Inside the '86 La Vie Claire Team: a Talk With Andy Hampsten

Road Bike Action approached Padraig to write an analysis of the potential for conflict within the Astana team by comparing the scenario Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador face with the conflict between Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault in 1986 on La Vie Claire. Naturally, he needed to talk to someone who had a ringside seat for the fireworks: Andy Hampsten. Padraig used quotes from this interview in the feature, but it was too long to run in print and it was just too good not to give readers the whole thing.

Check out the RBA feature in the issue on newsstands now, or order a subscription here.

Padraig: At what point did you realize that Hinault planned to ride for himself? Was there any indication before Stage 12?

Andy: I thought all were on plan for La Vie Claire to tear apart all the other teams before we hit the mountains. Hinault took off on the first mountain stage. On that day we went over the Marie Blanc first, the group had 3 LVC riders and maybe 15 others. Hinault was doing hard tempo in the group to keep it going. I asked LeMond why he would be doing that, Greg didn't know. So I went to the front and asked Hinault if he wanted me to pull, he grunted something affirmative, his sarcasm was lost on my meager French.


Padraig: It has often been said that only you and Steve Bauer supported LeMond. The French riders all rode for Hinault, while the Swiss riders Rutimann and Winterberg attempted to remain neutral. Is that your memory of the team's split?

Andy: Very true. The Swiss riders loved everyone and were neutral, Ruttimann was a great and loyal rider who made a career out of being indispensable to Hinault on his traditional bad day in the mountains.

Jean Francois Bernard was Hinault's lapdog. The younger French rider [Philippe Leleu] was up to his neck just trying to make it through his first Tour. The veterans Alain Vigneron and Charles Berard were lobbied by Hinault to help against Greg, but I can't think of a thing they could have done to damage Greg. JF would do hard tempo to set Hinault up to attack, like on the day into St. Etienne when Hinault went away with Stephen Roche, and Bauer and I had to chase him down. That hurt, it was the first and last time I had to chase a teammate.

I worried a bit about myself when I had a flat on one of the last days. I was only the third man on the team in GC, so I was a domestique, but i was in the white jersey and 4th place.

When I flatted the pack was going all out on rolling hills. I was able to neutralize any attack I went with, so I had been active and really didn't want to be left behind with a mechanical.

I was near the front when I flatted, but neither Swiss rider saw me and Steve Bauer didn't either. I figured I was on my own and knew even with our car being first in line and my legs being good I would suffer getting back to the front, and that made me bitter about the team being divided.

As soon as I got a wheel and was making my way up to speed I saw Alain and Charly right in front of me. They got me to the front of the peloton in record time and I could only give them a quick merci before I was jumping into attacks again.

After the stage I went to their rooms and thanked them for the help, and made it clear that I understood that they were likely going to suffer Hinault's wrath for helping me out. And that I appreciated them being cool to me with all the fratricide among the team.

They let me babble on for a while and said "No problems. Your prize money for 4th and the White Jersey will come out to be 130,000 French francs, why wouldn't we help you?"



Padraig: How tense were meal times?

Andy: Tense, we were working hard and having a blast in the first half of the race, the supper table was were we would share tales and young riders like myself could learn a lot.

It was acute on the evening after Superbagneres. Greg had just pulled back his deficit on Bernard that day, and Messr. Tapie had helicoptered in to "take command of the situation." He met with Greg, then Bernard that night and all of the team was looking forward to the tension being resolved. That didn't happen.

Tapie sauntered into the dining room with both Izod collars pointing up, the riders were seated with the French guys at one end of the table, the North Americans on another, and the 2 Swiss guys in the middle. It was tense. Greg cannot not have fun for more than 5 minutes. Tapie had been blathering for 5 minutes so we all understood nothing was going to change. Then Greg asked him loudly:

"Hey Bernard. Now that Andy has the white jersey will he get your Porsche if he wears it to Paris?"

(Tapie had very publicly announced that J.F. Bernard would be awarded his Porsche 911 when he won the best young rider white jersey category.)

That sure as hell got some laughs from our end of the table. Needless to say I didn't get the car.


Padraig: When you attacked on the climb up Superbagneres, how confident were you that the outcome would be a stage win by LeMond with him taking the yellow jersey? Did you fear any reprisal within the team?

Andy: I was sure LeMond would win the stage, and we knew that Hinault had cracked, which happened often to Hinault and was a day his rivals always hoped for.

He was dropped with the initial attacks on the easy slopes below Superbagneres. I followed Robert Millar up to the 5 leaders, and could see LeMond was twitching with energy but everyone else was keying off of him. I was near empty but understood Greg needed things stirred up so he could launch a real attack. Robert and I caught them just as the road turned right onto a steeper pitch. I attacked off his wheel and past the leaders before they really knew we had come back to them. I gave Greg a look without the capital L as we went past so he knew I was going up the road for him.
Breukink and Zimmerman had to chase me, and Greg launched off that to join me. I pulled him as much as I could for a couple of ks then blew.

Interestingly, the team car with the director sportif Koechli came up to me before Greg bridged up. I thought I was going to get an earful and have to explain I was just up the road to help Greg, and started doing so when the car was next to me. I was shocked when Paul told me to stop worrying and ride! "Andy, there is no reason this team doesn't want YOU to win the Tour! Greg and Bernard are fighting over who gets to win, and having you take the jersey will stop them arguing."

That was the greatest compliment of my career, and I wasn't even thinking of winning the stage because I knew I had already been dropped and I was racing with empty legs.

The team was Koechli's. He explained that all the drama from '85 when Greg had to wait for Bernard was simply that the team started the day with 1st and 2nd in GC. When Greg attacked and was joined by Roche the team told him could not work with Roche. If he could attack and win solo that was OK. But the team would not allow him to work with Roche and out the team in 1st and 3rd at the end of the stage.

I don't doubt Greg's version that he was deceived about where Hinault was during the stage to discourage him from riding hard. But I agree that a racer in 2nd can't work with an opponent in 3rd to move them both ahead one place.



Padraig: Who was really the head of the team: Koechli or Tapie?

Andy: Koechli, but Hinault was riding his own race.


Padraig: Who was the diplomat who worked to keep things as calm as possible? Koechli?

Andy: Koechli did a great job with a tough situation. Hinault's aggressive racing destroyed Zimmerman and anyone else who thought they might take a shot at the lead. So the team was free to fight over which rider would win.


Padraig: The '86 Tour is legendary for its attrition rate, with 38% of the field failing to finish. Notable among them was temporary poka-dot Robert Millar. Compared to other races of the era, did anyone--including Zimmerman--seem truly competitive against LeMond and Hinault?

Andy: Zimmerman was a very strong and consistent racer with a good team. Fignon was amazingly stupid early in the race trying to out Hinault our team by using Hinault's intimidation tactics. He would have his guys hammer at the front when there would be a hint of cross wind. La Vie Claire would be just behind then snickering. Never swing a small stick.

This was mid '80s, Italians would stay home or wish they had, and Spaniards were not a big force yet. Everyone else was pretty far back, and I was 4th so it was easy for me to control everyone behind myself. Zimmerman did a great race, but he was completely out gunned.


Padraig: La Vie Claire placed four riders in the top 10 on GC at the race's finish, making the team prize inevitable. By the race's end, was there much of a sense of accomplishment or even elation?

Andy: I was happy! We took every jersey but the points. Ruttiman and Bernard won stages to add the Greg and Bernard's collection.

J.F. Bernard was given Tapie's Porsche as soon as he won a stage. I guess that is why Tapie was thought of as such a good business manager.

