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Date Posted: 20:28:02 08/29/04 Sun
Author: Susan
Subject: Re: Is VDB toast?
In reply to: Andy 's message, "Re: Is VDB toast?" on 15:28:26 08/29/04 Sun

>>With this latest episode, has VDB's career come to a
>>close? ...
>>
>>Any thoughts?
>
>... The fact he
>contemplated suicide so readily, so recently, is also
>worrying, considering less than 18 months ago
>everything was harmonious again with him...

Didn't he also have a bout with depression a couple years ago? I remember previous mentions of his phychiatrist. What is it about cycling that so many of these really elite guys seem to suffer from depression when they cannot ride (Pantani, Jiminez)? I wonder if they can get addicted to the euphoria chemical the brain produces in endurance athletes. (The one that produces the "jogger's high" - I don't remember it's name but do recall that it is molecularly very similar to cocaine.) I also wonder why this wasn't the case years ago. (Or maybe it was, we just didn't hear about it.)

Part of the reason I was pulling for VDB so much this spring was hoping that some good results would help him get through his those troubles. (And because, well, I was glad that he was at least still trying.) The odd thing in all of this is that he *did* look good this spring.

I still wonder what really happened between him & Fassa re the Tour & Giro. After some hard Spring races, he was supposed to get a rest during the Giro, then ride the Tour. Another Fassa got injured, so they asked VDB to ride the Giro instead. At a fairly late date, VDB called in sick (IIRC, sore throat or respiratory proroblem). Publically, Fassa made supportive noises, but this seems to have been the beginning of the downward spiral, in which they also took him off their Tour team. It's really sad, when the year started out looking so good.

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