|
|
 |
 Note the fierce determination in the look of veteran biker Andy Murcia as he gets ready to leave younger riders in his dust. Note the apparent indifference of the young blonde in the background. Wait until she hears the whir of his wheels! |
Bike racing deserves
to blossom in America
By ANDY MURCIA
of TheColumnists.com
We all know by now that Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France for the seventh time. This feat was unprecedented in the history of bike racing. But can even Lance make bike racing a first-tier sport in America?
One would think that because an American from Texas beat all the other riders from all those other countries that we would treat bike racing as we do basketball, baseball, or football. Heretofore, this has not been the case. Sadly it seems that bike racing is right down there with soccer as some goofy sport from overseas.
Since Lance won again, the sports talk shows are yapping again about “who’s the greatest athlete?” Webster defines “athlete” as 1. One who takes part in competitive sports. 2. One who possesses natural aptitudes for physical exercise and sport.
We Americans seem to have a hard time giving bike racing proper respect. I want to go on record as saying anyone who can ride a bike from July 2 to July 24, under trying circumstances, up and down those mountains, is without a doubt a prime candidate for the title “world’s greatest athlete.”
We know that Lance “exercised” for a longer time on his long bike race than any other athlete in any other sport known to me. Old basketball great Charles Barkley once said, when asked if he thought Lance was a great athlete, “he just rides a bike.”
Yes, he sure does, Sir Charles and we know he can ride it longer and faster than anyone else in the world. Perhaps it’s remarks like this that keep bike racing down? I mean Barkley in his prime might have tried bike racing for fun and exercise and Lance might shoot some hoops for a diversion, but all things equal there would be a giant difference in their respective performance.
Bike racing is as much a sport as basketball is. It qualifies on numerous levels. Try going down a mountainside at about 60 miles per hour. The rider better be fit to the max in order to keep that lightweight bike on the road. As a rookie bike rider myself,I nearly killed myself doing less then 30 mph down a hill. I flipped off the road and wound up on my back out cold. (see my “Killer And Me” column).
One has to have strength and a fantastic cardiovascular fitness to be like Lance. Let's also not forget the teamwork involved in a race like the Tour de France. For anyone to say that bike racing isn’t a legit sport is just a way of saying they personally may not pay attention to all that goes into it or perhaps they’re someone who just don’t think it’s important. To each his own would apply.
My old Chicago police partner Ray Komara detests basketball, but don’t you say anything about his Chicago Cubs. But, hey, we don’t have to watch all sports to appreciate them as such. I mean, how many of us really watch these iron men contests? Yet we can’t deny the athletic abilities of those who do well in them.
Bike racing is a sport and Lance Armstrong is a champion athlete for the record books. Mention only his first name ‘Lance” and, world-wide, they know who you're talking about. Even in this final race before his retirement, the best bike racers in the world failed to really challenge him.
To put his seven Tour de France wins in perspective, I think of the great Belgian bike racer Eddy “Cannibal” Merckx who won the most bike races of all time. Yet he was only able to win the Tour de France on five occasions. When he tried for No. 6, they had to carry him off the mountainside, totally spent.
Lance, on the other hand, rode into Paris in style, with a lot left in his gas tank. It was heartwarming to see him hug his children. He even admonished those naysayers in his remarks. Because I’m married to a positive person who happens to be a “dreamer” and still believes in “miracles,” she insisted that I repeat Lance's post-race quote in case you missed it:
“For you people who don’t believe in cycling--the cynics and the skeptics--I’m sorry for you. I’m sorry you can’t dream big and I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles. There are no secrets. This is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it.”
We Americans shouldn't be debating Lance's accomplishments on radio and TV talk shows. Rather we should start appreciatomg what he’s already done. Many experts say it’s not likely we'll ever see his accomplishments matched. If we just consider the physical condition alone that a person must be in to win this bike race not once but seven times, we would see why we should all support Lance and, hopefully, bike racing.
I love boxing but, with all due respect, Ali got a one-minute rest for every 3 minutes of boxing. If we count the time he spent laying on the ropes in a rope-a-dope position and the seconds when he was not being hit while using his great footwork to dance around his opponent, he got even more rest. If we take in to account the resting or time outs of other popular sports then we’d see that Lance had to be in much better shape than the others to ride that long, grueling bike race.
I’m just an amateur bike rider. I became a semi-serious bike rider about 1992 when I turned 52. My son, Andrew, was born that year and I knew I had to get in better shape to live long enough to enjoy him. Any older parent knows exactly what I’m talking about. It’s like George Burns, Milton Berle and Bob Hope always said as they got older, “If I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself.”
