Am I the only one who's finding Peter "Mr. McFeely" Sagan's current look to be . . . well . . . a bit "coarse"?
He's kind of got that mountain-man-moonshiner look going these days. I guess he's still winning races - a lot - but he really looks like he just doesn't give a f#%k any more.
Long hair and beards have never really been part of the bicycle racer's image - regardless of what the fashion might have been in other areas. I mean, in the early '70s, when hairstyles were shaggier, one could sometimes see Roger DeVlaeminck's hair reach his collar, and Eddy Merckx began rockin' some serious sideburns - but shoulder-length hair and full beards just never became part of cycling's image.
I think the rider who was probably the most serious about the look of his hair would have to be Jacques Anquetil. By many accounts, he never rode without a comb in one of his jersey pockets. I've seen images of him at the finish line of a race and immediately pulling the comb through his hair. It's difficult to find photos of him with even a cycling cap on his head -- probably didn't want to flatten that awesome pompadour.
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| Note the scarred elbows, and the sweat still beading his face - but Jacques still had to fix that hair. |
Now we just have Marcel Kittel...
ReplyDeletei think i read somewhere (Dave Moulton's blog, IIRC)that Hugo Koblet also kept a comb in his jersey pocket.
ReplyDeleteSagan's style is more likely to be seen at a skate park, a BMX venue, or in back-country Missouri.
i saw the clip of that interview, and yes, it did seem like Mr. Sagan doesn't give a f#%k...
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Someone jams a camera in your face after you lost a race and demands explanation?
ReplyDeletePiss off.
As for the "look"? Meh. Whatever, if he's not doping, attaching tiny magic motors to his bike, being polite, sportsmanlike, and a good role model for kids, I don't give a rats keister how long his hair is.
Honestly, I haven't followed road racing in many years (dopers suck, as does the UCI), so when I saw the interview on BSNYC, I thought he was a downhiller. Thought it was funny when it turned out to be a roadie.
Good on him. If you're doing it right, who cares what you look like.
This is kinda like that Simpsons moment, "old man yells at cloud". I know it's a retrogrouchy blog, but why not yell at him for not wearing a hair net helmet too? =:D
Believe me - I feel like a cranky old man even bringing it up. "Get a haircut you hippie!" Just puttin' the "grouch" in Retrogrouch.
DeleteI wouldn't give grief about the lack of a hairnet helmet - but since you mention headwear, should I point out the baseball cap as opposed to a proper cycling cap? Would that be pushing it?
Is there a possibility that the look could help the sport branch out to a new fan base? I.e., make it 'cool' to a younger generation?
DeleteMike--Koblet indeed kept a comb--and a bottle of eau de cologne--in his jersey pocket.
ReplyDeleteAnother interesting side note: He won the Tour the year after Ferdi Kubler, a married family man who didn't care about his appearance, won. To date, they are the only two Swiss riders to win the Tour de France (though a number of Swiss riders have won stages and other awards).
Well, he is wearing the Rainbow on his jersey, so i guess he can carry off any look he likes... (still he does look like a guy who sleeps under a bridge.) Ah well, when i still had hair, i didn't look all that different- except maybe a bit less glazed in the eyes.
ReplyDeleteAs to the interview- yeah, the questioner was an idiot, and Mr. Sagan was actually being too polite, IMHO. Imaging how Hinault would've handled those questions...
"The Big Lebowski" definitely comes to mind...
ReplyDeleteJust what I was thinking. Pro racing could use more dudeness.
DeleteMaybe he'll show up for his next interview wearing a bathrobe.
DeleteJust because he wears "his" hair long is no cause to carry on like an internet troll, I'm getting close to 70 and wore mine long for many years. It doesn't make you any less of a sportsman or for that a human being. Love reading your blog but this spiel is up there with the trolls in Australia who say cyclists should be registered, shouldn't be on the roads, now we have to wear a politically correct hair style.
ReplyDeleteYou really shouldn't take it so seriously. There's a big difference between this and forcing cyclists to wear a helmet, or barring them from roads. And poking fun at Sagan's hair has nothing to do with being "politically correct."
DeleteHmm, I'd take up the baseball hat with his sponsors, looks like they're the ones that chose it as opposed to a traditional cycling cap.
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as that goes, at least the brim has some curvature to it, the whole flat brim thing is lost on me, so there I'll be grouchy too! =:D
Yes...he will be remebered, I think. He's a fabulous rider. As for the hair , if it's not illegal , immoral or life threatening, he can wear it how he wants. If you watch him race he has it ponytailed under his helmet...after a 200K plus race, I think we can forgive the bad hair look. The guy loves racing his bike and he wins and seems to be mostly a good sport when he loses
ReplyDeleteMuch more egregious things out there then his hair
Plus... remember I'm a baby boomer and I grew up in the sixties :)
ReplyDeleteAnd also in the peloton we have Marcel Kittel channeling his inner Anquetil. Resemblance is rather striking but Kittel is a very tall and muscular guy.
Rumour has it that Jacques was quite the party animal..but he sure was a heckuva racer too. He and Peter both.
Anquetil and Poulidor wore the pompadour... in French: «la banane». https://levelomanevintage.blogspot.fr/2015/05/se-coiffer-sur-son-velo-vintage-portez.html
ReplyDelete