View Single Post
  #21  
Old December 10th 10, 02:56 PM posted to rec.bicycles.racing
Anton Berlin
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,381
Default Alexi Grewal: worst teammate ever

On Dec 9, 8:33*pm, Ryan Cousineau wrote:
On Dec 9, 5:55*am, Anton Berlin wrote: Sorry Ryan but this subject line makes you look like a putz. *If a guy
holds support from a teammate and then drops out or gets 18th then
he's a selfish ****ing **** and deserves the worst.


But if a guy does these things believing he can win and then does it -
that makes him a god.


Because anyone that's got to that level will tell you when the race
starts - it's every man for himself.


(of course this is different in stage racing but one day races you're
on your own)


On Dec 9, 5:55*am, Anton Berlin wrote:

Sorry Ryan but this subject line makes you look like a putz. *If a guy
holds support from a teammate and then drops out or gets 18th then
he's a selfish ****ing **** and deserves the worst.


But if a guy does these things believing he can win and then does it -
that makes him a god.


Because anyone that's got to that level will tell you when the race
starts - it's every man for himself.


(of course this is different in stage racing but one day races you're
on your own)


I said "worst teammate," not "worst racer." As you note, Grewal
achieved cycling greatness that day.

But he took an awful risk. He relied on being able to outsprint Bauer
heads-up, but he got away with it. As he notes, the good-teammate plan
would have meant delivering Kiefel and Phinney to the finish, with
extremely good odds for the USA.

The meta-problem at the Olympics and Worlds is that national "teams"
are largely a crock, featuring minimal functional loyalties (as
opposed to pro teams, where the personal and financial ties are
usually stronger). Even club teams are more of a real team.


Exactly ! How is anyone (Alexi especially) expected to have
allegiance to guys he barely rode with? Just because they all have
the same super gay stars and stripes jersey on?

This is the exact same problem that haunted the US 100k teams for the
80s and 90s. The ten speed drive boys - working as friends that rode
together often - typically went 4-8 minutes faster than the ad hoc
teams the coaches threw together again and again (the definition of
insanity) and sent to international events.

Alexi had one allegiance that day and that was to work for himself.
Anyone that's won eventually second guesses (often much later in
life ) as much as the guys that got second or sixteenth.

**** Davis Phinney - if he didn't have the sense to bring enough food
and drink or try to gain advantage be wearing a skinsuit with only 1
pocket then he deserves the place he got.

I'll venture this - in a three up sprint with Phinney, Bauer and
Grewal - Grewal still could win because he would be smart enough to
take advantage of those 2 marking each other and would enter the end
zone untouched.

From reading his blogs and news stories it's clear Alexi (as a human)
is going through a stage where he's trying to rationalize his life,
justify or pardon his past and have it all make sense.

That day in 1984 he inspired 10s of thousands to ride and put in the
miles (me included) and that vision kept me riding many times for many
years.

If you or even he wants to **** on that candy now - well OK that's
everyone's right - but it doesn't change the fact that for years his
ride inspired every loner, every misfit and every one that wanted to
do something for themselves and prove to the world and lastly the
internal doubts we all have that they have value and can do something
incredible.

I don't know him, never raced against him but Alexi Grewal is the
greatest "teammate" ever because at 23 he got it right.

The race is with ourselves. The things we do only mark our souls. And
no one really keeps our score but ourselves.

And independent ****ers like Henry Chang, Magilla, Alexi and maybe
Anton make this world 100x better than a million ass grabbing glad
handing yes-men team players.

I am in the business world and I can tell you for a fact that the
"teammates" and "team players" are the most detestable untrustworthy
****s out there.

So in the end - maybe your subject line isn't so bad - calling someone
like Alexi "the worst teammate ever" is about the best damn compliment
one can make.
Ads
 

Home - Home - Home - Home - Home