Photo of the day: Sneeuw and souplesse.
"The winter that wouldn't leave."
End of March, and today finally felt like 'spring' rather than winter. Temperature edging up toward 50 degrees F. Still winter jacket, shoe covers, thermal gloves, covered ears and throat. Cold wind. But the sun was fighting through, and I snuck away from the keyboard for a solid 3 hours. 1 hour of it was all hills.
Searching for souplesse, forcing myself to gear down and spin it up: Climbing correctly, not forcing it up with brute strength and ignorance. Seeking that light feeling when you're just spinning up and defying gravity. It's something you can't force. You just have to relax, back off and turn the legs, and the rhythm comes. And when it arrives, you know you're on your way.
Snow is gone finally though...around these parts anyway. Been a tough winter, but not that bad really.
As a barrier to cycling, cold and snow is overrated. Not opinion, fact.
This photo of Charly Gaul in the Giro speaks to that. Check out the guy shoveling the path! And check out the other dude - looking stylish in knickers, sweater and giant sunglasses. A look that needs to come back, methinks. I know, I'm probably in a minority. Tant pis!
Charly spinning by, concentrated, souplesse personified. Hands light on the bend of the bars, twiddling a 90+ plus rhythm. No grunting, no pulling. When in doubt, lower the gear and just rev it faster.
Snow? So what. The race goes on.
I think somebody up there has been looking down. and decided that with last year's doping annus terriblus cycling needed something real to bring it back to what really matters.
Doping doesn't help resist the cold jongen. Just hardness does. And it's been a 'spring' full of it...Cold that is. A Milan San Remo like the retreat from Moscow. Gent-Wevelgem like Ice Station Zebra.
And weather.com has snow showers in the forecast for Oudenaarde this 'Good Friday'.
Somewhere up there, Charly Gaul is smiling.
End of March, and today finally felt like 'spring' rather than winter. Temperature edging up toward 50 degrees F. Still winter jacket, shoe covers, thermal gloves, covered ears and throat. Cold wind. But the sun was fighting through, and I snuck away from the keyboard for a solid 3 hours. 1 hour of it was all hills.
Searching for souplesse, forcing myself to gear down and spin it up: Climbing correctly, not forcing it up with brute strength and ignorance. Seeking that light feeling when you're just spinning up and defying gravity. It's something you can't force. You just have to relax, back off and turn the legs, and the rhythm comes. And when it arrives, you know you're on your way.
Snow is gone finally though...around these parts anyway. Been a tough winter, but not that bad really.
As a barrier to cycling, cold and snow is overrated. Not opinion, fact.
Charly spinning by, concentrated, souplesse personified. Hands light on the bend of the bars, twiddling a 90+ plus rhythm. No grunting, no pulling. When in doubt, lower the gear and just rev it faster.
Snow? So what. The race goes on.
I think somebody up there has been looking down. and decided that with last year's doping annus terriblus cycling needed something real to bring it back to what really matters.
Doping doesn't help resist the cold jongen. Just hardness does. And it's been a 'spring' full of it...Cold that is. A Milan San Remo like the retreat from Moscow. Gent-Wevelgem like Ice Station Zebra.
And weather.com has snow showers in the forecast for Oudenaarde this 'Good Friday'.
Somewhere up there, Charly Gaul is smiling.
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