Prepping for Paris-Roubaix

All is quiet now...

This Sunday all of us who are suckers for a great bike race will be sitting down in front of the TV (or hunkering along a roadside in northern France if we're lucky) to witness one of the greatest single day races on the calendar.  For cycling connoisseurs this is the greatest month in cycling.  Sorry, July.  Last Sunday we had De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix this Sunday, and then the week of the Ardennes Classics beginning on the 20th.  It's the height of the Spring Classics season, and there isn't a better time of year to be a cycling fan.  I love the Spring Classics, particularly the ones in April, more than anything else on the schedule.  I love how unpredictable they are.  I love the landscape.  And, I love the intensity.  It's really hard to pick a favorite race.  Even after spectating almost all of them last year, I still couldn't pick one.  You can't beat the atmosphere at the Tour of Flanders.  Paris-Roubaix is hauntingly gorgeous.  The legacy and unique nature of the Ardennes can't be denied.  But, for many Roubaix is their number one.  It's a pretty big deal.

This week the teams are out on reconnaissance rides, prepping their bikes and minds for the Hell of the North.  Meanwhile, we fans have our own prepping to do.  We certainly shouldn't arrive on Sunday ill prepared anymore than the riders should.  How does a fan prepare, you ask?

First off, it doesn't hurt to review the events of last year's race.  You can watch the entire broadcast of the 2013 Paris-Roubaix here.   Of course, it wouldn't hurt to catch up on the 2012 edition either and relive Tom Boonen's famous solo ride.  Next, there are the documentaries.  The most well-known is Jørgen Leth's A Sunday in Hell which documents the 1976 edition featuring The Merckx, Roger De Vlaeminck, Francesco Moser, and Freddy Maertens.  This is one of the greats in cycling documentaries, but a little difficult to get your hands on.  Snippets are available online, but if you want to watch the whole thing you'll have to buy a copy.  Those aren't too easy to find either.  The next great documentary is the 2009 Road to Roubaix.  Lastly, you can catch the CBS broadcast of the 1988 edition which not only covers the race, but provides some great behind the scenes footage of Team 7-Eleven.  And, if you don't mind an amateur's attempt, here's my quick video of the Arenberg from last year.  


Trouée d'Arenberg from CG Inlux on Vimeo.

As for reading material, I have two recommendations.  First of all, the write up on The Inner Ring website is a fantastic, quick read on the history of the race.  They also feature some beautiful photos.  For a more lengthy story of L'enfer du Nord, check out the recently published book The Monuments by Peter Cossins.  I haven't gotten to the Roubaix section yet, but the Liege-Bastogne-Liege chapter was very well done.  

With all that under your belt you should be pretty well prepared for Sunday.  As for Sunday itself, all you have to do is find the least dodgy feed (unless you live somewhere that will broadcast in English), sit back, and watch the drama unfold.  Of course, all of this would be more enjoyable if preceded or followed by a bike ride (depending on your timezone).  But, you're guaranteed a successful Roubaix if it includes a great menu.  I've spent most of the week focusing on my Roubaix Day dinner and I'm pretty pleased with the final lineup.  For those who are interested, here's what I've come up with:

Starter

Deviled Eggs de l'enfer

Main

Poulet avec Pavè

"Punctured" Flat Noodles with Herbs

Classic Spring Classic Salad

Dessert*

Cinnamon-Sugar Dusted Shortbread Cobbles

or

Nutella Mud Pie

*Dessert Menu dependent on Sunday's weather.  I'm hoping for rain.

Drink pairings have yet to be determined.  I'm taking recommendations, as long as it's something I can find in a German grocery store.  

Anyway, Sunday will definitely not disappoint in regards to the racing.  Will Cancellara pull off a fourth win?  Will Boonen set the new record for the most wins?  Or, will another contender take the glory?  We'll find out on Sunday.  See you there!

Watch a Movie Trailer, Support Women's Cycling

It's no secret that the ladies aren't getting their due in the professional cycling scene.  The ignorance and disrespect of women's professional cycling by the UCI (the sport's governing body), race organizers, and the media is so complete that it is embarrassing.  The attitudes are practically medieval.

