Hamilton Popped Again
17 Apr 2009, written by 0 CommentsAs I reflect on the revelations today that Tyler Hamilton has tested positive for the banned steroid DHEA, all I can say is, the sport will not miss him. For whatever the reason, there are too many of these stories out there. Read the newsflash on cyclingnews.com. He is quoted as saying he knowingly took a homeopathic supplement containing the banned substance, knowing full-well that he would be tested out-of-competition, but took it because he was he was fighting depressions and was desperate: “…I was going through a very rough moment and I was desperate. I heard about it and thought I would try it out as an act of desperation…did I take for a banned substance? Absolutely not.”
At first, I had some very negative thoughts on this topic. You can read all the reasons why Tyler resorted to this homo-pathetic supplement rather than go back to a doctor to treat his illness. You can read all the expert’s opinions that conclude although DHEA is banned, it really can’t be considered a performance enhancer. You can read all about the reasons why Tyler has been fighting depression lately, like his ruined 1st career, a career which endeared him to the hearts of cycling fans who admired his gritty ride through the pain attitude (thinking back to riding the entire tour and winning a stage with a broken collarbone). Or his maligned 2nd career riding for the dubious Rock Racing outfit. Read the story and decide for yourself.
Apparently, it seems, the 2nd career has not lived up to the expectations of a fresh start everyone was hoping for, and this young man is troubled beyond the repair that could be given by racing a bike. I raced against Tyler back in the amateur days in New England, in the late 80’s and early 90’s. I have some fond memories of riding in breakaways at a little Tuesday night training race in Plaistow, New Hampshire, just putting the stick to everyone else. I admired him back then for his talent to spare, but later I hated him after getting popped for blood transfusions after his Athens Olympic gold medal. I hated him for his heroic exploits that taught us there was more to pro cycling than Lance Armstrong’s domination of the tour, only to find out the whole thing was a sham. I hated him a little bit for coming back last year and robbing Blake Caldwell of the U.S. Pro Road Racing title, even though deep down there was a tiny part of me that was happy he could still do it. It would have been nice to see the young Caldwell turn the page on the old guys, but Tyler nipped him at the line. I can’t hate the guy anymore. I can only wish him well in his battle against depression, but I am glad he is retiring and getting on with life. Hopefully he can have a life without cycling, and it brings a new beginning that could not be fulfilled by racing again. I think he is doing the right thing by admitting his guilt, retiring from cycling, and trying to get his life together. Good luck.
Way More Excitement Than The Tour De France
09 Jan 2009, written by moto 0 CommentsIt’s Dakar Rally time for all you moto-heads. No, it’s not in Africa anymore. Yes, they still call it the Dakar. Yes, there are sand dunes in South America. Of course, KTM bikes are absolutely crushing the top ten every day. Darth Nater has been following along on Versus, but another way to get quick updates of the progress of the race, visit the KTM website, they have daily updates, since most of the top riders are riding KTMs. And how about a shout out to Jonah Street, a young American who doesn’t seem to have much in the way of sponsorship. He’s already won a stage against the best rally riders, and is currently sitting 2nd overall. Rock on, brother Street.
Don’t Call It a Comeback: Armstrong Returns?
10 Sep 2008, written by 3 CommentsSeptember is usually a quiet time in the newswires of professional cycling. You usually can get all the news you need by briefly scanning the headlines of cyclingnews.com and velonews.com. Vuelta results, riders changing teams, news from Interbike, then the World Championships. Mainstream sports news, let alone mainstream media rarely picks up any news of cycling unless it’s a doping scandal. But then Lance steps back in from the shadows. Maybe he’s sick of dominating the tabloid headlines with his personal life and wants to get back to the bike. Lance has announced and confirmed he will make a comeback, and all of the sudden, the TODAY show is picking it up, it’s all over ESPN, interviews in Vanity Fair, and the cyclingnews servers are overloading. The bike industry must love it. There’s no doubt that Lance mania has always brought a lot of new people into the sport of cycling. Hopers, dreamers and survivors. There’s no doubt Lance has done more for raising cancer awareness, and giving hope to those fighting the illness. It’s hard to hate the guy for that.
When Michael Jordan came back to play with the Wizards, it was sad. He was older, slower, but he was still Jordan. He could still toss in 45 points, but the Wizards still sucked. The tv commentators called him “Floor Jordan” instead of “Air Jordan” because he lost that skyward step. It was still entertainment, though, and probably the only reason anybody watched the Wizards play. If Lance just shows up, wins a time trial here and there, it will be looked upon as a failure. He has to come back and win. Lance didn’t just win the Tour de France. He dominated his rivals, broke their spirits, and crushed the hopes of a lot of pretenders. His main rivals at the time are all gone: Ullrich, Mayo, Vinokourov, Kasheckin, Basso. All out of the sport for positive doping tests or they are creeping back after serving suspensions (Basso), but won’t ever match up again. So what’s the endgame?
I’m waiting for when he will start working on his next book: It Was All About The Bike After All.