After the race we went to a reception for Greg at the American Embassy, located just behind the finish line on the Champs Elysée. Good food, pleasant interns, very humble French dignitaries, and worth the visit for the 19th century American West art alone. The team then celebrated with a traditional French Spectacle: Steak, frites and poor wine in a club followed by 6 hours of mostly naked, far too energetic dancers performing on stage.

Paris, France, 1986 with the King of Cycling and the Bad Boy Winner. And we celebrate by sitting down watching other people dance until our butts spasmed with cramps. What a wasted opportunity after 26 days of great racing.

Read Andy's previous BKW interview here.

Images courtesy John Pierce, Photosport International

The Jonathan Vaughters Interview, Part III

In Part III of our interview with Jonathan Vaughters we talk with him about his relationship with sponsors, equipment choice, his taste in wine and why he's the star of the show with his team.

BKW: The team is continuing to work with Felt, Shimano, Zipp and CycleOps for the '09 season. We've heard that you've been pushing your equipment sponsors to reduce the weight of their products even further. Given that your riders are on 900g frames with full Dura-Ace, aren't your bikes already at the UCI-mandated weight limit?

JV: Once you get to the weight limit, then you are dealing with the handling and aerodynamics. The Cyclops adds an informational aspect.

I’d say most of our sponsors don’t like us much as a team. We don’t just say, ‘Thanks for the check, see you next year.’ We press, squeeze, complain and suggest. They’ll get real feedback about their product. Fact is, we’re a pain in the ass. The riders know to give honest feedback.

Our sponsors, we hurt their feelings, but at the end of the day the products supplied to this team are going to be empirically better than what other teams are being supplied. I need everyone to believe we are pushing as hard as possible to give our riders and sponsors the belief that we are doing everything ethically possible to win. We are maximizing every opportunity to give these riders the resources to win races while riding clean. We’ve left no stone unturned.

The implicit message and the explicit message have to absolutely match. This is an anti-doping team. We’re going to do X,Y and Z to prepare to win this race. When this race comes we’re going to go out there and and do our best to win. But it’s bike racing, so we can’t ensure a win. We can’t guarantee a perfect race, so we do the next best thing: Perfection in the process. You do what you can to win but you don’t do anything over the line.

Felt's AR road bike (courtesy Felt Bicycles)

BKW: Will each rider have either an F or Z series road bike, an AR aero road bike and a DA time trial bike?

JV: That’s it exactly. Every rider gets a choice of Felt’s F or Z frame. And then every rider gets an AR aero road bike and a DA for the time trials.

BKW: Who decides, and under what conditions do you decide when to ride the aero frame rather than a standard road frame?

JV: It’s up to the rider. I’ll make recommendations. With the AR, it’s a little heavier but not much. It’s got more stiffness vertically than laterally. You’re not going to get the best traction on bumpy corners. It’s ideal for less hilly courses on smoother roads. If I were a racer in the US, that’s all I’d use. You rarely have a course hilly enough or bumpy enough to call for the other frame.

BKW: I noticed from some photos you seem to have a taste for Chateauneuf du Pape and wines of the Southern Rhone. What are some of your other favorite wine regions?

JV: My favorite Chateauneuf du Papes are from Chateau Rayas. They do an excellent vin de pays, Domaine des Tour. It’s the perfect $20 bottle for pizza.

I like Burgundies; I’m less versed in Burgundy, though. My tastes tend to go toward the more feminine, elegant, earth-driven wines. I’m not really into the big blockbusters. I’m not that big on Napa Cabs. There is a vintner is Ventura County of all places, Sine Qua Non, I really love what they do. A very detail-oriented approach to their winemaking. I tend to go for more the traditional, more biodynamic. Rayas is biodynamic.

One of the things I enjoy is how you learn to enjoy the differences between the different wines rather than the qualities of the wines themselves.

I won’t drink wine just to drink it. I want to have something I’ll enjoy. I’ll try anything though. I ordered a bottle of wine one night with the team and it wasn’t very good. The guys were like, ‘See you don’t know anything about wine!’ And I said, ‘Hey, I just ordered it off the menu.’ It’s fun to branch out.

BKW: Given how busy you are with the team, how much do you still get to ride?

JV: I don’t ride if it’s cold. I haven’t done a ride over four hours in eight months. An hour, hour and a half three to four times a week. I’m doing a lot of skiing with my son Charlie. I like Vail, Winterpark, I’ll go anywhere. I really like Telluride and Aspen, but they make a weekend trip a little pricey. I got to ski a bunch in St. Moritz last year. Any time I went to Milan, like when I went over for the presentation of the Giro route, I’d schedule an extra day and take the train up to St. Moritz. It was fantastic skiing.


BKW: More than any of your riders, you are the public face for Team Garmin/Slipstream; why do you suppose that is?

JV: I mean, for the time being, yes, yes I am. But the symbol that I’ve succeeded will be when that’s no longer true. Hopefully, Christian blows me out of the water as the team figurehead. Once that happens I can say, ‘Now I know I’ve done my job right.’

BKW: Any final thoughts?

JV: You’ve covered everything in my brain.

Finis

Images courtesy John Pierce, Photosport International

The Jonathan Vaughters Interview, Part II

In Part II of our interview with Jonathan Vaughters we discuss the team's objectives for 2009, leadership at the Grand Tours and the enigma known as Tom Danielson.

BKW: What are the team's biggest objectives for 2009?

JV: It sounds overly optimistic, but our effort with the riders and staff is to win the Tour de France. We realize that is a dark horse scenario. The point is we see it’s a possibility. Contador is the best stage racer in the world right now. For us to go head-to-head with him, we have to create enough of an advantage in the two time trials where Christian has a large advantage and then limit losses, limit losses. Contador is hard. Schleck is hard. We have a great TTT squad.


If Christian were to win the Tour de France, it wouldn’t be a specatuclar win, lots of steady Eddie, lots of 4ths and 5ths on mountain stages. Contador can make extremely violent accelerations on climbs. Christian can’t match those, but he can maintain a very high, very steady pace. He just has to ride his own pace.

BKW: Team Garmin/Slipstream is going to face increased competition at the '09 Tour de France with the presence of both Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong, not to mention Levi Leipheimer. What will you do differently from '08 in your quest to put Christian Vande Velde in the yellow jersey?

JV: It seems like everyone is changing to our program. They are all shifting to doing the Giro before the Tour. I don’t think with Christian we’re going to change a whole lot. He’s going to the Giro but more importantly, he has a greater sense of confidence about his ability and he’s at a higher level of fitness.

We can do the Dauphine and Tour de Suisse with other riders. Dan Martin and David Millar can do a more traditional run-up to the Tour. We’d really like to win the team time trial. We’d also like to have a climber up there with Christian in the mountains. And we might take some guys that people might not expect. Svein Tuft, because of his time trialing ability, could end up at the Tour.

BKW: Now that the team is in the ProTour, you're going to field teams at each of the three Grand Tours. If Vande Velde will be the team's leader at the Tour, who are your likely leaders for the Giro and the Vuelta?

JV: It goes back to our base of where we can win. The Giro starts with a TTT and we want to get the pink jersey and defend it a little longer. Christian could lead at the Giro.

The Vuelta: David Millar really wants to go there. He wants a chance to repeat some of the stage wins he’s had at the Vuelta in the past. He’s doing the Tour/Vuelta double and skipping the Giro. We’ll be trying out some of our new climbers—stars of the future—at the Vuelta.


BKW: Let's talk about Tom Danielson. He's a rider who has possessed immense potential, and while he was able to win nearly anything here in America, he hasn't enjoyed any significant success in Europe. Factoring out injuries and illness, it seems he should have been able to achieve more than his resume shows. Why is that?

