Lance Armstrong and the Tour of France

[Nacho]

Last only 34 days for the Tour of France!

Here in Spain the "Hall cyclists" are very happy because Aitor González (a spanish rider) is going well in time trials, and they think that he will beat Lance Armstrong.

I am an "asphalt cyclist" and that stuff really sick me. The cyclism has allways been a sport about the fight of the human against the nature elements (Slopes, rain, heat...) and in the very case of Lance Armstrong it´s about the fight against disease and for the survival. Why all the spanish (and most of the world) press, puts him down?

I hope that the best rider will win the next tour. I want Armstrong to be the strongest, but there´s no matter for me, because the Tour is a victory for the entire humankind.

Enjoy the Tour.

[Barcik]

Lance Armstrong truly is an exceptional athlete.

[Timosity]

I guess no one is interested much in sports here (other than that soccer game)

Cycling isn't much of a glamorous sport outside Europe (or even in europe, I have no idea) but it is (Tour de France) one of the most challenging events for any sports person around.

Lance Armstrong isn't that well known globally, although I do know of him

I never really follow this event but I do hear about it cause the Aussies lead for the minor rounds but never hold on to win it. The winner is the sly bastard that hangs back and performs when it counts. (therefore they are a superb athlete that has unbelieveable stamina, and can perform best over the whole course)

Globaly a very underrated event

[n3tgraph]

day what?
underrated??

well, not in holland for sure! Almost everyone in Holland follows the tour, and also got some people running in the tour too

Boogerd won the queen's race (don't know the correct name) last year was pretty neat

[Timosity]

day what?
underrated??

Exactly my point, it is more popular in europe, and should be recognised more, but it isn't, this thread is an example, but it's not exactly adventure cycling studio

I guess cycling isn't much of a spectator sport, nothing that a minute of the news can't cover.

[Nacho]

Well, Tìmosíty, you Aussies can be proud of that superb sprinter called Robbie McEwen.

I see that the Tour is not followed in many countries, but, as N3t said, there are others which are looking forward all the year for it. Spain, Italy, France and the Low Countries are allways interested in the Tour. Add USA and Germany this past few years and you´ll have a lot of people hooked in front of the TV.

It is a pitty for me that cyclism does not interest people, because I like stamina sports so much as soccer or Basketball (It´s my oppinion, sure many people won´t share it), but trust me, and make the effort to take a look to the high mountain stages, you´ll discover not only a sport of strenght but also a big chess game where tactics (including pretends and risky bets) are common.

With this I mean that the winner of a stage Tour is not just the bastard who attacks at the end, he´s also the smartest, the strenghts are very simillar, so the key is to attack in the adequate moment.

I suppose it will be Armstrong again, but Simoni has shown a lot of strenght in last Giro... I hope we will see a nice show.

[Timosity]

I like watching a lot of sports (and playing them), I can also see how people can be interseted in cycling, I think stamina sports are the hardest to compete in but just as hard to watch.

I prefer finding out the results rather than going through the agony with the performer, plus I feel guilty that I'm not performing as hard as them.

It must be one of the toughest sporting events, I can't think of anything that goes for that long in any other sport (golf doesn't count, cause that's many events combined to get a result [plus fat bastards can play that game])

[Nacho]

Well, there´s no need to feel guilty about not sufferig so much as the sportmen do! We´re amateurs, we do it for fun  

I ride 20,000 kms each year, (dunno how many miles ere that...), but, as much as I train, nicer I am with the beginners and the people whose love cycling but can´t gather time to ride the bike.

I don´t know why I said that... maybe for starting a discussion about which are the sports that AGSers play...  

[Timosity]

20,000 km is a lot as far as I'm concerned, I use the metric system, I drive more km than that a year, but to do it manually, that's quite impressive, I bet most AGSers sitting around computers would feel quite tired after riding 1km.

I play cricket in the summer months, I'm a bowler, so it requires more fitness than a batter, but I can bat a bit too. I just enjoy the outdoors, competing is fun, but I try not to take it too seriously, but do play seriously.

[Nacho]

Glad you to notice that 20,000 kms. are a lot. As far as I know, a Jumbo should need refuelling for that, I just need sandwidches .

But you would be ever more surprised when knowing that a professional rides three times that ._.

I encourage all the people (AGSers) to do sport. I am not against non-sportive people, but I´m not very happy about the image of the doughnout-eaters  image that the people has in mind when thinking about programmers.

[Las Naranjas]

Cycling is big in Adelaide.

And we all know how exciting Adelaide is

[n3tgraph]

what is adelaide?

anyway, I agree with Farlander, sport is good!
I've played something that looks like basketball for many years, but I got tired of it. In the summer I also do a lot cycling, but I can never compete to Farlander  :

[Nacho]

Well, maybe compete not, Jan, but I am allways glad to stop hard training sometimes and enjoy biking with friends.  

Let me say that another great aussie rider is Stuart O´Grady.