A Coffee Table Book for even the non-cyclist
May/09/08 17:02 Filed In:Bike
Lifestyle
As a coffee table book this unique and
well-done work of art is sure to hold interest for
most anyone; regardless of their knowledge of bike
racing. While the Tour de France might be the
biggest race, Paris Roubaix is typically the best
race. Think of the 2004 ALCS series between
the Yankees and the Red Sox - that was a much better
series than the "bigger" World Series games.
Better yet think of the 1980 USA mens Olympic hockey
game against the Soviets: that was a much better game
than the Gold medal game played later against
Finland. Paris Roubaix is a race like no other
and almost every year it delivers a performance
worthy of sporting history.
Grand tours are too nuanced for the non-bike fan. You can come in one day 5 minutes behind the stage winner and still be in the lead? Time Trials, Team Time Trials, bonus finishing time: people just don't get it no matter how hard you try. Sure they know Lance kicks butt, but on a micro level most people don't follow the sport. As is typical most modern grand tour books are kind of machismo -sure we like them, but the Mrs. doesn't want them to see the light of day. Paris Roubaix as a race is different on so many levels and its reflected in this book. The race itself is easy to understand: a one day race from point A to point B - first one to cross the finish line wins. Well, sure, even a local crit has the same conditions, so what makes Paris Roubaix so unique? Well, for one the riders have to ride over almost 20 sections of cobble stones, some longer than a mile. You know, big rocks randomly thrown down in an effort to represent the most medieval form of a road. Then there is the history - Champion Spark Plugs - good spark plugs, right? Well Albert Champion won Paris Roubaix in 1899 and then went on to start Champion Spark Plugs. Battle of the Buldge - a turning point in World War II. The most exciting section of cobbles is in the forest of Arenburg an area home to the brave allied solders during that harsh winter standing up to the German army. There's the drama - riders covered in mud fallen randomly along the cobbles struggling to keep up. Then just for show they finish on a nice smooth wooden velodrome. Those are the tracks you see bikes raced on during the olympics. This race is like no other and the result is that modern fine-tuned time trial riders like Chris Boardman or Grand Tour riders like Lance Armstrong never even race Paris Roubaix. Of course that wasn't always the case. Eddy Merckxx ate this race up as it's a matter of Belgium national pride to win Paris Roubaix otherwise known as the Queen of the Classics. Hinault a five-time winner of the tour won Paris Roubaix only to say he would never even race in it again. Our man Greg LeMond achieved fourth in a epic mud filled year that saw most of the peloton abandon.
Come on in to Brumble Bikes and check out this book. We're sure once you look at it you will agree it's a great book and can be enjoyed by most anyone and might even be put in a place for all to see.
Grand tours are too nuanced for the non-bike fan. You can come in one day 5 minutes behind the stage winner and still be in the lead? Time Trials, Team Time Trials, bonus finishing time: people just don't get it no matter how hard you try. Sure they know Lance kicks butt, but on a micro level most people don't follow the sport. As is typical most modern grand tour books are kind of machismo -sure we like them, but the Mrs. doesn't want them to see the light of day. Paris Roubaix as a race is different on so many levels and its reflected in this book. The race itself is easy to understand: a one day race from point A to point B - first one to cross the finish line wins. Well, sure, even a local crit has the same conditions, so what makes Paris Roubaix so unique? Well, for one the riders have to ride over almost 20 sections of cobble stones, some longer than a mile. You know, big rocks randomly thrown down in an effort to represent the most medieval form of a road. Then there is the history - Champion Spark Plugs - good spark plugs, right? Well Albert Champion won Paris Roubaix in 1899 and then went on to start Champion Spark Plugs. Battle of the Buldge - a turning point in World War II. The most exciting section of cobbles is in the forest of Arenburg an area home to the brave allied solders during that harsh winter standing up to the German army. There's the drama - riders covered in mud fallen randomly along the cobbles struggling to keep up. Then just for show they finish on a nice smooth wooden velodrome. Those are the tracks you see bikes raced on during the olympics. This race is like no other and the result is that modern fine-tuned time trial riders like Chris Boardman or Grand Tour riders like Lance Armstrong never even race Paris Roubaix. Of course that wasn't always the case. Eddy Merckxx ate this race up as it's a matter of Belgium national pride to win Paris Roubaix otherwise known as the Queen of the Classics. Hinault a five-time winner of the tour won Paris Roubaix only to say he would never even race in it again. Our man Greg LeMond achieved fourth in a epic mud filled year that saw most of the peloton abandon.
Come on in to Brumble Bikes and check out this book. We're sure once you look at it you will agree it's a great book and can be enjoyed by most anyone and might even be put in a place for all to see.
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