all words by Mike Franchetti
When Ramunas Navardauskas took bronze in Richmond he became the first rider from Lithuania to medal at the cycling World Championships. He wore a shocked smile on the podium, suppressed slightly by a curiosity for how he had achieved the result. It was, by all accounts, a medal to celebrate. The same cannot be said
This picture is from 1934 and the well-versed will recognise the hunched figure as Rene Vietto. It’s not his face that reveals his identity, but the picture in its entirety. Vietto is the “the wall guy”. A darling of French cycling and an early influence on the code of the domestique. Vietto was responsible for
Shortly after this photo was captured, Marianne Vos admitted that she had forgotten what it felt like to be the World Champion. The Dutch superstar had previously snatched a road World Title in 2006 at the age of 19, despite eligibility for the junior race. A young Vos had chased down first Nicola Cooke and
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. I say 500 is a more realistic figure. To fully appreciate this photo – three Giro rivals finishing a minute after the stage winner – you have to understand a little about the 2015 Vuelta Espana. It also helps to know the personalities of the men in
The two faces dominating this photo carry entirely different expressions. Wearing the Dauphine’s inverted polka dots is a rider with innocence and arrogance in equal measure. He’s unzipped, unleashed, and unaware of the hatred being stared into his back. The familiar face behind is fuelled with anger towards a rider he calls ‘the punk’. It’s
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. I say that 500 is a more realistic figure. The above is a slightly curious image from the 2000 Tour of Flanders. The rider on the left has paired a conventional helmet with sunglasses. If it wasn’t for the Mapei logo on his chest he could easily
They say a picture speaks a thousand words. I say that 500 is a more realistic figure. In this series, I’ll be taking a photo from cycling history, dissecting it, rewinding, and telling the story. Where better to start a photo-themed series than a 1999 Alpe d’Huez stage, remembered for the bad choices of a
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