I find it entertaining bringing JV into the discussion. Such a circuitous path he has followed from rider to director. An odd bird, to be sure. Aside from his dubious opinion regarding his distinction of various sports and PED's, I agree that humans will never be free from the spectre of this problem. Even in my own modest ambitions of wanting to earn a Stars and Stripes in some Masters category, I hesitate precisely because my category of rider is perhaps the dirtiest of all amateurs. Not only might I lose to a rider on gear, but I might face the same skepticism from others if I succeed in achieving the goal. I here lies the unshakeable legacy of human ambition and unrestrained ego. Your assessment of this tragedy and it's deleterious impact on what might otherwise be soaring inspiration to the hoi polloi is spot on.
I chuckled after reading your observation about the Masters category in road racing, but that went silent when you followed with such an accurate description of the dilemma we have created and must confront.
It is not germane to this wonderful essay per se, but I can't help but grin and think of Yates and the 20th stage in the Giro last week (tactics, turning oneself inside out, et al.) Chefs kiss.
Chef’s Kiss, indeed. An incredible effort, perfect execution, and teamwork … and a fine addendum to the 2018 story written on that same terrain. Quite inspiring.
It's very interesting that all of this is becoming more and more prominent or maybe more in the open than it has in the past... The Enhanced games are coming, these are encouraging chemical human enhancement. They are paying out million dollar prizes to those who break world records in an attempt to push the (chemical) boundaries of human performance...
I was recently made aware of the Enhanced Games by a fellow subscriber and old friend and mentioned it in the Everest Turbo II essay because I was having trouble wrapping my head around it. If audience capture is the goal the EGs are a perfect storm, and terrible precedent. But again, the genie left the bottle and then smashed it.
I find it entertaining bringing JV into the discussion. Such a circuitous path he has followed from rider to director. An odd bird, to be sure. Aside from his dubious opinion regarding his distinction of various sports and PED's, I agree that humans will never be free from the spectre of this problem. Even in my own modest ambitions of wanting to earn a Stars and Stripes in some Masters category, I hesitate precisely because my category of rider is perhaps the dirtiest of all amateurs. Not only might I lose to a rider on gear, but I might face the same skepticism from others if I succeed in achieving the goal. I here lies the unshakeable legacy of human ambition and unrestrained ego. Your assessment of this tragedy and it's deleterious impact on what might otherwise be soaring inspiration to the hoi polloi is spot on.
I chuckled after reading your observation about the Masters category in road racing, but that went silent when you followed with such an accurate description of the dilemma we have created and must confront.
It is not germane to this wonderful essay per se, but I can't help but grin and think of Yates and the 20th stage in the Giro last week (tactics, turning oneself inside out, et al.) Chefs kiss.
Chef’s Kiss, indeed. An incredible effort, perfect execution, and teamwork … and a fine addendum to the 2018 story written on that same terrain. Quite inspiring.
It's very interesting that all of this is becoming more and more prominent or maybe more in the open than it has in the past... The Enhanced games are coming, these are encouraging chemical human enhancement. They are paying out million dollar prizes to those who break world records in an attempt to push the (chemical) boundaries of human performance...
I was recently made aware of the Enhanced Games by a fellow subscriber and old friend and mentioned it in the Everest Turbo II essay because I was having trouble wrapping my head around it. If audience capture is the goal the EGs are a perfect storm, and terrible precedent. But again, the genie left the bottle and then smashed it.