Since I began the journey towards the Etape Caledonia, way back in January, I have been expecting that at some point I would be affected by illness or injury. Top of my list of expected ailments has always been illness, as I have two young kids who go to nursery twice a week. Anyone with small kids will tell you that they are total germ factories, and they would be right!
However, it appears that the first thing to keep me off the bike for any length of time is going to be injury. I had a big mile weekend (for me) of just over 50 miles. This is my longest ride yet and over half distance. Unfortunately, it seems to have brought on a bought of tendonitis in my right knee, so I am forced to rest. I am following the old R-I-C-E routine (rest, ice, compression, elevation) and hopefully I will be back on the bike next week. It is annoying because I was getting into a groove. It seems a bit odd to be back on the sofa of an evening after all the time in the cupboard on the sofa...
Cheers,
Col.
Wednesday 18 March 2009
Saturday 14 March 2009
Coaching Session
I recently posted on my cycling club forum looking for advice on what type of training I should be doing. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have mainly been concentrating on training regularly and eating less. The training I have been doing (except for spin classes) has largely focused on steady pace exercise at a relatively low heart rate. This is ideal for weight loss and building a fitness base. However, if I now want to take it a step further and improve my riding, I need to do more higher intensity training, potentially using interval training. This will allow me to handle short climbs or increases in speed whilst riding.
http://www.glasgownightingalecc.org.uk/forum/YaBB.pl
I was pleasantly surprised when one of our club members, Colin Bark, got in touch with me via the forum to say that he is training to be a cycle coach and that he would be happy to help me out. This was real music to my ears as I am always glad to get some direction in my training. Having someone knowledgeable advising me will be an invaluable training tool.
We arranged for me to go and see Colin at his home, where I would undergo a fitness assessment. I wasn't really sure what to expect but he assured me it wouldn't be too horrible and that it would help him devise a training plan for me. He asked me to bring my bike, kit, a drink and my training diary (since I began this project, I have been keeping a very brief diary. Each day I take a note of my training, my diet, my health/ well being and any remarkable events that have happened. I jot this down in a paper diary - very unscientific)
A turbo trainer has a small fly-wheel at the back, which comes into contact with the rear wheel of the bike and provides the pedalling resistance. Usually the amount of resistance is governed by the weight of the fly-wheel and the method of action of the trainer (e.g. magnets, fluid, friction etc). However, in the case of the I-Magic, there is a mechanical brake fitted to the fly-wheel. This allows much greater resistance to be generated allowing the user to simulate uphill or sprint riding. This is all controlled by the systems software. Which leads me on to the second crucial difference, the fact that it is linked to computer software. This allows the user to ride "virtual" races and/ or (as in my case) track their performance and power output. The user can view all of this on the computer screen whilst riding.
Colin attached a couple of sensors to my bike and asked me to put on a chest strap that monitors heart rate. My bike was fitted (minus front wheel) into the I-Magic and I climbed on...
We began with a gentle warm up to allow me to get used to the system. I am obviously used to riding my own trainer, so it was a bit odd riding a different one. The changeable resistance came as a bit of a surprise. One minute I was pedalling along quite happily, the next I was grinding up a hill! It was quite entertaining watching myself speeding through the "virtual" streets and having the crowd cheering me on. Unfortunately, this frivolity didn't last long and soon I had to get down to some real work...
The main bulk of the test was to concentrate on finding my power output. This is to try and find what level of power I can put through the pedals and what my perceived effort is whilst doing so. This is done using a ramp test. Simply put, the system gradually increases the amount of friction generated by the fly-wheel. In doing so, the rider has to use increasing force to keep pedalling. This will cause a related increase in heart rate and perceived effort (perceived effort is a figure given by the rider ranging from 1-20, to correspond to their effort. 1 is easy, 20 is agony).
