With the very, very sad news of Jure Robic's passing today from a bike crash at hand, I wanted to write a quick note about our sport.
We are all champions, who get on our bikes when the weather sucks or our family life sucks, or something sucks. What the "common" rider or racer doesn't have that the professional cyclist has, is the "luxury" of being on the bike as a full-time career.
Most of us have jobs, families, responsibilities, etc., that vie for our time. We battle all day for a moment or two of peace that comes in the form a 90 rpm cadence at 22 miles an hour on a freshly paved road, or some such thing on a sweet piece of singletrack.
Gears, no gears, front suspension, full suspension, coast or fixie, it's all pretty awesome.
Jure Robic died a champion, not only because he was a Race Across America winner, but also because he was a gentleman and sportsman in the truest sense of the word.
When we get on our bikes, we are stepping into the stream of champions that have come before us and will come long after we are gone. Today, Jure's trip along the stream ended violently, but it ended doing what he and we are passionate about.
I believe in the idea that cycling can effect a positive and lasting change in our world and that we can be champions by honoring this possibility, honoring those who have fallen along the way and by encouraging others to seek and be a part of an incredibly healthy and vibrant sport.
We honor Jure by getting back on the bike.
