Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Place Your Bets.
As I sit here and watch the first week of the 2009 Tour, there is one persistent question running through my head.
Who is gonna get busted this year? Who's the doper that noone suspects?
OK, so that's two questions. But chances are, if you can name past winners other than Lance, you've had questions of the same vein run through your mind. Some would call it cynical, but in some ways it's realistic. Ricco. Rasmussen. Kohl. And the list goes on. In RBA this month, Bobke put together a list of 15. Busted during or shortly after they basked in the glow of podium finishes and unbelievable performances.
I'm not talking about a debate of who's guilty and who's not. This isn't about that. This is something more visceral, something that affects the very foundation that fans like me have built our love of this sport on. We've seen heroes fall in the heat of battle and that in some ways only increases our respect for them. But to see one of our idols brought down because they CHOSE to cheat, is something very different. Not only does it take away the enjoyment we have gotten from watching that rider succeed, it shakes the faith that we have in our sport.
Menchov is obviously not having the Tour that he had hoped for. But you have to respect the man who keeps coming back. The man who can fall in the final turn of the final stage of thsi years Giro, remain calm and then explode in uncharacterstic emotion at the finish. I'm not really a fan of Menchov, but I do respect the competitor that can handle that. The emotion that was so surprising coming from such a stoic rider, was likely echoed by fans all over the world. And it's that type of effort in the face of failure that deserves such support.
I have to admit that watching Ricardo Ricco being walked out of his hotel for questioning almost turned me off to the tour. After Landis, which I have different opinions about that you may read about here at some point, Vino, which I hated so much I almost felt personally betrayed, and all the others through Puerto in 2005 and 2006, I'd had enough. How could I continue to watch a sport and invest my heart and passion into something false?
But, and if you're still with me here I thank you cause here's the point to all this, I think a new era is emerging. There are some holdovers and questions from the past. I mean, I have no respect for Basso after his whole "I only planned to cheat" spiel. And I have no idea why Vino seems so entitled to come back, especially since his plan violates UCI rules. But there is a new environment around the Tour. I can't explain it, but something has changed.
Garmin and Columbia. Saxo Bank and Cervelo. These are teams that I think I can get behind again. Vandevelde is likely an outside shot at the podium, and I'm not sure he's got a win in his legs. Cadel, twice a bridesmaid, is probably a better shot for victory, though he probably needs a little more support. And I would love to see Levi on the podium, unlikely as it may be given the team leaders lined up in front of him.
But these are the guys I can have faith in. Not so much because of how they have succeeded, but because of how they have recovered when they have failed. Vandevelde cracked how many bones in that Giro crash? Even lining up makes him a tough man, but he's hanging with the leaders so far. Cadel seems to be racing this year's tour with a new attitude. No longer content to let the race unfold in front of him, he has already shown himself at an antagonist. He just needs to work on his timing. And Levi, well he always seem to have that one bad day. It may take him out of the GC picture now and then, but you'd never know based on the intensity he continues on with.
I'm not dwelling on the past anymore. I'm looking at the news each day to see how everyone fared on the stage, not if they made it through the drug test afterwards. I just hope it can continue.
Who is gonna get busted this year? Who's the doper that noone suspects?
OK, so that's two questions. But chances are, if you can name past winners other than Lance, you've had questions of the same vein run through your mind. Some would call it cynical, but in some ways it's realistic. Ricco. Rasmussen. Kohl. And the list goes on. In RBA this month, Bobke put together a list of 15. Busted during or shortly after they basked in the glow of podium finishes and unbelievable performances.
I'm not talking about a debate of who's guilty and who's not. This isn't about that. This is something more visceral, something that affects the very foundation that fans like me have built our love of this sport on. We've seen heroes fall in the heat of battle and that in some ways only increases our respect for them. But to see one of our idols brought down because they CHOSE to cheat, is something very different. Not only does it take away the enjoyment we have gotten from watching that rider succeed, it shakes the faith that we have in our sport.
