Peloton201540 DL

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061 | PELOTONMAGAZINE.COM
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paloaltobicycles.com CONNECTICUT
PRECISION BICYCLES • VACAVILLE CANNONDALE • WILTON
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Retailers...Second to None!INDIANA NEW JERSEY UTAH
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Retailers...Second to None!INDIANA NEW JERSEY UTAH
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TREK BICYCLE STORE OF KANSAS CITY • KANSAS CITY OREGON

trekbicyclestores.com
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insideoutsports.com
BICYCLE SPORT SHOP • AUSTIN
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libertybikes.com 877.789.4940
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40 Content
Athens, Georgia. Image: Gruber Images

Shutter: Qatar And Oman.................................................. 016
Home: John Grochau .......................................................... 024
What We Travel With ......................................................... 030
Cannondale CAAD10 Black Inc. Disc ............................... 032
Strava: Civil War................................................................. 034
Ritchey Break-Away Carbon ............................................. 038
The Gravel Bike of Cars: Volvo V60 Cross Country ........ 040
Cured ................................................................................... 042
peloton
Travel Well .......................................................................... 046
Crazy Heart: Franco Bitossi............................................... 050
The Long Haul ..................................................................... 056
Complete Cadel Evans ...................................................... 064 fuel for the ride.
Spin: Felt F1 PR ................................................................... 076
Spin: Ridley Noah SL 30 .................................................... 078
Goods: Essential Travel Companions ............................... 080
HOUSEKEEPING
Rider #134 ........................................................................... 086 People of peloton .......................................................012
My Home, My Athens ......................................................... 096 Comment ....................................................................014
Seasoned: 1980s Fashionista Kitsch ............................... 112 Giveaway: Moots Routt Or Routt 45 Frameset .......061
40 People
New boots for Merckx and Franco Bitossi. Image: The Horton Collection.
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Clive Pursehouse, Andy Bokanev, Andy Perry, Paul Maunder South Pasadena, CA 91030
Web: pelotonmagazine.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Much of the action displayed in peloton is potentially dangerous. All of the
Yuzuru Sunada, Gruber Images, Kåre Dehlie Thorstad, Mike Adamson,
Clive Pursehouse, Chris Henry, Andy Bokanev, Brett Wilhelm, Trek cyclists seen in these photos are experienced. Do not attempt to ride beyond
Travel, Augustus Farmer, Ben Edwards, The Horton Collection your own capabilities, use caution and discretion and wear a helmet and other
appropriate protective gear. peloton magazine is published 12 times per year
Matthew Burton (illustrations) by Move Press LLC. 636 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Standard
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[ ISSN 2159-4252 ]
012 | PELOTONMAGAZINE.COM COVER: Fabian Cancellara by Kåre Dehlie Thorstad

40 Comment
“You asked me how to get out of the finite dimensions when I feel like it. I certainly
don’t use logic when I do it. Logic’s the first thing you have to get rid of.”
― J. D. Salinger, “Nine Stories”
Travel. Wars. Home. Cured. Pinot Noir. The We also dig deep into the career of Cadel
best part of making peloton is the surprises—the Evans and honor his singular talent as he
stories that we plan and don’t plan that end up emerged from the world of mountain biking
making each issue unique and mildly illogical. to become the first cyclist from the Southern
Hemisphere to win the Tour de France.
This month we set out to create a magazine
about travel and we ended up with a magazine It fits. If cycling is anything, it’s always about
about travel but also about healing, about travelling and change and transformation.
wars, stories about what “home” means, and It’s about new roads, coming back, creating
a touching memoir about Ian Crane and his something of your life on and off the
journey back to the peloton after a near-death bike. Most importantly, all this “travel” is
Image: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad
experience. There are also two features about inspired by thousands and thousands of
pro riders and their vibrant lives after their pedal strokes that both fuel the journey and
racing days have ended: Will Frischkorn and create new paths and roads for all of us.
his Cured Boulder and John Grochau and his
journey from bike racer to Pinor Noir maker. Enjoy issue #40 and keep travelling.
40 Shutter: QATAR AND OMAN.
Qatar images: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad
Qatar images: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad
Oman images: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad
Oman images: Kåre Dehlie Thorstad
p
40 Launch
HOME /
It’s the comfortable, the familiar and what we know best. Often taken for granted, when we finally return from
our journeys—whether business, pleasure or a bit of both—it’s home that helps make us whole again. While our
greatest adventures may lie in uncharted lands, our favorite ride is usually one that we know best. We may
dream of far-off cols or cobblestones, but when the weather turns rotten, our fingers turn numb and we click
our cleats together, you may not be able to hear us say there’s no place like home; but we’re thinking it.
Growing up in Oregon, John Grochau caught the bike- Grochau’s search for something else ultimately took him
racing bug at the relatively ripe old age of 18. Two years home to Oregon, although perhaps a bit circuitously. He
later, in 1990, he found himself racing as a Cat. 2 in discovered wine while he was working in a few Portland
Belgium with the VeloNews-Nike development project. He area restaurants. Wine fascinated him and as the sort who
continued to show promise and in 1992 he went on to race loves to take things apart to figure out how they work, he
in France, finding a few podiums and victories with the became interested in trying his hand at making wine.
Union Cycliste de Joué-lès-Tours in the Loire Valley.
Though he lived near a burgeoning wine region in
By 1994, back in the States, Grochau started getting some Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Grochau left home again for
results nationally at the Redlands Classic, Cascade Classic, California for his first winery gig. He thought he might
Sea Otter and the now-defunct ’89er Stage Race—where pursue a degree in what has become a sort of Mecca for
he placed fifth in the prologue. The following season, American wine know-how at UC Davis. The California
1995, Grochau was back in France, this time racing for experience was seminal, but the lure of home proved too
Argenteuil’s Parisis Athlétic Club. Though he had many much. Grochau landed just outside of Portland in the
top-fives and a few podiums, wins proved elusive. Willamette Valley, right near where he grew up, one of
the greatest places on earth for growing pinot noir.
“My last year in France ended abruptly, with the team
sending all the foreign riders away in August, for no In 2000, he worked at Erath, one of Oregon’s largest
stated reason,” he says. “I guess I could say that was wineries. He learned a lot about wine production
the point where I started searching for something else. there, but given the size of the operation he never
After that, I had some of my best years racing, perhaps really got to see the whole picture. He moved on to a
because the pressure was off. I don’t know if it was a smaller, boutique operation at the well-regarded Brick
lack of talent, lack of will, lack of discipline, or desire…. House Vineyards. There, he got a sense of the role and
I knew at 25 years old that it wasn’t in the cards.” relationship that winemakers must have with those in
WORDS: CLIVE PURSEHOUSE | IMAGES: MIKE ADAMSON, PURSEHOUSE
Image: Mike Adamson
Image: Pursehouse
the vineyards. He also learned to read what he found In his wines Grochau, a quiet guy, gets to tell us about
in the vineyard, and how that translated to the wines this place he calls home. “In my adult life, I moved away
later on. It’s the connection to the vineyards that would from Oregon five times; it took me a while to figure out
become the emphasis of his own label, Grochau Cellars. how good I had it. I feel that you get the best translation
of site from the wines that you do the least amount to.
While wine is fermented grape juice, and in that there is a The more you manipulate, the more you add, the more
certain level of simplicity, producing a fine wine can be a ‘same’ the wines can become. I don’t set out to make the
complicated endeavor. “When I first started making wine in same wine every year, the wine needs to reflect from
2002, I set out only with the intention of making good wine where and when it came. Sameness is boring; while it
that would drink above its price point, so to speak,” he says. is a necessity for a large winery, it is not what I want
“As I started working with more vineyards I realized it is all to do. There are many right ways to make wine, and
about the place from where the grapes come. The vineyards a few wrong ways—everything in between is style.”
have their own signature, their own style—and pinot noir
is such a transparent grape when it comes to showing where In a former life Grochau lined up against the likes of
it was grown.” To allow the wine’s signature to really come Frankie Andreu and Lance Armstrong, he chased Jonathan
through, Grochau works closely with the vineyard manager, Vaughters and Davis Phinney up Oregon’s passes and
paying close attention to how the fruit ripens, and sometimes through its winding valleys. While the winemaking life suits
agonizing over when to pick. Being hands-on with the fruit him, he’s still into racing. “I love racing my bike,” he says.
in the vineyard allows him to be hands-off in the winery. “I race in the Portland Tuesday night races every week. I
am sometimes competitive, but mostly just filler. I enjoy
The style of pinot he produces is classically Oregon. That being in a pack of riders, attacking, riding in a breakaway,
is to say, feminine, intellectual and fresh. Grochau also getting caught and struggling to get on a wheel, recovering
likes to bring structure to his pinot, so he uses whole-cluster and doing it again. It’s a great metaphor for life.
fermentation techniques to add structure and tannin to the
wine. His approach is a credit to a minimalist style he began “More than racing my bike, I like riding my bike with
developing under the tutelage of Doug Tunnell while he was my friends. These are friends with whom I have traveled
working at Brick House, and the influence his restaurant and raced with, some for over 20 years. We ride, talk
days played in the development of his taste for wine. A good and just really enjoy hurting ourselves and each other.
food wine is alive and fresh, but also structured. We all seem to need it; not just as an outlet, it really is
Image: Pursehouse
a sort of ‘coming home’ for us, if you will. With all the wine is thirst slaking, with fresh acid, bright, early-
hours we have individually experienced on the bike, it is season brambleberries and minerality. Where a lot of
a homeostasis of sorts, I think, for all of us. It’s not just Wednesday-night wines are often dumbed down with oak,
the camaraderie we have, but it’s what we see, hear, smell Grochau takes the opposite approach instead, enhancing
and experience. I will always ride. We will always ride.” the bright, fresh fruit and earthen qualities. $16
Grochau and his wife Kerri produce between four and 2009 GROCHAU CELLARS DUNDEE HILLS PINOT NOIR
six different pinots each vintage under their Grochau The Anderson Family Vineyard, from which Grochau
Cellars label, a couple of them from single vineyards sources this wine’s fruit, is one of Oregon’s steepest.
in the Eola-Amity Hills toward the southern end of To the north of the Willamette Valley and about 30
the Willamette Valley (where their new winery and minutes from Portland, the Dundee Hills are home
tasting room opens in May) and one from the Dundee to the Valley’s original pinot noir planted in the late-
Hills farther to the north. In addition, they make a 1960s. The wine’s structure is immediately apparent
few cuvées, or blends of pinot, from a few different in the mouth-feel with aromas of ripe blueberry,
vineyard sources up and down the Willamette. violets and dusty brambleberries. The palate is loaded
with earth, minerality and fresh, blue fruits. $30
John Grochau strives to make his wines affordable at the
kind of price-points that he and his friends can regularly 2010 GROCHAU CELLARS EOLA-AMITY HILLS PINOT NOIR
buy. His most expensive wine is $36. Perhaps his most The fruit comes from two different Eola-Amity vineyards,
popular and well-known bottling is the Commuter Cuvée, Bjornsen and Zenith. Aromatics are dominated by
an under-$20 Oregon Pinot that is released young for herbal notes from this cool vintage wine, with notes
easy drinking. The winery’s current releases are the 2011 of early-season raspberries. The palate pulses with
vintage but Grochau sent me a few older vintages to give great acidity, fresh, red fruits and a chalky minerality.
a sense of how his pinots develop with a few years. The finish is lifted with a kiss of fresh mint. From this
vintage, this is a wine that can age a long time. $30
2013 COMMUTER CUVÉE PINOT NOIR
Even in making an easy-drinking-every-night-of- For a line on the wines or the best roads to ride in the
the-week wine, Grochau pays homage to some of the Willamette Valley, find Grochau at grochaucellars.com p
Willamette’s nicest vineyards, including some of those

that he sources for his single vineyard wines. This Follow Pursehouse on Twitter: @clivity
What We Travel With ...
BITES OF SOUND. When we travel we all need a decent source of sound. True, most laptops
provide ample amplification, but nothing compared to what you get from small, portable,
1 wireless speakers. There are tons of them on the market, but we like this sampling of sound.
(1) The ECO Pebble ($60) is the smallest of the three. It’s waterproof and floats, can be
mounted (mounts are optional), has a built-in microphone,
Bluetooth, auxiliary jack, a hands-free speakerphone, is
burly and rugged in design, and has a battery charge of
about seven hours. While the sound is good, it’s not as
good as the (2) ECO Rox ($130)—which is longer and
2 thinner and maintains the same characteristics as the
Pebble, but has a 10- to 12-hour battery life and better
sound. (3) The Soen Transit XS ($130) has the slickest
design of the three. Though it’s not waterproof, it’s also
wireless, has a built-in mic, rubber protection in case of drops, a long-life
rechargeable battery (about eight hours) and can be mounted (mounts are
optional). Of the three, it carries the best sound quality. All three are solid
speakers that can be charged via USB, or plugged into the auxiliary plug on
3 your laptop. Most importantly, each packs a good sound punch that can be
easily slipped into a spare pocket of your travel bag. ecoxgear.com; soenaudio.com
TODDY GEAR’S THE MONEYMAKER TECH PACK: BOOST+. There’s nothing cool about
running out of juice. Whether it’s your phone or MP3 player or anything else
that requires USB connection, it’s always nice to have a safety net. Rather
than a bulky phone case with a built-in charger, we like to carry this little
gem. It’s small and stylish and packs a serious charging punch. The system
comes with a 2200mAH power bank, a USB to micro-USB cable (you can
also use your own gadget power cord), a 5-by-7 microfiber smart cloth to keep
things shiny, and a dual-purpose microfiber pouch to keep things organized.
It’s an inexpensive safety net for just $25. toddygear.com
BOOQ BOA NERVE. We have to admit, we’re more backpack folks, but recently we received the Boa Nerve and were surprised at
how versatile it is. It took us a few minutes to figure out the best way to strap it, but once that was figured it out we were dialed.
Part of the frustration of commuting with messenger bags is that some get sloppy and flail around on your back. This one does
not. The shoulder strap is comfortable and lightweight with a magnetic buckle, while the stabilizer strap, though tiny and nearly
unnoticeable, creates the stability on your back. Inside and out, there’s no shortage of cubbies and zipped pockets (with really
good zippers) and, of course, a padded compartment for your laptop (up to
15 inches). A tarpaulin exterior keeps everything dry on the
inside and a rugged nylon interior keeps the structure sturdy.
Overall it’s a pretty normal footprint, but we were surprised
at the expansion. It was easy to fit a pair of shoes, cycling
gear, a laptop, a bottle of gin, a bike lock and some snacks.
We were also impressed by the general aesthetic. Its classy and
understated, yet can be seen at night with reflective trim and
buckle straps. The bag also comes with a Terralinq serial number,
a service operated by booq designed to help you recover your lost
bag. It’s an interesting idea—though all you’ll get back is your bag
because the gin and laptop will be long gone. $195; booqbags.com p
CANNONDALE
CAAD10 BLACK INC. DISC
The CAAD name is legendary in serious racing circles. inspired by years of racing at the highest level. To this potent
When alloy was state of the art, CAAD frames won package, Cannondale has added SRAM RED 22 with
grand tours and world championships. And as carbon hydraulic braking and a set of disc-ready carbon clinchers.
supplanted alloy, CAAD became an underground legend:
the ultimate race bike for the shop rat or college student We already knew the bike was a sensational climber, a
who had watts for days, but crickets in the bank account. ripping descender, a combination of road feel and damping
As other companies relegated alloy to the back burner, that enabled long miles to be clipped off rapidly—and
Cannondale kept the flame alive, pushing alloy’s envelope what the hydraulic brakes do is amplify much of this.
with the CAAD. While the CAAD10 has been around for When you put your hands on the brakes, any braking
some time, Cannondale has applied another name to the insecurities are replaced with pure confidence. Much like
bike that is quickly gaining a reputation—Black INC. It’s a mountain bikes 10 years ago, nails continue to be driven
designation that signifies a bike as half premium build and into the rim-braking coffin, and this is a significant nail.
half art piece. As if this wasn’t enough, Cannondale gave
the bike hydraulic discs. This CAAD10 is a sight to behold. The Black INC. designation is the exclamation point that puts
this package in a unique category. The build—carbon wheels,
Everything we initially loved about the CAAD 10 when SRAM Red 22, hydro braking—take this alloy out of the
it debuted four years ago still feels as relevant as ever. budget segment completely. No one that rides this bike is doing
The frame is both hydroformed and mechanically shaped so because they can’t afford carbon. It’s an acknowledgment
with double-pass smooth welds. The rear of the bike is that alloy done right has a place at the top of the food chain
an alloy tour de force, with Cannondale’s SAVE system right next to carbon. And even after four years at the top, the
proving that alloy’s historic rough ride can be tamed with CAAD10 is more than alloy done right, it’s alloy done better
the right design. The geometry is nimble and aggressive, than any other. $4,330; 16.5lbs (54cm); cannondale.com p
Image: Chris Henry
CYCLISTS are a competitive bunch and it extends far beyond the local club
ride. There has been a constant debate in cycling spawned when the early American
six-day circuit first ventured west to Los Angeles a century ago. The debate? Which
coast is the best coast? It has been an East-versus-West civil war on wheels. The East
is about hard men and nasty weather, the West is full of pretty-boys and fitness-buffs
scorching four-corner crits. The West has the long climbs and altitude, the East has
cyclocross and big-city riding culture. This of course oversimplifies it all. Florida has
great weather and the Pacific Northwest has a ’cross scene that rivals the Northeast’s.
CIVIL WAR
THE BIG NUMBERS
Let’s start with some general data. How about average
distance-per-ride? The East Coast wins this one with an
average distance of 21.9 miles per ride, the West Coast was
close behind at 21 miles. The East also wins when it comes
to average speed, 14.2 mph versus 13.3 for the West. But
don’t break out the champagne just yet. When it comes to
elevation, the average distance and speed make a bit more
sense. It turns out Team West Coast climbs a lot more, with
an average of 1,311.7 feet per ride, that beats Team East
Coast by 425.2 feet every ride. When the numbers turn to
totals, again the West Coast is way ahead. Team West Coast
rode 6,985,301 times while the East Coast rode 4,667,185
times. Not surprisingly the West Coast logged more than
147 million miles to the East Coast’s 102 million. Strava
doesn’t disclose the total number of riders, but undoubtedly
these results are due to the West Coast having a bigger team
than the East Coast, and with more days that it can ride.
We’ll call this category a sister kisser. Winner: Draw
THE MOST POPULAR DAY

