Popcorn

Never tasted so good!

Photos - For the People, By the People

My friend writes, "I love cycling photography, but its scope tends to be a bit narrow: pro racers riding fast on bikes; heroic suffering; the peloton gliding through beautiful scenery - and so on. But that's not what cycling is like for most ordinary cyclists - it's far more modest than that. It's about chatting in cafes, repairing punctures by the side of the road, cleaning your bike, drying your wet shoes on the radiator, waiting to start a time trial on a cold March morning, falling into a grass verge, finishing in the peloton in a cat 3 race, milling about bike shops, commuting to work, hacking through the woods on your mountain bike while a bit drunk, the club dinner dance, marshalling the club road race, putting on numbers for the first time, learning to ride with cleats - and so on and so on. It's all these small things we associate with riding that collectively make up cycling culture for the majority of us. That's what I want to capture."

If you're interested in contributing to the effort, go here: http://thefixedfactor.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/bike-life-vol-1-2/.

Alberto Contador's Stage 18 Special Specialized

Alexandre Gordeyev, the world's preeminent authority on photographing the Astana team at the Tour de France, snapped an amazing series of images detailing the "special" Specialized bicycle that Alberto Contador abortively piloted through some of the 18th stage of this year's Tour de France. Gordeyev contribute the photos to the thriving Astanafans.com website, which celebrates the eponymous professional cycling team.

Hopefully Gordeyev doesn't mind if we reproduce some of the images here - they are simply spectacular:

But strangely for a manufacturer as adept at PR as Specialized, their "Signature" edition hardly merited discussion in the coverage of that day's race, perhaps owing to the fact that Contador abandoned it midway through the day, and reverted back to his primary machine. Cyclingnews.com hosts the only picture I could find of the actual bike change: 

Given the lack of copy, we'll revert to Gordeyev's own notes from that day, and his reference to Specialized's "War-Horse"!!!

"Wakening and breakfast was as usual according to the schedule.

Technicians woke up earlier this morning. Specialized requested Alberto to use new frame bike on this stage. War-horse is seldom changed during the race , only Frenchmen could afford themselves to change frames, but Astana had serious task , and horses are not to be changed during the race. The request of bikes’ suppliers couldn’t be ignored so thus the technicians prepared the bike.

The frame was unusual with its painting. There were names of people who paid 30 Euro for placing of their names on the frame. This is what I’ve got from my conversation with a technician. The conversation was “with fingers” as we spoke different languages."

Bravo, Alexandre!

Photos (c) 2010 Alexandre Gordeyev 

Nevertheless, for as "different" a bike as the Signature edition was, we must not lose sight of the fact that it was a mere curiosity compared to a truly majestic steed: Vino's Golden Eagle (pictured above).

While Vino races aboard a bicycle adorned with a solitary bird of prey, the quiet Kazakh is a fiercely loyal teammate, dedicated to maintaining the unity and focus of his squad. So perhaps its fitting that the final image that Gordeyev would shoot that night was an after-dinner portrait of Vino at the head of a round table (lol), surrounded by his teammates, minus Contador, who was conspicuous by his absence.

Best Crash Photo Sequence EVER

Took this screen cap of what is by far the most amazing series of photos captured of a pile-up in a field sprint. Marvel at the ability of the neophyte racer to crash himself when not even remotely close to the action!

Spring is in the Air

(c) Peter Volpe

Daily Distractions 2

Thanks to a Pappillon reader for sharing with us these interesting, unique images. May we point out the eyes in the first image? Wow!

Cuba Photos

Cuba Ingenuity: lost en route, there was no faceplate for my Deda Newton stem when I arrived in Havana one spring, and my $5000 Ti/carbon SRM-equipped wonder-bike was neutered. Cuban mechanics stepped in, however, and for $2.00 forged a new face plate made of iron and steel (lol) that I used for the next two weeks. Coño!

Following Photos (c) Chris Milliman - Reproduction Strictly Prohibited. Please respect the artist's rights.

Thanks to Chris Milliman for the photos he provided. And thanks to those amazing Cuba mechanics for saving my ass with their great metalworking skills! More Cuba images to come in the next few days.

Picture of the Year: Candidate #4 (End of the Day at Roubaix)

Picture of the Year: Candidate #3 (Cadel Gets Flicked)

Picture of the Year: Candidates #1 and #2 (and what is in his left pocket?)

A Cor Vos image of Tom "Tommeke" Boonen (Quick Step) practicing the cyclocross is my favorite image of the year. I saw it on the Pez Cycling News.

My second favorite image of the year is below. Please excuse my obvious bias...but please also tell me what it is in my left back pocket (as opposed to my left front jersey pocket?)?

Cindy Olivarri

I stumbled across this photo of Cindy Olivarri, whose removal from the 1984 US Olympic Cycling Team for a positive doping control was initially covered-up by my former-mentor Mike Fraysse. The former USCF Vice President and Olympic team manager sought to confuse the press and the public by disseminating a fabricated story that Olivarri was out of the Olympics because of a case of mono.

Photographer Philip Turner recounts:

"Cindy mysteriously contracted Mononucleosis in March of 1984 just twelve weeks before the Summer Olympics Games which would commence. The real story as It turns out, was that Cindy had tested positive for banned substances (steroids) and the Olympic Committee was actually allowing her a safe-out after testing positive for illegal drugs. However, the IOC later banned her from Olympic competition after her public revelation in print (SF Chronicle) revealed her illegal steroid and blood doping actions. She had decided to go public with her actions in order to prevent other young athletes from making the same mistakes she had and also because of the severe impact she had experienced with her own health.

The UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) later expunged her records and medal placings from the World Championships where she had medaled in the 1500 and 3000 meter pursuits (one and two mile track cycling events)..."

More Turner cycling photos can be seen here. A screencap of Fraysse's wikipedia entry is below:

Kimberly Reed Photography

Back in the day, there was no shortage of media covering my moves on a bike, and I even tried the habit myself (though of the "hidden" camera variety). Anyway, while on an amazing ride around town yesterday during a glorious day that reminded me of a morning in the tropics (humid, light breeze, not yet blazingly hot but crystal blue skies), I met a pro photographer at PNC Park. Despite what Burt Hoovis would say, I'm normally not annoying and I try not to talk to strangers (lol), but for some reason I spun up to the woman with the two cameras and asked her if she'd "take my picture?" Even as the words were coming out of my mouth I felt like a total dork, but she was really cool about it and snapped a few pictures. Of course, she could have just been pressing the shutter release and then immediately deleting the image, but I didn't care. It was a funny moment, it passed in but a second and I was on my way again, but thanks to the staff of Kimberly Reed Photography for making me feel like a star again!