Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
cycling tip of the day
Which was the is wind blowing ?
I love to ask that question to new riders.
If you ask a beginner it takes about 15 seconds for them to think about where it's coming from. If you ask an experienced rider the answer will be immediate...and usually by pointing. I always know where the wind is coming from....even when I'm indoors. But I might be a special case...I hate the friggin' wind in the way that people who have been attacked by dogs don't cry at the end of Ol'Yeller.
If you're a new rider, the first thing you should do is take notice of which direction the wind is blowing, and continue to reassess the direction as conditions change. Sometimes, especially in a pack, the direction will not always be obvious, but I've found that if you look hard enough you can always find cues from things such as flags in peoples yards, smoke from smokestacks, and which way the crops are leaning.
Once you've determined where the wind is, be sure to be on the opposite side of the field from it. Seems obvious enough right ? Often you're better off being further back in the pack and on the good side, than all the way up on the bad side.
When you get to a corner, many times your position relative to the wind will shift. You'll go from wind at your front left over to your back right. Use the accordion effect of the corner to switch your position from one side of the pack to the other. Anticipating these changes in advance of the corner will allow you to save energy and make an easy transition.
Be absolutely sure which was the wind is blowing at the finish. The rule of thumb I used to give juniors I coached was the ride backwards from the finish line in your 53x13 for 65 pedal revolutions and look for some landmark to start your sprint. Add or substract two revolutions for every 1MPH of wind you estimate and start your sprint from that spot.
I love to ask that question to new riders.
If you ask a beginner it takes about 15 seconds for them to think about where it's coming from. If you ask an experienced rider the answer will be immediate...and usually by pointing. I always know where the wind is coming from....even when I'm indoors. But I might be a special case...I hate the friggin' wind in the way that people who have been attacked by dogs don't cry at the end of Ol'Yeller.
If you're a new rider, the first thing you should do is take notice of which direction the wind is blowing, and continue to reassess the direction as conditions change. Sometimes, especially in a pack, the direction will not always be obvious, but I've found that if you look hard enough you can always find cues from things such as flags in peoples yards, smoke from smokestacks, and which way the crops are leaning.
Once you've determined where the wind is, be sure to be on the opposite side of the field from it. Seems obvious enough right ? Often you're better off being further back in the pack and on the good side, than all the way up on the bad side.
When you get to a corner, many times your position relative to the wind will shift. You'll go from wind at your front left over to your back right. Use the accordion effect of the corner to switch your position from one side of the pack to the other. Anticipating these changes in advance of the corner will allow you to save energy and make an easy transition.
Be absolutely sure which was the wind is blowing at the finish. The rule of thumb I used to give juniors I coached was the ride backwards from the finish line in your 53x13 for 65 pedal revolutions and look for some landmark to start your sprint. Add or substract two revolutions for every 1MPH of wind you estimate and start your sprint from that spot.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mailbag
To PT Paul's comment
I know nothing about the health care bill.
I will, however, bet $100 on the fact that the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies will directly benefit from the bill.
The screaming about socialism and death panels, or whatever they're yelling about, is always a smokescreen to keep you from paying attention to what's really going on. And whats always really going on is that big business is securing their place in the world.
Don't worry about insurance companies. If anything you should start buying their stock.
Regarding tactics in training races from earlier in the week
If the team actually raced well on the weekends, then not practicing tactics on Wed. would make sense. But when you have the biggest team and a bunch of good riders, and you can't get a top 3 after May 1st, then something is fundamentally wrong.
College basketball teams don't practice for the tournament by only jacking up three pointers all day.
If half of the GS team raced in last years jersey, half in this years jersey, and everyone treated it like a real race, then it would be a lot of fun, a lot more interesting, and no less hard than it is now. I'd content that if you got some attacking, counter attacking and real chasing then the racing would be harder. Riding around at 26 mph like a giant herd really isn't doing anyone except the (same) 5 guys on the front any good.
The whole " its only a training race thing" is a total cop out for guys who either don't know how to race, who are TWHs*, or are disguising their own ambitions.
Word.
* TWH - Tailwind Heros. The guys who sit in for 3 laps, then when a break goes and there's a pause, they go to the front in the tailwind section and sprint as hard as the can for 26 seconds. I spend most of the night with Jukebox Hero playing in my head but coming up with new words. I'm up to like 37 verses.
