Tag Archives: Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong – In Shades of Grey

Posted on by
Reply

Every once in a while comes an athlete who transcends the boundary of his/her discipline and becomes the identity of the sport (I would not say bigger than the sport). And in that athlete’s lifetime comes a performance which defines the greatness. Only, Lance Armstrong had seven of them. Not to mention a Hollywood-esque battle against all odds (read cancer).

Thus it was no surprise that Lance Armstrong became the biggest name in cycling next to the Tour de France (though a sizeable chunk consider his aura even larger). In the course of it all he inevitably made a few enemies, and a fair number of critics. But the way Armstrong polarized the sport and opinions was nothing like cycling (or maybe any sport) had ever seen.

One trait however, that even his staunchest critics agreed on, was that “Lance never said never.” Be it against chemo in the hospital, or on the slopes of the Alpe d’Huez, Armstrong was the epitome of clichés such as “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.” So it was a huge shock when he volunteered to back down in his fight with the USADA (United States Anti Doping Agency) about doping allegations against him.

On 24 August, he released a statement blaming the USADA for orchestrating a witch hunt, and leaving him with no reasonable chance of a fair fight. In his own words, “there comes a point in every man’s life when he has to say enough is enough,” and this according to him was enough. The statement instantly sent tremors through multiple organizations and groups. If the debate wasn’t hot enough already, this was like pouring an explosive incendiary substance into the fire.

Within minutes of his statement, opinions started pouring in – tilting decisively either way. That is the main reason I held myself back from writing this post for a couple of weeks. Now having read varying ranges of arguments, allegations, counter allegations, opinions, expert opinions, impassioned opinions; I’m going to add my own. First the facts:

(a)    Lance Armstrong won seven straight Tour de France titles between 1999 – 2005. He never once tested positive* (the asterisk is VERY important, and will be elaborated later).

(b)   Most top riders, who won anything of importance/made the podium during that era, have been either convicted or have confessed to have doped.

(c)    USADA, after a long court battle, have framed their case around “non analytical positives” (I’ll explain what this means) to implicate Mr Armstrong and others (chief among them being his team boss Johan Bruyneel and doctor Michele Ferrari, both of whom continue to fight charges).

(d)   Armstrong’s lawsuit against USADA was rejected by a federal judge (following which he decided to stop fighting the case).

Now for the two lines of arguments (I’ll only list the major points), starting with those in favour of the rider:

(a)    Lance had 500+ tests and NEVER once returned positive for any performance enhancing substance.

(b)   Even if he did dope, so did the entire peloton around him (as evident by the convictions), so that only gave him a fair chance to win. In other words, he had no other option, and it was the mutually accepted norm.

(c)    USADA’s case is based solely on “testimonies” by “tainted riders”, most of which have been acquired in return of favours (such as reduced bans). This according to many is an underhanded tactic.

Those against the rider:

(a)    He DID test positive (at least twice on record), but his political clout and cronies within the UCI covered it with fake backdated prescriptions. Also he almost always got advance notice of doping controls.

(b)   Riders indulging in EPO or blood doping rarely tested positive during the 90s and 2000s, simply because there were no tests then that could detect such materials (the joke was – if you fail a drug test in competition, you have failed an IQ test). Hence few were ever convicted of doping during their time (almost none due to a positive test), with most convictions coming much later, mostly in the form of confessions or testimonies.

(c)    USADA is using testimonies not only of the so-called “tainted riders”, but various other qualified people (team masseur, doctors etc) who were part of Armstrong’s team over the years. This is called a “non analytical positive” and is used when technology cannot prove doping; however there is substantial evidence against the athlete having committed the offence. In today’s age of clinical dopers who blatantly and continually lie against any wrong doing, this is a justifiable means (note Marion Jones was convicted of doping in this manner, who never confessed untill she was brought down by testimonies).

So obviously we have two very polarized groups here, who have their own way of looking at the facts. Anyone reading this would in all probabilities join either group (if he/she hasn’t already), so my opinion won’t matter much, however I shall try to simplify the confusion to as best as I can. Speaking personally, I believe Lance doped. I will talk on his legend status later, first let me justify my belief (without any of the above bravado):

(a)    The “non analytical positive” is a perfectly legal means of implicating an athlete, with the Marion Jones case being a proven example why it works.

(b)   Lance did have phenomenal clout among the UCI and other powers that be in his days (even now to an extent) and the claim that he had 500 tests is sheer exaggeration. He did have close to 250 tests, and twice he tested positive (Le Tour in 1999 and the Tour of Switzerland in 2001), but both times the test was overturned on technicalities.

(c)    In the EPO fuelled peloton of the 2000s, it would be a little naïve to imagine a clean rider being able to generate the kind of power required to compete at the top. Even the riders winning today are posting slower times compared to the early 2000s. I don’t think anybody would believe that M/s Wiggins and company are not as capable/talented as their predecessors; hence the times do indicate to some “unknown” factor during the Armstrong era.

Yes all the above might amount to circumstantial evidence, but the one clinching argument that swayed me is what I wrote above – Lance never says never. He has fought these allegations since 1999, and even in his final salvo he took USADA to court – and lost. So backing down when being faced with tangible evidence for the first time can be construed as a tacit admission of guilt (no matter what belligerent words he might use to cover it up). If Lance is indeed clean, he should continue fighting, and win, and sue the USADA. If he is wary of the testimonies, then there is something that he is uncomfortable to expose. And while he may never have tested positive, so didn’t Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery, Dwain Chambers, Ivan Basso, Jan Ullrich, Alejandro Valverde and many more who have all since been disgraced.

Anyways as I wrote above, most people have already made up their mind, so this discussion is irrelevant. What matters is the road ahead. Again here are the facts:

(a)    USADA have declared Armstrong’s unwillingness to fight as an admission of guilt. They have stripped the rider of all his victories including the seven Tour de France titles, and banned him from competing for life. WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) have expressed their support in upholding the ban.

(b)   Cycling’s governing body, UCI, are not pleased with USADA’s actions, as they claim the American agency has no jurisdiction to impose such a ban. UCI are studying the case and might appeal against USADA in CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).

(c)    Tour de France’s organizers, ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), just seem to be in wait and watch mode.

