Chad Gerlach rolled boxcars at the Tour de Nez on stage 2, getting a win and following it up with a top-10 finish in the final stage to give him a win in the omnium as well.
So why is BKW bothering to report on a reformed drug addict who won an omnium in the U.S? The Tour de Nez deserves special consideration for its in-town courses and actual spectators and Gerlach deserves a nod for getting the win at a race that many riders target as the high point of the season.
One of the unfortunate realities of bicycle racing is that while we can purchase the same bikes the PROs ride and train over the same roads they ride, we can’t, generally speaking, race the same courses. Gran Fondos give us a chance to ride some of them—the Tour of Flanders event is a noticeable exception—but amateur (and Continental) racing is often characterized by lackluster race courses.
No matter how you slice it, Gerlach getting a win and the added attention it brought Tahoe’s biggest annual road event is a good thing for attracting positive attention to cycling from the public and second- and third-tier sponsors.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Gerlach Takes Tour de Nez Omnium
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3 comments:
Yeah, he was a drug user. But he deserves a second chance
...hell ya, gerlach deserves a second chance...& he's giving himself that...
...guy sank way lower than any of us could ever imagine in our own lives (you saw 'intervention') & he's giving himself the opportunity to utilize the good faith others have in him...
...i hope he finds whatever fulfillment he needs in a team situation so that when the racing ends, he's still diggin' on life...
...kick ass, gerlach...kick some friggin' ass...
For a chance to ride a Pro Course stateside, please look at www.cyclosportif.com The Univest Grand Prix has a tough course and a shot for weekend warriors to give it a go before the Pros do.
Hopefully Chad and the boys will be on hand as they close out their season.
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