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Tour De Johnny 'O and db
Before Lance Armstrong and George Hincappie, there was Johnny O’Mara and David Bailey, a couple of real “Fred’s.” This is O’Show and I back in 1986 at Johnny’s house showing off our cool outfits and his sweet bike. He worked out a deal with one of the promoters in Europe to get this special bike instead of appearance fee. The bike was better than what most of the pro triathletes had at the time, but Johnny trained like a mad man and deserved all 15 pounds of it. He soon became a real cyclist and is no longer referred to as a “Fred.”

Johnny still trains and races and is as fast as ever. Ricky Carmichael has Johnny to thank for his physical edge on the competition. I have Johnny to thank for being such a great training partner. All the miles I put in wouldn’t have been the same without the O’Show right next to me…or usually a little bit ahead of me.

Keep an eye on the Tour De France as it heads into the mountains. What those guys do is incredible. Next time you’re out riding, see how long you can hold 30mph. If you can even pedal that fast, remember that those guys are averaging that – for three weeks!

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