Despite our different riding cultures the East and West
shared July 12 as the most popular day to ride, with each
region recording more activities that day than any other.
Likely inspired by the epic stage win of Tony Martin at the
Tour de France and the great weather that day, the East
Coast knocked out almost 26,000 rides for 799,036 miles,
while the West Coast did some 30,000 rides for 1,112,529
miles. Team West Coast averaged 36.8 miles that day while
team east coast hung up their cleats after only 30 miles.
Winner: West Coast
THE HARD MAN AWARD

The sheer volume of data Strava can get its hands on is
incredible, but the variety is equally impressive. To answer
which coast handles nasty weather better we asked Strava
to mine data from devices that record the temperature.
Who rode more when the mercury began to fall? When
the temperature was 40 degrees or below the winner was
clear. Team East Coast recorded 87,861 rides for a total of
2,247,772 miles, while the West Coast had only 30,624 rides
for 724,431 miles. Even accounting for more days less than
40 degrees on the East Coast, when the temperature did
drop on the West Coast they rode three fewer miles per ride
than Team East Coast. No contest here. Winner: East Coast
We’d love to say we are above it all, but with a West Coast
office and plenty of East Coast contributors, we have skin in STATE BY STATE
the game. To determine which coast should own bragging Not surprisingly, Florida dominates a few categories when
rights, at least for 2014, we turned to our friends at Strava, state-versus-state data is examined. Floridians have the
purveyors of fine ride data since 2009. fastest average speed of 14.9 mph, the longest ride on average
at 24 miles and fewest feet of elevation, only 251 feet per ride.
We divided the East and West up simply—the 14 states that When it comes to the state that executed the most rides, it’s
border the Atlantic and the three along the Pacific—then no contest. California rode 5,795,786 times; New York was a
mined Strava data across multiple categories to find out which distant second with just 773,716 rides in 2014. California was
coast performed the best during 2014. Much like Shakira’s hips, also second in the longest ride game, only 3.5miles behind
numbers don’t lie, and thanks to Strava we have a plethora. Florida, which is impressive since it was the most elevation-
hungry state with 1,363 feet per ride. Connecticut did their
best for Team East Coast, climbing 1,281 feet during an
average ride. This category was a battle between California
and Florida and, like presidential elections, when Florida is
involved no one wins. Winner: Draw
THE SEGMENT KINGS

Like everything else on Strava, from training plans and
clubs, to Instagram integration and heat maps, it really boils
down to one thing—KOMs. KOMs determine who is the
local big dog and they determine who is the real winner in
this East-versus-West grudge match. For this stat we asked
Strava which coast won more KOMs and the West Coast
was the king of the mountains in 2014 with a staggering
290,136 KOMs won. The East Coast wasn’t too far behind
with 239,740 wins, but they were behind. Winner: West Coast
MOST RIDDEN SEGMENTS

These days, with so much talent on Strava, it has been a few
seasons since many of us have claimed a KOM. But that
hasn’t stopped us from flogging ourselves on segment after
segment, and here are the most ridden segments of 2014
in the East and West—all from New York and California
incidentally, with New York’s Central Park accounting for
the top four segments in the East.
EAST
(ordered by popularity in 2014; numbers are life of segment)
1. The Actual Harlem Hill: New York, NY—
362,861 attempts by 12,671 riders. (0.3
mi at 4% KOM: Allan Rego, 41 secs.)
2. Cat Hill Climb: New York, NY—376,789 attempts by
14,825 riders. (0.2 mi at 4% KOM: Scott Savory, 23 secs.)
Rock Store. Image: Andy Bokanev
3. Central Park Full Loop: New York, NY—
197,257 attempts by 7,896 riders. (6.1 mi
at 0% KOM: Scott Savory, 12:01.) rode more segments and claimed more KOMs. It’s
4. Three Sisters: New York, NY—338,890 attempts by also interesting to note the West Coast rider goes
12,725 riders. (1.7 mi at 0% KOM: Michael Zak, 3:18) in search of longer and steeper climbs with the
5. Prospect Park Hill: Brooklyn, NY—408,097 attempts by 8-percent, 3-mile-long Old La Honda in Woodside,
6,862 riders. (0.5 mi at 2% KOM: Tom Detwiler, 54 secs) California, being the toughest segment on the list.
WEST THE 2014 CHAMP?

(ordered by popularity in 2014; numbers are life of segment) It’s Team West Coast. While the East came on strong in
1. Hawk Hill: San Francisco, CA—113,594 attempts by cold temperatures and Florida made a play with long, fast
13,725 riders. (1.7 mi at 6% KOM: Jim Whimpey, 6:00.) rides, it was the West coming out on top thanks to more
2. Old La Honda: Woodside, CA—97,431 attempts by miles, more elevation and, most importantly, more KOMs.
11,513 riders. (3.0 mi at 8% KOM: Ryan Sherlock, 14:14.) So there you have it. Everyone can stop debating now.
3. Camino Alto: Mill Valley, CA—143,151 attempts by
When it comes to 2014, the West Coast is the best coast.
13,676 riders. (1.2 mi at 5% KOM: Berto Twerks, 3:38.)
Somehow, we don’t think this has actually solved anything.
4. Rock Store: Agoura Hills, CA—28,240 attempts by
4,384 riders. (2.6 mi at 7% KOM: Paul Mach, 10:21.) We expect a long a lively debate to continue, but where
5. Torrey Pines Hills Challenge, San Diego, CA— hard, cold, objective facts are concerned it’s your pedaling
99,348 attempts by 11,004 riders. (1.4 that does the talking, so get out there and click off some
mi at 6% KOM: Alex S, 4:23.) miles, climb a few mountains and grab a couple KOMs for
the home side. Your team is depending on you. p
While the West can’t compete with the amount of
riders hitting Central Park segments overall they Words: Ben Edwards. Images: Chris Henry & Andy Bokanev
RITCHEY
BREAK-AWAY CARBON
It’s oft repeated that Tom Richey’s best ideas occur on in carbon. While Ti Break-Aways have used carbon rears,
the bike. We disagree. We think his best idea happened the new bike is completely carbon, save for small alloy sleeves
in a plane, a light aircraft he also happened to be at the breakaway points. The result is a Break-Away frame
piloting. A frequent flyer between Ritchey HQ near that can be built at 15 pounds with very standard parts.
Palo Alto and his ranch in Jenner, California, he was
unable to easily get his bike in the plane and began The carbon is designed to handle the same level of
searching for a travel bike. Being underwhelmed by torture his steel and Ti Break-Aways undergo on the
what was available, and being Tom Ritchey, he decided baggage carousels of the world, but that was only one
to invent his own—and the Break-Away was born. of the objectives. Ride quality has always come first for
Ritchey, and the Carbon Break-Away is no different.
Sure, Tom did away with heavy threaded couplers and Lay-up after lay-up was iterated to find the right mix
silly hinges, instead relying on the natural junction of lively response and compliant road feel. Instead of
of the seat cluster and a tiny coupler hidden at the massive tube diameters the tubes aren’t much lager than
base of the down tube, to make the simplest and most the Ti bike’s—Ritchey calls it “right-sized” carbon.
elegant travel bike ever, but he wanted more. Instead
of a bike that rode well for a travel bike, he wanted a The geometry is pure Ritchey too—quick and nimble at the
bike that rode well when compared to any bike. front with a little longer rear for stability and ride feel. And
with room for up to 28mm tires, it’s that much more versatile.
The Break-Away has become legendary—it has toured If you pony up $3,000 and never break the bike down to
Africa, ridden cobblestone sportives and raced ’cross pack it into its case you can rest easy knowing that you have a
nationals. In fact, a Break-Away is Tom’s everyday bike. better bike than most standard carbon in the same
He’s made them in steel and Ti, and now he’s making one price range. If you do travel with it, the money you
save on baggage alone
makes the Break-Away
Carbon a bargain. The
fact that you arrive at
your destination with
a full-tilt carbon
performance sled you
can assemble in about 10 minutes
makes it a win-win. $3,000 (frameset
only); 49.5cm to 59cm; comes with
travel case, padding and torque
wrench; ritcheylogic.com p
VOLVO V60
CROSS COUNTRY:
THE GRAVEL BIKE OF CARS
We ask many things of a good gravel bike—poise turbo gives the V60 Cross Country the reassuring thrum of a
on the worst of roads, insulation from the chaos at hot-hatchback and the acceleration to go with it. Despite the
the contact patch, and the ability to do it all without substantial ground clearance the V60 Cross Country stays
diminishing our power at the pedals. In short, it level and poised in the corners, a trick no SUV can pull off.
needs to provide confidence on surfaces and in
situations where we have no right to expect any. While the car is a sport wagon and you can get very dirty
on the way to your next gravel adventure, it’s still a Volvo.
After a long ride in Napa Valley while driving a new The V60 Cross Country is loaded with next-gen safety,
2015 Volvo V60 Cross Country to Tahoe we passed from blind-spot indicators to automatic braking—should
miles and miles of gravel farm roads and began to a pedestrian, car or rider suddenly appear in front of your
wonder, just how far do those roads go? We pulled off bumper. It’s part of Vision 2020, a goal that no one will be
on one and had some serious fun for a few miles and killed or seriously injured in a Volvo by 2020. The vision
it hit us—this car is like a really good gravel bike. extends beyond the car as well. Volvo is working closely
with Swedish helmet brand POC to create systems that
The V70 Cross Country is legendary for its versatility. warn both bike rider and car driver when they are near.
It first hit the States in 1997 and has developed a cult-
like following. For 2015 its younger brother, the V60, The Volvo V60 Cross Country, like a great gravel bike, is about
is getting the Cross Country treatment. It has a brand confidence in any situation. It has the power and handling to
new all-wheel drive system; if the front wheels slip one- dissect a twisting mountain descent with the off-road ability to get
seventeenth of a rotation, the system kicks power to the to the top via a nasty goat path. Of course, unlike a gravel bike,
rear, restoring traction essentially instantly. With 7.9 you can do it in a cocoon bristling with the latest technology from
inches of ground clearance—2 inches more than the Wi-Fi and 3D navigation to adaptive cruise control and the most
standard V60—the V60 Cross Country can cover terrain comfortable seat—car, bike, or otherwise—we have every had the
many SUVs dare not tackle. Volvo’s proven 2.5-liter good fortune to sit in. $41,000; ($49,350 as tested); volvocars.com p
042 | pelotonmagazine.com
CURED
h
Will Frischkorn began his pro racing career with Team Mercury in 2000. He then
rode for Saturn and Colavita before ending his career with Garmin-Slipstream in
2009. We remember stage 3 of the 2008 Tour de France across Brittany into Nantes
where he was off the front, animating the race in a four-man breakaway that earned
him the most combative rider award and second place on the stage behind French
sprinter Samuel Dumoulin. Frischkorn retired five years ago at age 28 after 12 race
wins and countless team victories to begin the second phase of his professional life.
With his wife Coral, Frischkorn took a new career path And then to opening up Cured Boulder? Once I retired from
by opening a European-style grocery on the popular racing I knew that at some point the world of food and wine
East End of Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. We is where I would land. Immediately after finishing racing,
caught up with him recently to find out more about his I spent a fantastic year with the team on the marketing
transition from cyclist to foodie to small business owner. and sponsor-management side, but the passion just wasn’t
there. Food was calling. My wife and I started playing with
Tell us about the journey from pro racer to culinary school? business ideas, writing up plans, scheming, dreaming and
Throughout my years on the bike, food was always a huge exploring the possibilities. We knew we wanted to bring
passion, perhaps almost too much! I think if you’d go back something unique to Boulder, the town where my wife
and talk to old teammates they might echo that I could grew up and my adopted home for 15 years, and it lacked
have been a few pounds lighter and carrying a few less a European-style grocery. We wanted to build something
glasses of wine up and down climbs. That said, balance and small, thoughtful, filled with a selection of carefully curated
happiness have always been things I valued, and the joy that goods and staffed by people who were excited to share those
a good meal and glass of wine provided were immeasurable things with our customers. What started in our brains as
after a hard day in the saddle. Midway through my career, a small cheese shop grew into a full market with lunch,
after a couple of years with Saturn and Colavita, I was takeaway foods, a great wine and beer selection, and a
feeling burned out with cycling and decided that culinary partnership with a coffee shop, creating something of a
school would be a great way to explore the world of food a community hub in our neighborhood in the process.
little more thoroughly. I found a course that started right
after the San Fran Grand Prix and signed up that day. By Were you always a foodie when you were racing? Throughout
the time the end of the season rolled around I’d fallen back childhood, food was something my family loved, valued
in love with cycling, signed a contract with the TIAA- and shared together. Once I left home and started
CREF team, the precursor to Slipstream and Garmin, racing, that love of food never left me. Cycling provided
and was fully committed to racing going forward. I still an amazing avenue for food exploration, allowing me
attended school and absolutely loved it, knowing that to travel the world and, in bits of down time, eat my
someday food would become more than just a hobby. way around all of Europe. While racing, I certainly had
INTERVIEW: BRAD ROE | IMAGES: BRETT WILHELM PHOTOGRAPHY

to be mindful of food, and those periods of discipline
just fueled my passion to eat well whenever I could!
Do you still have time to ride your bike? Sadly, not nearly
enough! We have a 10-month old son, Holden, and
the combination of a still-young business and Holden
mean that our bikes often act as very expensive clothes
hangers! That said, we love getting out on the road or
trails whenever we can and there are few things more
enjoyable than a few hours of escape on two wheels. I
stopped racing early enough in my career that I still love
riding a bike, and after a life with so much physical activity
my body needs something nearly daily. For efficiency’s
sake these days, running seems to be my go-to exercise;
it’s quick, efficient and we can push the little guy in a
running stroller and get out as a family all together.
Tell us how bike racing inﬂuenced your next career adventure,

if at all? Cycling teaches you discipline and the ability to CURED. 1825 B PEARL ST., BOULDER, CO 80302. 720.389.8096
suffer, which turn out to be incredibly important skills as
a small business owner! Starting a business is without a
doubt harder than racing a bike mentally, but the physical
stamina you develop after years in the saddle proves
invaluable during long days back to back at the shop.
What is your specialty at Cured? Cheese, charcuterie,

wine, beer and chocolate, in no particular order. I love
everything we have in the shop and pride myself in the
ability to speak well on every product we put on our
shelves. Wine is certainly an area of focus and our small,

focused wine shop is a point of pride at the moment.
Your favorite sandwich or meal at Cured? The Luigi is my