JV: I think Tom is a little bit of a victim of his own expectations and the expectations of his fans and the press. He immediately started winning shorter stage races in the US. In bigger, faster-moving pelotons he’s had a lot of trouble.

Tom’s a pretty high-strung person. He wants to win for himself but he also wants to win to meet the expectations of others. He is a people pleaser, and it quickly spirals down when he doesn’t feel like he’s pleasing others. He began wondering why he was racing a bike. I had to wait until he hit bottom before we could rebuild him as a bike racer.

He has a very unique physiology. He says he’s 15% Eskimo. We’ve done tests and he does not utilize fat very well. He was burning sugar almost exclusively. When you burn sugar you become more acidic and after three and a half, four hours, he really couldn’t perform at the same level as he did one hour in. He couldn’t do anything at the end of a six hour race.

So I said, ‘We gotta teach you to burn fat as fuel. How well do you produce power after six hours and three or four 20-30 minute efforts?’

Tom had to work on his ability to burn fat. We completely changed his diet. We moved him away from the standard carbohydrates. He was eating a lot of nuts, a lot of protein and guacamole. For the first two months he was bonking on every ride. He was cursing me on every ride. Now he’s up to six hour rides not finishing all the Clif bars in his pockets.

He’s really professional, and he has really put his heart in it. He can be a really good, solid, quality bike rider and have success on this team. I think it really showed at the Tour of Missouri. There was a stage in which he was the last guy with Christian and was really able to keep it together for him. He’s turned his attitude around.

End Part II

Images courtesy John Pierce, Photosport International

The Jonathan Vaughters Interview, Part I

Most teams have managers, leaders, directors but almost never is the driving force behind a racing program called the mastermind. Jonathan Vaughters is that rare guy to whom that moniker is frequently attached. It denotes a deliberate nature and a degree of planning that seemingly leaves nothing to chance. His big picture view of cycling, the doping problem, how the elements of a team come together to cultivate success or destroy morale is on its way to becoming legendary.

He is a man with a finely honed sensibility about all he comes in contact with. Rather than relying on rules and regulations to inform his actions his ethical standards which are guided by his own internal moral compass have helped breathe new life into the pro peloton and riders—both neo and veterans—are turning to him in the hopes that his management might give the sport a new lease.

The fast-talking Denver native took some time to talk with BKW prior to a team training camp. This is the first of a three-part interview.

BKW: You've been quoted saying that your team should have tried to win more last year. How did the team perform relative to your expectations?

JV: Well that wasn’t quite what I said. My meaning was that there were a lot of races where the only thing that stopped us from winning the race was we were so happy being there that we didn’t really take the initiative to try to win. Take Roubaix, Martijn was at the back of the group of seven when Boonen, Cancellara and Ballan broke away. When I asked him about why he didn’t go with them—not that he did anything wrong per se—he said, ‘I thought I was tired and didn’t think I could.’ But 10k later he was strong enough to drop his group. Who knows what would have happened if he’d had a little more confidence.


The bigger example is the second rest day of the Tour de France, I recommended a four hour training ride. Christian said, ‘I don’t want to ride that much. Tomorrow’s a big mountain stage.’ He wasn’t confident to do a four hour training ride and be fresh for the next day. But that little bit, that extra sharpness in the legs is that last 3% that makes the difference in being with the leaders on the stage. The next day was the stage over the Bonette, when he got dropped. If you subtract that stage out of the Tour de France … run the math backward and he could very well have won the Tour de France. As a team leader that last 3% makes all the difference.

So in the final analysis, we lacked a little bit of confidence. We overlooked the opportunity to win. We went into the season with expectations of a fair-to-middlin’ team and didn’t think we’d be one of the better teams. I think now, if you look at the last half of the year the team was one that could go and take charge of a race and get the win. Before, there were a lot of opportunities where we just didn’t know how to win.

BKW: Obviously Saxo Bank, Astana and Columbia have undertaken anti-doping efforts similar to Team Garmin/Slipstream, but there are many teams that haven't undertaken the same degree of effort to ensure their riders are clean. Did the positives of Kohl and Schumacher at Gerolsteiner surprise you?

JV: Surprised of course, shocked no. When you institute new tests you are going to snag guys in that snare. I know Hans Michael Holczer and think he has a strong anti-doping ethos, but I was surprised when he criticized our and other teams’ internal screening efforts. All of these screening programs are instituted because we have the financial ability to do something a sanctioning body can’t do. There is no choice here; this has to be done now or the sport will die.

We, as teams, can move much faster than a governing body to implement new solutions to try and ensure clean racing. At the end of the day the success of our team and Columbia shows this sport, as a whole, is much cleaner. It’s a slow shift in the mentality of the riders and managers, but I think that shift has been made. The old mentality of, ‘You can’t succeed without doping’—that environment has passed. Columbia certainly made their mark all year.

Compared to how much the public and press knew about doping in the '90s, the situation is quite different now. Back then much less was publicly known. Now the public and the press overestimate how much doping is going on, so I think the situation has reversed itself to a great degree. Maybe in a year or two the perception on the part of the public and press will be more in line with how much doping there actually is in the sport.


BKW: Do you think other teams will take up your approach this year?

JV: Cofidis has some sort of program in place and Fuji Servetto wants to have some sort of system in place and Liquigas is doing something and Basso has some individual program of his own.

It doesn’t matter why a team is doing it. End of the day if they’re screening, it’s a good faith effort. The motivation ‘why’ isn’t important. If they’re doing it and it’s working and it’s making the sport cleaner, then it’s good.

BKW: Do you think it will be enough for teams to rely on the biological passport system?

JV: Yeah, I think it will be. What people don’t understand is the biological passport system has come under criticism prematurely. It takes time to generate all the data necessary for a full blood profile. We’re still in the relatively early stages of gathering that data on many riders. Internal independent systems are meant as a way to bridge the gap to the day when the passport will be all we need.

But we definitely need the UCI and WADA and USADA. I can’t, as an employer, suspend my rider for two years. As far as my rights go is to bench a rider temporarily if I think something is off. For this to work, the UCI needs more information and tighter margins of error. At that point, they’ll be able to focus on the athletes delivering abnormal results. By 2010 the internal systems may be obsolete. Do I worry about other teams that aren’t doing the testing we are? No. I can see these other systems like Catlin’s and Damsgaard’s folding into the passport system and them and their services becoming contractors to it. The passport system needed a little more time to operate before criticism began. I’m confident it will work.


BKW: During your career your great successes came as a climber and time trialist. Team Garmin/Slipstream is composed primarily of climbers and time trialists. Is it fair to say that the team is made in your own image?

JV: Honestly, climbing as a little bit of our weakness. With sprinting I see Cavendish and Benatti as such dominant sprinters and so dominant that spending the money on a sprinter might not be worth it. Now we do have guys like Julian, who can get over some of the climbs that other sprinters can’t handle with the lead group, but he’s a strong all-around rider. Our sprinters like Julian, Sutton and Farrar are multitalented riders. I think in the next year Tyler Farrar could become one of the best prologue riders in the world.

I saw time trialing as an area where we could win. We’re more creative and more driven to eke out the last few seconds’ advantage. We can push the wind tunnel testing, our equipment sponsors, our training thanks to Allen Lim to get the most out of that kind of racing. Where we’re suited best and the strengths of our sponsors, is in time trialing.

With climbing, Contador and Sastre are extremely expensive; we couldn’t afford them, so I went to young unproven guys like Dan Martin to develop them and hopefully keep them as they develop, when I have the money in the bank account. Climbing is our long-term game.