(d)   Johan Bruyneel and Michele Ferrari have not yet backed down from the case and seem to be keen to continue fighting the USADA.

The last point is probably the most important. Lance is retired from the sport, but these two continue to be in a powerful and influential position in cycling, and if found dirty, then it is important they are suitably banned to prevent causing any further damage. As to the ban on Lance, in all probabilities, UCI will take USADA to court (to save face and escape the embarrassing decision of whom to award “those” seven titles) and then it is upto CAS to give a final binding decision on the matter (which I sincerely hope comes soon and puts an end to it).

By deciding not to contest USADA in court, Armstrong has played a neat tactical maneuver. Had the case gone ahead and evidence been made public, there was a big chance his reputation would have been damaged beyond repair. Forever. But now with no case, the evidence stays buried, and the final judgment shall always hang in limbo. This uncertainty in a way absolves Lance from any legal conviction, and thus he may claim to be “innocent unless proven otherwise.”

Again as I wrote above, this smart-alec maneuver (of not contending the case) was the clincher for me to truly believe he had something to hide/be afraid of. By walking off the battle, his PR team may have scored a stalemate typical of astute lawyers, but its unbecoming of a sporting hero. By opting to lay his arms, Lance has cheated the fans out of the truth (whichever way it would have panned out).

USADA chief, Travis Tygart has indicated that he would make all efforts to make much of the evidence public while filing a report to WADA. However even he agrees, it might not have the reach and impact as it would have had being presented as evidence in a public trial. Hence it is all the more important that USADA fights Bruyneel and Ferrari, which would bring the evidence out into the open. One thing is clear, the villain here the UCI, who have long turned a blind eye to mass doping, and the real victim is the hapless fan (and other clean riders who have lost their careers).

As to LIVESTRONG, I believe that is a different aspect of Lance, one that is genuinely laudable, and which continues to be an inspiration. I myself have been guided by his example and determination and proudly wear the yellow wrist band (even now). Yes the charity’s yellow hue harks back to the tainted yellow jerseys, yes there might not have been any LIVESTRONG without the multiple Tour winning Lance, yes the seemingly unbelievable victories is what made millions look upto him; BUT (and a big one), after recent events I think it is time to separate the two. LIVESTRONG is and shall remain a beacon of hope, something Lance Armstrong can be proudly remembered for.

As to his cycling legacy, a black or white decision by CAS (if it gets a chance) will go a long way in determining it for the future. But in all probability despite any verdict, it will continue to be as polarizing as ever. Yes every once in a while comes an athlete who transcends the boundary of his/her sport and becomes the identity of the sport.  This time however, we seem to have been offered a mirage, and the results of that are always heartbreaking.

ps: Apart from the links in the post, here are two of the best articles that describe the entire saga in an emotional and analytical manner

Anna Zimmerman pens a moving article on the saga from a hapless fan’s angle, titled – Armstrong applies for martyr status.

The brilliant The Science of Sport blog analyses The Armstrong Fallout, discussing thoughts and theories in detail.

About these ads

Tour de France 2012 – Stage 5

Posted on by
Reply

Two days, two sprints, two crashes – one result. And that was André Greipel winning his second successive stage in this year’s Tour, making it his 15th victory of the season. While his team again managed to keep him out of trouble, they were not able to launch him as well as he would have liked, but the in form German still came from behind to pip Matt Goss in the final sprint.

Cavendish who managed to escape the crash today, finished a disappointing fifth. His team was given a mouthful by manager Dave Brailsford after Wednesday’s fiasco (also six Sky riders have crashed already since the Tour began on 30 June), and the result was starkly visible as they formed a lead out train for Cavendish (while also protecting Wiggins). The train worked partly as it saved him from the crash, but could not launch Cav with the venom of his HTC team of yesteryear.

The crash again came just inside the 3km mark, this time Garmin-Sharp’s Tyler Farrar going hard to ground. It’s the American’s fourth crash in six days and he must have lost serious bit of skin by now (see the pic at the bottom). Farrar seemed to blame an Argos Oil rider as he went fuming to their team bus after finishing the stage (10 min after the leader but with the same time). Also miffed was Peter Sagan, who went down in the pileup and saw his gap to Greipel and Goss narrowed in the points classification.

Coming late in the stage, inside the 3km, ensured everyone was awarded the winner’s timing on the day, and  therefore Cancellara continues in yellow for the 27th day in his career. It’s the most any rider has been in yellow without actually winning the Tour ever, and the Swiss while definitely happy with his achievement, was realistic in his post stage comments, “It’s always a pleasure to ride in the yellow jersey and, plus, to make history like I have today is pretty awesome,” he said, adding, “The thought of actually winning the Tour de France is not realistic. The Tour is not what I have in my list of goals to win. The Tour is a dream and a dream is not a goal. A goal like that is something other riders have – from Fränk Schleck to [Andreas] Klöden, to [Bradley] Wiggins and Cadel [Evans]. I just live something else, I have the yellow jersey for 26 days now and that’s good.”

The day began with two troubling stories. First being the death of Belgian Willems-Accent rider Rob Goris (30), who suffered a fatal heart attack in his hotel at Rouen late on Wednesday night. He was covering the Tour for Flemish television and knew many riders on the circuit personally. Few in the peloton expressed their condolences by wearing black armbands, while others expressed their grief on twitter:

Other news on the day related to the controversial battle between the USADA and 7 time Tour winner Lance Armstrong. Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claimed yesterday that Armstrong’s ex-teammates George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie (all riding in the current Tour) have provided evidence against the retired Texan to the authorities. The report also claims all riders have received delayed 6 month bans and have not been considered for the Olympics.

None of the riders wanted to be pulled into the controversy, and Leipheimer told reporters, “I cannot comment, I’m here to ride my bike,” while Hincapie said, “I’ve always tried to do the right thing for my sport but I’ve got other things on my mind here.” The Dutch newspaper also named current Garmin-Sharp boss Jonathan Vaughters who is a staunch opposer of doping (though has admitted having made ‘mistakes’ in past), and has made his team around the principles of clean riding. He was not available for comment but responded strongly against the allegation on twitter, dismissing it to be untrue.

