Icons of Cycling

ICONS OF CYCLING

C ONTE NT

Foreword by Peter Sagan

4

Introduction

10

Craftsmanship

14

Silence

34

Preparation

56

Waiting

84

Bunch

110

Dirt

1 54

Altitude

182

Dust

222

Flamme Rouge

238

Aftermath

252

Biographies

270

Pages 2/3: Tour of Qatar 2015 • Luca Paolini. Photo: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad.

Page 4: Giro d’Italia 2021 • Peter Sagan with his son Marlon. Photo: Chris Auld.

Right page: Strade Bianche 2020, Tuscany, Italy • Photo: James Startt.

The bicycle has a soul. If you succeed to love it, it will give you emotions that you will never forget.

Mario Cipollini

Pages 60/61: Tour of Flanders 2015, Belgium • Barriers waiting to be placed to mark the route and protect the riders. Photo: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad.

These pages: Paris–Roubaix 2016, France • The motorcycles and cars from legendary French cycling gear brand Mavic are ready to support the riders during their trip through the Hell of the North. Photo: Russ Ellis.

WAITI NG

Passionate and Patient People

T

he race is on, the waiting begins. Cycling fans are passionate and patient people.

Along the route, good spots are claimed well in advance. In an attempt to find a way to pass the time, people arrange a lot of entertainment opportunities: sitting in front of the motorhome or decorating it with flags. Painting the name of your favorite rider on the street is popular. Others try to figure out what’s happening in the race on a small radio. The waiting changes to excitement when the helicopters are no-

rewarded with the final ahead. In the blink of an eye, your body changes from slumped in an armchair to shouting and jumping in front of the television. The unpredictable character of the predictable race makes it important not to miss a single pedal stroke. It can happen at any moment.

ticed on the horizon.

A prelude for what’s coming in the next five minutes after the first supporter yells: There they are!

mediate or finish line.

Always in prep mode to support the athlete. Waiting until that just-right moment to serve a bottle and an energy gel. Waiting with a wheel and hoping your rider doesn’t have a mechanical issue. Most of the time he won’t. But if he does, the support has to be flawless.

Waiting occurs in a different way when you have chosen to watch the race at home.

The first obstacle to overcome: the time before the live coverage starts. Then the second chapter of waiting starts: the moment when it happens. Sometimes it happened prior to coverage. In an attempt to catch up with what happened, you start trying to imagine how it unfolded. Most of the time live coverage starts during the interbellum when the race is in a

For the soigneurs and mechanics, the on-and-off preparation and waiting continues. Traveling from the starting line to the feeding zone to an important inter-

From waiting to excitement. From waiting to action and back. It’s a thin line.

quiet phase. Your patience will always be

Pages 84/85: Tour de France 2019, Col du Tourmalet, France • Photo: Russ Ellis.

Left page: Giro d’Italia 2021 • Since 1931, the leader in the overall standings of the Giro has been awarded a pink jersey. The color is based on the iconic newspaper

Gazzetta dello Sport. Photo: Chris Auld.

Left page: Paris–Roubaix 2016, Roubaix, France • Reflection of the crowd before the finish at the velodrome of Roubaix. Photo: Russ Ellis.

This page: Strade Bianche 2017, Italy • Enjoying the race in all kinds of weather. Sunny Italy can be dusty but change into mud when the rain begins to fall, requiring heroic efforts as a result. Photo: Chris Auld.

Pages 94/95: Amstel Gold Race 2019, Limburg, the Netherlands • Fans dressed up in heritage shirts. Photo: Chris Auld.

Giro d’Italia 2021 • Passing the province of Trento. Photo: Chris Auld.