Thoughts on Lance

I just read this excellent article by someone named Stratton that kind of summed up my feelings on Lance's announcement.

It also made me realize that if it wasn't for Lance, I wouldn't be doing what I am doing this week. Lance was the reason that almost all current American cycling fans started watching The Tour, and getting excited about it. I was living in Texas when he first started winning, and Lance Fever was rampant, as you can imagine. I loved watching the Blue Train drive the peloton, 'The Look', the crazy duels up Alp d'Huez, and so much more.

Did they dope? I am sure they all did. It was an era where doping was rampant in this and many other sports. Is it right? No, and it never will be. The fact that 'everybody did it' is no excuse. But you can't take away how amazing it was to watch the race unfold over 3 weeks in the beautiful countryside, with drama, intensity, and a sense of awe at what they could do on the bike.

Americans knew very little about pro cycling before Lance. Sure, we had 7-11 as well as Lemond, but coverage was spotty and you really had to be a wonk and read Velo News or buy a foreign newspaper at the store to know what was going on. The increased coverage that Motorola and then USPS generated with their success drew legions of fans, who then went out and bought bikes and jerseys and rode those bikes while reliving those moments in their heads. Cycling went from a fringe sport to something that a large part of the country at least did occasionally, and certainly watched a lot of in July.

Lance was also instrumental in starting the USA Pro Challenge. He worked with Governor Bill Ritter to get it off the ground, and his connections and influence were a key reason that Quizno's signed on as the anchor sponsor.

So - fast forward to this week - I volunteered to help out at the Durango stage because I have truly become a cycling wonk, and I have had no problem bantering about bike racing with my crew mates. Thanks to a steady diet of Phil and Paul, I understand the strategies and the races within the race. And thanks to the motivation that watching the pro's has given me to ride hard and push myself, I have at least a tiny understanding of the dedication and the pain that goes into being a successful pro rider. These guys are tough as nails.

So thank you Lance, for igniting the cycling passion in me and so many others. I am truly sorry that it ended this way for you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to busting my ass to support this great race in this great sport.