ginger green

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President George W. Bush, an avid mountain biker, got a chance to test his mettle against cycling superstar Lance Armstrong on Saturday.

The seven-time Tour de France champion joined the president for a two-hour, 17-mile trek through the canyons and river-crossings of Bush's 1,600-acre Texas ranch.

Armstrong, a fellow Texan and Bush friend who nonetheless disagrees with the president on the Iraq war, called it a "dream scenario" to cycle with the president.

While many Americans wonder what attracts Bush to the Prairie Chapel ranch, where is he spending the month of August, Armstrong said he thought the biking opportunities were a big draw.

"He rides his mountain bike fanatically," Armstrong said in a recent interview with ABC's This Week. "It might be the mountain bike trails he has there."

Armstrong, 33, called Bush "one competitive dude," but said in the ABC interview he had no doubt he could outpace Bush, even though trails can be challenging for road cyclists unaccustomed to rough, rocky terrain.

"He's a good rider," Bush was said to have remarked about Armstrong after the ride, which featured only one 10-minute break to admire a waterfall on the property.

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said Armstrong was careful to respect "the first rule of biking," a hint that he did not overtake the president.

Duffy said he did not know whether Bush discussed politics with Armstrong, who has spoken out against the war in Iraq. Armstrong has said he believes the money could be better spent on other things, such as fighting cancer.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor who at one time was given a less than 50-50 chance of beating the disease, sits on the president's panel on cancer research and heads a nonprofit cancer foundation.

Armstrong and the Secret Service agents and staff members who rode with Bush were presented T-shirts that said "Tour de Crawford" and "Peloton One" -- a reference to the French word for group -- as well as a pair of riding socks with the presidential seal.

Bush, 59, took up mountain biking after a knee injury forced him to give up jogging a couple of years ago. But he has taken a few well-publicized spills, including one in Scotland last month when he collided with a police officer.

The president was described by his doctors in his annual physical as being in "superior" condition for a man his age.

He takes pride in his six-day-a-week workout regimen and last week he showcased the statistics on his heart rate monitor for a group of reporters who rode with him. The monitor showed he burned 1,493 calories in a two-hour ride, also 17 miles.

Bush says exercise helps sharpen his thinking.

But some of his critics view his exercise obsession as an indulgence that takes time away from other priorities.

Among them is Cindy Sheehan, the Vacaville, California, mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, who until late last week was camped out down the road from Bush's ranch seeking a meeting with him to discuss her opposition to the war.

Sheehan, who left her vigil on Thursday to tend to her sick mother, has said she believes Bush should take fewer bike rides to have more time to focus on the "the nation's work."


https://reuters.myway.com/article/200...STRONG-DC.html

TehArrow

nice link man...

edit: nice as in it doesnt work.

sunninho

And neither does Bush

Miles2go

georgiaboy

Was Bush the really bow-legged guy I saw on the news clip?...

TehArrow

Sheehan, who left her vigil on Thursday to tend to her sick mother, has said she believes Bush should take fewer bike rides to have more time to focus on the "the nation's work."

now i havent heard alot about this woman except that her son was killed in the war, but. COME ON LADY. YOUR SON SIGNED UP FOR IT. she should realize the consequences..... its kinda childish. caring for her sick mother sounds like a good excuse for giving up.

daytonian

I wonder if Bush ever posts over on mtb forum? I know their on mtb's but 2hr's/17 miles. No land speed records at tour de crawford.

Urban Shooter

Agreed, the Sheehan lady gives a bad name to all parents who have suffered a loss due to the Iraq conflict. This is an all-volunteer military and I understand how tragic it can be to lose a loved one, but come on. It also cheapens her son's sacrifice the way she has become a PR *****.

STEVO820

your so right. my cousin is over there right now and the last thing i want to hear about him is him turning up dead. but their is no draft so he was there by his own free will. i am sorry he died but why is she blaming the pres? go sit in front of osamas house or mohameds.

