The visits to the clinic where his facial tattoos are being slowly removed leave his face swollen and sore. There is no guarantee the tattoos disappear completely; some of the darker lines may always be with him.

Finding work outside of cycling has proven difficult. Aside from the tough economy — "I call people and they tell me they're firing, not hiring" — his appearance scares off other potential employers.

"Tattoos and drugs on the background check," he said. "That will do it."

He spends his days helping around the house, reading and trying to keep positive thoughts in his mind.

"Being exhausted all the time and not being able to lead a normal life, you end up making a lot of sacrifices in your life and sometimes you make bad decisions to try and compensate. Cycling is about suffering and pain," Swindlehurst said. "I want nothing more than to see David Clinger come back to the sport. I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing guys like Chad Gerlach and David turn (their lives) around."

Clean again, riding again and filled with optimism, Clinger hopes he is beginning a new race in his life.

"I pretty much hit bottom," he said. "But as long as I'm honest with myself and with the people who care about me, I'll be OK. I just have to turn around and ride the bike back up that hill."

E-mail: jeborn@desnews.com