I know nothing about the health care bill.
I will, however, bet $100 on the fact that the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies will directly benefit from the bill.
The screaming about socialism and death panels, or whatever they're yelling about, is always a smokescreen to keep you from paying attention to what's really going on. And whats always really going on is that big business is securing their place in the world.
Don't worry about insurance companies. If anything you should start buying their stock.
Regarding tactics in training races from earlier in the week
If the team actually raced well on the weekends, then not practicing tactics on Wed. would make sense. But when you have the biggest team and a bunch of good riders, and you can't get a top 3 after May 1st, then something is fundamentally wrong.
College basketball teams don't practice for the tournament by only jacking up three pointers all day.
If half of the GS team raced in last years jersey, half in this years jersey, and everyone treated it like a real race, then it would be a lot of fun, a lot more interesting, and no less hard than it is now. I'd content that if you got some attacking, counter attacking and real chasing then the racing would be harder. Riding around at 26 mph like a giant herd really isn't doing anyone except the (same) 5 guys on the front any good.
The whole " its only a training race thing" is a total cop out for guys who either don't know how to race, who are TWHs*, or are disguising their own ambitions.
Word.
* TWH - Tailwind Heros. The guys who sit in for 3 laps, then when a break goes and there's a pause, they go to the front in the tailwind section and sprint as hard as the can for 26 seconds. I spend most of the night with Jukebox Hero playing in my head but coming up with new words. I'm up to like 37 verses.
Monday, March 22, 2010
NOT about the health care plan
As stated earlier, I don't know anything about the health care plan other than anything that involves this much yelling can only mean that someone has found a new way to screw all of us and now its a mad dash to get to the front of the gang bang train.
So I find it a funny coincidence that I had the following happen to me today.
We'll start last year when my wife started taking Rozeru\em. Rozerem is a mild, no addiictive, no narcotic, sleep aid. Other than Tylenol PM, its about the most benign sleep drug you can get. Fortunately, it worked really well on my wife.
We switched insurance companies and they said, "Rozerem only works on 25% of patients so you have to try Lunesta first". Despite explaining to them that we already knew she was one of the 25% they were unyielding and switched her to the more intense narcotic.
Lets fast forward a year and I've asked for Lunesta. I got a sample from the doctor and tried it a couple of times over the last 3 months. Its not something I'd regularly take, but at stressful times when I can't sleep I've taken one and it helps. So I called the doc and he prescribed me a low dose version.
I just got back from the Pharmacy. The insurance company says that the Lunesta is expensive and they have a better deal for themselves for Ambien. Ambien is a total ass kicker of a drug. Its the stuff that you hear about people sleep driving on....yeah driving while asleep.
I protested and said, " I don't want any kick ass shit, I just want the lowest dose Lunesta please."
Nope. It either have to take most potent stuff out there. That's sort of messed up.
So I find it a funny coincidence that I had the following happen to me today.
We'll start last year when my wife started taking Rozeru\em. Rozerem is a mild, no addiictive, no narcotic, sleep aid. Other than Tylenol PM, its about the most benign sleep drug you can get. Fortunately, it worked really well on my wife.
We switched insurance companies and they said, "Rozerem only works on 25% of patients so you have to try Lunesta first". Despite explaining to them that we already knew she was one of the 25% they were unyielding and switched her to the more intense narcotic.
Lets fast forward a year and I've asked for Lunesta. I got a sample from the doctor and tried it a couple of times over the last 3 months. Its not something I'd regularly take, but at stressful times when I can't sleep I've taken one and it helps. So I called the doc and he prescribed me a low dose version.
I just got back from the Pharmacy. The insurance company says that the Lunesta is expensive and they have a better deal for themselves for Ambien. Ambien is a total ass kicker of a drug. Its the stuff that you hear about people sleep driving on....yeah driving while asleep.
I protested and said, " I don't want any kick ass shit, I just want the lowest dose Lunesta please."
Nope. It either have to take most potent stuff out there. That's sort of messed up.
A peak behind the curtain
Neil Brown, cycling journalist ( and Landis apologist), was on the Spokesman Roundtable last week when the Kornheiser/Armstrong issue came up.
