2008: MY YEAR IN CYCLING (PART I)

On August 10, 2007, the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team announced they were disbanding because of the lack of a large sponsor. To me, the Discovery team was cycling. I followed them devotedly during the Tour de France in July and had watched them win over and over again. I loved all the riders on the squad and pretended I was racing them when I rode my bike. The Disco boys had helped me find a new passion in professional cycling and now they announced they were leaving.

The Discovery Channel team, previously called the U.S. Postal Service team from 1996-2004, had changed cycling by winning 8 Tours in 9 years. During this unprecedented level of success, they also won or placed in other races. They had signed Lance Armstrong, the most successful Tour cyclist ever and were the team of countless other stars. The DC team was given more media exposure than other teams and had reenergized American cycling. Every cycling fan had an opinion about them, and if they didn't like them, they definately admired the team. Discovery had done more for cycling in recent years than any other team yet they couldn't find a sponsor in the U.S.

I didn't read the full story until I went on Paceline, the home site of the team, and looked at the articles and forums to see everyones surprise. All around the cycling community, it was a feeling of shock. The most successful cycling team ever was breaking up because they didn't have a sponsor amid other reasons. If they couldn't get one, who could? Other teams have since gained or lost sponsors but it seems there's always a sponsor for European teams. This isn't always true, Credit Agricole had to disband in 2008 but they also had doping problems. Because Discovery was an American team, they had a harder time finding someone simply because few American companies want to sponsor a cycling team. The sport doesn't get much coverage in the U.S. and the sport is more popular in Europe. But this is a team that won the Tour 8 times since it began as the U.S. Postal Service Cycling Team and changed to the Discovery team. Alberto Contador, who looked to be one of the next biggest cycling stars, won the Tour in 2007 yet less than 3 weeks later he was searching for a team. The lack of money was penalizing my favorite team in one of my favorite sports.

When Discovery announced they were disbanding, I searched the internet for articles and videos about them. In a way, I wanted to find them before I lost them. During the countless hours I spent on Youtube, Paceline, and other various websites, I found that I didn't really know my team. Sure I watched the Tour de France devotedly every July to cheer them on, but I couldn't tell you the results of their other races, much less most of the names of the actual races. I knew some of the basic, more famous races but I didn't know how Discovery had fared while riding in them. It was almost like I had betrayed my team; they had inspired me so many times but I hadn't given back. I should've loyally followed their every move but I was only there in July.

I decided that the end of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team would mean the beginning of cycling for me. I owed the team something and I was going to give back in my own way. I wouldn't make the mistake of putting my favorite team off to the side again. In 2008, I would follow cycling. Not just the Tour de France or the Grand Tours, but every race. I would be there (mostly on the Internet) because I hadn't always been there when my team was. Now I would be there to watch the now dispersed members fully become the stars they would be.

The last race the DC team fully participated in was the Tour of Missouri, a race in its first year that became a farewell to Discovery. I wanted to be there so much, to stand among the crowds and say goodbye to the great team that had inspired me so many times, the team that had made me discover cycling. Fans lined the streets to say goodbye to the most successful cycling team ever. That race was chosen to be the last to give American fans the final farewell from a multinational team that had been fully embraced as our own. In a fitting end to the most amazing team, George Hincapie won the weeklong Tour of Missouri. All the stars from Discovery came but in the end it was the always there and ever loyal Big George who captured the final crown in the tribute to the team.

My team was now gone and just a legend, but cycling was moving on. The riders had found new teams and wore different jerseys as they rode alongside teammates that used to be the opposition. They were starting a new journey in the cycling world, but this time I would be there by their side every step of the way.