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ysobelleYes, this is long. Yes, I should cut it. But it staggers me that so few people know anything about the Tour. So deal.
Lance's Tour de force
Armstrong rides into Paris, collects record sixth consecutive Tour title
Updated: Sunday July 25, 2004 5:39PM
PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong raced onto the crowd-lined Champs-Elysees as a yellow blur, bathed in the shimmering light of a 24-carat, gold-leaf bike, a golden helmet and the race leader's yellow jersey.
Earlier, he let up on the pedals long enough to sip some celebratory champagne.
Nothing but the best for cycling's best.
Armstrong rode into history Sunday, winning a record sixth Tour de France and cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Never in its 101-year history has the Tour had a winner like Armstrong -- who just eight years ago was given less than a 50 percent chance of overcoming testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain.
His streak of six straight crowns has helped reinvigorate the greatest race in cycling, steering it into the 21st century. And the Tour, as much a part of French summers as languid meals over chilled rose, molded Armstrong into a superstar.
Taking advantage of the leisurely pace of the final stage, Armstrong sat up in the saddle and held up all five fingers on his black-gloved right hand and the index finger on his left.
Counting to six was never so sweet for the 32-year-old Texan.
"It might take years. I don't know. It hasn't sunk in yet. But six, standing on the top step on the podium on the Champs-Elysees, is really special," he said.
The ride into Paris and its famous tree-lined boulevard was a lap of honor Armstrong savored with the champagne. Even Jan Ullrich, his main adversary in previous years, gulped down a glass offered by Armstrong's team manager through his car window.
"The last laps there, I thought, 'Ah, I want to get this over with,'" Armstrong said. "But then I thought to myself, 'You know, you might want to do a few more laps, because you may not ever do it again.' And you can't take it for granted."
President Bush called soon after his fellow Texan crossed the finish line. "You're awesome," Bush told him.
With the Arc de Triomphe in the background, Armstrong put his yellow bicycle cap over his heart during the raising of the American flag and playing of The Star-Spangled Banner. It might be his last time on the podium, at least for a while. Armstrong has said he might skip the sport's showcase event next year.
Belgian rider Tom Boonen won the final sprint, with Armstrong cruising safely behind with the trailing pack to claim his title. Armstrong's winning margin over second-placed Andreas Kloden was 6 minutes, 19 seconds, with Italian Ivan Basso in third (6:40). Ullrich was fourth (8:50), his worst finish.
Armstrong opened a new page for the Tour in 1999, just one year after the race faced its worst doping scandal, ejecting the Festina team after police caught one of its employees with a stash of drugs.
Armstrong's victories and his inspiring comeback from cancer have drawn new fans to a race that has been won five times by four other riders. His professionalism, attention to detail, grueling training regimens and tactics have raised the bar for other riders hoping to win the three-week cycling marathon.
"He's changed the Tour forever," fellow American rider Bobby Julich said. "He has set the blueprint for success, and he deserves all the success that he is getting."
Eye-catching in the bright yellow shirt he works so hard for, Armstrong donned a golden cycling helmet for a relaxed roll past sun-baked fields of wheat and applauding spectators into Paris from Montereau in the southeast. He rode a $10,000, carbon-fiber, gold-leaf bike, which Trek will sell in stores later this year.
Armstrong joked and chatted with teammates who wore special blue jerseys with yellow stripes. They stretched in a line across the road with their leader for motorcycle-riding photographers to record the moment. The team was the muscle behind Armstrong's win, leading him in grueling mountain climbs, shielding him from crashes and wind, and keeping him stoked with drinks and food.
Last year, Armstrong beat Ullrich by just 61 seconds -- by far his narrowest victory. He now admits he was not in great shape.
"I paid the price and learned a valuable lesson, and I won't ever make that mistake again," he said.
This year, he roared back with renewed fire.
"It's as if I was with my five friends and we were 13 years old and we all had new bikes and we said, 'OK, we're going to race from here to there,'" he said. "You want to beat your friends more than anything. You're sprinting and you're attacking. It was like that for me. A simple pleasure."
With five solo stage wins and a team time-trial victory with his U.S. Postal Service squad, this was Armstrong's best Tour. But it was also one in which he was forced to defend himself against claims he might be taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Repeatedly pointing out he has never failed a test, Armstrong attributes his success to hard training and says the accusations only fuel his motivation.
