getting dropped

let me explain something about getting dropped. most amateur runners accept the fact that many of them will cross the finish line long after the winner has showered and left for home. here's an excerpt from a typical conversation after a 10K footrace:

hector: hey clarence! how'd you do?
clarence: great! i did really well! i finished in 2,748th place overall and 356th in my age group! i had to walk the last kilometer, but i was determined to finish.
hector: good job! that's awesome!

first, notice that runners have funny names. also, notice how happy clarence is that he finished the race on the same day as the winner. and hector is supportive, too. that's really sweet, but you won't see it in cycling. roadies would prefer to hang themselves from a bike hook in their garage than to get dropped from the main group in a bike race. there is nothing more deflating and disappointing than watching the field ride away from you. getting dropped is the pinnacle of ignominy. bike racing is not about "doing your best" or "setting personal records." bike racing is about competing against (or at least keeping up with) the best. the typical post-race conversation between two roadies might sound like this:

thor: hey zeus, how'd you do? (knowing full well that zeus was dropped.)
zeus: i got dropped.
thor: what a shame. i guess you'll probably be selling off your bikes and joining the convent then, right?

-from roadie: the misunderstood world of a bike racer by jamie smith (©2008, velo press, p. 37)