Menchov is obviously not having the Tour that he had hoped for. But you have to respect the man who keeps coming back. The man who can fall in the final turn of the final stage of thsi years Giro, remain calm and then explode in uncharacterstic emotion at the finish. I'm not really a fan of Menchov, but I do respect the competitor that can handle that. The emotion that was so surprising coming from such a stoic rider, was likely echoed by fans all over the world. And it's that type of effort in the face of failure that deserves such support.
I have to admit that watching Ricardo Ricco being walked out of his hotel for questioning almost turned me off to the tour. After Landis, which I have different opinions about that you may read about here at some point, Vino, which I hated so much I almost felt personally betrayed, and all the others through Puerto in 2005 and 2006, I'd had enough. How could I continue to watch a sport and invest my heart and passion into something false?
But, and if you're still with me here I thank you cause here's the point to all this, I think a new era is emerging. There are some holdovers and questions from the past. I mean, I have no respect for Basso after his whole "I only planned to cheat" spiel. And I have no idea why Vino seems so entitled to come back, especially since his plan violates UCI rules. But there is a new environment around the Tour. I can't explain it, but something has changed.
Garmin and Columbia. Saxo Bank and Cervelo. These are teams that I think I can get behind again. Vandevelde is likely an outside shot at the podium, and I'm not sure he's got a win in his legs. Cadel, twice a bridesmaid, is probably a better shot for victory, though he probably needs a little more support. And I would love to see Levi on the podium, unlikely as it may be given the team leaders lined up in front of him.
But these are the guys I can have faith in. Not so much because of how they have succeeded, but because of how they have recovered when they have failed. Vandevelde cracked how many bones in that Giro crash? Even lining up makes him a tough man, but he's hanging with the leaders so far. Cadel seems to be racing this year's tour with a new attitude. No longer content to let the race unfold in front of him, he has already shown himself at an antagonist. He just needs to work on his timing. And Levi, well he always seem to have that one bad day. It may take him out of the GC picture now and then, but you'd never know based on the intensity he continues on with.
I'm not dwelling on the past anymore. I'm looking at the news each day to see how everyone fared on the stage, not if they made it through the drug test afterwards. I just hope it can continue.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Life is a Highway
or maybe rollercoaster is more like it. Been a lot of ups and downs lately, though most of them are contained within my own head as usual. Thinking I may have to up the meds again.
I have absolutely no patience left for my boss. My most productive hours right now occur not because of the leadership I report to, but rather in spite of it. He seems to have some type of personal vendetta against his boss, which I don't really understand. My boss's boss (this is touch without spelling out to the world who I'm irritated with) seems like a good enough person. He has rewarded my efforts with honest praise and opportunities for new projects and challenges. I don't understand the issues that exist between these two, but I am caught squarely in the middle of it. And frankly, I've just had enough.
There is also the ongoing saga of my wife and her funemployment. We have limped through a year of it, but one way or another it is coming to an end soon. We are both pursuing avenues that we haven't really gone down before. So something will work out.
I have absolutely no patience left for my boss. My most productive hours right now occur not because of the leadership I report to, but rather in spite of it. He seems to have some type of personal vendetta against his boss, which I don't really understand. My boss's boss (this is touch without spelling out to the world who I'm irritated with) seems like a good enough person. He has rewarded my efforts with honest praise and opportunities for new projects and challenges. I don't understand the issues that exist between these two, but I am caught squarely in the middle of it. And frankly, I've just had enough.
There is also the ongoing saga of my wife and her funemployment. We have limped through a year of it, but one way or another it is coming to an end soon. We are both pursuing avenues that we haven't really gone down before. So something will work out.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Published!
I've been doing some basic web stuff and writing for Cyclocross Magazine. Sat down to write a blog post last night, but for some reason decided to send it to the mag to see if there was an interest.
Apparently, there was.
Apparently, there was.
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