Heroes and Zeroes
Could there possibly be anyone on the planet who hasn’t heard of a cycling drug scandal? There may be a primitive reclusive culture somewhere in New Guinea or perhaps the oval office, but if you have any access to media it has touched you someway. Riders are condemned quickly, some who’ve been caught are allowed to race again after a hand slap, and anyone who wins a lot is under suspicion. It is a topsy turvy world of heroes and zeroes.
How do you sort it all out? What do you tell your children? Armstrong came back from cancer and won seven TDF and never touched dope? Hamilton and Landis made heroic efforts and then were phenomenally stupid? Millar was dirty but took a time out and is suddenly clean and fresh? Professional cycling has always been under the shadow of doping but the issue here is not what the pros are doing but what do you tell your kids.
You can’t raise your kids in a vacuum, they are going to hear everything you do and possibly more. We draw a certain amount of inspiration from the pros as will our children but who do they look to first? Us. If all a child knows about cycling is what they hear on TV or the internet then we have failed. If watching the pros inspires us to get off our butts and ride, then it is watching us that inspires our children. They will learn more about what is right and wrong in racing by being taught how to race and not by being given a scorecard of who’s clean and who’s dirty.
What if you don’t have kids? I don’t have children myself but I feel a responsibility to teach and nurture the younger generations be they 5 or 35. Nothing will keep you humble so much as the scrutiny of a child. Taking the time to listen to the youngsters will also keep you from getting old so fast.
Don’t coach or preach from the couch. Get out there and ride with the youngsters, share the wealth. If you can inspire someone to enjoy the sport of cycling then you are a hero in my book. Hats off to you!
How do you sort it all out? What do you tell your children? Armstrong came back from cancer and won seven TDF and never touched dope? Hamilton and Landis made heroic efforts and then were phenomenally stupid? Millar was dirty but took a time out and is suddenly clean and fresh? Professional cycling has always been under the shadow of doping but the issue here is not what the pros are doing but what do you tell your kids.
You can’t raise your kids in a vacuum, they are going to hear everything you do and possibly more. We draw a certain amount of inspiration from the pros as will our children but who do they look to first? Us. If all a child knows about cycling is what they hear on TV or the internet then we have failed. If watching the pros inspires us to get off our butts and ride, then it is watching us that inspires our children. They will learn more about what is right and wrong in racing by being taught how to race and not by being given a scorecard of who’s clean and who’s dirty.
What if you don’t have kids? I don’t have children myself but I feel a responsibility to teach and nurture the younger generations be they 5 or 35. Nothing will keep you humble so much as the scrutiny of a child. Taking the time to listen to the youngsters will also keep you from getting old so fast.
Don’t coach or preach from the couch. Get out there and ride with the youngsters, share the wealth. If you can inspire someone to enjoy the sport of cycling then you are a hero in my book. Hats off to you!
posted by Speedo at 11:01 AM
3 Comments:
yeah man but kids are annoying with their little hands reaching into everything(they are like gypsies) and never shutting up, kinda like mike padgett only young... pffff.. lol. personally i don't care to ride with kids well.. unless they are 18 year old dallas cowboy cheerleaders.. maybe i should adopt one or 2 of them..hmmm
lets ride together sometime homeboy! i need to be tortured...
I am very conflicted in this situation. Part of me hates the SOB's for tarnishing this beautiful sport that I love. The other part of me just wants it to go away so I can enjoy the sport for its inherent beauty in blissful ignorance of who is on what performance enhancing substance. Unfortunately I think this is much like the nuclear arms race and I think it will continue for as long as there are those who think they can beat "the system."
and of course you know armstrong won 7 tdf's... not 6
Post a Comment
<< Home