Cyclist forced to face reality

When the Webcor professional cycling team signed David Clinger to a contract late last year, team officials believed they were landing one of the most gifted road racers in North America. They got that — and then some. When Clinger, 27, showed up at the team’s training camp recently, the former teammate of Lance Armstrong was sporting a face-and-scalp tattoo. Team officials were so startled, they sent Clinger packing, telling him not to come back until the tattoo was gone. While visiting Argentina, he had paid $150 for the tattoo, inspired by photos he saw in a book about Maori warriors. With laser treatments every few weeks, the removal process could cost as much as $10,000 and will take months to complete.