What do we do now?

My wife always says that I can find good in anything. I’m trying hard here. When I first heard the news regarding Alexandre Vinokourov a flood of emotions came over me. Most of them were variations of anger and disappointment.

My visceral reaction was wondering how could those with whom we trust our sport do this to us? How could Vinokourov deceive an entire country? He cajoled his native Kazakhstan to band together in the wake of the Liberty Seguros collapse. His Astana region paid big money to support him. He took their money and cheated them more than he cheated us.

Then after a few minutes, my rational side began to be heard. Another ‘A’ sample leak. LNDD does not have the best track record. I believe in my heart of hearts that due process must be followed before punishment is meted out.

I do have to say that the media reaction is a lot less restrained. The Versus coverage this morning was blunt and damning. Bob Roll had the harshest words calling Vino’s actions stupid as this type of doping is not only dangerous but easily detected.

The restraint and detachment that was shown with recent cases such as Basso, Ullrich, and even Patrick Sinkewitz was not here. Why is that? Are they also in the throes of the same visceral reaction I had? Had they doubts before the test? I just don’t know.

So, where are the positives? Here you go.

If true, then we can really turn a corner. Teams and authorities have put into place new procedures to insure a clean sport. No one will actually believe those procedures until they see them work. Riders will test the law until someone gets caught. With such a big name getting caught, maybe riders will finally be scared straight. I sense this attitude is pervasive with the next generation of riders. You can win clean. If you don’t subscribe to that belief then stay clean out of fear.

In a few years, we’ll look back on these days as the time when we broke through to the other side and became a better sport than we ever thought possible.

If false, we will have irrefutably exposed another problem that is potentially more deadly then athletes who cheat. The ADA system is broken and in desperate need of repair. Leadership will be changed and a new system put into place that has the confidence of all stakeholders (teams, riders, sponsors, fans, officials). After the first round of Operation Puerto, teams began to get the wake-up call. New measures were put in place to insure that a measure of integrity can return. The same will happen with the those entrusted to regulate the sport.

I can dream. I choose to stay with this sport because I love it so. I hope the custodians of this sport get their act together.

Rest Day Book Review

I’ve been mulling over how to write this review since I finished Bill Strickland’s new book, Ten Points. I have been searching for that one word that I can use to describe it and have been at a loss. Interesting, engaging are all accurate but do not capture the essence I am trying to convey. For now, I’ll use memorable.

Before I start, I would like to thank Chloe and Christine at Hyperion for contacting me regarding this book. I’m sure I would have read it but I don’t know when I would have found it.

Do you know why Breaking Away was and is such a great movie? Well to paraphrase another book, it is because the story is not about the bike. The movie uses cycling as a medium for telling a much more universal story. That is the same here. Bill Strickland uses his quest for ten points during his club crit season as a medium to tell a much more compelling story.

At the end of a season where Bill Strickland cherishes first and only point he scored in a highly competitive Thursday night criteriums, he makes a fateful promise to his daughter. Next season, he’ll score ten.

The quest for ten points turns out to rank up with quests written by the likes of Homer. What if he fails? This forces Bill to do a significant amount of reflection and the story takes us through that reflection.

Whenever each of us is faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge, it gives up the opportunity to look at ourselves and take stock in who we are. We can then stare into our personal abyss knowing if we can cross it, we can come out the other side better than we were before. Bill’s abyss is deeper and darker than most people on the planet.

Bill takes us with him as he faces his past and comes to grips with who he is. Since this is not Hollywood fiction, there is no Rocky type ending. Instead, he leaves us after coming a long way through his abyss but we know he will continue to move forward.

I don’t want to paint a grim picture. Bill’s style is engaging and the story, while uncomfortable at times, is tough to put down. Bill also paints a great portrait of life in the top tier of racers we watch at local races. As the author grows as a person, he grows as a racer which is enjoyable to read.

I would definitely put this as a must read on your list.

Speechless

When things seem too good to be true, sometimes they are. This Tour was really shaping up to be one to remember. Now that will be the case but for all the wrong reasons. Vino’s ouster is a real big blow to this Tour which is on the brink. This is not good.

Vinokourov was rumored to be one of the “Men in Black.” A group of cyclists training outside the view of team officials and outside their team kit. Of deep concern is others rumored to be part of the MIB are still in the race.

Another rest day, another opportunity.

So far all has been quiet here in the square.  All the better.  This Tour needs to stand on it’s own as it has provided the right antidote to the negative media coverage.  We are on the final rest day.  These are the days when the media are primed to run with a story.  I fear this may provide a forum if the USADA wanted to make a big splash.  That fear is tempered by the foot dragging which lends hope that the USADA wants a quiet way out of this mess.  To me that bodes well.

Ah youth!

Why attack on the last kilometer of a climb with a long descent to follow? If you are a 24 year old Alberto Contador, the question is more like “Why not?”

If these last couple of stages do not ignite a desire to attack your favorite climb then I feel bad for you. This is about as good as it gets. Gone is the cerebral tour ridden by calculating riders who always make the right decisions. Welcome to the Tour where anything can happen and usually does.

Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

Hmmm

I thought that it was impossible to bonk one day then head out on a breakaway the next. Isn’t that what happened today?