Brown wasn't upset about Kornheiser about what T.K. said. He was mad that T.K. scooped the interview.
Brown stated that he and Road Magazine had spend the year purposely not printing anything inflammatory about Astana so that they could get an interview with Lance Armstrong. In the end, and after having to wait an additional three weeks after scheduling it, all their silence bought them was one brief interview.
He was complaining that Kornheiser didn't play according to the Lance rules but still got an interview, and in three days even ! The horror the horror!
It was weirdly refreshing to hear someone finally admit how "journalism" really works.
Brown wasn't upset about Kornheiser about what T.K. said. He was mad that T.K. scooped the interview.
Brown stated that he and Road Magazine had spend the year purposely not printing anything inflammatory about Astana so that they could get an interview with Lance Armstrong. In the end, and after having to wait an additional three weeks after scheduling it, all their silence bought them was one brief interview.
He was complaining that Kornheiser didn't play according to the Lance rules but still got an interview, and in three days even ! The horror the horror!
It was weirdly refreshing to hear someone finally admit how "journalism" really works.
an interesting quote
I had been on a self prescribe all news (except sports) blackout for the last two weeks. I came out of it this morning to see this:
From Hillary Clinton
"As Israel's friend, it is our responsibility to give credit when it is due and to tell the truth when it is needed," she said in a text of her speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that was released by the State Department.
I would be awesome to know when truth was needed.
Did you see the missionaries who were arrested in Haiti...
1) were taking kids that weren't orphans it turns out, and
2) hired a lawyer or was arrested on Friday on outstanding warrants. He's a fugitive for stealing children in El Salvador, the US, and Canada for sexual purposes.
I've seen my shadow and I'm going back into my hole. If anyone sees and important news please send me a link.
From Hillary Clinton
"As Israel's friend, it is our responsibility to give credit when it is due and to tell the truth when it is needed," she said in a text of her speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that was released by the State Department.
I would be awesome to know when truth was needed.
Did you see the missionaries who were arrested in Haiti...
1) were taking kids that weren't orphans it turns out, and
2) hired a lawyer or was arrested on Friday on outstanding warrants. He's a fugitive for stealing children in El Salvador, the US, and Canada for sexual purposes.
I've seen my shadow and I'm going back into my hole. If anyone sees and important news please send me a link.
Friday, March 19, 2010
FWIW
Dear new riders,
I'd like to save you some time and effort. If the fastest you can go when you're time trialing is 22 mph, and the group you're riding in is going 23 mph, you will not be successful in your attempt at a solo breakaway. This is not an attempt to insult your abilities or desire. Its what we in the business refer to as "simple math".
I may have ridden around the Tuesday night course ( what some of you people refer to was Wednesday Worlds) more than any other human being. This will be my 20th year riding there, plus I used to to intervals over there up to two times a week for about 5 years. There have been times when I've been under a great deal of stress where I break out of some trace and find myself driving my car around the that loop for comfort, like a baby and his woobie. Ok that's not true, I'm just saying that I'm familiar with the route.
The A group goes around that loop on average around 8 minute laps. That's 24.75 mph. The fastest lap I've even done it solo, in training, is 7:50 and that was 1 lap, fresh and with aero bars. So I long ago recognized that a solo effort is obviously impossible. Seeing as the final lap is typically the fastest, you'd really need to be able to ride about a 7:30 ( 26.4) to 7:45 (25.6) final lap in order to hold off the group. For perspective, that would be a 57:30 40KM TT.
Based on the last two years time trial results, the only local riders who would come close to being able to do that would be (in order) Clayton Barrows, Mike Whitaker, Brian Trdina, and Steve May. If you don't see your name on that list, then your chances are grim.
Of course a collective effort is a different story all together. If you can get three or more guys working together then you have a shot. But even that combination needs a few things.
* All the guys still need to be able to roll it pretty damn fast ( 25+)
* All the guys need to actually commit to riding without screwing around
* All the guys need to have some rudimentary idea of how to paceline without accelerating too quickly or pulling off to the wrong side.
Oh yeah, the break cannot have a Spinners/GS Lancaster presented by Thru-It-All(tm) rider in it. The only thing that makes that team chase a breakaway faster is if it has one of its own teammates in it.
