Categories: RacingReverenceThe HardmenTradition

Reverence: The Ghosts of 2am

Off the back is the worst place to be. Photo: Tim De Waele TDWsport.com

The Prophet had never been dropped by anyone in a race-threatening situation during his entire Grand-Tour career. But he was dropped on this, a relatively minor climb to Pra Loup due to a combination of circumstances involving a chest injury, overconfidence, and savvy Frenchmen who could read the road surface well enough to understand what side of the road to attack on.

He had never lost the Tour, but Merckx was dropped on the short but steep climb to Pra Loup and refused to quit the Tour in 1975 because you don’t quit the Tour de France. He would rather lose than quit. These are the sentiments of a champion who has not only known, but become intimately accustomed to, the sensation of victory: reverence for the race he once dominated and the one he can not quit.

He came second, and thereby legitimized Bernard Thevenet’s victory. Reverence.

For non-Velominati Americans, Cycling is the Tour. From Greg LeMond – the only American to win the Tour three times, to Lance Armstrong – the only American to lose the Tour seven times all at once, to Floyd Landis – whose legacy was too short to excite the American Public but long enough to take down the greatest legacy in Sports History.

Tejay Van Garderen was sitting solid in 3rd place when he fell ill and had to quit the Tour de France, something no rider does with a light heart. So long as your name isn’t Mario Cipollini. Dropped every time the ride pointed uphill, he had little choice but to climb off. I have had races ripped from my grasp when I was at my peak for reasons I couldn’t control and, to this day, they are there when the Ghosts of 2am come knocking. I can only imagine what Tejay is thinking tonight.

Nothing feels as good as winning, and nothing haunts you as deeply as quitting. To quote a legendary cheater, “Pain is temporary, quitting is forever.” Which just goes to prove that just because you’re an asshole doesn’t mean you’re wrong.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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frank says:

Jul 27 2015 at 2:08 pm

@markb

@ped

@Gianni

apparently, not so well soken

Shocked Nibali protested his innocence, claiming he did not know the race leader had ground to a halt, shrugging: “Froome was very angry at the finish, but that’s his problem.

“I cannot even tell you the words Froome said to me. They are too harsh to repeat.”

He’s been coached by Sky to be polite on camera, but he’s still just human. Nibali knew damm well he had a problem, and took advantage. However, he obviously had something left in the tank and may well have broken away at a later point in the race, so I’ll let him off this time. If he does it again, it’ll be the naughty-step and forced to wear the Columbian Women’s kit for the Giro next year.

Now that's a skin suit.
Oli says:

Jul 27 2015 at 3:28 pm

@Teocalli

I don't think he NEVER wanted to complete the Tour - before the race began he used to talk up his Maillot Vert chances bigtime and swear that this time he'd make it to Paris, and I believe he was in the main genuine when he did so.

I just think when push came to shove and they got to the big climbs he realised he couldn't actually be bothered with it all...
frank says:

Jul 27 2015 at 4:43 pm

@Oli

@Teocalli

I don’t think he NEVER wanted to complete the Tour – before the race began he used to talk up his Maillot Vert chances bigtime and swear that this time he’d make it to Paris, and I believe he was in the main genuine when he did so.

I just think when push came to shove and they got to the big climbs he realised he couldn’t actually be bothered with it all…

I agree with your sentiment for sure, but then at the same time I wonder how he finished the Giro so many times, which in my estimation would be harder to finish from a sprinter's point of view.

As you say, he couldn't be bothered. An Italian Playboy in France must feel a bit like Superman on Krypton; no super powers.
Eagle says:

Jul 27 2015 at 8:41 pm

WWED? (What Would Eddy Do?)

As much as I was rooting for TvG -- as any red blooded American would do -- I think he doesn't have the killer toughness it takes to win or place on the podium of a GT. Would Eddy have quit if he had the sniffles? Would TR have? Heck, as someone else remarked, he was shot and still gave the speech.

A few days before, TvG was talking about how podium was the goal, how he'd be very happy with a podium result. Contrast with what Nibali and Contador said at the same time: anything but yellow is failure; I'm not racing to be on the podium, I'm racing to win.

Hopefully what happened this year will toughen up TvG mentally and he'll be able to rise to the next level.
Oli says:

Jul 28 2015 at 3:08 am

@frank

Until fairly recently the Giro stages - even the mountain ones - were run off as a procession until the TV coverage began with a couple of hours to go, meaning the grupetto never struggled to make the time cut in the way it sometimes does in the Tour.

Also the Giro of the 80s and 90s was definitely regarded as easier in general than the Tour, the odd stage apart. I idolise the guy, but can you imagine Andy Hampsten actually winning a Tour? Or Berzin, even super-charged? Even Moser needed a lot of help to win his one...

Italians avoided the Tour like the plague for exactly this reason in those days - 2x Giro winner Saronni, anyone?