Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Bitter And The Sweet

The Bitter: Of course, if you are a cycling fan, or a road racing aficionado, you know what happened during Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia yesterday. Wouter Weylandt was killed in a high speed crash on a descent on the course of the race, and the cycling world is in shock.

These kinds of tragedies are very hard to absorb, much less understand. I thought the esteemed blogger, "Bike Snob NYC" caught a good vision of what it is like for a lot of us. (Read it here)

There are a lot of folks that are not cyclists, or are casual cyclists, that may not grasp the "why" of what some of us engage in. (I know my family has a hard time with some of what I do!) I only hope that the negativism that may come from those quarters isn't allowed to dampen the spirit of adventure, the joy, and yes- the risk that all of us as cyclists understand is there.

My deepest condolences to the family, friends, and team mates of Wouter Weylandt.

The Sweet: Of course, if you hung around here through all the Trans Iowa madness, you know Janna Vavra notched the first finish in any Trans Iowa by a female. I found a link to her report for Nebraska Cycling News, which I read just yesterday. I thought I'd share it today.

I have to say that one of the most surprising things that happened when I got involved with Trans Iowa was how my perceptions of people that competed on bicycles was forever changed. It started that cold April day in 2005, and every spring since, that hasn't stopped happening.

Janna adds to that experience of mine with her class, her character, and her athleticism. She mentions how being in Trans Iowa forever changes people, and I can vouch that putting the event on has also forever changed my life as well.

Cycling: It can be bitter, and it can be sweet. 

1 comment:

Ari said...

Thanks for making this post G.T. I feel really bad when a cyclist is gone, whether a pro or a casual cyclist run over by a car. T.I. has changed us too and we are grateful for all the friends and the vibe that we experience while riding the beast. My best to you and everyone out there.
Ari