Omo, Stephen

From the diary of Colombian, Santiago Botero on the Kelme - Costa

Blanca Team

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"There I am all alone with my bike. I know of only two riders ahead of me

as I near the end of the second climb on what most riders consider the third

worst mountain stage in the Tour. I say 'most riders' because I do not fear

mountains. After all, our country is nothing but mountains. I train

year-round in the mountains. I am the national champion from a country that

is nothing but mountains. I trail only my teammate, Fernando Escartin, and

a Swiss rider. Pantani, one of my rival climbers, and the Gringo Armstrong

are in the Peleton about five minutes behind me. I am climbing on such a

steep

portion of the mountain that if I were to stop pedaling, I will fall

backward. Even for a world class climber, this is a painful and slow

process. I am in my upright position pedaling at a steady pace willing

myself to finish this climb so I can conserve my energy for the final climb

of the day. The Kelme team leader radios to me that the Gringo has left the

Peleton by himself and that they can no longer see him.



I recall thinking 'the Gringo cannot catch me by himself'. A short while

later, I hear the gears on another bicycle. Within seconds, the Gringo is

next to me - riding in the seated position, smiling at me. He was only next

to me for a few seconds and he said nothing - he only smiled and then

proceeded up the mountain as if he were pedaling downhill. For the next

several minutes, I could only think of one thing - his smile. His smile

told me everything. I kept thinking that surely he is in as much agony as

me,

perhaps he was standing and struggling up the mountain as I was and he only

sat down to pass me and discourage me. He has to be playing games with me.

Not possible. The truth is that his smile said everything that his lips did

not. His smile said to me, 'I was training while you were sleeping,

Santiago'. It also said, 'I won this tour four months ago, while you were

deciding what bike frame to use in the Tour. I trained harder than you did,

Santiago. I don't know if I am better than you, but I have outworked you

and right now, you cannot do anything about it. Enjoy your ride, Santiago.

See

you in Paris.'



Obviously, the Gringo did not state any of this. But his smile did dispel a

bad rumor among the riders on the tour. The rumor that surfaced as we began

the Prologue several days ago told us that the Gringo had gotten soft. His

wife had given birth to his first child and he had won the most difficult

race in the world - He had no desire to race, to win. I imagine that his

smile turned to laughter once he was far enough not to embarrass me. The

Gringo has class, but he heard the rumors - he probably laugh all the way

To Paris. He is a great champion and I must train harder. I am not content

to

be a great climber, I want to be the best.



I learned much from the Gringo in the mountains. I will never forget the

helpless feeling I had yesterday. If I ever become an international

champion, I will always remember the lesson the Gringo taught me.