Interviews | Belgium Knee Warmers

An Interview with Harrie Van Der Burgt from Spooky

Posted by Radio Freddy, January 29, 2010 | Cyclo-cross | Interviews | TK

I remember the day I first saw a pair of Spooky brakes: the place was Amsterdam, I had a layover coming back from France and some time to do some exploring. Tucked away in the corner of the market square was a small shop. Entering the shop was quite memorable: the shop was tiny and dirty with the usual inventory you would find in the states. But hanging on a hook near the rear of the shop was a used set of Mafac-looking cantilever brakes. I asked the Dutch shop keeper if he was selling them. The shop keeper smiled and said, “cross is good ya!” Smiling, I said, “yea, it’s good,” as I headed out the door clutching a used set of the unique Spooky brakes paying 25 euro.

Since that day, I have often wondered where these great cross brakes were made, and who made them. We are all familair with the usual cross brakes out there, Empella Frog legs, SRP Mr. Grumpy, and the newer TRP brakes. but for some mysterious reason, my curiosity for Spooky never waned. After I all this time, I decided to do a little research and contact Vladimir from Tufo North America, the distributor for Spooky in the States. Vladimir was garcious enough to give me the contact info for the man who came up with the brand. I fired off an email to Harrie and the result: a rare interview and some great insight into Harrie Van Der Burgt, the inventor of Spooky brand brakes.

TK: Harrie, how did you come up with the name Spooky?

Harrie: The name Spooky came up after I designed the logo.
I just put together two brakes and we had a logo. We are self-made men at Spooky brakes.

TK: Who were the founders of Spooky? What is the history of Spooky?

Harrie: Dick van der Bruggen and I were, and are, the only two people that make Spooky brakes. I am in cyclo-cross for more than 25 year as a rider; Dick is my best friend and also a rider. I had the idea after reading about pro riders that had a very expensive bike with polished old Mafac brakes that they used every year again.

We contacted Richard Groenendaal and he used them from day one of Spooky brakes. We also worked together with Empella on the early frog leg brakes, which we also produced. After two seasons, Empella went to Taiwan without telling us. We decided not to put negative energy in fighting them, but put all positive energy in Spooky.

In the first season of SPOOKY 1999/2000 Richard Groenendaal won the world championship here in the Netherlands. Many riders, shops, and pro teams used the brakes in the years after that victory. A few years ago more and more copies appeared on the market and we lost the market to cheap produced Asian brake sets. Still in the Netherlands, we are the guys that started up all brakes after the Mafacs. The carbon brakes were the last item they copied; now we only supply some teams and friends. Richard Groenendaal is our all time favorite in cyclo-cross and we see him often at the races.

TK: How are they made and where are they produced?

Harrie: We make the brakes ourselves after getting the separate parts together from specific suppliers we work together with.
All Brake sets are made in the Netherlands, and all parts designed by Dick.

TK: How did you come up with such a unique design for the straddle cable hangar?

Harrie: The straddle carrier was a design from me, as there was a request from our distributor to include it in a set of brakes. It needed to be simple to make and give an own look to our brakes, I think that has worked, I called it LEA Light Eccentric Adaptor, but LEA is the name of my sister that died in 2000 of cancer and I took her name and tried to find logical words for the letters L E and A. She was always there when I was doing the cyclo-cross races and I still miss her. This way I see her name everywhere on the internet and other places where the Spooky brakes are.

TK: What PRO teams are riding them?

Harrie: At the moment, Rabobank and AA Drink teams use the brakes.

Thanks to Vladimir and Harrie for taking the time to speak with BKW, and for the kind words and the photos!

