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Feargal McKay

@cycologies.com

Reviewing cycling books and writing about professional cycling's mythological past and the reality behind the stories told and retold by cycling's duff history. 🇮🇪

3438 Posts1874 Follower89 Folgt
Gareth Enticott 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿@garethenticott.bsky.social · 4h ago

My book, ‘Making Sense of Sheepdogs’ is out now! It tells the history of the sheepdogs: how they were invented, part of Empire, shaped by modern farming, & arguments over what makes a good sheepdog. Get your own here with 20% off using this code: 26SMA4 www.routledge.com/Making-Sense...

Making Sense of Sheepdogs: Breeds of Empire and the Sound of the Global Countryside

Tracing the invention of sheepdogs in the UK, and their journey to New Zealand and back again, this book shows how sheepdogs, shepherds, and the countryside evolve in response to global agriculture, r...

routledge.com

Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 4d ago

Telling her story in 1976 - or, to be precise, reporting of her telling her story in 1976 - it was the Croix de Guerre she received. From De Gaulle himself, no less. Changing the medal and then having it presented by Big Charlie himself, if that doesn't set off alarm bells...

Newspaper clipping: Mrs. Wood, chairman welcomed members and visitors at the monthly meeting held in St. John's Hall on Tuesday evening, when Mrs. Evelyn Helsen, a Resistance Worker in France, spoke of her experiences there during World War II. Mrs. Helsen holds the Croix de Guerre presented to her by General de Gaulle. After her talk, she answered numerous questions and also told her audience of the time she was personality of the evening in Eamon Andrew's show, 'This Is Your Life'. Mrs. K Barnes proposed a vote of thanks.
Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 4d ago

I don't know what it is, but ginned up stories - entertaining as they often are - really get under my skin. Evelyn Hamilton was a brilliant cyclist. But ... well ... there was the touch of the Walter Mittys about her. Can you spot fact from fiction?

Angela Mills-Bannon@genkigalcycling.bsky.social · 5d ago

I had a tip off from @cycologies.com - turns out there’s already a project to revive this women’s story. She sounds like an incredible woman evelynhamilton.org

Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 4d ago

Francis Pélissier spent the Occupation raising pigs on his farm at Montalet-le-Bois. He had been raising pigs before war broke but when he got called up in 39/40 they all managed to escape when he was away and he had to start again from scratch.

Newspaper clipping. B+W photo. Francis Pélissier with a very large pig.
Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 4d ago

Remember that Estonian AI Bradley Wiggins coaching app launched with much fanfare in February? 100+ downloads on Android. It's not just AI Brad users get. There's AI Alastair Cook, AI Steve Redgrave, AI Sarah Storey, AI Jason Robinson, AI Katya Jones. 100+ downloads. Do the math, financially.

The Coachsters app on Google Play.
Oisín Murphy-Lawless@bikesnbukes.eurosky.social · 4d ago

This by Stephen Graham Jones, edited by @datlow.bsky.social sticks with me. There’s not enough horror written about cycling. I don’t get why. We’ve got it all. Body horror. Strange paranoia. Obsession. Masochism. The relentless presence of uncaring death. reactormag.com/the-night-cy...

The Night Cyclist - Reactor

"The Night Cyclist" by Stephen Graham Jones is a horror novelette about a middle-aged chef whose nightly bicycle ride home is interrupted by an unexpected encounter.

reactormag.com

Harare Review of Books@hararereview.com · 5d ago

What's the most memorable short story you've ever read?

Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 5d ago

When you write two books basically minimising the impact of doping on your two dead heroes, you can fuck right off with your opinions on modern fans' attitudes to drugs in cycling.

Angela Mills-Bannon@genkigalcycling.bsky.social · last wk.

An event touted as the Women’s World Champs, Brussels 1934. 100k mass start race around a closed circuit. Several thousand watching - prize money up for grabs! A certain well known British lady was on the start line - but her story has been forgotten by a record she later set. Substack coming soon!

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Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · last wk.

But instead of turning to the historical record, cycling's historians prefer to tell us that women's racing was banned everwhere, that Alfonsina Strada was unique, that Marie Marvingt rode the Tour and that the 1955 Tour Féminin invented women's cycling only for it to disappear immediately after.

Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 2w ago

"Good afternoon Sir. I see you're enjoying a few minutes of peace on this crisp Autumn afternoon but let me ask you this: have you thought about Hell today? We're all hurtling toward the afterlife, 24 hours a day, and while some will enjoy Serenity in Heaven, you look like you're destined for Hell."

A religious preacher's sign informing passersby that Jesus died to save them from Hell.
Feargal McKay@cycologies.com · 2w ago

A few months back I did a thing on early women's stage races. I mentioned an Algerian race. One of the Algerian women competing in it, I didn't know her first name. Thanks to Dag Hammar, I now know Mlle Alemany was Elvire Alemany. It's the little things that matter. 🌝

Newspaper clipping. B+W photo, three women in cycling clothing. My caption: "Alemany (first name currently unknown), Gisèle Doria, and Christiane de Stampa, photographed in 1950. By the time this picture was published in September Alemany had racked up eight victories, Doria had won the first Trophée Féminin (then a one-day race) and De Stampa held the North African women’s Hour record."