Timm Kölln - Photography
THE PELOTON
2005–2010

FROM 2005 TO 2010, I HAVE BEEN PORTRAYING PROFESSIONAL CYCLISTS. WHAT BEGAN AS A SPONTANEOUS APPROACH TO MY FAVOURITE SPORT ENDED UP AS A BOOK THAT I HAVE COME TO VIEW AS A PORTRAIT OF A GENERATION OF CYCLISTS.

BACK IN 2005, PROFESSIONAL CYCLING HAD ALREADY GONE THROUGH SOME DIFFICULT TIMES DUE TO DOPING SCANDALS, BUT BETWEEN 2006 AND NOW – 2010 – THE SPORT AND ITS PROTAGONISTS HAVE HAD TO FACE ACCUSATIONS, OSTRACISM AND THE LOSS OF SPONSORSHIPS OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I HAVE WITNESSED HOW PEOPLE WITHIN THE MÉTIER, RIDERS OR TEAM MEMBERS, FOUND IT DIFFICULT OR IMPOSSIBLE TO TAKE A STAND, TO FIND OR DEFEND A CONSISTENT POINT OF VIEW, AND HOW THEY WERE CONTINUOUSLY CONFRONTED WITH THE EXISTENTIAL PROBLEMS OF THEIR SPORT – SOMETIMES AS MAIN ACTORS AND OTHER TIMES AS BYSTANDERS. I HAVE KNOWN THE PELOTON, THE PACK, AS A COMPLEX STRUCTURE OF ALLIANCES AND DEPENDENCY, OF DISCREPANCY AND MEMBERSHIP, FASCINATING IN ITS OWN RULES.

MOST OF THE RIDERS I PHOTOGRAPHED BEGAN THEIR CAREER IN PRE-INTERNET, PRE-MOBILE AND PRE–GPS TIMES, WHEN CYCLING WAS STILL PRIMARILY A EUROPEAN SPORT, CHARACTERISED BY AN UNWRITTEN CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH BY NOW, UNDER PRESSURE FROM GROWING DISUNITY AND A NEW ECONOMIC CLIMATE, IS DISSOLVING.

DESPITE ALL THIS TROUBLE, HOWEVER, I COULD NEVER RESIST TO THE BEAUTY OF COMPETITION DAYS, NOR CAN I RESIST SOME OF THE VALUES AND ENTERPRISES THAT THIS SPORT REQUIRES FROM WHOEVER DECIDES TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST. THE PELOTON COLLECTS PERSONAL STATEMENTS FROM NEARLY ALL THE RIDERS I HAD THE CHANCE TO PHOTOGRAPH AND WILL HOPEFULLY REMAIN AS AN INTIMATE LOOK AT THESE FASCINATING – AND SOMETIMES EXASPERATING – SPORTSMEN.

THE BOOK IS SELLING OUT QUICKLY.
A LAST AMOUNT OF COPIES IS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH ROULEUR.CC.

01_mcewen.jpg
ROBBIE McEWEN
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ROLF ALDAG
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FABIAN CANCELLARA
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MARK CAVENDISH
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MICHAEL RASMUSSEN
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GERALD CIOLEK
09_boonen.jpg
TOM BOONEN
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THOMAS VOECKLER
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FABIAN WEGMANN & MARKUS ZBERG
14_hincapie.jpg
GEORGE HINCAPIE
15_hunter.jpg
ROBERT HUNTER
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ANDY SCHLECK
06_evans.jpg
CADEL EVANS
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DAMIANO CUNEGO
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CHRISTOPHE MOREAU
13_larsson.jpg
GUSTAV LARSSON
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FLORENT BRARD
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DAVIDE REBELLIN