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OPINION
Transcontinental Race: Helping a fallen comrade
Mon, Aug 25, 2014 11:36
44
There's been some interest in why I scratched from the Transcontinental race, when I could have quite clearly carried on going to Istanbul. I've wanted to write this for a few days, but felt that the time wasn't quite right.
I absolutely don't want the reader to think too much into this, but simply recognise that a great many people would do the exact same thing if placed in the same scenario. People are inherently good.
My racing season this year has featured just two events. You can see how well the first one went here, so it might be fairly obvious how keen I'd be to do well in the Transcontinental.
I missed its inaugural year as I had plans of riding across Northern Europe already, so this race was the culmination of 18 months of excitement.
As you've already seen here and here I was having a less than stellar race by the time I arrived in Italy. The Stelvio, via the Umbrail side, in conjunction with the Fluela Pass and some pretty unique routing had knacked this as a race for me, but as far as adventures go, I was still rocking it hard (I'm totally down with the kids, eh).
I'd just left Verona, home of the Montagues and Capulets, when I saw a message on Facebook saying that a racer had been hit by a car and was in need of assistance.
I didn't know who the racer was, number 97 Evangelos Voulgarakis. I didn't know if he spoke English and I didn't even know if I would do any good by visiting with him. But what I did know is how rubbish it is to wake from surgery and have nobody there for you. I knew how upset he would be about his race, and I think I knew that a friendly face would give him comfort at this time. There was no real decision to be made.
I tried to get the first train back, and after waiting for 45 minutes I was waved away dismissively by the guard who just told me there was no room for my bike. So I TT'd my way back to Verona, about 25 miles, to get to the hospital and my fallen comrade.
I arrived, and after saying the Italian for bicycle (bici - pronounced beetchy) I found my way to his room. As I thought, we didnt recognise each other, but no matter: the Transcontinental cap atop my head was enough to settle him and provide comfort.
It turned out he had been driven into by a car, smashing into his calf and breaking the fibula. There was blood and pain everywhere, and if truth be told, I really didn't know what I was doing there, but it felt like the right thing to be doing.
Sparing you salacious details, I stayed the next 24 hours, pretty much scuppering any chance of me being able to get to Istanbul, via any means, in time for my flight home at the end of the week. We talked when he was awake, telling stories of family and children, I passed messages from his wife and helped her to stay current as she was still stuck in Greece. He slept a lot. After surgery the doctors told me to keep him awake. Really doc, the guy has just ridden 1000km across Europe, all his body wants is sleep!
I watched as my 18 months slipped away, all the while helping this bike rider whose need, and the need of his family, was far greater than my own
I write this five days after the event, when I've been able to watch the other racers cross strange lands and have adventures of their own, and of course I'm a little downbeat about my curtailed race, but I know that next year will soon come around, and with it my chance to attempt this race.
At that moment, at that time, I made the absolute right decision, no doubts in my mind or heart about it.
That's one of the great things about the Transcontinental race, and which I believe sets in apart from other races. It's not just about digging deep into your hurt-locker like Kristoff or Pippa did to win. It's far more of a journey, an opportunity if you will, to see how you cope with trials and adversity. All the racers will face them. Some will crumble at the first challenge; others will face the head-on with a grin and look to overcome; others still will simply go through them, struggling against the weight of expectations of self and also family, slowly grinding out the miles.
Me? Well I was faced with an opportunity to help someone in need, to put aside my own desires and help someone who needed it more than I did. I can be a bit of a dick at time, I'm glad this wasn't one of them.
I hope that my sponsors won't be too disappointed in my lack of racing, but more importantly I hope that I can show a positive example to my kids, and show them what's truly important.
It turns out I'm kind of a big deal in the Greek brevet community right now, but as I said at the start, I believe most people would have done exactly the same.
So, what do you do when you leave an environment like Verona? Well of course you go back up to the Stelvio and ensure you're not disqualified from the race, until it's on your own terms!
I'll be back in 2015, permission from my wife to be granted in the future, I'll race, I'll suffer and if the need arises, I would do the same again.
Mike Hall has created a fantastic race, so much credit should go to him, and if you have even half a chance to enter, you should do so. Don't worry if you think you're not fit enough now, there's time for that. This race will stretch you both mentally and physically, and you certainly won't regret entering.
I want to say thanks to Tony and Dave here at Road.cc for allowing me to write about the race and my experience. It's been fun and certainly helped with my discipline. There's a couple more race related posts still left to come, especially for those who want to know how to get started in this madness.
Bon route!
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44 comments
.
