Perspective

We bike racers take ourselves quite seriously. Very seriously, actually.

I am just as guilty as anyone else. Let's see, I can think of a few fits of obscenities of my own this past year without even really trying...after dropping my chain at the first barrier in the last Bike Authority/Team Lake Effect cyclocross race, after being caught behind some guy who decided to quit the first Race at the Lake of the year by sitting up in the middle of the field once the race got hard, etc. etc. You get the picture.

All of which makes me feel like even more of a loser after watching a video of Peter Van Petegem at Paris-Roubaix in 2005. Petegem, who had won there before, was a pre-race favorite, and pretty much owned those spring classics in years past, got caught up in a crash on the cobblestones with over 100km to go. As the lead peloton blasted away, he stood there for over a minute waiting for a bike change. He just stood there calmly, looking mildly perturbed. He then got a bike, and (astonishingly) worked his way back into the main field. No yelling, no cursing, no throwing of bikes.

Maybe we can learn from this guy, who may know a thing or two about bike racing.