Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli: Cycling Legend, Cycling Miracle

Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli is poised to compete in her EIGHTH Olympic games this week, as the 49 YEAR OLD French cycling legend will toe the line in Beijing. Longo is a true miracle of sport. She's been riding her bike longer than most of her competitors in Sunday's road race. Since she has turned pro, the sport of cycling has seen changes in equipment and training, popularity and prestige. That she has managed to flourish in so many cycling eras is astounding.

Speaking of flourishing, cyclingnews.com reports that Longo has been unfazed by the environmental conditions in Beijing. While 21 year olds are wearing masks and claiming that their throats hurt, Longo stays busy riding the course, moving ever forward, as she blazes a solo path into history. You won't hear her mention air quality as a determinate of her performance.

Longo turns 50 years old in October, on All Hallows Eve. The Halloween birthdate speaks to the fact that Longo is a cycling monster, an ever-present ghost stalking riders young and old year over year. She may not manage the podium in Beijing, but the fact that she is competing should give every cycling fan pause. Each year, Longo claims that she is retired. Each year, she says she's had enough. Yet each year she returns, strong as ever, to compete. In fact, I'd lay even odds that we'll see her for a ninth Olympic Games in London. But first, watch out Beijing, here comes your miracle.