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

[sartain]

What the hell is he talking about?

It's obvious, RR, what he is talking about.

 

[tubularglue]

What the hell is he talking about?

it is all there in the reading.

"The best part about this adventure is the little bits of hope I find each day. A contact here a contact there, news that Don Lampson is working on shoes for my special needs feet. Maybe he can call them the D3's. New that perhaps there is a dentist that will fix my tetth first and let me pay later. Little thngs but things that count when you need them.

No matter how many times I get to experience the "brook drying up" I never get any better at it. I am always afraid. At one point I thought that might change, but it is not yet. I would think it is like having the last place in an echelon with the wind whipping your ***.
You might get real good at holding that wheel but you never look forward to having to do it again.

Right now we are waiting for the pieces to fall into place, and of course we know they must soon."

 

[Maxiton]

I bet Alexi lives in that storage unit he is leaned up against.

RR is he a recovering addict?

Yes, that is what I have heard. He was homeless for many years

Pure class, RR.

Unless that picture was been PSed, looks like he still has good form!

Looks fantastic. And as for the boots and the bike and such, my guess is, that's what he was wearing that day and that was the bike that happened to be leaning against the garage, when the magazine photographer suggested, "How about a picture of you on the bike?"

Alexi is an inspiration to 50 year olds everywhere.

 

[fatandfast]

that was a pretty hard read..bets friend dead of cancer after living in a backyard shed. Everybody finds motivation in different places..

 

[Race Radio]

Pure class, RR.



Looks fantastic. And as for the boots and the bike and such, my guess is, that's what he was wearing that day and that was the bike that happened to be leaning against the garage, when the magazine photographer suggested, "How about a picture of you on the bike?"

Alexi is an inspiration to 50 year olds everywhere.

Was I wrong? Alexi was not a homeless addict? I think that makes his story even more interesting.

 

[BotanyBay]

You're tuned into the wrong station TexPat.

Alexi did NOT blood dope at the Olympics:

"Grewal said he didn't participate in a pre-Olympic blood doping program coordinated by U.S. coaches and officials because he was estranged from U.S. head coach Eddie Borysewicz and training on his own. Grewal said Borysewicz had discussed blood doping with him the winter of 1984 but didn't learn of the actual procedure until weeks after the race. Such blood doping was legal at the time, though it was banned soon after the '84 Olympics."

Grewal was such an outcast to Eddie B, the only reason he even was able to ride the event was because he had a guaranteed ride from having won the Olympic trials in Spokane. The two did not speak much.

The track team was another matter. With the exception of Dave Grylls, the entire track team did Eddie's motel room doping plan.

 

[tubularglue]

Was I wrong? Alexi was not a homeless addict? I think that makes his story even more interesting.

I don't know if you were wrong.

Alexi could of been homeless, at one time.

Irregardless, maybe this is a story which does not need to be picked apart.

I enjoy reading about it.

 

[BotanyBay]

People, please be respectful of this man.

 

[BotanyBay]

I think grewal admitted doping when he beat bauer in the olympics. He had some epiphany afterwards which in the velo news magazine. bauer was clean grewal dirty. grewal keeps the medal wtf grewal?

The only "doping" quote I remember about that race was in a "Winning" Magazine article. He'd just gotten reinstated to the team after the USOC bought his accidental ingestion story from the Coors. He showed-up to the start area and was offered some injections by Eddie B's staff (which he declined). During the race he carried a plum that had a caffeine pill stuffed inside it. He took a bite and it felt like his mouth was on fire, so he spit it out.

If you're talking about his short-lived suspension, it went like this. He got popped for one of the pills he took during the final days of the Coors Classic. It was some stimulant like phen-phen or something. At the time, the USOC wanted to believe in athletes (medal counts) so at his hearing, he presented a defense of accidental ingestion. The USOC bought it and let him ride in L.A. But it is doubtful that what he was taking was a real PED (by today's standards).

I remember the times. Even though caffeine outside of coffee/tea/softdrinks was prohibited, it didn't do much (if anything). I remember winning a case of "Uptime" as a prime at the San Diego Velodrome that summer. I was a junior and they were literally handing me this stuff to use! Eventually, caffeine was removed from the PED list. Rightly so.

Alexi was an unsophisticated doper. I hestitate to even use the term "doper" anyway, because he didn't do blood doping. If someone told him that some herbal pill from GNC would make him go better, he'd take it. Back then, there were ****loads of rumors about certain vitamins and pills being performance boosters. Many of us would go buy them, hoping that they'd help our game. They never did.

But none of these things were "rocket fuel".

 

[BotanyBay]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Welcome to the cesspool that is moral relativism.
Cheating is cheating. I'm sure Steve Bauer agrees.