favorite sandwich at the moment: A third of a fresh baguette
drizzled with olive oil, and topped with capicola [a pork
cold cut], dry jack cheese, pickled red onions, aioli and
chopped romaine. It’s the perfect combination of flavors—
salty, sweet, crunchy and fatty—all at the same time.
What’s your ultimate post-ride oﬀering? There are few things

more satisfying after a big ride than a great sandwich,
and we offer four daily. The Red Rock and Bacon Jam
Grilled Cheese might be the pinnacle of satisfaction, a
blend of a blued cheddar and a whipped bacon spread
on rustic bread. A dab of butter on each side and a
few minutes on the press makes for perfection. p
More: curedboulder.com
TRAVEL WELL
Not knowing. It’s a special feeling on the bike. After traversing endless miles on your local haunts, not
knowing what the next bend holds is a rarity. This is why we travel. Pointing your front wheel down
a new road, to see and experience unknown kilometers, awakens a new love for the bike—literally
and figuratively expanding horizons. To travel by bike is to never actually arrive; the journey is the
destination, unlocking a fresh understanding of time in the saddle. But this doesn’t mean you can’t
be prepared and tackle these new roads in style. This is where the travel company comes in. Choose
wisely and the new roads you find will be of the highest caliber and you will ride them in style.
TREK TRAVEL. 2015 Highlight: Trek Travel is heading to Cinque Terre,
Trek Travel has become the standard by which all other Bordeaux and the Great Smoky Mountains, but if we have
bike travel companies are measured. The American to choose one trip, it’s L’Étape du Tour. This seven-day
bike company runs tours all over the world and prides tour features five classic tour climbs, an entire tour stage
itself on knowing more than just the best climbs and pre-ride and the chance to ride with Trek president John
routes. The hotels, restaurants and mid-ride stops Burke, all within the atmosphere of the world’s greatest
are all more than just highly rated—they are the bike race. $4,200 / July. trektravel.com
same places the locals would go to. And Trek Travel
guides are much more than a local hammer with a GO4CYCLING
flat repair kit; they are real travel professionals. What happens when military precision, local knowledge
and ex-pros get together? Go4cycling. This Belgian
Specialty: It’s hard to assign a specialty to the company tour company puts together incredible packages
that essentially created 21st century bike touring and offers around the classics, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.
legendary trips across the globe; but, if pressed, we’d have to In fact, it’s the official tour company for many spring
say France. No one covers the birthplace of cycling better. classics and it was just named official tour company
for the Giro. Want to hob-knob with riders before the Specialty: Tuscany. It’s where Hampsten has made his home
start of a stage? Ride in a VIP car or even see the race since he moved to Italy—he even had his Motorola team
from a helicopter? These guys can make it happen. hold its training camps in the area around his adopted
home of Castagneto Carducci. It’s safe to say, no one knows
Specialty: For us, Go4cycling is the classics expert. Its Tuscany better, and his philosophy of “ride the miles, don’t
guides know every stretch of cobbles in Europe and three drive them” means you’ll see more of it from the saddle.
or four short cuts to get there. You’ll get to ride it all during
your trip; and on race day you won’t miss any of the action 2015 Highlight: Cinghiale’s tours tackle the Dolomites,
because the Go4cycling guys navigate the course thanks to Sicily, and even France, Corsica and California, but it’s
experience, precision and a big dose of Belgian charm. the homegrown Cooking and Cycling Tour in Castagneto
Carducci that caught our eye. Perfect for the rider who likes
2015 Highlight: Tour of Flanders. It’s the Belgian Super to hammer and eat, but has a partner who would rather
Bowl and no one does it better than Go4cycling. It learn about the cuisine of the area. It’s sold out for 2015, so
Images: Courtesy Trek Travel (left); Gruber Images (below, right)
offers a weekend package that includes the Flanders book early for 2016! $3,850 / September; cinghiale.com
Sportive on Saturday and chasing the race on Sunday.
It’s a weekend every rider should experience and INGAMBA
the price is half what most weeklong tours go for. Based in the Chianti region of Italy, InGamba, the
1,195 euros (about $1,360) / April 3-6; go4cycling.com brainchild of former pro rider Joao Correia, has a simple
goal—perfection. A trip with InGamba is to experience
CINGHIALE TOURS Italy like a very-well-connected local. By the time a ride
This is Andy Hampsten’s tour company and Andy is over you may count a pro or two as new friends; and by
Hampsten knows Italy. He raced there as an amateur, won the time a meal is done you’ll have swapped stories with
the Giro d’Italia in 1988, and moved there in 1994. He the restaurant’s owner, his chef and his grandmother over
has been running tours in Italy for 16 years. Cinghiale is wine from the private cellar. These are very expensive
as much about the food and wine as the riding, but be sure tours, but InGamba gives you your money’s worth.
to check out the “pigger” scale of difficulty. Cinghiale is
Italian for boar—and Tuscany is known for its wild boar. Specialty: Sure there is riding and culture galore, but
Hampsten’s tours range from single piggers, with 30 to 50 InGamba’s specialty is making you feel pro. Thanks to
miles a day, up to five piggers, with upward of 100 miles a riding with pros like Ted King and Laurens ten Dam,
day and huge elevation gains. pedaling a Pinarello Dogma, and getting a bag of swag
INGAMBA
THOMSON BIKE TOURS
Image: Augustsus Farmer

from Giordana, you’ll feel like you just attended the coolest
pro training camp in the world.
OTHER OPTIONS
CYCLEVENTOUX
2015 Highlight: Make your pilgrimage to the Dolomites in Rather than drop you into a prepackaged tour,
June with InGamba and ride the legendary passes while CycleVentoux works closely with riders to create custom
preparing for the Maratona dles Dolomites. Italian Gran tours. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clue about bike
Fondos have more in common with a Giro stage than a touring in Europe. You can use one of its previous tours as a
U.S. century and this is the most prestigious of them all. template and give it your own unique twist—wine tasting in
$7,545 / June 29 – July 6; ingamba.pro Provence? The Italian Alps? CycleVentoux also gives riders
the option of changing routes on a daily basis depending on
THOMSON BIKE TOURS how your legs feel in the morning. cycleventoux.com
Sag that’s always near by, an English-speaking mechanic,
hosts from the region, and owner and ride leader Peter BIG ISLAND BIKE TOURS
Thomson’s on-the-bike cheerleading all add up to the Most of us default to Europe when we think of traveling
ability to push yourself further than you thought possible to ride, but not Alex Candelario. After retiring from a
on Thomson Bike Tours epic routes. Thomson does successful pro career he relocated to the Big Island of
the usual fare of grand tour and classics trips but it also Hawaii, one of his favorite training destinations, and
organizes winter training camps and incredible trips founded Big Island Tours. He knows what it means to
traversing entire countries and huge mountain ranges. be treated like a pro and he knows the greatest roads
on the island, much of them on private land he has
Specialty: Thomson does it all well, but its Trans-Challenges gained access to for his tours. bigislandbiketours.com
are true bucket-list trips. Ride across Portugal, ride the
Tourmalet, Aubisque and Aspin across the Pyrénées, or RIDE STRONG
traverse the entire country of Switzerland. Ride Strong offers tours across Italy, Spain and France.
You can follow the grand tours, hit all of Europe’s
2015 Highlight: Trans-Alps Challenge. Just saying legendary climbs and roll through the wine country,
it gives any rider chills. Seven days, 700 kilometers but what caught our eye are its tours to Mallorca. This
with the Galibier, Télégraphe, L’Alpe d’Huez Mediterranean island has long been the home of pro team
and a host of other legendary ascents in between. training camps and it boasts some of the greatest riding on
You will climb 50,000 feet along the way. $3,895 the planet washed down with some of the best seafood and
/ Trips in June and August; thomsonbiketours.com wine in Europe to boot. ridestrongbiketours.com p
40 Filter
FRANCO BITOSSI
CRAZYkHEART
THE HEART IS A SUPERB PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
Simple, elegant and composed of the finest raw materials, it will go on
and on. No need for annual upgrades, no fancy branding. You don’t even
get a choice of color. What you do get is top-notch design that will last. And
what’s more, you’ll never even think about it. As long as you treat it well,
the heart will work away quietly in the background, the lynchpin of your
whole operation. Rather like a Campagnolo Super Record bottom bracket.
If you’re a finely tuned athlete (and I’m sure you are), there’s is misfiring. Those electrical impulses? All over the place. In
further good news. Your heart will enlarge. It will consume Italian, scopata. The owner of this fluttering heart, Franco
and process more oxygen. You’ll get into a virtuous circle— Bitossi, drifts to the back of the group, pulls over to the side
the more training you do, the stronger your heart will get, of the road. Team cars, motorcycles, vans and ambulances
and the greater the training load you’ll be able to cope with. sweep by him and disappear into the distance. Bitossi
doesn’t panic. A tall, handsome Tuscan, he breathes deeply,
But the heart isn’t only a mechanical device. It has electrical wipes the sweat from his face, takes a drink. He’s used to
impulses. There are four chambers in the heart, forming this. It’s a condition he’s lived with for many years. It didn’t
two pumps. The upper chamber, the atrium, is smaller stop him turning professional three years earlier. Nor did
and less muscular. When it contracts, the lower chamber, it stop him performing strongly in the previous year’s Giro,
the ventricle, fills with blood. When the ventricle contracts strongly enough to get a new contract with his team Spring
it pumps the blood out into the body. The contraction Oil-Fuchs. It’s not pronounced how you just read it….
starts when cells in the right atrium send out electrical
impulses. Any misfiring in these electrical impulses A few minutes later, Bitossi’s heartbeat has resumed a
and the rhythm of the heart is disrupted. The heart is regular pattern. He pedals away, rides hard down into
starting to sound more like a Shimano Di2 group set. Riva, conscious of the time limit, and catches a group of
riders who were tailed off much earlier in the stage. And
Now let’s zoom in on the tough mountain roads of Trentino, though he could easily sprint away from these riders,
Italy. It’s a Saturday in mid-May, 1964. The peloton of he holds back, stays in their wheels. In the finishing
the Giro d’Italia is driving hard through the valleys. It’s straight he coasts, deliberately coming last on the stage.
heading for Riva del Garda where the first stage win of the To come last, he believes is a good omen. Three weeks
race, along with the maglia rosa, is up for grabs. In that later in Milan, Bitossi has notched up four stage wins
peloton, there are 130 hearts, pounding away. But one heart and the overall King of the Mountains competition.
WORDS: PAUL MAUNDER | IMAGES: THE HORTON COLLECTION

Giro di Lombardia, 1970.
Franco Bitossi, known as Crazy Heart for obvious reasons, refused to work, hoping to be dragged to the line. Guimard
was a classy rider. He rode in the era of Jacques Anquetil, sat up and the rest of the group caught them. Bitossi
Gianni Motta, Eddy Merckx and Raymond Poulidor, and then counterattacked, reasoning that his two Italian
on his day he could beat any of them. His specialty was teammates, Michele Dancelli and Marino Basso, wouldn’t
lone attacks. Occasionally he would venture out on a Jens chase; Merckx wouldn’t chase because he was a friend of
Voigt-style suicide mission, but mostly he waited until the Bitossi’s; and Guimard was tired. That left Leif Mortensen
final few kilometers before jumping away from a small and Joop Zoetemelk, who Bitossi didn’t consider major
group. He was tactically astute, always aware of the rivalries threats. He got away from the group and flew into the
between other riders that could create opportunity. And final kilometer with what looked like a race-winning lead.
he could both climb and sprint—a useful combination. But, behind, Basso was doing some long pulls on the front
of the group, and encouraging others to come through
In the 1970 Tour of Lombardy, he attacked on the Intelvi too. On the long, windy drag up to the finish line, Bitossi
climb, chased down Felice Gimondi and beat him into the made the fatal error of choosing too high a gear. Basso
finish in Como. It was a smart move. Bitossi knew Merckx sprinted after the dying Bitossi and passed him 6 meters
was capable of following and beating him, but he also knew from the line. The images show Basso, exultant, full of
that Motta was having a sponsorship dispute with Merckx’s adrenaline, throwing his hands into the air while Bitossi
team and would mark the Belgian out of the race. Three looks up at his teammate, exhausted and stunned.
years earlier, Bitossi had attacked on the same climb and
a group of four chasers —Gimondi, Poulidor, Wladimiro During his 17-year career, Franco Bitossi won a
Panizza and Adriano Passuello—could only close to total of 171 races, including the Italian road race
within 30 seconds. Merckx finished a minute down. championship in 1970 and 1978, the Tour of Lombardy
in 1967 and 1970, the 1964 Giro d’Italia mountains
But Crazy Heart—Cuore Matto—was most famous for a classification and 1969 Giro points classification. So
heart-breaking second place. It was 1972, the world road was he risking his life every time he got on his bike?
race championship in Gap, France. Bitossi came into the
final kilometers in a group of seven. With 4 kilometers When he turned professional for Spring Oil-Fuchs the
to go, Cyrille Guimard attacked, Bitossi followed but team sent Bitossi for heart tests but they came back
negative. His problem—a
type of arrhythmia called
tachycardia, in which the
heart races as high as 220
bpm—only showed up in race
situations. During his amateur
career and first year as a professional,
he never took part in stage races
due to concerns about his heart’s
ability to cope with the pressure, but
from 1963 he competed in the Giro,
Tour de France and other stage races.
Arrhythmias occur in about 1 in 10,000

in the general population. Elite athletes
are more at risk, though their arrhythmias
tend to be mild and benign. Arrhythmias
vary significantly in how dangerous they
are. Most can be controlled and the errant
heart’s owner will just have an uncomfortable
sensation for a few minutes. Others put one at
risk of stroke or cardiac arrest. Some will,
when put under stress, lead to sudden death.
Bitossi today lives in Empoli, in the

Tuscan hills, near the small village of
Camaioni di Carmignano, where he grew
up. Occasionally, he’ll give an interview to a local
television channel during the Giro. He still follows the
sport, and looks every bit the contented retired athlete. He
still rides his bike through the Tuscan olive groves he loves
so much. After all, at 74, his heart has proved a faithful
companion. And isn’t that all one can really ask? p
Follow Paul Maunder on Twitter at pmaunderpaul
40 Filter
THE LONG HAUL

