First things first: I’m doing Superweek again. For the first time in nearly 4 years, I’ll be racing more than a stage or two here and there. And…You know what? It’s good. The Garrison’s have paid attention and they’re doing a very good job with the organization, technology, race set up and overall “feel” of the races. Superweek is on the threshold of regaining it’s footing as a national “must do” event. Races have for the most part run on time and result posting and payouts have been within a half hour of race finishes at least for my races.
This summer, the Tour of America’s Dairyland took the Lion’s share of vacation time for the national bike racers, but for all of you Californicators and New Yorker’s who in times past made Superweek a July destination and forked over valuable vacation time to race…It’s back on. Both Series have their merits and if you can’t make one, definitely plan for the other. Better yet…Quit your jobs and do both! Both race series are competitive and most indubitably worth your race entry fees and vacation time.
Is this Really What Bike Racing is About?
OK: Now to the business end of this post. I promise you that I will bleep out the coarse language (my editors at TrueSport demand it). Prepare to put your hands to your mouths in disbelief because Druber is ticked off.
The heart of the matter is this. Would you willingly associate with, do business with or otherwise engage in leisure activities or friendship with any person who regularly and routinely and without regret does any of the following?
A. Manipulates you and your co workers or friends B. Uses your efforts to advance their own cause C. After advancing in an organization by using the talents of others, claim success of the organization as solely their own D. Asks you to help with a project but refuses to cooperate with you when you ask them to share at least 30% if the efforts before the project dead line E. Knowingly lies to co workers in order to get the co workers to cover for them while they play hooky from the office
You say, “A person would have to be out of their mind to associate with such a person completely lacking in character or integrity”. And in saying so, you would be 100% in the right. Yet, in the STOOPID (BLEEPING) sport we play, the characteristics A-E are displayed routinely by the shameless, sociopathic egotists who toss their legs over the top tube every weekend in Master’s bike races.
In just one race, Superweek Sunday in Homewood, I saw the above character traits displayed by guys that need not be named as they know who they are. Now, I am not saying these are not nice guys with friends and families who adore them. Most likely they and other racers who share similar proclivities do indeed have at least one other person in this life who loves them dearly. However, such a fact does not exempt these riders from deserving ridicule and scorn.
Example: Let’s say you’re riding in a break. A rider attacks the break. Just as the attacking rider rises from his/her saddle a rider whistles, or yells out “HUP, HUP, HUP” or “RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT” alerting the other riders in the break to the attacking rider.
Let’s examine this behavior: I can understand in a situation where a rider has team mates in a break or in a larger intact group of riders. The rider who shouts out is not in position to mark the attack but perhaps has a team mate that is in position and wants to alert his team that an attack is going. That’s cool. But, in a break where each rider has no team mate, what does the alert REALLY mean? In simple terms it is this: “Dudes – cover that move because I’m not going to and I need a wheel to tow me in the chase”. In other words…”Please let me use you for my own self preservation because I don’t have the will to dig deep nor do any work of my own in order to get what I want.” This emergency alert system must be a Wisconsin thing because I remember making fun of FlickensMACK last year for doing the same thing at the IL State Road Race. He was sitting mid pack whistling like a deranged New Zealand Blue Duck every time a rider sat up out of the saddle whether to scratch his ass or to launch an attack. FlickensMACK just for the record exhibits none of the abhorrent traits A – E listed above and I believe has ceased his whistling ways.
How about this one... You’ll love this. I saw and heard this one with my own two eyes and ears from a rider I’ll refer to as “The Pirate” (What to Pirates do? They take what isn’t theirs and convert it for their own use and enrichment). Nearing bell lap, the Pirate who had taken only token pulls every fourth rotation since the formation of the break actually yelled out to the rest of the break with great urgency “They’re COMING! The field is COMING!” He wanted the other riders in the break to believe the field was closing in and the break was in danger of imminent failure unless some one (not him) took the initiative to pull the break away from the chasing field. All the while, he continued to ride the slipstream of the others in the break. I liken him to a disingenuous Paul Revere warning his break mates from whom he’d stolen energy during the previous 30 minutes that the peloton was nipping at the heels of the break. “The Field is coming! The field is coming!” He shouted…It was not true. The field was nowhere in sight. But he wanted the other riders in the break to pick up their efforts, wear themselves down on the final lap so that he’d have the advantage in the imminent sprint finish. Shameless.
Let’s examine this behavior: Smart tactics? No, such actions are plain and simple dishonest and reveal of a character void of integrity. I heard one racer describe this as “crafty”. No. It’s not crafty. It’s dishonest.
How about this? A rider makes a break and sees that a gap is growing between the break and the chasing field. GO! GO! GO! He yells, encouraging the other riders in the break to put their all into the move. He sits at the back of the pace line offering his encouragement but not his sweat until the gap is firmly established. The success of the endeavor is completely due to the efforts of others. Then, once and ONLY once the break is safely up the road, the rider begins to offer token pulls, immediately pulling off the split second his nose detects wind. He not “skipping” pulls. He rotates through the line each time but while other riders are taking 10 second, 30 second or longer pulls and taking them hard to help the break succeed this rider each and every time through the line pulls off immediately once he hits front.