Last week, he chased down Filippo Simeoni, an Italian rider who has testified about drug use within cycling, when he tried to surge ahead of the pack to win a stage. Armstrong's team also chased down Simeoni several times when he rode at the front Sunday.
Before the Tour, Armstrong sued authors of a book who implied, without offering proof, that he used drugs.
"They want to create pressure that cracks you," Armstrong said. "So, internally I say, 'OK, I will never crack because of that. This will not crack me.'"
Armstrong built his lead from Day 1, placing second in the third-fastest debut time trial in Tour history. That performance silenced doubts that Armstrong was past his prime.
"He's been the strongest man for the last six years," Kloden said. "It's unbelievable."
Even more so than in other Tours that he dominated, Armstrong finished off rivals in the mountains -- with three victories in the Alps, including a time trial on the legendary climb to L'Alpe d'Huez, and another in the Pyrenees. He also took the final time trial on Saturday, even though he his overall lead was so big he didn't need the win.
"We never had a sense of crisis, only the stress of the rain and the crashes in the first week," Armstrong said. "I was surprised that some of the rivals were not better. Some of them just completely disappeared."
Armstrong still hasn't decided whether he will back next year to compete in the race he loves above all others, for which he trains relentlessly, leaving his three children in Texas, with former wife Kristin, while he pounds the roads in Europe.
Seven victories would be like owning seven sports cars, nice but not necessary. Armstrong says he's interested in trying other races like the Giro d'Italia, and breaking the one-hour cycling world record.
Victory has brought Armstrong fame, wealth and softened some of the brashness he displayed when he was younger. He's learned rudimentary French and says his love of the Tour won't end with retirement -- when he plans to watch the race on TV.
"I don't know what I'll do next summer. I suspect I'll be here," he said. "It's too big of a race. My only hesitance is I think the people and the event perhaps need a change, new faces, a new winner.
"If I'm here," he added. "I race to win."
Tour de France Champions
Year Rider Country Year Rider Country
1903 Maurice Garin Fra. 1959 Federico Bahamontes Spain
1904 Henri Cornet Fra. 1960 Gastone Nencini Italy
1905 Louis Trousselier Fra. 1961 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1906 Rene Pottier Fra. 1962 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1907 Lucien Petit-Breton Fra. 1963 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1908 Lucien Petit-Breton Fra. 1964 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1909 Francois Faber Lux. 1965 Felice Gimondi Italy
1910 Octave Lapize Fra. 1966 Lucien Aimar Fra.
1911 Gustave Garrigou Fra. 1967 Roger Pingeon Fra.
1912 Odile Defraye Bel. 1968 Jan Janssen Neth.
1913 Philippe Thys Bel. 1969 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1914 Philippe Thys Bel. 1970 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1915-1918 No races 1971 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1919 Firmin Lambot Bel. 1972 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1920 Philippe Thys Bel. 1973 Luis Ocana Spain
1921 Leon Scieur Bel. 1974 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1922 Firmin Lambot Bel. 1975 Bernard Thevenet Fra.
1923 Henri Pelissier Fra. 1976 Lucien Van Impe Bel.
1924 Ottavio Bottecchia Italy 1977 Bernard Thevenet Fra.
1925 Ottavio Bottecchia Italy 1978 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1926 Lucien Buysse Bel. 1979 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1927 Nicolas Frantz Lux. 1980 Joop Zoetemelk Neth.
1928 Nicolas Frantz Lux. 1981 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1929 Maurice De Waele Bel. 1982 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1930 Andre Leducq Fra. 1983 Laurent Fignon Fra.
1931 Antonin Magne Fra. 1984 Laurent Fignon Fra.
1932 Andre Leducq Fra. 1985 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1933 Georges Speicher Fra. 1986 Greg LeMond U.S.