“You do not look like a person who has just biked over 100
kilometers,” Jan “Jano” Rohac of Greenways Travel Club
told me, very matter-of-factly, in his thick Slovak accent
as I entered the Grand Hotel Matej in Banská Štiavnica,
Slovakia, after sunset on August 31 last year.
Helmet still on, pushing my bike through the hotel’s Having bike-toured in America and western Europe, I
front door, I was wearing a battered Pittsburgh Steelers decided to contact Greenways and tell them I wanted
poncho covered in rain and mud, as was my face and to do the Budapest-Krakow ride in four days, not nine,
hair. But I was smiling, and Jano was correct: I still had and would bring my own bike and pack my clothes,
the energy to do another 100 kilometers if necessary. tools and other necessities in panniers. I only needed
the GPS, cell phone, hotels and directions. It cost a
That feeling, and the prospect of traveling alone by fraction of the normal price and, having biked the
bicycle through three countries I’d never been to, staying Swiss Alps in 2013, the cycling was downright easy.
in a new, hard-to-pronounce town each night, was what
took me and my Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike The navigation was not. Even with the GPS device attached
to eastern Europe last summer. But I ended up finding to my handlebars, and a list of directions, there were
a lot more in Hungary, Slovakia and Poland than still turns I had trouble finding—such as onto a skinny,
exercise and a chance to hone my navigation skills. unmaintained country road between Tupá and Slatina in
Slovakia. The GPS would only tell me there was a turn
In April, after receiving my tax return, I decided on a whim somewhere near, and the directions read simply: “Sharp left
that it was time to visit my ancestral home of Slovakia, turn towards ball-shaped water tower.” The hard-to-find
where my mother’s family has deep roots. After a night of dirt road—which looked even more iffy to me after being
research, I discovered that my great-grandfather was born in torn apart by a day of constant heavy rain—took me almost
Niedzica (pronounced “knee-jit-sah”), which is now in Polish an hour to settle on after biking in circles. That confusion
territory. So, as an avid cyclist living in Boulder, Colorado, added up to 20 miles onto the ride from Esztergom,
I booked a flight from Denver to Budapest, Hungary, and a Hungary, to Banská Štiavnica, Jano’s hometown.
flight home, one week later, out of Krakow, Poland.
Jano—whose idea of simply writing down the names of
For a hefty number of euros, fully supported nine-day, each village I’d pass through each day and crossing them
250-mile Budapest-to-Krakow adventure-cycling tours off in order helped immeasurably—met me in the lobby
are available. They include hotels, an impressively of the hotel around 8 p.m. that August evening to give
equipped bicycle, a GPS device, luggage service and me some maps. The previous morning, after I’d arrived
around-the-clock emergency support via cell phone. from a short bike ride from Budapest to Szentendre,
WORDS: ADAM PERRY | ILLUSTRATIONS: MATTHEW BURTON
Jano had met me in Hungary’s idyllic “City of Artists” Budapest, where I dipped my bones in the famed
beside the Danube River to hand me the GPS, cell Szechenyi Baths and climbed Gellert Hill at sunset,
phone and hotel vouchers. He even rode 15 miles with was startlingly beautiful and cosmopolitan. A dinner
me, north to Esztergom on the Slovak border, talking of goulash, bread and good dark beer at a restaurant in
about our families and biking along the Danube, and downtown Budapest cost me about as much as a Happy
taking two necessary ferries before Jano went home. Meal at McDonald’s. And Krakow—which made me
feel Polish when I realized every pierogi joint I walked
When I told the affable, burly Slovak—whose day job into smelled like my grandmother’s kitchen—was a
is in cycling advocacy for an environmental-activism revelation. The Cracow Hostel is right on the historic
association—about my Slovak roots and my quest to grand square, Rynek Glowny. But Slovakia, where almost
visit Niedzica, he was unimpressed. “That’s in Poland,” no one spoke English, was the highlight of my trip.
he said with a straight face. I could tell he wanted to
roll his eyes, but instead chose to change the subject. I enjoyed drinking honey wine and playing pool with locals
at the aptly named Jumbo Pub in Liptovsky Mikulás,
My grandparents, born in Pittsburgh like me and my and feasting on potato pancakes with sheep’s cheese
parents, raised my mother and her siblings firmly and roast pork in Dolny Kubín —where I befriended
Slovakian, speaking the language in their home when I Karol Szekely, father of Stanley Cup champion Martin
was growing up and often serving rich Slovak cuisine, Cibak. And I’ll never forget accompanying Jano on
especially around Christmas. But Jano was right. Just a side trip to the intact traditional Slovak mountain
a little research showed that the two-castle village of village of Vikolínec, which was attacked by the Germans
Niedzica (where my grandfather’s father, Adalbert in World War II. However, it was the many desolate,
“George” Lopata, was born in 1878) has been in Poland serene miles between main roads (of which there are few
since the 1920s. And my grandmother’s family is from in Slovakia) that I treasured the most, hearing nothing
Dubne, which has roughly the same territorial history. but my muddy bike rolling along and animals—notably
deer the color of a ripe orange—scurrying away.
Despite all that, and Jano’s assertion that my family is
not Slovakian, my time cycling south to north through Deep in the forest after a 6-mile climb above Liptovská
the country from Budapest to Krakow truly felt like a Osada, I snapped a picture that, in hindsight, signifies
homecoming. An ancestral voyage. the sense of home I found on my ride through Slovakia:
lush green all around, humble villages full of welcoming After three hours—about an hour more than it should
strangers (who excitedly communicated with such take to drive to Niedzica—the cabbie suddenly spoke
well-known gestures as handing me complimentary plenty of English, mostly obscenities. In a fit, he rolled
beers when I’d only stopped to use a bar’s bathroom!), down his window in obscure villages to ask everyone
rolling hills, and mile after mile of mostly unmaintained from construction workers to schoolchildren how to get
wilderness. I saw not one fellow cyclist on my entire ride. to Niedzica. When we finally arrived, stopping in front
of St. Bartholomew’s Church (and its Pittsburgh-funded
Although my bike slowed down after three days of monument that includes a tribute to my late Uncle
getting muddy on the Slovakian trails, it had no flats Jozef), the taxi driver said that, although the tab had
and steered well—even on winding descents during reached approximately 600 zloty (or $200), he would
downpours. At times, I felt like Steelers’ Hall-of-Famer accept 450. I gave him 200 zloty—what it would have
Jerome Bettis joyously tumbling through a defense cost had he not lost his way—and exited the cab without
on an exceedingly wet day, with the playing surface argument, not even looking back to see it speed away.
at Heinz Field shredded beyond recognition.
After viewing the monument and the gorgeous 14th-century
The real adventure of this trip was traveling alone through church, I felt half-satisfied and half-stupid, realizing
three countries with different currencies and different that since my great-grandfather died in Pittsburgh, this
languages, none of which I speak. It was made less might be the gist of my visit to Niedzica. But a guy named
challenging the ridiculously cheap prices. In Budapest and Michael, who was picking up his 5-year-old son at an
all through Slovakia, I could easily get a hearty, filling meal adjacent preschool, was kind enough to not only take me to
and a large local beer for $5 (including tip). the home of a man who shares my mother’s family name
(Lopata, which is so common in Niedzica that the man’s
After visiting all the Krakow tourist attractions I could response was a shrug) but also introduce me to Father Józef
fit into two days, I bribed a cabbie to take me to my Bednarczyk, whose office is across from St. Bartholomew’s.
great grandfather’s birthplace in Niedzica. Around 10
a.m. on September 5, I counted my remaining zloty and Though he spoke not a word of English save for “moment,”
attempted to negotiate the price of a ride to Niedzica, which he used to tell me he was getting up to do something
which is inaccessible by bicycle from Krakow. The and then return, Father Bednarczyk understood who I
cabbie claimed to speak not a word of English, and was and why I had come all the way from America. For a
quickly took me toward the highway, headed south. good 20 minutes he searched through the big, dusty log of
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Niedzica births and deaths. After several rounds of saying “It is just down the road. We’re going there already,
“moment” before going to his bookshelf and back, Father to visit my grandfather, who is buried there.”
Bednarczyk—who had previously seemed rather imposing
because of his size and silence—became animated. To not only learn of my great aunt’s birth and death,
but also visit her resting place, felt like a miracle,
I had scrawled my great-grandfather’s name and birthdate especially to someone raised in a family as staunchly
on a small piece of paper and handed it to the priest when and historically Catholic as mine. The two friendly
I entered his office. He now motioned for me to stand up Niedzica women, an aunt and her niece, have
and join him behind his desk to look in the town record. both lived in Chicago—which reportedly has the
As I reveled in seeing my great-grandfather’s name and largest Polish population outside of Warsaw.
birthdate (April 9, 1878) in 136-year-old handwriting, the
priest shook his head, said “moment,” and began writing We spent about an hour in the cemetery, with its timeless
another name, Catarine, on scratch paper in red pen along views of the village and surrounding mountains, before
with the same birthdate as my great grandfather. I took the women out for pizza and they showed me
where to catch a bus to Krakow as the sun sank. Catarine
“A twin?” I asked. He understood somehow and smiled, Lopata’s resting place is technically there in that small
nodding approval. Niedzica cemetery—the town knows where the unmarked
graves from the 1800s are located—but there are no
“Moment,” Father Bednarczyk said, and flipped forward headstones from that time, only unmarked crosses in
through the village log. Just a few pages later, my great one small section and ominous mounds in another.
aunt’s name was written again. And again the priest
scribbled the date in red pen on the same scratch paper Thus, although my ancestral journey felt complete,
(which is now on my family’s fridge in Boulder): “31.8.1878.” standing there in the Niedzica cemetery feeling Polish,
So Catarine died at four months old. The news of her birth Slovakian and American all at once, there was still a sense
and death was astonishing for my family, something it seems of mystery, knowing only that my great-aunt’s resting
not even my grandparents knew. place was very near. From Boulder to Budapest by plane,
from Budapest to Krakow by bicycle, and to Niedzica by
The priest shook my hand, gave me his card, and confused cab, it was a solo voyage that made Slovakia feel
walked me outside onto the steps of the church. Two like home, Poland feel like a newly discovered limb, and
local women were walking by, and he spoke to them adventure cycling feel even more like a calling. p
in Polish. One of the women then spoke to me in
English. “We will take you to the cemetery,” she said. Follow Adam: adamperrywrites.wordpress.com
40 Filter
COMPLETE CADEL
Every so often an exceptional athlete comes along and has a seminal influence on
the sport of cycling. There have been a few such figures in the postwar era—Coppi,
Anquetil, Merckx, LeMond—all of whom have changed bike racing in significant ways.
Fausto Coppi was the first to combine diet, massage and Instead, a far more modest personality, a rider who also
targeted training rides into the preparation that helped won the world road championship and the Tour, has
him dominate his rivals with long, solo breakaways— staked a claim to cycling immortality. He’s an athlete
in the grand tours (Giro d’Italia or Tour de France) and who competed in the final race of his career on February
the classics (Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix or the 1 after influencing the narrative of professional cycling
Tour of Lombardy). over three decades in a unique way. His name, of course,
is Cadel Evans, and though his palmarès is nowhere near
Anquetil pioneered motor-paced workouts in his training as extensive as any of the riders named above—indeed,
regimen that saw him remain virtually unbeatable in many have called him an under-achiever—his influence
every type of time trial—a quality that also helped on the sport, worldwide, has been just as remarkable.
him become the first five-time winner of the Tour.
Cadel Evans had the most unlikely trajectory of any rising
Eddy Merckx, well, was Eddy Merckx. His marathon- cycling star. He wasn’t a Coppi, an Italian peasant boy
length training rides, his fastidiousness with regard to who discovered his propensity for cycling on a butcher’s
equipment (storing tires for years to improve their reliability, delivery bike. He wasn’t an Anquetil, who grew up in
drilling out chainrings for lightness) and his ruthless pursuit France when bike racing was king, and was mentored to
of victory in every type of race, were the stuff of legend. glory by an uncompromising trainer. He wasn’t a Merckx,
from bike-crazy Belgium, whose ambitions were fostered
As for Greg LeMond, his natural ability and determination by the national coach (whose daughter he wed). And he
were enhanced by always being technically cutting-edge. wasn’t a LeMond, a middle-class California kid, whose dad
Had he not been shot in that 1987 hunting accident enabled him to do what he did just when cycling was
just as he was entering his prime years, the American taking off in America.
would no doubt have continued winning the Tour, the
worlds, and any other race he turned his attention to. No, Cadel (that’s what everyone calls him) had none of
those influences or incentives, none of those mentors
Perhaps in another era, one not destroyed by a blood- or enablers. He was born in a hospital in Katherine, a
boosting drug called recombinant erythropoietin, Lance small town in the dusty, tropical outback of Australia’s
Armstrong could be added to this list—not for his doping Northern Territory—just about as far away as one can
or the hostile manner in which he concealed it, but for his get from cycling’s European epicenter. For the first seven
quest for perfection in training, technical breakthroughs, years of his life, he lived 50 miles outside of Katherine
team organization and pre-Tour scouting trips that were in an even more remote hamlet called Barunga, where
hallmarks of his now discredited seven-Tour reign. the indigenous aborigine people made up the bulk of its
Words: John Wilcockson | Images: Yuzuru Sunada
Tour Down Under, 2015.
population of 282. Cadel discovered his independence on a rocky course that would have been better suited to
there, often riding his little BMX bike out into the cyclo-cross. After the gifted 18-year-old AIS athlete came
bush—on adventures like his lifelong hero, Tintin. in ninth on that broiling hot Georgia day, I went to talk
with him as he sat on a low folding chair and toweled
“I like Tintin because he’s young, he’s intelligent, he’s sweat from his eyes. Cadel wasn’t dispirited—an optimistic
brave, he’s kind, he’s everything that you could want to be,” quality he retained throughout his career—and he was
Cadel once told me. “He’s the only idol I’ve ever had.” happy to talk about the race, his prospects in mountain
biking, and his dreams of racing as a pro in Europe.
When he was eight, Cadel moved with his parents some
2,000 miles southeast to Upper Corindi, on the coast We’d have to wait a while to see where his road skills
of northern New South Wales. After his parents split, would lead him because the next Olympics, four years
he moved with his mother to nearby Armidale and hence, were to be held in Sydney—and Cadel wanted
eventually much farther south to the state of Victoria— to win cross-country gold there. He next raced for two
where they lived in the small townships of Plenty, U.S.-based mountain bike teams—with Diamondback
Kangaroo Ground, then Arthur’s Creek—to the north in 1997 he won two UCI World Cup races and took a
of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city. Cadel worlds silver medal; and with Volvo-Cannondale, for the
wasn’t particularly adept at the popular sports of cricket, rest of his off-road career, he was tremendously successful,
football and swimming at Eltham High School. He was winning races all over Europe and North America and
still more of a loner. He enjoyed skateboarding and at 14 taking the overall World Cup title in both 1998 and 1999.
took up the then-growing sport of mountain biking.
Then, in his build-up to Sydney 2000, he dominated
He had some significant success in the younger age the two World Cup cross-country races in Canada; an
groups—winning the under-17 nationals at age 15—before Olympic medal looking guaranteed on home soil. But
he distinguished himself nationally and internationally at the course did not feature the long climbs at which he
his country’s first UCI-sanctioned World Cup, at Cairns, in excelled, and though he was with the leaders in the early
1994. Cadel, just 17 and still racing in the junior category, laps of another ’cross-type circuit, he faded to seventh.
was allowed to compete against the world’s top cross- After his disappointing ride, Cadel told the Herald Sun
country pros because the race was also part of a national newspaper: “Maybe I’ll try a three-week tour like the
series for elite and junior men. Confounding mountain-bike Tour de France or something that more suits my style.”
insiders and the fans alike, he came in fifth to stand on the
five-man podium. Later that year, he took the silver medal Cadel had given the world a small insight into his road-
at the junior worlds cross-country in Vail, Colorado. racing capabilities in January 1999 at the five-day Tour
of Tasmania, a low-key Australian event, where he placed
Because of his obvious talent, Cadel was brought into second in the time trial, and then smashed the field
the training program run by the Australian Institute on the uphill finish to Mount Wellington to clinch the
for Sport prior to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where overall victory. His climbing potential was confirmed a
mountain biking would debut as a medal event. His few weeks later at California’s Redlands Classic, where
coach, Damian Grundy, said he could improve his he placed third in the one mountain stage—behind two
cross-country strength by including road racing—which U.S. Postal Service team riders, Jonathan Vaughters
he did with success right away and even won a bronze and Christian Vande Velde, who would both ride that
medal in the 1995 world junior time trial championship. year’s Tour de France. But it would be another six years
But cross-country remained his prime goal. before Cadel competed at La Grande Boucle….
When he was tested at the AIS, technicians couldn’t believe Following the Sydney Olympics, and still sponsored by
what their instruments were telling them. “Cadel laid Volvo-Cannondale, he spent a transitional 2001 season
down the highest VO2max score the AIS had ever seen,” in Europe. With the mountain bike team, he took four
reports David Martin, a physiologist who a few years ago podiums in cross-country World Cup and placed fourth
presented a scientific paper showing Cadel’s best readings at the worlds. On a Cannondale road bike, racing for
as a mountain biker: a VO2 max of 87 ml/kg/min at a max Team Saeco, Cadel, at 24, scored his first big stage
power output of 7.3 watts/kg and a threshold power of 6.0 race victory at June’s Tour of Austria—thanks to an
watts/kg. That’s a set of results normally associated with amazing performance on the Kitzbühler Horn, one of
multiple Tour winners such as LeMond or Miguel Induráin. the toughest finish climbs in European cycling. “I had
a mechanical at the bottom and started the climb dead
Those numbers didn’t translate into glory at Atlanta, last,” Cadel recalls. “Two of my teammates took me
where the inaugural Olympic cross-country race was held to the back of the group…and I won by a good bit.”
Paris-Tours, 2001.
Cadel followed up that victory with two more wins, Heppner—who’d been in the pink jersey for nine days
Italy’s Brixia Tour and Switzerland’s Across Lausanne after gaining five minutes on a flat-stage breakaway.
hill climb, which enabled him to earn a contract with
the world’s then No. 1 team, Mapei-Quick Step, for Heppner was not a great climber so when Cadel finished
2002. Team owner Dr. Giorgio Squinzi had seen with the lead group on the first day in the Dolomites he
his team dominate the classics, but he was desperate claimed the leader’s maglia rosa—quite an achievement
also to win the Tour de France. Perhaps Cadel for a rider in first full season of European road racing.
would be the key to unlocking that ambition—with To win the Giro, all he had to do it seemed was survive
the Giro d’Italia the first step in that direction. a second stage through the Dolomites. Easier said than
done because that stage was 225 kilometers (and more
Cadel started the 2002 Giro as a helper for Mapei team than seven hours) in length with a mountaintop finish
leader Stefano Garzelli—who won two of the first five on the Passo Coe at Folgaria. On the early slopes of
stages and was lying in second overall when a positive the last of the day’s five climbs, Cadel looked in good
drug test saw him excluded from the race on stage shape, with Mapei teammate Andrea Noè pacing
10. Cadel switched from support rider to team leader him at the head of the peloton. Then, suddenly and
when he placed second on the hilltop finish to stage disastrously, Cadel bonked and slowed to a crawl.
13, took third in the next day’s time trial and moved Over the final 9 kilometers of climbing he conceded
into second overall behind German all-rounder Jen a quarter-hour. He ended that Giro in 14th place.
Giro d’Italia, 2002.
Looking back at the 2002 Giro—which could have to be on a squad with fellow Aussies, sprinter Robbie
ended in victory—Cadel said, “I did a big build-up in McEwen and sports director Allan Peiper. And his new
December and January that year, which in retrospect was sponsors were thrilled with their new recruit when he was
too much. And I had a heavy racing schedule leading up a protagonist in their country’s major climbing classic,
to the Giro that really made me tired before I started the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Thanks to a ferocious attack from
race; and for that reason I had the bad day.” That “heavy the chase group on the next-to-last climb, the ultra-steep
schedule” included Cadel placing fourth overall at the St. Nicolas, that no one could match, Cadel finished in fifth
Tour Down Under, 10th in Paris-Nice, third at the Coppi place. “When I’m climbing, they always say that I look as
& Bartali Week, sixth at the Tour of the Basque Country though I’m about to be dropped,” he said. “I was on the
and third at the Tour de Romandie—an enormous spring limit on St. Nicolas, but then again I was on the front.”
workload for a young man just beginning his road career.
The world would get to know his strained (but very
It was at Mapei that he teamed up with coach Aldo effective) style of climbing at his first Tour de France. Cadel
Sassi, a fierce advocate for clean cycling, whose training wanted to go into the race after preparing for it in two
advice Cadel would follow for the next decade. Ironically, tough stage races, the Volta a Catalunya and Critérium
Garzelli’s drugs suspension so upset the Mapei CEO, du Dauphiné, but he had to change plans after crashing
Squinzi—who regularly spoke out against doping—that at high speed descending a mountain road on a scouting
he withdrew his company’s sponsorship at the end of 2002. mission in the Pyrénées. The crash re-injured his many-
Cadel moved to the German squad T-Mobile, where a times-fractured collarbone, and he was just fit enough to
thrice-broken collarbone wrecked his 2003 season, while ride the Tour de Suisse before making his Tour debut.
in 2004 team management kept him from making his Tour
debut because they considered he wouldn’t survive that It wasn’t the way he’d hoped to start the world’s biggest
year’s difficult opening week though Belgium and northern bike race, and he was well short of his best form at the
France. Not happy with that decision, Cadel asked his agent opening day’s time trial across the island of Noirmoutier.
Tony Rominger to find a team that would give him the After everyone had finished the stage, while Armstrong
chance to ride the Tour so he could shoot for his dream…. was in a media scrum at his team camper van and
rival Jan Ullrich was being driven away in a team car,
Cadel’s new team—where he would stay for five years— a lone figure calmly spun the lactic acid from his legs
was Belgian outfit Davitamon-Lotto. He was pleased on a trainer in the center of the teams’ near-empty
parking lot. It was Cadel. “I’m trying not to get caught support riders (nor the budget to afford them), and after
up in the hype and stuff,” he told me. “I just do my wearing the yellow jersey for five days he lost out to the
race and do my job and see where it takes me.” well-organized CSC team—whose Carlos Sastre came
out on top by 58 seconds. Cadel was second again.
It would take him on a long, laborious journey through
that Tour and into another decade of contesting all the Surely he’d win the next one. Instead, at the ’09 Tour,
Grand Tours. And through good times and bad he always his Belgian team failed miserably in the early team
showed the optimism that marked his career. In that 2005 time trial and left him with a three-minute deficit that
Tour, his collarbone wasn’t fully healed, but he never proved impossible to overcome in a race devoid of truly
complained about it. “It’s held together with gaffer tape, challenging mountain stages. He ended up in 30th. To
that’s all,” he said at Ax 3 Domaines after surviving the save his season, Cadel attempted to win the Vuelta a
first Pyrenean stage. “The shoulder’s hanging in there.” España—where he’d placed fourth two years before.
The following day, he made it into the winning breakaway
and was the solo leader over the Aubisque (the pass where After eight stages, Cadel was the Vuelta leader, and
he’d crashed in training), took fourth on the stage into remained in second place for another four days, just
Pau, and moved into the top 10 overall. “I have to choose seven seconds behind Spain’s Alejandro Valverde. Then,
my moments carefully,” he said. “The other mountain on the finishing climb to the Sierra Nevada, disaster
stages were for the big GC guys, and I’m not there yet.” struck. After Cadel’s rear tire flatted, the neutral service
mechanics took almost two minutes to change the wheel.
He may bot have ben an instant “big GC guy,” but he “They couldn’t get the wheel in,” he said. “The media
wasn’t far away. A couple of days later, there was a hilltop and photographers blocked the road [behind me], and
finish at Mende, atop the steepest climb of the Tour. There the team car couldn’t come through, so I was stranded.”
was a non-dangerous breakaway group many minutes Racing alone, Cadel chased hard, but crossed the line,
ahead, but the battle between the main contenders was still in tears, 68 seconds behind Valverde. He eventually
fierce. Just four riders were left together after Mende’s fierce finished that Vuelta in third place, 1:32 back.
10-percent climb to the plateau finish: the three men who
would stand on the podium in Paris—Armstrong, Ivan All of the near-misses made his team lose confidence
Basso and Ullrich—and Cadel. Race leader Armstrong in Cadel, and before the 2009 season ended he signed
wanted to take the sprint (even though it was for only a two-year contract with the unsung BMC Racing
11th place) and he was taken aback when the Australian team—and that’s when he scored the major breakthrough
Tour rookie burst past him on the line. “Why did you he’d been seeking for so many years: He won the world
have to do that?” Armstrong said to Cadel with a glare. road title in Mendrisio, Switzerland…no distance
The Aussie calmly replied, “Sorry, mate.” Later, Cadel from his European home in the village of Stabio.
said, “Yes, Armstrong was pissed at me that I sat on and
sprinted for the group.” But, he added, “You put a finish Cadel was by no means a one-day classics expert, but
line in front of me and I’ve got to sprint for it, I’m sorry.” he was always a threat on hilly courses. Over the years,
he’d scored top-five finishes at the Tour of Lombardy,
Cadel eventually finished eight in his debut Tour, but all Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Flèche Wallonne and the
seven of the riders who finished above him—Armstrong, worlds (in 2007); he was also the first overall winner of
Basso, Ullrich, Francisco Mancebo, Levi Leipheimer, the UCI ProTour (also in ’07). So, even though he wasn’t
Michael Rasmussen and Alexander Vinokourov—have a favorite for the 262-kilometer elite men’s road race
also since admitted that they used EPO or blood-doped in in Mendrisio, he had several things going for him—he
the mid-1990s to mid-2000s era. So could Cadel have won excelled in races lasting seven hours, he liked hilly circuits,
his debut Tour, just as he might have won his debut Giro? he was on top form after finishing third in the Vuelta a
In one sense, he did emerge from that Tour as a winner week earlier, and he had a powerful Australian national
because in Paris he got engaged to his Italian girlfriend team (not the weak Belgian trade team) to help him.
Chiara Passerini, a pianist and singer, whom he’d been
dating since the end of his 2002 season with Mapei. In fact, the Aussies did such a good job keeping breakaways
within range, while protecting and pacing Cadel through
In those first years as a team leader, Cadel seemed to the first six hours of racing, that he didn’t show at the front
be on target to an eventual Tour victory: After that until 20 riders emerged with one lap of the 13.8-kilometer
eighth place on his debut, he was fifth in the doping- circuit to go. And, feeling relatively fresh and strong,
scarred 2006 Tour and then placed second to Alberto he jumped clear with two others on the course’s longest
Contador by a meager 23 seconds in the scandal-ridden downhill, and then dropped those two men, Joaquim
’07 Tour. He went into the following year’s race as a Rodriguez of Spain and Alexander Kolobnev of Russia, over
top favorite, but his squad didn’t have the strongest the final climb to solo to victory with a half-minute gap.
With the rainbow jersey on his back in 2010, his first season where he looked likely to take the yellow jersey from
with BMC (a team still converting from ProContinental the race leader, Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel. But
status), Cadel was often left without strong support. Even just 10 minutes into the stage, Cadel fell in a fast,
so, he scored his first classics victory that spring at the downhill pileup. “My arm hurt and my wrist hurt,
Flèche Wallonne, defeating the Spanish climbers Rodriguez and I thought this doesn’t feel right,” Evans said.
and Contador with a late burst on the Mur de Huy. He
then went to the Giro with a relatively weak team. He The split-up peloton was then screaming down a long
wore the leader’s pink jersey after two days, conceded it descent and the stage was an hour old before the peloton
to the controversial Kazakh, Alexander Vinokourov, and regrouped. “A bit later, I’d calmed down and [sports
then lost more than a minute in the team time trial. director] John [Lelangue] came up in the team car and
asked, ‘What do we do? Are you okay? Shall we stay with
Three days later, Cadel took one of the grittiest wins of the plan?’ I carried on, and I had a bit of trouble on the
his career. The 222-kilmeter stage to Montalcino was held last climb. I was at my limit, but I took the jersey.”
in torrential rain and cold temperatures that turned the
infamous white roads of Tuscany into mud-slick tracks. This was the second time in three years that Evans had
Constant short, steep climbs and the horrendous conditions taken the Tour lead. That was the good news; the bad news
split the race to shreds and only three riders were left came next morning, on the rest day, when x-rays showed
for the day’s final, uphill sprint that Cadel took, going a small crack in his elbow. The team didn’t tell anyone
away, from Italy’s Damiano Cunego and Vinokourov. of his broken arm, hoping Evans would be able to defend
the jersey on the second alpine stage over the Col de la
A couple of days after that spectacular stage win, he felt Madeleine. But it didn’t look good. “I couldn’t ride on the
totally exhausted after another stage of heavy rain. “I got rest day because of the bumps on the road and I went back
back to the hotel and for only the second time in my whole to the trainer for a bit, but I was pretty tired,” he said.
career, I lay down on the bed, still in all my dirty gear,
and I didn’t get up,” Evans said. “All I could say was, ‘Oh, “When you have a crash it has a bit of an adrenaline effect,
I’m tired, I’m tired.’ They took my temperature the next and afterwards you get a rebound effect, and that’s what
morning; it was up to 38.9º Celsius [102º Fahrenheit].” happened. From the first kilometer of the Madeleine I was
really struggling; every bump on the road hurt my arm.”
It was in this state that the BMC rider began the epic Inevitably, he had no reply to the attack farther up the
262km stage through rain and hail in the Abruzzi long, high climb by Contador and Andy Schleck. Cadel
mountains to L’Aquila. “I was just watching Vinokourov at might have lost the jersey but by continuing in the race
the start because I was afraid I was gonna get dropped in to honor his rainbow jersey he gained the respect of the
the neutral [zone],” Evans admitted. “I was just scared. If I whole peloton, even if he finished that Tour in 26th place.
could stay with the GC group, great, but then [Vinokourov]
just let everyone go [a breakaway of 56 riders!]. I saw After rebuilding the BMC team around him, thanks to the
Richie Porte go, and I thought, Isn’t he sixth on GC? confidence shown in him by team owners Andy Rihs and
Jim Ochowicz, Cadel put the Tour de France at the top of
“Everyone’s looking at Vinokourov, and they’re his 2011 agenda. He cut out the Giro and prepared for the
probably looking at me as well, but I didn’t want Tour differently, not racing until March and scheduling
anyone to know I was sick. I was hurting, but I just four stage races before July: Italy’s Tirreno-Adriatico
was acting as if everything was normal.” (which he won), Spain’s Tour of Catalonia (used as
training but he still finished eighth), Switzerland’s Tour de
That was the end of the Aussie’s pink jersey challenge, Romandie (another overall victory) and France’s Critérium
though he still managed to finish that Giro top five. du Dauphiné (where he’d place second to Brad Wiggins).
His more important target was the Tour, which opened
with tough stages in the Netherlands, Belgium and One quality he continued to improve was his uphill
northern France—the sort of racing to which his former jump at the end of hard races. He showed it in winning
Telekom team thought he wasn’t well suited. But Cadel the 2010 Flèche Wallonne against Contador, and again
excelled. He finished with the breakaway group on a in early 2011—when he took a stage over Michele
stage that took in some Paris-Roubaix cobblestones Scarponi at Tirreno-Adriatico. Evans hadn’t worked
and was riding high heading into the mountains. specifically on generating a faster jump. “I’ve got
my theories on this,” he said. “Since I switched from
On the morning of stage 8, the first day in the Alps mountain biking in 2002 to full-time on the road, my
with a summit finish at Morzine-Avoriaz, the plan body’s still changing; and, yes, I have a little bit more
was to keep Cadel protected until the final climb— muscle mass now, which helps with the explosivity.”
When I interviewed Cadel that May, he was still struggling lying in third overall thanks to two second places and a
with the death, from a brain tumor, of his longtime Italian hilltop stage win (ahead of Contador) in the first week.
coach, mentor and friend Also Sassi. In a quiet, sad voice,
Evans said he’d never before been touched by cancer. “I saw For his so-called press conference, 20 or so plastic
the whole thing go through with Aldo,” he said. “Obviously chairs were arranged around a small podium under
his health declined pretty quickly, and seeing his family the canopy of an equipment truck in the early-evening
around him then was, for me, the most difficult thing.” sunshine. Cadel answered low-ball questions for about
20 minutes before signing autographs for some local
In closing that interview, Cadel—who first watched the Tour fans and having his photo taken with wife Chiara and
on TV when he was 14 and saw Induráin take the first of their little dog Molly. His boldest statement was: “I think
his five victories—asked me, “How many times did Miguel we’re really well positioned right now,” before talking
Induráin ride the Tour before he won? Five or six?” “It was about his “months and months and months of work”
actually six, and then he won it at the seventh attempt.” to prepare for this Tour and the “years and years and
“So,” Evans replied, “I’m going into my seventh Tour….” years of experience” he was bringing to the table.
While all the pre-race hype for the 2011 Tour surrounded When the Tour reached it toughest stage in the Alps,
three-time winner Contador and two-time runner-up four days from the finish, Cadel was in second, just
Andy Schleck [this was before Contador lost his 2010 over a minute behind longtime yellow jersey Thomas
win to Schleck over his clenbuterol positive], other Voeckler, a minute ahead of Schleck (in fourth) and
contenders, including Cadel, were almost an after- two minutes clear of Contador (in sixth). On the second
thought. Even 10 days into the Tour, on the first rest of three giant climbs, the Col d’Izoard, Schleck made
day in the Auvergne region, the media was still focused an unexpected attack, linked up with a teammate and
on Contador and Schleck. Reporters flocked to their an earlier breakaway group over the summit and set
press conferences, but there was only a small gathering about building a big lead in the valley. In the distance
at BMC Racing’s modest Hôtel des Sources in Vic- was the long haul to the finish, atop the mighty Col du
sur-Cère for Cadel’s get-together—even though he was Galibier, the highest-ever stage finish at the Tour.
World Championships, 2009.