Once the race got going, not many were thinking of acrimonious politics, at least not Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ), Jan Ghyselinck (COF), Julien Simon (SAU) and Pablo Urtasun (EUS) who went on the attack inside the first kilometer. Behind them the peloton went short of one rider, as Marcel Kittel of Argos-Shimano quit around the 40km mark. He has been suffering with stomach problems since the prologue, though he said it was his left knee that forced the withdrawal.

Stage 5 took us amidst breathtaking landscapes and in near perfect weather, which the bruised peloton seemed to be enjoying thoroughly with a slow day on the road. Average speeds hovered around a glacial 40km/hr and even the commentators were getting fed up of this procession, describing the pace (or lack thereof) such that the riders “could buy an ice cream as they go”.

The intermediate sprint woke the group from its slumber, once again Cavendish pipping Goss and Renshaw to earn a few useful points. Despite this momentary burst, the main pack adopted a laissez faire policy about the breakaway ahead of them. They were confident that generally these stages go as a pre-defined sprint. The breakaway starts early, but tires and is reeled in within the final kilometers.

If that is so, someone forgot to in form the attackers. They approached the last 10km with a gap of 45 seconds, and maintained to around 20 seconds with 3km to go. This induced panic in the sprint teams as it seemed they had timed their burst a little too late.  And as the peloton was split was the crash behind him, Ghyslink attacked and broke free of the leaders as they passed under the flamme rouge.

Next 1000m witnessed the most enthralling finish of this year, as all the breakaway men had a chance for glory in the last kilometer. Ghyslink was first caught by Urtasun, who himself was pipped by Ladagnous inside the final 500m. But just when it seemed the Frenchman would pull off an unexpected and momentous victory, he was overtaken by the sprinters inside the final 300m. Watching it on TV, it came as a rude wake up call from a beautiful dream, and must have felt worse for the FDJ rider.

The valiant Frenchman recapped his intense battle after the finish, “”It was possible. In the end, Ghyselinck has tried to anticipate as he knew he was slower than us in a sprint. After I told myself I would attack because it is better to lose trying to win, rather than just coming second. When the rider of Euskaltel attacked, I let him do his effort and I got back on track, but the peloton was right on us even thought we could see the finish line. This is the second time it happens to me when I’ve spent a day in the lead of a stage of the Tour. Of course I am disappointed. We had to play cat and mouse games with the peloton. It was no use to ride full-gas all day. But in the last 30 kilometers we gave it everything we had. It’s a shame… but I will try to get in another breakaway, and try again to get a victory.”

It wasn’t easy on the sprinters either as Matt Goss’ herculean effort from 400m to reel down Ladagnous cost him the victory. He did not have the legs for such a long sprint, and his vanquisher Greipel himself described it as “one of the hardest sprints I’ve ever done.” I hope he has something left in his tank for today, which is the last sprint stage in the opening part of the Tour.

Stage 6 signals a transition as the pack would move on to tackle mountains and time trials for the next week and so, and all sprinters would be keen not to let Greipel make a clean sweep of it. Cavendish must be fuming inside and it would be a brave man to bet against him today, though such hunger can only increase the possibility of yet another incident in the rush to the line. Top GC men can cool their heels for one last day, before the action really heats up starting Saturday. So here’s to another round of cheese talks, rolling farms, slow speeds and a hectic finish. Now if only we could have our first surprise winner today…

Jersey Holders

  

General Classification

Maillot Jaune

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara

24h 45’ 32”

Maillot Vert

Peter Sagan

Bradley Wiggins

24h 45’ 39”

Maillot à Pois Rouges

Michael Morkov

Sylvain Chavanel

24h 45’ 39”

Maillot Blanc

Tejay Van Garderen

Stage Result

  

Team GC

André Greipel

4h 41’ 30”

Sky Procylcing

74h 17’ 10”

Matthew Goss

4h 41’ 30”

Radioshack-Nissan

74h 17’ 14”

Juan Jose

4h 41’ 30”

BMC Racing Team

74h 17’ 16”

Matthieu Ladagnous

Dossard Rouge

ps: Four crashes in six days, but still going strong. Tyler Farrar #respect

Tour de France 2012 – Stage 1

Posted on by
1

Honour – it is one of the heaviest six letter word, yet some may say is used almost nonchalantly in today’s day and age. However this word has long been associated with the Tour, almost since its inception 99 years ago. Yes there is honour in finishing – let alone winning – such a gruesome event, but right now am talking of the honour these riders feel for the race and its traditions.

When Henri Desgrange introduced the maillot jaune in 1919, the Tour leader was immediately conspicuous among the peloton and had to abide by a code of conduct to justify his exalted status. This has evolved over the century and today not only the rider, but his team follow certain unwritten rules to honour the jersey and justify wearing it (many in the past have refused to wear the hallowed jersey when they have considered themselves unsuitable for it).

Fabian Cancellara and his team maintained that sanctity yesterday as they guided the stage almost from start till finish in style. It was the Radioshck outfit which did most of the chasing at the head of the field, putting their body on the line to protect their team leader. Special mention must be made of that veteran fighter Jens Voigt (40), who has always been a figure of suffering & determination, dutifully putting in long turns with his nose in the wind to keep the breakaway in check.

But then some might say it is less out of tradition and more out of pragmatism that the teams do this. Riding at the head of the field ensures they can control the pace of the race, while also keeping their leader out of troublesome crashes (which generally occur in the middle of the pack). Certainly true, but even that line of argument would not hold weight considering the way Cancellara led the finish in the final kilometer.

He attacked with venom just under the red kite, when none had expected it, and continued to fight alone till the finish. It is generally not expected of the Tour leader to attack towards the end of a routine stage, when he is already assured of a safe finish to keep the lead at the end of the day. But what was even more surprising is that the Swiss attacked at the steepest part of the climb, which is his Achilles heel.

Only Peter Sagan and Boasson Hagen could respond to the big man’s challenge, with the Slovak playing a cheeky tactic of riding in the slipstream of the Radioshack rider till just before the line. Cancellara urged Sagan to share the work at the head, only to be disappointed; and to rub insult to injury, was pipped to victory in the last 150mtrs. But his actions were worthy of a deserving maillot jaune, and though have lost out on a stage victory, he gained further respect of the field, and millions watching.

