Sports Eye
Are we really on the path to new normal?
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
HISTORY says the deadliest worldwide pandemic (so far) occurred in 1918 to 1920. The virulent disease instigated in Europe’s Iberian Peninsula and quickly scattered around the globe with some 50 million inhabitants of our planet died. The lethal plague was later called “Spanish Flu” when Spain’s King Alfonso XIII was likewise infected by this poisonous ailment for at least a month but luckily survived the ordeal. Despite the outbreak, Europeans shrugged off the fatal virus and continued to conduct their annual sports activities like the 1891 born French Open (lawn tennis), the 1903 originated Tour de France and the 1888 began European Football League (soccer) to name a few. The report says the U.S. that first traced this deadly pestilence, registered 675,000 of human deaths, and it also shrugged off the pandemic. The Americans never contemplated to let their number one-loved sport, the annual American Football League, die.
The world’s unseen enemy returned last February and as of this writing (October 22), the resurrected deadly disease we now know as COVID-19, already killed 1.2 million inhabitants, ruined the global economy, including the world’s well-known sports events. Yes, the world’s well-known sports tournaments like the annual NBA, U.S. Open, Europe’s multi-stage cycling races like the Tour de France (TdF), Giro d’ Italia (Tour of Italy), Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), and some one-day classic road battles like the Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, were almost cancelled. Fortunately, the organizers just postponed these and eventually decided to push through with the scheduled events and these were successful amid the dangerous threat of COVID-19.
As of this writing, the 21-dayTour of Italy is now on its 18th stage with unheralded 22-year-old Portuguese rider Joao Almeida hanging on his precarious 17 seconds lead against another unfamiliar face Wilco Kelderman of Netherland. The 20th penultimate stage will be a big test for the youthful Almeida with three big mountains to cross. I dare say, this stage will separate the men from the boys. But perhaps the surging but less-experienced Almeida can still protect his slim lead. That’s my fearless forecast. Hopefully I will be right. Former Tour of Italy back-to-back champion (2013-2014) the aging 35-year-old Italian Vincenzo Nibali is at seventh place in the overall classification after the 17th stage, 3:31 minutes behind Almeida. Knowing cycling, I believe he’s now out of contention for the title, unless a miracle happens.
The third most popular and strenuous multi-stage bikefest in the world Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) with only 18 stages this year, commenced last October 20 with most of the world cycling superstars like 2019 Tour de France (TdF) titlist Egan Bernal of Colombia, last year Tour of Spain winner Slovenian Primoz Roglic, 2019 Tour of Italy winner Richard king Carapaz of Ecuador and Roglic’s compatriot 2020 TdF king Tadej Pogacar, are in it.
The second stage finished yesterday (October 21) with Marc Soler winning the stage. Defending champion Roglic is showing signs of determination anew to lead the race with just nine seconds over veteran Dan Martin of Ireland and Carapaz by 11 ticks. It’s too early to predict the overall outcome.
This brings us to the question: Do you think that these events that were conducted are signs that we are really on the path to the new normal? Hopefully, but I doubt it. Only God knows.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 JOHN 1: 8
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