The Long Fuse
 

My, and hopefully our, buddy Mike Friedman made it on to this American Life this last weekend. If you haven't listened- you should. It's available to listen to for this week on their website : https://www.thisamericanlife.org/

It's act 3.

i'd have to restrain my urge to punch Ira Glass before getting to act 3 though

lemme guess, the story is about the deal he made to win amateur Nats?

:lol:
yeah. It's well done and not super cringe-y as it usually is when mainstream people try to explain bicycle races. On the page plug in I think you can fast forward to act 3.

I didn't know Ira Glass won amateur nats.

Someone on a local bike Google group posted this up. I listened.

I'm just a recreational racer guy. All I know is that I have read a few "tell all" or "retirement" books from pro cyclists and have heard about such "deals".

Usually though, it isn't for a national champs jersey. Usually it is for a stage win in a big race where a win in a stage could make a guy's career or year and the other guy is so far ahead that losing to him by 1 second won't matter.

In this case, if I was the guy that took the deal for a win I'd have given it a million % anyway for that last corner and to the line. I wouldn't have relied on the deal at all. I still would have given it the gas. Also, I would have probably made the other guy pull longer or skipped a turn myself when it became apparent you're not getting caught. Or choose to drop the guy within a mile or two.

Again, that's rec racer nonsense opinion.......but I'd never rely on that.

Even locally a guy I ride with just the two of us sometimes, we go chase KOMs. We'll swap work for it and let the better body type take it (hill or flat). Even he one day stretched his last pull too long then tried to sprint for it! Lol. I came around and got it instead.

That's just some bums having some juvenile Strava fun. So I can imagine if national champ is on the line what could happen.

I haven't listened to it yet, but in Belgian kermesse racing it's common place for teams to give riders money to bribe out wins.

It's a good piece. Enjoyed it.

Yeah, that was great.

I listen to every episode anyway, but that actually was mostly well explained. Little dumbed down in places, but an interesting story.

according to jordan peterson, in his decades of clinical practice, nobody ever gets away with anything. I think this is a nice illustration of that.

the decision clearly haunted mike all these years, and I wonder if it was a contributing factor to his decline later in life?

nice piece, I enjoyed it too. Current link for the archive is https://www.thisamericanlife.org/668/the-long-fuse

The ones that get away with it don't go to see a psychologist, much less Jordan Peterson.

example?