An Amusement & Diversion for The Genteel Cyclist. Daily.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Going it alone


We've never had much patience for ESPN-- either the network or the magazine. If they weren't broadcasting some "classic" midsummer matchup between the Reds and the Dodgers circa 1975, they were dissing "lesser" sports like Lacrosse and cycling.

Not sure Jim Caple redeems the entire operation with his "Ten Reasons to Watch the Tour De France," but it's a good start. And anyone who can get away with touting another sports network on his own employer's website is OK in our book.

Reason number 2 is "Old School Cheating." Not that you'll see any of that this year, but it's possible. Anyway, one thing we did notice within Caple's paeon:


My favorite story, however, is about Eugene Christophe, whose front forks broke on a descent in the Pyrenees. He carried the bike five miles to a village, borrowed tools at a blacksmith's shop, and forged new forks, repaired the bike and then resumed the race. I tell you, if today's cyclists had to work at a blacksmith's forge, they wouldn't need steroids.


Caple leaves out the most important bit. Cristophe was actually disqualified following the stage, because it was determined that someone else operated the bellows on the forge.

And that person was on EPO, no doubt.

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