Even the Tour’s official site had this to stay about the defending Olympic champion, “With his second place today, Fabian Cancellara has proven how versatile he is. He might not have been able to beat Peter Sagan in the stage but he’s still the leader of the Tour de France.” In fairness to the Slovak, he played a typical predator’s ploy, waiting in the slipstream and pouncing right at the death (and is said to have apologised after the race). In doing so he became the youngest rider to win a stage since Lance Armstrong in 1993 (his pre cancer days).

The day began at an awkward note when the peloton was forced to a halt in the neutral zone by people blocking the road for some kind of a protest. It wasn’t for long though, and when the race director dropped the white flag to start the day’s racing, six men immediately launched into a breakaway. Of the leaders, only Michael Mokrov was close to Cancellara (24” behind him), hence they elicited no response from the main field.

This year’s first crash came early, a mere 11km into the stage when Tony Martin and Robbie Hunter were caught in a fall. Both remounted and continued to finish, with Martin  requiring regular medical attention on his wrist and elbow. He visited a hospital at the end of the day, and according to the team will continue with a plastic cast, but there are doubts if he can risk his body and continue for long (especially with the Olympics just round the corner). The rider brushed away his injuries in his typical fashion, “If necessary I would have come to the finish as the last rider.”

There was a lighter incident at the 24km mark as the leading pack of six had to wait around 45sec for a level crossing. According to the rules, level crossings are considered part of the race and therefore the riders had to build up the gap once again the harder way. This year race organisers have introduced a new rule requiring the leaders of the team classifications to wear yellow helmets. This meant all Sky riders donned yellow lids, and this caused much debate among the riders, commentators and twitterati (with the general consensus being that the organisers had gone a little overboard with the yellow effect, and should revert to just the yellow bibs for the leading team).

For much of the stage, action was limited to the leading pack fighting for points in the “king of the mountains” classification (Mokrov coming out on top eventually) and the intermediate sprint points. Yohann Gene was the first man of the leading six over the green line, and behind him there was a stiff fight among the peloton, with Matt Goss beating hot favourite Mark Cavendish on the day. Both would be happy to collect some points, ahead of all major contenders for the maillot vert.

The breakaway were comfortably reeled in with around 40km to go, thanks majorly to Cancellara’s Radioshack team. There was a big pileup however as an enthusiastic (read stupid) spectator got too close trying to click photographs and clipped a rider. Among those who fell were Valverde, Monfort and Voeckler, thankfully with no injuries sustained. Certainly its is a bit idiotic to see such incidents every year, conversely it is one of the charms of the Tour that fans are able to get up-close to the action like no other sport. They should use this privilege with caution though, lest come a day when we have to watch the race from behind fences as in most motorsports.

The stage finale was a steep 2.5km climb and all top riders were present among the leading bunch; some gunning for a win, while most just ensuring they lost no time on each other. France’s Sylvain Chavanel was the first to attack with under 2km to go, but was pulled in immediately by Albasini. And as the pack was looking towards riders like Gilbert, Sagan and Boasson Hagen to attack, it was Cancellara who shocked one and all by surging ahead with a serious attack.

It was the sheer unpredictability of his move that stupefied everyone but Sagan and Boasson Hagen. The best that home favourite Philippe Gilbert could do was to finish fourth in the wake of the three attackers. Cancellara though was not pleased with Sagan’s poker tactics, and the (debatable) cheeky manner in which he brought up his victory. The Swiss champion tweeted after the day’s events:

Big losers on the day were Sky’s Chris Froome and Euskaltel’s Samuel Sánchez. Froome suffered a late puncture costing him 1’ 25” on the leaders, and while he is working for Wiggins, Sky would still prefer to have two riders in the GC leader board. Sánchez though suffered far worse, finishing a huge 4’ 05” behind Sagan, and his GC hopes are all but over for this year (barring a miracle).

World champion Mark Cavendish too could not sustain the pace on the steep climb and finished 2min in arrears to the leader. His eyes though would be on today’s stage which keeps us in Belgium and is as flat as they come. The solitary category 4 climb is quite early in the stage for it to have no effect on the end, and the finish is all downhill making it  a classic sprinter’s stage. Though I would not risk a prediction today (after Gilbert embarrassed me on stage 1), however it is safe to say that we will definitely get to feast our eyes on a mad dash to the finish. How mad, well that can be gauged by Matt Goss’ statement couple of days back, “Tour de France bunch sprints are always brutal. They could be even more brutal.” Bring it on then…

Jersey Holders

      

General Classification

Maillot Jaune

Fabian Cancellara

Fabian Cancellara

5h 5’ 32”

Maillot Vert

Fabian Cancellara

Bradley Wiggins

5h 5’ 39”

Maillot à Pois Rouges

Michael Morkov

Sylvain Chavanel

5h 5’ 39”

Maillot Blanc

Tejay Van Garderen

Stage Result

  

Team GC

Peter Sagan

4h 58’ 19”

Sky Procylcing

15h 17’ 10”

Fabian Cancellara

4h 58’ 19”

Radioshack-Nissan

15h 17’ 14”

Edvald Boasson Hagen

4h 58’ 19”

BMC Racing Team

15h 17’ 16”

Nicolas Edet

Dossard Rouge

ps: If you want an idea how tough is it to ride a stage in Le Tour, Cancellara’s body language at the end of yesterday’s stage is a good judge (and remember he is nicknamed ‘Spartacus’ for being one of the toughest men on the Tour):

My First Marathon

Posted on by
51

On 20 Jun 2007, on a dark rainy night in Bombay I met with a road accident. Driving my bike, I failed to sight a taut rope tied across the road, and hit it resulting in my trachea (wind pipe) being severed completely and oesophagus (food pipe) partially. Thanks to some immediate and excellent medical attention, I made it out of the surgery to the ICU, where I stayed for long.

In those long months on the hospital bed I went through a range of emotions, from despair to rage, hope, relief, frustration and – sadly sometimes – self pity. It was then that a very dear friend gifted me something very precious, which was to change my outlook forever. He (who will know if he is reading this) gave me the revered book “Its not about the bike” by Lance Armstrong. The book really impressed upon me that impossible is actually nothing (ironic coming from a Nike sponsored athlete).

