Alexi Grewal's aborted comeback

[FlashUNC]

Grewal's own words on why his comeback fizzled out:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/12/news/grewal%E2%80%99s-big-comeback-adventure-is-over_199002

Honestly, tough as an outsider to see how much of that candor is genuine and how much he's trying to rationalize things. At the very least, it looks like he found closure with the sport.

[Fixed]

no coaching job , bike store ,
seems some cycling related job could be had
cheers

[Hawker]

I am no longer a subscriber to VN...but I sure do appreciate them tracking Alexi down and doing the follow-up story. Thumbs up for Wilcoxson and VN and my best to Alexi. I hope things smooth out for him and his kids.

[ultraman6970]

Wow... u can tell how good the guy is/was... is not just go and race to the level he raced a few months ago, at his age and with all his problems. Many guys can't even get closer ever. Happy and sad for him because somehow he was forgotten by many, great rider...

[nm87710]

somehow he was forgotten by many, great rider...

People don't remember dopers - even if they win gold.

[ultraman6970]

Would u add a few to the list?

[Fivethumbs]

True or false...Alexi Grewal was once a team mate of Greg Lemond's.

[Fixed]

gh Grewal (ਅਲੇਕ੍ਸੀ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ ) (born September 8, 1960 in Aspen, Colorado) is a Sikh-American Olympic gold medalist and former professional road racing cyclist. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Grewal became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in road cycling. His winning bicycle is now at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History. He has two brothers, Rishi and Ranjeet, that were also top American cyclists, especially in mountain bike racing.

The U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame gave the following description of his Los Angeles gold medal ride: "With an estimated crowd of 300,000 lining the 190.2-kilometer route, Grewal edged Canadian Steve Bauer to claim the gold medal in the men's road race, breaking away from the field with 20 kilometers remaining and opening up a 24-second lead after 11 of 12 laps and then being caught by Bauer with 10 kilometers left, setting up a dramatic final-lap showdown. This scene, replayed many times since, is one of the most emotional Olympic victories of the Modern Games."

After winning Olympic gold, Grewal turned professional and signed with the Panasonic team and later with the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. According to teammate Bob Roll, Grewal was the captain of the 1986 7-Eleven team through the spring. Sometime later in 1986, he was dropped by the team after spitting on a CBS camera man who got too close. He raced for the U.S.-based Coors Light pro team from 1989-1993. He became well-known in the cycling community as an extraordinarily talented, but emotionally volatile rider.

After retiring from professional cycling Grewal moved to Colorado with his family. Grewal began making hand-hewn and crafted furniture and architectural features out of native hardwoods after his cycling days were over. He lost part of his fingers in an accident involving a saw. A bicycle frame manufacturer in Denver, Colorado, the Clark-Kent company, made a special road racing frame, the "AX-1", to Grewal's specifications. This steel frame featured an unusual bent seat tube with unorthodox frame angles.

In 2004, Grewal was elected to the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.

On April 3, 2008, VeloNews published an essay by Grewal on his personal use (and the overall prevalence) of doping in cycling during his career, both in his amateur and professional days.

On September 25, 2010, VeloNews announced that Grewal would be making a comeback at age 50, targeting the Quiznos Pro Challenge in Colorado in 2011.
Major accomplishments


1981
1st–Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb (1:57:36)

1982
1st–Cascade Cycling Classic

1984
Gold medalist–Summer Olympics, Men's Individual Road Race
1st–Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb (1:47:51)

1990
1st–Bob Cook Memorial Mt. Evans Hill Climb (1:46:29 - former record)

big gun in us cycling
cheers

[CunegoFan]

People don't remember dopers - even if they win gold.

Hasn't hurt rememberance Armstrong so far.

People don't "remember" Grewal because as a professional, after the gold medal, he never had any meaningful results. Physically he was probably talented enough to win the TdF, but his palmares stop at the Mt. Evans Hill Climb.

[David Kirk]

I think Alexi shares a lot with the rest of us - he is flawed just like we all are.

I have huge respect for his abilities both past and present and feel for him and his difficulty at times getting through life. I think the fact that he got back on the bike and mixed it up, at the age of 50, with folks most of us couldn't hang with on a day off ride was extremely impressive. The fact that he 'failed' in his comeback seems not to be the important part - the important part was that he tried.

My hat is off to him.

Dave

[c-record]

Well said Dave. Shows class on your part to respond that way and remain on the high road.

