Alexi Grewel in training for comeback at 50! Inspiring or Unwelcome?

[happychappy]

But why is it so easy for the armchair cyclist to find fault.

Because it's easier than riding 20-30 hours a week like us, Alexi.

 

[BotanyBay]

Because it's easier than riding 20-30 hours a week like us, Alexi.

These are the same Freds who'd take 2 weeks off and run alongside him on Ventoux with an American flag if he'd ever donned yellow. But because he never did, they're just as happy to join-in on the frenzy and use hiking boots to help stomp on him while he's down. The same bloodthirsty Freds that sat in the Roman Colliseum and put their thumbs down to a sub-par gladiator.

Everyone wants to be rooting for the winning team.

 

[flicker]

These are the same Freds who'd take 2 weeks off and run alongside him on Ventoux with an American flag if he'd ever donned yellow. But because he never did, they're just as happy to join-in on the frenzy and use hiking boots to help stomp on him while he's down. The same bloodthirsty Freds that sat in the Roman Colliseum and put their thumbs down to a sub-par gladiator.

Everyone wants to be rooting for the winning team.

Hey thanks for the pic of Meathead.

 

[BotanyBay]

I doubt there are many people who know Alexi, including Alexi himself, that would dissagree with my discription. My link to Armstrong's comments was not an attempt to paint him with some evil brush, that is really reaching.

If you were around the sport in the 80's it is very hard to be nuetral on Alexi. There are many people that hate him with a passion. I am not one of those guys. I have friends who worked closely with him for years that talk often of a sweet, thoughtful, complex guy who seldom came across in public.

Eddie B's "my-way-or-the-highway" methods ended many promising careers before they really began. I remember one of my fellow racing friends getting shafted by him during the Jr Worlds trials at the OTC. He was consistently a top-5 national talent, but Eddie had some weird prejudice against him. Probably hated his physique or how he looked when he rode. Eddie had this thing for people who "looked" as if they belonged on a bike. My friend never fit that look, despite having consistently kicked our posteriors. He was also never a trouble-maker, easy to get along with. And he's a big success today outside of bike racing.

Alexi was hated by Eddie B from day one. Eddie could not control Alexi, and more importantly, Alexi had no fear of Eddie. That, Eddie could not tolerate. But he had one significant bit of power over Eddie. Undeniable talent that he (Eddie) couldn't cover-up.

Alexi only rode in the Olympic road race because of his complete dominance at the Oly trials in Spokane. He kicked everyone's posteriors. But Eddie was right there for the photo ops at the finish line. A victory that he had literally nothing to do with.

When Eddie's home burned to the ground in the SoCal fires 2-3 years ago, Alexi participated in the charity event to help raise money to help re-build his home. He might even have been "down on his luck" at the time.

Alexi may have been well within his rights to take a few kicks at EB, but he put those bad feelings away and made himself available to help him when he was in need. Alexi owed the guy nothing, but he put his differences aside and helped the man when in need.

If anyone in the world should be donating to Alexi's bike fund, it should be Eddie B.

 

[Race Radio]

Eddie B's "my-way-or-the-highway" methods ended many promising careers before they really began. I remember one of my fellow racing friends getting shafted by him during the Jr Worlds trials at the OTC. He was consistently a top-5 national talent, but Eddie had some weird prejudice against him. Probably hated his physique or how he looked when he rode. Eddie had this thing for people who "looked" as if they belonged on a bike. My friend never fit that look, despite having consistently kicked our posteriors. He was also never a trouble-maker, easy to get along with. And he's a big success today outside of bike racing.

Alexi was hated by Eddie B from day one. Eddie could not control Alexi, and more importantly, Alexi had no fear of Eddie. That, Eddie could not tolerate. But he had one significant bit of power over Eddie. Undeniable talent that he (Eddie) couldn't cover-up.

Alexi only rode in the Olympic road race because of his complete dominance at the Oly trials in Spokane. He kicked everyone's posteriors. But Eddie was right there for the photo ops at the finish line. A victory that he had literally nothing to do with.

When Eddie's home burned to the ground in the SoCal fires 2-3 years ago, Alexi participated in the charity event to help raise money to help re-build his home. He might even have been "down on his luck" at the time.

