Categories: General

The Lexicon: A Retraction

Sorry, Greg. We take it back.

The recent headlines being made in the cycling world have honestly not garnered a whole lot of attention at V-HQ, at least where a certain COTHO is concerned. Yes, The Keepers have added to the usual discussions on the topic here, read the news, and given it some thought. But we really don’t feel the need to take any sort of official position, recap the whole sordid mess, or offer up any ideas on how to move forward. Just as you all contribute positively to this place in ways we couldn’t possibly have envisioned when we started, the cycling community as a whole will contribute positively to our sport as we grow through this. COTHOS, governing bodies, PED’s, and corruption be damned. We’re here to live La Vie Velominatus.

That being said, we feel the need to retract LeMelvis from the Lexicon as a result of this whole mess. Perhaps the COTHO’s reach into public opinion went far enough to cloud our judgement of the greatest American cyclist and only American winner of the Tour. It went far enough that we thought it was okay, if not funny, to besmirch his more recent public image. We were wrong and for that we are sorry. Where has LeMond been in the recent tumult? Quiet, letting things speak for themselves. That’s class. The same class he showed when he turned up in Europe as a neo-pro to race with the best as a virtually solitary American. The same class he showed winning three Tours. The same class he showed in the above picture. Vive La Vie, Greg. You’re the man.

As point of clarification, Greg LeMan has maintained its honorary place in the Lexi. We might even put it in bold now.

Marko

Marko lives and rides in the upper midwest of the States, Minnesota specifically. "Cycling territory" and "the midwest" don't usually end up in the same sentence unless the conversation turns to the roots of LeMond, Hampsten, Heiden and Ochowitz. While the pavé and bergs of Flanders are his preferred places to ride, you can usually find him harvesting gravel along forest and farm roads. He owes a lot to Cycling and his greatest contribution to cycling may forever be coining the term Rainbow Turd.

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  • Re the Spaniards, I get the feeling there is some sort of cultural disconnect about this whole process.  I can't really explain it, but it is bizarre that so many prominent Spanish riders are coming out in defense of COTHO.

    @Xyverz

    Great stuff.

  • @Nate

    Re the Spaniards, I get the feeling there is some sort of cultural disconnect about this whole process. I can't really explain it, but it is bizarre that so many prominent Spanish riders are coming out in defense of COTHO.

    @Xyverz

    Great stuff.

    And they are all basically saying the same thing - there was no positive test therefore there should be no sanction.  Its seems no weight whatsoever is given to any of the other evidence in their minds.  Contador's statements made at the TDF presentation are especially troubling if their translation is accurate because he's essentially saying everything is great and all parties involved are doing as much as they can/should be expected to do.

  • @VeloVita

    @Nate

    Re the Spaniards, I get the feeling there is some sort of cultural disconnect about this whole process. I can't really explain it, but it is bizarre that so many prominent Spanish riders are coming out in defense of COTHO.

    @Xyverz

    Great stuff.

    And they are all basically saying the same thing - there was no positive test therefore there should be no sanction. Its seems no weight whatsoever is given to any of the other evidence in their minds. Contador's statements made at the TDF presentation are especially troubling if their translation is accurate because he's essentially saying everything is great and all parties involved are doing as much as they can/should be expected to do.

    Contador's comments are bizarre but also understandable:  He'd prefer all this had come out before he chose to associate himself with Brunyeel.  At the same time, surprised he's defending COTHO who tried to usurp Contador's team leadership.  I guess having won he decided he could bury the hatchet.

    The Sanchez, Indurain and Valverde comments are just weird.

  • Here's LeMand in 1990 at the Chequamagon, his first MTB race. He won it. Of course. ON FUCKING ROAD PEDALS. I raced that day, too, and I remember the cover shot in the newspaper which had Gene Oberpriller - master of the technical climb - running a rocky climb CX-style with LeMond ahead just pedaling along with this look on his face that vaguely said "What are you guys running for?"

    Walking isn't an option when you're rollin' Time Equipes.

    Another gem.

  • And if you haven't read it, 'Slaying the Badger' by Richard Moore is an entertaining account of LeMond's rivalry with Hinault.  The mix of camaraderie, rivalry and betrayal makes for a great story.  It's fully deserving of its place in The Works....

  • @frank Good work on the new list. Perhaps for Big Mig he can go on a list for making fucking stupid statements. This could be a long list and most of us would have earned a place I suspect, but still it can't be let to slide.

  • @frank Unfortaunately, it might be time to add Merckx to the list of doping apologists.

    If this quote is correct and the translation wasnt wrong, Eddy is deluding himself too.

    "Lance has been very correct all through his career," Merckx had told La Dernière Heure. "What more can he do? All of the controls that he has done - over 500 since 2000 - have come back negative. Either the controls don't serve any purpose or Armstrong was legit. The whole case is based on witnesses, it's deeply unjust."

  • @Daccordi Rider

    So Indurain comes out and says Lance did nuffin wrong

    "Even now I believe in his innocence. He has always respected all the regulations ... He has won all the cases he's had," said Indurain, who won the Tour de France five times consecutively in 1991-1995.

    And Valverde

    "The Tours were won with his legs, his body and let no one believe that he did not suffer for his success," Valverde told Marca.

    What the fuck is going on in Spain? Too much wine?

    Must say David Millar is impressing the hell out of me, should he be struck from the COTHO list? And Indurain in.

    I don't know how Millar ended up on that list in the first place. I've always liked him, many still don't care for him but no way he should have been listed with Lance et al.

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