Lance seems to be emerging back into the public through some media interviews. Not complete candid interviews, but snippets that really skirt the meat. I was reading this interview that Lance did with Cyclingnews.com. It was the same old until I got to this quote-

And I don’t want to just talk about doping. It’s obviously an element but 99 per cent of my career isn’t about doping.

I think he totally believes this. From my perspective, he has a complete warped reality.

I was talking to a friend last week about some of the doping stuff. And he told me he had talked with George Hincappie about Lance. He said that George was “defending” Lance, saying the guy (Lance) trained harder and was more focused than any other rider he’d ever met.

I reminded him of the Outside Magazine article about that guy that was training for Paris-Brest-Paris and started on a systematic doping program. His quote from the article is –

After the EPO kicked in, I rode a 200-miler and I felt strong, fresh, ready to hammer. The next day I easily could have ridden another 200.

So, here’s an “amatuer cylist” training for a long race/tour and he said the recovery is beyond belief. I obviously have never experienced, but have to believe what everyone says.

I would love to get on my bike today in La Jolla and ride the 65 miles over to Mt. Palamar and do a couple repeats and ride home. And I’d love to be able to do it again tomorrow. But, I can’t. But, Lance could. He could go and pre-ride stages of the Tour each year and do repeats on the hardest climbs in the race.

What 1% part of his career is that? What doesn’t George understand about the advantage that gives Lance? If anyone understands, he must, because he was pretty much on the same level. So George must have thought that just because he didn’t have the want to go ride and plan and organize his complete life around one race, that Lance must be so special. It is all about the personal acceptance and the justification of his/their actions. George had this underlying respect of Lance just because he didn’t possess his traits.

I’m curious if these guys wonder often how good of athletes/cyclists they really could have been?

Lance and George all giddy, probably after their 7th day straight of 250 kms. Fresh as daisies.

I did the Elfin Forest ride yesterday. I did it backwards a few days ago and was amazed about how much construction they have done out there. I’ve been coming out to San Diego and North County to ride since the early 80’s. Man, even just writing that seems crazy.

The first time I came out here was to do the Tour of Baja. Jimmy Mac, my friend that I stayed with up in Somis, picked me up at the airport and brought me up to Cariff. Mac worked for Husqvarna Motorcycles then I think, but had a pretty loose schedule. He brought me back and took me for a ride up Via De La Valle and up in Rancho Santa Fe. It was beautiful, wonderful. It still is. It hasn’t really changed that much other than a ton more traffic.

We rode on up over Del Dios and I flatted up by Lake Hodges. There was no one there. Not one car passed us. Anyway, North County was the best place I’d ever ridden. It took a while, but eventually the rest of the world discovered it too. Elfin Forest was the same. Now, it is pretty much built up on either end, with a few miles of “old” terrain. It’s fine riding by myself, but in a group it would be a drag.

I don’t understand why I’m so on and off nowadays. Yesterday I felt pretty great considering. My season hasn’t really been a season, so I have no idea one week to the next how I’m going to be going. That isn’t a good thing for a cyclist. I hope to get some overall, general form back over the winter and start off next road season with a good general base. At least that is my hope, and intention.

I have to decide today whether I’m going to race the UCI cross races in Louisville this weekend. If you would have asked me a couple days ago, I would have had to say no. My thumb has been useless and I’ve been pedalling in squares. Not even addressing my shoulder, which is pretty important in cyclocross. But, yesterday, I felt pretty good all day riding. I haven’t done any intensity that would help me out in cross for ages, so I will be humbled, but that shouldn’t really stop me.

I hope to get up to Thyme-In-The-Ranch today in Rancho. It is an awesome bakery. A little expensive, but great none-the-less. I’m heading out early for a ride with Don and Sue. I really should do a few intervals/jumps, but would rather just go ride with my friends. I figure I’ll do more than enough intervals over the weekend, if I race.

This is the first place I ever rode a MTB bike. It’s along the tracks in Cariff. It was two days before the 1st Norba Nationals I won.

This religious temple thing has been in Encinitas for decades. They have a pretty great piece of property.

Lake Hodges from Del Dios Hwy.

Some of the new construction in Elfin Forest.

I saw this guy riding on the tope of Torrey Pines by the golf course.

The sunset yesterday was pretty spectacular.

From the top of Torrey Pines at dusk.

I didn’t quite get back by the time it got dark. But was rewarded by the cresent moon and venus.

Made it.