The Underdog

Awesome piece about Rob Peeters from Andy Waterman of Privateer.

Andy was here in Portland a few weeks ago and we talked a bit about Cyclocross. Touching briefly upon his race at the Masters World Championships in Louisville and his own racing season. Somehow we got onto the subject of Rob Peeters and the above story about how the Belgian selectors tend to overlook Peeters, for whatever reason.

It is interesting to think about this coming from the American - or more “statistical” - version of racing. One where your results generally get you placed on Worlds or World Cup teams. Then to go somewhere like Belgium (and I’ve now also seen it happen in France) where your selection may be more based on other factors than just how good you do. Anyway it is an interesting notion and one worth thinking about as we move into a year of Olympics plus the Cyclocross World Championships coming to the US.

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Oh and it gave me a chance to use some of my photos from Belgium this year. Damn me if Peeters isn’t FIERCE!

✳ cyclocross ✳ Rob Peeters 

Good luck this weekend to… uh… this guy.

I took this the night before the Zolder World Cup. Foolish was the only thing that I could help to feel as I squared up with my camera while he rode the rollers. There were two or three teenage girls that were waiting in line to get his autograph. But maybe it wasn’t foolish at all that I was feeling, maybe it was something closer to what a fan-boy feels at a comic book convention, or one of those guys that travels to Vegas each year to meet, in person, the porn stars he has always…er…idolized. No, that couldn’t be right.

But, then again, this was Zolder and I was standing before The World Champion.

I left smiling, thinking, this is pretty cool. No one is standing here and I got to take his picture, with film. It only got awkward later when we found we were staying in the same hotel as the World Champion. And I found this out by riding the elevator to the third floor with him. “Ohmygodohmygoditstheworldchampion.” I thought about waiting for the next elevator and then decided against it and crammed myself into the elevator with he and his handlers. He wears a REALLY HUGE wristwatch. In case you were wondering.

The scene the next day was even funnier when we kept making eye contact at breakfast. It was one of those points where you start to get frustrated by the coincidences, or just tired from them… “Ok, I get it, you’re going up to get some toast too. I’ll wait here at my table until you’re done.” And just like that I’m over my man-crush. I’m sick of looking at him in this hotel and I wish he would go away so that the rest of us (and everyone else in this hotel can go back to doing whatever they were doing…)

Then, a few hours later he goes on to sprint it out with K. Pauwels in a gritty, dirty display of what it means to race cyclocross. And in losing — with one swift punch to his handlebars as he crosses the finish line in second — I’m in love with him all over again. Damnit. How did that happen?

I get that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach like this is going to be a good one.

✳ cyclocross ✳ stybar ✳ World Championships 

Pretty proud of this picture of Chandler “Cyclo-WHAT!” Delinks. It’s the spittle on the mouth and the look of death that gets me. But, since we are talking about him it might be worth mentioning that his legs look a little like CHRISTMAS HAMS! WTF? How does he do it?

✳ cyclocross ✳ film 

Ran into Mr. Geoff Proctor in Belgium the other day…

Mini-Story over at Tenspeed Hero.

✳ cyclocross 

These bikes are rad, I think I’ll get one…

✳ film ✳ bikes ✳ cyclocross ✳ Rapha ✳ Rapha-FOCUS 

Some great shots of Julie Krasniak’s SSCXWC win!

from Will Matthews on Velonews.

(also note Rapha Continental rider Greg Johnson shouting off to her right)

✳ cyclocross ✳ sscxwc ✳ julie krasniak 

Katie Compton has Rabobank Brakes. Baller.

Original Post.

✳ cyclocross ✳ women of cyclocros 

Tonic Fabrication [Group] from Portland.

Spotted at the Cross Races.

Super Rad.

✳ cyclocross ✳ film ✳ bicycles 

Sweet poster.

Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show

& Cross Crusade weekend in Bend, OR

✳ cyclocross ✳ handmade bikes ✳ Oregon