NANCY NEIMAN: YOUR NORMAL, EVERYDAY, PIONEERING CHAMPION.
Looks like a normal, everyday woman out for a ride, eh? Well, she was a fairly normal person who happened to be the U.S. Girl’s National Cycling Champion in 1953.
When she won it again in 1954 she pointed out that neither she, nor the other entrants, were girls, and it should be changed to “Women’s.”
They agreed.
This woman then took it again in 1956.
And 1957.
She also scrimped and saved so she could go overseas and race for a spell in 1954. She returned in 1956 and – using a borrowed jersey – was the sole American entrant in the stage race that was the women’s equivalent of Le Tour. She took 14th.
That makes her the first American of either sex to do a stage race in Europe.
Average, everyday woman? Hardly.
(thanks to Archival Clothing and Flickr contact Paris-Roubaix)
“With road cycling you have to keep the speed of the majority, you have to keep the speed that’s being set, and it’s pretty rare that you’re the one dictating that speed. Those are great moments when you’re actually the one deciding the pace, not necessarily just the top speed but the rate of speed over all sorts of situations.” — Ryder Hesjedal
(via getonyourbikes)
Bernie Eisel down the Valico di Valcava with Mark Cavendish in tow (by kristof ramon)
red flag = cycle racing (by kristof ramon)
Theo Bos on the start line (by kristof ramon)
photo with the World Champion (by kristof ramon)
