just to add some more info on the story, I created a page of scans from Mirror after the record. they are big and in French.
http://bikeville.com/
courtesy of fellow list member provided by Hennie van Leeuwen. joel ralph flood philadelphia, PA usa
On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 10:10 AM, <gholl@optonline.net> wrote:
> Hi Jan:
> I'm sorry that your attempts to gain information from Merckx by phone were frustrated-but I'm not surprised since mine were as well. It's obvious that Merckx' compulsive nature doesn't extend to the historical aspect of the sport.
> I suspect that a real interview, under conducive circumstances, might be a better way to get information.
> I myself "dropped the ball" when at Cambiago-there were so many bikes to ask about, that I didn't remember all the questions I should have asked. Colnago certainly can contribute to information about the HRB.
> It's certainly frustrating that although even mummies can be identified, the real HRB can't-with both the maker and rider still available.
> Regards,
> George
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Jan Heine
> Date: Friday, May 9, 2008 9:28 am
> Subject: Re: [CR]Colnago Shop Drawings-Now Merckx
> To: gholl@optonline.net
> Cc: Classic Rendezvous
>
>> Hi George,
>>
>> When researching the article on the hour record bike, I
>> contacted
>> Eddy Merckx several times, spent quite some time on the phone
>> with
>> his pleasant secretary, send my questions via e-mail and fax,
>> but
>> later was told he was too busy and not really interested in the
>> details history. I never received a response.
>>
>> When Merckx sent the bike to Il Vecchio, he said he was sure
>> that it
>> was the hour record bike. However, that does not mean that it
>> really
>> was. The frames could have been mixed up - disassembled for
>> shipping,
>> then lying around the factory for years, nobody might recall
>> which
>> frame was the one he actually rode in the event. The information
>> on
>> the standard Cinelli-equipped bike vs. the Pino-equipped one
>> comes
>> from contemporary press reports, where you can see the bikes in
>> photos. I think there is one of Colnago standing by the track
>> with
>> the back-up bike on his shoulder. Funnily, the photo is captured
>> "Colnago with the hour record bike" when you can tell from the
>> time-keepers' poses behind that Eddy actually is on the track
>> riding
>> the real bike.
>>
>> There was a very nice Cycle Sport special issue on Merckx a few
>> years
>> ago, with an interview where he talked in detail about his
>> accident
>> at Blois on the track, when his motorpacer crashed and died.
>> What I
>> said in my earlier post was taken from that interview, so I
>> doubt
>> talking to Merckx again would reveal much new insight.
>>
>> Desperation may have been too strong a word, but from what
>> Merckx
>> said, his meticulous attention to detail came after the
>> accident, in
>> response to the problems he had.
>>
>> Jan Heine
>> Editor
>> Bicycle Quarterly
>> 140 Lakeside Ave #C
>> Seattle WA 98122
>> http://www.bikequarterly.com
>>
>> At 12:05 PM +0000 5/9/08, gholl@optonline.net wrote:
>> >Hi Jan:
>> >Yours is an interesting point of view, but I doubt that Merckx'
>> >meticulous attention to everything he did, both before and
>> after
>> >his accident, could ever be interpreted as "desperation" in
>> the
>> >commonly held sense of the word, that is, to lose all hope.
>> >In any event, Merckx is still around, has good English, and few
>> >would dispute has the best palmares in bike racing history.
>> >Certainly he would make an interesting subject for an interview.
>> >There hardly seems any reason to speculate about any facts he
>> >himself might be able to provide. For example: which bike was
>> >actually used in the Hour record ride-the Brussels bike, the
>> >Cambiago bike, or yet another bike?
>> >This opportunity will not last forever.
>> >Regards,
>> >George
>> >George Hollenberg MD
>> >CT, USA
>> >
>> >----- Original Message -----
>> >From: Jan Heine
>> >Date: Friday, May 9, 2008 12:37 am
>> >Subject: Re: [CR]Colnago Shop Drawings
>> >To: gholl@optonline.net, Classic Rendezvous
>> >
>> >> At 11:52 PM +0000 5/8/08, gholl@optonline.net wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > What is more interesting in these drawings, are the fine
>> >> >differences ( too numerous to be repeated here) specified by
>> >> Merckx
>> >> >for bikes he designated for different races. Such attention to
>> >> >detail marked his career-the most brilliant in the history of
>> >> bike
>> >> >racing.
>> >>
>> >> I have read many times that after his back injury, Merckx never
>> >> again
>> >> was totally comfortable on a bike, and thus was changing the
>> >> dimensions all the time in the elusive search for the bike that
>> >> would
>> >> fit perfectly. So this is less a sign of perfectionism than one
>> >> of
>> >> desperation.
>> >>
>> >> What is amazing is that most of Merckx' career, and most of his
>> >> victories, occurred after that accident... showing you how much
>> >> determination the man had!
>> >>
>> >> Jan Heine
>> >> Editor
>> >> Bicycle Quarterly
>> >> 140 Lakeside Ave #C
>> >> Seattle WA 98122
>> >> http://www.bikequarterly.com
>> >> --
>> >>
>> >
>> >George Hollenberg MD
>> >CT, USA
>>
>>
>
> George Hollenberg MD
> CT, USA