I'm sure Steve has no hard feelings on the matter. He went into that sprint having made a HUGE error in gearing. Alexi was cooked, but appropriately geared. When Bauer made the final jump, it was as if his bike was stuck in molasses. Alexi zipped right by him. I was there.

 

[Maxiton]

Was I wrong? Alexi was not a homeless addict? I think that makes his story even more interesting.

People, please be respectful of this man.

That's all I was saying. This thread was starting to become a feeding frenzy against Grewel until Papp stepped in to straighten you guys out. Your comment, RR (I bet Alexi lives in that storage unit he is leaned up against.) seemed particularly cruel. "Pure class, RR" = No class, RR. Let's find a guy who was once homeless and an addict . . . and make public fun of him. Once we're done with that, let's torture some small animals.

Who besides Papp showed some proper respect for this guy? Armstrong! Yeah, that's right, your favorite.

 

[Race Radio]

I don't know if you were wrong.

Alexi could of been homeless, at one time.

Irregardless, maybe this is a story which does not need to be picked apart.

I enjoy reading about it.

I do as well. Alexi is a ridiculously complex guy. While my comments may come off as harsh that is not my intention. I read his blog and really could not understand large portions of it.

I think that if people really know the guy's entire story it is even more interesting. I wish him no ill will and am looking forward to his return as it no matter what it will be interesting......Alexi may be many things but he is seldom boring.

 

[Race Radio]

That's all I was saying. This thread was starting to become a feeding frenzy against Grewel until Papp stepped in to straighten you guys out. Your comment, RR (I bet Alexi lives in that storage unit he is leaned up against.) seemed particularly cruel. "Pure class, RR" = No class, RR. Let's find a guy who was once homeless and an addict . . . and make public fun of him. Once we're done with that, let's torture some small animals.

Who besides Papp showed some proper respect for this guy? Armstrong! Yeah, that's right, your favorite.

You are reading far too much into that comment.

Alexi lived in a shed, sometimes in a car. Like it or not it is a important part of his story. The guy has has some very heavy living over much of the last 15 years which makes his comeback even more interesting. My intention was point out the extreme situation that Alexi was coming from. If you look at my other posts I have been supportive of his return and look forward to it.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

I do as well. Alexi is a ridiculously complex guy. While my comments may come off as harsh that is not my intention. I read his blog and really could not understand large portions of it.

I think that if people really know the guy's entire story it is even more interesting. I wish him no ill will and am looking forward to his return as it no matter what it will be interesting......Alexi may be many things but he is seldom boring.

Tricky read. He definitely comes of as scattered, but uses some interesting symbols and metaphors. Kind of hard to tell where scattered starts and stops though.

 

[9000ft]

Man, with all the cluckin' in the hen house you'd have thought LA got a new girlfriend or something.

 

[Maxiton]

You are reading far too much into that comment.

Alexi lived in a shed, sometimes in a car. Like it or not it is a important part of his story. The guy has has some very heavy living over much of the last 15 years which makes his comeback even more interesting. My intention was point out the extreme situation that Alexi was coming from. If you look at my other posts I have been supportive of his return and look forward to it.

Oh, so you're going to try to play it off? After the OP started this thread, people were jumping in to gang up on Grewel. You were very supportive
[/sarcasm].

Yeah, The dope available to Alexi was weak compared to todays programs. He is a world class wacko who is a pain to be around......but for shear entertainment value this is great news. Train wreck.

Followed immediately by:

I bet Alexi lives in that storage unit he is leaned up against.

Then you try to tar him with the evil Armstrong brush:

At least one guy is happy to see him back

Wherein you quote Armstrong showing the class your comment lacked.

Anybody can make a mistake or say some comment that's inappropriate. Trying to pretend you never did it, though, just compounds the problem - i.e., makes it look even more like one of character.

 

[BotanyBay]

I was not following cycling during the 84 Olympics or after until 2005. I quit watching when LeMond started being top tier. I thought it bogus that an American won the tour.

So basically, you don't even have any "time period" experience of knowing Grewal, and you're hatred of Greg Lemond drove you away from being a pro cycling fan. Great. Explains a lot.

After Lance retired I became extremely interested in cycling. I was again not interested in his arrogance.

Great, so you've also got no "time period experience" about Lance either, but you love him. Sounds like you've got some issues of your own.

I found out about Alexi from a friend who was a national champion at the time and knew all the players in the cycling game. He told me about Bauer and the doping of Grewal.

Explains a lot. Your opinions about Grewal sound like they're 3rd hand at best.

Grewal alienated a lot of people, but he has very few detractors from the peloton of his time. Most people treat him with respect. As they should.

You've exhibited very little class in this exchange.

 

[Race Radio]

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.

 

[BotanyBay]

I bet Alexi lives in that storage unit he is leaned up against.

Not funny at all. I seriously hope that you'll consider deleting this comment.