At 52, my knees would not let me do a lot of other sports that required high impact. So, I got to thinking about the sports that I liked as a boy and bike riding in the 1950’s was very popular. I soon found myself trying to ride a bike again. It’s true what they say about “you never forget.” On my very first ride, as soon as I felt that refreshing breeze in my face, I knew that I had found a sport that could keep me alive for as long as God would permit.
Sure, I got tired at first, but, with practice, I was soon riding daily for an hour or more. The more I rode the bike the more I liked it. I even bought a mountain bike, which I nicknamed “Killer.” Those of you who read my “Killer And Me” column in the archives here know why I gave this bike that name. But I started riding Killer in a safer location, like paved bike paths and to this day the bike still serves me well.
Each morning I rise about 6 a.m. and head to the bike path near my home. There are some regulars there, but on occasion a new guy makes the scene. Once I’m on the path doing “my ride,” I encounter other cyclists and invariably a race will occur. I take on my “Lance” demeanor. I’m wearing some yellow in my shirt and my face looks like it’s carved into cement. My head is lowered and my lungs damn near sucking in all the leaves off the path. Hey, I can dream can’t I?
I quickly check out the new rider. If the guy’s a “rookie,” all his equipment is brand new. These new, younger guys want to see how they match up against us old timers. They “think” they can easily out ride someone who looks as old as me. Little do they know that I’ve been training for years now. They’ve been drinking six packs and playing with their Ipods. I usually let them pass me and then just to stretch me out I put the pressure on them.
I start my steady cranking. I stay just close enough to let them know that they had better bring it all, as I’m not going anywhere. When we get to a long straightaway with a little incline I start to pour it on. Unless I erred in thinking they were untrained, I am soon grinding them up. As I pass them I politely greet them with a very relaxed full breath, “good morning, pal!” I can see their faces as red as strawberries and they're huffing and puffing like the little engine that was about to break down. I continue cranking until I’m out of their sight. Once the ride is over I feel just like Lance!
Soon I’m back to being just Andy as I’m back in the parking lot hooking my bike up to my vehicle for the ride home. Occasionally the rider I left in the dust will be just arriving and come over to talk to me. The younger guys in their 40s are taken aback that I’m old enough to be their father and in one case the guy’s grandfather. As we talk, I let them know how long I’ve been riding and training myself to ride that strong at age 64.
I tell them that if they train, it'll be just a matter of time before they're leaving me in their dust. This occurred with my pal Howard Levine. I got him interested in biking and loaned him one of my bikes at the start. Howard is about 10 years younger then me. He trained himself so well that in short order he was not only keeping up with me but able to pass me. Howard soon bought his own bike, also a mountain bike type, and he put mucho miles on it. Soon Howard wanted to go even faster and longer and so he bought a road bike. He soon had those skinny tires going so fast that he’d wound up waiting 20 minutes or more for me at the halfway point in our ride. At my age, there was no way I could ever keep up with him. Howard trains by riding longer and farther then I do and he looks great for it. He has slimmed himself down to his best condition in years and he gives full credit to his bike riding (and his wife Jill’s healthy cooking).
I tell you all this because anyone of just about any age can use bike riding as a means to get in better condition. When the knees go on us, we can apply the lightest touch in pedaling, something we can’t do in jogging or high impact activity. I’ve met people out riding who are well into their 80’s. They all credit the bike for holding off old age as best they can. So, maybe we all won’t be competition for Lance but getting in better condition surely won’t hurt our chances for living a longer and healthier life.
I’ve noticed that more bike shops are popping up all over in Los Angeles. Maybe it's the same in your city. I take this as a good sign that maybe we are paying more attention to bike racing and pleasure riding more for ourselves. To ride a bike is to gain respect for what Lance does with one. I hope at last that we Americans are finally recognizing bike racing as a true sport worthy of our time and attention.
As for that debate abut who's the best athlete, I say Lance Armstrong because he can outlast any other man, anywhere on this planet!
Except maybe that fabulous character, “Lance" Murcia of the Senior Tour de Sherman Oaks!
©2005 by Andy Murcia. The caricature
of Andy Murcia is ©2003 by Jim Hummel. The photo of Andy
Murcia in bike gear is from the National Gallery of American
Sport Heroes. (That's where the photographer handed it over to
Andy.)
You
can comment on this column online. Please address your message
to either "The Editors" or Andy Murcia. To send an
email, click here: talkback@thecolumnists.com
|
|
|
Archives |
|
|