"Arno Granados" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Marty Pietruszka" <mpietrus@charter_nospam.net> wrote in message
news:<
[email protected]>...
> > > IIRC, Indurain got married part way through his TdF win streak.
> >
> > Then they had their 1st child and he was done. I don't think that it's
the
> > marriage. It's when you start a family - that's when it gets tough and
that
> > is when you need to have a VERY supportive and understanding spouse.
Until
> > you have the kids, there is time for each other and yourself. When the
kids
> > come, it's a whole different story.
>
> Indurain finished 11th in the 1996 Tour de France, he was 32 years old (born in 1964). He had one
> child at the time who was either 1 or 2 years old. Miguel had won 5 TDF in a row. Miguel had a
> softspoken demeanor, and had publically stated that he did not consider himself as "great" as
> Merckx, Anquetil, Hinault, and others. In fact, he probably placed himself below them (his ego
> certainly seemed smaller than that of the aforementioned riders). I've always thought that he
> pretty much decided not to win six. Was he "DONE", or was he just ready to move on?
Please forgive me, I'm a terrible communicator.
I agree 100% with what you have written and that is what I meant by DONE - that is, he was ready to
be there for his wife and child. He had nothing more to prove to anyone and picked the role of
father and husband over TdF
#6 in a row winner. I wrote this very same thing on this news group back
when he did not win #6. Look it up.
> And, as a father of two kids (ages six and three), I take issue with the "supportive spouse"
> point. Ok, yes, my spouse needs to be supportive (of my cycling, rock climbing, mountaineering,
> etc.). But I also need to be supportive of MY spouse. And, of MY kids. Anyone out there read,
> "It's not about the bike"? Anyone read Lance's comments about how crappy his dad was, and how he
> wants to be a better dad to his kids? Maybe it's "Life" Time. How good a "dad" can you be if
> you're on the road (away from your kids) 100+ days a year. Add to that, a dad (spouse) who weighs
> every gram of food that goes into his body and measures every watt and microsecond of training
> (talk about obsessive compulsive). Yes, Lance probably needs to do this kind of stuff to win the
> way he does. But, it can't be easy to live with. Compound this with having twins, being in the
> media spotlight, and not living anything resembling a "normal" life, and I can understand the
> issues. I wager that IF Lance and Kristen stay together, TDF#5 will be followed by Lance's
> retirement. Lance has got to realize that "it's not about the bike".
Again, I agree 100%. It's a two way street. By supportive, I meant that you'd need a spouse who is
okay with the fact that you are not going to be there very much and you'd have to be okay with the
fact that you're not always going to be there when she and your children need you there. It's a
sacrifice. You are sacrificing family time for career time. I see this all the time and it's not
just in cycling. As a father of two children (ages 9 and 7) and a husband of a 4th grade school
teacher, I really do understand.
--
Marty