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Can Lance Armstrong Pull Through for the Win?
July 09, 2009 2:35 PM
ABC's Miguel Marquez reports from France:
After 112 miles rainy miles of the Mediterranean coastline Lance Armstrong looked like he had been through hell. As he made his way to the team bus Armstrong could be overheard telling a team member “it was a stressful day.”
Stressful in part due to the weather, the rain came down so hard, pouring buckets at times, you only had to take one look at Armstrong to see how hard the day was. He was wet and covered in a sheen of black dirt and oil.
Today saw the completion of the 6th stage of the three-week Tour de France. There are 21 stages in all. And the hardest parts of the race are still to come. Tomorrow’s 7th stage will take riders 139 miles from Barcelona to Andorra; sea level to more than 7200 feet. Armstrong’s forte has always been the mountains and his incomprehensible ability to climb.
The big question here is can Armstrong still climb and can he out climb not only other strong riders from other teams but another strong mountain climber from his own Astana team. Alberto Contador who won the Tour in 2007 is only 19 seconds behind Armstrong.
When asked if was ready for the mountains Armstrong seemed less than sure. “I think so I feel good,” said the 7 time Tour champ. “Not sure exactly what to expect but… I’m optimistic.”
Minutes after finishing today's stage Armstrong was thronged by fans hoping for a picture, an autograph, or just a glimpse of the racing star. One man had waited all day for Armstrong just to sign a shirt bearing the name of Armstrong’s cancer charity Livestrong.
What started as a bike race ended up looking more like the scrum in the front row of a rock concert with women and men alike shouting out Armstrong’s name. As the crowd grew too large, Armstrong was ushered in by team security and the bus quickly pulled away presumably headed for the hotel.
When Armstrong announced his return to competitive bike racing many in the biking world didn’t think an 8th win of the Tour de France was possible. But former teammate and now an analyst and reporter for the sports network Versus Frankie Andreu says after Armstrong’s strong showing in the team time trial that put him in 2nd place overall. “I think there are a lot of people out there that think a comeback could be possible,” he said.
Now all Armstrong has to do is ride, and climb, for another 15 grueling stages. The Tour de France ends on July 26th.
July 9, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (4)
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LANCE AMRSTRONG IS THE GREATEST CICLIST OF U.S.A. AND I WISH HIM GREAT LUCK TOWARD HIS GOAL MAKESURE YOU EAT YOUR BREAKFAST LANCE AND DRINK PLENTY OF COLD ORANGE JUICE, TROPICANA 100% ORANGE JUICE AND MAKE SURE IS REALLY COLD AT ALL TIMES AND DON'T DRINK NO OTHER DRINKS LIKE ENERGY DRINKS THEY ARE GARBAGE! DON'T FORGET! WHILE YOU ARE RACING TOWARD YOUR WIN IN TOUR D' FRANCE 2009 IT WILL WORK JUST LIKE CASH.
Posted by: cocote | Jul 9, 2009 5:34:09 PM
The man isn't as young as he used to be just like the rest of us, hope he can pull it off but I am not holding my breathe. Good luck Lance do what is healthy for you.
Posted by: Rose Szymanski | Jul 10, 2009 2:28:39 AM
I used to admire and follow Lance. But after MANY recent stories and reading a few books with credible sources, I am very disenchanted with the whole tour and Lance. I hope he loses and eats a good serving of humble pie.
Posted by: Marcy | Jul 12, 2009 7:48:02 PM
i think the whole thaing is bull. the world is flat, and it aint got no hills, its a optycal illusion from the ray of the sun, you all dont know
Posted by: kadius | Jul 16, 2009 8:56:00 AM
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