Spooky brakes are available through Vladimir at Tufo North America:

Web: www.tufonorthamerica.com
Phone: 1-866-869-5285

Matt Wilson – Classics Man

Posted by Radio Freddy, December 18, 2009 | Interviews | Spring Classics

In the summer of 2008, BKW had the opportunity to sit down with the 2004 Australian Road Racing Champion and cobbles fanatic, Matthew “Matty” Wilson, to talk about his career and his love for the Spring Classics. Matty has raced for a wide range of teams, including Mercury-Viatel, Francaise des Jeux, Unibet, and the U.S. Domestic team Team Type 1. Matty has seen his share of high profile victories over the course of his career, but his biggest win to-date may be his most recent offer from the boys in argyle to return to the cobbles after a two-year stint racing in the U.S. Matty’s specific role will be to support the Garmin-Transitions Classics squad.

During our interview with Matty, his passion for the Spring Classics was as obvious as his desire to return to a European race schedule. Matty’s descriptions of life as a Classics racer were deep and insightful, serving up an even greater appreciation for life in Belgium during Springtime and what it means to be an opportunist.

BKW: You have raced both Grand Tours (Tour, Giro) and the Spring Classics. Which do you prefer?

MW: The Classics, for sure. The Belgian Spring Classics have always been fascinating to me, since I was a little kid. If I were to make a career for me in the U.S., the Spring Classics are the thing I would miss most.

BKW: What was a typical spring campaign like for you?

MW: It started with Dwars door Vlaanderen, a sort of kick-off race. I will head to Belgium and spend 6-8 weeks riding the roads. In Belgium, the fans are different. There cycling is the hugest sport; it’s in the papers and on the television and the fans want to come up and talk with you. It’s a great feeling being a cyclist during that time of year.

BKW: Is it tough to make the transition from the summer warmth of Australia to the early spring cold of Belgium?

MW: For me, it’s tough…the change in the time zones, the change in temperature, and always within two weeks of arriving, I get sick. I know it will happen, it is just a matter of time. I get sick once, then right before the Classics again; it’s a running thing of sickness for me during that time of year. I guess it’s the cold weather, something in the air. A lot of guys have trouble like that.

BKW: What are your favorite Classics?

MW: Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. I think Flanders is my favorite, but Paris-Roubaix is a very close second.

BKW: Which suits you better?

MW: Probably, Flanders.

BKW: What factors make it better for you?

MW: I like the atmosphere and the little climbs. For me, it’s more of an opportunist ride, one where I can ride in a good position and get over the toughest parts. You don’t necessarily have to be the strongest guy. Roubaix is similar, but you need a lot of horse power to get over the cobbled sections, which if you’re not naturally born with it, then your really at a disadvantage.

BKW: You always hear people talk about the physique and metal toughness that are key for a Roubaix winner. Everyone always says, “He’s got the build,” but few ever say what it is. What does the Roubaix build look like?

MW: People say you need to be a big guy to ride the pave, but that’s not necessarily true. I think you need to be able to put out the horse power for 5-6 minutes over pave. Small guys can do it, but typically that’s better-suited to a big, heavy rider—more like a Cancellara, Boonen, Museeuw, Backstedt—big guys with a lot of horse power on the flats.

BKW: Do you prefer hot and sunny conditions, like the most recent conditions of Paris Roubaix, or the nasty, 1994-like conditions?

MW: It’s love-hate. It’s better for me if the conditions are nasty, you lose half the field right away because they don’t like it, then another half to crashes, which can be an advantage. As an opportunist, the only chance I have is if others fall off…if you sit back a bit and take a better line, you can survive. But you never wake up hoping it’s raining. Some guys might, but I’m hoping it’s going to be nice weather. You don’t want to crash, but everyone is in the same position.

BKW: When you line up for a race and there are clear favorites, what is your strategy and what are you looking for? Do you mark those riders who are favorites? How does the race play out and how do you identify when a move will stick?

MW: You need to look at your team. If you’re in a strong team with 1 or 2 guys who can stay with the favorites when the hammer goes down, then those guys are the guys to protect and they will mark the good guys. Once it goes full-gas, there are only 8-10 guys who can go that speed. But from an opportunist point of view, it does not make sense to mark Tom Boonen or Ballan because when they go, I can’t go with them. But as an opportunist, it is key to get into an early move or a break and try to get away from them.

