Today a Texan with a name that sounds like it ought to belong to a character in a Buck or Roy Rogers movie won the most grueling elite endurance contest on the planet for the seventh straight time! If he had never been near death with the "big C" today's accomplishment would've been enough. Indeed, it would have been enough had he stopped six years ago, after winning in 1999, but his recovery and return to bicycle racing not only at the top of his sport, but to create a legacy that will probably never be matched, has inspired people I love to fight against a similar infirmity. (Isn't it odd that he's the second great American cyclist in 20 years to live such a lesson?)
What I like about bike racing is that it's a great analog for life. Unlike those silly survivor shows where you're almost certain to be defeated by mean-spirited and petty coalitions, a GC (General Classification) winner of a "Grand Tour" (a three-week race covering over 2,000 miles) must excel as the team captain, as an individual athlete, and as a coalition partner. There are two primary enemies that all cyclists battle against: aerodynamic drag and gravity. Except for time trials where you race alone against the clock you can defeat aero drag by cooperating with other riders in a paceline, with your own team members and with competitors. No amount of cooperation can help you defeat gravity, however. And that's why it's climbing that separates the champions from the also-rans.
It isn't clear what Lance's politics happen to be, although his girlfriend's are probably firmly idiotarian. John Kerry showed up for the penultimate stage of this year's Tour just to borrow a little of the Texan's winning glow. He sat in the pace car following Lance as he raced to the last time trial victory of his career, and his first and only stage victory this season. (He had lots of second place finishes, however, and ended in Paris with over a four-minute lead.) When his team faltered in the foothills, and his opponents isolated him (something they love to do to Americans), he played them off against each other, picked up the challenge and gained time on them all. Kerry admits he doesn't know Armstrong's politics, but it is true that in the early stages of the Tour this year Lance entertained a group of Special Forces soldiers, and was inspired by them. He wore a cap they gave him at the start of the next day's stage. So it's possible his orientation isn't as "progressive" as some people think.
One of a kind.
1
Yellow is the color of someone who yells, "Bring it on" to the bloodthirsty enemy forces while soldiers under his control are getting shot at.
Posted by: Downing Street Memo at July 24, 2005 08:05 PM (ScqM8)
2
We're mighty proud of our boy, Lance, here in Texas.
Many are calling on him to run for office now. Govenor, US Senator or US Representative
Anyone know anything about his politics?
Posted by: greg at July 24, 2005 08:41 PM (/+dAV)
3
I take great pleasure in seeing a Texan beat the French at their own sport in their own house.
Posted by: Carlos at July 24, 2005 08:43 PM (8e/V4)
4
its great to see that Lance was able to overcome all challenges to him by the other competition and the challenges of the race itself...when a human{man or woman} puts their minds to accomplish something of good, anything is possible....nothing is impossible...Hurrah for Lance...and its good to see that no matter how hard the French tried to mess up his last race, he was able to prove them all wrong and win it for the 7th time in a row
Posted by: THANOS35 at July 24, 2005 08:48 PM (9gFP6)
5
Mrs. Dread Pundit asked me today if I knew that riding in the Tour de France takes an average of one year off a person's life. She didn't remember where she'd read this. Anyone else heard anything about this?
Personally, I think having one of those teeny-weeny seats shoved up my pooper for a week would take about FIVE years off.
Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at July 24, 2005 10:30 PM (RHG+K)
6
I am a bike racing fan. The 12 months comes from the fact that it takes 11 months of preparation to race for 1 month. Professional bike racers must approach racing as a full time job to be competitive. I believe it to be the most grueling of all sports. In addition the planning and mental aspect requires the most of any sport. It is also a TEAM sport. The word I is never used.
Posted by: greyrooster at July 25, 2005 01:04 AM (CBNGy)
7
You never see the over weight, flabby competitors that you see in football and boxing in bike racing. When younger I would have loved to be able to compete in cycling. However, body types play a major role. Big boned, large people just don't have the stamina.
Posted by: greyrooster at July 25, 2005 01:09 AM (CBNGy)
8
Mrs. Dread Pundit asked me today if I knew that riding in the Tour de France takes an average of one year off a person's life. She didn't remember where she'd read this. Anyone else heard anything about this?
