Close the polls. Shut the books. No need to tally the votes. It’s only three weeks into the new year, but folks, we may have already witnessed the V Ride of the Year.
While the Euros are trying to escape the bitter chills of winter, the Aussies and Kiwis were turning up the heat with their National Championships being contested last weekend. And both races threw up some true hard racing, and produced two outstanding rides for the titles. Here in NZ, it was a hardass masterclass from HTC’s Hayden Roulston, but the ride that has everyone gushing came from Garmin’s young gun Jack Bobridge.
We know this kid’s got talent, already a World Champion on the track plus a road U23 time trial gold, but the way he decimated a ProTour rider-laden field in the hills of regional Victoria was the stuff of legend. To wait for the ‘right’ break to form, and then leave it to the last minute to attack or sprint from the group is one thing, but to bridge across solo to the early break, drive it for hours to breaking point, then decide to go it alone for the last 30km, well that’s a whole other deal; Merckxian, if you will.
“Just… sometimes, things click”
We received an impassioned email this week from one of our Aussie contingent, Matt, imploring us to dedicate a post to Jacky Bobby’s win. Well Matt, we’ll gladly doff our caps to young Bo Bridges, but leave the final words to you…
“I believe there may be a new champion of The V Cause. Jack Bobridge won the Australian Open Road Cycling Championships last week with what can only be described as a true ‘hardman’s’ ride.
Although it wasn’t mud, sleet and cobbles, 160km around Buninyong (featuring 16 laps up a 2.2km, 6% climb) off the front of a bunch featuring half of the Sky and HTC teams (among others) is harder than most riders will ever be.
Hopefully in a generation they will describe Jacky Bobby by some nickname like ‘The Animal’ (as ‘The Cannibal’ has already been taken!)
Until then, I’ll be enjoying him attacking everybody all the time.”
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@frank
Who said I thought he was clean? I don't. Less because of the latest stories (which further convince me) and more because he absolutely dominated a whole generation of dopers. To my mnd that makes it impossible for him not to have been "assisted".
But I still have great admiration for his achievements in thoseflawed times (which I hope are over).
@Marcus
Roger that. I think he's a COTHO, but I feel terrible for the cancer patients who have used him as a beacon of hope. No one with that illness needs another dream crushed.
I've read everything, including those articles. I'm not as stupid as I look, you know.
This is a blog post I wrote on my feelings on the subject called Dopage and The Giro d'Welli.
@frank: I think you'd be surprised by how few cancer patients will give a stuff about whether or not he doped. I'm pretty sure that most of them who have been inspired by him or helped by him won't blame the inspiration or help on dope. I think most of his fans will come to accept his failings if they are proven, and if they are not proven the fans will go on believing in the fairy tale...
@Oli Brooke-White
I hope you're right (for the patients' sake), but I'm not optimistic. I don't know, but over here his cancer story is a pretty big deal. It's one of the most recognized brands in the US at the moment.
I think cycling is pretty poorly understood by the US public an and, at least over here, it will get pretty ugly. Especially if he gets stuck with some of the racketeering charges.
But, we'll just have to wait and see, people are (at least in the states) so short-sighted and have such a short attention span, maybe it will just blow over. I mean, look at the bankers...
@frank I can understand investigating the guy to get the truth out there and make sure we have fair play, but trying to put real criminal charges on dopers (racketeering, perjury, etc.) is a joke. Doping yourself to win a sporting event doesn't make you a criminal. I can see sponsors filing civil charges seeking damages and prize money being returned, but prison time? You gotta be kidding me.
Whether or not the Tour wins were legit (even if he doped you could argue they were since he raced mainly dopers) he still did beat cancer against incredible odds and does a lot for those suffering with the disease. Regardless of his motivations, that's a good thing.
Honestly, we have real crime in this country that needs investigating and the guy's last win was six years ago. If any of this goes to trial it'll be edging in on a decade from his last win before they get a verdict. Uggh. Just be done with it.
Just for comparison I had a mate who 3 months before the statute of limitation ran out was convicted of selling a ton of pot and spent 8 years in the federal system. So if Lance was getting bus loads of bikers high shouldn't he do a little time?
@Rob I don't believe in incarceration as the answer for drug offenses. All the data shows we can't spend enough money to put them all behind bars and crime isn't caused by drug use, both crime and drug use are caused by social conditions. So no, even if Lance was getting people high I wouldn't care. Also, the drugs most of these guys take aren't illegal per se, they're illegal w/o a scrip, and you or I could get them prescribed pretty easily as just about any level of hormones below the human max can be considered sub-optimal. Testosterone, HGH, Steroids, even EPO are all routinely prescribed in anti-aging clinics. There's a nice Outside article by a guy who went on a doping regime that I can get a link to if you like.
I think your mate should have been fined at worst.
@ZachOlson I so agree with all you said - I am still pissed at the Feds because said mate was being a productive member of society, running a business that employed people, for over 6 years. He never used violence and it was just pot, in fact he got out when it got weird with guns.
My badly made point was if we waste our time with pot dealers, which we shouldn't, we should not waste our time with bugies (bike-druggies).
Having said that I am for legalization of drugs with education (real education - not some state trooper telling shit you know is not true) and get on with accepting that there will always be 10% who do it.
Since I am always trying to peak and always 2 months away I refrain except at Norooz celebrations...
If ever an article deserves the "Kermis" treatment, it's this one today. Jacky decided to celebrate the 5yr anniversary of this ride by getting in the break at km 3 of today's national road race championship, went solo with 80k to go & wasn't seen again til they hung the winner's medal around his neck...epic.