BKW: Over your years in cycling, have you looked up to anyone as a role model or had any mentors?

MW: While at Française des Jeux I rode with Frédéric Guesdon and Christophe Mengin, two french riders who are specialists in those types of races. Guesdon won Roubaix in ’97; but the pair of them have always been in the Top 20. They are so crafty and I learned a lot from them. When I was younger, Johan Museuew was the rider everyone wanted to be and the rider you tried to emulate. But it’s not good trying to emulate riders if you don’t have that ability because you can’t win the race in the same way, you have find your own way to win. Jacky Durand was a rider who never had any special abilities, but he knew what he could do and he took his chances and when I see a guy like that win, I say if he can do it so can I. He’s a smart rider and he takes his chances on the long breakaways. I learned from him how to ride a breakaway, he would attack in the beginning and get a gap then sit up and let the teams work at the front to bring him back. The teams would take 2-3 minutes out of his lead and then let off because they were bringing him back too fast. He would literally play with them, staying in reserve until the final kilometers and letting the teams think they had him under control. Then, when he takes off, the teams realize they have made a mistake and it’s too late.

BKW: How many Flanders have you started?

MW: Six.

BKW: In the prep before the race, do you follow any special routines?

MW: Every rider has routines. Cyclists are very habitual; you’re always in different environments and different hotels so you try to create a system where you do the sames things every day, even though you’re in a different place. It’s nothing scientific; it’s more habit and head games.

MW: I am addicted to eye masks and ear plugs. People are always snoring and there are so many different noises in hotel rooms, so I use them so the environment is always the same.

BKW: What special gear do you use when the conditions are cold and wet?

MW: I use woolen socks and rubber shoe covers. I have a great pair of Nalini covers from years ago and I’ve worn them in all the Classics because they keep my feet warm and dry. You get tricks from other riders. You see someone do something and you say that’s a great idea, and you begin to use it. I remember Frank Vandenbroucke used to use knee warmers and he’d cut them off shorter because your knees were not cold, but your quads were, so he’d have an extra layer over the quads.

The time we spent with Matty flew by and during our discussion, he was putting away bowl after of bowl of pasta in prep for the day’s race. Aside from Matty’s victories and love for the Classics, he is also a Hodgkins Disease survivor. Following his diagnosis and recovery, Matty’s career took off. Matty was a joy to speak with and, although only a portion of the interview is presented here, his passion for the Spring Classics and cycling was emphatic.

A special thank you goes out to D.R. for his assistance in lining up this interview and for use of his space to make it happen.

Inside the ’86 La Vie Claire Team: a Talk With Andy Hampsten

Posted by Radio Freddy, February 26, 2009 | Grand Tours | Interviews | Padraig

Road Bike Action approached Padraig to write an analysis of the potential for conflict within the Astana team by comparing the scenario Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador face with the conflict between Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault in 1986 on La Vie Claire. Naturally, he needed to talk to someone who had a ringside seat for the fireworks: Andy Hampsten. Padraig used quotes from this interview in the feature, but it was too long to run in print and it was just too good not to give readers the whole thing.

Check out the RBA feature in the issue on newsstands now, or order a subscription here.

Padraig: At what point did you realize that Hinault planned to ride for himself? Was there any indication before Stage 12?

Andy: I thought all were on plan for La Vie Claire to tear apart all the other teams before we hit the mountains. Hinault took off on the first mountain stage. On that day we went over the Marie Blanc first, the group had 3 LVC riders and maybe 15 others. Hinault was doing hard tempo in the group to keep it going. I asked LeMond why he would be doing that, Greg didn’t know. So I went to the front and asked Hinault if he wanted me to pull, he grunted something affirmative, his sarcasm was lost on my meager French.

Padraig: It has often been said that only you and Steve Bauer supported LeMond. The French riders all rode for Hinault, while the Swiss riders Rutimann and Winterberg attempted to remain neutral. Is that your memory of the team’s split?