1934 Antonin Magne Fra. 1987 Stephen Roche Ire.
1935 Romain Maes Bel. 1988 Pedro Delgado Spain
1936 Sylvere Maes Bel. 1989 Greg LeMond U.S.
1937 Roger Lapebie Fra. 1990 Greg LeMond U.S.
1938 Gino Bartali Italy 1991 Miguel Indurain Spain
1939 Sylvere Maes Bel. 1992 Miguel Indurain Spain
1940-1946 No races 1993 Miguel Indurain Spain
1947 Jean Robic Fra. 1994 Miguel Indurain Spain
1948 Gino Bartali Italy 1995 Miguel Indurain Spain
1949 Fausto Coppi Italy 1996 Bjarne Riis Den.
1950 Ferdi Kuebler Switz. 1997 Jan Ullrich Ger.
1951 Hugo Koblet Switz. 1998 Marco Pantani Italy
1952 Fausto Coppi Italy 1999 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1953 Louison Bobet Fra. 2000 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1954 Louison Bobet Fra. 2001 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1955 Louison Bobet Fra. 2002 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1956 Roger Walkowiak Fra. 2003 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1957 Jacques Anquetil Fra. 2004 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1958 Charly Gaul Lux.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Lance's Tour de force
Armstrong rides into Paris, collects record sixth consecutive Tour title
Updated: Sunday July 25, 2004 5:39PM
PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong raced onto the crowd-lined Champs-Elysees as a yellow blur, bathed in the shimmering light of a 24-carat, gold-leaf bike, a golden helmet and the race leader's yellow jersey.
Earlier, he let up on the pedals long enough to sip some celebratory champagne.
Nothing but the best for cycling's best.
Armstrong rode into history Sunday, winning a record sixth Tour de France and cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Never in its 101-year history has the Tour had a winner like Armstrong -- who just eight years ago was given less than a 50 percent chance of overcoming testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain.
His streak of six straight crowns has helped reinvigorate the greatest race in cycling, steering it into the 21st century. And the Tour, as much a part of French summers as languid meals over chilled rose, molded Armstrong into a superstar.
Taking advantage of the leisurely pace of the final stage, Armstrong sat up in the saddle and held up all five fingers on his black-gloved right hand and the index finger on his left.
Counting to six was never so sweet for the 32-year-old Texan.
"It might take years. I don't know. It hasn't sunk in yet. But six, standing on the top step on the podium on the Champs-Elysees, is really special," he said.
The ride into Paris and its famous tree-lined boulevard was a lap of honor Armstrong savored with the champagne. Even Jan Ullrich, his main adversary in previous years, gulped down a glass offered by Armstrong's team manager through his car window.
"The last laps there, I thought, 'Ah, I want to get this over with,'" Armstrong said. "But then I thought to myself, 'You know, you might want to do a few more laps, because you may not ever do it again.' And you can't take it for granted."
President Bush called soon after his fellow Texan crossed the finish line. "You're awesome," Bush told him.
With the Arc de Triomphe in the background, Armstrong put his yellow bicycle cap over his heart during the raising of the American flag and playing of The Star-Spangled Banner. It might be his last time on the podium, at least for a while. Armstrong has said he might skip the sport's showcase event next year.
Belgian rider Tom Boonen won the final sprint, with Armstrong cruising safely behind with the trailing pack to claim his title. Armstrong's winning margin over second-placed Andreas Kloden was 6 minutes, 19 seconds, with Italian Ivan Basso in third (6:40). Ullrich was fourth (8:50), his worst finish.
Armstrong opened a new page for the Tour in 1999, just one year after the race faced its worst doping scandal, ejecting the Festina team after police caught one of its employees with a stash of drugs.
Armstrong's victories and his inspiring comeback from cancer have drawn new fans to a race that has been won five times by four other riders. His professionalism, attention to detail, grueling training regimens and tactics have raised the bar for other riders hoping to win the three-week cycling marathon.
"He's changed the Tour forever," fellow American rider Bobby Julich said. "He has set the blueprint for success, and he deserves all the success that he is getting."
Eye-catching in the bright yellow shirt he works so hard for, Armstrong donned a golden cycling helmet for a relaxed roll past sun-baked fields of wheat and applauding spectators into Paris from Montereau in the southeast. He rode a $10,000, carbon-fiber, gold-leaf bike, which Trek will sell in stores later this year.
Armstrong joked and chatted with teammates who wore special blue jerseys with yellow stripes. They stretched in a line across the road with their leader for motorcycle-riding photographers to record the moment. The team was the muscle behind Armstrong's win, leading him in grueling mountain climbs, shielding him from crashes and wind, and keeping him stoked with drinks and food.
Last year, Armstrong beat Ullrich by just 61 seconds -- by far his narrowest victory. He now admits he was not in great shape.
"I paid the price and learned a valuable lesson, and I won't ever make that mistake again," he said.
This year, he roared back with renewed fire.
