In a great moment of synergy, two of my favourite things (cycling and sitting on the couch, watching TV) have come together this evening. House (danger: major Flashage) is doing an episode about a pro cyclist who gets sick.

Fun so far: the cyclist is American, famous, and a young cancer patient has his photo up. That description matches precisely one real cyclist. In a development I shan’t comment on, the fictional rider has also used almost every doping procedure known to cycling, including (from memory) blood doping, amphetamines, steroids, and several other things. But not EPO…

I could say more, but that might spoil the plot. I’ll let you enjoy it for yourself. Oh, one more thing: for some reason, the initial race portrayed in the episode is a cyclocross event (you can see knobbies and canti brakes on some of the bikes). This is interesting, but not wildly implausible. Pro riders, including a certain Texan, have been known to do ‘cross as an off-season diversion.