“…they have no use for the flag-waving army, the cloying for-a-day attention seekers. Here the nationalism is sober, reasoned and benign, not bullying and jingoistic. That it is benign renders it all the more powerful; it is to be enjoyed, not bellowed at an incredulous TV cameraman.”
The amazing thing is that this paragraph was not written about the US in any number of circumstances – but was written about Italian cycling fans (better known as the “Tifosi”). It made me think a good bit about bicycles and art and how similar the two are – especially the pursuit of higher achievement in both. The two are both solitary pursuits while at the same time require social graces and an ability to communicate with people on deeper levels that “just chat” – but that communication has to almost feel like chat. It’s a funny game – if it wasn’t so serious.
Stories comparing pop music and boxing have been written before that seem to cover a good bit of that same ground – but I’m not a boxer and don’t have that “Hemmingway spirit”. No one want’s to box an aging man – half drunk and holding onto his last bit of recognition of times past.
It seems that both art and sport have a way of putting things into a perspective, the trouble is it can be so painful not to be hit.
Above quote is from the Rouleur Photography Annual 2008. I’ve never seen a book devoted to cycling that has so few photo’s of bicycles and/or bicycling racing. BTW – I don’t intend to sound so melancholy – it’s late on a Sunday and I need to wash the day away. See you later this week.
Interesting week ahead: I’ll be in New York the end of the week – look for a posting on Friday and possibly Saturday (!) as well as the much promised and under-delivered article on Ted Larsen. I’m sure I’ll do a 246 announcement as well.