Photos of the Day: The power that comes from within


Time to zone out from today's late-breaking, interminable, and depressing 'did-he-or-didn't-he' doping news, and enjoy a few photos specially selected to match the local weather here today, and serve as a reminder of why we all love this sport.  

The pure spectacle of man against mountain, in adverse weather.  A setting that strips away all the nonsense and leaves us with the bare essence.   A man. A bike. Adversity.  Acceptance.

And a quote that - to me anyway - is a pretty relevant response to today's headlines and associated spin.  Particularly to those of us who might be asking the obvious question,  "tell me why should I believe in this sport again?"

"I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way.  I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way.   

So where does the power come from, to see the race to it’s end?  From within."
                                                                        Ian Charleson, as Eric Liddell:  Chariots of Fire, 1980.


'The Angel Appeared between Snowbanks'
Charly Gaul.   Giro d'Italia, 1957.




































'Broken Shoulder, Unbreakable Spirit'
Fiorenzo Magni.  Giro d'Italia 1956.
Climbing to 2nd overall on the famous Monte Bondone blizzard stage







'Winged Archangel, with Sword'
Charly Gaul.  Giro d'Italia, 1956.
Triumphant climb to the Maglia Rosa in the Storm after slaying his opponents with his weapon of choice.

Comments

  1. Imagine how much faster they would have been with a radio in their ear so someone in a warm car could scream at them.

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  2. HA! That's awesome Gunnar. You said it all!!
    E.

    ReplyDelete
  3. That comment reminds me of Constantine yelling from his Fiat 128 as we were in a breakaway in the Putnam Road Race many years ago - that was the only communication we had back then.

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  4. L-B-L April 20, 1980
    244 Km Liege-Bastogne-Liege
    1. Bernard HINAULT (Fra) 7h01'42"
    2. Hennie Kupier (Hol) +9'24"
    3. Ronnie Claes (Bel)

    Starters: 174
    Finishers: 21
    Average Speed: 34.720 km/h

    ReplyDelete
  5. So, I am of three minds on the subject of doping. On one front we see someone doing what is presumably (and increasingly more obvious) everyone is doing. Is there an "unfair" advantage being gained using a tool everyone else is?

    On the second I see someone that has beaten cancer (if the opening barb was pointed at whom we all assume it was) apparently using substances that aren't at all healthy in the long run, and can catastrophically shorten the lives of otherwise healthy people using them.

    The third front sees someone hypocritically claiming to never have used anything in the face of increasing evidence to the contrary.

    I am beginning to see randonneurs as the true cycling hard folk.

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  6. Being a member of the US Cycling Team in the 80's I can tell you that there are other methods of blood-doping without using EPO or any other substance that was the choice in the 1990's.

    I am certain that NOW there is a test for the viscosity of blood to determine if another undetectable substance contributed to blood-doping.

    However, I know of a system that will replicate ultra-high elevation training (above 10,000 ft) that you can do at sea level - this has never been disclosed by me and there is only 6 people in the world that know about it - even after all these years.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Firstly, any pro sport is not a sport really, it is entertainment and entertainment is business. Ever noticed those commercials during Superball? What’s the difference between Superball, TDF and rock concert?

    Secondly, when was the last time the entertainer was investigated by Feds for using drugs? For selling maybe, but for performance enhancement? They all doped to eyebrows but it does not bother anyone. Was Elvis a cheater?

    Sport is what you, and I, and our kids do. Those guys are entertainers. Lets leave them alone to do their job. Health risks? Are you kidding me? The job itself is so risky that anything else is irrelevant.

    ReplyDelete
  8. There's no question that in order to become a professional cyclist, or rock star, or football player, that you have to be extremely good (read - naturally talented) at what you do - way better than the average participant.
    Once you get into the professional ranks, however, it's the desire to stand out that encourages drug cheating - you are now in a field where everyone else is at least as good as you and you have to do something to be that little bit better.

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  9. A little known FACT for most people - LANCE ARMSTRONG TESTED POSITIVE 6 TIMES FOR EPO in 1999 WHEN THE LABS WERE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHICH TEST WOULD BE BEST USED TO DETECT EPO - OFFICIAL TESTING BEGAN IN 2001BY THE UCI.

    In 2002 Lance Armstrong "donated $100,000" to the UCI - in what now Pat McQuaid considers a mistake for accepting the money.

    SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_doping_case s_in_cycling

    ReplyDelete

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