Bummer. He was my favorite rider and one of the reasons why I got into cycling. Just like my wish for Brett Favre, I hoped Jan would go out on top. In yellow. I think he was due.
My first experience with procycling was watching his epic battle against Lance in the 2003 Tour de France. Matter of fact, my first memory of that race is watching him time trial. Prior to that, I had no interest in bike racing. Zero. But, for some reason one day I decided to stop flipping channels and watch some guys racing bikes on OLN. (There's a good chance I was high and thought that cycling might be cool when high)
I didn't know it at the time, but that Tour was going to be known as one of the best ever. It had it all. Crashes, controversy, time trial bonks, spectator interference, equipment malfunction and a photo finish. Jan finished one minute behind Lance. The closest margin of victory for Lance in his Tour career.
It must have been heartbreaking for Jan. To give it everything you've got and still come up short...yet again. Jan finished the Tour in 2nd place five times in his career. In a world without Lance, Jan would be the celebrated multi-Tour winning star of the show. Instead, he sat in a distant second. Completely unknown to most Americans. Lance owes Jan. Lance trained to beat Jan. It wasn't his only motivation, but Lance knew that he had to stay in top form to stay ahead. Unfortunately for Jan, Lance was usually in top form.
Don't get me wrong, Lance deserved all of his accolades and wins. He earned the Mellow Johnny every single year.
But...
Jan was my boy. I understood him. He was the gifted athlete with questionable work ethic and ambition. He had a hard time restricting his diet. He liked to party and he liked his recreational drugs. Unlike Lance, he was human.
Just now, as I'm typing all this, I realize I have a deeper connection with Jan. It was his struggle to better Lance. I grew up with a Lance. My brother has always been faster, more coordinated and more agile. I could not beat him. He simply was the superior athlete. Eventually I accepted this fact and began to celebrate his talent. I'm proud of my brother. The memories of him beating me in foot races, thoughts that once troubled me, make me smile. I'm proud of the guy.
I wonder how Jan dealt with all those 2nd place finishes behind Lance? I know he remained respectful. Did he ever accept that he couldn't beat Lance and that Lance was the better athlete? If so, was he at peace with this realization?
I hope so.
I like to think that one day Jan and Lance will fondly recall their battles and consider them the good ol' days. Hopefully one day they'll share a table in the back of a pub and trade stories over a pint. Maybe 30 years from now their 2003 showdown will seem like a foot race in their grandparents front yard.
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