End Part I

Images courtesy John Pierce, Photosport International

The Burden of Being BSNYC

Bike Snob NYC is one of those rare blogs that combines wit with an acidic sense of propriety masquerading as humor. You can search the blogs on music, politics, cars or World of Warcraft and you aren’t likely to find a greater moral outrage over more minor infractions than on BSNYC. Not since The Washingtonienne has a blog utilized more pixels in its quest to skewer targets.

For every person I meet who likes BSNYC, I meet another who finds the blog harsh, mean-spirited and not reflective of the average cyclist’s views.

When I was in second grade I read a short story about a monk who was given a vision of heaven. Angels gave him this glimpse of the afterlife as a reward for his piety, but his return to daily life was hell itself. In his glimpse of life behind the pearly gates, he heard music. Music the angels make to serenade God himself. The sound was pure, without dissonance and a beauty so haunting that it lasted in the listener’s mind the way a taste of fine wine lingers on the tongue.

On the monk’s return to our waking life, music was ruined for him. Even the greatest symphonies were cruel taunts barely hinting at what beauty was truly possible. He hated music.

I think the same thing happened to BSNYC. I think he got a vision of cycling in heaven. How else can you explain such a finely honed sense of style.

Even the gentlest, most forgiving roadie knows there is a PRO way to do things and a NOT way to do things. You take your turn at the front. You don’t spit into the wind. You don’t show up with tube socks. You don’t turn your bike into a piece of art. You show respect for the riders around you. And sometimes you chuckle at the clueless.

One can be forgiven for imagining BSNYC hasn't shared the road with a knowledgeable rider since the advent of indexed shifting. He suffers hell here on earth. We decided to interview him to find out why.

BKW: You have a finely honed sense of roadie style. What riders exemplify your sense of proper style?

BSNYC: Hard to say. Proper style varies from race to race and from decade to decade. You know--Grand Tour style vs. classics style vs. crit style. It even varies from body type to body type. You just know it when you see it.

Helmets have pretty much killed style in road cycling anyway. Not that I have anything against helmets, mind you, but let's be honest. Cycling looked better before helmets.

BKW: A lot of being a good rider is basic consideration: not being a squirrel in the pack, blowing your nose down and not out, pointing out road debris. As crimes against cycling go, is there anything that offends you more than lack of consideration?

BSNYC: I think one of the biggest crimes in cycling is whining. I see this in people who yell "Close that gap!" or "Pull through!" all race long, or who get angry at others, or who make excuses and look for someone else to blame when they don't get a result. If you want a gap closed, close it yourself or keep quiet. Bragging is another unforgivable crime. Strong cyclists never need to brag. You brag with your legs. Road riding is about class, and class is the absence of whining and bragging.

BKW: Is there anything about your own riding or personal sense of style about which you are sensitive?

BSNYC: I'm pretty comfortable in my own skin. I have no illusions about my abilities, I love to ride and race, and I'm happy being pack-fill.

BKW: It seems one of your pet peeves is practicality, that is, anything a cyclist uses ought to make sense. How do you define practical?

BSNYC: What's practical obviously varies from discipline to discipline, but what drives me crazy in all cases is when vanity trumps common sense. On the road, a good example is the person doing a Sunday group ride on a $2,000 tubular wheelset. If you've got the cash you can afford training wheels. Practicality is using the right tool for the right job. Save the jewels for the ball--don't wear them to the bar.

BKW: The subtext of your posts, the way I read them, is that those cyclists you write about are missing an opportunity to enjoy all the sport has to offer. Do you despair that those cyclists will learn how it's done?

BSNYC: Well, of course I understand that some people enjoy different aspects of cycling than I do, so it would be wrong of me to say somebody else is missing the point. At the same time, though, I do think people who become hyper-focussed on certain elements of the sport do sometimes miss out. This goes for me too, by the way. As cyclists, we're a very anal species, and we need to be careful not to get too obsessive. We need to look out for each-other! That's part of the reason I often make jokes about getting hung up on your equipment, or on training, and why I try to make light of our tendency to take this whole thing too seriously. Because getting too obsessed with training or upgrading or being overly fastidious about your bike is a great way to waste time, energy, and money that could be better put towards enjoying yourself on your bike. We need to let go sometimes and remember to have fun.

BKW: Shouldn't it be enough that if a cyclist is having fun, then they must be doing it right?

BSNYC: Absolutely.

BKW: What does cycling in heaven look like?

BSNYC: New York with better weather.

Tradition vs. Technology

Paris Roubaix is a race steeped in tradition. Every chapter in the race's history sees common threads woven throughout, and this lays the foundation for Paris Roubaix's timeless appeal. Almost every other race in the PRO calendar has been touched by the hand of modern bicycle technologies. A look at the Tour de France reveals high-tech machines taking advantage of the most advanced technologies available to the manufacturing world—an engineer's showcase of the thinnest, lightest, and fastest—an envelope pushed so far that the UCI has a specific rule in place in an attempt to keep things safe.
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The race's tradition extends far beyond the route, the stones, or the concrete showers, rather the tradition extends into the mindset of the riders themselves. Many understand that the race is comprised of unpredictable events and the fastest way to a win is to limit as many unknowns as possible.

A walk though the start village in Compiègne illustrates the different strategies of the teams. Some teams and riders opt for cantilever brakes, others the standard road calipers. Some go for double tape, the 23, 25, 27, 28mm tires, and suspension forks. The list of Roubaix-specific accoutrement is as long as the line at the espresso tents. However, there is one gear selection that remains almost unanimous among teams: the decision to ride "traditional wheels".

The term "traditional" is used by many of the teams to describe the traditional, 32-hole hub, three cross spoke pattern and "low profile" rim with a tubular tire glued to it. Over the years and with all the developments in wheel technology, it is fascinating that the wheel choice for Roubaix remains a "low-tech" option.

Undoubtedly, the high-tech players are in hot pursuit of a seat at the Roubaix table. Zipp, for example, has been hard at work developing a deep section carbon wheel capable of delivering all the performance characteristics against the wind, while continuing to be able to handle the stones. Most recently, the CSC team has been spotted at Flanders with a deep section, rear wheel, and a traditional front.

(BKW has spent some time speaking with the folks at Zipp; stay tuned for a future post featuring Zipp's experiences at the Classics and the future of a deep-section carbon Roubaix wheel.)

For more information on the traditional wheel approach, we placed a call to BKW friend and PRO mechanic George Noyes. As a recap, George turned wrenches for cycling's best and did his time in the trenches for 7-Eleven, Motorola, Cofidis, and Mapei. George has built enough wheels in his career to fill a stadium and included in his builds are wheels that carried the Lion himself to victory at Roubaix.

When speaking about the traditional wheel style with George, it becomes immediately evident that he remains passionate about wheel building and he respects the love and attention to detail so common among traditionally constructed wheels. Although the options for wheel building seem endless, the builds at Roubaix all seem to be alike.

A wheel for Roubaix needs to deliver overall durability, lateral stiffness, and the ability to absorb impact. George confirmed that in the years before deep section, carbon wheels, mechanics often built the wheels with lower spoke tension to give the wheel a softer ride. Today, however, George notes that riders prefer their wheels built with a higher spoke tension because most are accustomed to the ride quality of today's high tension wheels.

An interesting side note regarding the wheels for Roubaix: George recalls, the mechanics always pulled the oldest wheels first. Back in those days, the traditional wheelset was the only wheelset. The Mapei team used the oldest wheels on the truck for Roubaix and, quite simply, Roubaix would be the final ride for these wheels, prompting immediate retirement upon removal from the bike. The team's star riders would always begin Roubaix on a new set of wheels.

