Belgium Knee Warmers: Video

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Suffering

The fine art of suffering (in this case, pushing the body and mind to its limits) is often what separates the top ranks of professional cycling from the... the rest of the peleton. Smart training, good nutrition, and natural talent, all aspects of a PRO's season, only go so far. At the point, where a PRO has exceeded each, the race turns itself over to the rider who is willing to suffer the most.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Cobbles Baby!

Director: Scott Coady

Feature Running Time: 37:20 min.

The entire concept behind BKW is to focus on the small things that make our sport so interesting. I always look for articles or films that cover the "behind the scenes" and that go beyond the simple race coverage to explore what life is like inside the world of PRO cycling.

I had heard good things about Scott's first film Tour Baby!, but I never got around to viewing it. When I heard he was putting the finishing touches on his second film Cobbles Baby! I knew it was time to acquaint myself with Scott's work.

Let me start by writing this: I had no idea what to expect. I didn't bother researching the film in advance, but anything that focuses solely on the Queen of the Classics is worth purchasing.

I stumbled into Scott's filmography while reading some related blogs and saw the film had just been released. I purchased the video on Saturday and received it 4 days later.

This film is "pissah". Scott has a tendancy to focus on "all the little things," just like the team here at BKW. Cobbles Baby! covers the action surrounding the 2004 Paris Roubaix. Scott does an excellent job of getting right into the thick of the action, from the inside tour of the Postal bus to the run-down on what machine modifications are required to prepare for PR. This film is a combination of many of the previous BKW posts.

I will not bore you with a step-by-step recount of the action. However, I will have to say that Scott manages to capture the reaction of the Postal team to Floyd's new moustache as he arrives for Saturday's pre-ride. Scott showers in the famous concrete showers in Roubaix and has a roadside discussion regarding Belgium knee warmers alongside a section of Pave. This is the stuff we are made of, I say!

I give this film the thumbs up for Scott succinctly captures the small things that you and I look for. Scott is a cyclist and his eye for the details proves it. The film has a raw production quality, similar at times to a family vacation video, but this is what makes the film so gripping. No high budget production team, no fancy cameras or entourage of lighting and sound PROs. Think Warren Miller meets WCP meets Blair Witch Project.

Scott's enthusiasm is evident and there may be no better host to show you around the Hell of the North. Go online and get yourself a copy. This is a great film for riding the rollers and, in the weeks leading up to PR, it will be the perfect thing to get you prepared for the action. The DVD includes some extra footage which is equally cool, Scott pays tribute to the heros who gave their lives at Omaha Beach in WWII and drops by Belgium's Cycling Center which serves as a development center for US cyclists.