So long Tour, So long France, so long to all but most to Lance!
Though I ended up a Contador fan in 2008 & 2009 and this year I was captivated by the younger of the Schleck brothers, Andy, I do feel the need to thank The Texan for instilling in me the love of cycling especially for le Tour de France. Dating back almost 10 years I began my trek into the "oh so different" world of cycling. With its strange rules, the point's system, the time's system, the time trials, the cadence and such, but it was with great care and awe that I watched without fail each year; I arose so very early each morning glued to the tele to catch each stage as I learned everything I could about the world of cycling and how it all works, about the teams, the position/responsibility which each rider must take, and what is actually at stake. In watching the Tour I became a huge fan as well of the likes of Bob Roll, Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Al Trautwig. (note: please excuse my use of Wikipedia but it was the only online source with data on all four gentlemen who are great cyclists/commentators in their own right). Hoping one day to muster up the nerve and courage to try riding at long intervals myself, I mainly observed as a fan on the sidelines. For every Tour that Lance won I was in his corner. For seven years straight I cheered him on with great fervor and reverence, never faltering as his fan even when the usual allegations of doping came about. For the respect I once gave to the rider, Lance Armstrong, I am in total disaccord with the disparaging accusations made by the likes of *Floyd Landis (who is a joke and a real doper) and **Greg LeMond towards Lance. Each man disappointing in their "finger pointing" and "name calling" but never seeming to be able to assist the doping boards that such a thing (doping by Lance) ever occurred. If one cannot prove their allegations, they should just remain quiet.After all Floyd was the one who caught doping (2006 Tour) even after he went on the air for the world to see and voiced his disappointment at any allegations made towards him. He added that he "was not, was not a doper"! In the end we all know how that turned out and how sad was it when he apologized for having doped and then having lied about it, and then as his 2006 Tour de France title was stripped from him. Even more sad and perhaps embarrassing to any of his fans, especially to Americans (I among them) who thought we had found a replacement in lieu of Lance's departure. "How silly of us"! These are the very things which clearly does NOT make Floyd a man of his word or one whose claims against Lance should be taken serious. As for Greg LeMond, I am not certain why he has such an aversion and hostile nature towards Lance. Maybe I won't even try to speculate out of pure respect for what Greg has done for the world of cycling and how he helped make it popular in the U.S. as Lance surely did, but I do wish Greg would just take the high road and keep remarks and conspiracy theories to himself. Maybe I do dare to say one thing about Greg, maybe he is a bit jealous over his lack of making cycling and the Tour de France as popular and as exciting at the levels that Lance did. Maybe Greg made Lance his nemesis when he really did not need to do so. Of all the articles I have read and can recall or interviews I have seen, Lance always had a high regard and deep respect for Greg and has never spoken a bad word in reference to LeMond. Greg is four Tours behind Lance and maybe embedded deep inside his psyche he suffers from "Tour envy". Again...just my opinion.
Lance not only made the world of cycling popular here in the U.S., but it seems he helped bring an affinity for it to millions around the world. His passion for it (cycling), his love of it and how it became his saving grace as he fought off cancer and won perhaps is why so many began their love of the sport and of the man. I was captured by those things and mainly for his love of winning and how he made a science out of it. I also admired how he took huge adversity (cancer) and turned it around and made lemonade out of it when most others may have quit the sport or even life itself. Lance made cancer and how he beat it his aim, his focus, and his goal; to never succomb to the bad things life throws our way and he even laid a foundation (pardon the pun) for it and strived to keep fighting it and best of all he helped make it possible so that others could fight it as well.
Out of the ashes came LiveStrong and seven consecutive Tour de France Championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005)! Even if cycling fans were never fans of his, or no longer follow him - or support him (such as myself), who can deny the legacy that is Lance Armstrong in the world of cycling! No he is not a superhuman, he never claimed to be, but he is a human who was once and continues to be super! FIN!
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*Floyd Landis is an American rider who won the 2006 Tour de France but was stripped of the title after he was found to have been doping after tests taken immediately post stage 17. He suffered a complete meltdown and lost almost 10 minutes during stage 16 as the entire world of cycling watched. Suspicions almost surely and quickly arose during stage 17 when he made a super come-back - one which indeed was too good to be true.
Óscar Pereiro was eventually declared the winner of the 2006 Tour de France
**Greg LeMond is another American rider who has won the Tour de France 3 times (1986, 1989, 1990). He was the first American to ever win a Tour. He was shot and seriously injured during a hunting trip in 1987 with his brother-in-law. It took him two years to fully recuperate before he could return to the Tour.