I'm sure somewhere someone has such a theory based on some sort of logic, but it'd be almost impossible to verify empirically. To a lesser degree lots of "common people" ride week-long cycling tours in the US and elsewhere, a practice that probably started with
RAGBRAI over thirty years ago. And in the case of the latter it's probably the food and booze that takes time off their lives rather than the riding. Frankly, it just sounds like someone who doesn't like to exercise.
Posted by: Demosophist at July 25, 2005 09:52 AM (IbWE6)
9
A leftist radio station in Toronto spent an hour taking calls from conspiracy theorists believing Armstrong was never treated for cancer. They believe he spent his time in the hospital being engeneered for superior athletisism. Widened air passages, expanded hearty valves for super blood flow.
Bushs'little pet project. To stick it to the frogs.
Posted by: Dave K at July 25, 2005 10:15 AM (vvaFL)
10
Dave:
Bushs'little pet project. To stick it to the frogs.
That's hilarious. I wonder how the theory applies to Greg Lemond? That'd be a trial run by Bush 41 I guess, with perfected bionic technology for Bush 43. Except that Lance's first victory took place during the Clinton administration and Greg's was during the Reagan administration before he was re-engineered in hospital. No theory's perfect, I guess.
Posted by: Demosophist at July 25, 2005 10:39 AM (IbWE6)
11
Me:"Many are calling on him to run for office now. Govenor, US Senator or US Representative
Anyone know anything about his politics?"
My boss claims that Armstrong is a Kerry loving, liberal.
Posted by: greg at July 25, 2005 04:29 PM (/+dAV)
12
Yeah, heard John F'in Kerry was following in the car behind Lance on Saturday. Guess Kerry just can't get enough of eating a Texans dust.
Posted by: retire05 at July 25, 2005 04:54 PM (At3vY)
13
When OLN interviewed Kerry, he went on ... and on ... and on ... until they stuck him in a little box in the corner of the screen so they could get back to the race.
Independent Sources has more.
Posted by: A Senior Administration Official at July 25, 2005 05:16 PM (IWRGF)
14
Greg, I've heard the opposite...that he's a Bush buddy, literally. Who knows.
Posted by: osamabeenthere at July 25, 2005 06:01 PM (perrS)
15
When his team faltered in the foothills, and his opponents isolated him (something they love to do to Americans), he played them off against each other, picked up the challenge and gained time on them all.
Except of course that Lance is pretty close to Basso and it would be more accurate to say they worked together to dump Ullrich. Ah well, when you have to choose between a good story and the facts....
Posted by: Daran at July 26, 2005 09:10 AM (h1uHG)
16
Daran:
He also used Ullrich to get back to Vinokourov at one point. I said that he played the other riders, who had isolated him from his team, off against one another... which is precisely what the Basso and Ullrich scenarios were all about. And, of course, he gained time on all of then, including Basso. Pretty much what I said happened, in other words.
Posted by: Demosophist at July 26, 2005 09:49 AM (IbWE6)
17
"Funding is tough to come by these days," he says. "The biggest downside to a war in Iraq is what you could do with that money. What does a war in Iraq cost a week? A billion? Maybe a billion a day? The budget for the National Cancer Institute is four billion. That has to change. It needs to become a priority again.
"Polls say people are much more afraid of cancer than of a plane flying into their house or a bomb or any other form of terrorism. It is a priority for the American public." - Lance Armstrong
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/tourdefrance/2005-07-24-armstrong-mission_x.htm
Lance speaks out against U.S. priorities.
Posted by: greg at July 26, 2005 03:25 PM (/+dAV)
18
Greg:
Sorry, but there's nothing in those statements that suggests anything other than that he supports cancer research. In fact, he doesn't say that the War in Iraq ought to be a lower priority, just that cancer ought to be higher. I know you wish it were otherwise, but perhaps when you learn to distinguish between a wish and an inference you'll be able to make better choices about what you support.
Posted by: Demosophist at July 27, 2005 12:26 AM (IbWE6)
Hide Comments
| Add Comment