Alexi may have been well within his rights to take a few kicks at EB, but he put those bad feelings away and made himself available to help him when he was in need. Alexi owed the guy nothing, but he put his differences aside and helped the man when in need.

If anyone in the world should be donating to Alexi's bike fund, it should be Eddie B.

Eddie loved to be the king maker. I always felt that in order to keep his job he felt that he needed always tell everyone he had the "next big thing". If you were that "next big thing" you could do not wrong, if you were not you could do no right. Every win was because of Eddie. Of course he also introduced European "preparation" to the team. The funny thing is that even after he left this culture continued.....and perhaps even got worse.

 

[BotanyBay]

Eddie loved to be the king maker. I always felt that in order to keep his job he felt that he needed always tell everyone he had the "next big thing". If you were that "next big thing" you could do not wrong, if you were not you could do no right. Every win was because of Eddie. Of course he also introduced European "preparation" to the team. The funny thing is that even after he left this culture continued.....and perhaps even got worse.

What people outside the loop did not see was the thug "assistant" coaches he brought in with him. When he left, they did not all leave with him. We got ourselves an old-school eastern block coaching staff and then sought-out more of them. The problem was Fraysee's love for winning at all costs.

 

[Oldman]

Eddie loved to be the king maker. I always felt that in order to keep his job he felt that he needed always tell everyone he had the "next big thing". If you were that "next big thing" you could do not wrong, if you were not you could do no right. Every win was because of Eddie. Of course he also introduced European "preparation" to the team. The funny thing is that even after he left this culture continued.....and perhaps even got worse.

It can't go unnoted that Eddie carried this counseltation from the USA Cycling group to USPS and it's associated masters. I think via the Masters coaching Mr. Weisel became acquainted with his "next big thing". Alexi and Pettyjohn were the pro counter to that program at some races I participated in. No love lost there, either.

 

[Race Radio]

Here is Adam's take on Eddie B. As usual he gets it right

http://www.cycle-smart.com/blog/2010/11/25/connect-dots

Eddie B. is the father of American doping, period

 

[Hugh Januss]

Here is Adam's take on Eddie B. As usual he gets it right

http://www.cycle-smart.com/blog/2010/11/25/connect-dots

Pretty much the way I remember it.

 

[montagna lunga]

I don't need to know him. He's yesterday's news as far as I'm concerned.

This is why you feel a need to publicly discuss (and trash-talk) AG?

He should put that huge engine of his to work at being a better family man.
Nothing he does on a bike will change how his family and especially his children were short-changed by his behavior.

sounds like you still have daddy/abandonment/abuse/"poor me" issues

So please, Joe-there is more to cycling than hanging on to a legacy that has come and gone.

do you still ride, or just trash-talk on the internet?

At a certain point charging at windmills just illustrates a pathetic personality that seems trapped in amber, when other priorities should take precedence.

heckuva mixed-metaphor diagnosis pal, but I guess you're the sort who thinks that your priorities are altruistic enough to pass muster with others? altruistic enough to impose on others??!

 

[Race Radio]

I did not really get the first blog post. The Coyote, the Audi....hard to read

This is completely different. The story of the 1984 road race. Usually I hate race reports.... "blah blah, we went hard, blah, blah I attacked"

This is not the normal race report.
http://www.alexigrewal.com/index.php/blog/104-the-skinsuit-aka-the-olympics-in-la

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I did not really get the first blog post. The Coyote, the Audi....hard to read

This is completely different. The story of the 1984 road race. Usually I hate race reports.... "blah blah, we went hard, blah, blah I attacked"

This is not the normal race report.
http://www.alexigrewal.com/index.php/blog/104-the-skinsuit-aka-the-olympics-in-la

This is my first post in this thread - I was sortof meh when I read about his return and put it down as a slow news day.

But that race report - is one of the most insightful pieces on a race I have read in years. It lays bare his motives, his honesty and yet dishonesty.

I had heard little about Alexi since he left Europe in the 80's(?) so appreciate all the info on him, his is an intruiging story.
I don't think he will ride the Quiznos race - but I hope he finds himself on his journey.

 

[TexPat]

This is my first post in this thread - I was sortof meh when I read about his return and put it down as a slow news day.

