Sven Kramer: Cycling Gimmick or Stud?
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 14, 2011 4:40 PM EST
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Telesport and others are reporting that Dutch speedskating hero Sven Kramer is about to launch his cycling career. He's signed up with a team from Groningen and is targeting Olympia's Tour -- not that they have an invitation yet, but it sounds like they are optimistic that Kramer's presence will make the nut. The media are a bit hazy on whether this is a full-time, permanent commitment, and if so what exactly he can do on a bike. I've seen pictures of him on his bike (thanks superTed) but that was just riding to skating practice. Beyond that... no idea.
Still, there is a long history of bikes-and-blades, dating back a century or so in the US and presumably other countries too. This was discussed in the 7-Eleven book, as much because of Eric Heiden's cycling career as Jim Ochowicz' speedskating background. I know little of speedskating other than it builds big thighs, and that the long events take 12+ minutes of sustained power output. But by all accounts the synergy is very real.
Kramer is one of the most successful speedskaters in modern history. He has a truckload of gold medals from everything but the Olympics (has one of them too, should have a second, and don't get ANYONE started on that). He's been a world champion since 2007, then age 20. Which makes him 25 at the moment, not an especially young age at which to start tacking on the road miles. His frame speaks of the classics -- 6' 1", 180 pounds -- and the nature of speedskating would probably back that up.
Oh, and this interest in cycling is not new, nor is the idea that he might be good at it. Kramer was second in the 2004 Dutch Champs' Junior Time Trial -- to Robert Gesink. He has a handful of wins to his credit in regional Dutch races, as recently as 2009. So power aside, the niceties of cycling -- like long days in the saddle and bike-handling -- may not be utterly mysterious to him. I'll start from a position of skepticism, particularly in light of his age, but this could be fun to watch. The Olympia's Tour is in late May.
Photo by Jasper Juinen, Getty Images Sport
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Oh that was SO cruel!! Poor Ted!
(but quite amusing ;)
It's pronounced "Int-CHOW-stie"
by Albertina on Dec 14, 2011 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
There's now also a Belgian trying to speedskate at the highest level
giving us Dutchies more than enough to laugh about in return ;)
by blackswangreen on Dec 14, 2011 7:29 PM EST up reply actions
Best quote of that article:
The Belgians kicked the Dutch out to gain independence in 1830 in part because they objected to heavy taxes on beer.
"small, unremarkable country"
Obviously not written by a cycling fan.
5 uur gefietst vandaag. Begin al een kleurtje te krijgen, ook belangrijk.--Thomas Dekker
Principles
Respect.
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 16, 2011 11:01 AM EST up reply actions
Yes (although those world titles were obviously reached in another discipline).
He might be better at marathon skating, which is more like inline skating. I think he tried it once and immediately won.
by blackswangreen on Dec 15, 2011 5:18 AM EST up reply actions
Perhaps time trials will suit him best
Reidar Borgersen, a Norwegian ex-skater, is now the second best time trialist in Norway. He was 30 or thereabout when he started to race.
Badger, badger, badger, badger, badger, badger...
well, he's got the legs, got the skinsuit, got the sunglasses...
Better then just turning left, turning left, turning left, turning left – AND repeat…
is he planning on skating still too?
The reason he chooses speedskating over cycling is actually that he thinks cycling is boring.
And yes, he’s planning to pick up that 10 k speedskating gold medal he already should have had, in 2014.
by blackswangreen on Dec 14, 2011 7:28 PM EST up reply actions
Hahhahhhahhaaaa!
"If Peyton Manning crashed onto a barbed-wire fence and returned to a game, you’d never hear the end of it for the rest of your life." Jason Gay
I wouldn't put the word gimmick anywhere beside that guy's hint at riding a bike.
Or when Olympic level Nowegian cross-country skiers decide to get on a bike… that will be the time when Norway rules the world of cycling.
"It's a lovely thing, feeling that momentum. If you're lucky, it's also about grace." Tim Winton
Hopefully he does make it
There is a local kid here, Colton Barrett, who was an extremely good speedskater (US Olympic trials) that is not racing for Kelly Benefit/Optum Health. He is only 20.
Oh, there are a lot. Taylor Phinney's mom, Connie Carpenter, was a speedskater-turned-cyclist.
Eric Heiden was another. In the current peloton, the little climber Tom Jelte Slagter is a former speedskater, Kai Reus a former marathon skater (who took it up again last winter), Laurens ten Dam is an avid skater…
by blackswangreen on Dec 15, 2011 5:17 AM EST up reply actions
Wasn’t Vos a speed skater in her youth, too?
