Online Plus Edition Saturday-Sunday, August 14-15, 2004
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Rested, ready Hamilton searching for breakthrough victoryread, sc by dd
ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Tyler Hamilton's primary goal this year was unseating Lance Armstrong as cycling's ultimate warrior, king of the Tour de France. An early wreck quickly ruined those lofty aspirations. Now, recovered and rested, Hamilton is in Athens, where Olympic gold would be plenty of consolation. "I've won World Cups, been on the podium at the Giro d'Italia, been fourth in the Tour de France, won a tour stage," said Hamilton, who estimated the back injury that forced him from this year's Tour is about 95 percent healed. "But to win an Olympic medal - that'd probably be the ultimate." Hamilton's first of two chances at an Olympic medal comes today, when the men's road race is held on a jumble of new and ancient streets in downtown Athens. He'll also ride in Wednesday's time trial. Some of his earliest memories stem from watching his first love, the Winter Olympics. He was only 8-years-old at the time, yet still recalls details of the Miracle on Ice win in Lake Placid. He remembers watching two of his early idols, Phil and Steve Mahre, claim skiing medals in Sarajevo in 1984. "I've got a lot of good memories watching them stand on a podium and hearing the national anthem with a medal around their necks," Hamilton said. "If I could do that, it'd feel incredible." It would certainly make all the pain - the biggest constant in his cycling career so far - worth it. At 5-foot-8 and 134 pounds, Hamilton's body has taken tremendous punishment over a decade of long climbs, countless spills and marathon training sessions in searing heat. On occasion, that body simply gives out. A broken back suffered while training with Colorado's ski team in 1992 sent him to the bike, first as a rehab tool and eventually as his vocation. But he kept the penchant for major injuries; among them, a broken shoulder during the 2002 Giro d'Italia and a broken collarbone suffered in a 35-rider pileup in the opening stage of last year's Tour de France. He finished both races, coming in second in the Giro and fourth in the 2003 Tour - even winning his first-ever stage along the way. "Size has nothing to do with your mental capacity to fight fatigue, pain and the struggle of life," U.S. men's road coach Jim Ochowicz said. "He's able to overcome that because he has a strong mind. Physically, his body is prepared for this level. Tyler has one of the more unique personalities when it comes to battling injuries." This year's Tour wreck sent him home broken and battered. The left side of his back was one giant bruise following a fall in stage six; he completed six more before bowing out - a move that came two days after his dog was euthanized because of cancer. It's hard to tell which event pained Hamilton more. "July was a sad month for me," said Hamilton, who - like many elite American road riders - keeps a home in Spain, but returns to his Marblehead house for at least a few months each year. "The Tour de France was disastrous ... and my dog was my best friend. It was a crazy month." Hamilton rode with Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team for six years, leaving in 2001 to become the leader of Team CSC, a Danish club that won the team competition at last year's Tour de France - in large part because Hamilton battled through the broken collarbone. Now riding for the Swiss-based Phonak team, Hamilton's still looking for that one breakout ride. He's won some one-day Classics races, including the prestigious Liege-Bastogne-Liege event last year, but never one that captures the world's attention like the Tour or the Olympics. It's time, he said, for his luck to change. "Last year I proved that if you keep fighting, good things will come," Hamilton said. "And I went on to finish fourth in the Tour and win a stage. This year I had to stop the Tour de France, but hopefully, good things are still on the horizon."
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