Why I will continue to love cycling
Like every July morning, I got up early today, made the coffee, turned on Versus and sat down for a few hours of the greatest sporting event in the world--the Tour de France. And then it happened again--the kick in the gut of another positive doping test. Today was almost too much, almost that one thing that pushed me over the edge and made me never want to care about this sport again. Because I have been there so many times before. I loved Floyd--heck, I hiked up to the top of Brasstown Bald with his mom one year--and he broke my heart. And this morning, well I just about gave up.
But then I spotted the argyle of the Garmin-Chipotle team, and alongside that, the Columbia and CSC guys, and I thought again. I decided to stop for a moment and practice what I preach week in and week out from the pulpit--belief in redemption and infinite second chances. Decided to have hope even when it seems like the craziest choice in the world. Decided to have faith, to, as Jonathan puts it, keep the faith. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
It is a choice--I have a choice about whether or not I love cycling, and I choose to give in to my love for the pure grace and beauty of the sport. A choice, just like the brave, hard-working, kick-ass Garmin-Chipotle riders choosing to set things right even while they stand in a minority by doing so.
Allez Argyle! And thanks JV for speaking up, for standing up.
posted by Anne Marie @ 7:13 PM
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