Hmmm..

Successful cyclists have to be mentally hard. I don't think that has changed over the generations. Cycling, I think, still has a reputation as a sport that draws from the lower economic classes, sort of the way Jurgen Klinsman described soccer players. Here in the US cycling is seen as an upper class sport b/c it's relatively unknown and the equipment is expensive. However, I don't think most of the real successful US racers started out coming from rich families.