At the beginning, the pedalling is laughably easy. The only difficulty is trying to pedal slowly enough. Gradually this changes are you find that you are pedalling at your preferred cadence (mine is around 90 revs per minute). The I-magic changes the degree of effort every 30 secs to a minute (I cannot remember which now, sorry). As you pedal, you can see on the screen in front of you the power level you are at. At first, I was managing pretty well. I could still breath and talk to Colin. Gradually it began to get harder. Conversation became less. The beads of sweat began to run down my face and drip onto the floor. On the screen, my power went through the 100's into the 200's and up. I was starting to struggle now and had to change to a higher gear to maintain the required power. I had set a figure of 400 in my head before I started (where it came from, who knows? some crappy cycling novel I read in the dim past probably...). I was still thinking that it was achievable. I was working hard but was now in the 300's. 300 watts came and went. 320 and I was still going. Then, all of a sudden, I was done. As if flicking a switch, I went from okay to toast in a matter of seconds. I managed to 340 watts and that was it. I remember from previous tests that this is not uncommon. Great one minute, done the next. I was knackered but had that nagging feeling that maybe I could have done more? I guess you always feel like this once the actual moment of agony is gone.
I understand from coach Colin that one of the key factors in deciding a training plan is knowing where your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are. This is the point where the effort becomes too much for the body to handle in the usual manner and it changes the way in which energy is produced. This leads to the production of Lactic Acid. Athletes will sometimes refer to this as the "red line" and talk about keeping themselves within their limits whilst training and racing. Hopefully, Colin will be able to analyse the results from my test and let me know where my threshold lies. I am particularly interested to know what heart rate I should try and maintain during the Etape ride. I imagine it would be easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment and go too hard, too soon. This could lead to a disastrous capitulation towards the end of the ride.
After the power test, it took a few minutes of easy paced spinning to recover. One great thing about years of hockey training is that you become use to recovering from exertion. The lovely metallic taste in the back of the throat and the gasping for air, aaah the memories. Anyway, in a few minutes I was able to speak again, although I was now a lot sweatier than when I started.
Next was a sprint test, where I would have to go flat out for 20 seconds. Great. I have always been at my best when not having to sustain performance for more than 30 seconds (no jokes about the bedroom please). As a youngster I was always a sprinter, as opposed to a distance athlete and as a hockey player I would usually back myself in a short sprint for the ball. Colin set it all up and off I went. Eyeballs out. I kept thinking of what Chris Hoy repeats in the book "Heroes, Villains and Velodromes" by Richard Moore (very good read by the way). He constantly refers to "not leaving anything in the tank" and "get it all out onto the track". So I pedalled furiously, head down trying to get the most out of my knackered, old legs. I intended to go all out and only stop to look up once I had heard the beep of the program finishing...but it seemed to go on forever! Finally I looked up at the screen and managed to flop over the line, doing my best to keep the pace up over the last five seconds.
More recovery required and Colin had a look at the numbers. He quickly came to the conclusion that I expected. I am an ideal fit for a cyclist....as long as no one wants me to go further than 200m! Apparently I have a near elite level sprint capacity but unfortunately not the endurance to go with it. I need to try the track...
In summary, I found the session really enjoyable and very motivating. I look forward to working on the results with Colin as I progress nearer the event. It was really pleasing to find that my fitness is not too horrendous, although there is still much to do. It was also really nice to be told that I was actually quite good at something to do with cycling, even if it is of little use in this current quest! A boost to the confidence is always good.
Lastly, may I take the chance to thank Colin and his lovely fiance for taking time out of their evening to help me. It is generosity like this that really makes amateur sports clubs, such as Glasgow Nightingale, enjoyable and worthwhile. Chapeau!
Take care and happy riding,
Col.
http://www.glasgownightingalecc.org.uk/forum/YaBB.pl
I was pleasantly surprised when one of our club members, Colin Bark, got in touch with me via the forum to say that he is training to be a cycle coach and that he would be happy to help me out. This was real music to my ears as I am always glad to get some direction in my training. Having someone knowledgeable advising me will be an invaluable training tool.