Here is a quick glance at the wheel builds for Johan and team:

Front Wheel
Rim: Ambrosio Nemesis 32 hole
Hub: Shimano Dura Ace 32 hole
Spokes: Sapim or DT (Aero when available*)
Tire: Vittoria
Build: 3X with lower tension in spokes

Rear Wheel
Rim: Ambrosio Nemesis 32 hole
Hub: Shimano Dura Ace 32 hole
Spokes: Sapim or DT (Aero then tied and soldered)
Tire: Vittoria
Build: 3X with lower tension in spokes

* Aero spokes were an expensive option and despite the Mapei budget, they were not always available to the mechanics.

Tire pressure remains as much art as science. According to George, the ideal tire pressure for the Roubaix course walks a very fine line, balancing enough pressure to keep the rider above the stones and low enough that the bike feels stable and provides shock absorption. Like cyclocross, tire pressure is considered too high if the rider doesn't frequently bounce off the rim.

The best riders have mastered the art of riding "lightly" enough that they can run a ridiculously low pressure without puncturing. Typical pressure for the Mapei riders hovered around 5 3/4 bars (83 PSI) for the rear and a shockingly low 5 bars (72 PSI) in the front. "The lower the pressure, the more stable the bike is over the stones," notes George.

During our talks, George laughed as he recalled Museeuw's tendency to bleed out air prior to the start of Roubaix. This served as an outlet for nervous energy and the best were always pushing the envelope, seeking the lowest possible pressure. "I used to threaten to glue the valves closed so Johan could not change the pressure," says George.

The traditional wheel set-up has been a part of Roubaix's history since the first race back in 1896. Although developments in wheel design have grown exponentially in the last few years (and some are Roubaix specific), Roubaix appears to be a race where the PROs themselves fear leaving anything to chance and the fear of embracing technology comes from a traditional mindset trusting a traditional wheelset.

The wheels featured in the photos above were built by the skilled hands of George and bound for Max Van Heeswijk's Willems Veranda's Continental Team.

Photo courtesy George Noyes

Bring the Noyes - 1993 World Championships

Interbike is great way to see the latest and greatest, and any films from the gang at World Cycling Productions provides insight into the PRO peloton and the art of racing in the big leagues. Both, however, lack the depth and insight into what it means to be deep in the PRO world. Deep in the sense that you are living and breathing PRO cycling.

BKW recently caught up with veteran of the PRO ranks: journeyman, mechanic, and Belgian resident George Noyes, to discuss the subtleties that make the PRO circuit so enthralling.

About Mr. Noyes
George began his career in the mid-eighties as a team mechanic for the Schwinn PRO team, graduating to the International stage, and making his Tour/Classics debut with the 7-11 team. From there, George built on his experience and knowledge as head mechanic for the Motorola squad in the early 90s, a short stint at Cofidis, and then the mother of all Classics squads, Mapei. George’s professional experience included Andy Hampsten’s Giro win, Armstrong’s World’s victory, and complete and utter Mapei domination at the “Queen of the Classics,” Paris-Roubaix.

George has prepared machines for some of the 20th century’s greatest riders and lived the "behind the scenes" experience by which BKW is so captivated. Over a few espressos, George opened up about his experiences and, naturally, I probed him for information and a sense of what his life was like while working for these teams. Honestly, there was so much incredible information that came from our discussion that it would be impossible to compile it into a readable form in a single post. Therefore, based on the size of George's experience, I'll provide small vignettes that comprise George’s experiences. Some parts of our discussion dealt with the classics, others with the Grand Tours. A few times, we merely spoke in generalities, other times, in full swing with detailed accounts of the weeks, days, and hours leading up to the moments in PRO cycling that are burned into all of our memories. The title for these posts will be “Bring the Noyes” and, it's only fitting that I commence this series with a tale of LA’s World’s victory in a rain-soaked Oslo in 1993.

Oslo, Norway - August 29, 1993
Lance has always been a leader. Early in his career, LA's tough exterior and strategic mind were beginning to take shape, a glimpse of the road ahead perhaps. In the days leading up to the road race, Motorola's team management had exhaustively discussed race day tactics and without question, LA felt he had the legs to capture the rainbow jersey.

Motorola's staff and riders awoke to a steady rain the morning of August 29th. LA was to ride a Tennessee-built titanium bike for the day's event. George had prepared Lance's wheels and glued a fresh set of tubulars. The pressure for the day's rain: 7.5 bars (r) and 6.5 bars (f). As the mechanics feverishly prepared the team's machines, LA and Motorola DS Jim Ochowicz had come out to the service course to check on the bikes and the weather. Ochowicz was especially concerned about the weather, the rain, and the team's chances. The big issue for the mechanics focused on LA's bottle cages. Apparently, the threaded inserts that held the bottle cage into the frame would not tighten properly and both cages were rattling. There was risk they would fire off mortar-style, mid-race. With the start approaching rapidly, one of the mechanics disappeared into the hotel to seek out a solution. He returned a bit later with four, self-tapping screws; the kind an old ski binding would use to mount to a ski. (In fact, they were the very hardware that held the hotel owner's bindings to his skis!) The four simple screws were forced into the frame, securing the bottle cages to the frame. (Rumor has it the hotel owner had no idea that the screws from his skis had been carried to a World's victory. That is, until his ski holiday was brought to an abrupt close mid-run. Apparently the screws never made it back to his skis.)

As George applied the finishing touches to LA's machine, Ochowicz and LA continued to discuss the weather and the team's chances and George was treated to a front row seat, which made him privy to a defining moment in LA's career. In fact, in hindsight the comment seems so telling: As Ochowicz expressed his concerns for the weather, LA with an air of coolness and simplicity, reassured Ochowicz by saying, "Let me handle it." In 1993, LA knew he had the mind to be a legend, it was only a matter of time before he began to lay the groundwork. Hours to be exact.

Photo Courtesy: JS

Jose Alcala - Neutral Race Support

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss. In this case, a road-hardened, neutral support mechanic is tough to catch at idle.

We have seen Jose at the races, exchanged greetings with him, and even passed his caravan on remote stretches of America's highways, but we've never had the chance to actually sit and have a conversation with him. If Jose wasn't setting up or tearing down at an event, he was bustling to switch a wheel, pulling Gs on a race course in the NRS Volvo, or making last minute tweaks to a competitor's ailing machine. BKW cornered race mechanic Jose Alcala a few weeks ago while he prepared the neutral race support (NRS) machines for the 2008 season. Although his hands never stopped turning wrenches, we managed to talk for a bit with Jose and learn more about what life on the road is like for he and the team at Specialized Event Management, LLC.

Jose has made his living in the bike world for the past 16 years. Beginning his tenure working for Competition Bike and Sport in Larchmont, New York (a shop that no longer exists). It was here that the fire was kindled and, like many of us, Jose was unable to shake the habit. Jose's years as a mechanic range from long hours in a shop to long hours on the road. During the years on the road, Jose has worked with the best of the best: 7 years with Campagnolo/Saeco, 2 with Lampre/Caffita, and 1 year with Saunier/Duval.

Jose's career didn't always center on the mechanical aspects. He was head coach for New York's Century Road Club, and during his years on the East Coast, Jose met fellow NRS mechanics, Hank Williams and Butch Balzano. Jose credits Hank with providing him with an early introduction to the ways of PRO wrenching and Butch with getting him out of the shops and on to the road.

