This healthy sport

dave_1

is likely providing gateway drugs leading the rider into serious addication. VDB today in the news, dead climbers and last week the Italian chap too. Hard to believe a healthy sport is as dangerous and as much of a gateway to addiction as the non athlete binging on booze and hash

Will VDB be alive a year from now?

Kléber

I disagree. Take a sample of 1000 males and whether they are pro cyclists or in more ordinary work, some will end up using drugs and others will meet tragic ends too. Cyclists aren't really any different from the rest of the population.

But VDB is a sorry story. It's like a tragedy without ending, only you don't want it to end as that would literally be the end of VDB. I don't know why teams sign him, he's not been fit to race for years but people seem to want his notoriety and image to attract attention to their team.

dave_1

Kléber wrote:

I disagree. Take a sample of 1000 males and whether they are pro cyclists or in more ordinary work, some will end up using drugs and others will meet tragic ends too. Cyclists aren't really any different from the rest of the population.

But VDB is a sorry story. It's like a tragedy without ending, only you don't want it to end as that would literally be the end of VDB. I don't know why teams sign him, he's not been fit to race for years but people seem to want his notoriety and image to attract attention to their team.

Fair enough Kleber. Most parents would imagine the cycling life would lead their kids away from such danger though...not make it as likely or more likely...which it seems to be. VDB is a very sad case. I think Belgian papers will already have an obituary story written out and saved for printing as breaking news to beat the other media when the call comes

calvjones

The Grewal essay makes some reference to this, in a way. The problem is, professional cycling is, um, not about the bike. The fact that recreational & other cycling is healthy is almost irrelevant. A pity tho.

iainf72

calvjones wrote:

The Grewal essay makes some reference to this, in a way. The problem is, professional cycling is, um, not about the bike. The fact that recreational & other cycling is healthy is almost irrelevant. A pity tho.

I think it was Vaughters who said that most people who start riding bikes are very "moral" - Who else wants to go training when they're a teenager rather than getting boozed up etc.

If VDB had worked in a factory, he would've probably been pulling the wrong type of birds at a pub and doing ching in the toilets.

Everyone follows a different path I would say. If a parent looked at all the bad paths something could send someone down, they'd never allow anything.

LangerDan

VDB needs to be taken far, far away from the pro scene for his own good. Like Pantani, he appears to be among the sort of people who ignore or excuse his problems because of who he is and whats he's done on the bike.

There would be nothing sinister in the Belgian papers having a VDB obituary ready to go. Most papers have pre-prepared obits for sportspeople, popstars, politicians etc. It saves a huge amount of faffing about should one of them fall under a bus. I believe one of the taks of junior journos is the regualr updating of the obits.

ricadus

All the daily papers have libraries of pre-written obituaries. In fact people are employed specifically to keep them up to date, ready for use.

I suspect VDB is regarded in Belgium like George Best was here: someone who squandered his talent and is/was a waster, but is still somehow a star and gets their respect.

hammerite

ricadus wrote:

All the daily papers have libraries of pre-written obituaries. In fact people are employed specifically to keep them up to date, ready for use.

I suspect VDB is regarded in Belgium like George Best was here: someone who squandered his talent and is/was a waster, but is still somehow a star and gets their respect.

I know it's not a particular funny subject, but this reminds me of Tommy Steele in Rock Profile (Matt Lucas and David Walliams) where he's trying to be interviewed for the BBC and just wants to stay on camera. He keeps saying "I can do obits for you", and continues with "Michaela Strachan was a dear dear friend........" and other random minor celebrities.

nwallace

LangerDan wrote:

VDB needs to be taken far, far away from the pro scene for his own good. Like Pantani, he appears to be among the sort of people who ignore or excuse his problems because of who he is and whats he's done on the bike.

There would be nothing sinister in the Belgian papers having a VDB obituary ready to go. Most papers have pre-prepared obits for sportspeople, popstars, politicians etc. It saves a huge amount of faffing about should one of them fall under a bus. I believe one of the taks of junior journos is the regualr updating of the obits.

Not to mention the occasional accidental publishing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pr ... obituaries