Viewpoint: With the European racing season in full force now I have begun thinking about the language of cycling... again. Yes, again. Every year things pop into my head either for the first time or I see/hear a phrase again and remember I like it or it bothers me. Not that my thoughts are very deep but they knock around in my skull in lieu of actual meaningful thoughts so I figure I would put fingers to keyboard and maybe open up some gray matter for important stuff.

Although, for example, what could be more important than thinking that Basque names are really cool. Any language where you regularly see the letter X strikes me as interesting. Examples would be surnames like Etxebarria or Otxoa. Their first names are cool too. Iker, Aitor, Iban, Egoi. Txema, Unai, Xanti. The language is so freaky and obscure that it's cool.

Other random thoughts...
Race names here in America lack something. Maybe it is because the foreign names evoke a "romantic" notion or dream of a race that makes them seem more interesting but sometimes it's merely a case of us trying too hard to make the race sound cool. Spring Fling (woohoo). Hellbender (scary!!!!), Firecracker 500. Zeendale Zinger team time trial (I'm not sure I want to know what thats all about). And for gods sake use english words unless the race location has some tie in to using foreign terminology. For instance, Giro della Montagna is acceptable because it is located in a traditionally Italian neighborhood. The Tour de Georgia is not right. It is the Tour OF Georgia. The Tour de 'Toona was just wrong too.

French is the language of the sport and I like the terminology. Everyone knows echelon, peloton and domestique. I like flame rouge and poursuivant, too. Arriere du peloton I like as well, except when I'm there

It seems there are more good Italian terms than I can think of right now. A gregario is supposedly the Italian equivalent of a domestique. I like the sound of gregario. It's a happier term. Like you are happy to be doing the work. The rider is gregarious; happy. Whereas domestique seems like work. Someone who does domestic chores. Gruppo compatto is an Italian term I like even if Phil, Paul and Bob always pronounce it as compacto. I talk to the TV every time they say it.

Belgium is not far behind the Basque in terms of having an odd language. They put together letters like EEU as in Museeuw or CQ as in DeClercq or CKX as in Merckx or AA as in Kwaaremont. Although, the Fins and I think the Dutch have a fondness for the AA too.

I'm not real knowledgeable about Belgian terms but they intrigue me. I like phrases such as "achtervolger" and "kop de wedstrijd"

Cycling can be darn confusing too. Race names are often called by several names. Actually, it is the same name but the different languages naturally call the races different names. No wonder a newcomer to the sport can get confused. Goodness knows I've been mixed up more than once.

I always knew the Spanish race Pais Vasco, but sometimes you see it called Pays Basque. The Tour of Flanders is Ronde van Vlaanderen. Thats not too confusing. But then you come to a race like Brabantse Pijl. This is a Belgian race that took place this past Sunday but after reading several news accounts it was sometimes referred to using the French terminology Fleche Brabanconne. Alrighty then. Then there is Fleche Wallonne. I always knew the race by that name. Sometimes I would see it called the "Walloon Arrow" and figured that was just a nickname. The Walloons are the French speaking Belgians so you see it called Fleche Wallonne normally but the Dutch speaking Belgians, the Flandrians, call the race Waalse Pijl. My head is spinning.

Then I started piecing thought processes together. A couple days ago I saw Brabantse Pijl called the Brabant Arrow. Hmmm.... Fleche Wallone is called the Walloon Arrow or Waalse Pijl. I think to myself, "Does Pijl mean Arrow in english?". But Fleche was used by the French for the race names. So... Fleche means Arrow too? This called for the Google translator and sure enough Pijl=Fleche=Arrow. Instead of thinking Walloon Arrow was just a nickname Fleche Wallonne it is actually a literal translation.

Now I ask, why do the Belgians have an apparent affinity for calling races Arrows? I'm still working on that one.