[capt_phun]

...who has to wake up at 6:00 a.m. Oh they have my deepest sympathy on this one: (from cyclingnews.com):

"One thing that pleased none of the riders was the early start on Sunday. To make matters worse, daylight savings time started in Europe that morning, so that the riders had to get up even earlier. "The day started very early," Kohl said. Scholz noted the second stage was due to start at 8:40, "which because of the change to daylight savings time will feel like 7:40." It was especially difficult for his teammate Rene Haselbacher: "We had to get up at 6 a.m., that didn't please me at all!"

I would slam my dong in a car door with glee if my job was to get up at 6:00am every day and race a bike. I'm gonna ask Scholz to trade careers with me since getting up at 6:00 am everyday is just part of being a cog.

 

[atpjunkie]

not to defend

but when your pattern is normally wake up at 7,have a real nice meal and then have a tactics meeting while you digest for a mid day start. Do a nice warm up a set off. I could see how this cahnge in rhythm would be bothersome.

 

[SilasCL]

I would slam my dong in a car door with glee if my job was to get up at 6:00am every day and race a bike. I'm gonna ask Scholz to trade careers with me since getting up at 6:00 am everyday is just part of being a cog.

Their job isn't to race the bike a few hours every day. Their job is to take care of their body 24 hours a day, 330 days a year (most take a month off to drink beer and chill).

While I think the idea of being a pro racer is nice, there is no time off. Want to go take a walk after work? Go ahead. Pro racer, gotta stay on the couch and rest. Want to go out to dinner? Nope, gotta stay home and cook the most nutritional meal possible. It's a lot more sacrifice than it appears. I bet they would love clocking out, going to have a few beers and some pizza, but it's not an option for the guys at the top of the sport.

Silas

 

[magnolialover]

True...

Their job isn't to race the bike a few hours every day. Their job is to take care of their body 24 hours a day, 330 days a year (most take a month off to drink beer and chill).

While I think the idea of being a pro racer is nice, there is no time off. Want to go take a walk after work? Go ahead. Pro racer, gotta stay on the couch and rest. Want to go out to dinner? Nope, gotta stay home and cook the most nutritional meal possible. It's a lot more sacrifice than it appears. I bet they would love clocking out, going to have a few beers and some pizza, but it's not an option for the guys at the top of the sport.

Silas

I do remember hearing some stories about some pros sitting on the couch while their wives would be moving them. Walk the dog? HA! You can forget that mister. Rest those legs. Eat some boiled chicken and steamed veggies, and then go ride for about 30 hours per week. Don't know about you, but I have done exactly one 30 hour training week in my entire pathetic racing career, and I was shattered for almost the entire week after that. These guys might not do 30 hours week in and week out, but they'll do them quite a bit.

It's a tough life, and compared to a lot of other pro sports, it's not cushy, and they don't get paid a lot of money (most of them) to do this. They're essentially scraping by some of them on what they get "paid".

So yeah, I have some respect for those guys. They're doing a hard job out there, believe it or not. Might seem like peaches and cream to you and I, but try even racing on a cat. 2 level in the US, it's hard to be a good even cat. 2 racer while working fulltime. Some can do it, but most can't.

 

[ashpelham]

I feel the same way as the original poster: these guys don't have any idea what the rest of us desk jockeys go through. Our lives are no where near as glamourous, and the hot chicks only rarely pay attention to us.

That being said, I too have done one 25+ hour ride week, and it nearly killed me. Probably because it was away from the norm. The legs are dead 15 hours into it, and the last 10, all you think of is eating. That's it. Lots of chocolate and donuts.

These guys suffer their fair share. We all work to earn a living, one way or another.

 

[ashpelham]

Oh, and on an unrelated note, Kenny Loggins sucks. So does Keeny G.

 

[capt_phun]

I feel the same way as the original poster: these guys don't have any idea what the rest of us desk jockeys go through. Our lives are no where near as glamourous, and the hot chicks only rarely pay attention to us.