So to recap; If you want to win Wednesday Worlds, either
A)be Brian Trdina or
B)wait for the sprint and hope Shebelsky gets a flat.
I'd like to save you some time and effort. If the fastest you can go when you're time trialing is 22 mph, and the group you're riding in is going 23 mph, you will not be successful in your attempt at a solo breakaway. This is not an attempt to insult your abilities or desire. Its what we in the business refer to as "simple math".
I may have ridden around the Tuesday night course ( what some of you people refer to was Wednesday Worlds) more than any other human being. This will be my 20th year riding there, plus I used to to intervals over there up to two times a week for about 5 years. There have been times when I've been under a great deal of stress where I break out of some trace and find myself driving my car around the that loop for comfort, like a baby and his woobie. Ok that's not true, I'm just saying that I'm familiar with the route.
The A group goes around that loop on average around 8 minute laps. That's 24.75 mph. The fastest lap I've even done it solo, in training, is 7:50 and that was 1 lap, fresh and with aero bars. So I long ago recognized that a solo effort is obviously impossible. Seeing as the final lap is typically the fastest, you'd really need to be able to ride about a 7:30 ( 26.4) to 7:45 (25.6) final lap in order to hold off the group. For perspective, that would be a 57:30 40KM TT.
Based on the last two years time trial results, the only local riders who would come close to being able to do that would be (in order) Clayton Barrows, Mike Whitaker, Brian Trdina, and Steve May. If you don't see your name on that list, then your chances are grim.
Of course a collective effort is a different story all together. If you can get three or more guys working together then you have a shot. But even that combination needs a few things.
* All the guys still need to be able to roll it pretty damn fast ( 25+)
* All the guys need to actually commit to riding without screwing around
* All the guys need to have some rudimentary idea of how to paceline without accelerating too quickly or pulling off to the wrong side.
Oh yeah, the break cannot have a Spinners/GS Lancaster presented by Thru-It-All(tm) rider in it. The only thing that makes that team chase a breakaway faster is if it has one of its own teammates in it.
So to recap; If you want to win Wednesday Worlds, either
A)be Brian Trdina or
B)wait for the sprint and hope Shebelsky gets a flat.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
My head is going to assplode
I was attempting to do some recording over Skype to put together some lame podcast of an idea that I have. Almost an hour later, between software downloads, reboots, and tutorials, I'm not a hell of a lot further than when I started.
And that doesn't count the 40 minutes of rooting around to find my new earphones and microphone, both of which are still lost. And the 15 minutes of apologizing to my family after accusing the of hiding my stuff so that I'd freak out and have a stroke and then they could collect the life insurance money on me.
My apology was reluctantly accepted, but only because the youngest girls started asking if we really got money if Daddy died and would it be enough to get a pony, and that sort of spooked everyone out.
So if anyone has any experience which podcasting or skype recording please contact me and try and save me and my family additional anguish.
And that doesn't count the 40 minutes of rooting around to find my new earphones and microphone, both of which are still lost. And the 15 minutes of apologizing to my family after accusing the of hiding my stuff so that I'd freak out and have a stroke and then they could collect the life insurance money on me.
My apology was reluctantly accepted, but only because the youngest girls started asking if we really got money if Daddy died and would it be enough to get a pony, and that sort of spooked everyone out.
So if anyone has any experience which podcasting or skype recording please contact me and try and save me and my family additional anguish.
Dunno why, but this cracks me up
The teeth sprout into sharp thrusting daggers, the hair grows dark and bristled, and marauding packs search the night for victims to devour.
Sounds like a spooky Halloween story, but it isn't werewolves that are tearing up farmland in parts of Central Pennsylvania. Last week the Pennsylvania Game Commission rescinded protection on wild, breeding populations of feral swine in Butler, Bedford and Cambria counties.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08307/924722-358.stm#ixzz0iMUn74Qs
Monday, March 15, 2010
BAGELS !
I made bagels with the girls over the weekend. A messy process...which means fun !
Had a couple of the bagels for breakfast this morning and they were delicious. Thanks Steevo for the suggestions.
The boy played great in hoops on Saturday, the oldest girl finished third in a 5km on Sunday, and the youngest made it a whole weekend without starting a dumpster fire. It was a good weekend all around.
