I love it!! Things change, and nothing changes! Great anecdote! That's what makes cycling so terrific and personal while being universal! Ted Ernst Palos Verdes Estates, Ca
> > When my dad was racing in Germany in the "20's,
> > he told of how the local club where the race was
> > held got to ride in the front row(s) and they
> > covered the street and only when flats, spill,
> > or ability made a hole in the line could an
> > opposing club get to the front. I'm sure if
> > you tried to get by on the side you were helped
> > to a ringside seat in the bushes.
>
> Funny you should mention this. In Europe, it seems like that's
> the way it's done in local races, big training rides and even
> on organized non-competative rides.
>
> In 1983, my wife and I quit our jobs and toured Europe - plus
> Israel and Egypt - on our LeJeune tandem. (As you can imagine,
> there were a couple of boat crossings in there but that's
> another story.)
>
> So when we were in Pisa, we participated in this big ride
> organized by the Touring Club Italiano. The local Pisan racing
> clubs rode at the front and once we got out of the city they
> picked up the pace - at least at the front. My wife and I
> started a bit late because all the casual cyclists wanted to
> chat with the crazy Americans on the tandem.
>
> Once we got rolling I could see it was going to be way too slow
> unless we moved to the front. That was no problem, other than
> having to weave through about 4000 slow cyclists. Well, we
> were finally just behind the local racers and I decided to move
> into their little peloton and perhaps even take a pull at the
> front. But... no way! These guys are actually blocking us and
> forcing off to the side of the road where the pavement isn't
> too good.
>
> Finally I realized that they were truly defending the honor of
> their club and neighborhoods. Naturally I had to respond by
> forcing my way to the front, defending MY honor and thereby
> proving I'm a real man. Of course, my wife who was in the
> stoker seat had no interest in proving her manhood, so I had
> the locals admonishing me in Italian and my wife cursing me in
> English.
>
> Anyway, if Sergio or one of the other Pisanos were on the
> "Pisa, Su Due Ruote" ride in 1983 - and you remember the red
> LeJeune tandem with the 2 Americans - that was my wife and me.
> (And I hope we defended our honor without showing any
> disrespect towards the local racers who turned out to be a
> really nice group.)
> Cheers,
> Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)