We arranged for me to go and see Colin at his home, where I would undergo a fitness assessment. I wasn't really sure what to expect but he assured me it wouldn't be too horrible and that it would help him devise a training plan for me. He asked me to bring my bike, kit, a drink and my training diary (since I began this project, I have been keeping a very brief diary. Each day I take a note of my training, my diet, my health/ well being and any remarkable events that have happened. I jot this down in a paper diary - very unscientific)
*One other thing that Colin had asked me to do was to take my resting pulse rate. This is the number of heart beats per minute when you are at your most relaxed. This gives an indication of your fitness level and also can highlight imminent ill health if monitored regularly. The measurement is usually done on waking prior to any exertion (ideally even before you sit or stand). The most accurate way to measure your heart rate is using a pulse monitor, similar to the one I wear when training. Unfortunately, this is not really practical in our household where waking up is usually the result of a screaming one year old demanding attention! I settled for finding my pulse on my wrist and counting the beats per minute (bpm) using my clock radio! Not very scientific I know, but useful all the same. I have taken the measurement a few times and my resting HR is 43bpm. Not Miguel Indurain class (former 5 time Tour de France winner and famed for a resting HR of 30 or less!) or Lance Armstrong (allegedly mid-30's and with a larger heart capacity than us mortals) but not bad, especially for the West of Scotland!
I have had various fitness tests during my hockey career (bleep test, body fat, strength, flexibility etc) but I was interested to see what a cycling specific test would show. When I arrived at Colin's flat he welcomed me in and showed me the instrument that would be responsible for my upcoming torture. He has a Tacx I-Magic, which is similar to my own home trainer but with a couple of crucial differences...A turbo trainer has a small fly-wheel at the back, which comes into contact with the rear wheel of the bike and provides the pedalling resistance. Usually the amount of resistance is governed by the weight of the fly-wheel and the method of action of the trainer (e.g. magnets, fluid, friction etc). However, in the case of the I-Magic, there is a mechanical brake fitted to the fly-wheel. This allows much greater resistance to be generated allowing the user to simulate uphill or sprint riding. This is all controlled by the systems software. Which leads me on to the second crucial difference, the fact that it is linked to computer software. This allows the user to ride "virtual" races and/ or (as in my case) track their performance and power output. The user can view all of this on the computer screen whilst riding.
Colin attached a couple of sensors to my bike and asked me to put on a chest strap that monitors heart rate. My bike was fitted (minus front wheel) into the I-Magic and I climbed on...
We began with a gentle warm up to allow me to get used to the system. I am obviously used to riding my own trainer, so it was a bit odd riding a different one. The changeable resistance came as a bit of a surprise. One minute I was pedalling along quite happily, the next I was grinding up a hill! It was quite entertaining watching myself speeding through the "virtual" streets and having the crowd cheering me on. Unfortunately, this frivolity didn't last long and soon I had to get down to some real work...
The main bulk of the test was to concentrate on finding my power output. This is to try and find what level of power I can put through the pedals and what my perceived effort is whilst doing so. This is done using a ramp test. Simply put, the system gradually increases the amount of friction generated by the fly-wheel. In doing so, the rider has to use increasing force to keep pedalling. This will cause a related increase in heart rate and perceived effort (perceived effort is a figure given by the rider ranging from 1-20, to correspond to their effort. 1 is easy, 20 is agony).
At the beginning, the pedalling is laughably easy. The only difficulty is trying to pedal slowly enough. Gradually this changes are you find that you are pedalling at your preferred cadence (mine is around 90 revs per minute). The I-magic changes the degree of effort every 30 secs to a minute (I cannot remember which now, sorry). As you pedal, you can see on the screen in front of you the power level you are at. At first, I was managing pretty well. I could still breath and talk to Colin. Gradually it began to get harder. Conversation became less. The beads of sweat began to run down my face and drip onto the floor. On the screen, my power went through the 100's into the 200's and up. I was starting to struggle now and had to change to a higher gear to maintain the required power. I had set a figure of 400 in my head before I started (where it came from, who knows? some crappy cycling novel I read in the dim past probably...). I was still thinking that it was achievable. I was working hard but was now in the 300's. 300 watts came and went. 320 and I was still going. Then, all of a sudden, I was done. As if flicking a switch, I went from okay to toast in a matter of seconds. I managed to 340 watts and that was it. I remember from previous tests that this is not uncommon. Great one minute, done the next. I was knackered but had that nagging feeling that maybe I could have done more? I guess you always feel like this once the actual moment of agony is gone.