In the next few days, on a small paper (that I still treasure), I jotted down a mini “bucket list” – and running in any capacity had NO place on it. In short, I wanted to see the world (a high target but never mind), change a few priorities in my life, and most importantly, not waste a moment in my future doing things that I didn’t like or with people to whom I didn’t matter.

I was discharged in early 2008 and even then on a tracheotomy tube. Many surgeries followed (12 in all), but steadily I recovered far better than initially expected. And as decided, I began to search for my “list.” But despite being out of the hospital, I wasn’t completely out of gloom. It was then that two friends told me to join them in their daily runs. I was extremely sceptic, but their insistence was too hard to deny.

Reluctantly I agreed to join them for short runs, and it proved to be the second best gift I ever received. Infact I can even go so far as to say that it was the best decision I ever took in my life. What running has given me since then is definitely intangible, but it couldn’t be more conspicuous. When I ran my first half marathon in 2010 (in Bombay), I wasn’t a complete convert yet, but the event decided it for me.

Never in my life had I seen so many people turn up for almost nil rewards. Hardly any of them could hope for any prize, no professional favours, but only toil and suffering for hours. And then were the thousands who turned up to cheer. Sorry, not just cheer, but to volunteer assistance of various kinds. It was just surreal, 1hr 52mins of being treated like a celebrity. I knew that day, that there was no turning back.

I returned in 2011 and had a horror of a race. My first reaction was that I had lost focus, but the fact was, the run was no longer a challenge it was the first time. The elements were all there as earlier, yet the passion was slightly diminished. I knew there was the “full” up the ladder, but it was quite scary, for the elites, and definitely not for an average runner like me. As ever friends came into the picture, one of whom had just completed his second “full” and by the time registrations opened for the 2012 edition, I was motivated enough to choose the harder option.

The first thing I realised was running a marathon is not just a “one day” event with a little practice beforehand, instead its a full-scale commitment for about half a year. The training regimen I followed was just short of it (20 weeks), but demanded serious dedication. There was no point in going under prepared and embarrassing oneself, especially with the aura built around the event. Of course in today’s chaotic life, it was impossible for me to follow the schedule to the hilt, but I was lucky to manage without missing much.

If anything, I made it a point not to miss the important long runs and hence ensured to squeeze in a race (the Delhi half marathon) and the mandatory 20 mile practice run. If anyone would question me now, I would say that these runs go a long way in preparing one mentally, apart from the obvious physical aspect. The internal battle you fight to miss a weekend party for next morning’s run, when you drag yourself out after a bad day, when you run despite the schedule getting on your nerves, that’s when the pillars are building in the head.

No amount of preparation though can prevent from the last day jitters. Have I overused my shoes? Did I do enough tempo runs? Have I carbo loaded adequately? These are few of the hundreds of doubts that keep arising till the gun is fired. So finally after this abstract, coming to the race day experience itself.

This marathon was my sole focus and pretty much the pivot of my life for past 5 months. So it says a lot about my planning abilities, that I reached the venue 8 minutes late, long after the race had begun and not a runner in sight of the start line. Thankfully the race organisers provide everyone with a personalised timing chip, hence each competitor is timed individually when he/she crosses the start. Nevertheless it was far from ideal, especially as one does panic and overdo the start to catch up with the bunch, and then zigzag through all the runners slower than him.

By the time I turned around Nariman point, I was well settled and starting to enjoy the experience. I crossed a few friends, saw smiling (but focussed) faces all round and the Queen’s necklace passed in a blur. I was so high at this point that I even raced up the dreaded (for me) climb up Peddar Road. Move on to the Worli sea face and there were more high-fives exchanged as I crossed familiar faces running the half-marathon from the opposite direction.

Then came the main attraction of the day – running on the Bandra Worli Sea Link. This suspension bridge has become the new architectural face of Bombay, and while this was my third time to cover it on foot, each time the experience only grows richer. Maybe because this time I ran in the early morning glow, or since the breeze was much cooler, but I just could not stop grinning like an idiot as I jogged the 5 odd kms of tarmac hanging over the ocean.

The half point of the race arrived sooner than expected, and to my joy (which I would later realise was misleading) at a very comfortable effort. This dream continued as the route headed to Shivaji Park and the crowd began to get richer. It was probably my happiest stint of the day as little kids high-fived and people from all ages clapped, shouted and cheered. For a few moments I felt am going to sail through this.

But not for nothing is the marathon so feared and infamous. If it was such smooth sailing, it would never have attained the aura its associated with. At the 28km mark, I felt the first stings of trouble in my leg. As I reduced pace to shake it off, my head spun funny and within moments my dream world began crumbling manically. Approaching the revered Sidhivinayak Temple, the agnostic in me instantly converted to a devout and I duly tried pleasing higher powers.

Sigh they were not to be fooled! As kilometer 30 approached I was a total mess. The pain was getting unbearable, muscles aching, cramping, head spinning – in short it was all turning pear-shaped. I distinctly remember as I rounded the Worli loop, I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I wasn’t crying, it was just the pain, which was venting itself in this strange manner.

Even the dreaded thought of giving up or collapsing arose in my mind and continued for a good 10 odd minutes. But then as I looked around me, I saw grimacing faces, people struggling to put their feet ahead and it was obvious – I wasn’t alone. All these co-runners – many elder than me – were in the same boat, and if they could somehow keep going while suffering, so could I.

I also happened to exchange looks with a few runners in these moments. Looks that only fellow runners can understand. Looks where nothing is said, but two complete strangers fully understand what the other person means. We started pacing each other, one drafting ahead as the other weakened, duly looking back pulling the weaker runner on. Of course the ordered reversed with regularity.

And then there were the hundreds, who while not in the same suffering, were lining the route with pure support for each runner as one of their own kin. The most remarkable was a sikh family distributing water near the Worli dairy. Right from the octogenarian grand father to the 6-ish year old grand child, the entire joint family was out helping us runners – when that time could have been better spent elsewhere.

It’s with this faith that we (notice its no longer “I” now) approached the climb of Pedder Road once again. This approach is steeper and longer, which, added to the ailing limbs could spell disaster. Luckily this also happens to be the area where the crowds are the strongest and most vociferous. It’s just a wall of noise and appreciation that you pass through. Result – the gradient is as steep as ever, but the effort somehow diminished. And right from water, fruits, energy gels, biscuits, the crowd offers you all the supplements you could ask for.

