Flushed

Yesterday Floyd Landis blew his load on the last ascent of the stage 16 and what seemed like his chances to be on the podium. I thought about that a lot during my long run (16 miles of SUCK in the Houston heat... it shouldn’t be over 100 at 6:30 PM, and it shouldn’t be 90 at 9 PM either... okay, I’m finished whining) and decided I’d write a post about it. Why? Because I was heartbroken. I don’t follow cycling too much (except in 2002 when I lived in Amarillo and had nothing else to watch), partly because I strongly dislike Lance Armstrong and partly because the big names of the sport don’t seem to change year to year. And let's be honest: it's been pretty boring the last 6 years (the first year I hear was good, but I didn't watch. And neither did you, so don't lie). This year, however, was different. Outside magazine ran a few articles on American cyclists last month, the main one about Landis and how he was a 100% manly man badass warrior who could win the Tour. I bought it hook, line, and sinker--here was a man after my own heart, not some selfish fake prick in the sport for the wrong reasons (ahem, Lance). It also helps he and Lance used to have an open rivalry, one that I hope is just a secret one now. Anyway, I eagerly read my daily stage results and looked for Landis’s name, and was overjoyed the first time he took yellow. When he reclaimed the yellow jersey a couple days later, I was ecstatic and was sure he’d keep it. Needless to say, yesterday was a very bitter disappointment. In my mind I could see Lance watching the stage (he arrived at the Tour yesterday with French papers headlining “Welcome in France, Asshole.” Were there ever truer words spoken?) and saying something offhand about how Landis just wasn’t the man. How he’d cleaned up at this point in the tour year after year. The timing of Armstrong’s arrival just made it even bitterer for me. I finished my run even more sullen than I began it.

Today I wasn’t looking forward to the email detailing the stage results, but I had to see this thing through. “Maybe he could make up a minute or two,” I thought. “Maybe he could have the most amazing time trial in the history of the Tour on Saturday. Maybe everyone in the top 10 would crash.”

None of those things happened.

Instead, Landis blew everyone out of the water and took the stage, 5+ minutes over his next contender and 7+ minutes (with the bonus) over Pereiro, launching himself into 3rd place, 0:30 behind Pereiro and 0:12 behind Sastre. Holy crap!

Regardless of what happens in the rest of the tour, Landis is my hero. I like how he loves the sport, needs a hip replacement, and is kind of awkward in interviews. I like that he doesn't whore himself for endorsements and that he looks like a cyclist and not like a Hollywood wannabe. He epitomizes what I think athletes should be like. He went out today with a hero’s will and accomplished the impossible, and what’s even better is he did it alone. There was no one to draft part of the time, no one to silently (or not? Hell, I don’t know) suffer with--it was just him and his bike. A man like that is the kind that I want to be like, or at least look up to.

I can’t wait til the time trial Saturday. Go Landis!