I understand from coach Colin that one of the key factors in deciding a training plan is knowing where your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are. This is the point where the effort becomes too much for the body to handle in the usual manner and it changes the way in which energy is produced. This leads to the production of Lactic Acid. Athletes will sometimes refer to this as the "red line" and talk about keeping themselves within their limits whilst training and racing. Hopefully, Colin will be able to analyse the results from my test and let me know where my threshold lies. I am particularly interested to know what heart rate I should try and maintain during the Etape ride. I imagine it would be easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment and go too hard, too soon. This could lead to a disastrous capitulation towards the end of the ride.
After the power test, it took a few minutes of easy paced spinning to recover. One great thing about years of hockey training is that you become use to recovering from exertion. The lovely metallic taste in the back of the throat and the gasping for air, aaah the memories. Anyway, in a few minutes I was able to speak again, although I was now a lot sweatier than when I started.
Next was a sprint test, where I would have to go flat out for 20 seconds. Great. I have always been at my best when not having to sustain performance for more than 30 seconds (no jokes about the bedroom please). As a youngster I was always a sprinter, as opposed to a distance athlete and as a hockey player I would usually back myself in a short sprint for the ball. Colin set it all up and off I went. Eyeballs out. I kept thinking of what Chris Hoy repeats in the book "Heroes, Villains and Velodromes" by Richard Moore (very good read by the way). He constantly refers to "not leaving anything in the tank" and "get it all out onto the track". So I pedalled furiously, head down trying to get the most out of my knackered, old legs. I intended to go all out and only stop to look up once I had heard the beep of the program finishing...but it seemed to go on forever! Finally I looked up at the screen and managed to flop over the line, doing my best to keep the pace up over the last five seconds.
More recovery required and Colin had a look at the numbers. He quickly came to the conclusion that I expected. I am an ideal fit for a cyclist....as long as no one wants me to go further than 200m! Apparently I have a near elite level sprint capacity but unfortunately not the endurance to go with it. I need to try the track...
In summary, I found the session really enjoyable and very motivating. I look forward to working on the results with Colin as I progress nearer the event. It was really pleasing to find that my fitness is not too horrendous, although there is still much to do. It was also really nice to be told that I was actually quite good at something to do with cycling, even if it is of little use in this current quest! A boost to the confidence is always good.
Lastly, may I take the chance to thank Colin and his lovely fiance for taking time out of their evening to help me. It is generosity like this that really makes amateur sports clubs, such as Glasgow Nightingale, enjoyable and worthwhile. Chapeau!
Take care and happy riding,
Col.
Thursday 12 March 2009
Tools of the Trade
One of the great attractions of being a cyclist is the need for cycling specific "kit". Once you start riding a bike you soon realise that there is an almost endless list of things you can purchase to increase your riding pleasure. You start off thinking you just need a bike. Then you need a pump, then a puncture repair kit, then lights, helmets, tools. Soon you think a pair of padded shorts might aid your comfort. Then you need a matching top, and a jacket, and shoes for the job, that need specific pedals, and so it goes on...
Cycling kit can range from the mechanical (frames, wheels, cogs, sprockets, derailleurs etc.) to the fashionable (a seemingly endless supply of lycra based clothing items) to the downright bizarre (chamois cream anyone?) The true cyclist never bores of searching for new items to improve their cycling pleasure. In fact this is almost a pastime in itself.