Giro d’Italia, 2010.
Because they’d been in the saddle for more than five hours, the summit increased in intensity, a taciturn Cadel kept
climbing for most of the time, everyone was tired. As the up the pressure. Voeckler, paced by his teammate Pierre
gradient started to steepen into a strong headwind, Cadel Roland, was hanging in, while Schleck’s brother Fränk
reached the front of the small peloton and looked around grimly followed. At the line, which the leaders crossed
for help. But no one reacted. Frustrated, he was told to calm one by one, most of them in a state of utter exhaustion,
down by his BMC team director Lelangue, who later said: Andy Schleck successfully completed his epic, two-hour
“We had two options. Let Andy Schleck continue on and breakaway, but failed by 15 seconds to take the yellow
accept second place in Paris, or take responsibility for the jersey after Voeckler summoned up his last dregs of
chase and risk losing everything later. We chose the latter.” energy to place fifth on the stage. Cadel was out-kicked
by Fränk Schleck for second place and was now a minute
So, a kilometer later, where the road entered a short back on overall time—but the Aussie knew he’d just
avalanche tunnel and provided some shelter, Cadel completed perhaps the most remarkable ride of his career
went to the front. With confidence, strength, stamina and that he’d be faster than his opponents in the long
and nary a backward glance, the Aussie threw himself time trial awaiting them in Grenoble in two days’ time.
into a desperate duel with the by now solo leader. The
gap to Schleck was up to 4:25 and 11.5 kilometers still It’s now history that Cadel rode a brilliant time trial, within
remained to the finish on the bleak Galibier summit. seconds of beating the stage winner and about to be world
champion Tony Martin, and defeating Schleck by two
Every kilometer up the climb, Cadel was hacking 11 and a half minutes to claim the yellow jersey. Finally, at
seconds from Schleck’s lead. He climbed so fast that his age 34, Cadel was winner of the Tour de France, a victory
adversaries fell back one by one—including, 2.5 kilometers that the Australians celebrated as one of the greatest in
from the top, three-time champion Contador. “I don’t the nation’s history. They admired his fortitude and moral
know what happened to me,” the Saxo Bank leader said qualities. When I asked him if the pressure from his teams
after the finish. “I was really without any strength in and the fans to win the Tour affected him, he replied,
the last 10K…. At the end, I just wanted to hang on to “I’m not a rider that needs pressure to get results. If my
the Evans group till the line, but I had nothing left.” best is not good enough to win I can’t give much more.”
While Contador and others faded as the road pitched up to Over the three years since becoming Tour champion,
a double-digit percentage, where an icy wind blowing over Cadel continued to give his best. He averaged three wins
Tour de France champion, 2011.
per season, took seventh in the 2012 Tour and third in trains seriously, works hard and always gives his best
the 2013 Giro—and wore that race’s maglia rosa for four on the bike. With the confidence rightfully shown him
days last year before finishing in eighth. He remained by BMC Racing management and all his teammates,
competitive to the end. At 37, he placed third in last few doubt that, like a LeMond or an Anquetil, Cadel
month’s Tour Down Under, which saw him battling for the had the ability and grit to win the Tour multiple
win before he helped his young BMC teammate Rohan times—and had he found a supportive team much
Dennis take the overall title. And he was in the final sprint earlier in his career, he probably would have done.
for the win last Sunday (February 1) at the inaugural
edition of the classics-style Cadel Evans Great Ocean But Cadel has been much more than a star athlete. He has
Road Race in his home state of Victoria, not far from his been an exemplary sportsman; a strong advocate for causes
hometown of Barwon Heads. It was fitting that he finished such as Free Tibet (his favorite book growing up, besides
fifth—the same position that brought him into the spotlight the Tintin series, was “Seven Years in Tibet”); a wonderful
as a teenage mountain biker just over 20 years ago. parent to his now four-year-old adopted Ethiopian son,
Robel; an inspiration to a nation that is now embracing
Over the years, the media have variously described cycling more and more as a sport and a means of everyday
Cadel as an under-achiever, a rider who had enormous transportation; and, now, as an ambassador for BMC
potential but rarely used his physical and mental gifts Racing, its products and promotions.
to achieve stellar results. One factor that stopped him
winning more races was the drugs culture that pervaded Remember, when he was talking about “the only idol I’ve
the pro peloton through the first half of his career. But ever had,” Cadel said, “I like Tintin because he’s young, he’s
Cadel was never one to give excuses. When I asked him intelligent, he’s brave, he’s kind, he’s everything that you
recently about riders who choose to dope, he simply could want to be.” Cadel Evans will be 38 on Valentine’s
said, “We all shake our heads and move on….” Day, so he’s no longer young, but he has lived up to all of his
hero’s other qualities. And now he’s a hero himself. p
What’s never been in question in his long career as a
full-time bike racer are his attributes as an athlete who Follow John Wilcockson at twitter.com/johnwilcockson
40 Spin
FELT F1 PR
Cast your mind back to the dawn of the gravel-bike
movement, eons ago, when this adventure-riding
phenomenon was but a cult-like murmur on the periphery
of roadie culture. Travel back with us all the way to 2012.
As the UCI WorldTour circus arrived for its annual
appointment on the Roubaix cobbles, the Argos-Shimano
team riders hurled their bodies against the ancient stones
with a bike that appeared at first, second and third glance,
to be a standard Felt F1. It wasn’t. The changes were
subtle, but profoundly effective when it came to solving the
riddle of the cobblestones—stability, compliance, power,
handling and, of course, weather. It was meant to be a pro-
only tool, but then this mixed-surface-gravel-adventure
thing happened and Felt happened to be sitting on the
perfect weapon. The Felt F1 PR was ready for prime time.
The Details
The Felt F1 flagship road bike is the PR’s almost identical
twin. The PR has the same very traditional look: flat top
tube, traditional tube shapes. It’s a bike that has been
untouched by a stylist. The F1 PR has the look of an
engineering exercise. It’s designed to solve a problem, not tug
arbitrary emotional strings, and it’s all the more beautiful
for it. The bike features UHC Ultimate + Nano carbon
fiber with all of Felt bells ands whistles—DMC (Dynamic
Monocoque Construction) and InsideOut Molding.
higher level of material and lay-up. DMC allows
DMC is Felt’s most time-consuming method of Felt to move joints away from critical areas like the
construction and only two F-series bikes feature a chain stays to optimize lay-up in those areas.
BOTTOM LINE
Where the F1 PR separates itself from its big brother is in
two critical areas: geometry and tire clearance. The PR is
both longer and lower than the standard F1. The head
PRICE: $5,000 tube is more than one degree slacker on our 58cm
tester, the chain stays are 13mm longer, which
WEIGHT: 17.3 lbs (58cm) pushes the overall wheel base out more than
SPECIFICATION: Shimano Ultegra STI shifters, 2cm. Combined with the bottom bracket,
which is a touch lower, and the F1 PR
Shimano Dura-Ace derailleurs, Shimano truly puts you between the wheels for a
Ultegra cranks. 3T Ergosum Pro handlebar, center of gravity that will keep you out of
trouble. Don’t mistake this for an upright
3T ARX II stem, 3T Ionic VR 25 Pro seat post,
comfort bike—the head tube is still low
Prologó Nago Evo X8 CPC TiRox saddle. Mavic and pro like a standard F1. It’s a move
Ksyrium Elite wheels w/ Challenge Paris- we applaud. The F1 PR is a race bike,
just one for lousy surfaces and weather.
Roubaix Open Tubular tires
MORE: feltbicycles.com Dealing with those lousy surfaces is where
the bike’s spec comes in. Felt carved out
some tire clearance in the mold and fills it with supple big watts as much as the original. It’s quick and lively
and voluminous 27mm Challenge Paris-Roubaix tires, a with a magic ride quality. It’s simply a hoot to ride.
300tpi open tubular that is magic on any surface. Next
the company went with long-reach TRP dual-pivot There’s a perception out there that any bike can be a gravel
calipers providing room for the tires and any mud they bike if you slap a set of 27mm tires on it, assuming they
pick up. Searching for compliance, the entire industry will fit; and to a large degree that’s true. Unfortunately,
has run back to the 27.2mm seat-post diameter. Felt never the moment you realize you may have found the limits of
really left and it ramps up the comfort with 3T’s polymer your road bike on a mixed surface it’s usually too late. The
damping ring within the DiffLock seat-rail clamp. The changes to the F1 PR that are so subtle on the road are
rest of the bike’s spec is a savvy mix of Dura-Ace and profound in the gravel. When faced with deep gravel on
Ultegra, which brings the F1 PR in at $5,000 with no a heavily crowned road, the changes Felt has invested in
discernable handicap. The only issue we have is with the F1 PR become obvious. As your tires begin to creep
the wheels. The Ksyrium Elite’s are robust enough to toward the shoulder in deep gravel the bike’s stability
handle serious punishment, a plus on this platform, but allows you to angle your front wheel a degree up slope, lay
they are narrow and don’t help the 27mm tires shine. down some power, and surf the gravel, staying on line. The
longer stays and extended front center make drifting the
The Ride bike around tight corners in the dirt pure joy. Hit the rear
As an everyday rider, the F1 PR’s changes are subtle. The brake hard, let the rear drift around, then jam your foot on
bike has lost essentially none of what makes the original the gas. The Felt F1 PR will put a huge smile in your face.
F series so successful on the road, certainly if you run a All we ask of Felt is this, can we get a disc version, please?
more traditional road tire. You’ll need to put out more
than 5 watts per kilo to feel any lack of acceleration in The Rider
the mountains and, unless you are Marcel Kittel, the F1 The Felt F1 PR is for any rider wanting a bike that knows
PR will thread the needle in a bunch sprint then beg for no limits. Race it on the road, rip it off-road, in criteriums
or on climbs, the Felt F1 PR does it all. In fact, around
peloton’s tech HQ, if we had to choose one bike for the rest
of our riding days, it would likely be the Felt F1 PR. p
40 Spin
RIDLEY NOAH SL 30
Ridley is a company steeped in Belgian heritage.
Every bike it designs must excel on the famed Flemish
cobblestones; it supports the most Belgian of all the UCI
WorldTour teams, Lotto-Soudal; and it is named for
the stonemason who hand-laid every single cobblestone
on the legendary Koppenberg climb. Rik Ridley toiled
for three years to complete the task, only to collapse at
its summit on the day he fitted the last stone in 1886.
Okay, we made up that last part…. Ridley actually