Had a couple of the bagels for breakfast this morning and they were delicious. Thanks Steevo for the suggestions.
The boy played great in hoops on Saturday, the oldest girl finished third in a 5km on Sunday, and the youngest made it a whole weekend without starting a dumpster fire. It was a good weekend all around.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Newmax reads my blog
http://newsmax.com/US/US-Runaway-Prius/2010/03/12/id/352540
Runaway Prius Case Presents Nagging Questions
Friday, 12 Mar 2010 09:11 PM
Article Font Size
Investigators are confronted with a series of nagging questions as they try to unravel the case of a California real estate agent who said his Toyota Prius turned into a runaway death trap after the gas pedal became stuck.
Why didn't the driver simply throw the transmission into neutral as officers urged him to do? Why didn't a safety mechanism activate that was supposed to cut power to the engine in such situations? And could he have made the story up in pursuit of fame and money?
Each question is getting scrutiny from the Internet-consuming public as they question the motives of the driver, a 61-year-old real estate agent named James Sikes. Some skeptics have even invoked the infamous "balloon boy hoax" in expressing doubts about the story.
No evidence has emerged to suggest that Sikes was dishonest when he called 911 on Monday to report that the accelerator of his 2008 Prius was jammed during a trip home from his lawyer's office.
Runaway Prius Case Presents Nagging Questions
Friday, 12 Mar 2010 09:11 PM
Article Font Size
Investigators are confronted with a series of nagging questions as they try to unravel the case of a California real estate agent who said his Toyota Prius turned into a runaway death trap after the gas pedal became stuck.
Why didn't the driver simply throw the transmission into neutral as officers urged him to do? Why didn't a safety mechanism activate that was supposed to cut power to the engine in such situations? And could he have made the story up in pursuit of fame and money?
Each question is getting scrutiny from the Internet-consuming public as they question the motives of the driver, a 61-year-old real estate agent named James Sikes. Some skeptics have even invoked the infamous "balloon boy hoax" in expressing doubts about the story.
No evidence has emerged to suggest that Sikes was dishonest when he called 911 on Monday to report that the accelerator of his 2008 Prius was jammed during a trip home from his lawyer's office.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Why I don't play chess anymore
Right around 2000 I started playing a lot of chess. I was learning quite a bit and getting better week to week. My enthusiasm was high and my results exceeded my expectations.
Then I played two of the best games I've ever played..... and lost both of them.
The first was a 5 hour game that came down, literally, to one pawn being one single square ahead after all the other pieces were gone. The second game was in the final round of a tournament where I had the game won and made a stupid simple mistake that turned my win into a draw.
After that I was done. It became impossible for me to go deep. Believe it or not, chess is exhausting. Playing at a certain level (for chess the 1600 level is equivalent to being a good cat 3 in cycling ) means a fair amount of studying and practice, and then relentless concentration for 2-5 hours for a game. To win is euphoric, to commit for that long and then lose is shattering.
If you don't believe my, go back through the archives and read about Omar the chessmaster.
The reason I bring this up is because I'm sitting here watching today's stage of Paris-Nice and very much missing cycling. I really enjoy the sport, especially in the spring. When I rode I liked the comradare, I enjoyed the competition, and I enjoyed the benefits of being super fit.
But I've come to accept that I can't go deep.
I realized that I'm on the other side of things. I'm like your favorite sitcom that introduces a new baby to the cast....at that point you know the best days have past. When I was 29 I was the fittest I ever was. About 5 years ago or so, despite new challenges, I got pretty close to that fitness. In both cases, all that work, all that sacrifice, got me to the point where I had the best seat in the house to watch the real bike racers actually race....but never did I feel like I could much of anything other than follow wheels to a result of "also-ran".
The rain, the cold, the wind...the goddamn wind - its just too much to bear, for too little. To guys who can do it, more power to them. I'm jealous. I wish I was out there with you. But the tank is empty. I'm done.
Then I played two of the best games I've ever played..... and lost both of them.
The first was a 5 hour game that came down, literally, to one pawn being one single square ahead after all the other pieces were gone. The second game was in the final round of a tournament where I had the game won and made a stupid simple mistake that turned my win into a draw.