Cyclists are particularly precious about their clothing. I once read a piece in Cycling Weekly by "The Doc" (Michael Hutchison, a renown British Time Triallist and author of "The Hour - Sporting Immortality the Hard Way", a great read) about cyclists and their wardrobes. He made the following point . It would not be unusual for a cyclist to turn up at their end of year dinner wearing a twenty year old suit. However, the same cyclist would happily spend hundreds of pounds changing their range of cycling specific socks as the current trend was towards ones half an inch longer!
So it was with great gusto that I began preparing myself for the Etape Caledonia. I figured that one of the first things I would need to get right would be my attire. I felt sure that this was an opportunity for me to expand my cycling wardrobe. I should not have worried. Believe it or not The Geoff Thomas Foundation have their own range of clothing including jersey, bibshorts*, gillet and cap.
I ordered these items through The Geoff Thomas Foundation website (I will actually qualify for a free jersey as the total has passed £500 raised, one of the many benefits of raising money for GTF). They have an online shop. The garments are made by Impsports of Lincoln. They took a week or two to arrive and when they did, I was very pleasantly surprised by their quality. The temptation is to think that because they are not mainstream items, they may be slightly inferior. Nothing could be further from the truth. The sizing is spot on and the material is of a very high standard. The all important chamois insert was very comfy and well shaped. I will definitely be wearing these as much as I can during my training and obviously on the big day.
I am normally pretty conservative with my cycling wardrobe (apart from a penchant for white sunglasses!). I usually choose black, or blue but the GTF stuff is a very bright colour, lime green! If nothing else, this means there should be no excuses for people not spotting me when I am out and about on the bike. Remember, if you see me, give me a honk on your horn and a wave!
Take care,
Col.
*for the un-initiated, bibshorts are a cycling specific garment. They feature a padded insert, which helps to prevent saddle soreness. Originally this was a chamois insert but is now a synthetic pad. The quality and comfort varies hugely and a good pad is one of the main features of a good pair of bibshorts. They also have lycra straps that pass over the shoulders to stop the shorts riding up or falling down whilst on the bike. Gaps in your clothing at the lower back are common when riding due to the prone position, bibshorts prevent this.
Monday 2 March 2009
Sleep
I miss sleep. I miss sleep a lot.
Now, I obviously don't mean by that that I am completely sleepless. In fact I currently sleep a lot more than I have done for about the last four years!* What I mean is that I miss a certain type of sleep. Let me try and explain...
I usually have a look at my kids on my way up to bed of an evening (just to check they are ok) and I am often more than a little envious of their incredibly deep, dreamless sleep. This is a type of sleep that you can really only achieve when you are young. I think it comes with having no worries or cares in the world. Now I am definitely not one of lifes worriers and I am fortunate to have a very happy, comfortable life most of the time. I don't lead a stressless existance but I am no finger nail biter either. However, gradually as one grows up and takes on responsibilites (especially having kids) your lifestyle and your thought processes inevitably change. I think this definitely has an effect on your sleep patterns.
I have always needed a lot of sleep. I have always been an early to bed man (story goes that I used to ask my Mum not to tell my mates what time I went to bed). As a youngster, nine hours or so was the norm. Now I would quite happily still sleep eight hours a night (ideally - like my kids - with an early night and early start, the best time of the day). The big difference though is that whereas when I was younger you could have hit me on the head with a brick and I wouldn't have woken up, now I sleep much more fitfully. It is not unusual for me to take a while to nod off, or to wake two to three times during the night. This is not aided by the fact that I suffer from a condition known as restless legs (google it).
Also, one thing I have started to notice recently is that with the increased volume of training I am doing, I am going to have to pay more attention to "recovery". It sounds daft but I can see that there is a need to just sit on my backside sometimes and obviously to try and maximise my shut eye. There have been a few mornings recently when I have woken and realised straight away that I am short of the required amount. If I don't watch out, this could affect my training. With that, I am off for a lie down...
Take care and happy snoozing,
Col.
*I have a 3yr old and a 1yr old, both of whom now sleep through the night (in their own beds) and are generally great sleepers but this has not always been the case and they have both had a love for early mornings since they were born. 5 am has not been an unusual start time in our house for the last few years, now at least we usually make it to 6am!
