The Cycliste Moderne, April 20, 2005

On the Mur de Huy

Wednesday (4/20) is the Flèche Wallonne, a race which takes riders from Charleroi through the French portion of Belgium and ends after three climbs up the famed Mur de Huy in Huy, Belgium. Here is everything you need to know about the Mur de Huy:

1. There is an aerial tram that goes from the valley to the top of the climb.
2. There are religious shrines up the whole length of the climb.
3. There is a church at the finish line just in case you die.
4. The road is open to local traffic only.
5. Only one Spaniard has ever won it.
6. The sign at the base of the hill says 19%.

Flèche Wallonne is overshadowed by Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which will take place on Sunday. However, in my estimation the Mur de Huy is the most difficult climb that there is in Belgium. As I hiked up the Mur last November, I wondered how many clutches the local residents Mur burn through in a given year.


On Armstrong’s Retirement

You cannot say that Lance Armstrong’s retirement announcement was a surprise. He has been hinting at it to the European Media for about a month now. It is better to go out on top than to hang around too long (Cippolini!). It is also commendable to recognize that your career distracts from your family obligations. I hope that Lance does indeed spend time with his kids. I hope that he does devote his time to cancer research and developing younger cyclists.

However, how many athletes, with the exception of Barry Sanders and Jim Brown, have been able to walk away while they still had good years left in them and stay away? Ryne Sandburg could not stay retired. Roger Clements could not stay retired. Michael Jordan could not stay retired. I’m not sure if even Gordy Howe has retired yet. I just cannot see Lance Armstrong “fading off into Bolivian,” to quote Mike Tyson.


On Hamilton’s Ban

While Armstrong was telling the world of his decision to walk away from the sport, Tyler Hamilton was handed a two-year ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency on Monday. If upheld, the ban will likely mark the end of Hamilton’s career. New ProTour regulations preclude any top international team from employing him for an additional two years once his competitive ban is over. At this point in his career, it is highly unlikely that he could return to the top level of cycling after four years out.

There have not been many details of his explanation for why his tests were positive. It is interesting to note, however, that the panel that heard the case appeared to be divided, as press reports have stated that “a majority of the three man panel” found a violation to have occurred. It appears that Hamilton offered significant expert testimony on the validity of the blood testing first implemented in competition at the Olympics. The next step will likely be an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

We have long admired Tyler Hamilton’s grit and determination. Under Bjarne Riis, he emerged as one of the top stage racers in the world. There are certainly many unanswered questions in this instance that need to be answered. However, if he did in fact utilize blood transfusions to improve his performance, Hamilton deserves to be banned.