The Post-Race Flannel

Top riders still freshen up the old-fashioned way

- Kevin Raymond

The job of the cycling soigneur has changed a lot over the years. From pre-Great War origins as something akin to a boxer’s cornerman, through the Svengali-like influence on great champions by their favoured mentors in the Fifties and Sixties, and an often well-deserved reputation as being travelling dispensers of just about any illicit substance the dedicated professional might require, today’s soigneur has a smaller, less shady and more specialised role. One thing has stayed constant over the years, though: the soigneur is the keeper and user of the post-race flannel. Slightly damp, traditionally infused with eau de Cologne (but just as likely these days to be soaked in an antibacterial sol