Disco-Fever
Many people would be surprised to find out that Lance Armstrong is probably not my favorite bicycle racer. Although I did cheer for him to win le Tour each year and I do admire his story, my personal fave is a domestique named Michael Barry. That would be him leading a couple of Disco-boys up a climb.
A quick lesson in bike racing. Domestique roughly translated means "servant". These are the guys who go back to the team car and get food and water for everyone on the team. These are the guys who will give up their bike if the leader's bike fails him. Lance Armstrong could not have won a single Tour de France without his trusty domestiques.
I have always admired those who really value the team. I admire this trait in all types of situations. In America it's all about me. Show ME the money! It's MY house! Give ME the ball!
Michael Barry is definitely not about me. He is about the Discovery (formerly U.S. Postal) team. He is the ultimate team mate. He sacrifices himself so that others can win. I have never read that Barry ever complains about his role on the team. Actually, if you read his personal journal Inside The Postal Bus you will get a glimpse of how much he sacrifices for his team and how much he believes in the team.
Barry has never outwardly complained that he has never had the chance to ride the Tour De France for Disco or Postal. Barry has the talent, as he has proven it many times over, yet year after year, he has been left off the Tour squad. Yet, he has only written glowing things about his team in his on-line journal...ever the team man.
Now you may wonder how I can admire a sport personality who shaves his legs, has no upper body power and is generally in the scrawny category. Besides the sub 10 percent body fat and the amazing aerobic abilities, I love that he is tough! Tough you ask? Check out the picture to the right!
That photo is from the 2002 Vuelta a Espana. That would be the Tour of Spain to we Americans. Barry had just crashed and been dragged about 50 feet by a follow motorcycle. Is that a look of "What the Hell just happened to me?!"
Amazingly he did not break any bones in this gruesome crash. And being any normal domestique, what did Michael Barry do? He got back on his bike, horribly injured, and soldiered on.
Check out the photo to the left! If you enlarge it you will see the horrible road rash across his forearm. Ouch...that is going to really sting in the shower! Talk about a mobile mash unit!
What is really cool is that he completed that stage of the Vuelta!
Why? To prove that he was not a quitter. That his team mates could depend on him to finish the job, even if it meant suffering like very few ever suffered.There he is again soldiering slowly towards the finish, shorts torn to shreds, butt hanging out and blood streaming down his arm. This guy is nails.
So why is Neil going on and on about this cyclist? A bicycle racer from Canada? Alas, my favorite Disco-boy will be leaving the team after this season. Like everthing in life, things change. Michael Barry has found a new home at T-Mobile. Hopefully he will get his chance to ride le Tour with the boys in magenta.
I'm saddened because as Barry himself called Discovery it is the Yankees of cycling. And even if one does find one's self rooting for the Yankees, it's the players that make the team. It's nice to have someone you actually admire on the big budget team.
I think I am a little sad because another thing that I'm familiar with is slipping away. Time moves on. It's wonderful to have change and new experiences, but there's something to be said about being able to grasp on to something from the past.
Good luck to my favorite Canadian-Disco-boy...
posted by LoneCactus @ 7:00 AM
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