-- Seven times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong called him Nails. Viatcheslav 'Nails' Ekimov finished every one of the 15 Tours de France he started. Aged 14 he rode 38,000 kilometers in one year. That was just the beginning.
Like the colours of a cyclist's wardrobe, motivations driving pedal strokes cover a spectrum. But where individual cycling goals often diverge, admiration of the cyclist's dedication to improvement is universal. Has there ever been a cyclist, of any ability, who at some stage hasn’t wanted to go faster, ride longer or more effortlessly? Cycling’s mere mortals cut out a few weekend drills for quick gains. Immortals, like two-time Olympic Gold medal winner and Russian cyclist of the Century Viatcheslav Ekimov, go to such lengths they make their professional peers look like big girls' blouses.
Ekimov started training as a cyclist aged 12 (it was the Soviet era) and moved on to the rather ominously named Armed Forces Sports Society. He became a pro bike rider in 1990, at the age of 23, starting and finishing (aged 40) 15 Tours de France.
Daniel Coyle, in his book Lance Armstrong's War, provides a taste of Ekimov’s unflinching determination.
The third parable ... was the Story of Eki. Thirty-seven-year-old Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov was the only rider on Postal -- indeed, perhaps the only person in Armstrong's world -- whose work ethic was beyond question. This status was underlined frequently, most of all by Armstrong's assertion that Eki was “nails.” Which raised the question: what does it take to be “nails”? This is what it took. When Eki was fourteen and living at a sports club in St. Petersburg, he rode 38,000 kilometers in one year, an average of 450 miles a week. In 1996, as a professional, he nearly doubled it ("That's not possible for a human," Landis said incredulously). But it was true -- Eki had twenty-five notebooks full of training logs to prove it. Eki had ridden thirteen tours and finished every one. Eki never missed a training day. Eki was never late or unprepared. Eki coached himself. Eki was Eki.
A salute to Ekimov and hardness. Don't worry too much about all the miles. But we all should suck up some of Eki's iron willed determination.
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4 comments:
All those km with no TdF victory? Could be construed as a massive failure...AND he got done for drugs!
When it comes to training, it's quality, not quantity.
Didn't realise he was a doper (couldn't find any reference supporting your assertion). Though it wouldn't surprise me given that most of Armstrong's past domestiques have been drug busted. Imagine if he'd mastered quality with quantity. Still, what a hard arse.
Do the sums Raoul - Eki came out of the Soviet system AND rode in the early 90's, right in the midst of the Festina affair. that's two marks against him. Of COURSE he did drugs, as did Ullrich (ex-east germany) and anyone else who wanted a degree of job security. Read Paul Kimmidge's 'Rough Ride' expose - drugs in cycling aren't about 'cheating to win' but about 'staying relevant in order to keep one's contract'. Same with earkly TdF history - you can't do 20-hour stages in the 192s without some chemical assistance. It's cleaner now - but I'd say every TdF winner till Armstring was juiced (maybe not Indurain or Lemond).
Dunno, Jonathan. Seems rather patchy to say everyone must be guilty, but maybe not Indurain or Lemond (why, because they seem like nice guys?) And not Armstrong, because....he trained smarter? Next you'll be telling us Eddie M couldn't possibly have doped.Lordy, that would shatter the legend of greatness. And greats don't cheat.
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