An Amusement & Diversion for The Genteel Cyclist. Daily.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Don't hate me because my lungs are beautiful


I have a lot of respect for track racers. Or I did, until I read this morning that four tracksters on the US Olympic team arrived in Beijing airport wearing face masks -- before they'd even set foot outside the Beijing airport. I mean, wearing a mask before you're even through customs is a little like salting the food before you've tasted it.

Needless to say, the "gesture" was seen as a bit insensitive, what with the Chinese government, y'know, shutting down all the factories, limiting car driving to even/odd days, launching silver iodide rockets into the smog, and executing anyone caught on a 2-stroke motorbike.

The kicker of this is, of course, the fact that Laoshan Velodrome is indoors, too. So there's a pretty good chance the US track team can manage to get from airport to hotel to velodrome without ever having to breathe outside air.

I had no idea that track racers could be such weenies. But I do stand by an old adage: Never trust a person in a skinsuit.


6 comments:

Skibby said...

hafta disagree with you on this one. These same trackies were in China earlier this year for a world cup, they know what the pollution there is like. Trackies may race indoors, but they bring road bikes as well, and ride outdoors for training. BTW, I always season my food before I taste it....

Dr. Logan said...

I'm with skibby. These cyclists wearing masks in China is like a professional musician wearing earplugs while at the shooting range. It just makes sense.

Lunatic Biker said...

Grandstanding MF'ers!!

Anonymous said...

Pinchrocker. What did you expect? They only know how to turn left.

Speaking of dirty air, Supersuckers at the Cabooze Thirstday night!

fast freddy

Anonymous said...

just bloody embarrassing — US cycling culture is, IMHO, one of the best things going for the country, and here are our finest being true weenies. There just isn't another word for it. (Or maybe there is, but I'm too American to bother opening thesaurus.com ;)

Anonymous said...

And he travels with his pillow....need we say more