Andy: Very true. The Swiss riders loved everyone and were neutral, Ruttimann was a great and loyal rider who made a career out of being indispensable to Hinault on his traditional bad day in the mountains.

Jean Francois Bernard was Hinault’s lapdog. The younger French rider [Philippe Leleu] was up to his neck just trying to make it through his first Tour. The veterans Alain Vigneron and Charles Berard were lobbied by Hinault to help against Greg, but I can’t think of a thing they could have done to damage Greg. JF would do hard tempo to set Hinault up to attack, like on the day into St. Etienne when Hinault went away with Stephen Roche, and Bauer and I had to chase him down. That hurt, it was the first and last time I had to chase a teammate.

I worried a bit about myself when I had a flat on one of the last days. I was only the third man on the team in GC, so I was a domestique, but i was in the white jersey and 4th place.

When I flatted the pack was going all out on rolling hills. I was able to neutralize any attack I went with, so I had been active and really didn’t want to be left behind with a mechanical.

I was near the front when I flatted, but neither Swiss rider saw me and Steve Bauer didn’t either. I figured I was on my own and knew even with our car being first in line and my legs being good I would suffer getting back to the front, and that made me bitter about the team being divided.

As soon as I got a wheel and was making my way up to speed I saw Alain and Charly right in front of me. They got me to the front of the peloton in record time and I could only give them a quick merci before I was jumping into attacks again.

After the stage I went to their rooms and thanked them for the help, and made it clear that I understood that they were likely going to suffer Hinault’s wrath for helping me out. And that I appreciated them being cool to me with all the fratricide among the team.

They let me babble on for a while and said “No problems. Your prize money for 4th and the White Jersey will come out to be 130,000 French francs, why wouldn’t we help you?”

Padraig: How tense were meal times?

Andy: Tense, we were working hard and having a blast in the first half of the race, the supper table was were we would share tales and young riders like myself could learn a lot.

It was acute on the evening after Superbagneres. Greg had just pulled back his deficit on Bernard that day, and Messr. Tapie had helicoptered in to “take command of the situation.” He met with Greg, then Bernard that night and all of the team was looking forward to the tension being resolved. That didn’t happen.

Tapie sauntered into the dining room with both Izod collars pointing up, the riders were seated with the French guys at one end of the table, the North Americans on another, and the 2 Swiss guys in the middle. It was tense. Greg cannot not have fun for more than 5 minutes. Tapie had been blathering for 5 minutes so we all understood nothing was going to change. Then Greg asked him loudly:

“Hey Bernard. Now that Andy has the white jersey will he get your Porsche if he wears it to Paris?”

(Tapie had very publicly announced that J.F. Bernard would be awarded his Porsche 911 when he won the best young rider white jersey category.)

That sure as hell got some laughs from our end of the table. Needless to say I didn’t get the car.

Padraig: When you attacked on the climb up Superbagneres, how confident were you that the outcome would be a stage win by LeMond with him taking the yellow jersey? Did you fear any reprisal within the team?

Andy: I was sure LeMond would win the stage, and we knew that Hinault had cracked, which happened often to Hinault and was a day his rivals always hoped for.

He was dropped with the initial attacks on the easy slopes below Superbagneres. I followed Robert Millar up to the 5 leaders, and could see LeMond was twitching with energy but everyone else was keying off of him. I was near empty but understood Greg needed things stirred up so he could launch a real attack. Robert and I caught them just as the road turned right onto a steeper pitch. I attacked off his wheel and past the leaders before they really knew we had come back to them. I gave Greg a look without the capital L as we went past so he knew I was going up the road for him.
Breukink and Zimmerman had to chase me, and Greg launched off that to join me. I pulled him as much as I could for a couple of ks then blew.

