Here’s one of those what were they thinking? stories, involving two women in the 2009 Leadville 100 endurance mountain bike race.
One woman raced, the other got the trophy. They’ve been charged with felony impersonation.
Like you’re going to fool everyone and the world — all gathered to watch Lance Armstrong compete against local hero Dave Wiens.
It looks like a favor kind of thing, but still:
Miller said Brazelton could not race because of an injury and didn’t want to waste the $250 fee.
“Wendy and Katie are passionate about this sport, and it was never about doing anyone harm or doing anything wrong. It was about getting an opportunity to race a great race,” said Miller, who will race her 10th Leadville Trail 100 this summer and finished sixth in the 40-to-49 group last year. “I don’t think it helps the organizers to make this such a big deal. They should just deal with it with Wendy and Katie directly.”
So who really cares? The organizers who lost out on an extra $250? The racer who won under the wrong name?
This kind of thing only bothers me if the “non racer” pays the racer to win and then uses that “win” to somehow advance their career, qualify for some other race etc. Otherwise what we have here are a couple of no name skin flints, one of which won the race. The other of who paid for the entrance fee. In the scheme of bicycle race cheating this isn’t even potatoes, never-mind small potatoes.
Still, I can’t imagine getting up their on the podium to accept the prize if I didn’t even run the race. I mean, wow.