But that race report - is one of the most insightful pieces on a race I have read in years. It lays bare his motives, his honesty and yet dishonesty.

I had heard little about Alexi since he left Europe in the 80's(?) so appreciate all the info on him, his is an intruiging story.
I don't think he will ride the Quiznos race - but I hope he finds himself on his journey.

It definitively lays bare the splintered allegiance in the US Olympic road racing squad, and makes it clear where Alexi's ambitions were at the time. Surprisingly well written compared to the previous entry.
Why is this guy trying to make a comeback? Please tell me.

 

[buckwheat]

It definitively lays bare the splintered allegiance in the US Olympic road racing squad, and makes it clear where Alexi's ambitions were at the time. Surprisingly well written compared to the previous entry.
Why is this guy trying to make a comeback? Please tell me.

Hope springs eternal?

 

[ricara]

Why is Alexi coming back?

From Alexi's blog:

"There’s a political reason, I’d like to attract the Quiznos Pro Challenge to Loveland – but it’s also something I’ve been thinking about for 15 years, coming back when I was 50.

I see my 12 year-old son every day, but when I was living in a shed for two years – there was no plumbing, no heating - and I was broke, he’d come to see me every weekend and we’d go to a movie.

We went to see a film called ‘The Rookie’ about a guy who doesn’t make it as a baseball player but after 17 or 18 years as a teacher he discovers he can still pitch and comes back to the Majors, late in life.

After watching it we didn’t say anything, but I knew what he was thinking, I said to him; ‘don’t even think about it!’ but the seed was planted.

When Armstrong started to Twitter about the Quiznos race, people saw it and were saying to me; ‘are you going to do the race?’

I said that I’d train for four weeks and see how I was going."

There is another blog entry in Post #195 by Buckwheat on the previous page that explains more.

 

[Oldman]

Pretty much the way I remember it.

+1. Beckman and Twigg were from our area and didn't want to talk about it, period. When Rebecca married Whitehead the consensus from those that claimed to know her was "that can't last. She's a nice, talented person."

The notes about Eddie B, Weisel and the emergent trends were spot on but I don't think any of it happens on the level it finally did without Weisel's financial support. He and others appeared to view it like the NFL: only naive folks thought that they didn't dope. The escalation began then and was more apparent in some of the Masters than the pros coached by that program. That USACycling management has a share of alumni from that era cannot go without investigation. I hope the USADA research delves into that relationship and out those deserving a legal colonoscophy.

 

[Race Radio]

+1. Beckman and Twigg were from our area and didn't want to talk about it, period. When Rebecca married Whitehead the consensus from those that claimed to know her was "that can't last. She's a nice, talented person."

The notes about Eddie B, Weisel and the emergent trends were spot on but I don't think any of it happens on the level it finally did without Weisel's financial support. He and others appeared to view it like the NFL: only naive folks thought that they didn't dope. The escalation began then and was more apparent in some of the Masters than the pros coached by that program. That USACycling management has a share of alumni from that era cannot go without investigation. I hope the USADA research delves into that relationship and out those deserving a legal colonoscophy.

Don't worry it is.....

 

[9000ft]

Why is this guy trying to make a comeback? Please tell me.

You've read his own words. You can believe it or not. Whatever the 100% truth is, I'm sure like all of us, it's a complex story with a lot of facets.

Personally, I'd be surprised to see any 50 year old man get himself into the condition and have the speed that it take to compete at the level a race like the Quiznos will require, but you never know. Like someone else mentioned, look at Overend. Maybe he'll be able to solidly contribute to a team, maybe not. However it works out, I wish him well. If he's truly not afraid to fail, he has nothing to fear.

 

[PotentialPro]

Actually there are a number of good examples of riders that in their 40's even 50's can compete on a very high level. Don't get stars in your eyes because they have a Pro license, you still have to pedal the same way. It is possible to be competitive beyond 30 years old, and beyond 40. Look at a Chris Walker, who won elite Nationals a few years ago in a breakaway on a tough hot Redlands course. He was not young when he did that, I think 43? Thurlow Rogers placed 3rd at Nationals in Anaheim in a long breakaway a couple of years ago. Nate Reiss is a good example also. We can look at many riders that still can turn the pedals over and not be intimidated because there are pros around. I dont think Alexi is intimidated, he wants to prove to himself and his family that he still can do it. He wants to accomplish something on the bike that gives many around him hope, and a shared sense of accomplishment. I wouldnt doubt he and Rishi still have some rivalry, perhaps Ranjeet too. It would be cool to see all three of them racing again.

