May 27

Hutchinson's seven is more than just lucky

Simon Richardson

The doctor delivered at the weekend. Doctor Who? No, Doctor Hutch. Our wise cracking columnist reminded us on Sunday that there's a serious side to him as he took his seventh national 10-mile title.

A fine achievement for someone who likes to pretend he doesn't know his way around his own toolbox. You don't win that often if you don't know what you're doing.

Michael may not train as obsessively as he did when he was first breaking into the scene, but he does train a lot smarter, and like a fine wine, he gets better with age.

Can we say the same for Lance Armstrong though? No doubt, the Texan knew what he was doing when he won the Tour de France seven times, but is he still sure he knows what he's doing on his comeback?

It was all going so swimmingly at the start of the year, but at the Giro it seems to be coming unstuck.

It's not his ability that's the issue. His broken collarbone meant he was never going to be flying throughout May, it's the way he deals with adversity that hasn't improved with age.

His promise to be open with the press has crumbled to nothing as he still deals with any form of criticism by shutting up shop.

Wasn't this meant to be about the Livestrong message rather than him, his ego or the racing? He was an effective campaigner off the bike - is he as effective now he's back on it?

Simon Richardson is Deputy Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine


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