Below is a letter than my friend and ex-team mate, Andy Hampsten wrote in Velonews nearly 9 years ago. I found it last night sorting through some old paperwork. I printed the letter out back then because I thought it was a very exceptional risk and special act, defending Greg Lemond. Greg’s vocal criticism of Lance, during this time, the Lance Era, was unpopular to say the least. Andy’s support of Greg was very brave and honest. I wrote to Velonews supporting Andy’s position, thus Greg’s. But, whenever I ran into Greg, I told him that he was fighting a very unpopular and losing battle. It was a lose/lose situation for him. He understood that, but that didn’t deter him. Another brave and honest act.

It is embarrassing how little we’ve progressed, in close to a decade, addressing this issue. Obviously, the actions taken by our sport haven’t been very effective in deterring the problem. Anyway, it is nearly the same old, same old. I don’t want to be able to write a web post 9 years from now that is applicable to today’s problems concerning doping in the sport.

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I’ve been walking Bromont over at the Menninger Foundation grounds the last few days. The Menninger Foundation was one of the most prestigious psychiatric facilities in the nation up until 10 years ago when they closed up shop and moved to Houston Texas. Lots of famous people have come and gone through Topeka because of it. It has been a part of my life from a very young age. I grew up with a ton of the Menninger kids. I was even college roommates with Fritz, during my short stay at KU.

Anyway, it was strange walking around over there while Bromont was running crazy in the woods. The place is so barren. 10 years ago it was nearly a thriving little city and now just a grassy field. A local hospital, St. Francis, bought the grounds and intended to build their new facilities there. I think a twist in the stock market might have put that on hold, but they did raze all the buildings, but one.

I graduated high school early. I lost interest in it nearly before it started. I used to skip out whenever a class would be doing library study, or anything when I wouldn’t be missed, get on my bike and ride over to the Menninger Campus and train. It is on a hill and there was a hard mile circuit there. Sometimes I would throw my bike over the fence and do hill repeats on a paved road that went down to the river. I’ve ridden up and down that road 1000’s of times. Walking there, the road is only gravel, just a few patches of asphalt here and there. It is amazing how fast the planet reclaims what is its.

Bromont and I got in the van and drove to Texas. I’m going to be installing, in theory, a ceiling fan at Sue’s mom’s in Richardson, plus I wanted to fix a post of the fence I built last year that has moved, then go down to Austin and put in a dog door for my friend Ann. She got a new puppy and wants it able to get in and out of the porch. Plus, obviously train. I’m kicking around maybe trying to race a local training race this week, we’ll see.

I went for a 15 mile spin last night when I arrived. Richardson has changed too, but exactly the opposite. It takes forever to get out of town here. When I first came here in the 80’s, it was the country. Now it’s an hour to get out to the country. I rode by The Richardson Bike Mart. It was closed, there were no cars in front. I might be wrong, but I believe it is the largest, by square footage, and probably sales, of all bike shops in the country, most likely the world. I first met Jimmy Hoyt, the owner of the store when I rode from Schwinn and he was a Schwinn dealer. It was a little shop, nothing at all like he current business.

I guess this is just a part of life. I usually don’t attach much emotional feeling to changes initiated by humans. But, the stark different between the Menninger Campus just disappearing into a field and then the next day coming down to Texas and seeing what was just a field, become landlocked and the center of urban sprawl, got me thinking. All this change is sort of disturbing for some reason. It seems so wasteful. I’m not sure why. Maybe I’m just in one of those moods.

The last remaining building on the Menninger Campus.

What it looks like now.

10 years ago it looked like this.

Richardson Bike Mart. It is huge.

The road where I did intervals in high school.

Just a few spots of asphalt left.

Bromont looking all proud and happy after running around Menninger’s.

His normal position driving to Texas.

Stanley and Lulu on an outing.

I found this bird flopping around on my walk at Menningers yesterday.

Boromont was concerned of course.

I took it here and the lady there does bird rehabilitation. She said it was a full grown Barn Swallow. It had a broken wing. She said she could probably fix it. That surprised me, but I gladly left it with her.

I took this out of the car window driving out of Topeka. It is finally Spring.