professional cyclists Archives

Look Pedals

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 at 2:20 pm  
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The Look company started life in the 1950s in France as a company manufacturing ski bindings. Owned by famous French industrialist Bernard Tapie they expanded into other markets which included high performance cycle sport.

Clipless pedals had already made an appearance in 1971 with Cinelli's M71 which was based around a plastic cleat that slid into the pedal and was held in place by a small lever which had to be manually released. These pedals (similar to the later Addidas System 3) became known as the 'death cleats'  due to their inherent danger on the road when a rider was faced with an emergeny dismount scenario.

Look took this idea of a rider being connected to the bike but enhanced it in 1983 bringing out the first quick release clipless pedal. Known in France as 'pedale automatique' they borrowed ideas from Look's successful ski bindings and were quickly accepted by the professional peloton to the extent that Bernard Hinault used them when he won the Tour de France while riding for Tapie's La Vie Claire team using in 1985.

Look licenced their clipless pedal idea out to other manufacturers so that during the late 1980s and early 1990s component makers  such as Campagnolo had their own versions in each of their groupsets.

Shimano decided to design their own pedal quick release system to avoid paying royalties to Look and the SPD was born to which Look released an off road version of its pedal which was less successful due to the large plastic cleat not being suitable for running or walking sections and not being recessed.

In 2004 Look launched their new KEO range which offered users an even more refined riding experience. They now come in a variety of materials including aluminium alloy, plastic and carbon fibre. Titanium Look pedal axles are also available.

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Retro Cloth Cycling Caps

Friday, February 19th, 2010 at 1:18 pm  
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All in praise of the retro cloth cycling cap say "aye".

AYE!

When you look back through the historic footage at the era of the great classics and Tours what is it that adds to the ultra cool look of the day? Is it the brake cables coming out of the levers and on display at the front of the bars? Is it the downtube gear shifters? The toeclips and straps? The fact that you can see the pain on the riders faces without them being obscured by large wraparound sunglasses or the incredibly stylish small peaked cycling cap that just about every other rider seems to be wearing?

Whether its on backwards with the peak down, backwards with the peak up, forwards peak up or down or under an old style banana crash hat the iconic retro cycling cap is the one piece of clothing that immediately says “bike racer”.

With the advent of the polystyrene helmet becoming mandatory in UCI sanctioned racing the cloth cycling cap became seen less and less. Teams would still take boxes of them out on the road for their riders to wear under their helmets if they wanted or for PR shoots in the start village or even to give to lucky fans who tried their luck but on the whole they would be seen less. Which makes it all the more interesting that the retro cloth cycling cap is now such a sought after fashion item, especially since the uber cool fixie surge. If you can get hold of an old team issue from the 70s or 80s you’ll be wearing your love of bikes for everyone to see and emulating the greats such as Moser, Merckx and Roche. Retro cycling caps are an inexpensive and stylish way to get the artwork and panache that was originally seen only on the racers team jerseys and to be able to mix and match with your ordinary going out clothes as a powerful fashion statement.

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David Duffield on the Milan San Remo

Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 1:04 pm  
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He's tall
He's right
He rides a three wheel bike
DAVID DUFFIELD
DAVID DUFFIELD

If you've been reading the buzz about David Duffield and wondering who he really is or what he sounds like we're going to tell you - He's like your favourite uncle. On three wheels. With a pocket full of French cheese. And a mini cooper parked around the corner.

If you want to know what he sounds like... just take a listen to this
David Duffield Sean kelly Maurizio Fondriest

David Duffield, Maurizio Fondriest, Moreno Argentin and Sean Kelly

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Gianni Bugno

Monday, October 5th, 2009 at 8:35 pm  
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Gianni Bugno, born on the 14 February 1964, was one of the top Italian cyclists of the early 1990s at a time when the Italians were head and shoulders above everyone else.

He rode with a  great talent and class and always demonstrated a  pure and rare elegance.  He was al considered ccasionally fragile, thereby capable of alternating prestigious wins with periods of obscurity. Considered one of the last older racers who could compete at the highest levels both in the classic one-day stage race and three weeks grand tours , and to win time trials, mountain stages and reach a final sprint, participating increasingly in all major Cycle races of the season. He even experimented with good results in six days track events during the winter cementing his place as an all rounder.

Bugno showed great promise as an amateur, with victory in the prestigious GP Liberation in 1985 and then becoming professional in the the same year, achieving 72 victories.

