FOOLS RUSH IN
ARE THERE SUCH THINGS AS APRIL FOOL’S JOKES FOR CYCLISTS? I’M A BIT OF A JOKER IN OUR BUNCH, AND LIKE TO LAUGH AT OTHERS. WHAT WOULD BE THE LEAST OBVIOUS JOKE TO TRY TO PULL OFF? ONE THAT MIGHT SOUND PLAUSIBLE?
LAUGHING AT OTHERS, MIKE? REALLY? April Fool’s will not work for you, Michael. People will see it coming a mile off. You are the joker; and the joker is never taken seriously. Only the serious can pull off a good scam.
Last year, Chris Froome tweeted a picture of a pregnancy test supposedly sent to him by his wife, which indicated that she was with child once again. Twitter went mental. Froome said he’d been joking. We should have known – Froome would never put the ‘ poo’ emoji in a tweet. Froome does not do poo.
A few years ago Rapha announced that they had published The Rapha Guide to the Great Road Climbs of
the Netherlands. Apparently inspired by Admiral Francis Beaufort, the author – Edwin de Groot – had created a book with facts on both obscure and well- known Dutch mountains. But the actual basis of the book was the Beaufort scale. Because according to the author, as former Dutch pro Joop Zoetemelk once said: “Headwinds are far more menacing and unpredictable then any Alpine pass.” That, Michael, is brilliant.
The Aspen Daily News reported that Lance Armstrong had been “banned from the acclaimed Tuesday Cruiseday event, the result of what one organiser called the rider’s shameless attempt to lead the aimless peloton. Tuesday Cruiseday – which dates back to the beginning of cycling, when they rode those funny ones with the big- ass wheels – is a highly exclusive club of people who can ride with one hand and drink beer with the other. Armstrong said he was naturally drawn to the event, hoping to boost its presence ‘ like I boosted my red blood cells over there in Surrender- land’… Armstrong reportedly completed the Tuesday Cruiseday route 17 times by the time the peloton arrived.”
Armstrong took this in good humour, tweeting: “Devastated to wake up to this news. I will appeal this to the highest courts in the land.” Good on him. It’s a witty bit of nonsense, some fun to lighten up the day.
Armstrong laughed at himself, Michael. Not at others.