Now, I obviously don't mean by that that I am completely sleepless. In fact I currently sleep a lot more than I have done for about the last four years!* What I mean is that I miss a certain type of sleep. Let me try and explain...
I usually have a look at my kids on my way up to bed of an evening (just to check they are ok) and I am often more than a little envious of their incredibly deep, dreamless sleep. This is a type of sleep that you can really only achieve when you are young. I think it comes with having no worries or cares in the world. Now I am definitely not one of lifes worriers and I am fortunate to have a very happy, comfortable life most of the time. I don't lead a stressless existance but I am no finger nail biter either. However, gradually as one grows up and takes on responsibilites (especially having kids) your lifestyle and your thought processes inevitably change. I think this definitely has an effect on your sleep patterns.
I have always needed a lot of sleep. I have always been an early to bed man (story goes that I used to ask my Mum not to tell my mates what time I went to bed). As a youngster, nine hours or so was the norm. Now I would quite happily still sleep eight hours a night (ideally - like my kids - with an early night and early start, the best time of the day). The big difference though is that whereas when I was younger you could have hit me on the head with a brick and I wouldn't have woken up, now I sleep much more fitfully. It is not unusual for me to take a while to nod off, or to wake two to three times during the night. This is not aided by the fact that I suffer from a condition known as restless legs (google it).
Also, one thing I have started to notice recently is that with the increased volume of training I am doing, I am going to have to pay more attention to "recovery". It sounds daft but I can see that there is a need to just sit on my backside sometimes and obviously to try and maximise my shut eye. There have been a few mornings recently when I have woken and realised straight away that I am short of the required amount. If I don't watch out, this could affect my training. With that, I am off for a lie down...
Take care and happy snoozing,
Col.
*I have a 3yr old and a 1yr old, both of whom now sleep through the night (in their own beds) and are generally great sleepers but this has not always been the case and they have both had a love for early mornings since they were born. 5 am has not been an unusual start time in our house for the last few years, now at least we usually make it to 6am!
Lance Armstrong
There are relatively few people in the world as famous as Lance Armstrong. There are definitely a very small number of sportsmen as famous as he. However, there are an even smaller number of people who divide opinion quite as much as he does. Considering he is not a politician, a fascist dictator, or a multiple murderer, Lance Armstrong truly has the ability to engender very strong emotions in both his fans and detractors alike.
Most people, cycling fans or not (unless you have been living in a self-contained bubble for the last ten years) will know the story of Lance Armstrong. In 1997 he was a professional cyclist and a good one at that. He had already won the much coveted cycling World Championships and a prestigious one-day classic. He had also won stages of the Tour de France. Then, seemingly at the height of his powers, he was struck down by testicular cancer. The cancer was incredibly severe and had spread to many areas of his body. He had secondary cancer of the lungs and brain. He then underwent several surgeries (including brain surgery) and an intensive chemotherapy program. He survived and then went on to win the world's biggest cycle race, The Tour de France, in 1999. He even went on to win an unprecedented seven Tours in a row from 1999 to 2005 (the previous best was five victories). To underline his commitment to cancer, he founded The Lance Armstrong Foundation, which helps in research and treatment of cancer. Among other things he pioneered the yellow LIVESTRONG wristbands that are now seen on arms throughout the world.
So, all good then you might think? Nothing controversial there at all. Well, the story runs a bit deeper than this brief outline might show and this is what makes Lance such a complex character. I will try and outline this in as unprejudiced way as I can...
Several people believe that Lance Armstrong achieved his successes in the Tour de France by using performance enhancing techniques. By this I basically mean various practices of doping (drug cheating). The theories run from misuse of drugs such as Testosterone and Erythropotein (EPO) to autologous and homogeneous blood doping (re-infusing your own or someone/ something elses blood). These are all well known practices in the world of endurance sport and they all have a significantly beneficial effect on performance (for example, if I took a regular course of EPO prior to doing the Etape, I could expect to be at least 30 mins faster over the relatively short course).
