Time for a Mod renaissance sparked by Wiggins

There’s been plenty of talk of how things are going to change in the world of cycling in Britain following recent successes. I’d like to see a Mod revival inspired by Bradley Wiggins. Whether he likes it or not, the press have got him pigeon-holed – when you can get Wiggins sideburns in the Mirror the die has been cast. Plus there’s going to come a time when Paul Weller needs to handsling him into the role of Modfather.

Weller, Smith and Wiggins – the kings of cool ©Paul Smith/www.paulsmith.co.uk

Back in the day he might have been seen chilling in a pair of Adidas Samba’s or a Fred Perry polo shirt, but now they’re less in evidence as he’s only ever in team lycra or team casuals. Wiggins is known to have many of the Mod accessories – vintage scooter, extensive guitar collection and ear for Weller’s tunes.

Wiggo mod style by Pete McKee via modculture.co.uk

And it there on the bike too. I’ve yet to see the forks of his Pinarello festooned with wing mirrors or a racoon’s tail swinging his saddle, but the RAF roundel is certainly getting plenty of use. It’s there on his helmet, his frame and the sides of his jersey.

A two wheeled peleton of a different type

Wiggo’s frame decals

Helmet roundel

Could Bradley Wiggins’s sideburns mark the start of a mod-style cycling revival? Mod style has got plenty going for it; winkle pickers, slim suits, Ben Sherman shirts, Fred Perry polo tops, bomber jackets, John Smedley knitwear and pork pie hats. All of it works for the style-conscious cyclist – except for the ex-US Army fishtail parkas getting caught in your rear spokes. Perhaps that’s why Bradley prefers riding a rear disc wheel?

Mod style cycling jersey via miltag.cc

The thing about the Mod’s is that they were made even cooler because there was tension with the Rockers. I can’t somehow see Froome or Nibali astride a Triumph Bonneville, wearing greasy jeans and the collar turned up on a studded leather jacket.

How to combine yellow, the Union Jack and a Mod roundel via cyclo.co.uk

Day 1 in the Olympic velodrome: it’s been “Heroes, Villains and Velodromes”

Richard Moore’s book “Heroes, Villains and Velodromes” is a pretty accurate summary of the first day of Olympic track cycling activity. Moore knows his cycling; anyone who manages to weedle an entire book’s worth of copy (“In Search of Robert Millar”) out of the notoriously illusive Robert Millar is worth a read. I always felt he could have done something less formulaic with Hoy’s ascent and dominance of the sprint discipline. Well another chapter needs to be added following last night’s riding and the central character should be the UCI rulebook.

“Heroes, Villains and Velodromes” – in need of a new chapter

Firstly the ruling on change overs prevented Pendleton and Varnish getting in the medals and denied the Chinese pair a gold by about a tyre width. But then the rules worked in favour of newly discovered GB sprint team lead out man, Philip Hindes. In a moment of plain (albeit German accented) speaking, he suggested that his poor start resulted in the cycling equivalent of a professional foul. By falling off he forced the race to be restarted. At the second attempt the GB trio smashed the world record they’d set in the previous round. Their laps of honour to Thin Lizzie’s “The Boys are Back in Town” just about drowned out the sound of the GB PR machine furiously papering over the cracks. Apparently what Hindes said was “lost in translation” and he’s story was straightened out by the press conference: it was the start gate’s fault. We’ve had “Watergate”, “Camillagate” and “Cherigate” and now, finally we have “Gategate”. Of course others are crying foul, “it’s not in the sporting ethos of the Games” but it’s hard to feel sympathy for the Aussies. The one person to feel sorry for in this episode is Pendleton’s lead out rider, Jess Varnish, who will have to wait another four years for a chance at a medal.

Philip Hindes and the “Gategate” incident

Another day, another front page for cycling

Wiggins on the cover of Metro. Thought that’d be it for this year…

…but no, Pendleton and Varnish get their turn today

At the Tour podium and on those daft time trial thrones we’ve not just had one, but two Brits.You’ve got to spare a thought for Chris Froome though. You’d have been forgiven for thinking Team GB only medalled (can you believe it’s now a verb?!) once in the men’s time trial he got so little covered. Wiggo’s subtle put down “there’s only one colour that matters” hints that it may not be happy families among the Sky contingent of Team GB.

Wiggins sitting on a throne left over from Jordan and Peter Andre’s wedding ceremony

Is Froome just another Andy Murray; a great talent competing at the same time as a few other, greater talents? Well he’d say otherwise; his glances back at Wiggins in the Pyrenees Tour stages suggested he felt he could push harder. In subsequent interviews struggled to contain his aspirations as a future GC contender and challenger to Wiggins. But cycling’s a team game and other Tour winners didn’t make the podium without some heroic, but unsung efforts by their team mates. Froome’s clearly forgotten to watch “Stars and Watercarriers” on YouTube for his lesson in self- sacrifice.

At the Tour and Olympic time trials Wiggins has stamped his authority; there’s no hiding when you’re against the clock – “contre le montre” as the French elegantly say. It echoes the rivalry between time trial king and five times Tour winner Jaques Anquetil and fellow countryman, “the eternal second” Raymond Poulidor. Perhaps Froome will become the Poulidor to Wiggin’s Anquetil? Well Poulidor always had the hearts of the French public during his amazing 17 year professional career. Judging by the number of people sporting Wiggo sideburns, I’d say that Froome’s got some work to do to knock Wiggins off that pedestal.

“Buy your Wiggo look here!” Sideburns for sale on the Box Hill Olympic road race circuit