- [Matt] Flair, panache, poise, elegance, and style. No, we're not talking about
what Dan Lloyd sees when he checks out his reflection in the mirror,
we're talking about the pro look, as achieved by the effortlessly cool Fausto
Coppi and Jacques Anquetil in the golden era, or the coiffured modernism
of Eisel, Riggins in the modern age. Want to achieve that pro look?
Here's our handy guide.
♪ [music] ♪
Look, if you want to be accepted into the pro peloton, you at least have to look the
part. White arms and white legs just won't cut it.
- [Dan] No, you've got to actually work on your tan over the winter months,
which means interspersing trips to warmer climes with regular intervals
on the sun bed.
- And these, these Dan, are warmer climes, aren't they?
- They are. You just can't beat Scarborough, can you?
- Yes. Have they still got the arcade.
- Yeah, and the fair. - All right.
- The right sunglasses.
- Janssen, Bartoli, Henao, LeMond, Lloyd. This isn't just about riding like a pro.
You need to believe you're a pro. And to do that, you need to wear sunglasses
like a pro.
- Shades, or "lunettes" as the French call them, are a window into your soul,
apparently. You need to pick a style and stick with it. Are you classically retro,
or are you uber modern? Or ironically, are you stuck in the mid-90s?
- The haircut doesn't just complete a pro rider's appearance, it actually rubber
stamps it. The favored cut of choice in the peloton these days is without a doubt
the disconnected undercut. See Marcel Kittel, Tom Boonen, and Dan Lloyd for
prime examples. Cuts to approach with caution include the Cipollini perm and the
Uran-Bettencourt mullet.
- Caps, not hats.
- Casquettes, caps, cappellino. No pro with his or her salt
will be seen wearing a cap, casquette, or cappellino without due care or diligence
into the placement of the cotton headwear.
- Peak up, peak down. Worn backward. Worn forward. Or worn right in the middle.
It's very important to look good, either when greeting the podium or just trying to
look cool at the grand depart.
- Yeah. Get this wrong, and it won't be forgotten.
- Off the bike style. Looking pro extends beyond the bike. If you want the complete
image, then you need to live and breathe style. Our very own Dan Lloyd is the
epitome of style, both on and off the bike. Incredibly, the range-y style icon
formerly of Cervelo test team has a different colored pair of trousers
for every day of the week. The man's panache knows no bounds.
- To beard, or not to beard?
- To beard, or not to beard. This is the question. Year on year the peloton is
getting fuzzier, more hirsute and grizzled as facial hair spreads quicker than a
crash in a bunch sprint.
- Can you be considered a true acolyte of the pro scene without sporting such a
voluminous thatch as this? Well, here at GCN we've certainly tried,
but with varied results. From the nonexistent, to the, well, frankly, patchy
Or beard, with a hint of ginger.
- Tattoos.
- Tom Boonen, Brad Wiggins, Pipo Pozzato, Sylvain Chavanel, Philippe Gilbert,
all pro exponents of tattoos. What do they mean? Why do they do it?
Did it hurt? when can I get it removed? These are the questions that those
sans-tattoo perennially ask. So, we got our very own Dan Lloyd to answer all of
those questions, whilst at the same time popping the tattoo cherry
of the GCN presenters.
- Sock and shoe color combinations. What's it to be? Black shoes,
white socks? White shoes, black socks? Black shoes, black socks?
White shoes, white socks? So many permutations. Well, four actually.
Anyway, the pressure to get it right can ultimately mean that you get it wrong.
And as a pro, it's incumbent on you to get it right. So think,
plan ahead, and strategize.
- The bike. It has to be absolutely immaculate. At least at the start of a
ride, that is. In fact, many cafe pros point blank refuse to go out riding if
there's even the faintest whiff of rain in the air. All in the name of keeping their
pride and joy looking pristine. Our very own Neal Rogers has an array of lubes for
every occasion, and actually sleeps with his bike under the duvet to avoid getting
it dusty.
- Sock length. Chipping away at the coalface of stylistic chains,
GCN's research into pro sock length explored hitherto unknown territory with
it's in depth study. The optimum range appears to be six centimeters above the
ankle bone, but as more data is received this could change. Fear not,
though, GCN will have it's collective fingers firmly on the pulse of socks,
monitoring the cotton fluctuations as the season moves on.
- To watch some California top tens, click up there, and to watch some California
how-tos, click down there.
- And how about subscribing to GCN. To do that, just click on my tan lines.
- You actually looked white until you revealed proper white there.
I do love it here in Santa Cruz.
- Dan, it's Santa Barbara.
- Oh is it? I just like Santa's, really. Santas in general. Claus.
- All the Santas. Santas Bantas.
- Okay. Thanks, Matt.
- On top of them?
- Okay, then.