Friday, May 25, 2007

Fallen Idols?

Cycling has been turned on it's head even more today with Bjarn Riis's admission that he was taking EPO from 1993 - 1998. This means he was using EPO when he won the tour.

I remember watching every day of the Tour that year and being astounded by his performance, taking apart Big Mig in the Alps, the look on his face, the grimace mixed with a smile. He was the man who made Miguel Indurain seem human...

Now it turns out he was using EPO. Am I disappointed? I am a little if I am honest. You would like to thing cyclists are super human, you would like to think your heroes are invincible. They are not, they are human.

Does it take away from his achievements? Yes and no, let's not pretend that taking EPO will make you a champion, it won't. Year's of hard work and dedication make champions, but heroes?

He will no longer be a hero, but he will never stop being a champion, legend, idol even if it is a fallen one.

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