Here’s a photo of Luke Keough prematurely celebrating and getting pipped at the line by, the new U23 National Criterium Champion, Tyler Magner. I’ve never had this happen to me, but I don’t have the opportunity to have that much real estate at the end of a criterium usually. Guess it’s better he got this out of his system at a young age. Too bad it was at the National Championships.
Lyne Lamoureux never seems to miss the shots. Pretty good sequence.
Celebrations are the deal in sports now. In fact, I’m starting a school that teaches celebratory moves to young football and hockey players. Someone that scores the winning touchdown and then does a lame end zone dance hurts his chances further up the line. College and pro scouts want kids with celebration techniques that just don’t happen by accident, they have to be practiced like other parts of the game. Pro athletes often get together in their hotel rooms and work on their celebrations the morning before a big game, it wouldn’t do to mess up the choreography of the aftermath of the winning goal in a Stanley Cup final. Cyclists haven’t shown a lot of imagination in their win celebrations. It’s something that they’ll have to work on if they want to be considered a main-stream sport, like football.
Chuck, Coaches (probably Vince Lombardi first) have been saying for years “When you get in the End Zone, act like you’ve been there before.” At some point, players started to respond with “Sure, Coach. That’s why we need time to REHEARSE!”
BTW, there’s nothing “now” about premature celebrations on the bike. Eddie B. featured a similar sequence in his bible from the early ’80’s. The caption: “Here’s a lesson for everyone. In a sprint, save the victory salute until after the line.”
If I recall correctly, his brother Jake made same mistake at 2009 U23 crit nationals. Woulda have hoped he would have learned from that.
In Eddie B’s book Frueler pips Saronni at Tour of Switzerland. Saronni’s face is priceless. As is Urs’… Best moustache ever also.
No worries.
There are apparently 17 more Keoughs behind Nick, Jake and Luke.
Genetics like Secretariat!!