NHPR Story on Ted King

[MattTuck]

Heard this on the radio last night. From the local NPR affiliate in New Hampshire.

http://nhpr.org/post/world-tour-cyclist-ted-king-keeps-local-connections

Part of the story:
Every Wednesday in the summer through Mid-September, a group of cyclists ride together out of the Exeter Cycles bike shop. Ted King grew up in nearby Brentwood and this is his backyard. The cyclists who gather here are a who’s who of riders who watched as this 30-year-old’s star rose.

And they all have something to say about him.

“He really likes to have long dinners. I can see him really easily being a guy on a porch when he’s like seventy, just like whittling,” says Ryan Kelly, an amateur racer and friend.

“So in high school I ran with like a rougher crowd maybe than Ted did, and it was funny because Ted used to be afraid of me in high school,” explains Dylan McNicholas, a rider who has won many of the races in New England, “And now when Ted comes to races I’m afraid of him.”

King debuted in his first Tour de France this year, but had to leave the race early after crashing. He separated his shoulder, and missed the time cut required to continue.

Despite having made the big stage, whenever he’s home he still makes time for the local ride in Exeter. But he’s not there the night I visit. He’s hard to pin down: during the racing season he lives out of a duffel bag, has a house in Girona Spain, and is shopping for another in Boulder, Colorado.

[kramnnim]

Can't listen at the moment, but Ted did an interview-ish podcast with Mike Creed that also was interesting.

[#campyuserftw]

I'll listen later. It was nice to see him seem more mature, and serious this past season. I've always viewed him as a complete goofball, who'd squander his potential. The TTT in le Tour was a tough moment, hope he has a healthy, and fast 2014.

[fiamme red]

http://www.flandriacafe.com/2013/10/rain-oxygen-and-kings-of-falling-leaves.html

So here's the short version: At mile one, Ted King went to the front of 200 riders. And 104 miles later, 8 of us rolled into the park, with Ted King still riding at the front. He basically rode tempo at the front for well over 90 of the 104 miles. Impressive doesn't do it justice. You had to be there.

We survivors who were paying attention were treated to a brilliant demonstration of how a real professional rides tempo. He just flogged along at 24-25 mph on the flats - and faster on the downhills... and tapped up the hills at a steady but not killer tempo. So smooth. The rest of us? Well to be honest, we were all basically just doing all we could to hold his wheel. The difference between a true Pro, and wannabe schmoes. Ted wasn't trying to kill us, I think he was trying to keep it together.. but he wasn't exactly waiting around either! That's because it poured almost continuously for 5 hours, and it was getting colder by the minute...

This wasn't a timed event, but there was one Strava KOM. Ted let the other guys go for it... for a few seconds anyway, then he just looked back, grinned, put it in a monster gear and slowly wound it up, pulled 'em back, and rode straight past them all. I laughed, watching it, it was like a cat playing with a mouse. Game, set and match. After slaying all (it's good to be the King!) he waited up, and we regrouped and steamed steadily back toward Providence. My Flandria mate Tom Dickenson was still there too, and looking very strong, on quite the ride, one of many he's done this year.

[old fat man]

he still doesn't have a team for 2014?

[MattTuck]

http://www.flandriacafe.com/2013/10/rain-oxygen-and-kings-of-falling-leaves.html

You see the guys riding their bikes, or the guys catching a football, or shooting a three point shot, and think, "hey, I can do that... maybe not as good as those guys, but I can do that."

When you see it in person you realize just how far out on the bell curve of human race that these guys are.

[cfox]

You see the guys riding their bikes, or the guys catching a football, or shooting a three point shot, and think, "hey, I can do that... maybe not as good as those guys, but I can do that."

When you see it in person you realize just how far out on the bell curve of human race that these guys are.

yup, and pack fodder* like King are at the fat end of the tail...imagine riding with a GT or classics contender? Freaky freaks.

*I mean that in the best way; he's a good domestique but will never win a Pro Tour race

[Johnnyg]

You can ride with him and other pros on October 19th at the Krempels ride. Check it out on line. A fund raiser for the Krempels brain injury rehab center in Porstmouth, NH. Hope to see you there.