FastFreddy

Here's a link to a CNN/SI story which also includes a photo of Lance and the Pres...

https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...x.html?cnn=yes

STEVO820

what a poseur wearing a full team disco kit...oh wait my bad

on a side note do you think lance paid for that trek he was riding

TehArrow

i friggin doubt he paid for that...and if he did... it wouldnt even make a pinhole in his total assets

UmneyDurak

This has been bugging me for a while, and the article answered that question somewhat. What do Secret Service ride on? The article implied that at least some of them were on the bikes, but what do the rest drive?

Urban Shooter

I'd be a whole lot more impressed with Bush's fitness level for his age if he wasn't our elected leader. Obviously he is spending way too much time on things other than running the country. I can't help but think about photos I have seen of past president's and how haggard they looked after long periods of crisis, you could tell by the looks on their faces that they were deep into the situations and it was taking a toll on them. But Bush, no, he has a great heart rate, he is fit, he vacations and rides his bike. Smart man, no wonder he has forbidden photos of the current war dead, casualties over 1800 and growing but somehow we are kept from that truth.

***Butch***

I won't say it, but I'll use an emoticon.


I know everyone (at least everyone who's not a a dumbshi+ republican) is thinking it.

Chucklehead

"I HATE BUSH, MAKE LOVE NOT WAR, BUSH MUST DIE, OH LOOK AT ALL OF THE KILLING!!"

you anti-bush psychos are hilarious. it's freakin' beautiful. i LOVE you guys!
show us the hate, man. come on, pour your hearts out and let us see what kind of people should REALLY be leading this country.

DinoShepherd

You lost me. From which truth are we being kept?

-Z

red house

I think the president is trying to make a statement about how best to now deal with the heavy price of gas...Holding hands and smooching with the Crown Prince Abdullah didn't work...so this is his alternative, its his way off saying f__k y'all Saudis...btw, did anybody know that Iraq STILL has the cheapest gasoline anywhere in the world? -most of it refined from outside refineries..how's that work?? Maybe the developed countries should have only camels and bikes for transportation, and the unstable arab countries should have all the SUV's. I dunno, just a thought.

STEVO820

i wasnt going to call urban out on that because i didnt want to be the only republican here but dino and dog hair called it.

Smoothie104

He says it Sharpens his thinking, imagine if he didn't ride at all!!

Urban Shooter

Nobody called me on anything. I am not a Bush hater. I have some opinions and I posted them. If you guys are republicans, that is cool, I just have different views and opinions but I don't try and tell others how to think.

gattm99

Dog Hair, so I don't stoop to the level of all stars name callers and cry baby pundits let me tell you whY I don't like George W

Well, the way I've seen it, the way I've seen it since the early days of 2003, Bush wanted to go to war, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, armed forces deployment in a soverign nation should be only considered if said nation attacks the United States, or an ally. Of course there is always the issue of crimes against humanity, some of which are so severe that action must be taken. Once we start where do we stop, and why pick Iraq first?

Of course there are plenty of other issues to Disagree with Bush on.

Spending: I thought republicans were supposed to be the tight fisted ones.

In an attempt to save money lots and lots of beneficial programs have been cut, I guess that money went to armor hum-vee's?

Pulled out of the ICBM treaty, cause we need to spend money on STAR WARS and defend agaisnt MISSLES FROM MARS

Appoints some of the biggest winners around to high level jobs, folks like John Bolton and John Ashcroft

Under George W I've seen this nation get considerably more polarized on a variety of issues.

Probably the biggest reason is the cult like worship and demonization of anyone who strays from the flock.

Oh and he's a dumbass.

Chucklehead

have at it. you're entitled. but weren't his college averages higher than kerry's? i guess there's a conspiracy behind that, though.


don't the democrats have a new slogan for this next run?
"if at first we don't succeed..change, change the rules!"

"bring us your dead, bring us your illegals... give them licenses and register them to vote!"

Serpico

how many threads on this subject have been moved to PnR this week? 2, 3, 4???

if this one gets moved, I hope the mod will combine the threads

sunninho

too funny