Author Archives: Patrick Santino

2021 Amstel: A Grudge Match Sprint (Written)

“The three went away, and Brabantse Pijl déjà vu flashed in all of our minds. Instead of Trentin, it was Schachmann today who had to play the third—sorry, fifth and sixth—wheel for a grudge match between the cyclocross rivals.”

The Ardennes Classics (Written)

“As to whether it is a Classic or Semi-Classic: I believe my and the cycling world’s mind are torn. Yet that does not much matter for it is the perfect transition race into the three proper canonical Ardennes Classics: the Amstel Gold, La Fleche Wallonne, and Liege-Bastogne-Liege. To think, to think—as is the case with all the cycling Classics—such a smattering of random words could form the titles of hallowed races!”

Itzulia, The Tour of the Basque Country (Written Musings)

“Ah! Now we come to a preview I looked O! so forward to doing. Yes, this is the beauty of cycling: no race is the same. Though this one comes when weeklong World Tour stage races are coming thick-and-fast every other week, and the most Classic of Classics—Monuments even—are taking place, still this race has a definitive and beloved character of its own.”

2021 RVV: The New Alpha

“It was there that Mathieu Van Der Poel put in attack and the only one who could match the ferocity was Elegant-Quickstep’s Champion of Denmark Casper Asgreen, the E3 winner—the Flanders dress rehearsal nine days ago.”

Ronde Van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) Written Musings

“A century ago, the heart of Cyclingdom had poles in Paris and Belgium, but as evidenced by races that no longer live up to their name: Paris has ceded its claims to Cyclingdom—alas! the Parisians became interested in other things. And thus now, the heart of Cyclingdom beats not even in all of Belgium, but mostly this mentioned Northern Half of Flanders.”

Eulogy for the Supertuck

“In the decades to come, the new fans of cycling studying up on their cycling history and lore will come across articles and clips of Chris Froome’s 2016 Peyresourde descent…and it will seem as foreign and ancient as the cyclists with no helmets, the cyclists smoking or drinking midrace, and the cyclists with the spare tire slung across their chest. “