Re: Unofficial WEG Team

[Teddy Lancaster <Teddy@runningbear.com>]

It is exciting too, an rewarding....nothing like it.

Teddy

Lynch, Mike wrote:

> I absolutely agree with Teddy.  I have a background in bicycle road racing.
> Even though you are on the bike by yourself, pushing the pedals by yourself,
> working past the pain by yourself, almost everything you do when you are in
> a pack of riders or out in front can affect your team mates.  The teamwork
> that 3-5 riders have is unbelievable.  If one you your team mates is better
> in the hills or the flats, all of you can work together to put that rider in
> a position to perform under the best circumstances.
>
> The same can be said for endurance riding.   For example, if two horses are
> traveling great together it might be necessary to hold one back in a Vet
> Check if one comes down slower than the other.  Remember Kansas at the last
> Vet Check.  Larry's strategy was superb.  Remember North Americans at
> Arizona.  Tony kept Chris and Marcia together and the won.
>
> This is just the "tip of the iceburg".  Teamwork in an individual sport, for
> those that have not competed seriously, is not understood or appreciated.
>
> Mike Lynch
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Teddy Lancaster [SMTP:Teddy@runningbear.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, October 15, 1998 7:56 AM
> > To:   Carlos Crespo
> > Cc:   Ridecamp; Kat Swigart
> > Subject:      Re: Unofficial WEG Team
> >
> >
> > Carlos writes:
> >
> >
> >
> > > Endurance is not a team sport where each member has to learn to
> > > play with all the others in order to be successful, as you would in
> > > basketball, etc. It is an individual sport where , at the end, you
> > add-up
> > > the individual performance of each rider. There is really very little
> > > one rider can do to help another rider succeed. They each have
> > > to ride their own race. Even the believe that riding together the
> > > horses motivate each other is hard to accept since the horse rider
> > > teams come from different parts of the country and most probably
> > > have never ridden together.
> > >
> >
> > Ah, but this is where you are wrong.  The WEC IS a
> > team competition FIRST and that is our goal...to
> > send the best TEAM!!!
> >
> > It IS possible to ride as a team...the French do
> > it and do it well.  There is MUCH strategy that we
> > have not taken from others sports (yet) thant CAN
> > and DO make a difference in the outcome.  We have
> > MUCH to learn about being team players.  I assure
> > you, Rick Stewart is going to be his best (with
> > the support of many) to make this years' WEG a
> > TEAM effort to win the TEAM gold (which the USA
> > has never done - excpet fo Kansas -whole 'nother
> > story).  It takes cooperation among riders...hard
> > to accomplish since we don't have the experience
> > (or present mindset due to our "normal" way of
> > competing here). We will be asking ALL crews to
> > work for ALL riders as well as asking ALL riders
> > to obey the orders of the Chef 'd Equip.  A tough
> > job, no matter how you look at it.
> >
> > Teddy
> >