takes its name from the English film director Ridley
Scott and his dystopian masterpiece, “Blade Runner.”
Ridley’s founder, Jochim Aerts, is a big fan of the movie
and his company somehow, incredibly, manages to
represent these two influences—steeped in Belgian
heritage with one foot firmly in the future. No platform
reflects this better than the 2015 Ridley Noah SL.
The Details
An evolution of the Noah FAST, the SL takes the no-holds-
barred aero concept and matures it like a fine wine. The
original integrated brakes—a technical breakthrough to
be sure—proved incompatible with today’s wide rims,
and they’ve been swapped for standard brakes. And the
seat mast has gone, replaced with an aero post. But these
changes only scratch the surface of what Ridley has done.
truly about: going fast under powerful riders. After
SL implies weight loss, and it is lighter than the FAST all, it was designed with, and for, André Greipel. It
version, but at 980grams for a medium it is no climbing is stiff, it is stout, and its form is sculpted to cheat the
bike. Much of the savings comes from losing the integrated escalating drag a bike this fast will create. Ridley calls
brakes, although the frame itself is still considerably on two key technologies: F-Surface and F-Splitfork.
lighter. But all of this is secondary to what the bike is
F-Surface takes a concept firmly established in wheel
design and adds it to the leading edge of key tubes.
BOTTOM LINE
Both the down tube and seat post feature a molded
ridge that trips airflow, causing it to remain
attached to the tube longer and reducing drag.
PRICE: $4,200 The F-Splitfork is taken from the original
Oval Concepts design and has been shown
WEIGHT: 17.5lbs (Large) to reduce drag considerably when tested
SPECIFICATION: Shimano Ultegra 11-Speed, with a spinning wheel. The bike features
airfoils with a truncated profile as well as
Forza alloy cockpit, Forza Cirrus saddle,
dropped seat stays that shield the rear brake.
Fulcrum Racing Quattro 35H wheels and What does all this do for the bike’s overall
Continental Grand Prix 4000s II 25mm aero performance? We don’t know. While
Ridley provides numbers for how the F-Suite of
MORE: ridley-bikes.com technologies individually reduces drag, it has not
released numbers on the overall package.
Ridley asks $4,200 for the Noah SL 30, and it’s a lot of bike Not surprisingly the Noah SL descends like a set of car
for the money. Full Ultegra 11-speed, Ridley’s own Forza keys thrown over a cliff. It accelerates so rapidly your heart
components and a dependable if unexciting alloy cockpit will be racing for reasons other than less-than-pro VO2
combine with Fulcrum Racing Quattro 35s—a durable set max numbers. When the road eventually gets twisty, fear
of very fast alloy clinchers, unless you are going uphill (they not—the aero sculpting and Splitfork bite with incredible
weigh 1,725grams). A large Noah SL weighs 17.5 pounds. confidence in the corners, which of course means you exit
with more speed, and it all compounds into a screaming
The Ride good time going downhill. Going uphill, well the Noah SL
Surprisingly, the aero-inspired Noah Fast SL has a tall head is not a climber’s bike, but on the descent it will help you
tube. This is because Ridley has decided to give all its road very quickly close any gaps created on the uphill.
bikes the same geometry—all-around, aero and endurance.
Its logic is simple. It would rather have a rider looking for a The bike is definitely stiff and could be described as
slammed position run a stem with a big negative angle than harsh if not for one very smart choice from Ridley.
see an endurance rider run a stack of spacers and ruin the It specs the bike with wide 25mm Conti Grand Prix
bike’s handling and appearance. We can’t argue with that. tires. Drop the pressure to 95psi and the Noah SL
is magic in the way it responds to poor surfaces. It’s
What surprised us even more was just how damn fast the damped and confident, yet never feels bogged down,
bike feels. Forget wind-tunnel numbers—the bike’s love always responding to power and asking for more.
of big power is raw and visceral. Ramp it up in the saddle
and the bike just rolls, maintaining high speed at the The Rider
edge of your redline like few other platforms. While it’s The Noah SL rider is big, powerful and unafraid of long
not going to jump from low speed like a Ridley Helium, solo breaks or supersonic field sprints. Both are looking for
if you need to come around a rider at 55 kph, you will a platform that makes the most of their natural abilities,
find no better bike. The Noah SL can handle every not trying to improve talents they don’t have. p
watt you can squeeze out of your quads with aplomb.
40 Goods: travelin’
THE FOAM ROLLER YOU CAN CARRY ON. You can’t carry a masseuse in your carry-
on luggage, but you can carry a Trigger Point NANO Roller. Trigger
Point has developed a longer-lasting foam that won’t break down after
seasons of use and put it in its new line of foam rollers. The NANO
is travel-friendly, fitting in any bag, even carry-on for midflight use.
Designed to mimic the feeling of a masseuse’s fingertips, it is intended
for feet and forearms, two often-ignored body parts after long miles.
Of the two available densities, we prefer the extra-firm NANO X and
use it for more than feet and arms. You really shouldn’t be without one,
especially since it could be the one thing that keeps you going day after day
when the road is steep and the days are long. $25; tptherapy.com
ZAP YOUR WAY TO FRESH LEGS. When the recovery gods decided to produce electronics, they
designed the MarcPro Plus. The second iteration of the incredibly successful MarcPro electro-
stimulation recovery device, the MarcPro Plus has a new trick up its sleeve. It still produces the
unique low-wave frequency that stimulates a relaxing muscular contraction to turbocharge
active muscle recovery, but adds a new high-frequency pain-relief setting. When you save and
train for a big trip, you want fresh legs every day, and if your back or neck seizes up the last thing
you want to do is get in the van. MarcPro Plus handles both situations incredibly effectively and
its price will seem like a bargain when it saves your European cycling tour. $950; marcpro.com
THE LITTLE BASKET THAT COULD. At first glance you might

