Said one of the cyclists, Mike Friedman:
"Why we wore the masks is simple: pollution. When you train your whole life for something, dot all your I's and cross all your T's, why wouldn't you be better safe than sorry?I seriously doubt that, and I think the Chinese will take these masks as a slap in the face. But really, can anyone blame the cyclists? The air quality in Beijing is horrendous, and last time I checked, healthy lungs are kind of important for Olympic cyclists. Wearing masks might not be a necessary precaution, but it can't hurt."They have pollution in Los Angeles, and if the Olympics were in Los Angeles, we would probably wear these masks, too."




