American domination of Tour a sore spot to some French fans

Mercury News ^ | 20 July 2005 | BOB FORD

[Dolphan]

REVEL, France - (KRT) - Lance Armstrong is counting down the days now, and the rest of international cycling is counting right along with him.

"It's been great, but it's time to do something else," Armstrong said as he approaches Sunday's finish line of his seventh straight Tour de France victory.

He doesn't get any argument from the other riders who have tired of chasing the Texan for all these miles over all these years.

The American domination has become something of a sore subject, particularly in France. It is one thing for the French to be second-best to Italy, Spain or Germany - all great cycling nations - but to constantly finish behind a rider from America, where cycling is about as popular and well-understood as team handball, well, that is something else.

The French newspaper L'Equipe cattily noted the other day that if you combined the times of the top five U.S. riders in the Tour and the times of the top five French riders, the American were 3 hours, 24 minutes faster. In the interest of completeness, the paper pointed out that the home team was also behind Spain, Italy, Germany, and the states of the former Soviet Union.

[USMA83]

You need to do a little research...on both statements.

You're wrong on both.

[One Dight]

I gotta give these Frenchys credit. I'm surprised that one of em hasn't put a stick in Lance's spokes. Especially with fans able to get so close to the riders.

[RichardW]

So how do you know this? Inquiring minds want to know.

[USMA83]

Well, first, Armstrong did not meet his wife until after his cancer
diagnosis and treatment. Their divorce (sad as it is) was mutual.
In fact, the "Lance dumped his wife" sentiment is probably 180
degrees out of phase. Can't vouch for Sheryl Crow though only that
she did not enter the picture until after their final separation.

Many medical studies (one released just this month) document
the physiology of Lance before and after cancer. Bottom line, he
reshaped his body after cancer. He lost about 15 pounds while
retaining his power output. That yielded an approx. 10% increase in
power to weight ratio. For any elite athlete an improvement of their
performance by 2-3% is big. 10% is huge. Add to that a ton of
specific training, a great team and tactical excellence and you win the
TdF 6 (7!) times.

[26lemoncharlie]

Yes I can understand that but as a popular song of the period aluded to, ( How are you gonna keep them down on the frarm after they've seen Pari).I thought that the American Army may have replaced those lost Genes.

[ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton]

So a cycling god and a heck of a nice guy...

Right!!

I think you need a little research on Lances past and many affairs while he was married...

[USMA83]

Look, I know Lance has serious character issues, past and present.
I am not an apologist for any of that. I certainly don't hold him up
as a moral role model.

But, I do get tired of the "Lance dopes" and "he dumped his wife
after cancer" comments when the facts don' support them.

And yeah, he is a great cyclist.

[RichardW]

So no matter how much he trains for this event to the exclusion of everything else, no matter how motivated and is disciplined, he couldn't have done this?

Your discussion about the weight issue is interesting. If as is evident throughout the tour even the lightest amount of weight is cast aside it goes to the question of being in the best possible condition. Like a lot of competitive sports, it is a matter of seconds. Lance is only about 2:45 ahead of Basso. Does he also use drugs? What drugs? The hemocrit level has to be maintained at a certain level or they are out of the tour immediately. Has he ever failed a drug test?

Look, he was a champion triathlete long before he became a pure cyclist. This just didn't come out of the blue. He has the best team; the best coach, the best nutritionist; the best of everything. Give him a little credit. It isn't necessary to cheat to win. It is necessary to do the necessary work and preparation. That's what makes winners.

[garyhope]

From what I've read of Sheryl Crow, she worked her butt off for her career. Before she made it big, she toured constantly. She's a not bad songwriter too. She's a hard worker.

[Jimmy Valentine]

And the Franco-Prussian War.

The poor French have suffered from atrocious generalship ever since Napoleon.

[Shazbot29]

Iran is an interesting place.

From what I have read, they like us individually and even want to be like us. But collectively and institutionally, they hate America. It is an official government position.

Wierd. I think Freedom44 knows more.

FD44: courtesy ping.

[rabidralph]

I did.

[rabidralph]

Maybe it's the ingredients in his cancer drugs that make him so fast /sarc.

[dd5339]

Post 13!

Semper Fi

[dd5339]

TDF ping!

Semper Fi

[nutmeg]

Thanks... I've already pinged the TDF list here (see #31). :o)

[texasbluebell]

Lance is probably the most-tested for drugs of any athlete around.

In fact, at the end of today's (Thursday's) stage, he had to go straight into drug-testing.

He's not a fool, they're gunning for him, and he wouldn't risk his reputation by doping.

As for his marriage problems, people keep posting the same thing over and over, but all it takes is a little googling to get the story -- he had not even met his future wife when he got sick.

[fella]

The French haven't awoken t the fact that their "new" citizens only use for a bicycle is to deliver a bomb in downtown London. The "old" French are to busy dissipating themselves in their socialized welfare state.

[It's me]

That's probably what it is!!!