ACCOUTREMENT

It would seem that cyclists are defined by things, not big things but little things, some elementary some not so simple. When I think of Sean Kelly in the old days, the Irishman could not leave the trappings of his toe-straps. It was something simple yet pure to his moment on the bike.

Lance Armstrong wore his yellow wrist band and his long black socks, if you take me for example I would never wear black socks, a cycling sock should be predominantly white. But hey, that’s just me.

My favourite things are: My first ever pair of Sidi cycling shoes, if it’s not Sidi, I don’t wear it.

My UCI License from the 1999 racing season

My pure sterling silver bicycle chain my wife bought for me

The silver ring with a DraGon entwined in a circle

My titanium Festina wrist watch which was a limited edition Tour de France 99

My Blue Festina time piece

The Oakley’s Mark Florence gave to me as a gift

And my platinum Oakley glasses.

With Indurain it was his trade mark casquette (cycling cap).

Here is a little anecdote…

Years back when I was racing I would wear my casquette, in rain, sun and the strongest winds, there I was with this thing on my head.

Later on the young ones came up to me, I think it was Christopher Walker who was the leader of the pack and they asked me how I manage to keep my cap on my head in such strong winds… I don’t remember what I told them but they thought it was cool and I loved my cap as in those ‘thank god’, we didn’t have to race with helmets.

Wayne Stevens of Club Peninsula was obsessed with his titanium bolts and sprockets as Ian Gallard obsessed about his white pee-pot helmet. Ian bought bikes, state of the art but he never changed his helmet. To me that was the funniest thing in the world and then there was Bernard Michel the owner of Soloped who raced without socks and would never ever use handle-bar tape and I think that takes the cake.

And of course this would not be complete without a story about Mark Florence. One year when I had returned to France and Mark and I were on the same team that year, I remember this one particular race we were in… As we had arrived on the umpteenth climb of the day, and a steep one at that, there in the middle of the road, in the middle of the bunch lie an expensive pair of Oakley’s. Mark stopped dead in his tracks, picked it up and continued racing all in one moment. Lol, cycling would be dull without Mark Florence, many would agree with me. Things…

I went to brush my teeth late the other night, just before bed. I dislike cleaning my teeth before bed; it feels like the governments poisoning me before sleep. There on the toothpaste my wife had a new gadget; a toothpaste squeezer, Accoutrement!