Tyler Hamilton Retires

That's just too bad. I'll admit it. I'm a Tyler Hamilton fan, he's a fellow New Englander. Why wouldn't I be? The poor guy just couldn't catch a break. I don't want to get into the past details of his doping conviction and wins. Somewhere I was hoping just maybe, just maybe he'd have another shot at the Tour de France. I know a long shot but I'd choose him as a fan favorite.
His 2003 solo TdF stage win was nothing short of inspiring. As cyclist you know pain, you know grit, determination, determination-not to quite, to keep going and maybe if everything works out: win.
I've never won a race but watching Hamilton's TdF stage win gave me hope. Hope that I too could win. The following years of Hamilton's career had ups and downs. I was always hoping there'd be a TdF general win for him.
If you look at professional sports the temptation to dope is there. Why doesn't NFL or MLB or NBA have as restrictive anti-doping enforcement? Probably because there is a near infinite amount of money & fame to be made when compared to cycling. As wealthy as Lance Armstrong may be, he still earns less than a major league football or baseball star of the same level of fame & skill. Hamilton did his time & that should've been it, he should've been allowed to race without further incident but Puerto shadowed him unfairly. (side note: what the hell was Congress doing getting involved in major league baseball doping? The same Congress that passes laws, determine military budgets, taxes? Did I really want an elected official investigating baseball doping? No. It seemed like a waste of time.)
For me, Hamilton was the personification of human determination with all its greatness & flaws. The will to keep going, to grin & bear it is probably what I'll remember most from his racing.