This wonderful world of bicycle racing we all love is filled with icons from monumental races and places of grandeur to the heroic men and woman that gave their all to chase a dream on two wheels. Iconic images forever etched in our minds as the most revered, most talked about and most amazing moments of cycling history.
Treacherous mountain roads that were at one time barely passable by car have become icons of cycling. Alpe d’Huez, Ventoux and Tourmalet are just a few of the places that would strike fear into the heart of any sane person, yet bicycle riders continue to charge up and over them in search of glory – I just love this stuff. And if you’ve every been lucky enough to torture yourself and climb one of these mountains you can attest to the pain and misery that follows you up the road all for the bragging rights to say you made it. Let alone raced it.
Over the years I’ve been creating my cycling art with a very simple working idea – The Iconic Races, Places and Faces of Cycling. And now near ten years later I’ve barely scratched the surface of the iconic cycling images available for me to create. Of course I’ve been able to get to some of the most well known such as Coppi and Merckx. Pantani and Bartali. But so many more exist and will need my attention as time permits.
What’s next?
I have obviously created many images for the Tour de France, Giro and Vuelta all grand tours, all undisputed icons of cycling. And as I look to creating more images my new focus will be on the Monuments of Cycling. The historic one day races that test riders to the very limits of endurance and emotional strength. I am fascinated by the history of these races and the stories of struggle and victory. The bergs, the cols, the cobbles and open roads ripped by crosswinds that decimate the moral and legs of so many riders – the places along the way that make the history of cycling iconic.
I best get back to the drawing board. m
Be sure to see all of the over 100 Cycling Art Prints created by Michael Valenti here – Veloist Cycling Art
You can also learn more about Michael Valenti here.
