Tour de France

welsh

welsh

Junkmaster
Looks like Armstrong is going for his seventh win.

What is it with the French that they give this guys so much abuse? Is it normal or is it a matter of national pride?
http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=reu-tourarmstrong&prov=reuters&type=lgns


Armstrong to ride in 2005 Tour de France


By Nick Mulvenney

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Six-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong confirmed on Wednesday that he would take part in this year's race.

The American's 2005 racing schedule, announced by his Discovery Channel team, includes the Tour de France, next month's Paris-Nice classic, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour of Georgia in the United States.

"I look forward to achieving my goal of a seventh Tour de France (victory)," Armstrong, who claimed an unprecedented sixth title last year, told the Discovery Channel website.

"I am excited to get back on the bike and start racing although my condition is far from perfect.

"(We) will evaluate my fitness later this spring and possibly add some races to the calendar."

The chairman of the company which organises the Tour de France, Jean-Marie Leblanc, was pleased that Armstrong had decided to have another go at the world's most gruelling cycling race.

"I knew that under the contract between Lance and his new sponsor Discovery Channel he would have to race in the Tour at least one more time, either in 2005 or in 2006," Leblanc said.

"Lance has decided to take up the challenge now which is good."

Armstrong won six stages, including the team time trial, on his way to last year's triumph and was barely challenged, except by Italian Ivan Basso in the Alps stages.

"I love Tour de France events which are open, with no clear favourite, but having one again is going to be exciting," Leblanc added.

Armstrong kept fans guessing about his plans for this season after Discovery Channel took over from US Postal as his team's sponsors with an official presentation in January.

SPRING RACES

He had said that he wanted to focus on the spring races he had neglected so far, perhaps an attempt to prove he could have success in other races.

"I've had contacts with (Discovery Channel team manager) Johan Bruyneel a few days ago which led me think that things were changing in our favour," Leblanc said.

"Johan said that Lance wanted to enter either the Criterium, the Dauphine Libere or the Tour of Switzerland to prepare for the Tour de France."

Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer before his six victories, has won 23 stages in the Tour de France since first taking part in 1993.
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I'd say it's more of his success breeding comtempt with a hint of anti-American sentiment thrown in for flavoring.
 
It's interesting, Armstrong is the only athlete I care anything about.

Remember that French book on how Armstrong used steroids? That was interesting, I have always wondered about the reasons behind it. Did the author honestly believe it, wanted to discredit Armstrong, or was looking to make some money? Or perhaps a combination of those factors.
 
Good point Kotario, Armstrong is the only athlete I currently care about. And I hope he wins it again.
 
Kotario said:
Remember that French book on how Armstrong used steroids? That was interesting, I have always wondered about the reasons behind it. Did the author honestly believe it, wanted to discredit Armstrong, or was looking to make some money? Or perhaps a combination of those factors.
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No, I believe it's true - steroids are given to people as part of cancer treatments. I don't know if Armstrong got any while he was undergoing therapy or not, but it's possible.
 
Different matter. The book was based on the evidence of some needles that Armstrong's training crew has reportedly dumped in the trash after driving far out of their way to a remote location during the Tour de France.
 
Same here. Lance Armstrong is about the only sportsman I care about (apart from Justine Henin, the Belgian female tennis player). I truly hope he wins his seventh Tour the France and makes Eddy Merckx look like pigeon shit. I've been watching the Tour the France since I was seven and ever since Lance came into the picture, the event has only become more interesting each year. Great athlete. One of the biggest in the world.
 
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