 

[Hugh Januss]

This is my first post in this thread - I was sortof meh when I read about his return and put it down as a slow news day.

But that race report - is one of the most insightful pieces on a race I have read in years. It lays bare his motives, his honesty and yet dishonesty.

I had heard little about Alexi since he left Europe in the 80's(?) so appreciate all the info on him, his is an intruiging story.
I don't think he will ride the Quiznos race - but I hope he finds himself on his journey.

Yeah that is an amazing account, I was there and was aware that things didn't go quite to Eddie's plan. I just thought that Davis couldn't follow at the critical moment. Alexi pulled it off though, and it is about the team winning, right? As a newly transplanted Californian at the time I was hoping for Thurlow to win it, at the same time wishing my friends Doug and Chris had got to start. Anyway, very interesting, I never read that before. Thanks RR.

 

[Dave_1]

Alexei Grewal's account in that blog of LA 1984 is one of the very best I've ever read. If I were Alexei I would cease blogging and make some money out of a book on his racing years. I found Eddy Bs training bible brutal to even try to carry out and in places it is frankly dodgy advice. I would like to read Darryl webster's memoire of that same race

 

[Dettol]

I'm sorting of expecting this to become a documentary series or something. This sounds like an interesting story that some producer would try to get rights to.

 

[9000ft]

Actually there are a number of good examples of riders that in their 40's even 50's can compete on a very high level. Don't get stars in your eyes because they have a Pro license, you still have to pedal the same way. It is possible to be competitive beyond 30 years old, and beyond 40. Look at a Chris Walker, who won elite Nationals a few years ago in a breakaway on a tough hot Redlands course. He was not young when he did that, I think 43? Thurlow Rogers placed 3rd at Nationals in Anaheim in a long breakaway a couple of years ago. Nate Reiss is a good example also. We can look at many riders that still can turn the pedals over and not be intimidated because there are pros around. I dont think Alexi is intimidated, he wants to prove to himself and his family that he still can do it. He wants to accomplish something on the bike that gives many around him hope, and a shared sense of accomplishment. I wouldnt doubt he and Rishi still have some rivalry, perhaps Ranjeet too. It would be cool to see all three of them racing again.

Agreed, but those who can compete at the pro level, especially in a week long stage race, are few and far between. I agree that Alexi could be one of them, but I'd be surprised to see him do much more than hang on. Not just becuase he's 50 years old but because of the life he's led for the last, what, 20+ years? Like I said though, best wishes to him.

Doesn't Rishi race once and a while? I seem to remember hearing about him doing some endurance MTB races in the recent past. I know Tammy has taken up racing a little again also so maybe that's what I'm thinking of but I thought Rishi was still racing a little.

 

[Skandar Akbar]

It definitively lays bare the splintered allegiance in the US Olympic road racing squad, and makes it clear where Alexi's ambitions were at the time. Surprisingly well written compared to the previous entry.
Why is this guy trying to make a comeback? Please tell me.

Do you have something against him trying to make a comeback? You have asked this question more than once. Do you have something personal against Alexi?

Maybe a 50 year old needs a goal also? He wants to have a comeback to prove something to himself and family?

 

[La Pandera]

Please read the velo-news article about grewal. It is in the magazine. Whenever I think of Alexi I think of the Neal Young song where it goes " I seen the damage that the needles done, every junkies like a setting sun".

Please excuse the pun but do you really want indidviuals like Alexi Grewal mainiling for the inagural Quizanos stage race?

The other factoid is that to be a top rider one needs to be selfish. Alexi says in the article that he wants to give back. Training 6 hours a day is not giving back.

24 hours in a day/8 hours of sleep/6 hours training still leaves ample time to "give back". Your holier than thou attitude will come back and bite you in the a55. I personally have no issues with Grewal coming back to race. It is his right.