This morning’s race shows once again why Americans will never fully embrace the Tour De France and Professional cycling, and scratch their proverbial heads, and wonder just how silly it is, wonder how tacit the competition is, wonder which gentleman’s agreement is going to rear its ugly head again.
“Ah, the bikers are supposed to slow down, here, after that guy crashed? What’s up with that?”
“Because they just do that when that person is competing for the lead in the race.”
“Okay.”
“Ah, why didn’t they let that guy do a break away?”
“Well, here’s the rub on that, he wasn’t liked by the Peloton.”
“Okay.”
In our mindset, and this is true, in college football, professional football, basketball, marathons, triathlons, and, hell, even in badminton, and horseshoes and, that is, the winner is someone who finishes first, without a hint of pre-arrangment and fabrication. You know, it just doesn’t count, if everybody or somebody arranges “who is acceptable to win,” whether it be a group or individual. Its just not fair competition. Its wierd competition.
Armstrong’s intervention this morning basically was an announcement of an arrangement, one group would be okay, another would not, that another, being, another rider—to win. This group breaking away, or the rider breaking away, has to satisfy some group credibility, loyalty and moralty.
You have to have a good reputation to do a break away in an European Bike race. God help you if you have been snippy in the press about other bike riders, or even, went apeshit with court testimony.
We do not see, the quarterback of the Miami Hurricanes, run out on the field, in its game against Florida State, stop everything and declare that a certain wide receiver on the other team, not be allowed to have a play called for him, because the QB is heralded by both teams, as a primadonna, destined for a Heisman, destined for greatness, and, in the mind of the QB, the wide receiver hasn’t paid his dues yet, or because he’s in a spat with every other team.
And, for Simeoni, you know…SO THE HECK. So, he got up on your wheel, and told you to go back. If its that bad, and Armstrong is such an ass, just ignore, and hit the hammer. Its stupid what happened but even more stupid to bend over backwards to comply with something stupid.