I never got to see any of it, other than a few minutes of silent footage from across the gym. We don't have real cable so I never got any updates either. I didn't care too much. I just don't know anything about the sport of cycling.
I love riding my bike. I am obsessed with bikes. But I just don't understand competitive cycling. Riding my bike is similar in many ways to riding my skateboard. It's something you can do alone... or in a group. There are a lot of people who are into it and care to share their passion, despite the independent nature of the "sport." Large industries are built around each. And we all like to feel like cool, misunderstood lone-wolves pitted against mainstream sports like basketball and football. I almost said baseball but realized
But the big difference between the ESPN X-treme skateboarders (which is as close as skateboarding can get to being a "sport") and the Tour de France pedal pushers is money and investments in equipment and training. Even the top professional skateboarders (think: Tony Hawk) skate on the same $50 deck (at best made with some hidden air chamber between maple wood plys), $50 trucks (perhaps with a hollow body chamber), $35 wheels, $50 Swiss bearings, and $80 shoes you'd find at your local skate shop.
Meanwhile, your favorite pro cyclist is wearing crazy space-age spandex (I priced out some bibs at the local bike shop for $150 which is the economical choice for your average enthusiast), $500 carbon fiber soled shoes, riding a carbon fiber bike worth (I'm guessing) $10,000, and I don't even know how to price out coaches...
Where's the sport?
When you consider all the technology and training and money together as the common demoninator, at least all these athletes are competing against each other with human energy--an inspiring thing--which makes it leagues better than Nascar.
No comments:
Post a Comment