He now works for the Italian television station RAI piloting their helicopter to film the Giro d'Italia.
1994 Tour of Flanders Cycling Video WCP VHS
1994 Tour of Flanders Cycling Video WCP VHS
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Bianchi Gatorade Team cycling bicycle thermal jersey
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Beautiful vintage F MOSER Leader AX frameset
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Major wins

* Victory in the Tour of Italy in 1990, wearing the pink jersey from first to last stage, putting his with the greats Constant Girardengo, Alfredo Binda and Eddy Merckx.
* Two world championships, won consecutively in 1991 and 1992, plus a third place in 1990.
* Four wins in World Cup races: the Milan-Sanremo and the Wincanton Classic in 1990, the Clasica San Sebastian in 1991 (with 30 km of solo attack), the Tour of Flanders in 1994 (beating Johan Museeuw in a photo finish) . In 1990 he also won the final standings of the World Cup. Also ranked second in the Amstel Gold Race in 1993 and in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege and in the Championship of Zurich in 1995. But has never succeeded in obtaining an important result on home soil in the Giro di Lombardia, which in those years finished at Monza where Bugno has lived for many years.
* Tour de France hewon the second place in the overall standings in 1991 behind Miguel Indurain, and third in 1992, preceded by Indurain and Claudio Chiappucci. He also won two consecutive years (1990-1991), the stage of Alpe d'Huez, one of the most prestigious in the world.
* Two victories in the Italian National Road Race Championship (1991 and 1995 Giro del Friuli Trofeo Matteotti).
* In addition to three consecutive Tours Apennines (1986-1988), two Coppa Agostoni (1988 and 1995), a Giro del Piemonte (1986), a Three Valleys Varesine (1989), a Giro dell'Emilia (1992), a Milan -Turin (1992), a Giro del Lazio (1992), 9 stages in the Giro d'Italy, 4 stages of the Tour de France, 2 in the Vuelta.

Between 1990 and 1991 was number 1 in the UCI world rankings.

In August 1994 he was found positive to caffeine in a dope test and was suspended for three months.

On 12 April 2006 he was awarded the gold part of the U.S. Apennines Pontedecimo Section Cycling for winning three times in succession, the Tour of the Apennines (1986, 1987 and 1988), as well as finishing second in 1989 and 1991. Previously this award was given to Alfredo Martini, Giambattista Baronchelli, Francesco Moser, Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi, Michele Dancelli, Gianni Motta and Italo Zilioli.

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Greg Lemond

Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 7:52 am  
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Greg LeMond was one of the first ever global superstars of cycling. An English speaking rider who transcended the cycling world and drifted into popular culture. He won the 1983 world championship on the road, having won the silver medal the previous year making him one of the youngest winners ever of the event.

Lemondgot third in the Tour de France of 1984, he was second in the Tour in 1985 where he saved the yellow jersey of the leader Bernard Hinault (troubled following his fall at Saint-Etienne), even to sacrifice his personal ambitions. It is the first non-European and the first American winner of the Tour de France in 1986 after a fratricidal duel with the ambiguous and tough Bernard Hinault.
Tour de France The Illustrated History by Marguerite L
Tour de France The Illustrated History by Marguerite L
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Crystal Evil Eye Lemond Bracelet For Ladies
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Lemond Tete de Course 59 cm Carbon Road Bike Frame
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Lemond Titanium frameset New paint horizontal dropouts
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GREG LEMOND PRO STATIONARY BIKE TRAINER BICYCLE EUC
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Floyd Landis SIGNED Positively False 1st Tour de France
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Voler LeMond Reynolds Giro Skinsuit Large Cycling Bike
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LEMOND TART SZ L JUNIORS BLUE HEART T BACK TANK TOP NWT
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Lemond Big Sky S Road Bicycle
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1148 CT GORGEOUS LEMOND QUARTZ REAL GEM WOMENS RING 6
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MINT GREG LEMOND MORE ACTION MINI CYCLING POSTER
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GREG LEMOND TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLING SET OF 3 STAMPS 1
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GREG LEMOND TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLING SET OF 3 STAMPS 2
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Custom Lemond with FSA cranks and great add ons
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I Love the 80s Cycling DVD PARIS ROUBAIX 1985 1989
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World Of Cycling Tour de France Greg LeMond
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2009 BOTTECCHIA BZ563 ROAD RACING BIKE SHIMANO 105
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In spring 1987, a hunting accident where he was accidentally shot by his brother-in-law nearly ended his life and kept him away from cycling for two years,leaving him with 37 pellets in his body for the rest of his life.