After that I was done. It became impossible for me to go deep. Believe it or not, chess is exhausting. Playing at a certain level (for chess the 1600 level is equivalent to being a good cat 3 in cycling ) means a fair amount of studying and practice, and then relentless concentration for 2-5 hours for a game. To win is euphoric, to commit for that long and then lose is shattering.
If you don't believe my, go back through the archives and read about Omar the chessmaster.
The reason I bring this up is because I'm sitting here watching today's stage of Paris-Nice and very much missing cycling. I really enjoy the sport, especially in the spring. When I rode I liked the comradare, I enjoyed the competition, and I enjoyed the benefits of being super fit.
But I've come to accept that I can't go deep.
I realized that I'm on the other side of things. I'm like your favorite sitcom that introduces a new baby to the cast....at that point you know the best days have past. When I was 29 I was the fittest I ever was. About 5 years ago or so, despite new challenges, I got pretty close to that fitness. In both cases, all that work, all that sacrifice, got me to the point where I had the best seat in the house to watch the real bike racers actually race....but never did I feel like I could much of anything other than follow wheels to a result of "also-ran".
The rain, the cold, the wind...the goddamn wind - its just too much to bear, for too little. To guys who can do it, more power to them. I'm jealous. I wish I was out there with you. But the tank is empty. I'm done.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Calling Bullshit
I'm calling bullshit on the "Prius out of control" article appearing in the news today. It smells a lot like the balloon boy.
Landis signs with the Bahati Foundation. At least Nathan O'Neill will have someone to room with.
Watching Being John Daly right now. God I hope that guy wins at least one more tournament. Daly is one of those rare guys who doesn't know any better than to be honest.If he doesn't catch a break this time around I can't imaging there's much of a plan B. Its like watching Mike Tyson all over again. Go John.
55 degrees today. Golf can't be too far off.
Landis signs with the Bahati Foundation. At least Nathan O'Neill will have someone to room with.
Watching Being John Daly right now. God I hope that guy wins at least one more tournament. Daly is one of those rare guys who doesn't know any better than to be honest.If he doesn't catch a break this time around I can't imaging there's much of a plan B. Its like watching Mike Tyson all over again. Go John.
55 degrees today. Golf can't be too far off.
Monday, March 08, 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
rare cycling post
I really don't like to write about cycling because its like talking about an ex-girlfriend with whom you've had a bad break-up.
I loved cycling. From about 1987 - 2004 I lived cycling. Cycling has directly affected where I lived, who my friends are, what jobs I've had, and who I am. The sport has provided me with experiences that I'll always cherish.
But in the end the sport has left disappointed. Betrayed.
At the risk of overusing the analogy, I lived through the 90's like a guy who knows deep down knows his girl is cheating, but just pretends not to notice. I saw Indurain break the 50km barrier for time trials and chalked it up to his unusual size, I saw Berzin go from the track to winning the Giro wire-to-wire and credited it to "modern training techniques", and saw Mapei and Areostea finish 1-2-3 in classics and attributed it to great teamwork.
When the Festina Affair happened it was really a relief. Willy Voet getting caught finally gave us all a chance to stop the charade and really admit what we already knew. And it was a real chance for everyone in the cycling community to make a commitment to put the transgressions of the past behind us and move forward with a fresh start. As far as I'm concerned, anyone doping before 1999 has a free pass.
But sadly and predictably 1998 was a missed opportunity.
Maybe things cleaned up a little, but it was only a year later that Pantani disappointed everyone. Then came the Giro raids. And once I saw US Postal putting 8 guys on the front of the field, all day, over the same Alpine passes that had decimated the likes of Bernard Hinault and Greg Lemond only a decade before, I know that nothing had changed.
But I'm a fool and I'll admit it....a hopeless romantic.
So when Lance retired I thought we stood at those crossroads again. I thought, " here's a chance for change". Tyler was behind us. Spain had their own Festina in Operation Puerto and finally the ( IMO) the epitome of the problem...the transgressor made hero, the cycling version of Iraqi WMDs...was leaving the sport.