"It's as if I was with my five friends and we were 13 years old and we all had new bikes and we said, 'OK, we're going to race from here to there,'" he said. "You want to beat your friends more than anything. You're sprinting and you're attacking. It was like that for me. A simple pleasure."
With five solo stage wins and a team time-trial victory with his U.S. Postal Service squad, this was Armstrong's best Tour. But it was also one in which he was forced to defend himself against claims he might be taking performance-enhancing drugs.
Repeatedly pointing out he has never failed a test, Armstrong attributes his success to hard training and says the accusations only fuel his motivation.
Last week, he chased down Filippo Simeoni, an Italian rider who has testified about drug use within cycling, when he tried to surge ahead of the pack to win a stage. Armstrong's team also chased down Simeoni several times when he rode at the front Sunday.
Before the Tour, Armstrong sued authors of a book who implied, without offering proof, that he used drugs.
"They want to create pressure that cracks you," Armstrong said. "So, internally I say, 'OK, I will never crack because of that. This will not crack me.'"
Armstrong built his lead from Day 1, placing second in the third-fastest debut time trial in Tour history. That performance silenced doubts that Armstrong was past his prime.
"He's been the strongest man for the last six years," Kloden said. "It's unbelievable."
Even more so than in other Tours that he dominated, Armstrong finished off rivals in the mountains -- with three victories in the Alps, including a time trial on the legendary climb to L'Alpe d'Huez, and another in the Pyrenees. He also took the final time trial on Saturday, even though he his overall lead was so big he didn't need the win.
"We never had a sense of crisis, only the stress of the rain and the crashes in the first week," Armstrong said. "I was surprised that some of the rivals were not better. Some of them just completely disappeared."
Armstrong still hasn't decided whether he will back next year to compete in the race he loves above all others, for which he trains relentlessly, leaving his three children in Texas, with former wife Kristin, while he pounds the roads in Europe.
Seven victories would be like owning seven sports cars, nice but not necessary. Armstrong says he's interested in trying other races like the Giro d'Italia, and breaking the one-hour cycling world record.
Victory has brought Armstrong fame, wealth and softened some of the brashness he displayed when he was younger. He's learned rudimentary French and says his love of the Tour won't end with retirement -- when he plans to watch the race on TV.
"I don't know what I'll do next summer. I suspect I'll be here," he said. "It's too big of a race. My only hesitance is I think the people and the event perhaps need a change, new faces, a new winner.
"If I'm here," he added. "I race to win."
Tour de France Champions
Year Rider Country Year Rider Country
1903 Maurice Garin Fra. 1959 Federico Bahamontes Spain
1904 Henri Cornet Fra. 1960 Gastone Nencini Italy
1905 Louis Trousselier Fra. 1961 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1906 Rene Pottier Fra. 1962 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1907 Lucien Petit-Breton Fra. 1963 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1908 Lucien Petit-Breton Fra. 1964 Jacques Anquetil Fra.
1909 Francois Faber Lux. 1965 Felice Gimondi Italy
1910 Octave Lapize Fra. 1966 Lucien Aimar Fra.
1911 Gustave Garrigou Fra. 1967 Roger Pingeon Fra.
1912 Odile Defraye Bel. 1968 Jan Janssen Neth.
1913 Philippe Thys Bel. 1969 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1914 Philippe Thys Bel. 1970 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1915-1918 No races 1971 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1919 Firmin Lambot Bel. 1972 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1920 Philippe Thys Bel. 1973 Luis Ocana Spain
1921 Leon Scieur Bel. 1974 Eddy Merckx Bel.
1922 Firmin Lambot Bel. 1975 Bernard Thevenet Fra.
1923 Henri Pelissier Fra. 1976 Lucien Van Impe Bel.
1924 Ottavio Bottecchia Italy 1977 Bernard Thevenet Fra.
1925 Ottavio Bottecchia Italy 1978 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1926 Lucien Buysse Bel. 1979 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1927 Nicolas Frantz Lux. 1980 Joop Zoetemelk Neth.
1928 Nicolas Frantz Lux. 1981 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1929 Maurice De Waele Bel. 1982 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1930 Andre Leducq Fra. 1983 Laurent Fignon Fra.