Alexander Vinokourov lost 28 minutes yesterday after a spectacular explosion. One bigger and badder than last year’s Stage 16. Today, he attacked right at the start, went on a suicide breakaway to win today’s stage by more than five and a half minutes.

I’ve seen this script before. Where was it????

I have yet to hear the comments of those who use last year’s less spectacular turnaround as evidence of wrongdoing. Do they think today’s performance can not be true? Are they searching the woods for Harleys?

I believe this year’s and last year’s performance was a combination of daring, luck, and skill.  The only difference between last year’s break and this year’s is that in 2006 the decision not to chase was wrong as it cost the race.  This year the decision was correct as it did not.

Come back with your shield or on it

Before going into battle, legend has it that Spartan mothers would send their sons off with this directive. Give it everything, be prepared to die trying. It seems that this year’s participants have taken this Spartan expression to heart.

With the podium wide open, the first stage of the Pyrenees played out like it was the only stage. Vinokourov paid dearly for his effort on Sunday. Cadel Evans rode until he could ride no more and came across the finish line on his shield. Alberto Contador was brilliant. Seeing someone that graceful on a mountain is something to behold.

Book Review

When I was contacted by Eleanor Divver from Three Story Press regarding an opportunity to obtain an early copy of Saul Raisin and Dave Shield’s new book, Tour de Life:From Coma to Competition, I jumped at it. I have been looking forward to reading the combination of Dave Shield’s cycling prose and the incredible story of Saul Raisin who just over a year ago was fighting for his life after a crash at the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The book is actually two books in one. The first section is written in the third person focusing on Saul’s parents starting with that fateful day on April 4, 2006. From the moment the traditional text message “OK” never appeared on Yvonne Raisin’s cell phone, she knew something was wrong. Her son, Saul always sent those two reassuring letters to his mother after every race.

The first 136 pages chronicle the journey of Yvonne and Jim Raisin from a recently retired couple planning their future together to a frightened couple in a foreign land trying to save their son’s life. Jim and Yvonne find themselves in Angers France where they do not speak the language nor understand the customs. If they are to save their son, they need to learn and learn fast.

I was struck by the detail and day by day account of a family going through such a trauma. Generally, we seen the first few critical hours followed by the hospital discharge. We rarely see the hour by hour roller coaster ride that a family goes through. Unending tension wondering if Saul would survive the day. If so, would he be a vegetable? Also, the conflicting early medical information. Did they remove part of Saul’s brain or not? Finally how do you begin the conversation about when to pull the plug and of organ donation?

We see that minuscule progress, invisible to passers-by, can ignite hope. A twitch of a finger, a small movement. Finally it is clear that Saul will live so the question becomes how.

The second book is written in the first person. Saul’s voice. But the book captures Saul as he is those first early days and weeks after he comes out of his coma. I did not know that quite often brain injured patients need to relearn things that we learn as a child. Things such as controlling emotions, understanding voice inflection and that you can not always say whatever pops in your mind.

We hear the voice of this man/child as he tries to understand why he can’t always tell the nurses they are attractive, why he can’t act impulsively, and that he may never walk unaided let alone ride again.

Saul makes physical progress at a miraculous pace. We watch as the real struggle comes with the mental rehabilitation. Basic math, reasoning and decision making skills are tough. Equally amazing is the dedication of the members of the rehabilitation hospital, the Shepherd Center. I’m certain these people are not adequately compensated for the wonderful work they do.

It was amazing to read the details behind this truly amazing story

Dave Shields is selling early copies of Tour de Life through his website. The book will not be widely distributed through outlets like Amazon until September. Either way, I would suggest buying through the website since I think Amazon is doing OK and any additional percentage not shared with Amazon can go to those who did all the hard work binging this book to market.

What is it I see in the Tour?

Today’s time trial was another exciting, unpredictable, and thoroughly enjoyable day in the tour. Some riders rode above themselves (Vinokourov, Rasmussen), some did not live up to expectations (Mayo, Valverde), and some just rode within themselves (Evans, Kloden, Leipheimer).

I can’t remember a time trial when each rider down the ramp could and did change the GC one way or another. Time trials in years past became a showcase for only one or two riders while the others rode to keep their place in the GC. This produced only one or two exciting rides a day. What changed?

Hope. With the top step of the podium up for grabs more than a handful of riders woke up today with the one feeling that can change the time trial into an attacking race not just a defensive race to tee up the mountains.

And attack they did. Vinokourov who has always turned in otherwordly performances when fuled by emotion did so today. He rode so hard and fast he put himself back on the radar of those looking at displacing Rasmussen form his jersey.

Like the water flowing across the roads of southern France aggression was the word of the day. I never knew a race alone could be filled with attacking and counterattacking. Usually by now most riders were exhibiting submissive behavior and ceding the tour to Lance Armstrong. I’ll bet the impetus of those time trialists was to finish in enough time to watch Lance like the rest of us.

At the end of the day, some riders may have lost hope but many more should have it burning as hot as ever. This should be a good week coming up.

This better not take two years and eight months.

The record for the longest conclave in history is reported to be two years and eight months. In 1268, the conclave convened to elect a successor to Pope Clement IV. Pope Gregory X was not elected until 1271.
It seems the USADA is wrestling with their decision. Hopefully this bodes well for the reigning Tour pontif.