I listened to two great podcasts today, covering two totally
separate subjects.
The first one was with Inga Thompson,
former top US cyclist and three-time Olympian. Thompson’s palmares is
extensive, including stints on Team 7-Eleven and Ritchey – two of the dominant
ladies teams of that era.
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| Inga Thompson http://www.cyclingarchives.com/ |
Competitor
Radio recently interviewed Thompson after her detailed
letter to Velonews in light of the doping revelations surrounding several
American riders. Needless to say,
Thompson turned out to be a fascinating interviewee, revealing that women’s cycling
is as difficult – and some cases more difficult – than the male version.
Her tales of dealing with the stifling and often unethical
atmosphere of the US National Team program are fascinating as well as her views
on the sport today. Bear in mind that Thompson, disillusioned with the lack of
support in the US, raced in a men’s team
on the French amateur circuit in the 1990s! She recounts how she was the only
woman in the field and how she overcame the chauvinism and unsportsmanlike
gestures to actually winning races against the men and gaining the respect she
duly deserved.
An outstanding interview, which you can access here.
On a totally different note, Graham
Fraser is profiled in the latest installment of Legends of Triathlon, a radio
show that profiles the people who helped shape the sport of triathlon.
An athletic entrepreneur, Fraser is one of the original race
directors who managed to make a successful business out of organizing
triathlons, putting on many of the North American Ironman events now falling
under the WTC
banner.
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| Graham Fraser http://www.everymantri.com |
The guy radiates energy, and his talkative nature gives the
listener an inside track into the hectic and often manic activity that is race
organizing.
Click here
for the interview.