That being said, I too have done one 25+ hour ride week, and it nearly killed me. Probably because it was away from the norm. The legs are dead 15 hours into it, and the last 10, all you think of is eating. That's it. Lots of chocolate and donuts.

These guys suffer their fair share. We all work to earn a living, one way or another.

You get what I meant. This was not meant as a rip to Pros, believe me I follow Pro bike races as my sport. If it wasn't for cycling.tv my job would be boring

What I really was inferring was that I respect the racers and I only wish I had been blessed with their abilities to race full-time. Last year after a double-century, the next day I awoke, a little sore, not bad, and I thought...damn, people get paid to do this everday. They are the fortunate few.
But I guess we all can complain when we lose an hour of sleep. Only it wouldn't be so bothersome if my life revolved around turning pedals.

 

[LSchoux]

Their job isn't to race the bike a few hours every day. Their job is to take care of their body 24 hours a day, 330 days a year (most take a month off to drink beer and chill).

While I think the idea of being a pro racer is nice, there is no time off. Want to go take a walk after work? Go ahead. Pro racer, gotta stay on the couch and rest. Want to go out to dinner? Nope, gotta stay home and cook the most nutritional meal possible. It's a lot more sacrifice than it appears. I bet they would love clocking out, going to have a few beers and some pizza, but it's not an option for the guys at the top of the sport.

Silas

This is one of the BEST posts I've ever read ! EXCELLENT job Silas !

 

[LSchoux]

I do remember hearing some stories about some pros sitting on the couch while their wives would be moving them. Walk the dog? HA! You can forget that mister. Rest those legs. Eat some boiled chicken and steamed veggies, and then go ride for about 30 hours per week. Don't know about you, but I have done exactly one 30 hour training week in my entire pathetic racing career, and I was shattered for almost the entire week after that. These guys might not do 30 hours week in and week out, but they'll do them quite a bit.

It's a tough life, and compared to a lot of other pro sports, it's not cushy, and they don't get paid a lot of money (most of them) to do this. They're essentially scraping by some of them on what they get "paid".

So yeah, I have some respect for those guys. They're doing a hard job out there, believe it or not. Might seem like peaches and cream to you and I, but try even racing on a cat. 2 level in the US, it's hard to be a good even cat. 2 racer while working fulltime. Some can do it, but most can't.

Ditto for you Magnolialover ! Finally some Thread that makes SENSE! God-F-ing-Dammit!

 

[atpjunkie]

well on a similar note

I spent close to 10 years on the road as a musician playing 260 gigs a year. People would romanticize that life as well. I'd put it on a similar level as a neo pro. People would be envious saying "Oh I'd kill to do that" not thinking about the eves where the promoter screws you out of your hotel so you sleep on some beer ande bongwater stained carpet.
Or some rinky dink motel where the guy next door is beating on his girlfriend cause she came home at 4 AM, or the motel is also the weekend drug outlet.
Then there is the get to sleep at 3:30 AM and wake up at 6:30 AM cause you have 400 miles to the next gig.(or not sleeping at all cause the drive is even further-more common in the west)
Being home 8 days a month, just enough time to pay bills and do laundry. Barely scraping by, scrimping on your road food budget so you can have some of the per diem leftover to add to your pay.
I imagine most of these jobs mythologies are better than their realities.

 

[Sintesi]

Oh, and on an unrelated note, Kenny Loggins sucks. So does Keeny G.

And Kenny Rogers!

 

[edraket]

Their job isn't to race the bike a few hours every day. Their job is to take care of their body 24 hours a day, 330 days a year (most take a month off to drink beer and chill).

While I think the idea of being a pro racer is nice, there is no time off. Want to go take a walk after work? Go ahead. Pro racer, gotta stay on the couch and rest. Want to go out to dinner? Nope, gotta stay home and cook the most nutritional meal possible. It's a lot more sacrifice than it appears. I bet they would love clocking out, going to have a few beers and some pizza, but it's not an option for the guys at the top of the sport.

You're delusional. Very few pros are like that. Peter van Petegem for example likes his Leffe after training.

Also, their job is, wait for it..., to generate exposure for the sponsor.