You’d think that with such an historical event taking place in France overnight that the Australian newspapers would be a sea of yellow and ‘we are the champions’ headlines this morning. Yet what I saw staring back at me when I visited one of the most respected newspaper websites (ie not a Murdoch tome) was a dead, tattooed junkie. Now that’s news!
Australians are known for our love of the ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’, where we like to take a famous public figure, be it a politician, entertainer or sportsperson, and build them up to a level of adulation sometimes deserved, oftentimes not, and when that figure reaches the pinnacle of their field we criticise or ridicule them to bring them back down to ‘our’ level. We don’t want to be seen as lesser than them, or more likely want our heroes to be just ‘ordinary blokes’ like us. Aussies love to be the common man, but also want to be better than all those high-and-mighty Poms, Yanks, or in this case, ‘Frogs’.
Now that ‘we’ have won the world’s biggest bike race, we will embrace the victory and milk it for all it’s worth. Even if the majority or the Holden-drivin’, VB-drinkin’, steak-eatin’, footy-watchin’ public thinks that cyclists are lycra-wearin’ fags, and would gladly swerve their ute to run us into the gutter for a bit of a laugh.
So enjoy your time in the sun Cadel, make the most of the plaudits from the press, the politicians and the cycling fans, because cycling will still be seen as not a real man’s sport by most. Kind of like yachting, but hey, we loved it for a brief moment when we won the Americas Cup.
You little bloody ripper!
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Great read Bretto, Australians are a funny bunch, I was at an engagement party last night, and I have never seen so many Aussies interested in, as Brett called them "faggots in Lycra", and so many of these guys watching began to admit that they had bought bikes and were starting to ride. I think it is fantastic to think that Cadel and his successes in the tour can do so much for Aussie cycling. The world is getting smaller and sports that were once the domain of particular countries are being dominated now by foreigners. I had to laugh though as last night progressed, many of the guys watching were becoming cycling professionals talking as if they had been watching cycling for years, giving their commentary as the night unfolded. I just thank God he gave me no interest in football and a strong admiration of the best sport in the world... Cheers again Cadel, your a champion!!
Nice one, Brett!
Nice one, Cadel! Awesome win.
Lycra-wearing fags - I love when some motorist calls me a name for rollin' around in tight clothes. Anyone ever seen the skit that starts a "Kids in the Hall" where the paper boy is calling Scott Thompson a fag? I always think of that episode when someone calls me a fag. Priceless.
Stayed up late last night partying, but up early to watch. This Tour is taking a lot out of me!
Black bibs & the yellow BMC looks pretty cool
Some nice words to read in this thread. Good stuff.
@harminator
Well, funny you should mention that.
There was an article in Ride Magazine Issue #47 Jan-Mar 2010 that compared the phisiology of Lance Armstrong and Cadel Evans. It was written by Dr. David Martin, a senior phisiologist at the Australian Institute of Sport. In it he compares the phisiology of each at 22 years of age based on ergo efforts recorded at their respective labs. I'll quote a portion of the atricle as follows:
"Cadel and Lance both produced thier highest VO2max values when they were 22. Immediately apparent is the superior power to mass ratios produced by Cadel at VO2max intensity. More specifically, Cadel's 7.3 W.kg-1 at VO2max is almost eight percent higher than the 6.8W.kg-1 produced by Lance. Similarly, Cadel's highest VO2max of 87 ml.kg-1.min-1 is 7.4 per cent higher than Lance's highest recorded value."
It does go on to make a number of qualifications about Lance's weight pre-cancer and other issues, but it's certainly apparent that Cadel is anything but 'not especially ... phisiologically superior'.
Oh, and dig the Rule 15 compliance. Excellent work Cuddles!
@Minion
Thanks again for NOT thinking of me first. I didn't want a rediculously cheap and excellent upgrade to my cycling library anyway. No, no, I'll be okay. Really. It's alright.
How freezing is freezing where you are? Like, 0 C? What a complete departure from the 35 C I'm living in. I can't even get my head around the idea of being cold. I kind of envy you. Not a lot. But a little.
Unless you live in one of the big 3 or 4 cycling countries, sadly that's just how it's going to be. I had to suffer a "golf has to be the hardest sport and Tiger is awesome" conversation at a family gathering the other night. The headline on NBC sports today was "No Lance, but Americans do well." Sure it all misses the forest for the trees but it also makes those conversations and shared stoke with other Velominati that much sweeter.
Chapeau to all of you who picked Cadel ftw in the VSP. I really wanted to and believed in him but went with my head and picked a COTHO (although seeing that right hook he gave to that dipshit gave him points).
And another mark of a true champion - he's wearing black shorts today. Fuck yeah, Cadel. Nobody has worked harder than you in this tour for yellow.
@mouse
Oh, and by the bye, the end of the same article suggests Lance's phisiology is not neccessarily the differentaitor between him and other elite athletes. To quote:
"Lance is a winner because he has committed himself, trained hard, and designed his environment to allow him to produce exceptional performances. Based on phisiological traits, it is just too simplistic - and a bit naive - to think that all of Lance's achievements can be explained by superior build."
Interesting words in light of this.
Discuss.
@mouse
Right then. Obviously I went to the Frank Strack school of Research before making that comment.
Or maybe he just rode with an iron will in the lab test...
Cuddle's compliance with Rule #15 is particularly great to see today. The move to BMC has really been good for him and, from what I've seen, made him a much humbler rider. He has seemed to go out of his way to think the entire BMC team every step of the way this year.
That's class.