About the pictures:
Since I was in Flanders, I was required by law to take pictures the local flag, shiny legs, riders looking exhausted, middle aged women trying to get into someone else picture of Tom Boonen, young girls admiring Ted King, and a washing machine full of cycling pantaloons. You know, the standard Belgian vistas that everyone admires when visiting that part of the world.
Notice the fact that there are no pictures of the actual race. There's a reason for this, and let me explain it. As I hear the TV helicopter approach at races, my palms start to sweat a bit. I'm overcome with excitement, and the five year old in me can't believe I'm actually standing on the side of the road in Europe, watching a race of this caliber.
Actually, even the adult version of me can't believe it either.
For the most part, I'm simply unable to take pictures as the race goes by, because I fear I'll miss a real moment for the sake of capturing it in a not-so-great picture that I'll end up deleting anyway. I'm overcome with this excitement every time I know the race is coming, despite the fact that I aim to see races go by as many as six or seven times.
Perhaps one day I'll be able to take some pictures during a race. Perhaps a couple of them will be pretty good. If that ever happens, I'll be happy. But I hope I never stop getting excited when I hear the TV helicopter approaching.
And lastly, two unrelated pictures that I didn't take, but go well together. Ruben Dario Gomez on a breakaway at the Vuelta a Colombia in the early 1960s (which I posted not long ago, and was taken by Horacio Gil Ochoa), and Rigoberto Uran training in his native department of Antioquia in 2010.
nice!
ReplyDeleteare those vacansoleil pantaloons?
it took me a while to stop take pics as races went by. i have a few good ones from the tour, roubaix, flanders, etc, but i should have been watching the race instead. no matter how good my pics are they aren't even close to the ones done by the pros, you know? why bother...
Hey Lucho, Love these shots. Yup, it's often a case of right time, right place with no particular photo skills required. Love the Boonen pic in particular. And what cycling fans doesn't love the delicious anticipation of the approaching TV helicopter?
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago, I rode over 90km to catch the Tour of California in Livermore. I had misjudged the nasty headwind on the way, and this ate up the minutes. Well, I did get to watch the helicopter drone past. It was mesmerizing until the rain started, big drops.
ReplyDeleteLoved every minute of it.
Your photos are pretty good too, I like the b&w shot mixed in there.
Those are indeed some Vacansoleil pantaloons. That means that there's some pre-barbed wire Hoogerland funk in there.
ReplyDeleteMatt,
The Boonen picture is funny because if you look at the man's cell phone screen, he's really not taking a picture of the woman at all. Once he took it, him and his son walked in one direction and the woman in another. so as far as I know, she' was basically photobombing shots around the start of the race.
Bobby,
Thank you for the kind words. I would love to get good at taking pictures, so I'll keep working at it. As for your ride to Livermore...it sounds like something that would have happened to me. I feel your pain.
i used to live in the netherlands and saw a ton of good racing there and used to go down to flanders for some races too. previous to being over there, i had never been to a proper professional bike race. when i first heard the faint whirring of the helicopter way off in the distance, the one that i heard so many times on tv, i'll never forget that feeling i had. also i think my first six day race was six days of amsterdam a few years back. i'll never forget that like, silent noise (hard to explain, but you know what i mean) of all those track bikes on the boards zipping past only like 3 feet away. its really weird how a lot of my cycling memories center on sound rather than sight.
ReplyDeleteTLDR, cycling is pretty cool.
Cool pictures! A bunch of us are heading over there this year to do the RVV Sportive. I'll keep an eye out for photobombing lady, and if I see Turbo Euro Guy I will be very excited indeed.
ReplyDeleteAntony,
ReplyDeleteIf you see Turbo Euro, give that man a hug. He needs it.