[CR]Escorting Lance's Flag

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From: "swampmtn" <swampmtn@siscom.net>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 11:24:26 -0400
Subject: [CR]Escorting Lance's Flag

We had an interesting experience last Friday - the head of public relations for the Cincinnati USPS office (Bonnie) called to ask if I'd be interested in dressing-up and riding one of my vintage bikes, representing "the historical aspect of the Tour de France", to escort the USPS Cycling Team flag from downtown Cincinnati, to their branch office in Blue Ash.

There were two flags involved - one raised on flagpoles at various post offices, and a second flag, kept under glass, signed by all members of the USPS Cycling Team. The second flag will be given away in a drawing sometime soon.

Bonnie invited local racing teams to send a couple of riders to help escort the flag, each rider having a chance to carry the flag and pole through Over-The-Rhine, Liberty Hill, Eden Park, Hyde Park, Madisonville, and a few dozen other neighborhoods, up from the Ohio Valley, to the high plateau north of town.

That's how I found myself riding the blue Legnano with Vittoria shifters and heavy diamond-tread tubies, dressed in full wool 1948 Legnano-Pirelli team kit and GoofyGoggles, trying to stay cool and keep contact with a dozen of the fastest local racers on modern Ti-mobiles, as we climbed climbed climbed up at least ten of Cincinnati's famous "seven hills".

The first few miles were interesting, as we rode through neighborhoods still boarded-up from this Spring's riots. Two months ago I would have been terrified, but the streets were (sparcely) lined with older residents and young families, waving and yelling anything they could think of which might refer to cycling "Go Lance!, Go Greg!, Go Schwinn, Go Huffy!" There's a determined group there trying to calm the overall tone, making an genuine effort to repair the image of their neighborhood, so badly mangled just a few weeks ago. It turned-out to be the best part of the ride.

We rolled through the business district downtown, where well-dressed jr. execs paused briefly, then walked on.

We started up the hills through Eden Park, but a well-timed drop of the chain left me hopelessly, breathlessly trying to keep-up... I soon surrendered to the postal van "follow car", where I had a wonderful conversation with Bonnie, explaining to her, as she drove, the few historical facts I knew about racing, the Tour, bicycles, Gino Bartali, Italian revolutionaries, and drinking wine while racing.

A mile from our destination the other cyclists stopped and asked if I'd like to remount for the final small climb to the Blue Ash branch office. There was a small crowd waiting there, including postal workers, TV news cameras, and (best of all) a half dozen dayglo-jersey-clad kids from last year's youth cycling program. :-) Three of "our kids" were given the honor of raising the flag, then we were treated to icy bottled water, cheeses, fruit, granola bars - they really treated us right!

I answered a million questions about bike, jersey, Gino Bartali ("2 Tour wins, ten years apart!"), Vittoria Universal Fiamme Ambrosio cleatedshoes aluminumbottles woolshorts itchysocks racerssmokingcigarettes...

whew!

The news cameras captured various bits of the Legnano. The writers took some notes "How do you pronounce Leg-Nah-No? Was Gino Bartali a Frenchman?... oh, Italian?"

It was all a bit embarrassing, but I guess it was a good use for the bike and kit. Perhaps a few of those people will dust off their old bikes for a quick spin around the neighborhood.

Aldo Ross