Racing - Tyler Rocks

Photo by Zui Hanafusa (Note the two cams on his bars!)

I think that some people reading the blog may click the "X" to close the window when they see this Tyler thing. And I know that some of my friends are shaking their heads, wondering what Kool Aid I drank in the last few days.

Green, maybe?

No, that was the Lime Jell-O I had on my clear liquid diet day last week. Maybe that's what's been causing this whole Rock Racing re-think.

Along the theme of the Rock Racing re-think thing, I finally saw Tyler Hamilton race, post-all-his-stuff (I might have seen him race around here for CCB but honestly I don't remember, and I probably saw him race Philly 10 years ago but, yeah, I don't remember). Not a big deal, I suppose, as he wasn't in the Giro or the Tour when I saw him, but nonetheless, he pedaled past me a few dozen times.

I decided that, at least from what I could see, he's not a bad guy. I hollered his name, nothing unusual. I suppose I sounded just like some potentially drunk (I wasn't) fan yelling out a pro's name simply because he knew it (sort of). Regardless, he waved as he rode by. Not bad considering if he waved at everyone who yelled his name he would have done all of Harlem with one hand off his bars.

That wave sort of turned the page for me. I know, I know, blood doping, cheat, lying, yada yada yada.

Whatever.

I read an article today about some guy leaving jail. Dropped off at some house, he is looking at trying to become a productive citizen in the US, not someone leaching off the system in an unpleasant but predictable environment, the state prison system. He faces a huge uphill battle (rightly so - would you hire someone convicted and jailed for some crime?) and the article talks about some of the stuff he had to handle.

I suppose a big difference is that Tyler never admitted to anything, evidence notwithstanding. So it's normal I feel some ambiguity about yelling out his name at a race, and in fact I watched him ride by a number of time before I finally hollered.

It first started when some Rock Racing dude flatted early in the Philly race. Next time I saw him there were one or two guys there helping him get back on. And who was waiting for them, soft pedaling, coasting, letting the caravan of cars by?

Tyler Hamilton.

I decided at that point that I'd holler for him. That's because in the old days, Tyler wouldn't be this type of rider, dropping back to drag a rider back into the field.

Tyler, you see, he was the Star. Stars are called by their first name. Lance. Floyd. Tyler. Even non-Americans, like Stuey or Magnus or Axel. Okay, there are some last name stars, like Cipollini (Mario, not Ray), Contador (you know how many Albertos there are?).

The best go by either name. Eddy. Merckx.

Star. He raced with CSC, the juggernaut team, and was the undisputed leader there for many races. He won Classics and such. He got second in the Giro, with a broken shoulder. He got fourth in the Tour, with a broken collarbone. When he hurt his back in the Tour, I thought he would end up winning it.

But then that whole blood doping thing came up. And his career came crashing to a halt, quicker than the guy who won Harlem hit the deck (that there link is actually two separate links, up to "Harlem" and after "Harlem").

And he sort of faded from the scene.

Now he's back, part of the controversial, outspoken, brash, obnoxious, loudmouthed Rock Racing Team.

And he's...

Mellowed?

Is that possible?

He rides like a super domestique. He doesn't go for the big break, the mountain top finishes, none of that. It seems he's taken on a "veteran adviser" role, one of maturity and experience. He guides the young'uns, takes massive pulls, and acts like the thumb in the proverbial dam when trying to hold back a surging pack, dragging along the field to keep things under control.

I think of Gilbert Duclos Lasalle when I think of Tyler's "new" riding style. Lemond said that Duclos Lasalle was worth two men, and he could pull at 40k an hour for 100k. That's some power there. Obviously that Gilbert was strong, he won Paris-Roubaix twice.

But fans loved him because he was an unselfish teammate, riding his heart out for others. We all love those guys, the Jens Voights, the Gian Matteo Faninis, the Fabio Sacchis, they're easy to admire because their work is so obviously selfless.

I thought at Philly that, well, maybe this Tyler thing was a fluke. Isn't he some nasty lying SOB? Then I went to Harlem, where he headlined the racers. Okay, some of the other guys might be more suited for the crit there but who else has been in contention in two of the three Grand Tours?

Right, exactly none of them.

So I watched Tyler circle around the course at Harlem. Thought of his work to bring back whoever that Rock Racing dude was at Philly. Then his work in the break at Philly. Then I watched him at Harlem. Patrolling the front. Flying the colors when it seemed okay to do so. And ramping up the pace with 10 to go to try and set up their sprinter dude.

What I find interesting is that he doesn't have that "fallen star" thing going on in the press. Interestingly enough, just like I didn't see very much quoted from, say, Johann Lammerts about Johann Lammerts (he mainly talked about his leader Greg Lemond), I haven't seen any quotes from him in the press, nothing. Okay, maybe in Tour of CA, in reams of press generated stuff, maybe there was a quote, but it got buried in the Cipollini and Michael Ball quotes, so I missed it.

So I wonder, what's happening with Tyler? What is his role at Rock Racing? Will he become a director (and then will Rock Racing be banned from races because of it?). Is he riding out what's left in his legs and his morale, trying to close a chapter before going on to the next stage in his life?

I don't know. But I think, after a number of years, with less conspicuous riding, less conspicuous results (both at the finish line and after it), that it's worth revisiting the whole Tyler question.

So, for now, if I'm at a race and Tyler is there, I'll holler his name.

And maybe he'll acknowledge it.