While American professional cycling fans are often exasperated by the limited coverage men's racing gets by the national sports media, that coverage is light years beyond what the women receive- Zero. Of course, things aren't much better in Europe.  I've seen a total of three broadcasted women's races on Eurosport in the last year and a half- the 2012 Worlds, the Olympic Road Race, and the Olympic Time Trial.  Well, since the Summer Olympics only come around once every four years, that makes the average number of broadcasted women's races at 1.5 a year.  However, keep in mind that if the broadcasters decide something else is more interesting, that coverage could be cancelled altogether.  Those watching this year's Amgen Tour of California witnessed just such a move from broadcasters when the coverage of the Women's Time Trial was limited to two, two riders.  Then, the coverage cut to the men's competition, after a significant period of blank air time.  Somehow in their minds, a black screen was more interesting than the women's competition.  Talk about a slap in the face.

For those fans who are aware of the feats being performed in the women's circuit, the denial of witnessing it is extremely frustrating and angering.  I can only imagine what it does to the athletes themselves.  Not only do they have to deal with being ignored, they aren't given the same monetary incentives as the men.  The minimum wage is significantly lower than their male counterpart's.

As fans, what can be done?  Well, as we know from all its past and current sins, the UCI isn't going to make the right decision of its own accord.  However, that doesn't mean we should just accept this offense, shrug our shoulders in defeat, and keep our mouths shut.  If there's one thing we've learned from all the doping scandals, speaking out and making noise is the best weapon for change.  It may take a while, but if enough of us scream, something will happen.

Thankfully, someone is trying to make some noise and you can be apart of it.  Journalist and author Kathryn Bertine has been a professional cyclist since 2007.  She has teamed up with filmmaker Kevin Tokstad to create the documentary "Half the Road."  It features interviews with top female cyclists, athletes, and others to explore exactly what women's racing is all about as well as the injustices inflicted on the sport from the powers that be.  The trailer is pretty exciting and I look forward to seeing the final product.

www.halftheroad.com

So, the great thing about this project is that you can support it.  They are currently in need of donations to make this documentary a reality.  In November 2013, the final film will be ready for public screenings. So, if you have the capability to host a screening *I'm looking at you bike shop owners* you can sign up on the website.  Why should you give your support to this project?  Because women's cycling is in desperate need of support.  Projects like this documentary can reach outside the small niche of fans who already know what these ladies are doing.  The stories and performances of women like Kristin Armstrong, Ina-Yoko Tuetenberg, Evelyn Stevens, and Marianne Vos are just as powerful and in some cases more so than those in the men's peloton.  The trouble is, no one knows it yet.

Why should people outside the sport know about women's racing?  Because when the public starts hearing about all the positive things going on they're going to get interested, and when the public gets interested that's when the sport grows.  Hate to bring it up as evidence, but we all remember the Armstrong effect on recreational riding in the States back in the '90's.  Imagine what Vos would do for the sport if the public actually heard about her.  In many ways the slights being felt by professional ladies has trickled down to the rest of us.  Cycling is still marketed as a boy's club.  So, my weekend warrior sisters and I constantly struggle against a prejudiced industry.  Maybe with some positive media coverage (heck, any coverage) women would begin to feel more comfortable about road cycling.  Maybe they wouldn't feel like they don't belong anymore.  Perhaps companies would take the women's market seriously.  Maybe women riders would enjoy the same product variety and availability the boys get.  Perhaps we too could step into the LBS and find what we're after instead of scouring the internet.   Maybe, maybe we could get some respect on the roads.  Maybe one day we won't have to wear pink.

Sigh...A girl can dream, right?

Anyway, I suggest that you support this film project if you're aware of and annoyed by the wrongs being committed against the women's professional peloton.  Even if you're only slightly aware of what's going on, your support of Half the Road will benefit the sport of cycling as a whole.  These women are just as committed, just as hardcore as the boys.  They deserve the same respect.  This film may help them get it, and no harm will come from that.

For more information visit the the project's website at www.halftheroad.com.