think the Takeout by Portland Design Works is too small to carry
stuff, but, my friend, you would be wrong. Within the burly,
lightweight alloy, handlebar-mounted rack sits a height-expandable,
waterproof handmade bag fabricated in Seattle by the crew at
Dank Bags. Pull the bag out and you have a shoulder
strap and map/phone pocket to make carrying easy.
The basket installs easily on to 25.4-31.8mm
handlebars, including dropbars. A six-pack of
beer fits perfectly in the bag with enough room
leftover for other essentials like produce and
Trader Joe’s roasted and salted sunflower seeds.
Ours came with the imited edition Camo bag with
blaze orange crest (not shown). $140; ridepdw.com
THE CHAMOIS THAT STRETCHES WITH YOU. Elastic Interface was born in 2000 when two Italian
brothers found that chamois tech of the day was lacking. Why did the shorts stretch so comfortably,
but the chamois didn’t? From this thought was born EIT (Elastic
Interface Technology), a chamois that stretched. Even today
it can be tough to find a chamois that works with your riding
style. The chamois might bunch, be too bulky or simply be in
the wrong spot. Elastic Interface works with some of the finest
apparel brands to solve these problems. With 29 models for
men, and 21 for women, there isn’t a single type of cycling that
EIT isn’t ready for. Next time you are looking for new bibs for
a cycling adventure, flip the shorts inside out and look for EIT on
the chamois. Prices vary; brands with EIT includes Assos, DeMarchi, Gore, Rapha and many more
THE MOST VERSATILE RIDING JACKET. When traveling, garments that can perform double duty,
straddle categories and still perform at a high level are critical. Castelli’s Alpha Jacket does
all of this in what has become our new favorite piece of apparel. This jacket incorporates
windproof Windstopper® technology whilst maintaining ventilation and thermal
performance, and it has three pockets in the rear for storage. The skin-like fit won’t have
the jacket flapping in the wind either. But the Alpha’s true pièce de résistance is the
integrated vest. It makes riding with a jersey or undershirt unnecessary most days. It’s
worth its weigh in gold on a long trip living out of a suitcase. $350; castelli-cycling.com
GO ANYWHERE
ELECTROLYTES. After years
of riding events around
the world we’ve subjected
our innards to some truly
horrific mid-ride refueling
provided by organizers. We’ve learned our lesson the hard
way and now never travel without a plastic tube of NUUN
Active Hydration tablets: great flavors, quality hydration
and a natural energy version with caffeine and B vitamins.
Drop them in your bottle and NUUN tabs keep you rolling without a bunch of calories so your post-ride feed
can be that much more epic. They also travel incredibly well thanks to the tough plastic container. Never
fear a TSA bag check or nutrition explosion with NUUN. $24 (box of four tubes, 12 tabs per tube; nuun.com
A ROLLING FORT KNOX FOR YOUR BIKE. There are few things more
aggravating than traveling with a heavy, difficult bike bag with suspect
protection. PRO’s latest Bike Travel Case Mega is the ultimate solution
to these problems. With 8.7 kilograms (19 pounds) total weight, a
strong alloy frame for support and thick padding and foam blocks
for every part of your bike, this bag is light, durable protection
for your prized ride. The Bike Travel Case Mega also has four
independent roller wheels, separate pockets for your wheels and
accessories, and its frame has a wide range of adjustability for
different bicycle sizes. Once at your destination, head over to
oversize-baggage claim with confidence. $500; pro-bikegear.com
AIRBNB FOR YOUR BIKE. Did you take

an Uber car from the airport to your
Airbnb vacation rental? Don’t want
to pack your bike for your next trip?
No worries, the sharing economy now
includes bikes. Spinlister functions
exactly like Airbnb but for bikes,
connecting out-of-town riders or even
bike-less locals with locals that have
bikes to rent. It’s all accessible online
as well as app-based—from connecting
with a renter to secure payments. Bikes
are even insured. The bike selection
is growing fast and includes full-on
carbon race sleds and around-town commuters. Worth a look if you’re tired of traveling with your bike. Varies; spinlister.com
NEW FLAVORS FROM AN OLD FAVORITE. ClifBar’s latest flavors, Nuts & Seed and Berry
Pomegranate Chia, are another must for travel. It’s one thing to try a new dish at dinner
while traveling, it’s another thing entirely to try a new bar or gel midway up a first ascent
of L’Alpe d’Huez. We pack ClifBars and the new flavors are fantastic. Nuts & Seeds is sweet
and salty with almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, and a nice peanut butter base.
Berry Pomegranate Chia is a mouthful of berries with every bite plus the added benefit of
chia seeds, the super food endurance runners are going nuts for. $15 (12 bars per box); clifbar.com
A BACKPACK AS TOUGH AS YOU ARE. You

ride in the rain and cold. You man up and
put in the miles. Shouldn’t your backpack
do the same? OGIO’s All Elements is up
to the task. It’s got all the bells and whistles, from
an airflow back panel and straps that make it comfortable to ride with,
to sleeves for laptops and tablets. All of this fits in a totally waterproof
bag thanks to its roll-top construction. The liner is removable too,
making it an ideal rain bag for the follow vehicle. Simply pull out the
liner with your sensitive electronics, leave it at the hotel and
use the outer bag for your booties, gloves, warmers and
rain cape. It’s an incredibly versatile bag. $125; ogio.com
INSURANCE IN YOUR BACK POCKET. Giordana’s TriSeason

Jacket has become as indispensable as a passport when we
travel. Incredibly light, it packs away to nothing in your luggage and back pocket,
but offers wind and rain resistance when unexpected weather occurs. It has the fit
we have come to love from Giordana, perfectly dialed for the riding position and it
doesn’t turn into a sail, flapping in the wind. It’s even ideal when wind and rain aren’t
an issue, but falling temperatures are. When faced with a long descent even on a
sunny day, wind chill can get very uncomfortable. That’s when we reach for our
TriSeason. If your ride involves a coffee stop, again, the TriSeason is perfect. It’s a
must-own garment for any rider, especially those that travel. $225; gitabike.com
LET YOUR BIKE FLY FIRST CLASS. No matter where you

plan on going, don’t worry about the stress of flying with
your bike. BikeFlights likely has your bicycle traveling
better than you do, around the world. The company has
simple packing instructions, or can hook up with a local
packing pro if you’d rather. BikeFlights offers door-to-
door service with major shipping companies as well as
ground and express services. You can get all the packing
supplies you’ll need as well as buy a bike box or reusable
case. Rest easy with your bike in transit; ship it with ease,
BikeFlights has insurance for your ride as well. If you
really want to put your feet up before you put them on the
pedals, book your bike with BikeFlights. Prices vary (Cross-
Country Ground approx. $50-$60 each way); bikeflights.com
TSA-PROOF FLAT PROTECTION. The
quickest way to lose your TSA Pre status
is to try and sneak a C02 cartridge
through security. We know, we tried.
Thus, travel with your bike requires
a solid hand pump—and Pressure Drive
by Lezyne is our travel buddy these days. It’s robust
enough to make inflation easier on you and your tires, but
still light enough to fit in a jersey pocket. Holding a traditional mini-pump
steady is no fun and the flexible hose in the Pressure Drive Mini gives you more breathing room for movement around the
valve. With a Pressure Drive in your pocket you won’t be stranded if the sag van is 20 minutes down the hill with the “less fit”
tour guests. $45; lezyne.com
THE (ALMOST) FLAT-PROOF PERFORMANCE TIRE. The choice is simple. If you don’t
plan on changing flats and want a fast tire for your trip, you can’t go wrong with the
Schwalbe ONE Tubeless. It doesn’t matter if you’re riding the cobbles in Belgium,
Dolomites in Italy, bike paths of the Netherlands, or the Pyrénées in France, the
Schwalbe One Tubeless, along with some sealant, will keep you rolling.
Tubeless reliability meets the fastest tire Schwalbe has ever made
and, as an added bonus, you don’t need to inflate them as much
as traditional tires, giving you more handling and comfort on
long rides over new roads. $80 (ea.); schwalbetires.com
THE HARD CASE FOR HARD KNOCKS.

If you don’t want to take a single risk
traveling with your bike do yourself
a favor and pick up the Scicon Aerotech Evolution. This case is
made for support and protection, which is what we want as we
watch the baggage guys tossing bags around. The box can
fit nearly any size bike (up to 62cm) and does it all at 11.5
kilograms with quality roller wheels to make the trip form the
car to check-in easy. The case includes a separate bag for your
precious accessories. The wheels are covered and movement is
eliminated within the case so you never need to worry about
scratches and dents. The last thing you want to do when
you arrive in Spain to climb the Alto de L’Angliru is have
a smashed frame courtesy of your airline. Save yourself the
heartache with the Scicon Aerotech box. $1,400; sciconbags.com
THE ALL-ROUNDER THAT FOLLOWS YOU ALL AROUND. When you

head into the mountains on your next cycling trip, you’ll wish
for a light and stiff wheel set. When you hit the cobbles you’ll
wish you had a bombproof set; after 80 miles you’ll wish you
had a tubeless set; and as you wave good-bye to them in the
airport you’ll wish you didn’t spend a fortune. Welcome to the
Bontrager Race X Lite TLR, a tubeless all-round alloy wheel
set suited for any rider that rides anywhere, in any conditions.
The wheel is light enough for climbing at 1,450grams,
is super lively and profoundly durable, with tubeless
convenience and a price you can live with after dropping a
few thousand on the trip of a lifetime. $1,000; bontrager.com
DITCH THE CLUB KIT AND GRAB THE BLACK LABEL. The name says it all:
Voler. You can expect high-quality, race-bred and American-crafted
cycling kits that will have you looking classy and pro on your next great
cycling adventure. The sleek Black Label line is perfect for staying subtle,
but still showing some style at the Euro coffee shop. With clothing tested
for durability, you can rely on a very comfy, long-lasting chamois, gripped
bands on the arms and legs, as well as form-fitting and breathable fabric to take
on big efforts in changing weather. If the ride runs late after a few tasting stops
in the wine country of Provence, the reflective accents will help get you back to
the hotel safely. The line is more than bibs and jerseys; it includes base layers,
long-sleeve wool, thermal jackets and more. $100 (jersey), $140 (bibs); voler.com
MID FLIGHT AND APRÈS-RIDE SOCKS. Recent

technology has shown that compression can push
a little extra blood to where it is needed. 110% Play
Harder has several pairs of compression socks that
can do more than just give you fresh legs for your next
ride, they can also keep your flight and travel fatigue
to a minimum. Our favorite is the stealthy Mercury in
black. No one needs to know you are compressing. Rock
them on the plane, in the taxi (or limo if you ride in style)
and keep them on until you hop on the bike. There is no
such thing as too much time in 110% compression socks,
so keep them on for your post-ride trip to the Belgian brewery for
some spuds; your legs will thank you later. $50; 110playharder.com
MORE GEAR FOR YOUR 1X11. One of our favorite things about SRAM’s new Force
CX1 is its simplicity, and that can be a huge benefit in a travel bike. There is
just less to go wrong far from home. Limited gearing was the only pitfall—
until now. The new 11-36 cassette for Force CX1 offers 13-percent lower
gearing than the previous 32-tooth offering. Combine it with the extensive
front-ring options and you’ll have any gear you need to climb big mountains.
With all the PowerGlide goodness we have come to expect from SRAM
cassettes, every shift is as quick and positive as ever. $118; SRAM.com
THE NESTED POWER ADAPTER FOR 150 COUNTRIES

The brain trust at Flight 001 constantly amazes us with cool travel
products, and the 4-in-1 Travel Adapter is the latest. This one adapter
consists of four plugs and in different configurations it works in 150
countries. Using a new color-coded system called JA/C, you can
find the right combo for any country you travel to. The four plugs
nest together to easily drop in your carry-on and ensure you’ll be
ready when you cross the border from France to Switzerland. The
currency isn’t the only thing that changes. $25; flight001.com p
40 Filter
#134
Words & images: andy bokanev
THIS WAS NOT THE ENDING TO THE SEASON THAT IAN CRANE WAS HOPING FOR.
As a neo-pro with the Jamis-Hagens Berman team, Crane was riding great in 2014, taking the overall win and the time
trial at the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas and winning a crit stage at the North Star Grand Prix in Minnesota. By
the time he received the call-up to race in the USA Pro Challenge in Colorado, with the likes of Rafal Majka, Michael
Rogers and Jens Voigt, he was sitting firmly in second place in the National Racing Calendar standings. With just
one NRC event remaining, the Bucks County Classic, many believed Crane could end the season on top of the
standings—a remarkable achievement for a first-year pro. But one unfortunately placed traffic cone on a windswept
highway outside of Boulder on the final day of the Challenge set off a chain of events that almost ended it all.
“I remember the hotel we were staying in, I remember A few miles later: brake lights and team cars coming
taking the bus to the race.” Crane is sitting across from to a sudden stop. An accident. Riders down. We slowly
me in a noisy café in the Wallingford neighborhood of moved forward and saw the Jamis-Hagens Berman car
Seattle, close to his house. “We had a team meeting pull to the side of the road and a mechanic jump out and
and Matt Cooke announced his retirement. Then we grab a bike off the roof rack. Bike switch. As we rolled
went to sign in and I remember one particular spectator by I noticed that it is Crane who went down, along with
in Boulder because they had a very big sign opposing another rider I cannot recall right now. I yelled something
one of the members of the race. Then we raced for a encouraging out the window and we continued. I looked
while—and everything else I know from stories and that back and see Crane starting to catch back on, weaving
sort of thing—but I guess it happened 8 or 9 miles into his way through the caravan, and a commissaire on his
the race, so I remember maybe the first neutral lap and motorcycle tagging along to make sure that no unfair
then waking up in the hospital a couple of days later.” advantage is passed along by the team car. The voice on
the radio announced: “Rider 134 is moving up through
That afternoon, I was riding in the Rapha Condor JLT the caravan.” I told the Rapha mechanic that Ian Crane
team car somewhere in the middle of the race caravan. and I live in the same neighborhood of Seattle and we
know a lot of the same people and race in a lot of the
same races. I rolled down my window and prepared to
take a photo, knowing that Crane would be passing at
any moment. And then I waited. And waited some more.
The cars behind us were blocking the view of the road It is probably best that Crane does not remember anything
so I couldn’t see Crane moving up. Then came another of what followed. As the cars came to a sudden stop, he
announcement: “Rider 134 has abandoned.” And a few did not have an opportunity to slow down or swerve
seconds later: “Rider 134 is being transported out.” Shit. and went through the rear window of a Cannondale
team car. The glass from the window nicked his jugular
“There were severe crosswinds and we were going through and the impact broke bones and caused lacerations
a construction zone. Sounds like I clipped a really tall that required more than a thousand stitches inside his
stable pylon,” Crane says, sipping his coffee. “That put me mouth and several dozen on his face. It is in no way
on the ground and I broke my bike in that crash and got an overstatement to say that getting airlifted to the
a lot of road rash. So I changed my bike, was behind the hospital in a timely fashion saved his life. The doctors
race and did what I could to get back to the group because induced a coma to allow his brain to start healing.
that was still early on, so I imagine I was drafting pretty
closely behind the cars to use them to my advantage and “I think it was about four and a half days later that I woke
they stopped really suddenly….” up. I remember being very surprised to see my family and
my girlfriend there in the hospital. I remember being very
concerned that I’d done something wrong, like make an
error on a descent or something. I was somewhat relieved
when I heard what happened.”
Crane is not your average 25-year-old bike racer. His

