lance stuff
- Michael, Boulder, CO
May 21, 2009
I read the Rolling Stone article in the day and that was the reason I started riding......as Jock Boyer said on CBS "It is not a race, it is a death march"
- Mike, Calgary AB
May 21, 2009
I remember both these articles. It's funny that you mention the NYT's national edition. For the summer of 85 and 86 I was on the beach in Cape Cod and it was always a crap shoot as whether theTimes had the day before's TDF standings (top 10 GC and stage only) or a short thumbnail sized article by the AP or Sam Abt. What a great period to be a fan Lemond vs Hinault on the same team! Riders actually had bad days back then! Thank you EPO for ruing the party....
- Niko, New York
May 21, 2009
Thanks for this article and the perspective it provides. Great timing.
- Neal, Chapel Hill,NC
May 20, 2009
Great to hear a mention of Lucho and the Cafe De Colombia team, even if its only as a result of their legs appearing on this article. So few Americans seem to remember that amazing era of Colombian cycling, when they dominated the mountains and came out of nowhere, with tiny teams and no budgets. In the first tour they did, their cars were partially staffed by their own mothers!
Cafe De Colombia is a cycling sponsor once again (after 17 years), and Lucho is involved in the development of the squad. Their goal is to have the team be invited to the Vuelta in 2010. If any of you can read spanish, enjoy the following article. By the way, that's Lucho (still a national hero) pictured behind the Juan Valdez actor.
http://www.eltiempo.com/deportes/ciclismo/ARTICULO-WEB-PLANTILLA_NOTA_INTERIOR-5030547.html
- sleeper, Pittsburgh, PA
May 19, 2009
Information paucity to information overload in the time it can take to proverbially climb the Col du Tourmalet.
- peter, sydney
May 19, 2009
Think you had it tough in the US in the 80's? I was in the Peace Corps in Fiji trying to keep up with all things cycling! I made my mother mail me every cycling magazine she could find! I read those ravenously from cover to cover several times trying to glean every morsel I could! The kid's in the village just couldn't understand the concept of the bicycle (we lived up a river with no roads!). Once back in the US I remember hitting bike shops regularly for Velonews as soon as it arrived to get stage results for the Tour, Giro, etc. I really like modern technology!!! As soon as I awoke this morning I logged onto my computer to see that DiLuca won today's stage...how cool is that!
- James, Portland, OR
May 19, 2009
This is great!!!! I would argue that while twitter is new and exciting, the riders need to take a breath before they post. How many times have you felt one thing immediately after a race only to ponder it and come up with a different and ultimate conclusion later? With that said, back in the 80s you had to work to be a fan of cycling and I miss the comraderie that seems to be missing as of late. Thanks for the post!
- Tom, DC
May 19, 2009
thanks for sharing. Makes me like badgers more.
- mrg, sf
May 18, 2009
I think still have the National Geographic issue. Does anybody remember the Sport Illustrated article on Lemond from 83? It was titled "Huck Finn with legs of steel" I must have read that a dozen times.
- Mike, SD
May 18, 2009
Bravo. Thanks for conjuring up some wonderful nostalgia. Lemond and Hinault kickin' back in white track suits...how utterly cool is that? Love today's instant access to the Euro racing scene via the internet but think the era of delayed gratification made Hinault, Lemond, Fignon, Saronni, Moser, et al seem just that much more larger-than-life. Honestly, can cycling ever again have heroes of this stature if every swinging dick that turns a crank wants to twitter the world about the most mundane bits of minutiae (e.g, "their pre-race dump")?
- PawleeWalnutz, NYC
May 18, 2009
i think greg never really got over being the odd guy out - very entitled, even then.
- tyler, little rock
May 18, 2009
Arrghh! My mom threw away my mint collection of about two years of mid-80's winning magazines when she moved. Winning was the best cycling magazines out there. Hands down.
- Eric, Cin-City
May 18, 2009
I guess I'm not weird for saving my 1984,85,86 issues of Nashbar and performance! Ahhh.. Winning was soo cool! I would call a friend in Italy to get Tour De France updates. I understand.
- Jim, Troy,N.Y.
May 18, 2009
These are fantastic!
I still remember an article on Winning, I think, by Davis Phinney, about his dad suggesting he could win any race he wanted..., with only one caveat, he needed to pick and choose which one.
- Eloy, Brooklyn
May 18, 2009
There should be another "S" on the back of the Peugot in the last picture from the Natl Geo article.
- Greg, LA
May 18, 2009
Bravo! I, too, am a child of the Grewal/Twigg/Carpenter-Phinney(s). I remember looking for the small box score of the obscure european race in the Chicago Tribune. Never mind that old "Oui" discarded on the side of the road, these articles fueled my teen years....Thanks for bringing it back!
- Eric , Fayetteville, NC
May 18, 2009
Wooo, full download link! Thanks!
- Liam, NYC
May 18, 2009
I'm of the same vintage. I couldn't wait to get the Winning recap issues of the grand tours despite their out-of-date-ness. I still have several of the oversized TdF ones, including '89 edition -- now autographed by Greg Lemond himself. I wasn't aware of these articles and look forward to reading them. Thanks!
- Jay, Needham
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