The final phase is back on Marine Drive, albeit this time in bright sunlight. I have always found this to be the hardest part; not because it’s towards the end, but since its hot, and the other end is visible far away, somehow accentuating the task at hand. Even the support is marginalised by the “official” bands and corporate cheering squads. The innocence of the “sikh family” and purity of cheering is lost amid this electronic din.

However at this point you know that it’s just about survival. Keep plugging for a last few painful minutes and you are sure to reach the destination. That I did, just shy of 4hr 30 minutes – half an hour over my target time. Yet there was no disappointment. I also cannot say I was exultant or jubilant or ecstatic. They are just too extreme terms for the complete blankness I felt at the finish line. There was definitely a huge sense of relief and a feeling of “I really did this”, but you could not have realised that looking at my face.

It’s strange because after all the suffering and effort one should be jumping with delirious joy, but is conversely looking for peace. Its just a void, maybe it takes time to really hit what has just been accomplished. That’s the beauty of the event I guess, no matter who you are, no matter your time, no matter the number of times you have done it – the marathon will be a humbling experience. You realise that you do not conquer the marathon, you survive it. Just that few survive stronger than others.

I have never suffered so much in such a short duration, but I have never felt so alive either. This is an accomplishment no one can take away from me – ever, and I can proudly say hereon after, that I am a marathoner. And that one line makes up for all the pain.

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 21

Posted on by
Reply

‘Cuddles’ may be the epithet given to Cadel Evans by the international community, but it certainly does not seem to describe a 35 year old winner (oldest since the war) of arguably the most gruelling sporting event in the world. Evans described yesterday as the culmination of “20 years of hard work,” and nothing could be nearer to the truth.

His struggles started at birth, as he was born 34 days past the due date, with a broken nose. Then at the tender age of eight he got kicked in the head by his mother’s horse. It left him in coma for a week as doctors struggled to pull fragments of the skull from his brain. Evans displayed his resilience even at such young age, surprising everyone by returning to school within a month of the accident.

Now after endless hours of toil and 8 broken collar bones later he stands tallest in his sport, at the winner’s podium of the  Tour de France 2011.  I admit it might not sound as impressive as Armstrong’s seven victories, but it does not make the Australian’s achievement any less either. To understand that, look beyond the glitz of the Champs-Élysées, at the two painful second places, the crashes, travelling and multiple surgeries and you might start to get the point.

The last stage though was never a challenge for him or any other rider, except Mark Cavendish and José Joaquín Rojas. The duo were separated by a mere 15 points in the green jersey classification, with Rojas the clear outsider here. Cav in the form he is and the incredible HTC-Express to steam him towards the finish, it would have to a mistake from the Manxman and not a powerful sprint that would win the Movistart rider his first jersey.

This year the route was shortened as the organisers realised there is only so long a procession can entice spectators. For most of the last stage in the Tour the atmosphere is amiable with riders holding arms, sipping champagne and joking around. I think the pic below best encapsulates the casual nature of the 21st day of any Tour de France:

Evan’s team BMC had the honour of leading the Tour into Paris and a traditional ride up the world’s most famous boulevard. Thereafter followed six laps down the Louvre, up Rue de Rivoli and around Place de la Concarde, turning these impressive landmarks into a battleground. Team Sky instigated two breakaways through Juan Antonia Flecha and Ben Swift, but they were eventually gobbled up by the peloton.

In a nutshell the HTC lead out men launched Cav to perfection YET again, who then easily held off a hard charging Basson Hagen to claim his fifth victory this year and an impressive third consecutive win at the Champs-Élysées. Cavendish also becomes the first British rider to win the green jersey on Le Tour and has raised his overall stage win tally to 20 from just 5 appearances!

Then it was time for the ceremonies for the awardees, against one of the best backdrop imaginable – Le Arc de Triomphe. Apart from the four jersey winners, Jérémy Roy was declared the super combative rider for this year and Garmin-Cervélo won the overall team honours.

This is a brutal event – more so this year considering the spate of crashes which led to only 167 riders making it to the finish line in Paris compared to the 198 that started at Passage du Gois. This fact has never slipped on the organisers and hence every finisher in the Tour gets a medal and the lifelong right to be known as géant de la route.

Most experts – and all French fans – have tacitly voted Team Europcar as the soul of the 98th Tour de France. Indeed a team that was without a main sponsor and had to undergo a strict cost cutting regime has performed beyond dreams. Ten days in yellow for Voeckler, stage win on the iconic Alpe d’Huez and the white jersey for the best young rider for Pierre Rolland is an impressive record, which beats some of the big name teams.

The great Lance Armstrong himself called Rolland a “rockstar” for his untiring efforts in supporting Veoeckler to stay in the lead - and praise does not come much higher than that. Europcar have laid their hands on a goldmine as the PR and digital attention they received would have far outstripped their investment. The car rental company acknowledged the fantastic work done by the team in this touching and beautiful advert in Sunday’s L’Equipe.

But the story of this Tour for me has to be Johnny Hoogerland. The rider who cartwheeled into a barbed wire fence on stage 9, rode for twelve days through mountains and rain with more than 30 stitches and multiple lacerations. That he managed to finish is commendable enough, but the fact he made it 74th overall is pure legendary! I am out of words here, maybe the organisers should have felicitated him with a special award or something.

Pain and suffering are a sad but inseparable part of cycling in general, and the Tour in particular. This episode saw big names like Bradley Wiggins and Alexandre Vinokourov succumb to horrific injuries. Thank god they have made out of it relatively unscathed. It pains everyone if in today’s age an athlete is lost to the world participating in a sporting event – like the young and  talented Wouter Weylandt sadly did on the Giro this year. Hopefully we shall never have to see such a black day ever again.

It’s a sad feeling every year once the Tour finishes, and now starts a long 11 month wait. These riders ofcourse don’t rest and most would be setting their eyes on the London Olympics before the next Tour. Andy Schleck has yet to meet his destiny, and I strongly belive it is only a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ he will win the Tour. For now, I bow to Cadel Evans who has proved he can not only fight, but also win against the best. In fact I salute all 198 participants who had the courage to start in the first place.