[velotel]

I have nothing but respect for the guy. Maybe I'm naive but in reading his words the guy comes across to me as up front honest as you'll find. He's also one damn fine writer. Totally engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his blog during his return attempt. Chapeau indeed to the guy. And I could care less if he doped. The whole world dopes in one manner or another. Look at all those bankers snorting up all the money in the world when their noses are already spilling out through their ears and every other orifice. And all those parents whose children are a bit slow in learning (or maybe they're simply too selective in what they want to learn) and decide to dope 'em up for better results. I mean give me a break; we are a doping society and have been for a long time. Don't feel good, take this. Depressed, take this. Can't get an erection or maybe it's not as eye-popping as you want, take this. Boobs too small, install this. Cheeks sagging, inject this. The default position is drugs in our society and has been for way longer than anyone wants to admit. Personally I love smoking a wee bit of pot before I ride. Maybe I should be excluded from posting any pics from obviously doping enhanced photography.

So he doped. He still won and he ended up way more honest than a lot of folk out there. More power to him.

[Frankwurst]

I appreciate anybody who can be so candid and honest with themselves. Few people can do that. Defeat is a tough pill to swallow. Kudos to Alexi for having the stones to try. :beer:

[wc1934]

Sad story - I followed his blog as he attempted this comeback - has had his share of bad luck, some self made, but I still feel for the guy - to bad he could not find some related work in the cycling business - would think his experiences are worth something.

[RIHans]

I get that Alexi wants to prove he can still do it. Gold medal, more palmeres
than I can shake a dream at.

Admit the younger guys are better than you now. Not to belittle your what
is...it is right there.

If you want to understand the era, google peds in the 80s-90s

[Fixed]

I have nothing but respect for the guy. Maybe I'm naive but in reading his words the guy comes across to me as up front honest as you'll find. He's also one damn fine writer. Totally engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed reading his blog during his return attempt. Chapeau indeed to the guy. And I could care less if he doped. The whole world dopes in one manner or another. Look at all those bankers snorting up all the money in the world when their noses are already spilling out through their ears and every other orifice. And all those parents whose children are a bit slow in learning (or maybe they're simply too selective in what they want to learn) and decide to dope 'em up for better results. I mean give me a break; we are a doping society and have been for a long time. Don't feel good, take this. Depressed, take this. Can't get an erection or maybe it's not as eye-popping as you want, take this. Boobs too small, install this. Cheeks sagging, inject this. The default position is drugs in our society and has been for way longer than anyone wants to admit. Personally I love smoking a wee bit of pot before I ride. Maybe I should be excluded from posting any pics from obviously doping enhanced photography.

So he doped. He still won and he ended up way more honest than a lot of folk out there. More power to him.
J'accepte
cheers

[tiretrax]

People don't remember dopers - even if they win gold.
Are you talking about PED's or meth?

Alexi always made me sad - a lot of talent but too volatile. I read a story about him a few years ago, and it seems like he's been haunted by demons his whole life and they've multiplied over the years.

I can't believe he was surprised that he shouldn't be 1.) driving an unregistered car that 2.) wasn't his, 3.) had invalid plates, and 4.) he didn't have permission to drive (isn't that called stolen?).

[cxboy]

The guy did meth ?? not good !!

[wallymann]

word.

i like the guy, despite being irked by him in some ways. i find i actually share alot of common traits with alexi: tall and skinny. and immensely flawed.

regrettably, the commonality stops in the area of athletic gifts! ;-)

i personally think he succeeded. he got back in there and mixed it up with a bunch of young-guns and showed 'em what an old guy can do! serious respek.

w

I think Alexi shares a lot with the rest of us - he is flawed just like we all are.

I have huge respect for his abilities both past and present and feel for him and his difficulty at times getting through life. I think the fact that he got back on the bike and mixed it up, at the age of 50, with folks most of us couldn't hang with on a day off ride was extremely impressive. The fact that he 'failed' in his comeback seems not to be the important part - the important part was that he tried.

My hat is off to him.

Dave

[tch]

I think Alexi shares a lot with the rest of us - he is flawed just like we all are.

I have huge respect for his abilities both past and present and feel for him and his difficulty at times getting through life. ....My hat is off to him.

Dave

1. Yes, we are all flawed in some way. It's good to remember this all the time, because it's a lot easier to be judgmental about others than it is to look at ourselves clearly. And,

2. After working for 35 years with folks who have ended up on the wrong side of things...we are all a lot closer to the no car/no insurance/no job situation than we want to think about.

I wish him the best.

[Ti Designs]

So he doped. He still won and he ended up way more honest than a lot of folk out there.

I could say "Bernie Madoff swindled a few people, but he's a nice guy" because I didn't lose my life savings, much like you probably didn't have much invested in bike racing in the early 80's. He won at the expense of guys who didn't cheat at a time that the US wanted gold enough to overlook how Eddie B was truning the OTC into doper central. I can't blame Alexi, he was an emotional roller coaster who would have done anything to level out the highs and lows of his life. I'm glad he didn't get into the blood boosting program that was to follow. It's just hard for me to dismiss what I know is the genisis of doping in american bike racing...

[zetroc]

cxboy is bumping old threads about Grewal... why?

[Ti Designs]

cxboy is bumping old threads about Grewal... why?

With only 5 posts so far...