- Feb 10, 2000
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I know few Americans follow pro cycling, but Texan Lance Armstrong yesterday continued his domination over the rest of the pro peloton by decimating his major competitors in the first mountain stage of the Tour de France, in the Pyrenees. He exploded away from Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani, finally beating them by 4-5 minutes (added to the substantial lead he held following the first individual time trial and team time trial), and now leads by more than four minutes overall.
I wish more people understood the significance of this, and cared. This guy, less than 4 years ago, was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer, which had filled his lungs 70% full with polyps, and he had a brain tumor. He was given a 40% chance to live at the time, and within 2 years he was not only alive but had won the Tour handily in 1999. The Tour is almost certainly the toughest event in all of sports (try riding 2,300 miles in 3 weeks through the Alps and the Pyrenees), but in 1999 many people argued this result should be accompanied by an asterisk because Ullrich and Pantani (the '97 and '98 champions respectively) were not riding. Now they are here and they cannot hang with him to save their lives. Yesterday he dusted the pure climbers in the peloton (including Richard Virenque, Pantani, and Fernando Escartin). The stage was won by Kelme rider Javier Oxtoa, but keep in mind that he had a lead of more than 10 minutes at the base of the Col d'Lourdes-Hautacam (the final of 5 mountain climbs yesterday); Lance and his team had let him ride away because he was no threat to the overall standings. By the end Lance had pulled to within 45 seconds of him to take second place! The two of them had been escorted away from Hautacam in team cars by the time the rest of the yellow-jersey contenders had arrived.
Kudos to Lance, his beautiful family, and his team (US Postal Service)! Hopefully he will again wear the yellow Jersey on the Champs Elysee this year.
I wish more people understood the significance of this, and cared. This guy, less than 4 years ago, was diagnosed with metastatic testicular cancer, which had filled his lungs 70% full with polyps, and he had a brain tumor. He was given a 40% chance to live at the time, and within 2 years he was not only alive but had won the Tour handily in 1999. The Tour is almost certainly the toughest event in all of sports (try riding 2,300 miles in 3 weeks through the Alps and the Pyrenees), but in 1999 many people argued this result should be accompanied by an asterisk because Ullrich and Pantani (the '97 and '98 champions respectively) were not riding. Now they are here and they cannot hang with him to save their lives. Yesterday he dusted the pure climbers in the peloton (including Richard Virenque, Pantani, and Fernando Escartin). The stage was won by Kelme rider Javier Oxtoa, but keep in mind that he had a lead of more than 10 minutes at the base of the Col d'Lourdes-Hautacam (the final of 5 mountain climbs yesterday); Lance and his team had let him ride away because he was no threat to the overall standings. By the end Lance had pulled to within 45 seconds of him to take second place! The two of them had been escorted away from Hautacam in team cars by the time the rest of the yellow-jersey contenders had arrived.
Kudos to Lance, his beautiful family, and his team (US Postal Service)! Hopefully he will again wear the yellow Jersey on the Champs Elysee this year.