And when I sat an watched Floyd, the anti-Lance, win stage 17 I believed. I BELIEVED. Here was a regular guy, one of us, from my hometown even !!! A guy who had the balls to tell Lance to fuck off. A guy who spoke from his gut instead of through a press agent, who was more likely to have a beer with you than have a bodyguard.
For me, and for many of us, stage 17 was everything that made up fall in love with cycling in the first place. Stage 17 was one man showing us what was possible in the human condition - proving to all of us that despite the seemingly impossible odds and challenges in our lives, that if we persevere, that if we sacrifice, that if we will ourselves that we can overcome. Against the heat, the mountains, the riders, the time deficit, against everything stacked against him Floyd Landis proved that we can exceed our limitations.
And Floyd Landis lied.
For me, and for a lot of cycling fans, that's the day the music died.
Everything that has followed with Floyd after that has only proven to drive that point home. He's lied about the drugs. He's pilfered from his friends and supporters for a phony defense based, not in his innocence, but in the technical merits of the process. He outted Greg LeMond as having been molested - when Greg's only offense was an offer of help.
So now when a warrant asking him appear as a witness in a hacking case is announced, it comes as no surprise that he twists the truth and lies about the matter. Its no surprise that his best defense is the same as his testosterone defense,
" I'm too smart to do something that I could be so easily caught doing"
Oh yeah Floyd ? If you're so fucking smart, then how do you explain you and Will Geoghegan drunk dialing Greg Lemond with the caller-ID on ?
With all that, I know that I can't get away from my nature. I still check in at cyclingnews.com almost daily. I can't help but watch Taylor Phinney and think what can be. And a little part of me still holds out hope that Landis wakes up one day and decides that having character is better than living a lie. Somewhere deep down I expect to wake up, open the paper, and find out that Landis has told EVERYTHING and is the champion who saves this sport.
Yeah, the flame of hope is a tiny ember, but its still in there. But that's me, a hopeless sap.
I loved cycling. From about 1987 - 2004 I lived cycling. Cycling has directly affected where I lived, who my friends are, what jobs I've had, and who I am. The sport has provided me with experiences that I'll always cherish.
But in the end the sport has left disappointed. Betrayed.
At the risk of overusing the analogy, I lived through the 90's like a guy who knows deep down knows his girl is cheating, but just pretends not to notice. I saw Indurain break the 50km barrier for time trials and chalked it up to his unusual size, I saw Berzin go from the track to winning the Giro wire-to-wire and credited it to "modern training techniques", and saw Mapei and Areostea finish 1-2-3 in classics and attributed it to great teamwork.
When the Festina Affair happened it was really a relief. Willy Voet getting caught finally gave us all a chance to stop the charade and really admit what we already knew. And it was a real chance for everyone in the cycling community to make a commitment to put the transgressions of the past behind us and move forward with a fresh start. As far as I'm concerned, anyone doping before 1999 has a free pass.
But sadly and predictably 1998 was a missed opportunity.
Maybe things cleaned up a little, but it was only a year later that Pantani disappointed everyone. Then came the Giro raids. And once I saw US Postal putting 8 guys on the front of the field, all day, over the same Alpine passes that had decimated the likes of Bernard Hinault and Greg Lemond only a decade before, I know that nothing had changed.
But I'm a fool and I'll admit it....a hopeless romantic.
So when Lance retired I thought we stood at those crossroads again. I thought, " here's a chance for change". Tyler was behind us. Spain had their own Festina in Operation Puerto and finally the ( IMO) the epitome of the problem...the transgressor made hero, the cycling version of Iraqi WMDs...was leaving the sport.
And when I sat an watched Floyd, the anti-Lance, win stage 17 I believed. I BELIEVED. Here was a regular guy, one of us, from my hometown even !!! A guy who had the balls to tell Lance to fuck off. A guy who spoke from his gut instead of through a press agent, who was more likely to have a beer with you than have a bodyguard.
For me, and for many of us, stage 17 was everything that made up fall in love with cycling in the first place. Stage 17 was one man showing us what was possible in the human condition - proving to all of us that despite the seemingly impossible odds and challenges in our lives, that if we persevere, that if we sacrifice, that if we will ourselves that we can overcome. Against the heat, the mountains, the riders, the time deficit, against everything stacked against him Floyd Landis proved that we can exceed our limitations.
And Floyd Landis lied.