Interestingly, the team car with the director sportif Koechli came up to me before Greg bridged up. I thought I was going to get an earful and have to explain I was just up the road to help Greg, and started doing so when the car was next to me. I was shocked when Paul told me to stop worrying and ride! “Andy, there is no reason this team doesn’t want YOU to win the Tour! Greg and Bernard are fighting over who gets to win, and having you take the jersey will stop them arguing.”

That was the greatest compliment of my career, and I wasn’t even thinking of winning the stage because I knew I had already been dropped and I was racing with empty legs.

The team was Koechli’s. He explained that all the drama from ’85 when Greg had to wait for Bernard was simply that the team started the day with 1st and 2nd in GC. When Greg attacked and was joined by Roche the team told him could not work with Roche. If he could attack and win solo that was OK. But the team would not allow him to work with Roche and out the team in 1st and 3rd at the end of the stage.

I don’t doubt Greg’s version that he was deceived about where Hinault was during the stage to discourage him from riding hard. But I agree that a racer in 2nd can’t work with an opponent in 3rd to move them both ahead one place.

Padraig: Who was really the head of the team: Koechli or Tapie?

Andy: Koechli, but Hinault was riding his own race.

Padraig: Who was the diplomat who worked to keep things as calm as possible? Koechli?

Andy: Koechli did a great job with a tough situation. Hinault’s aggressive racing destroyed Zimmerman and anyone else who thought they might take a shot at the lead. So the team was free to fight over which rider would win.

Padraig: The ’86 Tour is legendary for its attrition rate, with 38% of the field failing to finish. Notable among them was temporary poka-dot Robert Millar. Compared to other races of the era, did anyone–including Zimmerman–seem truly competitive against LeMond and Hinault?

Andy: Zimmerman was a very strong and consistent racer with a good team. Fignon was amazingly stupid early in the race trying to out Hinault our team by using Hinault’s intimidation tactics. He would have his guys hammer at the front when there would be a hint of cross wind. La Vie Claire would be just behind then snickering. Never swing a small stick.

This was mid ’80s, Italians would stay home or wish they had, and Spaniards were not a big force yet. Everyone else was pretty far back, and I was 4th so it was easy for me to control everyone behind myself. Zimmerman did a great race, but he was completely out gunned.

Padraig: La Vie Claire placed four riders in the top 10 on GC at the race’s finish, making the team prize inevitable. By the race’s end, was there much of a sense of accomplishment or even elation?

Andy: I was happy! We took every jersey but the points. Ruttiman and Bernard won stages to add the Greg and Bernard’s collection.

J.F. Bernard was given Tapie’s Porsche as soon as he won a stage. I guess that is why Tapie was thought of as such a good business manager.

After the race we went to a reception for Greg at the American Embassy, located just behind the finish line on the Champs Elysée. Good food, pleasant interns, very humble French dignitaries, and worth the visit for the 19th century American West art alone. The team then celebrated with a traditional French Spectacle: Steak, frites and poor wine in a club followed by 6 hours of mostly naked, far too energetic dancers performing on stage.

Paris, France, 1986 with the King of Cycling and the Bad Boy Winner. And we celebrate by sitting down watching other people dance until our butts spasmed with cramps. What a wasted opportunity after 26 days of great racing.

Read Andy’s previous BKW interview here.

Images courtesy John Pierce, Photosport International

The Jonathan Vaughters Interview, Part III

Posted by Radio Freddy, January 14, 2009 | Interviews | John Pierce | Padraig | Point of View

In Part III of our interview with Jonathan Vaughters we talk with him about his relationship with sponsors, equipment choice, his taste in wine and why he’s the star of the show with his team.

BKW: The team is continuing to work with Felt, Shimano, Zipp and CycleOps for the ’09 season. We’ve heard that you’ve been pushing your equipment sponsors to reduce the weight of their products even further. Given that your riders are on 900g frames with full Dura-Ace, aren’t your bikes already at the UCI-mandated weight limit?

JV: Once you get to the weight limit, then you are dealing with the handling and aerodynamics. The Cyclops adds an informational aspect.