Roubaix Noir

Last Sunday was, of course, Paris-Roubaix, the Hell of the North.  Like every edition before it, the 2013 race was full of drama, brutality, and the unexpected.  The Arenberg forest is probably the most recognizable stretch of cobbles of the course.  While it appears early in the race and won't usually determine the winner, it will still do some serious damage to the peloton.  It's an old road.  Its famous cobbles were laid when Napoleon I was tromping around the area.  It was laid to service the mines lying below the surface of the forest.  The 1962 world champion, Jean Stablinski, who used to work in those mines, suggested the 2.4km stretch when the race organizers were looking for more challenging roads to spruce up the race course.  It's been a feature of Paris-Roubaix ever since it was added in 1968.    Over time it became the iconic image of the race.  A memorial to Stablinski stands at the southern end.

It's an interesting place, like no other road.  Anywhere.  I'm still at a loss on how to describe it in words.

So, instead I'll leave you with this, the only way I could really wrap my brain around it.

Trouée d'Arenberg from CG Inlux on Vimeo.

A Handlebar View From A GoPro Hero2

A few days ago a parcel arrived in the mail bearing a new toy that I had been looking forward to.  I ripped open the box postmarked from the Netherlands and in it was nestled a rather complicated looking package which contained the GoPro Hero2.

For those of you who have not heard about the GoPro, let me explain.  GoPros are adorable little cameras that have become the go to method for recording sports and outdoor activities from just about any perspective and in any condition you can come up with.

The camera itself is about the size of the palm of my hand.

While it may not look like much or have a lot of bells and whistles (notice the lack of viewfinder or LCD display), the GoPro makes videography and photography of just about any sport easy and a whole lot of fun.  It is particularly popular with cyclists (from commuters to cyclocross racers), surfers, skydivers, snowboarders and skiers...really whoever wants to capture the action of their fast paced activity.  A friend of mine took his along on a chest mount when he ran in a Warrior Dash event a couple years ago.  The resulting footage was hilarious and entertaining.

Now, while it is popular to use for video montages for athletes, bike commuters may also find a helpful use for them.  Not only can you record your commute to show people what it is like, but you may find the footage is indispensable if you have a problem with a driver.  The price tag of $300 for the Outdoor Edition (includes waterproof housing, helmet mount, head strap, and 4 adhesive mounts) may not seem too bad if you have a particularly tricky commute.  I definitely wish I had one when I was buzzed by one of Akron's Finest a couple years back.  In fact, footage from a GoPro may determine if you win in court after an accident.

Of course, having one can open up many doors in photography/videography too.  The optics are 2X Sharper Professional Glass Lens, f/2.8 Fixed Focus, 170º Wide FOV (Including 1080p), 127º Medium FOV (In 1080p), and 90º Narrow FOV.  

Video specs are:

• HD RESOLUTIONS:
• 1080p: 1920×1080, 30FPS
• 960p: 1280×960, 48FPS + 30FPS
• 720p: 1280×720, 60FPS + 30FPS
• STANDARD DEFINITION RESOLUTIONS
• WVGA: 848×480, 120FPS + 60FPS
• High Performance,1 /2.3” CMOS Image Sensor
• Light Sensitivity: .84 V/lux-sec
• Video Format: H.264 codec, .mp4 File Format
• Exposure Control: Spot, Center Weighted
• White Balance: Auto
• Audio: Mono, 48 kHz, AAC Compression, Auto Gain Control, Stereo External Microphone Input (3.5mm)

Photo specs are:

• RESOLUTIONS: 11MP, 8MP, 5 MP
• FOV: Wide 170º FOV, Medium 127º FOV
• CAPTURE MODES: Single, 10 Photo Burst, Time-Lapse, Self-Timer

For more details visit the GoPro Website.  There are several different mounts you can buy including chest straps for lower and more active looking perspectives and mounts for bicycles, surfboards, etc.  You can also get a WiFi remote pack that eventually is supposed to work with smartphones.

So, do I relish this little device?  You bet.  I may get some strange looks from the folks around here (honestly, I get strange looks anyway), but getting some great footage is worth it.  I look forward to using my GoPro to capture my rides here in Europe.  For now, here is a snippet of a brief trip to meet the husband after work as viewed from my handlebars on the FX.

September Bike Commute from CG Inlux on Vimeo.