Jose continues to work with Butch as part of Specialized Event Management, LLC, a company hired to provide rider support at races and to groups and industry events. Specialized Event Management relies on key sponsors to bring their resources to over 200 events annually. Sponsorship for 2008 comes in the form of vehicles from Volvo Motor Cars, frames and forks from Orbea, and rubber from the folks at Michelin.

A side note on Butch: Butch has been a neutral support mechanic for 20+ years and, to his credit, 20 of those years were spent delivering reliable service on race day to the competitors at Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic. Butch has really poured himself into these events as a true labor of love. In the early years, resources were thinner than they are today, Butch drove his own car, lent his own wheels and bikes and, got by with a little love from Campy in the form of a discount. Despite the high hurdles, Butch kept at it. The cycling world is truly blessed to have people like Butch who keep the flame lit.

Jose and company spend a lot of time on the road, roughly 290 days per year. Like all professions, work becomes a stream of familiar faces and Jose is careful to also keep in mind that his profession is unique in that he sees his clients when they are highly stressed and many are facing the day for which they have spent months training. With this consideration, Jose is careful to treat his clients with respect, remembering to simply be nice and do his job well. Jose laid it out very succinctly: he says his job is "a marketing job with a small dose of mechanics thrown in." For Jose, his presentations aren't done in a board room but rather in parking lots, expos, and road courses.

BKW: What items make life on the road tolerable, what can you not be without?

Jose: The Volvo, wheel sets, SRAM components, coffee, and good music.

BKW: What gear will be packed into each of the 5 Volvo NRS vehicles for the 2008 season?

Jose: 5 Orbeas built with SRAM components, 25-30 pairs of Zipp wheels, a mix of 404s, 303s, CSCs, and 808s, tools, spares, 3 Silca pumps, 2 Ultimate work stands, an A-Frame Ultimate display rack, a smattering of components, 4 boxes of SRAM parts, 2 Force and Rival, 2 Red, chains, spokes, saddles and Michelin Tires.

BKW: What gear/tools are most critical to your day?

Jose: Yellow Snap-On #2 flathead screwdriver and my Chicago Case Tool Box in limited edition white.



BKW: What is the best part of your job?

Jose: Seeing familiar faces far from home and the ability to continue playing a key role in racing. Without question, I have the best seat in the house!

BKW: And the worst part of your job?

Jose: Sometimes the travel, there is an element of danger we always have to be aware of.

If your summer plans take you out to the races, make sure you drop by and say hello to Jose and his team. And if your plans include pinning a number on your jersey, then it is a must that you drop by and say hello to Jose and Co. Who knows, it may be you who needs the lightning quick wheel change.

The Specialized Event Management L.L.C team

Chad Contreras
Merlyn Townly
Chris Kreidl
Jeff "Jasper" Mattson
Butch Balzano
Jose Alcala


Jose Alcala by the numbers:

Years in industry: 16

Number of songs in iTunes: 4,000

Miles driven annually: 60,000

Total dollar value of bikes handled annually: $1.5 million

Number of events attended by NRS in 2008: 120 (200 when you count stage races)

Interview - Frank Høj

BKW friend and rabid Classics fan, TK, recently chatted up Classics spécialiste, Frank Høj, who in 2009 ends his run with Cofidis for another go with Bjarne Riis and the CSC/Saxo Bank squad. Frank has been a PRO for the past 14 seasons and has participated in three Giro D’ Italias, two Vueltas, and one Tour de France and that doesn't even touch on his love for the Classics.

Frank has been a long time contributor to Procycling magazine and is often described as having an inimitable and quirky brand of humor.

TK: Hey Frank! What’s going on?

FH: Just relaxing after a long Tour of Holland!

TK: How did you do?

FH: Well, I dropped out right before the end; I managed to get a break. I held it for half the race, when the peloton decided to organize and chase me down. The next day I had no legs!

TK: How’s the wedding planning going?

FH: It's crazy right now while I am away, my fiancée has been doing most of the work!

TK: When are you getting married?

FH: In October, and then we are vacationing in Jamaica!

TK: That’s where my wife and I honeymooned.

FH: Cool, I can’t wait for the margaritas.

TK: Being a Dane, I thought you liked beer?

FH: Ya, I do. My favorite beer is Leffe blonde, also when in Denmark, there is a brewery that's ran by a former pro cyclist, which I like.

TK: What’s the name of that beer?

FH: It’s called Kolmer beer.

TK: Now, I know you can’t wait for some Caribbean food, but what is your all-time favorite food?

FH: A nice rare steak with some frites!

TK: Just like Mr. Paris Roubaix!

FH: Yes, like in the movie Sunday in Hell.

TK: Was Roger De Vlaeminck your favorite rider when you were young?

FH: You bet! I remember watching him on Danish television when I was young and I wanted to race Paris Roubaix. I thought it was fascinating racing in such extreme conditions.

TK: What was it like to race your first Roubaix?

FH: I was very nervous and excited.

TK: How were the showers at Roubaix?

FH: It was nice to just clean off with hot water that never runs out after a long day in the saddle.

TK: I always see a bunch of reporters in there trying to get interviews while riders are half naked. Isn’t that annoying?

FH: (Laughs) Yea, I once had a reporter who kept poking me with his microphone to get an interview. I told him nicely that I wanted to take a shower and once done I would talk with him. He persisted; I then grabbed him by the collar and threw him out!

TK: Yikes, I don’t want to mess with you!

FH: I am actually a bouncer on the side. (Laughs)

TK: What’s your favorite set-up on your bike for PR?

FH: I like the cyclo-cross levers on top, and some fat 27mm tubulars.

TK: What kind of wheels do you like to roll?

FH: Depends on what the teams sponsor is, but I do like the Ambrosio Nemesis tubular.

TK: What was your favorite bike you rode on the cobbles?

FH: I like the time frame I ride now, but I also loved the Specialized Roubaix that was featured in Cyclingnews.

TK: So, you have been doing an article monthly in Procycling magazine for some time. is this something you might continue doing once you retire from cycling?

FH: Maybe. I love journalism and writing. I have even thought about writing a book.

TK: You even do commentary for Danish television.

FH: Yes, and I love it. I just finished doing commentary for the Olympics in Denmark.

TK: I thought you might have been racing in China?

FH: Denmark had only three riders, and there are some talented riders from CSC. But I will be riding at the World Championship this year.

TK: Who, in your opinion, is going to be the next great rider in the PRO peloton?

FH: Definitely Frank Schleck! He's one of the strongest riders out there!

TK: And, finally, what's your favorite band or music?

FH: Anything from Depeche Mode or U2.

TK: Cool. Frank! Good luck at the Worlds and your wedding!

FH: (Laughs) Later!

Photo courtesy: KWC.org

Bontrager Talks CX

“It will take them a few years to know what they are screaming about, but it will work out eventually.” -Keith Bontrager

Keith Bontrager is an industry legend. He has probably spent more R&D hours designing and riding products than any other US builder. It’s no wonder that the CX world has a ton of respect for Keith and his thoughts on all things cyclocross. Back in September of 2004, long time BKW pal ZD had a chance to ask Keith some questions.

ZD: I read the interview you did with Cycling News a month or so ago and it you mentioned your personal "cross bike" a few different times. What are you riding now and how is it set up?

KB: I've got 3 cross bikes.

#1 is an old steel Japanese touring frame with cantilever bosses on it. It works great but it's a little heavy and will be easy to kill in a crash since it is brazed. I do long slow-ish rides on it and race it in the mud.

#2 is an old Bontrager cross bike. It's cooler, lighter, and much stronger than #1 and I ride it the most.

