Hamilton

Although Tyler Hamilton is currently in about 40th in the GC for the Tour of Georgia and not, as one cycling critic put it, showing his "gold medal form", I'm secretly holding out hope that this is his strategy. To make his competitors complacent, thinking that although Tyler is back, he just isn't the GC threat he once was. Then, when he escapes on the first climb of the Giro, they won't know what hit them.

It's more likely that this is his last year of racing, his last stand in the sport, after years of being a favorite, after committing the bravest act in the history of cycling, finishing a climb despite severe injury, grinding 12 of his teeth literally down to the nerve to accomplish the feat. Only to be later ousted as a doper, and branded a liar.

The above paragraphs seem a lot like Hamilton's career. The first the dream, what might have been, the boy who would be the next Lance. The second what is, the convicted doper returned from exile for a final climb before he fades into obscurity.

I prefer the first version.