I’d say most of our sponsors don’t like us much as a team. We don’t just say, ‘Thanks for the check, see you next year.’ We press, squeeze, complain and suggest. They’ll get real feedback about their product. Fact is, we’re a pain in the ass. The riders know to give honest feedback.

Our sponsors, we hurt their feelings, but at the end of the day the products supplied to this team are going to be empirically better than what other teams are being supplied. I need everyone to believe we are pushing as hard as possible to give our riders and sponsors the belief that we are doing everything ethically possible to win. We are maximizing every opportunity to give these riders the resources to win races while riding clean. We’ve left no stone unturned.

The implicit message and the explicit message have to absolutely match. This is an anti-doping team. We’re going to do X,Y and Z to prepare to win this race. When this race comes we’re going to go out there and and do our best to win. But it’s bike racing, so we can’t ensure a win. We can’t guarantee a perfect race, so we do the next best thing: Perfection in the process. You do what you can to win but you don’t do anything over the line.

Felt’s AR road bike (courtesy Felt Bicycles)

BKW: Will each rider have either an F or Z series road bike, an AR aero road bike and a DA time trial bike?

JV: That’s it exactly. Every rider gets a choice of Felt’s F or Z frame. And then every rider gets an AR aero road bike and a DA for the time trials.

BKW: Who decides, and under what conditions do you decide when to ride the aero frame rather than a standard road frame?

JV: It’s up to the rider. I’ll make recommendations. With the AR, it’s a little heavier but not much. It’s got more stiffness vertically than laterally. You’re not going to get the best traction on bumpy corners. It’s ideal for less hilly courses on smoother roads. If I were a racer in the US, that’s all I’d use. You rarely have a course hilly enough or bumpy enough to call for the other frame.

BKW: I noticed from some photos you seem to have a taste for Chateauneuf du Pape and wines of the Southern Rhone. What are some of your other favorite wine regions?

JV: My favorite Chateauneuf du Papes are from Chateau Rayas. They do an excellent vin de pays, Domaine des Tour. It’s the perfect $20 bottle for pizza.

I like Burgundies; I’m less versed in Burgundy, though. My tastes tend to go toward the more feminine, elegant, earth-driven wines. I’m not really into the big blockbusters. I’m not that big on Napa Cabs. There is a vintner is Ventura County of all places, Sine Qua Non, I really love what they do. A very detail-oriented approach to their winemaking. I tend to go for more the traditional, more biodynamic. Rayas is biodynamic.

One of the things I enjoy is how you learn to enjoy the differences between the different wines rather than the qualities of the wines themselves.

I won’t drink wine just to drink it. I want to have something I’ll enjoy. I’ll try anything though. I ordered a bottle of wine one night with the team and it wasn’t very good. The guys were like, ‘See you don’t know anything about wine!’ And I said, ‘Hey, I just ordered it off the menu.’ It’s fun to branch out.

BKW: Given how busy you are with the team, how much do you still get to ride?

JV: I don’t ride if it’s cold. I haven’t done a ride over four hours in eight months. An hour, hour and a half three to four times a week. I’m doing a lot of skiing with my son Charlie. I like Vail, Winterpark, I’ll go anywhere. I really like Telluride and Aspen, but they make a weekend trip a little pricey. I got to ski a bunch in St. Moritz last year. Any time I went to Milan, like when I went over for the presentation of the Giro route, I’d schedule an extra day and take the train up to St. Moritz. It was fantastic skiing.

BKW: More than any of your riders, you are the public face for Team Garmin/Slipstream; why do you suppose that is?

JV: I mean, for the time being, yes, yes I am. But the symbol that I’ve succeeded will be when that’s no longer true. Hopefully, Christian blows me out of the water as the team figurehead. Once that happens I can say, ‘Now I know I’ve done my job right.’

BKW: Any final thoughts?

JV: You’ve covered everything in my brain.

Finis

Images courtesy John Pierce, Photosport International