1931 Antonin Magne Fra. 1984 Laurent Fignon Fra.
1932 Andre Leducq Fra. 1985 Bernard Hinault Fra.
1933 Georges Speicher Fra. 1986 Greg LeMond U.S.
1934 Antonin Magne Fra. 1987 Stephen Roche Ire.
1935 Romain Maes Bel. 1988 Pedro Delgado Spain
1936 Sylvere Maes Bel. 1989 Greg LeMond U.S.
1937 Roger Lapebie Fra. 1990 Greg LeMond U.S.
1938 Gino Bartali Italy 1991 Miguel Indurain Spain
1939 Sylvere Maes Bel. 1992 Miguel Indurain Spain
1940-1946 No races 1993 Miguel Indurain Spain
1947 Jean Robic Fra. 1994 Miguel Indurain Spain
1948 Gino Bartali Italy 1995 Miguel Indurain Spain
1949 Fausto Coppi Italy 1996 Bjarne Riis Den.
1950 Ferdi Kuebler Switz. 1997 Jan Ullrich Ger.
1951 Hugo Koblet Switz. 1998 Marco Pantani Italy
1952 Fausto Coppi Italy 1999 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1953 Louison Bobet Fra. 2000 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1954 Louison Bobet Fra. 2001 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1955 Louison Bobet Fra. 2002 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1956 Roger Walkowiak Fra. 2003 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1957 Jacques Anquetil Fra. 2004 Lance Armstrong U.S.
1958 Charly Gaul Lux.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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they don't make leather cycling tops or shorts you know
Date: 2004-07-26 02:59 am (UTC)Re: they don't make leather cycling tops or shorts you know
Date: 2004-07-26 08:12 am (UTC)Bitch.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 05:44 am (UTC)Brat.
:) Chew Toy must be so pleased.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 08:15 am (UTC)Apropos of nothing, I just found out last night that L owns and rides a bike. I almost wish I could. Almost.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 09:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 11:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 03:20 pm (UTC)I hadn't been aware Greg WAS saying such things, so I had to go look it up. But he's essentially implying that Lance must be using some kind of performance-enhancing drugs to have done so well. It's disturbing that he'd say such things, though I don't pretend to know all the details. I just find it highly unlikely that someone with that much spotlight on him for six YEARS (not to mention the intense, non-stop three-week media circus of the Tour itself) could somehow be drugging it up. Lance simply is that much better, that's all. He focusses solely on the Tour de France, and doesn't go for the Spanish or Italian races as many other riders do. He suggested in interviews yesterday that he may take a break from the Tour to go do those races, and prove he's an all-around powerhouse. But still, no one's going to say he's anything less than a spectacular athlete, the rest of Europe's races notwthstanding.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 06:03 pm (UTC)How did you get interested in it? I had a friend in high school who was very into biking...and it carried over from that...so many people miss such a great event...ya know..
no subject
Date: 2004-07-27 08:21 am (UTC)I got into cycling for two reasons, I think. We have one of the biggest one-day races in the world here in Philadelphia, and the best in the States. It used to be called the CoreStates Championship, then the First Union Classic, and now it's somwthing Wachovia as each bank gets successively eaten up, but it's in early Summer/late Spring, and it goes through some of the really pretty parts of the city, including up an incredibly difficult incline they call "The Manayunk Wall," or just "The Wall." (Manayunk's the name of that particular neighbourhood.) It's a big deal hereabouts, though the one year I actually lived there, I all but missed the whole damned race. I did see the back of the peloton, though. Woot!
The other thing, though, was that I somehow got hooked on the TV coverage of the race in '86, and that was the year of the big nose-to-nose time trial between Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon on the Champs Elysee. Even with as little as I knew about the sport back then, it was incredibly exciting. Fignon had been trash-talking LeMond for weeks at that point, and up until they crossed the line, he was certain he'd won on points. Besides which, what did Americans know about the greatest race in Europe? It was so sweet to see LeMond with the Yellow Jersey. I don't think Fignon ever got over it.
I guess I didn't either.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 09:57 am (UTC)AND I saw five minutes of the race Sunday morning. It wasn't easy to figure out the colored-shirt-points-teams system, but yeah, they ranted and raved about Mr. Armstrong and his gold-clad bike. Hm.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-26 11:47 am (UTC)And I'm SO mad I missed the gold bike, though I'll be able to see it in stores later if I really want to. 24k plated! And the ad, was this the one with people following him all over the place? I love that one. That and the US Postal ad featuring the whole team. Yay!
I only saw live coverage of ONE stage, alas. Sigh. Maybe OLN'll sell a tape or something.