#3 is an Empella aluminum cross bike which is the lightest and the one I like to race the most.

All are set up very simply with old road and MTB parts, 8 speed trannys, and Avid brakes. That's one of the beautiful things about a cross bike. It doesn't need to have the latest stuff to be a good, fast, fun bike. I use flat bars most of the time. I can't get comfortable on drops anymore because of my back and I am always faster in technical stuff with them anyway. I have some custom 50 cm wide dropped bars that are pretty good though and I might try them again this year.

All these bikes can have very, very trick wheels, XXX lite carbon wheels left over from Postal pad development with 32mm Tufo tubies and a new tubeless clincher set up that rules (unless it blows a tire off the rim - it's work in progress). Most of the time I ride low cost heavy clinchers so I don't beat the good ones unnecessarily.

ZD: A few years ago when it seemed like every manufacture rushed to market with a cross bike, there was a lot of talk about how a pure cross bike should be set up as it relates to bottom bracket height. When you think of a cross bike designed for domestic cross races, (rather than commuting and utility) what have you found to be the best set up for bottom bracket height off the ground?

KB: The BB height on these bikes is between 10.75 (Empella) and 11.5 (Bontrager) and it depends on the tires in each case. We used to build with very high BBs when riders still used toe clips, but that's history. The Empella handles like a slot car on twisty courses. I like low bikes.

ZD: The state of the cyclocross racing scene seems alive this year with the promise of the newly formed Gran Prix of Cyclocross. To what extent do you feel cyclocross racing will be here to stay?

KB: The future of Cyclocross doesn't depend on big events. It's here to stay no matter what. The big races are cool because we all get to see the fastest athletes compete and they get paid a little better if they win. They are very cool when they are in some urban setting where non-cyclists can wander up and see the racers hauling ass around a city park or something. The nats in the Presidio a few years ago were amazing in that respect.

ZD: You are a bicycle tire guru. You have been developing and testing bike tires for years. Where do your cross tires excel as compared to other cross tires on the market? What other cross tires do you like?

KB: Bontrager cross tires are good on relatively hard packed fast courses. They work great in Santa Cruz (imagine that...) and other places with hard packed dry conditions. Michelin Mud and Jet tires are good in the right circumstances.

I like to ride tubulars (especially on the light carbon wheels) but the tread designs are pretty lame, good copies of bad 20 year old designs. They have good straight ahead traction but do not corner well. It would be great if someone developed a good tubular with a modern tread design that didn't cost a fortune, but you'd end up giving away more to friends than you sold if you did.

Having said that, if these tubeless clincher configurations work out it might make the decision simple for anyone except sponsored pros. Decent tires at 50 psi or lower can make a tricky course much easier to ride fast, and the risk of pinch flats goes way down.

ZD: You've always been a big advocate of making sure the trail of your bicycles was as good as it could be. When you think of a cross bike as it relates to trail, what figure do you target? Would you change the trail from a typical road bike set-up for your cross bike?

KB: I didn't tweak cross geometry too much. Danny Nall loaned me some of his old Eurocrossers 20 years ago and I copied them. I forgot the brand - they were Swiss I think. There is not much to it really. It's the rider, right?

ZD: I've probably watched the 2001 Cross Worlds tape in Zolder about 50 times. I still can't get over the amount of spectators lined up in the woods cheering for their favorite racer. In some ways, cross is the most spectator-friendly format of nearly all the cycling disciplines with the exception of track racing. What do you think prevents cross racing in the US from being as big as it is in Belgium?

KB: Serve some good beer and frites at a cross race (legally) and you will quickly fill the woods with raving fans. It will take them a few years to know what they are screaming about, but it will work out eventually.



Photo Courtesy: Keith Bontrager

Team CSC's Scott Sunderland

BKW friend and local firefighter, TK spent the first part of April following the Classics with Peter Easton's tour company Velo Classic Tours and was practically blown off his machine when a surprise guest rider showed up to accompany the group onto the stones of L'Enfer du Nord. Peter had arranged for retired PRO and CSC Director Sportif, Scott Sunderland, to show the group just how hard the cobbles are and to share a few tips on how to survive the Arenberg Forest.

TK was fortunate enough to monopolize an hour of Scott's time. As summer begins to hit its stride, it feels like the right time to step back and once again indulge in the anticipation that preceeds Roubaix. The following discussion took place on the battered roads that lead to Roubaix.

TK: Hey Scott, great to see you, I have been a fan since you were on Fatka!

Scott: Yea those were good times on that squad. (The Arenburg Forest is approaching).

Scott: Alright mate, here comes the toughest section of cobbles, so keep all your weight on the pedals, keep your arse off the saddle and don't white knuckle your handlebars.

TK: Thanks!

Scott: See you at the end of the section!

(At the end of the section...)

TK: I made it!

TK: After that, any special preparations for Roubaix?

Scott: Not to much, we usually ride some sectors of the pave on Friday before PR and adjust our bikes per the weather and the conditions.


TK: Any special equipment this year?

Scott: Just the usual 24-25mm tubular tires, with 32 spoke wheel, depending on the rider.

Tk: I like the tube carrier on your bike!

Scott: Yea, I always have tons of spare CSC water bottles, and when I was on TVM, one of the mechanics took two water bottles and cut the top of the bottles off and put them together to carry tools, tubes, and food.

TK: Very PRO.

Scott: What's that mate?

TK: Cool

Scott: (laughs)
Scott's cell phone rings while riding, it's one of the mechanics looking for Fabian's tubulars, which he cannot find, Scott tells him where they are located.

Scott: Sorry mate, chaos happening before Roubaix

TK: No problem, just trying to keep up with ya!

Scott: (laughs)

TK: You still have your Harley Davidsons?

Scott: I sold the one last year. A persistent Belgian who had no idea who I was kept coming to my house and offering more money for my bike. I finally sold it to him!

TK: You still have the other one?

Scott: Yes, it's up on the blocks right now. I am having a former Alessio-Bianchi mechanic do work on it.

TK: A bicycle mechanic working on a Harley?

Scott: Yes, he went to the Harley Davidson Mechanics school after Alessio, and now works on motorcycles, including mine. I am currently putting some performance modifications to it to rip through the roads of Belgium.

TK: Sounds fun!

Scott: Yea, how about you, what do you do for a living?

TK: I am a fireman.

Scott: That's cool, and you've come for the Queen of the classics?


TK: Yes, this is my favorite race of the year, I have been watching it since 1986. I was 8 years old when I first saw this race!

Scott: Wow, been in any bad fires?

Tk: Nothing lately, most of the time just resetting fire alarms!

Scott: (laughs)
As we were riding, Scott mentions to me that this is where he told Stuey to attack!

TK: And what did he say?

Scott: He wanted to wait and see who was hanging with him, Fabian said he had no legs. Stuey said he felt great, so he attacked.

TK: How about Riis?

Scott: He's a great Boss. When I first started with CSC, we were at PR. Riis wanted to drive the team car for the race and I had to talk on the radio. I asked him if he knew the roads in Belgium, and he said that we would follow the other team cars. I then told him to switch spots as I knew all the back roads in Belgium and the northern part of France. Riis agreed!

TK: Great story! Any other great stories!
At this point, we were passing an old German concrete bunker in the middle of a farm field.

Scott: When I first started riding for a pro team, we had this East German rider who talked like the singer from Rammstein. On this exact spot he saw this bunker and told the team that the bunker used to be his Grandpappy's summer home in France! Scott said that the team almost crashed as some were laughing and others who were in awe!

TK: Rammstein? You like heavy metal?