As a rider who actually made it to the start line of this event and most of the way to Istanbul before I melted my rims ending my 'race' I'd kindly like to ask you to keep your 'analysis' to yourself or at least properly think through the context of the event your commenting on.
There were 3 men with a chance of the win and in reality it was known well in advance that one was an overwhelming favourite. So with this being the reality beforehand for most, Just about everyone that rolled up to the start line was signing up for their own personal race, a challenge to meet their own targets and goals.
I too had a 10 day target like Martin. I couldn't have cared less where any other rider was, what my position was or even what armchair warriors like yourself would think of my performance. My race against my goals.
That said if I think of the sacrifice it would have taken to abandon the chance of fulfilling the personal goals I had set and worked so hard towards I'm truly in awe of how quickly Martin made the decision and turned around.
I had given so much physically sacrificed all my free time literally dominating my life for around a year to be ready for the race and put so much in financially just to give myself a chance of riding across Europe. To give all that up for another rider is no face saving grasp at the first opportunity, it's truly selfless.
I understand that some people won't get this 'race' and the work it takes to even get to the start line and have a go but to dismiss all the hard work behind the scenes and suggest the decision to scratch was an attempt to find an easy way out due to being under prepared / having a bad day is hugely insulting to Martin and to everyone who started the race.
I'll be on the start line again next year to finish what I've started (long sportive or whatever derogatory term you assign to it) hopefully I'll see Martin out there and I'd like to see you out there too prepared, ready and out to win!!
Don't get me wrong Dobbsy. I'm in utter awe of anyone who even attempts this extreme challenge.
I just got a bit pissed-off with the constant 'smell of burning martyr' from the OP. I see he's at it again telling us for the umpteenth time how he spent millions of years collecting rubbish from some mountain that he rode and how many tears that he shed in doing so. I don't think Hillary shed any tears climbing Everest. I don't remember Bannister shedding tears when he broke the 4-min mile. Struggling to remember Botham shedding tears as be became England's greatest bowler and batsman. Not sure why the fuck the OP was crying at all. It's just not an appropriate reaction for someone who owns a pair of testicles as far as I'm concerned.
In contrast, you Sir, Mr Dobbsy, have been quiet in your pain and your endeavour ... and that's *exactly* how it should be. Chapeau. I salute you.
so you've been roundly outgunned in your original assertion and now you're switching to being cross that someone cried?
you're right though, i can't think of a single male human that ever cried due to some sort of sporting endeavour, so your random selection of three from the annals of sporting history certainly isn't a straw man. stiff upper lip and all that.
So real men can't cry? Wow, emotionally stunted as well as overly aggressive about someone doing a good deed. You really are a treasure.
I think it's absolutely fine for 'real men', as you put it, to have a wet eye in sympathy with *someone else's* plight. It is a totally different thing for a bloke to cry about his own situation ... especially when he has willingly put himself into said predicament. That's just pathetic.
You're absolutely right Joe. We must make sincere efforts to withdraw the sporting achievements of any athlete who has shed a tear for their life's dreams, efforts and aspirations; in the name preserving the sanctity of true manhood. For true manhood doesn't feel. True manhood doesn't think. True manhood sits behind a computer and derides the lesser men who open the doors of uncertainly and pedal through them.
You have no right to cry, Mr. Cox. I am a guy on the internet, and I decide when you cry, and when you do not. And you do not ever cry. Is that clear?
We are the coldblooded, inhuman monsters of the internet; the machines among men. And our time is come.
It never ceases to amaze me how many miserable b######s there are that comment on stuff on this site.
It never ceases to amaze me how many miserable b######s there are that comment on stuff on this site.
Hi Martin, I missed you on the start line and out on the road this year, I had hoped to meet the man behind the articles.
Just wanted to say your efforts for Evangelos summed up the spirit of this race and I, and every other racer I've talked to, greatly admire your sacrifice.
My race had its own less serious issues culminating with a melted set of rims in Thesolaniki, but at least this gives me an excuse to have another go and I hope to see you out there next year!
Good choice and the right choice, well done. I am sure your sponsors will be proud of you regardless - they should be. If I were them I would be making a big deal of your journey as it stands - the stelvio x 3, the rubbish, helping a fellow rider - it's all great stuff and a good story fro them to tell. Nice to see that cycling is about more than just getting to the finish still.
I think I feel a new rule 5 coming, on GMTFU (Gentle-man the funk up). We could all do with a bit more of that...
Yes, many people would do the same but many wouldn't - you are an example your friends, family and sponsors should be proud of.
Kudos, Martin! It takes a big guy to give up on the dream for someone less fortunate. Better luck next time (and at least then you'll know when to ignore Garmin!
)
That was truly a magnificent gesture. Bravo to you.
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