The numerous e-mails recently on the CR list about the 1960 Oympic Road
race in Rome once again recharged my aging brain cells. I remember meeting
THE GREAT MAN at the NY Bike Show in the Coliseum, (how many CR members
remember this fun event), and one of the questions that I asked him in French
was whether he had any regrets in his great cycling career. He said yes,
that he regretted not taking a medal home for Belgium at the 1964 Olympic
road race in Tokyo( he finished 12th). Fate,however, was kind to the Merckx
family when his son Axel brought home the bronze in a heroic effort in Athens
in 2004. Merckx , in an interview after the race,said that Axel winning the
bronze was one of the happiest days of his life.He was absolutely
overjoyed that his son won one of these precious few medals in such a difficult
race. I have heard other top cyclists voice similar comments. Davis Phinney,
imagined himself coming across the finish line,in the LA games road race in
1984,arms up , to claim the gold but it was not to be. He said that he
went over the LA road race thousands of times in his head as to what went
wrong at the very end. I believe he finished 9th. The same was true for Lance
Armstrong , who wanted an Olympic medal in the road race in several Olympic
road races that he competed in, but once again that precious medal, whether
it would have been gold, silver, or bronze, eluded him. Norm Hellman,
Bronx, NY.