Alcala Crashes Out of Vuelta a Chihuahua, Comeback Bid Falters

When the news broke earlier this week regarding Raul Alcala's attempted comeback to the world of pro cycling, it seemed almost unbellievable. This was a man 14 years removed from the highest levels of the sport. Sure, he was once one of the best riders in the world, but did Alcala really believe, in his heart of hearts, that he could come back and compete with riders twenty years younger than he?

Apparently, that's exactly what he thought. Alcala was able to get through the first stage of Chihuahua, a pancake flat, arrow straight route, but Wednesday's second stage was an entirely different task. Featuring five catagorized climbs, stage two promised to expose Alcala as legit or lame. As it turned out, he looked more lame. Alcala crashed out on the stage, after failing to corner on a descent. He was limping and had abrasions to his body and face. As quickly as his comeback bid began, seemingly it ended on the roads of Mexico.

Presumably, Alcala' injuries aren't too serious, and perhaps he'll continue the charade of a come back. But the truth is the truth. A 44 year old man 14 years removed from competition has little chance of succeeding in a comeback bid. Although amirable, Alcala must have known himself that he had little chance of riding the 2009 Tour. Hopefully, he'll hang up his cleats for good, so he isn;t injured worse at a different race.

So who could be next to try their hand at a comeback? If Alcala is audacious enough to try, who says others won't follow suit. Maybe Alex Zulle or Peter Van Petegem will have another go at the pros. Or how about Tony Rominger or Richard Verenque? Why not Roberto Gaggioli or Harm Jansen? Even Ivan Gotti, Ande Tchmil and Jacky Durand should be considered possible comebackers. And there is one other who could probably suit up again and finish the Vuelta a Chihuahua: The Great Eddy Merckx. Just a thought.