I'm torn. I don't know whether to cheer him on stick a tire iron in his spokes.
I'm sure veteran cyclist Eric Wohlberg is a good ol' Canadian boy and he's certainly an accomplished rider, having won countless races and awards over his distinguished career, including a Commonwealth Games gold medal. I've never met him and have absolutely no reason to hold any malice toward one of our country's greatest ever cyclists.
I've watched him compete in several previous editions of the Tour de Delta and welcome the three-time Olympian back to our community this year. Yet there's one fact that's gnawing at me, a similarity between Wohlberg and myself that doesn't necessarily make me feel all warm and fuzzy whenever I hear his name.
You see, we're both 46. Beyond the age and nationality thing, however, the similarities get a little harder to find, particularly when it comes to Tour de Delta weekend.
When I think of the annual cycling race, my checklist includes getting to the criterium in Ladner Village early, scoping out a good spot along the route with unimpeded sightlines, unpacking the folding chair and patiently waiting for the entertainment to roll on by.
In other words, I don't go on all-day training rides to prepare, nor do I pedal a dizzying 250 kilometres in three races over three days against competitors half my age. That's a Wohlberg thing.
In my defence, I probably should have mentioned that I walk to and from the village for the crit and more often than not I'm also carrying my wife's folding chair. I realize that still doesn't quite even things up, so that's where the conundrum comes in.
I'm in awe of Wohlberg, there's no two ways about that, but I can't figure out whether to cheer on a fellow 40-something or whether to deride him for making the rest of us look bad.
I'm leaning toward the former. After all, the old guy's going to have enough to contend with this weekend.
***
While on the topic of cycling, did you happen to see highlights of Stage 3 of the Tour de France on Monday? If you did, you would have seen Tyler Farrar outsprint some of the biggest names in the sport to claim the stage victory.
I mention this because he's yet another Tour de Delta alumni plying his trade on the biggest stage as a regular in Europe on Team Garmin-Cervelo. Farrar, from Wenatchee, Washington, won Delta's road race in 2004 and the hill climb a year later.