Let’s examine this behavior: How similar is this behavior to that of the good looking, affable co worker who is “part of the team” He says “I go to every meeting, I sit in on every teleconference. I’m a team player, I’m contributing, but all the while he is manipulating co workers with flattery, with cajoling and with charm and getting the others to do his work. Then, when the work deadline approaches, he sprints toward the boss with the completed project and talks about how HE, got the project complete on time and under budget, all the while it was on the back of the beleaguered co workers that he’s used for the past month. It’s reprehensible.
What I’m saying is this. The way guys race their bikes, in the raw, sweat soaked nakedness of effort and split second reaction says a lot about what exists in the souls and psyche of the bike racer. How can a guy who blurts out absolute lies in an attempt to game the efforts of others be trusted in ANY transaction whether it is friendship or a real estate deal?
How can a guy who is fully willing to ask others to provide their best efforts to ensure the success of a group endeavor but refuses to provide his own best effort to the same be trusted to act in any other manner outside of the bike race, in civilian clothing. I say he cannot.
Perhaps I’m being harsh? Am I missing the essence of bike racing? Is bike racing a fundamentally dishonest sport? I’m afraid some very prominent members of the fraternity believe it is as evidenced by the doping scandals and millions spent in defense of clearly obvious infractions. As such this culture has filtered all the way down to the weekend warrior level. It’s a shame. How many weekend warriors do we know who have actually been caught doping just to EFFEN win EFFEN masters races? But on a basic level, is it any more lacking heart, character and integrity to pop a DHEA (useless as it is) than it is to skip pulls in a break or to flat out lie that the chasing peloton (completely out of sight) is imminently due to catch the break? You do the math but in my view, the lack of character that will allow a rider to shoot EPO is the same lack of character that provides no conflict to a guy who will sit at the back of a break while yelling at the other riders to pull harder.
Just sayin’.
All right. I’ve said my peace. Bike races can have only one first place finisher. No one minds being bested by a faster rider but it leaves a bitter taste in the mouth when one is bested by a manipulative scalawag who didn’t earn a win. Race hard, race honestly and leave it all on the course then take your chances at the finish line.
The Races
Brevity, thou art a jewel...
Geneva: Moso-Man won out of a two rider break. I broke late and ended up with a 7th place finish
Homewood: Ugly race with a dysfunctional, negative break guys sitting on, fighting, brake checking and break squatting. I finished 10th and it left me hating bike racing. Boris Karlow made an excellent solo bridge to the break with 2 laps to go and did more work in the break in two laps than some of the guys who were in the break from the beginning.
Richton Park: Moso-Man won again from a 2 rider break. Verizon Wireless had the A team present, Stone Pony, Moso-Man, Brother Leo and me. We were bound to win the race. Cool course in a residential neighborhood.
Willow Springs: Excellent road course, the race needed to be 20 miles longer. Bunch sprint up hill after Stone Pony made an excellent attempt at a late break, I did lead out for Moso-Man for the final mile. Moso-Man ended up 5th
Lake Geneva: Awesome new course and a great venue with the finish on the shores of Lake Geneva. I took 5th out of a 9 rider break. Boris Karlow made another solo move to the break to take 3rd place. Super hard race on a great course. I wonder if a road race could be done here?
Brookfield: Goofy parking lot crit. I bagged after a lap and went for a ride out in the countryside. Dan Martin shows up and takes the second of 3 consecutive V’s.
Schlitz Park: Super hard course with a block long 8% grade at the end of the Start/Finish straight. Some wind vortex anomaly created a head wind in both directions. 9 rider break formed that became 7 then 6 then 5. Martin lapped the field twice and the break once. The break lapped the field. Moso-Man took 2nd I took 5th after dropping my chain on rough pavement just before bell lap. I saw Dew Schnozzle and his helmet mirror at the start line. When we lapped the field I did not hiss into his ear and ask him “how’s your gap now?” I thought that would be poor form.
Whitnall Park: Dan the Man attacked the earlier break for no real good reason and rode away once again. I do not know, nor have I heard of this Canadian mystery man from the San Fran area who rides away from us on a daily basis. I looked him up on USA Cycling and I see that according to his license he is age 33, which maybe provides some reason for him winning races for age 35+ riders. The race was only 27.5 miles which is silly for a road race and aside from Dan the Man, who I held at 8 seconds for 5 excruciating laps on my own, nothing stayed off the front for more than a half lap. Short races will have that effect. Two short road races with uphill finishes and two bunch sprints. What a surprise. I told Mike Garrison that he needs to add at least 20 miles to the master’s 1-3 road races. I am confident he will in 2011.
Tomorrow and Wednesday I’ll do P,1,2 road races along the Lake Front in South Milwaukee and Milwaukee proper. I must say that I am very pleased that Superweek is back. I hope riders will look to coming back next year and racing the some of the series.
If anything noteworthy happens in the next two races, I’ll report, otherwise look for my next post some time after Master’s Natz in Louisville in August.
Druber Out
COMMENTS As much as we have enjoyed the rare race with Schwarzengruber here in Michigan, some of us Hagerty masters have really enjoyed his writing. His humor and literary abilities are greatly entertaining, but some of the insights about character and humanity as evidenced in bike racing truely elevates him to a leader and teacher. Steve Andriese - Michigan
