From sulkiest rider to most unusual press freebie, Alasdair Fotheringham looks at the things that made this year’s Tour de France buzz.
Lance Armstrong
Lance v Alberto: Tour de France tension is climbing
The most tense spot on the Tour right now is within the Astana team. With stage 17 of the Tour de France ended — won by Frank Schleck — Lance Armstrong has again slammed his team leader Alberto Contador.
Tonight the Tour de France surely ignites?
Tonight’s brute of a 223km stage of La Grande Boucle offers any rider outside the Astana team their first realistic moment of truth since the Trans France Express took control of the race on just the fourth day.
How Lance Armstrong is like Sarah Palin
They both react to any criticism with extreme defensiveness. And while they both periodically issue petulant threats to quit, you get the funny feeling that neither one is going away any time soon.
Aussies prang as Tour de Lance invades Andorra
Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for Australia in the Tour De France…
Tour de France winner’s cancer to ignite drugs debate?
Fignon’s cancer is bound to reignite debate about the potential grave medical consequences from the taking of performance enhancing drugs, writes Ross Stapleton.
Lance Armstrong: still in training
Lance Armstrong’s fans aren’t accustomed to him coming in 73rd place. “Not every race is like the Tour de France” said Armstrong.
Broken collarbones, bane of the cyclist
Broken collarbones are a rite of passage in the cycling world, an injury so common, many pros see it as another day at the office.
Lance Armstrong, $3 million and the silence of the Rann
Crikey understands that Lance Armstrong pocketed up to $3 million in cash for his recent visit to Adelaide, reports Bob Gosford.
Cadel Evans: Barwon Heads’ favourite son
To the hard-core cycling fan, the face that appeared one day in Hendry Cycles in Ocean Grove, south of Geelong, would have looked familiar. The face, in fact, belonged to Cadel Evans, who had just moved into the neighbouring town of Barwon Heads and was looking for a regular cycling group to join.
Drugs, cycling and the lure of filthy lycra
It’s an odd phenomenon, and one that’s difficult to explain, but the popularity of the Tour de France increases exponentially each year in Australia in almost inverse proportion to the event’s credibility, says Charles Happell.