Each of the 98 Tours till date have stories of their own, stories of pain, stories of glory, stories of courage, but above all stories the likes of Armstrong have narrated. The message I take out of them is we do not know our own limits, and we never shall till we challenge ourselves. So if you have been reading this space, you do not need to cycle 3400kms across France to prove anything, go out run a marathon, ride a race, swim in a triathlon, do anything, cause (again as Armstrong says) ‘it will make you feel alive, and that should be a good enough reason to do just about anything.’ So till next year then :)

Jersey holders:                                                                 General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Cadel Evans                                             Cadel Evans – 86h 12’ 22”           Maillot Vert –  Mark Cavendish                                        Andy Schleck – 86h 13’ 56”         Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Samuel Sánchez                       Frank Schleck – 86h 14’ 52”         Maillot Blanc –  Pierre Rolland

ps: I’ll leave you with probably the best image of this year’s Tour (well atleast for the boys) ;)

Tour de France 2011 – Stage 3

Posted on by
1

Tyler Farrar created a bit of history yesterday, as he became the first American ever to win a stage in the Tour de France on the 4th of July. That he did so racing for an American team, made it all the more sweeter for the Yanks watching around the world. But as they say, one man’s dream is the other’s nightmare, so it proved for Mark Cavendish and team HTC-Highroad, as they missed out on yet another chance for a stage victory.

Garmin-Cervelo had scored their maiden win only a day before and so this successive triumph must be a stating of intent that they can compete and come ahead of the best. However it was the gesture shown by the Washington rider as he crossed the line, which resonated in every heart on the Tour. In his own words, Farrar has had a “horrible last two months” after he quit the Giro d’Italia following the death of his close friend and training partner, Wouter Weylandt who fell and sustained fatal head injuries during the race.

So like Lance Armstrong in 1995 (who displayed similar emotions as he saluted the sky in memory of his late team-mate Fabio Casartelli), Farrar crossed his fingers forming a ‘W’ in tribute and dedicating the victory to the late Belgian. It is moments like these that bring out the full impact of a Grand Tour. It reaffirms the stark reality of what these remarkable men risk every single day, while in a race or during training. And most of all, it shows deep down what they mean to each-other despite their rivalry. When compared to the demise of such a talented rider, stage victories almost pale in insignificance, and so do reports.

The show does go on however, and its commendable of Farrar to have paid his tribute at the highest platform possible. Yesterday’s stage meant much for him and the other main sprinters Hushovd and Cavendish. The scoring system has been tweaked this year that allows 15 riders to pick up points for ensuring the best sprinter wins the green jersey, rather than the most consistent finisher. The results are still awaited, and then would be put to much debate, but it certainly encourages more riders to head for the sprints.

Head they exactly did at the intermediate sprint, as Thor Hushovd and Mark Cavendish clashed helmets in their effort to rush to the line. Though the Manxman came out ahead, however the referees relegated both riders to the back of their group post-facto in view of the events. Cav was definitely not pleased and later tweeted he had “no idea” why the race officials took such dim view of a minor event, and one that is very common in the sport.

Rest of the stage was pretty uneventful as none of the main contenders had anything to fight for and most looked to stay out of any unseen trouble. The highlight then probably was the Saint-Nazaire bridge over the Loire which provided for some good TV shots as the riders crossed it heading for the finish. To me it resembled the famous “sea-link” back home, and how I would love to see some of these great riders do a promotional event on it someday.

The final sprint was chaotic as ever, and the small climb at the 2km to go mark seemed to have upset Cavendish’s HTC train. They had gone for the dash early and poor Cav emerged out of the climb (if one can call it that) alone, meaning he did not have the luxury of a planned lead out he generally enjoys. He finished a poor sixth, with the only consolation being one place ahead of the Tour leader Thor Hushovd. Top three places on the day went to Farrar, VCD’s Romain Feillu and Moviestar’s Jose Rojas, who also moved to top of the points standings.

Tomorrow is a technical stage, one which can prove hazardous if due care is not taken by the peloton. It finishes on the summit of the Mûr-de-Bretagne and the final 10km are expected to be intense. Being one of the three stages in cycling-mad Brittany, strong crowds are expected all along the route with the usual interesting characters and costumes on display.

This is a stage for Philippe Gilbert to make his mark again or someone like Thomas Voeckler. With the maillot jaune likely to struggle, many other riders too would be interested to put in a good show today. I am betting on Cadel Evans to break his fascination with second place and move into yellow by the end of the day. So till tomorrow then…

Jersey holders:                                                                    General Classification:

Maillot Jaune –  Thor Hushovd                                        Thor Hushovd – 9h 46’ 46”
Maillot Vert –  Joaquin Jose Rojas                                  David Millar – 9h 46’ 46”
Maillot à Pois Rouges –  Philippe Gilbert                      Cadel Evans – 9h 46’ 47”
Maillot Blanc –  Geraint Thomas

Tour de France 2011 – Preview

Posted on by
Reply

So it’s that time of the year again. Time for all things French – champagne, sunflowers, crazy costumes, and above all time to stand in awe of couple hundred brave cyclists. Its time then for Le Tour de France. I did a stage by stage coverage last year, read it in case you are want to refresh on what happened in the 2010 episode of this legendary event. Plan is to do the same this year, opening with this preview for 2011.

Starting then with the defending champion, Alberto Contador of Spain. He has switched to the Danish team Saxo bank (ironically his main rivals last year), but that is not the talk of the town. Tour lovers are in conundrum over Contador’s alleged use of clenbuterol, for which he tested positive in October last year, albeit in arguable circumstances. As is the case with legal battles, the final verdict in this case is scheduled to come in August, which would make his standing in this year’s Tour highly debatable.

Almost everyone who follows international cycling has an opinion, and the general consensus is that UCI should have made a final decision before the Tour. This ambivalence is doing no one any good, not the Tour, not the sport, not UCI itself and certainly not the cyclist under scanner. Contador for his bit is focussed as ever and according to some reports is shunning meat altogether (as a contaminated piece of meat is supposedly to blame for the positive test).

