The next president of the United States is a...cyclist - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

02-17-2004, 12:54 AM

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Monday 9th February 2004

The next president of
the United States is
a...cyclist

Dubbed 'JFK the Second',
Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has
claimed victory in the latest US state
caucus to choose a Democratic
challenger to President George W
Bush. Kerry is pro-Green and is now
far ahead of the other five candidates
and could sweep Bush from office in
November's presidential election. The
ultra-fit Kerry takes part in lots of
sports but has impressed many with his
marathon bike rides in tough
conditions.

Kerry isn't just a 12-mile RAGBRAI rider (fellow
democratic contender Howard Dean pedalled just
a short distance in the famous US ride, the
Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across
Iowa) he's a long-distance specialist.

The 60-year old senator from Boston rides many
charity events. In August, he finished the 110-mile
Pan-Massachusetts Challenge as 37th of 3000
riders.

Senator Edward Kennedy was amazed when on
one freezing winter day his friend turned up at Chez
Kennedy, blue from the cold.

"It was the end of the coldest ride I have ever had,"
Kerry told Sports Illustrated magazine.

"It was a [charity] ride from Boston to the
Kennedy compound in Hyannisport -- about 80
miles or so. [Three-time Tour de France winner]
Greg Lemond was riding [with us] and he said it
was the worst conditions he'd seen for bicycling.
But, you know, it was a challenge. I liked that.
There was no way I was going to quit."

Burley's international sales manager Val Hoyle
witnessed Kerry's stamina and doggedness at first
hand:

"That day was the coldest for a charity bike ride I
can remember. We were all freezing and most
people, even experienced riders, didn't finish the
ride. But John Kerry was adamant he would finish,
and he did. I was really impressed by that."

A soccer player (he learned of the JFK
assassination whilst playing a game) and endurance
windsurfer, Kerry had an operation for prostate
cancer last year and his doctors put his rapid
recovery down to his strength and fitness.

Kerry has cycled in the oddest of places, including
down Berlin's Kurfürstendamm during the Cold
War in the 1950s, where his foreign service officer
father was stationed.

Kerry's bikes have also been sold at charity
auctions, along with bikes from Greg LeMond,
Michael Jordan and Robin Williams. If Kerry
becomes president, the bike sold at the Celebrity
Bicycle Auction in Washington D.C. last year to
benefit World T.E.A.M Sports could become a
valuable collector's piece.

Kerry has been endorsed by Congressman Earl
Blumenauer, the "Congressman on the bicycle", a
noted environmentalist.

In the first 100 days of a Kerry Administration, the
cycling senator will rollback President Bush’s
"assault on clean air and clean water and work to
strengthen our nation’s environmental laws," said
Blumenauer.

“As a member of Congress dealing with the
consequences of the Bush Administration
everyday, the choice of a candidate for president
was simple. John Kerry is one person running
who is best qualified to be our President...[He] has
the best record of environmental leadership,
period."

Kerry has strong Green credentials. He wants to
create a cleaner and greener America. In a speech
given at the University of New Hampshire in
October 2003, Kerry said:

"Protecting the environment isn’t just the cause of a
campaign. It’s been the commitment of a lifetime.

"George W. Bush is ... the kind of politician who
would cut down a tree and then climb on its stump
to give a speech about conservation. The
difference between us and George Bush is one of
vision. Where we see a pristine wilderness or a
scenic coast, George Bush sees an oil field. Where
we see a beautiful mountaintop, George Bush sees
a strip mine. Where we see a pristine old growth
forest, George Bush sees toothpicks. And where
we see an opportunity to join the global community
to fight global warming, George Bush sees a
chance to curry favor with his buddies in the oil
business.

"Under President Bush, America’s environment has
become threatened, endangered, and imperiled.
I’m running to keep clean the water we drink, the
air we breathe, the yards and parks in which
children play and laugh, and the communities in
which we live. This is our commitment – and we
won’t back down.

"I will be “the true environmental President,” but
when I say it, its not just rhetoric – I have the
record to back it up.

"As soon as I step into the Oval Office, I will
transform the White House into a hub of inspiration
and innovation and lead America on the great
endeavor of creating a cleaner and greener nation."

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