Lance would tell you that he has never failed a drugs test (strictly not true, he failed a drug control at the 1999 Tour for testosterone misuse but, seemingly out of nowhere, he conjured a doctors certificate saying he was using a steroid cream for a saddle sore. He had earlier stated that he had no such exemptions) and that he is the most tested athlete in the world (also not true but he does submit to a lot of drug testing all the same).
On the other hand there is some fairly compelling evidence for the prosecution. Several of his former team mates and staff have stated that Lance used drugs. It has even been claimed by some that he was using these items before he was diagnosed with cancer and that this was part on the cause of the disease (google Betsy Andreu). David Walsh (the respected Sunday Times journalist) has almost made it his lifes work to uncover the myths of Armstrong and his books LA Confidentiel and From Lance to Landis do a pretty good job, without uncovering the "smoking gun" as it is called.
For me the most damning statistics are purely sporting. Prior to his cancer treatment, Lance was a very good cyclist (as I have said a former World Champion and stage winner in the Tour de France). However, he was a certain type of cyclist. He was a one day racer. He was relatively big, strong on the flat roads, with a punchy turn of speed for short climbs or sprints. He was definitely not a mountain climber and definitely not a Tour de France contender (he had competed in the race many times, occasionally winning stages, but always finishing many minutes or hours down on the overall winner). To suddenly turn into a Tour winner post-treatment is stretching the imagination to say the least (Lance and his team always put forward a theory that he had lost weight as a result of the cancer and that this change in body shape was the reason for his new skill in longer races. In actual fact, studies done on Armstrong as a youngster and later in his career show no real difference in body weight).
The second "fact" comes from that first Tour de France victory in 1999. In this race Lance didn't just win, he completely annihilated the field. He won by a margin of 7 minutes, 37 seconds. Now it is not unheard of for a rider to win by this amount but what makes it such a damning statistic here is the riders he was competing against. The late nineties are generally regarded as a time that was rife with doping throughout cycling. In particular, the abuse of EPO to boost the amount of red blood cells in the blood, thus allowing the rider to ride faster, for longer. Of the other riders in the top ten of the 1999 Tour de France, up to more than half of them have either been convicted or suspected of doping, depending on what you read or who you believe. Some of them have been banned from the sport. (see here: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Tour_de_France_19992008_article_267949.html for an idea, although they are pretty lenient on the 99 riders, especially those from Spanish teams, I think.)
So, taking all of this into account, there is certainly food for thought as far as Lance and doping is concerned. Some would argue that "so what" and his legacy to cancer sufferers transcends any cheating in sport. Others would say that this irreparably tarnishes his legacy. You make up your own mind, I guess.
I wanted to finish this post with a list of true facts about Lance. However, this is not as easy as it might seem. Try his name for example (pretty easy that one you might think) he was actually born Lance Edward Gunderson and changed his surname to that of his (now estranged) stepfather. If you search on the internet for his height, or weight, or racing program, or sexual orientation even it would appear that you get as many different answers as searches. So what I have decided to finish with is a list of my facts about Lance. Here they are...
- Lance Armstrong inspired me during my recovery from cancer (for this I will always be grateful). His book "It's not about the Bike" is a true inspiration for many (btw his second one is naval gazing crap).
- Lance Armstrong got me back into bikes and bike riding (again, very grateful. I wouldn't be the cycling geek I am now, were it not for him).
- Lance Armstrong amazed me with his early Tour wins. I revelled in his beating of Ullrich (especially "the look" on Alpe D'Huez) and his total domination.
- Lance Armstrong lost a lot of his appeal once I started to scratch beneath the surface and became more aware of the world of professional cycling.
- Lance Armstrong is a superb manipulator of the media but is also a bully and I suspect, an arse in real life.
So, Lance Armstrong will always have a place for me (as he will for many millions) but it is not quite the place that it could have been...
Take care and happy riding,
Col.
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