Some local sports writers do get it right.
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Winning over French tougher than Tour
TOM POWERS
Pioneer Press Columnist
Four years ago at the Sydney Games, Lance Armstrong tried to put into words how important the Olympics are to the American people.
"You can win six Tour de Frances," he said. "But if you don't win at the Olympics they say, 'I thought he was supposed to be a good cyclist.' ''
His emphasis was on the word "six," as if it were the most ridiculous number he could think of. Like somebody was ever going to win the world's most grueling bike race six times.
Flash forward to 2004. Armstrong didn't win a gold medal in Sydney, probably because he was coming off a crash that resulted in a broken bone in his neck. But he is zeroing in on his sixth consecutive Tour de France triumph. And he turned out to be mistaken. His fellow Americans do consider him a pretty good cyclist.
Armstrong is poised to win again, and the French couldn't be more miserable if George Bush himself were peddling a Schwinn through the Pyrenees. Better yet, when Armstrong zooms into the lead, probably Tuesday, he will be passing a fading Frenchman, Thomas Voeckler.
Sacre bleu!
We should be filled with wonderment over Armstrong's accomplishments. Cycling is considered more of a recreational activity than a sport here. But six consecutive Tour de France victories might be the greatest athletic achievement we will ever witness.
Armstrong is the New York Yankees of the 1950s and the Montreal Canadiens of the 1960s rolled into one. Even more impressive, he dominates despite never having the equivalent of a home game. The French were anti-Armstrong well before they became even more preoccupied with being anti-American.
A regular in the European tabloids, Armstrong always seems to be embroiled in some sort of controversy as the big race approaches. The French press shows him no mercy. Last year, while he was winning his fifth Tour de France, his crumbling marriage became fodder for newspaper articles.
This time, Armstrong has to deal with renewed accusations that he uses illegal performance-enhancing drugs. He has heard that before. The French media used to get the spectators so worked up that they would scream "Doper, doper!" all along the race route.
That has abated, but not disappeared, in recent years. Armstrong remains at the forefront of the anti-doping movement. He has been tested repeatedly, and he has a very loud voice in calling for harsh penalties for anyone found cheating.
Last month, a book titled "LA Confidential — the Secrets of Lance Armstrong" popped up. Written in French, it quotes a former masseuse as saying Armstrong used a performance-enhancing drug in 1999.
This was a woman who parted on bad terms with the Armstrong camp after she was fired for what was termed inappropriate behavior. Excerpts from the book appeared in a Paris newspaper just before the start of the competition.
Armstrong is suing. He has hired lawyers in France and the United States. Yet none of this has affected his performance.
At 32, which is old to be racing across 2,108 miles of treacherous terrain, he retains the ability to concentrate fully on the task at hand. He long ago gave up trying to maintain any sort of relationship with the French press.
His biggest fault, of course, is that he is not French. His next problem is that he won't behave according to the French standards of comportment. Armstrong, a cancer survivor, oozes self-confidence and speaks his mind. He is not above telling someone to get lost.
He is even a Texan, just like President Bush! That has to rankle the locals.
Armstrong is accompanied by his new girlfriend, singer Sheryl Crow. She's one of those entertainers who believe that because she has had a couple of hit pop songs, she is an expert in foreign policy. Just another piece of the Lance Armstrong sideshow.
Nothing can derail him en route to his historic victory. And he recently plunged a dagger into the heart of his French critics by announcing that he had changed his mind and, at 33, will return to compete in the 2005 Tour de France.
Take that.
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but I can deal with the angels, cause it ain’t me they’re here to claim. it’s a good night for blowing ‘em off til some other day
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Winning over French tougher than Tour
TOM POWERS
Pioneer Press Columnist
Four years ago at the Sydney Games, Lance Armstrong tried to put into words how important the Olympics are to the American people.
"You can win six Tour de Frances," he said. "But if you don't win at the Olympics they say, 'I thought he was supposed to be a good cyclist.' ''
His emphasis was on the word "six," as if it were the most ridiculous number he could think of. Like somebody was ever going to win the world's most grueling bike race six times.
Flash forward to 2004. Armstrong didn't win a gold medal in Sydney, probably because he was coming off a crash that resulted in a broken bone in his neck. But he is zeroing in on his sixth consecutive Tour de France triumph. And he turned out to be mistaken. His fellow Americans do consider him a pretty good cyclist.
Armstrong is poised to win again, and the French couldn't be more miserable if George Bush himself were peddling a Schwinn through the Pyrenees. Better yet, when Armstrong zooms into the lead, probably Tuesday, he will be passing a fading Frenchman, Thomas Voeckler.
Sacre bleu!
We should be filled with wonderment over Armstrong's accomplishments. Cycling is considered more of a recreational activity than a sport here. But six consecutive Tour de France victories might be the greatest athletic achievement we will ever witness.
Armstrong is the New York Yankees of the 1950s and the Montreal Canadiens of the 1960s rolled into one. Even more impressive, he dominates despite never having the equivalent of a home game. The French were anti-Armstrong well before they became even more preoccupied with being anti-American.
A regular in the European tabloids, Armstrong always seems to be embroiled in some sort of controversy as the big race approaches. The French press shows him no mercy. Last year, while he was winning his fifth Tour de France, his crumbling marriage became fodder for newspaper articles.
This time, Armstrong has to deal with renewed accusations that he uses illegal performance-enhancing drugs. He has heard that before. The French media used to get the spectators so worked up that they would scream "Doper, doper!" all along the race route.
That has abated, but not disappeared, in recent years. Armstrong remains at the forefront of the anti-doping movement. He has been tested repeatedly, and he has a very loud voice in calling for harsh penalties for anyone found cheating.
Last month, a book titled "LA Confidential — the Secrets of Lance Armstrong" popped up. Written in French, it quotes a former masseuse as saying Armstrong used a performance-enhancing drug in 1999.
This was a woman who parted on bad terms with the Armstrong camp after she was fired for what was termed inappropriate behavior. Excerpts from the book appeared in a Paris newspaper just before the start of the competition.
Armstrong is suing. He has hired lawyers in France and the United States. Yet none of this has affected his performance.
At 32, which is old to be racing across 2,108 miles of treacherous terrain, he retains the ability to concentrate fully on the task at hand. He long ago gave up trying to maintain any sort of relationship with the French press.
His biggest fault, of course, is that he is not French. His next problem is that he won't behave according to the French standards of comportment. Armstrong, a cancer survivor, oozes self-confidence and speaks his mind. He is not above telling someone to get lost.
He is even a Texan, just like President Bush! That has to rankle the locals.
Armstrong is accompanied by his new girlfriend, singer Sheryl Crow. She's one of those entertainers who believe that because she has had a couple of hit pop songs, she is an expert in foreign policy. Just another piece of the Lance Armstrong sideshow.
Nothing can derail him en route to his historic victory. And he recently plunged a dagger into the heart of his French critics by announcing that he had changed his mind and, at 33, will return to compete in the 2005 Tour de France.
Take that.
----------------
==================================
but I can deal with the angels, cause it ain’t me they’re here to claim. it’s a good night for blowing ‘em off til some other day