After 2 years of mixed performance in 1989, he again won the Tour de France by taking the advantage in extremis Laurent Fignon: both men were virtually tied in time for most of the race, the yellow jersey alternately passing on the shoulders of one then the other. Before the last stage, one runs against the clock to only 24.5 km, LeMond has fifty seconds behind the Frenchman Fignon. He came in ahead by the famous 8 seconds, which is still the smallest gap ever recorded in a large tour between the winner and the second placed rider.
The same year he again won the world championship road in Chambery, after a decisive attack against ... Laurent Fignon.

The following year, LeMond won again in the Tour de France by beating Claudio Chiappucci of Italy by 2'16, taking the yellow jersey at the last time trial against the clock. This victory caused controversy since LeMond won by elimination, not by domination (all the favorites collapse) and the American., too busy to catch up on opportunistic Chiapucci (10 minutes gleaned from the 1st stage) did not actually win any stages.

In 1991, he finished over 13 minutes behind Miguel Indurain. He later said to have had the feeling of not being able to express himself fully on the end of his career because of competition from riders doped with EPO product which then made its appearance in the peloton . He is the sole winner of the Tour since 1947 to have never been involved in a doping case.

Greg LeMond also brought some of the innovations most used today: he introduced thetriathlete handlebar and aero helmet and he popularized sunglasses designed specifically for cycling.

Unlike previous winners of the Tour de France, LeMond was the first to base its season just around this event. He was followed later by the eventual winners of the Tour, such as Miguel Indurain, Jan Ullrich and Lance Armstrong. However, relativisons noting that it proceeded in this manner until 1990 following his success in the Tour de France 1989 Giro after a mediocre (39th).

Greg LeMond has a good popularity among the French public despite his victories over Bernard Hinault and Laurent Fignon, the last two French winners of the Tour de France. His naivety in the race and his outspokenness may be the cause of his strained relationship with Jonathan Boyer, Bernard Hinault, Laurent Fignon, Claudio Chiappucci or recently Lance Armstrong, with whom he distanced himself after the publication of the book LA Confidential . About His criticism of the seven-time Tour de France lead the company that sells Trek bikes bearing his name to file a court application to terminate the commercial contract between them which was a great pity as Lemond bikes were very highly, much like Greg was as a rider.

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Laurent Fignon

Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 at 12:42 am  
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Laurent Fignon was one of France's greatest latter day professional cyclists. He began his professional career in 1982 after taking more than 50 wins in the amateur ranks. He amazingly won the Tour de France in 1983 during his first attempt, then in 1984 when he beat Bernard Hinault on the back. Fignon spent eleven years riding as a professional during which he won a total of 81 races including the Fleche Wallonne in 1986, Milan-San Remo in 1988 and 89 (the Italians have awarded him the title of "professore" for his double), the Giro in 1989 (2nd in 84) and the Grand Prix des Nations the same year. Finally, he achieved the No. 1 professional cyclist UCI World Ranking following his fantastic 1989 season.

In the eyes of many english speaking fans he remains probably most famous for having lost the Tour de France in 1989 to Greg LeMond in the final stage timetrial between Versailles and Paris for 8 "small" seconds after over 3 000 km of racing. With his flowing pony tail and exposed shoe laces he gave Lemond the chance he needed to take the yellow jersey with the aid of an aero helmet and aerodynamic triathlon handlebars.
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VINTAGE ASSOS RENAULT ELF CYCLING JERSEY FIGNON SIZE 3
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Greg LeMond signed Tour de France Yellow Jersey
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LE TOUR DE FRANCE THE OFFICIAL HISTORY 1903 2006 DVD
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1988 Graham Watson Tour de France Calendar Very Rare
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1989 Tour de France DVD Greg LeMond Laurent Fignon
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Mavic 500 550 Front Hub 36 hole Used VGC
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His career was marred by two positive doping tests for amphetamines in 1987 at the Grand Prix of Wallonia and in the 1989 Grand Prix Eindhoven.

At the end of his sporting career, Fignon launched a company organizing cycling events. It has included, through the "Laurent Fignon Organization" the Paris-Nice in 2000 and 2001, before selling the rights to Amaury Sport Organization, the organisers of the Tour de France.

The brand name "Laurent Fignon is owned by Auchan, which markets bicycles under that marque. Fignon was subsequently a consultant for a very long time on Eurosport France.

He revealed in an interview with the TV show "from 7 to 8" on June 14, 2009 on TF1 that he suffers from an "advanced cancer" of the pancreas, but did not know if this can be linked to taking performance-enhancing drugs that it took, as everyone says he, throughout his sporting career.

During his sporting career, he was considered the "intellectual" of the bunch, because of his glasses and the fact that he was one of the few holders in the peloton of the baccalaureate.

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