"Everyone’s gotta serve somebody, right? But some aren’t born to serve – Roche, Visentini? – Was this Davide Boifava’s mistake?"
The Cycling Addiction & '87 Premiere Live Event
We would like to invite you to The Cycling Addiction & ‘87 Premiere event at The Rapha Clubhouse on Thursday September 24th at 19:00. We will be limited to 90 places so booking early is advised! The event will be around two hours long - showing the '87 film, interview with Ben Friend (director) and Q&A.
Befriending Ben Friend
I was introduced to ‘87’s director, Ben Friend, at the same time as I was writing The Cycling Addiction - we are about the same age, both had a long background in racing bicycles, and both of us have had the feeling that we have, at various points in our life, been hyper-motivated to ride, race and win. And, we were both drawn to the vignette of the 1987 Giro d’Italia as the exemplar petri-dish of where over-motivation on a bicycle, can lead!
The Summer of 1987
It was the month in 1987 when Italy’s Roberto Visentini and Ireland’s Stephen fought each other, without restraint or reserve, for the right to wear the hallowed pink jersey or Maglia Rosa in the ‘87 Giro d’Italia. The only problem being that they rode for the same Carrera Team and riding against your team-mate is not only against team orders but against all that is held holy in professional cycling. Until it wasn’t.
"Riders whose need to win is so preternatural that they seem to gain strength and motivation from other’s suspected weakness"
Roberto Visentini of Italy (left), deposed of pink, tries to put Stephen Roche from Ireland (right) under pressure. Image from Pez Cycling News
Killer Winners
Ben Friend's film, ‘87, was especially interesting to me, as I was writing a chapter for The Cycling Addiction called Killer Winners. Riders who book-ended one axis of the Flow-Seeker to Killer-Winner Spectrum. Bike-racers whose need to win is so preternatural that they seem to gain strength and motivation from other’s suspected weakness. Bernard Hinault, Lance Armstrong both present as text-book Killer-Winners. But not the smiling, charming, funny, approachable, Stephen Roche. Roche was known to be talented, intelligent and the consummate reader of a race. But ruthless without reserve, was hitherto unknown.
Phil & Ben
So we collaborated and worked together in a way Roche and Vistentini found impossible. Ben helped me with a difficult chapter of The Cycling Addiction, by providing new insights and interviews. And I was able to help Ben and '87 producer Matt, a little with their film. On this night in September at Rapha we will show Ben’s film and discuss the overlap with my book. We shall endeavour to bring new insight and perspective on this most controversial subject. Try to break down the forty-year divide - where English speakers tend to support Roche and Italian speakers, support Visentini. The Europeans mostly keep their own counsel.
The Cycling Addiction & ‘87 Premiere
We would love you to come and be part of the conversation
