Cancellara

The world cycling championships are being held now in Switzerland.

Televised cycling coverage has improved here in the U.S. This evening we were treated to a a great showing by the home turf champion in the men's individual time trial, Fabian Cancellara. This year he came to win back his crown, and that he did.

I will admit, watching bike racing can be awfully boring. The commentators face a lot of open road, and little but time checks in the way of action. Riders are set off in a race against the clock at one minute intervals.

Finally, after a great showing by a relatively unknown American, Cancellara, in Swiss national colors, atop the same red Specialized time trial bike (or facsimile thereof) machine he handily won the Prologue of this years Tour de France in Monaco, rolled up to the gate. Standing about 6'1" or 6'2", he's a big fellow. "He's a strong man," a fellow racer commented with understatement during the Tour. He has some pretty big legs.

The crowd, obviously, was waiting for him for hours to cheer him on. With the Swiss champ on the road, things became exponentially more interesting for those looking at their TVs.

Power, fluidity, steady cadence, Mr. Cancellara rode to an authoritative victory. (VeloNews.Com gives it far more justice than I.) And to see, on the podium, a big happy gentle rider, easy-going, content, smiling with a genuine grin that had no "In Your Face" quality to it all, made a viewer happy, as he did the crowd seeing the medal awarded to him. Indeed, he knew he had more than a few seconds to spare as he approached the finish line, and gave the gathered crowd an extra long appreciative salute that seemed as much a rolling hug as anything.

There are some fine moments in sports, and this was truly one of them.

Hats off, brother. Hats off.