botto 

It's that time of year.

Documentaries about great moments in Belgian sports history, on Canvas. Fortunately my Dutch/Flemish is good enough to follow.

Beautiful stuff.

Tonight was about Johan Museeuw's World Championship victory in Luganao. Museeuw, Jalabert, Giannetti, Lefevere, priceless.

How Museeuw won (considering that it was 1996, let's assume that most, if not all, the favorites were taking special 'vitamins') in Lugano, is still impressive.

Would love to elaborate, but hey, at least YMCA, classic1, and RoadWarrior can remember.

YMCA

Remembering is what I do best.
It's all I've got on this sport anymore.

Gianetti never stood a chance.

btw - The next year, 1997 was when I trained with Musseuw a few times in August. All decked out in his stripes. 53x16-17 for hours on end. Eight or so of us each day, 2x2, living the dream.

classic1

Cool. Would love to see the whole thing, even in Flemish! Pity ed073 doesn't post here anymore, he'd love that. Museeuw was the last great world champion for a few years after his win. Riders like Brochard and Camazind started winning - good riders but not great champions.

Museeuw had the same weapons as the rest of them. Wasn't it 1997 Gianetti OD'ed on some experimental drug? I also remember Museeuw could not win a classic in his rainbow jersey despite having good form, which must have been a huge disappointment for him. His form was so good he nearly got over La Redoute in Liege-Bastonge-Liege with Bartoli, Zullle and Jalabert.

I also love world Championships held in that part of the world - Lugano. Varese last year, Mendrissio this year IIRC. Beautiful scenery.

botto 

^

yeah, miss ed073.

jalabert told the tale of how he met up with museeuw, training, before the WC. apparently jalabert was flying up the hills, and would wait for museeuw.

because of that, and the fact that museeuw had been saying that the course was too tough for him, he didn't rate museeuw that day.

maybe it was the lightweight wheels that did it?

YMCA

Don't forget, Musseuw was up the road in a 15? man break most of the day. He basically played policeman for the Belgies. Then when the break grew tired he came to life.

botto 

the break went with 90km to go.

he was also - in his own words - fortunate to be with gianetti, who was racing in his home town, and desperate for a result.

botto 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NANYWnoHlg0

carpediemracing 

Gianetti had his massive internal organ shutdown prior to one of the Worlds, not during or after it. Using a synthetic red blood cell or something.

I was the biggest Mapei fan back then. Me and a bunch of teammates rode in Mapei kits (especially at Gimbles), I even wore the shorts racing. I still have the Velonews for that Worlds.

Speaking of that era, I want to find clips/footage of the 96-97 Tours, when they could use the Spinnacis and the 3ttt version of the same thing. That plus the "vitamins" + some aero wheels = 35-38 mph final hours leading into massive sprints. How cool is that.

cdr

YMCA

Hated Spinaci's, but used them sometimes anyway. Definitely not for the purist.

Vitamins and Spinaci's and the 40mm's, brought avg speeds up something ridiculous. I used to see guys rolling up the side of the paceline towards the front, whilst we were flat out at 55k. That's not normal.

carpediemracing 

Weird era for sure. But the riding was literally supercharged. I preferred TriSpokes and Scott Rakes, and I used them in flat, fast crits. I remember pulling every lap at Floyd Bennet Field at 42 mph for the back stretch + a bit of the second stretch (cross tailwind), 54x11, in the rakes, all the guys blocking for their teammates in the break sitting on my wheel. I'd ride under low branches so that they'd have to swerve or hit them. Then they'd give me dirty looks after my 1/2 lap pulls. lol. I'd sit in for the headwind bits and then pull again. I never caught a single break. I wish I were that fast once again.

cdr

ed073

testing...

Andrea Tafi had a brain explosion at Lugano and probably cost Bartoli/Rebellin the title. Another Italian non-result.

classic1

A rare ed sighting. Fark me, he's alive! Even botto misses you.

ed073

yes...love threads like this one, hate ones about whether you wear jocks under knicks or if going to the gym improves VO2 max.

classic1

I prefer to wear my jocks over my knicks.

YMCA

Holy poop, we finally have one of our own back on board. The best threads get shut down before two pages because so few care (or understand), not sure. Ed073 to the rescue. Hang around.

BTW - I disappear for weeks/months at a time as well, usually because of life calling. Can't sit around BS'ing about BS all BS'ing day you know.

Enthalpic

Try working for the government.