Scott: I like everything, except rap and country.

TK: What no country?

Scott: I know I have an Aussie accent, but country music has that twang sound!

TK: What do you think about the Astana team?

Scott: I think it's a shame what's going on.

TK: Any stories from the Discovery team? Did you guys work together as was portrayed in the media?

Scott: We work with any team if it's in our interest.

TK: I see, any shady moves out there?

Scott: Yea, especially with the radios. A certain team was on our frequency and giving our riders orders, the team thought the orders were coming from us. We found out and confronted them, they said it was an accident! CSC knew it wasn't.

TK: I think I know who the team was!

Scott: Just smiles! Alright mate, gotta head back to the hotel to get ready for the press presentation. So, good luck, and by the way, Quick Step is coming with all the paparazzi, so don't crash into them, or you will never make it out of Belgium!

TK: Thanks, Scott! And good luck at PR! (Quick Step flies by me on the cobbles!)

Photo Courtesy: Mike McGarry / PhotoSport International, TK

Interview: Wilfried Peeters

Wilfried Peeters was truly one of the hardest of hardmen in PRO cycling. A domestique of the tallest order, Wilfried was Johan Museeuw's roommate and confidante. Whether riding along side Johan during his PRO years or serving as the voice over race radio today, Wilfried's job is to provide the team with encouragement, tactical strategies and insight from his own experiences.

Today Wilfried serves as Director Sportif (DS) for the Quick Step team and BKW was fortunate enough to capture some of Wilfried's time. We used the opportunity to talk about the transition from rider to DS, his love for the Classics, and that muddy Spring day in April 2001 when Wilfried launched the ride of his career through French farmland in an effort to capture the Queen of the Classics. It was on this historical day that race fans saw first-hand the power of a dedicated Classics squad and meticulous team tactics and were introduced to a new phrase in the cycling vernacular: "Getting Domoed".

BKW: How has the transition from PRO to DS been for you?

WP: Life has changed. It's like a new life. Here, [as DS for Quick Step] you're working for 60 people, 30 riders...as a rider you think only about yourself. Here is a big difference, on a team with Boonen and Bettini, two leaders. One day for Boonen, one day for Bettini.

BKW: Are you saying that there is no conflict of goals for Boonen and Bettini?

WP: No, there is no problem.

BKW: Do you miss being a rider?

WP: For the first six months, now it is finished. In the beginning, it's normal, I was 37 years old. Being with a team that is good means that every day there is something to do. That is very important.

BKW: Do you prefer the Classics to the Grand Tours?

WP: Yeh, for the Grand Tours, I did nine (9) times at the Tour De France, one (1) time Tour of Spain, I like it for working for the team. Not for myself, in the hills and the big climbs; I'm not a big climber. I was good in the Classics.

BKW: And your favorite?

WP: Tour of Flanders.

BKW: Can you tell me about 2001 Paris-Roubaix?

WP: 2001 was my last year. Very bad weather. The stones were very sandy inside, in the first cobble stones we [Domo] go with the breakaway, 20-30 riders. At Arenberg, we were in the first and third position, so I go. I had one minute on the other riders so for the next 90-95Ks I go alone. I was alone until the last 13K. I didn't have the legs for winning, but we had the best team. In the end it came together, the team was first, second, and third. I finished 5th. From the results, it was a very bad day for me.

BKW: How did you feel knowing this was your last professional race?

WP: At that moment, okay. I think I can go one year more. I want to win it one time.
At this time, I had the condition, it was a perfect time to come and work for the team; but it was time to stop.

BKW: What makes Paris-Roubaix so special?

WP: The roads and it is man-to-man. It is a different race.

BKW: Truly for the hardmen.

WP: Yes.

BKW: Do you feel a special honor to be a part of Paris-Roubaix history?

WP: Yah, I like this race. After 10Ks, the race changes and after 100Ks, it is totally different. The strongest man is going to win this race.

BKW: As DS for Quick Step, does a younger rider like Boonen stand to gain or learn anything from your experiences?

WP: Now he is 27. Pretty much...he knows the race, he's the leader. I read the situations and he makes the decisions. That makes us the favorite for the race.

Twenty Years On

It is simply amazing that twenty years have passed since that fateful May when American Andy Hampsten rode into the books with his historic win at the Giro D'Italia.

BKW's love for the "hardman" winning style makes it easy to admire Andy's win, which was secured by his efforts on the snow-covered Gavia pass. Although his ride brought him over the line to second place, his finishing time netted him the leader's jersey and eventually the overall win. Andy's work that day and his ability to suffer has inspired countless cyclists over the years and pushed many of us deeper into the pain cave than we originally thought possible.

When cyclists think about how brutal our sport can be, we think about riders suffering on climbs through inclement weather and against the tallest of odds. Andy Hampsten's career embodies all of this.

Posing as a legitimate cycling news agency, we managed to pin down Andy to discuss his historic feat and what it meant to be a PRO in the late 80s. We also spoke of the release of Rapha's newest, limited edition jersey that marks Andy's accomplishment and takes many of us back to the heyday and, for some, a return to the birth of our passion for cycling.

Speaking with Andy was an honor. I felt like he had as much fun telling the stories as I did hearing them. His recollection of his racing career is impressive and his love for cycling is evident.

BKW: So much of professional cycling comes down to a rider's ability to suffer more than the rest. Have you ever suffered more than you did in the famous shots of you, white with snow and frozen, crossing the Gavia?

AH: Not more than that day. We had 25 kms of descending in snow and sleet, but we were well-prepared, and that allowed me to stay calm. I am glad no one told me how crazy the descent was.

BKW: How was the win received by the team’s sponsors?

AH: 7-Eleven knew it was primarily an Italian race, and people in the U.S. had no idea about it, they were eager for a Tour win. Hoonved understood the magnitude, they had twenty years of sponsorship under their belt. I gave the trophy to the owner and he was beside himself; he carried it around like a baby. Shimano was very excited, it was their first major tour win. I gave them one of my bikes and it is now in Shimano's museum.

BKW: Rapha seems to pull together all of the design elements that surrounded your place in cycling back in 1988. Does the jersey bring back some fond memories of the time?

AH: I don't wear my pink jersey around too much, for one, it's too small. But Rapha has done a great job of capturing the details, right down to the panel on the front. The original jersey had a panel sewn onto the front of it. The soigneurs took a mussette and cut the side of it out and sewed it onto the jersey. For this reason, it made it tough to wash. I ended up wearing the same jersey for the entire tour. As I get older, companies like Rapha make me snobby. I don't want to wear plastic jerseys anymore.


BKW: What keepsakes do you have from your win at the Giro?

AH: I have the shoes, undershirt, and the Oakleys. I also have the bike. That is my most treasured item.

BKW: Did you have any kind of prep on your legs for the Gavia? Any warming qualities, like today's embrocations?

AH: We used a lanolin prep on everything. Mike Neel had the foresight to advise us to use it everywhere. I had it on my back, arms, legs, butt, everywhere except my hands. We had a meeting before the race and knew we would see rain, sleet, and snow. Some riders preferred to mix the lanolin with Cramer's for heat, some preferred the blazing hot, and others a medium. I applied the lanolin with a little bit of warming so thick to my legs that it was 3-D.

It was a pleasure to speak with Andy and it seems that he still gets a kick out of recounting the tales to cycling fans. Andy's take was interesting. He said that following the win, there was, of course, a celebration, but it was right back to work with the team's sights set on the Tour de France. Now, that's PRO.

Photo Courtesy: Rapha

Check out Andy's insider perspective on the 1986 Tour with the La Vie Claire here.