Why does Leblanc hate Lance so much?
02-22-06, 03:03 PM
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Why does Leblanc hate Lance so much?
Any reason why Leblanc (head of Le Tour de France) hates Lance so much? He's now using the Tour's website as a personal diatribe against lance, and he was SOOO quick to throw Lance under the bus based only on hearsay and second-hand info.
Yikes!
On the 24th of July we turned the page on a long, very long chapter in the history of the Tour de France. And one month later, current events made it clear to us that it was just as well that this was so.
Does this justify closing the entire book and erasing all the emotions that, for so many years, the Tour and its champions have provided us with? Taken as a whole, judged on its lifelong worth – like an artist or a poet – and in particular on its future productions, we want to believe that the Tour de France deserves a better fate. The dream that it embodies, the values that it is capable of generating mean that it has a duty to be able to hold its head up in pride.
Does this justify closing the entire book and erasing all the emotions that, for so many years, the Tour and its champions have provided us with? Taken as a whole, judged on its lifelong worth – like an artist or a poet – and in particular on its future productions, we want to believe that the Tour de France deserves a better fate. The dream that it embodies, the values that it is capable of generating mean that it has a duty to be able to hold its head up in pride.
02-22-06, 03:26 PM
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Wow. Just wow.
02-22-06, 03:37 PM
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When celebrities race, you get celebrity problems.
Everyone is getting tired of seeing Lance's face plastered all over the world. Someone is twice as likely to know his face over the Vice-President's. Half the magazine sin the US love him, the other half complain about him being everywhere.
I'm in no way saying that he isn't impressive, but damn, there has to be a limit as to how many times a day I see the same face. I don't see my OWN face as much as I see his.
Everyone is getting tired of seeing Lance's face plastered all over the world. Someone is twice as likely to know his face over the Vice-President's. Half the magazine sin the US love him, the other half complain about him being everywhere.
I'm in no way saying that he isn't impressive, but damn, there has to be a limit as to how many times a day I see the same face. I don't see my OWN face as much as I see his.
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02-22-06, 03:43 PM
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leblanc is alluding to the epo tests that were supposedly done on older samples of lance's urine. i don't think it was a good move by him. he is speaking on behalf of the organization, after all. he should save his opinions for an interview perhaps....
02-22-06, 03:44 PM
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did LeBlanc pee on Virenque this hard? I don't know, but I kinda doubt it.
[edit] If he was serious, he make it Tour policy that any double positive test, for anything, anywhere and you can't race the Tour ever.
[edit] If he was serious, he make it Tour policy that any double positive test, for anything, anywhere and you can't race the Tour ever.
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02-22-06, 03:47 PM
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I was looking back at past Tour De France guides that come in some of the cycling magazine subscriptions. I was especially interested in the predictions section where several journalists gave their impressions and predicitons for the 2005 TDF.
What struck me was the French journalist. This was written three months BEFORE the tour was to take place.
His prediction was that Lance Armstrong was going to withdraw early during the race. He said that he had priviledged information that will be released that will likely make him leave the tour in shame.
I found that alarming considering what occurred soon after the race. Seems like a very organized and concerted effort amongst many in France to discredit him. The hatred there runs deep for Lance.
What struck me was the French journalist. This was written three months BEFORE the tour was to take place.
His prediction was that Lance Armstrong was going to withdraw early during the race. He said that he had priviledged information that will be released that will likely make him leave the tour in shame.
I found that alarming considering what occurred soon after the race. Seems like a very organized and concerted effort amongst many in France to discredit him. The hatred there runs deep for Lance.
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02-22-06, 04:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Cypress
Everyone is getting tired of seeing Lance's face plastered all over the world. Someone is twice as likely to know his face over the Vice-President's.
The VP of the US is usually not well known. If only we knew the current VP for less dubious reasons than his stubborn demeanor, war-mongering, and hunting accidents.... but I digress, lest this get moved to P&R.
Lance is a star. He's an icon. It's the way it is. Be thankful he's using it in large part for cancer research and awareness....
02-22-06, 04:49 PM
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Originally Posted by SpongeDad
did LeBlanc pee on Virenque this hard? I don't know, but I kinda doubt it.
[edit] If he was serious, he make it Tour policy that any double positive test, for anything, anywhere and you can't race the Tour ever.
[edit] If he was serious, he make it Tour policy that any double positive test, for anything, anywhere and you can't race the Tour ever.