His main competitor though has no such worries. Andy Schleck of Luxembourg left Paris last year with the words, “I have a meeting on the Champs-Elysées next year with the yellow jersey. I’ll be back to win it.” As his rival, he too has changed teams, leaving Saxo Bank for his native Leopard Trek, but crucially with most of the same crew. And if his brother can stay out of injury for the entire three weeks this time, then Contador has real reason to worry.

Their battle last year was legendary, exploding with the chaingate controversy at Port de Balés. However for me, the defining moment of 2010 was the final 10kms to the summit of Col du Tourmalet. A climb steeped in legend and the two best riders battling treacherous weather to spar all the way till the top, you can’t ask for better than that. It was spine tingling stuff by the end of which I felt more spent mentally than the riders themselves. Precisely the kind of duel which gives Le Tour its revered status in the hallowed gallery of international sport.

Behind the lead duo too, there are enough interesting battles to keep one engrossed. Mark Cavndish missed out on the maillot vert narrowly and would go all out to finish in green this year. Team Sky, the high-profile British outfit tailor-made by Dave Brailsford will return armed with experience and have much to prove to everyone. Geraint Thomas and Bradley Wiggins, the two home riders for Sky seem keen to punch above their weight and this is definitely a team to watch for.

For me personally there would be a big hole in the absence of Lance Armstrong. The burly Texan retired for good after last year’s Tour and he is not one who can ever be replaced. Champions come and go, legends leave their ghosts behind forever. Lance’s foundation “Livestrong” would definitely be associated and I hope it can use the Tour’s image to further its noble cause.

As to the route, this edition does away with the dangerous cobblestone stages of previous year. We start pedalling across a beautiful tidal causeway and leave France briefly for a day (end of stage 17) in Italy. The Team Time Trial returns after 2009, making for the second stage, and I for one am keenly looking forward to it. As last year, the Individual Time Trial makes up the penultimate stage (final for all practical purposes) and hopefully will provide the same nail-biting finish.

However the really interesting part, one which gives the 2011 Tour de France its unique essence, comes when the riders leave Italy on stage 18. This snorter of a stage records the highest summit finish the Tour has ever seen. Culminating on one of its most fearsome mountains, the Col du Galibier (standing tall at 2645m) after the peloton would already have scaled two Hors Catégorie climbs in the day, it will prove to be a test of nerves and stamina.

As if this wasn’t a stern enough test of the resolve and ability of the riders, race directors make them do it again the next day – this time from the Col’s harder side. And then we finish stage 19 on top of another legendary climb, the Alpe d’Huez, which at 1850m sounds almost a relief. Undoubtedly then, the rider emerging ahead after these two gruelling tests shall be best placed to wear the maillot jaune at Champs-Elysees, and definitely would be the most deserving.

All in all we have very enticing three weeks ahead of us. Le Tour has seldom disappointed its true fans, and they can be assured of more grit, bravery, scintillating scenery and glory. I can’t wait for evening to come soon enough and forgetting all the politics, enjoy just the road, the fans and some great moments. And till then you all can feast yourself on this teaser :)

ps: you can also follow this coverage and a lot more at www.isport.in

Tribute to a True Champion

Posted on by
1

Source: Unhindered by Talent

Well I was supposed to pen this last week (the day his retirement became official), but seriously, despite how much I’ve followed Lance, read and wrote about him, I was quite tied for words this time. I mean how do you describe a person – no a phenomenon – like Lance Armstrong. Nothing typed could remotely do justice and maybe its apt to say that as the legend walks into the sunset, it definitely is the end of an era.

That may be the lamest of cliches to describe the iconic sportsman (note I consciously do not use the word cyclist), but then for things that are difficult to be put into words, one ends up resorting to cliches. Am sure by now all of you know that on 16 Feb the American cyclist and seven times Tour de France winner decided to call it quits from competing in any more events (himself terming it Retirement 2.0).

His swansong was the Tour Down Under, an event which must hold some significance to him considering he chose it to launch his comeback three years ago. There was not to be any fairy tale ending as he finished a modest (or by his own high standards – below par) 67th overall. Surprisingly he hardly spoke to the eagerly waiting press, maybe a little overwhelmed by the occasion himself.

Much has been written and read about his bout with cancer, the dodged determination during treatment and miraculous recovery crowned by a place in sport’s hall of fame (and its no point me repeating that here). “Lance Armstrong’s story is the stuff of legends” it says on the back cover of his maiden book, and that probably is the best way to summarise the events in the riders life, especially in the last millennium. If a book can cause change in the world and touch people’s lives for the better, I am yet to find a more suitable one.

But more than anything else, more than the bestselling book, more than the multiple records he set, more than the fact that he single handily revived the sport of cycling, is his commitment to the Livestrong foundation. While its almost a fad nowadays for celebrities to patronise a charity or two, its hard to find anyone so involved with the process.

Lance is everywhere, organising events, participating in them, hell he even faced the wrath of Le Tour officials for changing his team’s jersey on the final day to bring attention to the fight against cancer. Maybe that is the reason I chose the pic above for this post and not one of several capturing his intense determination and steely resolve while tacking a monstrous Col or battling laws of physics during a time trial.

There will be those who will point to the several allegations against him and the ongoing investigation by the US Food and Drug Administration. All I got to say is till anyone’s got corroborative evidence, all is hot air. I mean there have been allegations galore in sports, more so in cycling, but the man’s never been found wanting in a test, and mind you he’s been at the receiving end of a million needles.

But proof or no proof, the fact remains that for his legion of fans and many more fighting patients, all this does not matter. They do not care about the minutiae being quoted by officials, they don’t give a damn for conspiracy theories, because for them Lance is a beacon of hope, he is the living proof of the President’s oft quoted line “Yes we can.”

For me personally, I owe him much to him for a very trying period in my life. No, I’m not a cancer survivor (thank god for that), but Lance did touch my life in a very special way and I can never for one forget the inspiration and resolve I got from him. There are sportsmen and then there are legends, and Lance fits the bill perfectly if there ever was one.

I may have got a bit emotional in the post, but it is such a moment. Not everyday do we get moments in sports that far surpass their circle of influence. And when the harbinger of such moments fades into history, there will always be a emptiness hard to fill. In the end, I’ll only quote what Lance said in his farewell interview “Never say never.” Well he clarified that it was in jest and not relating to any future comeback, but am sure his followers got the message clear – Never say never…..