Well, there seems to be enough interest over at ET, so I hope to make this a daily thread – please join if you want to have access to the results, discuss Lance Armstrong’s chances, his popularity in France, and more technical stuff…
Tour de France blogging on European Tribune.
Armstrong finished an impressive second in yesterday’s “contre la montre” prologue, behind another American, David Zabriskie (pic. below). Can we expect him to win again for an – even more – unprecedented seventh consecutive win?
I love that Armstrong gives credit to his doctors and medical technology for saving him and not some mythical higher power.
But I wonder, does the removal of a testicle allow Armstrong to pedal faster/more freely? Is it an unfair advantage?
Only people with an odd number of testicles can answer that question!!!
Maybe he has learnt something about fighting to death.
It’s quite unbelievable. His cancer had spread to his brain and lungs.
I wonder why that didn’t come out sooner? For years all you heard about was that the cancer had spread to his abdomen. The brain and lung make the story that much more amazing, yet it was kept quiet.
Armstrong could easily claim a miracle, yet he doesn’t. He thanks science! So refreshing, especially after hearing so many athletes thanking God for helping them win this game or that race, like God would favor one athlete or team over another and actually intervene to help them or hinder the others. I always wish a commentator would ask the athlete, “Really… you want to thank God for helping you win the game when God should be busy dealing with things like famine and starvation in Africa?” Or maybe ask an athlete from the losing team, “The other team is thanking God… do you blame God? Does this mean God hates you? “
ok…rant over.
I thought last year’s sixth annual win was The One, the unprecedented never-to-be-surpassed. Why would he go for a seventh?
Or has someone else won six in a row?
No, I believe Armstrong is the only person to win 6 TDF.
I think that he might have been contractually obligated to perform in at least 1 TDF as the Discovery team captain. Remember, this year they changed sponsorship from the Postal Service to Discovery Channel. I think Discovery wanted to get their moneys worth having Armstrong wear their jersey.
That’s not to say that Armstrong doesn’t have the will or desire to win, but I also think that corporate America got a small hold of him.
Part of the Discovery Channel’s sponsorship contract said that Armstrong would race in one more Tour.
Armstrong is part owner of the company that actually runs the team, so it was in his best interests to honor that obligation, especially if he wants the team to remain viable after his retirement.
I was hoping someone would do this – and who better than someone who is actually in France! I’m an Austinite and we LOVE our home town boy here. When Lance went for his first Tour (well, the first one that he won) I signed up for the expensive digital cable service because it was the only way to get OLN – that’s the station that broadcasts the Tour every day. A few months ago I cancelled it, b/c I can’t bear to watch TV anymore and can’t justify the expense.
Now I’m going through major Tour withdrawal. Jerome to the rescue! I’ll be checking in over at ET too.
Lots of websites to follow the tour almost live. i’ve put up a few links over at ET.
You should try to watch at least the mountain legs on TV – as they are the most spectaculat, they usually take place over the week-end to maximise the audience.
I lost most of the respect I had for Lance when he made scab commercials during the 2000 AFTRA/SAG strike.
Labor issues are important to me. 85% of actors are not only NOT millionares but don’t even earn enough each year to qualify for health care coverage. None of the professional baseball players scabbed. Tiger Woods and Lance did though.
Didn’t know that about him or Tiger Woods for that matter – do you have more details about the ads?
Tiger held off initially but as the strike dragged on for 6 months (with people losing homes and marriages breaking up) he did a Buick commercial.
I believe Lance did Subaru, but maybe it was milk, too.
If we want our atheletes and movie stars to be PC we’re not going to always get it. It would be nice but for now let’s celebrate. Now, Back to the Tour…If you haven’t been watching, it’s an amazing event. 2000 plus miles over two mountain ranges in two weeks..unreal. Lance has been ‘not riding as much’ retiring this year and was Not going to ride the Tour then announced that he would but didn;t perform that great leading up to the Tour…and then.. on the first day time trial (where the riders go off a minute apart) in a 20 km race..He Passes his chief rival Ullrich…unbelievable. Yes, Lance is a Repub and so forth but the fact remains..wow, wow and wow. And hey, I’m a native Frenchy and Lance is wow.
I want all people to respect the rights and challenges of workers. I could care less whether atheletes are PC or not. I don’t think that crossing a picket line is being not “PC.” It is ripping off the folks who have honored the agreements they made when they joined the union.
I’d rather cheer for an ethical person than for someone who is “wow” on a bicyle.