Cycling Hero

My new cycling hero is veteran cyclist, Ian Benton. It used to be Lance Armstrong but somewhat compelling (but as yet untested) evidence has led me to believe that he allegedly used performance enhancing drugs systematically throughout his cycling career.

 

Ian also takes drugs, namely Warforin (otherwise used to poison rats), a performance reducing drug which thins the blood and presumably depletes the red blood cell count. And he also cycles pathologically.

 

He recently spent three weeks in Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, England with a suspected heart attack.  He then spent a further ten days in a leading coronary hospital in Leicester, also in England during which he had a somewhat ghastly exploratory operation, the results of which proved inconclusive.

 

Whilst hospitalized, he was prevented by the medical staff from travelling further than ten meters in his ward, other than by wheelchair, for fear of a heart attack.

 

Some two weeks following his release, deranged and reputedly saying, “Put me back on my bike”, he completed Co-operation Ireland, a 160 mile ride in two days. The first day comprised a ninety mile ride over some fairly brutal hills in Northern Ireland. The second day was a somewhat more sedate 70 mile outing.

 

The UCI is apparently investigating matters and both parties have instructed expert legal counsel. Former cycling ace and fervent anti-drugs campaigner, Greg Lemond, declined to comment when questioned outside his Los Angeles home. My dad remains my cycling hero.

B2B Introduction

I am a British commercial solicitor. I am currently taking a break from my career and teaching English at Hongik University in Seoul, Republic of South Korea.

I really love cycling and want to do something really special. I am planning to cycle from Bangkok to Bali in December – January 2008 – 2009 for Patti Boulaye’s charity, Support for Africa.

The theme of B2B is overcoming adversity. I decided upon the Expedition for a number of personal reasons not least that it is possible to overcome despite adversity if you try hard enough.

I have searched the internet and as far as I am aware, this challenge has never been undertaken before and is therefore fairly unique.

Depending on the route I take, the distance will be somewhere between 2,500 – 3,500 miles. Anyhow, the overall distance covered will be more than this year’s Tour de France!

The whole point of the expedition is to do it with as little ‘on the ground’ support as possible. It is a true road trip in the Kerouac sense.

Any fool can cycle that distance with enough time and enough support. I just want to take the absolute essentials i.e. one change of clothing, passport, credit card and sun block. Deodorant and underpants increase weight! It is important to me to retain the purity of the challenge.

Mark