Originally Posted by merlinextraligh
I think he resorted to partying because he came out of a very highly regimented eastern european system. Then he got a taste of freedom, success, and money at a young age, and didn't have the maturity, or experience to deal with it.
+1, good post!
I read an interview last fall about Eki after he retired. He basically said the same thing about himself. He had to be very disciplined with his new freedoms and basically set limits for himself. He mentioned that a lot of his comrades that became pro cyclists ended up quiting after the first year or two.
"But with all of this new freedom problems could develop. I knew I would have to do everything for myself now: buy my food, buy my car, take care of my house. Being in the school prior to this, every thing had been taken care of for me, including taking care of my bike and other things. So now I was on my own. I was in my own home with no more whistles at eight in the morning to get me up and get me started. I could do whatever I wanted. Many guys from the school were lost; they didn’t know how to handle the freedom. After a couple of years they disappeared from the sport altogether. I grew up on that basis, taking care of myself and my things, so I knew if I stayed true to what I had learned, I would be ok. "
http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=10214