Sitting in Cafe Zucchero with Guy today was new for both of us just before our ride up the hills in UBC. Inside this very Italian cafe we were welcome by the barista, a heavy set bald man wearing a huge pendant, as future ...Lance Armstrong's. I could only look at Guy with humorous disbelief, as his quick comeback was, "How about Ivan Basso's?" I smiled.
Getting into the Spirit!
The burly barista didn't answer perhaps he never even heard of Ivan Basso, but Lance Armstrong? Really. No matter. The expresso was extremely good, one of the best I've ever had. Afterwards, we rocketed out of there and onto the roads.
We encountered Pacific Spirit Park and it's hill, climbed it and return for another loop this time flying up 4th Avenue hill and motoring along Chancellor Blvd at 48kms. As we made our way swiftly back on SW Marine Drive, Guy turned to me and said, "That expresso was good." It sure was, we were 'sweetly' booting it.
I'm thinking about the ultra cool book I received from Guy, "Marco Pantani: the legend of a tragic champion." Probably, one of the best cyclists ever to ride, dying tragically by drug overdose on Valentines day 2004. Il Pirata was not only great but explosive whenever he climbed. And climb he did, destroying his competition in a mighty swat. Even Armstrong was scared of him.
I'm not going to sugar coat this further... I'm starting to have a few books to read, and this one looks very good!
Comments
I first recommend the first half of Matt Renedell’s biography as the best, the 2nd half is him proving that Pantani used drugs and after a while I wished he would stop beating that poor horse. Pantani’s agent Manuela Ronchi wrote a very interesting book, but since she started working with him after he won the Tour it really is more about his downfall. Still she had a unique perspective of him as well as cycling coming from someone that did not have a history with the sport
Thanks for your comments!