 July 24 – It is with bittersweet thoughts that I sit down to write my final Tour de France commentary. The reality of Lance Armstrong retiring has not sunk in – and probably won’t until next season. After all, he never did much racing after the Tour anyway, opting to ride one or two criteriums in Europe and a race or two in the United States (most recently the New York criterium and the San Francisco Grand Prix).
The magnitude of Armstrong’s accomplishments in the Tour itself is also a difficult one to grasp. Winning seven Tours, much less consecutively, was something no one thought could ever be done. Heck, I remember cheering Jonathan Boyer on to a 12th place finish in the 1983 Tour de France, thinking it was great that an American placed in the top 20. What will I take away in memories of America’s greatest cyclist? It really runs the gamut. From a brash youngster with no sense of bicycle racing tactics, to a one-day specialist who won a million dollars, followed by a bald, cancer-stricken Armstrong, who was destined never to compete again. Then, the U.S. Postal Service team, God bless them, giving the guy one more chance to ride. A surprising win at the Cascade Classic (one year after I was there officiating it), followed by a fourth place(!) at the Tour of Spain. Wow.
 Memories of Lance Armstrong, captured on a number of magazine covers over the years.
The next year, 1999, Armstrong winning the Tour prologue. Watching him cross the finish line I cried, for I never thought I would see another American wear the yellow jaune in my lifetime. His second win, third win, fourth win, fifth win… they also start blending together. The international publicity. Appearances on David Letterman, Good Morning America, The Today Show, etc. People on the street talking about how Armstrong was doing in the Tour. ESPN showing highlights of the Tour on "SportsCenter." Armstrong winning every athlete of the year award around, year after year after year. Now it is over. What a ride. I didn’t shed any tears today. For it is now the job of all cyclists to keep the momentum going. It’s "A.L." – After Lance. We went through this before, in the early 90s, when Greg LeMond’s star began to fade. Lance came along at the right time to give us someone new to cheer for in the U.S. and Europe. I’ll be looking for the next rising American star the next time I go to a bicycle race. It could be a child, participating in one of the kids races. Or a junior racer, riding a 10-speed in shorts, a t-shirt or tennis shoes. Regardless of their talent and ability now, I will make it a point to encourage and support all cyclists – particularly the young ones – and pass along my knowledge of the sport. I hope you take the time to do the same. Bike Bits Winning on the Champs Elysees
Seeing T-Mobile’s Alexander Vinokourov steal the spotlight from the sprinters in today’s final stage reminded me of two other memorable sprints down the most famous cobblestoned avenue in the world.In 1987, American Jeff Pierce – riding for Team 7-Eleven – launched himself out of the pack with a lap to go, and held a gap of just five seconds coming across the Place de la Concorde. With La Vie Claire’s Steve Bauer chasing him all the way, Pierce hung on to win, giving the Tour its first 1-2 finish by North Americans in a stage. The other finish on the final day that is still incredible to this day came in 1982, when Bernard Hinault outsprinted the fastest men in the world to win the last stage – and wrap up his fourth Tour. Incredible. A Family Affair
Seeing Lance share the podium with his children reminded me of just how much times have changed at the Tour. In 1981, when Jonathan Boyer became the first American to ride the Tour, his wife had to disguise herself as a man. That's because wives and girlfriends were strictly forbidden by teams to travel with the race. The thinking was that any "extra" effort during the Tour would leave a rider weak on the road. About Sean Weide
Sean Weide is an accomplished sports journalist who has been avidly following the Tour de France since 1981. He has been involved in the sport of cycling as a competitor, race promoter, team director and USCF official. His "real job" is public relations director for Envoy, Inc., an Omaha, Neb.-based advertising agency. He will be officiating the next Ak-Sar-Ben Time Trial next week, as well as next month’s Tour of Kansas City. So if you are racing either event, be sure and stop him to say "hello." He appreciates your support of the sport. |
