http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/greg-lemond-talks-paris-roubaix

Best part IMO - his talking of his first P-R (where he finished 9th) as his most statisfying, not his 4th 3 years later.  Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle won that year, in part because Lemond came into P-R with great legs and spent the race chasing down everyone.  Why?  Because 2 years before, Lasalle had dropped back from a break they were in to assist Lemond after a flat, insuring Lemond's Tour win.  Lemond said he would pay him back at P-R.  Class acts all around.

Funny, I was thinking this morning of one of my Mt Wachusestt training rides with my training partner, the one where we left early because I had to be back at work that afternoon.  Woke her up at her house and learned she had raced the night before, but that she was game.   All went well until after Wachusett and lunch on the several big hills starting home.  She didn't have it.  Dilemma.  I can leave her and get to work on time or go very slow up these hills with her and be late.  Dropping her 40 miles from her home is a sucky thing to do.

Oh, I can push her up the hills.  And I did.  Clumsily.  I had never done it before or been pushed.  Put my hand on her butt with my other hand next to the stem as John Allis taught and rode my heart out.  And she was a quality rider!  She got that she was steering for both of us.  It was so damn hard I could barely keep my eyes open let alone steer.  Those were close to the hardest hills I have ever done.

A year later, I received a push.  This was after I crashed at the last race I had a shot of doing well at my post accident year, the Smuggler's Notch race.  I was alone, chasing half-heartedly when Peter Mooney caught up to me, gave me a long pull, then took my wheel.  I still wasn't up to speed.  Peter took another pull, then as I pulled through, he gave me a huge push.  Suddenly, I was going faster than that field up there and Peter was going half speed.  He gave me everything he had and it was my job to catch.  I did and placed.  I know the gratitude.  (I also learned that seatposts are approved pushing points!)  (Yeah, Master 50, I know, I should have disqualified myself.)

I love the teamwork, cooperation and sacrifice of bike racing!  To me, they are a very large part of this greatest of sports.

Ben