I saw a baby that looked like Cadel Evans the other day...
by John Cyclopunk on Dec 15, 2011 7:08 AM EST up reply actions
Yes, she was sad to drop it, but had to focus on one spot
Ellen van Dijk and Vera Koedooder came over from skating, and there are loads more I can’t remember – it’s very common for Dutch riders to start off skating, cycle for training, and over the summer, and realised they’re better on the bikes than the ice
Aka Pigeons!
by Sarah Connolly on Dec 15, 2011 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
Connie Carpenter was the youngest USA woman ever to be selected for the winter Olympics, no?
Aka Pigeons!
by Sarah Connolly on Dec 15, 2011 3:06 PM EST up reply actions
Rob Goris (former icehockey player)
was pretty good too in his first season as a pro. He got in some breakaways in the spring.
That's a totally different sport though.
Skating and cycling are pretty similar, in terms of skill set… most speedskaters are decent cyclists.
by blackswangreen on Dec 15, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
They look like dinosaur’s legs.
I saw a baby that looked like Cadel Evans the other day...
by John Cyclopunk on Dec 15, 2011 7:08 AM EST up reply actions
I was thinking
giraffe.
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 15, 2011 12:43 PM EST up reply actions
It's a fascinating story
He knows how to handle the bike, he must have an enormous power. I think he will do great…. as long as the roads are flat
Kramer laughs at all the hoopla
and feels compelled to clarify:
What a fuss … To prevent any misunderstandings, I only switched to a different cycling club (“NWVG”) to be able to participate in some more training races. No more no less. Cycling is a good training method for me but plainly I am and I will stay professional speedskater.
"Beer helps." -- Ant1.
For the record, I am also a speed skater turned cyclist
moo
by Willj on Dec 15, 2011 5:43 AM EST reply actions 3 recs
That
is the world’s cutest picture.
5 uur gefietst vandaag. Begin al een kleurtje te krijgen, ook belangrijk.--Thomas Dekker
I dunno, some of those pics of little Ted were bloody cute too
I think this is a tie with those (wasn’t there a super-cute Ted skiing one?)
Little Jens on the bike was also adorable…
Aka Pigeons!
by Sarah Connolly on Dec 15, 2011 3:08 PM EST up reply actions
Yes, I'm no skater
"Beer helps." -- Ant1.
by tedvdw on Dec 15, 2011 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
But ***SO CUTE***!!!
I’m rec-ing both of these, and of course, insert the obligatory “….so what happened?” joke, if you feel like it!
Aka Pigeons!
by Sarah Connolly on Dec 15, 2011 5:12 PM EST up reply actions
I love the way they both look just like they do now but in mini form.
Awwww.
It's pronounced "Int-CHOW-stie"
Oh sure
Isn’t every Canadian cyclist? I mean, all those years of skating to school…
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 15, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
Seems like a moot point now...
… but still an interesting question, hypothetically, I guess.
It’s always hard to know how much can be carried between disciplines. Kramer obviously has power, and considerable stamina, and I would think that the ‘leg timing control’ or whatever you call it that speedskating requires could be adapted well for pedalling. I think he’d certainly have the potential to do well on a track – but road races bring in a whole load of extra complications that he’d have to handle.
I think maybe it’s not so much a matter of just the physique itself, but that maybe versatility, both mental and physical (being able to relearn radically different ways of using the same physique, to a similar level of expertise) may be an attribute in its own right.
Another good example of cross-specialism, incidentally, might be Rebecca Romero. Olympic silver medallist and world champion in the quad sculls, forced to retire through back injury, took up track cycling instead, became World and Olympic Champion at that. [forced to retire again due to the UCI stealing her event – last seen trying to become a road tter]. Rowing isn’t skating, of course, but a similar-ish exhausting rhythmic leg-power sport.
Another movie (that could be related to the pic above)
by TheFigurehead on Dec 15, 2011 8:29 AM EST up reply actions
Jumps by Wennemars
from 4:00 in part 2, are the best. (Part 1 is blocked, probably because of music.)
"Beer helps." -- Ant1.
It's early all explosivity training
I expected more endurance work actually. I guess you can compare their efforts to those of the pursuiters on the track, but these guys do big volumes of endurance work all the time.
Is the training really that different, or do I get the wrong impression here?
rhythmic track and field?
De cross gaat out that door.
by Chris Fontecchio on Dec 15, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
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