level of maturity and understated confidence are not
something that I have come to expect from anyone of
that age group in the bike trade. “This was my first
year as a professional,” he continues. “I came into the
season feeling like I had a lot to prove. Being on a team
with experienced guys like J. J. Haedo and Ben Jacques-
Maynes really ups your level, but I have been racing
for a long time, so that led to my best season yet….”
Then he smirks and mentions that “it took me almost
dying to get cyclingnews to write an article about me.
“Results lead to respect in the peloton. It was nice going down. I think back to the first time I saw him after the
into races considered a favorite. Helps with motivation. And accident. He had been home for about a month when
people start reaching out on Twitter based on good results. I came over to take a few photographs of his recovery.
It’s kinda silly that those things go hand in hand, but that’s He was excited to show me his physical-therapy routine
the main reason I write a blog—to be more approachable, before kitting up to ride his trainer. At that point, he
not just some random bike racer. Not just be, ‘Oh, it’s that could not do it for much longer than a few minutes at a
guy that did okay at that race one time.’ I think that’s time, all while being constricted by his neck brace and
the problem with our sport: people being bike-nerdy.” bandaged-up fingers. “I am getting a tattoo,” he said,
breaking the rhythmic whirring of the bike trainer. “It
Crane is visibly excited. His doctor recently cleared him will be a tattoo of a plus sign.” He lifted his left hand off
to stop wearing his neck brace, which got us talking about the handlebar to reveal a plus sign hand-drawn on his
his recovery. “I definitely still want to be a bike racer,” he wrist. “I haven’t had any dreams for the past six weeks.
says. “I am going about this differently than if I didn’t have Then the other night I finally had a dream. And it was a
my accident. Normally, I would be spending all winter dream of me getting a tattoo of a plus sign. Just a reminder
thinking about winning a stage at California or Colorado to stay positive and how quickly things can change.”
or something. Now it’s just a matter of wanting to get back
to where I was at. I feel like I can still do a lot for this sport. Back at the café now, Crane brings up the issue of having
I don’t have any kind of fear of bike racing. The limiter a race contract for 2015. “Last year was a new experience
now is when I can get on a bike and ride outdoors. Every for me. I was lucky to be able to get onto Jamis-Hagens
neurologist I’ve seen has given me a different timeline. Berman and I didn’t have any other options. This year
The quote is ‘everyone’s brain heals differently,’ which is I was trying to think what would be best for me and
pretty annoying for someone who wants an answer now. was lucky to have a good season and have interest from
I’ve heard anything from six months to a year, but I have other teams. I was thankful for all of the teams sticking
been healing faster than anyone could have predicted.” through with me through my crash, but now I have no
doubt that Jamis-Hagens Berman is the team I want to
It is easy to think of Crane’s recovery in cliché terms like be on and I’m thankful for all that they have done for me.
“down, but not out,” but he can hardly be described as They signed me onto another one-year contract while I
was still in the hospital and that got a pretty big worry pieces, but that’s not the same experience. Back in the
off my chest and allowed me to focus on recovery.” hospital, the nurses would ask me what I wanted to eat
and I would try to come up with the funniest answer I
I have witnessed what this recovery looks like. Riding could, like corn-on-the-cob or an apple. They did not
the trainer. Doing intervals. Pushing himself farther and think it was funny, thinking it may have been the effect
farther. Not slacking off for even a day. I recalled his mom of my brain injury rather than my sense of humor.”
welcoming me into her house when I first saw Crane after
the accident and wondered how his family was dealing And this describes Crane to a T: funny but mature,
with everything. reflecting but not brooding, and always looking ahead.
We recently met to catch up over more coffee and he
“I realized how much the bike means to me…and not confessed that he tried to avoid any updates from the
just as a racer,” he says. “I have been riding since I Tour de San Luis, the opening race of the 2015 season
was 11 and racing since I was 14. To people looking for Jamis-Hagens Berman. It’s clear that he is mentally
externally, the drama and the crash, it may not make ready to get back on the bike but is forced to wait until
sense. It means I need to make sure I do what needs to his body and brain catch up. I ask him what race he is
be done to put my loved ones at ease. Ride with a friend looking forward to the most. Without delay, he responds
everyday. Ride in a motorcycle helmet, whatever.” He with the Bucks County Classic, that race in September
gets a serious look on his face: “I am a lot more aware that he missed last year. He believes the course suits his
of how I carry myself. I think a near-death experience skills perfectly and is confident of a strong finish. Wouldn’t
does that. If I am telling you something, it’s guaranteed that be the perfect Hollywood ending to this saga? To
what I mean. I’m not going to beat around the bush.” come back to the peloton and take on the race that got
taken away from him and win it? Time will tell…. p
I bring up facial reconstruction surgery and Crane
smiles: “It will be nice to be able to eat a burrito again. Follow Ian Crane on Twitter: @iancrane. Follow Andy Bokanev on
I tried to eat it by flattening it down and cutting it into Twitter and Instagram: @bokanev
12 ISSUES/$27.99
PELOTONMAGAZINE.COM
40 Filter
MY
HOME,
MY
ATHENS
I’ve been writing the intro to this piece for months now—trying to, at least. I’ve gone through what feels
like a thousand iterations, but I’m stuck, frozen. I have no idea how to begin a piece about my favorite place,
my home. This is my special piece, the words I’ve put off for years, because I’m afraid to put down in print
what I feel about my home. When I submit this, will I be drawing a line through my life in Athens? Will it
change something? There’s so much I want to say, and it changes by the day. When you write about the place
closest to your heart, when do you write it? Do you write it when you’re 25? Thirty? Fifty? Eighty? Never?
WORDS: JERED GRUBER | IMAGES: GRUBER IMAGES
I’m scared that I won’t do my love for Athens, Georgia, the It didn’t really matter. The choice was simple: pulled-pork
justice it deserves. I don’t know if my words can sing the sandwich. Preferably two.
tune of how I feel, and that scares me. With that said, bear
with me as I try, please. I’m going to do my best because Other stores gradually became prominent places on our
for some reason our words in peloton have ceased being lunch-stop map—in towns named Jersey, Bowman, Lula,
about bike racing and instead become the story of our life Paoli…. I missed the BBQ in Jersey the first time there; I
together. But I’ve held out on my favorite story of all. always miss the BBQ the first time into most stores. I have
to search it out because my eyes always seem to focus on the
What stories do I tell though? Where do I begin? Last week, Little Debbies and chips and cookies and Cokes. The BBQ
we were at the Branded Butcher for bar-burger night. It was in Jersey is in a crockpot next to the boiled peanuts. It’s
fantastic, but the company of our friends was even better. good, but my favorite is in Bowman.
For some reason, Eric mentioned Currahee Mountain—a
small pinnacle, the last one in the Blue Ridge chain, I get nostalgic sometimes about the old days and wonder if
overlooking the town of Toccoa. I had seen it every time I’m romanticizing all of this, then I snap to and Morgan and
I’d ridden to Toccoa and always wondered if it might be Brendan are doing sun salutations next to the creek crossing
possible to ride up it. Eric assured me it was possible, and while I eat a honey bun and Andy changes a flat—because
that the dirt was reasonable for a road bike. Seconds later, he went downhill too fast on dirt. Common mistake.
the plan was made, and the 135-mile ride would happen in
two days. A small group of friends converged that morning, That creek crossing is on the way to Maxeys. It has claimed
and we headed north—another day of memories about to so many over the years—including me. It’s not a long
be made on one of my favorite rides ever. crossing, but the rock is slick, and if you don’t ride it right,
you’ll crash. It usually only takes one crash to get the hang
Another ride, this one down south of Interstate 20 to an of it, but it’s a cold ride home with that lesson learned.
old gas station, and an unexpected bit of news: the old
store had closed. It was a great store with a picnic table I wonder if maybe we shouldn’t be in Australia or Argentina
out front. There was a picture of a giant man in a field shooting the early-season races, but then I look down at my
nearby holding up a rattlesnake the size of a drainage pipe. BBQ sandwich and my legs splayed out in front of me on
It had to have been 7 feet long and a foot around. The the ground outside of the gas station leaning against some
menu selections were printed on one of those old white firewood, and I think, “Nahhhhhhh.”
boards with letters individually placed on each row. The
board wasn’t white anymore, and the letters weren’t quite As I creep into my 30s, I wonder if I’m getting older, and
black—some of them had fallen off, others leaned askew. it scares me. Then Thomas texts, and he has an idea for a
“
I’VE FOUND
MY FOUNTAIN
OF YOUTH.
IT’S TEARING
DOWN DIRT
ROADS,
TALKING
SHIT,
PLAYING
WITH
FRIENDS LIKE
I USED TO
WHEN I WAS
10. HELL. I
PLAY MORE
NOW THAN I
DID THEN.”
ride, and we’ll ride tomorrow at 11, but really it will be 11:30 talked about the Barney Fife character from “The Andy
because we’re both always late, and it doesn’t get dark until Griffith Show”—I loved that program. They had an old
almost 6:30, so it doesn’t really matter. What’s the rush? black-and-white print of him on the wall.
I’ve found my fountain of youth. It’s tearing down dirt I look forward to the exploring, to county-line sprints that
roads, talking shit, playing with friends like I used to when I I can’t hope to win but love trying, and to unacknowledged
was 10. Hell. I play more now than I did then. smash fests where we pedal until one or both riders on the
front shatter into a million pieces.
I go to bed looking forward to waking up in the morning,
eating some Lucky Charms, then going out to play all day. I look forward to debating where we should eat out after a
six and a half hour ride to a town in Georgia that only exists
I run out of the door, late and excited, and it feels like all I for the residents who live there and a few bike riders. Should
need to do is yell out, “Bye, Mom! Going out to play…I’ll be we eat at Kelly’s, Cali N Tito’s or White Tiger?
back at dark!”
It’s our normal world. It’s our dream. It’s the life of a kid. We
Door slams. are just that—big kids with driver’s licenses and cameras.
The voice of my mom follows too late: “Okay, honey, be safe!” It’s hard to shoot these roads. These roads without my
people aren’t all that much. The roads can’t keep it afloat by
I look forward to the latest route Thomas has cooked up. themselves. The list of ingredients is pretty simple though:
Inevitably, we will end up on some dirt roads, some dirt nice road, add friends, mix in some hard pedaling, a great
roads that turn to grass that turn to nothing at all. Then store in the middle of nowhere, a hard ride home, then
we’ll end up fording a river, and out of nowhere, a gas dinner that evening…. Now you have something special.
station—with BBQ of course and corn dogs and chicken
fingers and hamburgers. I’ll take one of everything, or at I don’t take many pictures in Athens. I always mean to, but
least wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea. I never do. I thought maybe I was uninspired or something,
but that’s not the case. I realized that I’m distracted. I’m
The people inside will look at us like we are crazy. We are. distracted by friends and conversations and riding hard and
But they’ll be friendly, and we will chat—last week we not wanting to miss anything. When I take pictures riding,
it makes for a lonely kind of day—ride ahead, shoot, chase daylight. I remember riding the East Athens mountain bike
back on, over and over again. I’m selfish in Athens. I do trails and smiling so, so hard. I’m smiling right now as I
what I love: ride bikes, hang out with friends, explore, smash. write. I smile thinking about all of those rides.
Maybe there are lots of places like this? Maybe Athens isn’t I smile whenever I ride that stretch of road halfway between
that special, but I haven’t found anything like it. But why Watson Mill and Winterville. Jonathan took a driveway
Athens? What does it have that a thousand other cities don’t? shortcut once and lit a very short fuse with his playful
attack. The group is high-powered, fun and always ready
My Athens has heart and soul and makes me miss her for an impromptu throwdown. It’s an incendiary mix of
dearly when we are gone because of her people. My Athens massive amounts of leg power and a desire to ride hard
is made up of my people—Thomas, Morgan, Brendan, and fast. It’s generally kept more or less in check, but there
Andy, Oscar, Joey, Jacob, Reid, Virginia, the Dowds…. are times when the gas and the match meet, and it’s a no-
There are so many people that make me miss my Athens. holds-barred brawl far from home. We never leave anyone
though—we ride until the dropped outnumber the engines,
I miss certain roads, not because they’re the Stelvio, but then we regroup, laugh, talk some shit and continue on like
because of those long winter days that finished on that nothing ever happened. An interlude.
stretch of road with friends, smashing out that last bit of
energy, honing our blades for a season to come in their case My Athens is built on years long past too—how can I ride
and a season to dream about and remember in mine. these roads and not think about growing up out there,
chasing Jacob’s wheel with a balloon bouncing happily
I don’t dream about the Dolomites. I don’t lust after the in the air after tying it to his seat post. How can I not
cobbles. I don’t envision myself scaling the Galibier. I do, remember that one time fixing a flat in the middle of
however, spend a large part of my year remembering that nowhere on a dirt road when that school bus drove by with
one time Oscar ripped my legs off and kept on going, and the kids gawking at the two dudes in Lycra on the side of
that other time, and that other time. I remember Thomas the dirt road, and the two dudes in Lycra gawking at the
and his giant sandwich in Washington. I remember the kids in the bus. How can I not think about the long hours of
concern, a little while later, when the road ended and we suffering, wondering what it was all for. Thinking that I’d
were still a couple hours from home with less than that in never be any good, hoping for the best.
It’s true. I never amounted to much as a bike racer. I think Drop me anywhere and I’ll still dream about road names
that work made me who I am today though. I learned to like Nowhere, Jefferson River, Colham Ferry, Wire Bridge,
love the process. I learned to savor the long, hard days, to Jerusalem, and towns like Royston, Bowman, Toccoa,
look forward to hobbling down the stairs in the morning Madison, Alto, Lula.
and wondering if I’d be able to make it out of the driveway,
let alone ride six hours. I would have at it though. I’d start In a world where we have no real home, Athens is our
quietly, moaning my pains, but they’d gradually ease, and home. Sometimes, Ashley and I stay up late at night and we
I would come alive. I learned to love my bike and this sport talk about what it would be like to have a home in Athens,
probably way more than I should—to the detriment in some to really make it our residence. How cool that would be!
cases to my one love, Ashley. We’ll do this, and have that, and then we could do this—do
you think it could work? For sure! We should do it. No, we
I never feel more alive than I do on my bike, and I never feel shouldn’t. We can’t.
more alive than I do in Athens, rolling down some forgotten
road, peering left and right constantly at a crumbling ruin But why? Why Athens? Athens is the kind of place that ends
of a house, at some horses, at a forgotten small cemetery up in those fancy travel magazines as the archetypal offbeat
hiding in the woods, at the stinking chicken coops, and my college town to visit with great restaurants and music and a
favorite of all: that new road I’ve never ridden. Where does good vibe. It’s all of those things. It truly is. I’m just going to
it go? What’s down there? mention R.E.M. and the B-52s in passing though, so we can
move along. Yes, they’re from Athens. It’s true.
I never feel better than when I’m riding those roads with a
friend at my shoulder talking—or a tiny bit behind, because I’m writing this today because of Athens. I didn’t come to
I’m a terrible, lost soul of a half-wheeler. I can’t remember Athens until I started school at the University of Georgia
most of the conversations I’ve had on the bike. Exercise- in the fall of 2001. I read Lance Armstrong’s book that
induced amnesia. I do remember the feelings though. I summer and a previously unseen door creaked open. Not
remember them vividly, and the feelings are good, they’re long after, I bought a bike. It cost 450 dollars—a GT Rage
happy, they’re the best feelings. with 105 components and CXP-14 wheels with 105 hubs.
The guy even threw in a pair of Sidi shoes and pedals. I
I love Athens. I dream about Athens when we’re in the wish I remembered his name. I would love to send him a
Alps or the Dolomites or in Japan, anywhere that’s not thank-you note for changing my life.
Athens. When we were sitting on the Izoard last summer,
waiting for the Tour de France to roll up, I had an in-depth A few months later, I did this ride—it was the longest of
daydream about January afternoons in Athens. We drove my life, the hardest as well. It’s the foundation of Athens
around the amazing roads north of San Francisco today wintertime life: the Winter Bike League. The WBL. Every
ahead of a shoot—I was blown away—but I would hand Saturday, from December through the middle of February,
that over in a second for my home. the denizens assemble in Athens—usually 75 to 150 in
total. The rides vary from 60 to 120 miles, starting shorter My two loves in life—Ashley and the bike—happened here.
and lengthening in January. The rides are quick, but they
turn lightning fast in the final hour with a 6- to 10-mile Fourteen years later, I’m not a pro, but I’m a lot better bike
attack zone with multiple hundreds of dollars on offer to the rider, and I’m happy. I’m a photographer, I’m married to
winner. It’s a knife fight. Ashley, and I’m still dreaming about winning a WBL. I
came close this winter a few times, but still no luck. So much
I didn’t see the attack zone on that first ride. I didn’t make has changed, but there’s nothing that gets me more excited
it out of the first hour before I was dropped. I remember than figuring out how I’m going to win my first WBL.
seeing the pros that morning out front of Sunshine. They
were so clean, so pro. They had to be the fastest riders in It’s a normal question to ask someone where they’re from—
the world—just behind Lance Armstrong. Their bikes had this usually pops up in the first few minutes of a getting-to-
to be the best. How could they not be? Everything was so know-you conversation. Typically, the response is X. For
beautiful. They looked so fast. As for me? I wore two jerseys, the longest time, we’ve always answered with a shrug of the
some arm warmers, and my knee warmers pulled low. I shoulders, and an “I don’t know, it depends.”
didn’t know about leg warmers yet.
The old adage, home is where the heart is—that’s the truth
I wanted to be like them. I wanted to be fast. I wanted to right there. We do know where we’re from. We don’t have
ride a bike like that. I wanted to be pro, and I knew that I an address in Athens, but it’s home. Athens is our home. It’s
wanted to win one of these WBLs. where we met, where we fell in love, where I was born again
as a freshman in college, where I grew up. We have to settle
Seven years later, I was a pro, a very low-end one, but a down here. It would be a betrayal not to. Athens has given
pro. On a cold afternoon in Athens my life changed again. me everything—my wife, my passion, my everything.
A girl, who had the sunniest ray of happiness chasing her
across the street in her long, flowing skirt walked in front of It feels like everyone is buying a house in Athens right
me, Jacob and David. She was walking home from school now. This winter, we realized: We’re going to buy a house
one day and I was riding my bike through campus, cracked in Athens someday. It might not be now, it might not be
after a long winter of training, searching for my legs around this year, it might not be next year either, but it’s going to
some turn. Then she crossed the street in front of me. We happen. This is where we want to be. Right here.
started talking. That was it.
This is my Athens. p
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40 Seasoned
1980s
Fashionista
Kitsch Words: Brett Horton
Images: The Horton Collection
What was the ideal gift in the 1980s for a lady who was
a rabid racing fan? A cycling-themed jewelry stand, of
course! This wonderful little accessory stands about 5
inches tall and is painted in homage to the 1976 world
champion jersey of Freddy Maertens. There are two
other stands in the set, both celebrating Maertens.
One highlights his 1981 Tour de France green jersey, the
other a second rainbow jersey he won that same year.
Nothing would say I love you like giving your significant
other one of these as a gift. Well, that along with a
four-carat diamond hanging off one of the arms! p

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Athens, Georgia. Image: Gruber Images

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