I know the temptation here is to be a smart Alec and say "They mean World Champion, Dummy!" but there are an awful lot of them.just how many World Championships are there? More than one a year? For both Men and Women? Juniors? Time Trial or Measured Mile? Perhaps one for some measure of agility and bike handling? Who gives them out? Must one be authorized to put them on one's bicycle? If so, by whom?
I have seen them in some unpredictable places. I owned a beautiful Battaglin with them a while back. I've owned a Gangl with them. I've had two Jerseys that once belonged to Jean Omelenchuck pass through my hands that had ones earned in Belgium (from who (m?) I have no idea) that some of you might have seen at the last Cirque.
Are there different events that they can be awarded by? There seem to be no end of them. I believe I've even seen them on mid-'70s Paramounts. Once a brand wins them, can they put them on all future bikes they make or only in the year they earn them? What are the rules for a person who wins these stripes.do they only wear something like a Jersey for only the one year? Forever? Tattoos of them authorized?
I'll bet there are some folks out there who can answer just about all these questions and I'd sure be interested in learning a little more about these stripes.
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Michigan USA