Farewell Superman Puppet As A Guy Gets Old He Doesn't Care About Everything

Bábek also announced the end this week “A champion should know when to quit.

I know that if I stayed on the track, it wouldn't look good anymore," the thirty-five-year-old track runner from Dukla Brno openly admitted As a former representative, what was the first thing you indulged in? (surprised) Do you know that I don't even know? Most of all, I stopped stressing.

I don't worry about what time I go to bed or if my feet will hurt the next day And the truth is that in the early days I had to absorb my end.

Although I thought about this decision for practically the whole of last year, when they played my winning races on a visit to Czech Television, I was soft Why are you saying goodbye right now? I wanted to do it in the summer at the Brno Grand Prix, but you probably know that the European Championship started in the week, which I am no longer at.

They started to figure out why I didn't go I say to myself: it's not fair to lead someone by the nose.

Even at the cost of depriving myself of the magic of the moment in June, I'd rather not lie After all, I've made up my mind a long time ago.

It doesn't matter if I say it now or in three months Is it time? I didn't have many other options.

I've been driving for a very long time, I needed a break, but I didn't find support and understanding in that I didn't take a break even after the last Olympics and the body started to respond.

I understood that I will either stop or it will take me down completely, and since the pause doesn't make much sense now, it was time for that maybe the year before, the end is the logical conclusion In the last three months, since I stopped training, I've already had antibiotics twice, my body started to suffer.

I understood well that I don't want to go through another Olympic cycle, even if only for two years At the same time, it could be a nice symbolism.

You could have ended up at the Olympics in Paris Seven years ago, as European champion, you proposed to your current wife on the Eiffel Tower.

That would be a wonderful event, but my wife and I are already somewhere else We have two children, they will only be small once.

I don't want to lose it Quitting was a rational decision.

As a 35-year-old father of two children, did you start to get scared in tough keirin fights? No, I was never afraid of keirin You have situations that are dangerous and those that are calm.

This wasn't quite the element But maybe I'm a little burnt out.

Race after race I had to prove that I could do it Either you can prove that you belong there, or you can't and there are already doubts, the salary is already being reduced and so on.

Salary from Dukla? That's how it's set up You have a medal and you have a salary grade of fourteen, you don't have it and you have a grade of thirteen, it is a civil servant salary.

I personally had no problem with finances, but the combination with defending myself when the result didn't come was killing Have you insured yourself by riding on the track? I'm not at the end because I'm quitting, but it's not like I don't have to reach for work anymore.

Did you squeeze as much as you could out of your career? I definitely got more out of it than I ever hoped for Do you count the beginning of it from 2011, when you were in a coma for three days after a serious accident and then you came back from scratch? I count it from 2001.

Back then, track cycling was more popular than it is today Spectators came.

When were you at the top? It went in waves In 2008–09, then there was 2016–17.

I thought I was the strongest in 2020, but they canceled the Olympics So at least I won Europe.

You are lucky to end up as the winner What was it like to wear the jersey for the last time two weeks ago in Berlin? I was moved.

Max Levy said goodbye there, so I had an idea of ​​what kind of farewell I wanted It's sure to be fun.

Are you going to tear up whatever Superman jerseys you have left? Watch out, I'm not touching those I always tear up just the sponsor jersey I have on.

I had Supermans and I only have two, that collection is no longer produced So what about them? The jersey I wore in Berlin was signed by Max.

I'm not into big display, but I'm thinking of putting it in a frame and on the wall Have you always been a showman, or did you force yourself into the show in order to popularize your beloved discipline? Exhibitionism was inherent to me.

It's just that over time, all the shyness I had dulled and I went all out As a man gets older, he doesn't care about everything anymore.

(laughs) And so in the famous scene you taught jan kraus to ride a track bike, you raced against the formula and did other twists and turns What did you enjoy the most? Probably the operation of our track academy.

And I also enjoy motivational lectures tailored to my life story I adapt the lectures to companies that are interested in them, there are many topics.

I enjoy it when people listen What are you telling them about? About overcoming obstacles.

I show them photos and videos of my races and then tell them about the hard work that went into it I'm talking about the futility of creating the illusion of perfection, life change.

About what I had to overcome I'm proud of the fact that I stood up to adversity, removed the broken stick that hung over me after my injury, and rose to prominence.

I appreciate that we brought the academy project to life The medals I collected are a bonus.

You have never seen the new velodrome that Czech track cycling longs for Would you quit if the velodrome in Brno stood still? It's hypothetical, but if they built it and I had a place to ride, I'm sure I'd keep riding.

Add to that the fact that they demolished the velodrome in Vienna before the Olympics, and our facilities got even worse It took the wind out of my sails.

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