For me, and for a lot of cycling fans, that's the day the music died.
Everything that has followed with Floyd after that has only proven to drive that point home. He's lied about the drugs. He's pilfered from his friends and supporters for a phony defense based, not in his innocence, but in the technical merits of the process. He outted Greg LeMond as having been molested - when Greg's only offense was an offer of help.
So now when a warrant asking him appear as a witness in a hacking case is announced, it comes as no surprise that he twists the truth and lies about the matter. Its no surprise that his best defense is the same as his testosterone defense,
" I'm too smart to do something that I could be so easily caught doing"
Oh yeah Floyd ? If you're so fucking smart, then how do you explain you and Will Geoghegan drunk dialing Greg Lemond with the caller-ID on ?
With all that, I know that I can't get away from my nature. I still check in at cyclingnews.com almost daily. I can't help but watch Taylor Phinney and think what can be. And a little part of me still holds out hope that Landis wakes up one day and decides that having character is better than living a lie. Somewhere deep down I expect to wake up, open the paper, and find out that Landis has told EVERYTHING and is the champion who saves this sport.
Yeah, the flame of hope is a tiny ember, but its still in there. But that's me, a hopeless sap.
Monday, March 01, 2010
pre-emptive
My boy had baseball tryouts this weekend for the 10 and under travel team.
He's clearly not the best kids there, and he's not the worst kid there. If I was being as objective as possibly I'd put him just inside the top 10. Either way it really doesn't matter.
There are 24 kids that will comprise a 12 player A team and a 12 player B team. If the boy makes the A squad he'll be one of the weaker players there, but the increased competition mean's he'll probably improve over the course of the season. If he makes the B squad he'll be one of the better players and more opportunities, which should improve his game.
He's 9 for christsake, either way he'll be just fine.
What made the experience notable for me were some of the fathers.
Now don't get me wrong...I'm an overbearing prick. My boy screws around and doesn't pay attention. When that happens I'm almost immediately on his shit. I'm sure that people think that makes me insane...I respect that. I also have take little issue with how other people raise their kids or manage them, provided that the result of their parenting doesn't directly affect me. Raise your kid how you want.
My problem/shock/surprise wasn't how the fathers were dealing with the kids, its how the parents were dealing with each other. Both Saturday and Sunday were like watching an episode of Survivor. There are fathers saddling up with other fathers, with the evaluators, and with the coaches in an attempt to influence the evaluation and selection process. There was talk about which fathers were sponsoring the league. There was positioning of wives in dinner parties and book clubs.
The whole thing was a couple tiaras shy of a beauty pageant.
And of course the real irony was that the parents doing the most positioning are the ones whose kids would be best served, athletically and behaviorally, by a little quality time with the old man. Then again I suppose that doesn't do much of the ego.
He's clearly not the best kids there, and he's not the worst kid there. If I was being as objective as possibly I'd put him just inside the top 10. Either way it really doesn't matter.
There are 24 kids that will comprise a 12 player A team and a 12 player B team. If the boy makes the A squad he'll be one of the weaker players there, but the increased competition mean's he'll probably improve over the course of the season. If he makes the B squad he'll be one of the better players and more opportunities, which should improve his game.
He's 9 for christsake, either way he'll be just fine.
What made the experience notable for me were some of the fathers.
Now don't get me wrong...I'm an overbearing prick. My boy screws around and doesn't pay attention. When that happens I'm almost immediately on his shit. I'm sure that people think that makes me insane...I respect that. I also have take little issue with how other people raise their kids or manage them, provided that the result of their parenting doesn't directly affect me. Raise your kid how you want.
My problem/shock/surprise wasn't how the fathers were dealing with the kids, its how the parents were dealing with each other. Both Saturday and Sunday were like watching an episode of Survivor. There are fathers saddling up with other fathers, with the evaluators, and with the coaches in an attempt to influence the evaluation and selection process. There was talk about which fathers were sponsoring the league. There was positioning of wives in dinner parties and book clubs.
The whole thing was a couple tiaras shy of a beauty pageant.
And of course the real irony was that the parents doing the most positioning are the ones whose kids would be best served, athletically and behaviorally, by a little quality time with the old man. Then again I suppose that doesn't do much of the ego.
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