Lest We Forget, Ben King

“Soon teams started hurling riders off the front upsetting the rhythm. We lifted the pace and lost the Germans. During one pull, I overshot a corner and barely held it up on the curb without causing trouble. I felt amateur and embarrassed. When I got back to the front, I apologized. More than once I gave what I thought might be my last ditch effort. The Brits shoved me back into the rotation offering a ‘good job’ or ‘nice pull.’ Their sportsmanship impressed me and they were pulling like oxen.”
Ben King, Velo News

Lets be Honest, if you watched the World Championships in Copenhagen, Team USA did not do the best job of watching after Tyler Farrar’s interests. More times than not he was left alone and Team USA was scattered about the Peloton. But to be fair, no national team did anywhere near the work that the British did. The final 100 yards may have been a free for all but for 5 hours the British Team had Cavendish protected and at the front of the Peloton.

No matter, the Heroes still want to give a shout out to our National Champion, Ben King. He more than any member of Team USA contributed to the infernal pace of the race and re-earned his stripes from our viewpoint. Watching the US National Champion mix it up with the boys from Britain was inspiring. Lets hope his talent, heart, and the fact that he showed up to Copenhagen to represent the USA without fear is recognized when the powers that be make their selection for the US Olympic Team next year.