02-22-06, 05:21 PM
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Peloton Shelter Dog
When the French are idiots (and they can be) they are REALLY idiotic. We can use LeBlanc's comments to illustrate this in the future.
Next case.
Next case.
02-22-06, 05:23 PM
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Originally Posted by donrhummy
And at the last Tour, Virenque was praised by the Leblanc and other French Tour officials. Ridiculous.
Donrhummy makes a great point. Wasn't Virenque once banned from cyclng due to the Festina Drug Scandal? Yet he is held in high regard in French public. Marco Pantani has reached virtual sainthood following his postive tests and ultimately his overdose from Cocaine.
Yet Lance is constantly demonized on far less evidence. Yet it is undeniable that he brought the Tour De France more publicity and worldwide appeal than anyone else in Tour History.
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02-22-06, 05:42 PM
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Le Blanc, along with many French race organizers (Bernard Hinault comes to mind) are aggraved that it has been 20 years since a Frenchman won the Tour de France. In that 20 years, 10 were won by an American, 6 by a Spanaird, one Irishman, one Dane, one(and so far only) German, and one Italian. All the while, the Spanish and the Italian have no trouble winning thier respective grand tours.
02-22-06, 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by squeegy200
Yet it is undeniable that he brought the Tour De France more publicity and worldwide appeal than anyone else in Tour History.
Velocity
02-22-06, 06:09 PM
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He doesn't hate him...
...just wishes it was a Frenchman on a French bike that won the TdF...
...or even a European(except maybe our Euro here) on European equipment would do...
...but an American postal worker, on some 'bontrager' wheels?
...just wishes it was a Frenchman on a French bike that won the TdF...
...or even a European(except maybe our Euro here) on European equipment would do...
...but an American postal worker, on some 'bontrager' wheels?
02-22-06, 11:35 PM
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Originally Posted by rufvelo
He doesn't hate him...
02-23-06, 12:38 AM
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Originally Posted by DocRay
Why do Americans even bother with the TDF? I certainly wouldn't take that crap.
Make the Giro the event, screw LeBlanc, or replace him with Matt Lebanc.
Make the Giro the event, screw LeBlanc, or replace him with Matt Lebanc.
02-23-06, 01:26 AM
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Originally Posted by DieselDan
Le Blanc, along with many French race organizers (Bernard Hinault comes to mind) are aggraved that it has been 20 years since a Frenchman won the Tour de France. In that 20 years, 10 were won by an American, 6 by a Spanaird, one Irishman, one Dane, one(and so far only) German, and one Italian. All the while, the Spanish and the Italian have no trouble winning thier respective grand tours.
Besides, Hinault is a Breton, and they only reluctantly allow themselves to be considered French.As for the nationalities of the winners, it gets worse than that. Thanks to Lemond, Armstrong and Indurain, both the US and Spain have more winners in the last 20 years than France has podium finishes. Ouch. When your biggest GC "threats" since Fignon in 1989 are Luc Leblanc and Richard Virenque, I guess you get a little testy
on the subject of the yellow jersey.
02-23-06, 01:28 AM
#22
RacingBear
Lance pissed in his cheerios, then slapped him around showing him who is his daddy.
Actually all this talk about French reminds me of what WWII veteran told me once. Paraphrasing slightly French are good and noble people, France French are bunch of tools who don't even like their fellow French. . There is a grave for WWII soldiers somewhere in the country side of France. It's meticulously maintained by people who live near it, in show of respect and gratitude to those soldiers.
Actually all this talk about French reminds me of what WWII veteran told me once. Paraphrasing slightly French are good and noble people, France French are bunch of tools who don't even like their fellow French. . There is a grave for WWII soldiers somewhere in the country side of France. It's meticulously maintained by people who live near it, in show of respect and gratitude to those soldiers.
02-23-06, 06:09 AM
#23
Peloton Shelter Dog
And of course:
Texas is bigger'n France.
That's what REALLY pisses them off in frogville.
Texas is bigger'n France.
That's what REALLY pisses them off in frogville.
02-23-06, 09:04 AM
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French people basically hate everything that isn't French. They are particularly not fond of Americans. Go there and you'll see what I mean. They hate that an American has been their champion for 7 consecutive years. It's as simple as that, I think. Perhaps this year they'll get a European champion since Lance isn't competing.
02-23-06, 09:07 AM
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If it makes you feel any better...had a Brit had won the last seven in a row, it would be even worse.
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