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Puncher - All Over
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 05-09-2014 15:04
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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547984 wrote:
erm, sutty, This Руиснег freaking rode on that same road for a whole summer, that's not once in a while 
Yeah i know, I mean to get out on the bike is always a nice way to forget about everything else  |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 05-09-2014 19:26
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
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@SchleckFan Thanks mate 
@Selwink I hope so too!
@Sutty Yep. *What Shonak's signature says*
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 05-09-2014 19:35
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
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Not Alone
“The next summer, I was getting more professional about it – timing my rides, that sort of stuff. Of course I had nothing to compare it to, and I was on an ancient bike, but still, it gave the rides some sort of a meaning.
One day, when I ventured further from our village than ever before, I saw another cyclist. You need to know that I really did live at the arse end of the world, and that ours was the only village within 50 kilometres, at least. So it came as a bit of a surprise, to say the least.
And he wasn't just riding any rusty old bike like mine, but a classic 80's Raleigh in red. He was wearing a World Champions shirt from the same era, as well as a Skil-Shimano race cap.
He had a good speed, but thanks to my training, I didn't have a problem catching up to him.”
Edited by Dippofix on 12-09-2014 14:43
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 05-09-2014 23:05
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Sounds like this could be the beginning of a cycling relationship
And Yes Shonaks signature is spot on |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 06-09-2014 14:33
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
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@Sutty Riding together is always better than alone, right?
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-12-2024 15:13
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 06-09-2014 14:38
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
PCM$: 300.00
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Searching
“We rode side by side for a while, before I realised how dark it was getting. Lost for words, all I could do was give the mysterious rider a quick nod, before turning around for the long journey home.
This was by far the furthest I'd ever gone, and it was well past sunset as I arrived home at last. Even my parents rage couldn't dampen the high mood I suddenly found myself in: I was not alone.
From that day on, I regularly chose the roads I had seen him on for my cycles, but to no success. Winter turned to spring, and spring turned to summer, without me seeing him again.
I was starting to believe I might just have been hallucinating, but one day in June, I saw a faint white dot by the side of the road, about a kilometre away....”
Edited by Dippofix on 12-09-2014 14:43
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 06-09-2014 14:38
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Dippofix wrote:
@Sutty Riding together is always better than alone, right?
Oh Yes !!!!! |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 08-09-2014 14:18
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
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@Sutty I don't think anyone will disagree.
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 08-09-2014 14:21
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Classics Specialist
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Reunited
“It was him, I knew it. I slowed down, and came to a halt beside him, at the edge of the narrow country road. There he stood, in the shade of the high trees growing all around us, trying to repair a flat.
Without saying a word, I started helping him. Luckily I always have a small repair kit on me, so it didn't take very long.
We started riding again, and after a while, I noticed we had started to relay. I had never done something like this before, but it was nice to have shelter from the wind for a while. After another bit, he suddenly attacked me.
Quick accelerations weren't part of my training in those days, so I had to let him go. But riding alone in the wind, that's what I was used to. After a few minutes I had him. But instead of falling back in to the pattern of relay, I rode right past him.
He dropped back a bit at first, but caught up after not even two minutes. He went to the front, and pulled over to the side of the road again. First I thought he had another puncture, but then I realised he wanted to talk.”
Edited by Dippofix on 12-09-2014 14:44
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 08-09-2014 22:53
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
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Looks like you have found yourself a cycling friend |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 10-09-2014 19:05
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
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@Sutty Seems so indeed. 
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 10-09-2014 19:06
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
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Summer Routines
“Then he proceeded to ask me all sorts of questions. Where I'm from, how far I ride, what sort of times I get, how long I've been riding for, that sort of stuff. By the time we stopped talking, the sun was already lying low on the western horizon.
I told him I needed to get home before sunset, so he offered to pace me. It was quite the challenge, but in the end, after sitting on his wheel for a while, then riding my heart out, I made it in just on time, exhausted, but happy.
From that day on, we often rode together. After school I would hurry home, take out my bike, ride a few kilometres on the main road, and at one point or another, he'd be there waiting for me.
At first, we just rode together, relaying on and on, till we turned around at some point. That was fun, but it got very monotonous. One day, it must have been autumn by then, we stopped to talk again.”
Edited by Dippofix on 12-09-2014 14:44
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 12-09-2014 19:15
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
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Coaching
““He offered to coach me. You might not believe it, but I was perplexed at first. Coach? Me? What for?
He told me how he thought I had the talent, how I was a raw diamond, in dire need of a polishing. That's when our routines started.
Go out, warm up, work on acceleration, work on the more long term power output, do a short, timed ride, warm down, go home. This is how we spent all of the colder months, riding through slush, braving the cold, all the while getting stronger and stronger.
When I'd look at my reflection in a mirror, I couldn't recognise myself. I had bulked up, gotten a pretty good colour, and grown a fair bit too. I bore next to no resemblance to pre-cycling Ivan.
I had turned fifteen last September, so we both knew our time was running out. Once more he sat me down after training, to discuss my future.”” |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 12-09-2014 23:08
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
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That hidden talent of yours is set to be revealed |
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| 547984 |
Posted on 13-09-2014 01:36
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 5008
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First name Ivan......last name Stevic?
baseballlover312, 06-03-14 : "Nuke Moscow...Don't worry Russia, we've got plenty of love to go around your cities"
Sarah Palin, 08-03-14 (CPAC, on Russian aggression) : "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke"
Big thanks to jdog for making this AMAZING userbar! |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 14-09-2014 19:52
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
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@Sutty Not quite yet, but most definitely it will be.
@Code Vasilyevich, actually.
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 14-09-2014 19:54
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
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Hills
“He told me he was going to make me a Puncher, someone for the Ardennes. Of course I had no idea what the fuck he was going on about. I was just a country boy from Russia, I had never heard of these things before.
But from then on, we didn't aimlessly ramble about, there was work to be done. We always took the same road now, to the same 2 kilometre long hill, and spent most of our training there. It was a steep bastard, I didn't even know we had hills like that in Siberia. Imagine it as a Russian Mur de Huy, though a bit longer.
It probably would have been easier to make me a Time Triallist or a Sprinter, but no, he insisted on training me as puncher. At first, I really suffered on that hill. But as with everything, I got used to it, and soon it was my favourite part of the day.
By the time it was May, I would regularly be beating him to the top. By June, I could outsprint him too.
By July, I could do the climb in under five minutes.
And by August, I could ride away from him as soon as we met, and not see him till I crested the climb.”
Edited by Dippofix on 14-09-2014 20:05
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 14-09-2014 19:59
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
PCM$: 200.00
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Dippofix wrote :
It was a steep bastard
Nice description |
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 14-09-2014 20:07
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
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@Sutty That's how I think of my local very steep, very short climb anyway.
@All I actually posted a slightly wrong version, added the missing sentence.
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| Dippofix |
Posted on 15-09-2014 16:18
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3912
Joined: 29-01-2013
PCM$: 300.00
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Farewell
“But the 1st of September was also my 16th birthday, and you know yourself what that means. The last day before I had to go to work.
Most guys have a big party, and get absolutely smashed. Not me. I got up especially early, said goodbye to my parents, and set out for my last day of training.
I was especially motivated, and so made the climb in under 4 and a half minutes for the first time. I pushed myself to the limit in every second, trying to forget that this was the last day I'd go training.
I'm not sure if he knew, but if he did, he certainly didn't show it. Everything proceeded as normal, until as the sun began to sink, I made my way home. I didn't say a farewell, just silently rode off. Fighting the tears on my way home, I forced myself not to look back. That was the last I saw of him.” |
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