 

[tubularglue]

Assuming everyone has their own interpretation regarding his comeback

I think Gita sports would do well in contributing to his plans.

just a thought

 

[BotanyBay]

Assuming everyone has their own interpretation regarding his comeback

I think Gita sports would do well in contributing to his plans.

just a thought

How about a Red/blue/white/yellow Pinarello retro-edition? That'd be cool.

 

[buckwheat]

Not funny at all. I seriously hope that you'll consider deleting this comment.

Wow, Olympic Gold medalist shares the dying days of a cancer patient and cares for him till the end.

Then, that "Dead Man's Shoes" post was pretty heavy.

Godspeed Alexi Grewal.

 

[Race Radio]

Not funny at all. I seriously hope that you'll consider deleting this comment.

Done.

it was not my intention to cause conflict but to draw attention to the magnatude of Alexi's comeback. This is not some guy who has been living the cushy life and deceided to ride again

 

[buckwheat]

http://www.alexigrewal.com/index.php/blog/98-is-that-really-so

Is that really so?
November 8th.

I have take the time to read a few things written about me lately. Things that were written by people who have never even met me.

I find it interesting how judgmental some can be. Critical of my parenting skills, my sanity, my stability.
What water have they walked on, and how long would they have lasted in my shoes?

The Olympics and my cycling career are perhaps open game. Of course I have my faults and my failures. Who does not. But why is it so easy for the armchair cyclist to find fault.

One of the things I like about the peleton is that you have to respect each other. It is dangerous and your life hangs on somebody else's skill level, and moral view all the time. When I hear the vacuous critic, I know they have never been there. They are "fred's". All talk and no walk.

I would invite those who belittle the fact I will be racing again to consider it was at my Son's request.
Try that on for size as far as being a parent goes. How many times has your Son asked you to do the impossible. How far will you go to give him an example of not just dreaming, but living for your dream.

For all of you out there that are looking for something real, look hard. You cannot fake it in the Peleton. It is a risk worth taking. If for nothing else to prove I am not afraid to fail. Elijah needs know that as so does my Daughter.

Alexi

 

[BotanyBay]

I can see TexPat's point about rationalizing the definition of cheating. As I remember my own days of bike racing, sure, I guess I cheated too. I would sometimes cross the center line hoping to improve my position before the big climb began. Usually after watching 5-10 of my biggest rivals do the same without penalty. By the time I'd do it, the ref on the moto had his pad of paper out, taking down numbers. This happened to me once. I also remember having taken a draft or two off the race caravan or the lead moto. I once crashed in a race (uninjured) and most certainly could have been back on the bike, pedaling by the time the last guy came through the turn, and instead choosing to spend a few minutes in the pit relaxing, but it was my right to do it. And yes, I remember "finding" waterbottles that "someone" had left on the side of the road well outside of the feed zones. I remember racing as a Cat2 as a junior when my license was stamped Cat3. I remember taking prizes from Cat3s when I probably belonged in the Cat2's (but Enright would never sign my damn license until I could take 6 top-6 positions away from guys like McKinley and Spielman). I remember drafting off of Andy Hampsten as he motored past my peloton during a solo break at Mammoth and ****ing him off to the point of hitting the brakes to shake me loose.

I remember some old European ex-pro telling me to buy B-15 (calcium pangamate) because it supposedly oxygenated the blood. I bought this crap (as did every other rider I knew). Of course, if it did anything, I never knew it. It wasn't illegal, but if it were artificially oxygenating my blood, I guess that I was violating the spirit of fair play. I remember my coach stopping at someone's house and emerging with a bottle of rubbing alcohol filled with "other" things (I have no idea what, but it was "shhhh"), him rubbing it on my legs and feeling absolutely no pain during my hilly event. I guess I probably cheated then too.

Alexi Grewal taking ephedrine (which was OTC stuff, btw), caffeine, etc. That might have helped him a little teeny bit, but I most seriously doubt it ever helped him gain an unfair advantage over anyone. If you know bike racers, 90% of them have buckets of some kind of powder in their kitchens, hoping for that nutritional "winning edge" that they'll never see.

I guess another option was to take a trip over to the trunk of

's car at Encino and buy "other" pills, but I was not willing to cross that line.

True doping, the "Oxygen Vector" kind is a different matter. This is a serious escalation of cheating. The kind that nature and good luck can't keep up with. I'm not saying I never cheated in bike racing. I did. So did Grewal, and most other riders of the time. But to lump Grewal in the company of the EPO dopers of today, I think is unfair.

In my book, Alexi popping an ephedrine pill back in '84 was like a baseball player putting too much pine tar on his bat. Against the rules, for certain. But it did not compare to Pete Rose betting on baseball.

Every time I did willingly break the rules, I was always willing to suffer the consequences. I never denied crossing that center line.