# Lance Armstrong wins seventh consecutive and last Tour de France!



## Ottawaman (Jan 16, 2005)

Lance Armstrong wins seventh consecutive and last Tour de France
By John Leicester
The Associated Press

PARIS — Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory today — and did it a little earlier than expected.

Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.

The stage started as it has done for the past six years — with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.

One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. He held up seven fingers — one for each win — and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.

When it was over, Armstrong saluted the race he's made his own.

"Vive le Tour, forever," he said.

Armstrong choked up on the victory podium as he stood next to his twin 3-year-old daughters — dressed in bright yellow dresses, appropriately — and his son. His rock star girlfriend Sheryl Crow, wearing a yellow halter top, cried during the ceremony.

"This is the way he wanted to finish his career, so it's very emotional," she said.

Looking gaunt, his cheeks hollow after riding 2,232.7 miles across France and its mountains for three weeks, Armstrong still could smile at the end. He said President Bush called to congratulate him.

Armstrong's new record of seven wins confirmed him as one of the greatest cyclists ever, and capped a career where he came back from cancer to dominate cycling's most prestigious and taxing race.

Standing on the podium, against the backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe, Armstrong managed a rare feat in sports — going out on the top of his game. He previously said that his decision was final and that he was walking away with "absolutely no regrets."

Armstrong mentioned Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi as personal inspirations.

"Those are guys that you look up to you, guys that have been at the top of their game for a long time," he said.

As for his accomplishments, he said, "I can't be in charge of dictating what it says or how you remember it."

"In five, 10, 15, 20 years, we'll see what the legacy is. But I think we did come along and revolutionize the cycling part, the training part, the equipment part. We're fanatics."

Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan eventually won the final stage, with Armstrong finishing safely in the pack to win the Tour by more than 4 minutes, 40 seconds over Ivan Basso of Italy. The 1997 Tour winner, Jan Ullrich, was third, 6:21 back.

"It's up to you guys," Armstrong said, forecasting the Tour future.

Armstrong's sixth win last year already set a record, putting Armstrong ahead of four other riders — Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddy Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain — who all won five Tours.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cg...n_id=2002115459&slug=weblance24&date=20050724


Live Strong!


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Classy guy AND classy sport. Armstrong and the two girls all in bright yellow with daffodils was terrific.








:clap:

I reallllllllly enjoyed the Tour this year - OLN did an excellent job. Poor Rassmussen tho 
Two crashes and four bikes to get through the time trials after such a glorious Tour otherwise.

Still King of the Moutain tho


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

I like how i heard this in a Podcast rather through mainstream news.


----------



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

I agree with MacDoc -- Armstrong is a "classy guy" and this 7th straight is unbelievable.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

I don't know, but i have a large amount of respect who gets dianosed with a 10% chance of living 3 months from the time he was dianosed, beating it and then wining 7 straight Tour De Fance races.Widely considered to be the hardest athlethic competition in the world. That's called determination.


----------



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Makr, it almost goes beyond "unbelievable". Since I don't buy into all of the steroid use claims, in this day of performance steroid use, I find this feat totally amazing.


----------



## Mrs. Furley (Sep 1, 2004)

I don't believe he is using steroids, but have heard many people say that's why he's won every year. I believe he is an anomaly! 

But seriously, if you compare the way Armstrong looks when he rides to the other riders, he is clearly ahead because of technique. Unlike all the others, he barely wavers from side to side at all. He just looks so steady all the time.


----------



## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

Like all of the other greats, he is the greatest in his sport.

He is the best at what he does both on and off his bike. An excellent role model for children everywhere.


----------



## planethoth (Jun 14, 2005)

Here is a time when I can say something totally apolitical and positive.

I was never into bike racing or the Tour de France, but I cannot but admire Lance Armstrong. When I myself was diagnosed with testicular cancer eight years ago, at some point I learned about Lance's amazing recovery from the disease and how he was returning to cycling after this experience. It was inspiring, and of course was one of the things that gave me hope in a dark time.

Beating cancer does not make you a hero, he can thank God and the modern chemotherapy regimen that is curative for that. But it was truly a show of human greatness to come back from such a severe case of the disease and win seven Tour de France. I really admire him for that, and gave me a reason to pull for somebody in a race where previously I would have just yawned and changed the channel. 

Instead of leaving cycling through death or debilitating sickness, he leaves his profession triumphant and more alive than ever. This is something truly deserving of applause.


----------



## MaxPower (Jan 30, 2003)

planethoth said:


> ......Instead of leaving cycling through death or debilitating sickness, he leaves his profession triumphant and more alive than ever. This is something truly deserving of applause.


That, and he used his experience with cancer to truly try and make a difference. I'm sure he will now focus more on that cause with his retirement.


----------



## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

LIVESTRONG. A true inspiration.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

That's the only thing i really hate about anything, is those damn livestrong bracelets... they drive me nuts and have become more of a fashion statement then anything.


----------



## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

Makr said:


> That's the only thing i really hate about anything, is those damn livestrong bracelets... they drive me nuts and have become more of a fashion statement then anything.


??? They've raised over $20 million for testicular cancer and they drive you "nuts"? Be thankful they're not cancerous.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

I don't mean it like that, i mean that it's started a whole bunch of counterfeit and other bracelets. That's the part that drives me nuts. My problem is that instead of fundraising to a bunch of different foundations, shouldn't there be some sort of world consortium for this sort of thing? I mean if they were to put all the money together that is raised by all the various foundations and stuff there would be over 3 billion to get used by one company or whatever. I figure that cure would come sooner rather then later.


----------



## sdm688 (Dec 12, 2004)

Makr said:


> I don't mean it like that, i mean that it's started a whole bunch of counterfeit and other bracelets. That's the part that drives me nuts. My problem is that instead of fundraising to a bunch of different foundations, shouldn't there be some sort of world consortium for this sort of thing? I mean if they were to put all the money together that is raised by all the various foundations and stuff there would be over 3 billion to get used by one company or whatever. I figure that cure would come sooner rather then later.


 You'll never get what you suggested. There are simply too many worthy causes out there. Even if you just focus in on 1 field like cancer (and ignore other worthy causes such as Diabetes among other illnesses), how do you go tell someone their colon cancer research dollars are being diverted to lung cancer research it's on the rise?


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

That's entirely not my point. My point is that once they find away to actually get rid of cancer with chemo or whatever, all the need to do is figure out away to target each of the different kinds of the deasese. 

And there's nothing stopping the same thing happening for things like Aids and diabetes. 


Of course when they do find a cure, it's going to be horribly expensive. Plus the populations rates will just grow and grow and grow. which is another point entirely.


----------



## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

Cancer will not be cured. Cancer will be controlled. You can't cure death but you can prolong life and delay premature death. HIV can be controlled but not cured. It can also be prevented and we will see effective vaccines. Up to 50% of cancers can also be prevented by changes in lifestyle. Prevention is cheaper than control.


----------



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

Jim, re your comment that "Prevention is cheaper than control", I am in total agreement. It still amazes me that the fastest growing population of new smokers are teenage girls/women.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

Totally Prevention is the key. Eat healthy and have active lifestyle will do wonders for the world. It's sad to see my over-weight peers struggling running around a track.. once.

I wish Scouting was as active as it was many years ago, it challenges the mind body and soul. 


Wow, I sound like a promotion for it.


----------



## TroutMaskReplica (Feb 28, 2003)

my pet theory (and i have no scientific training whatsoever) is that a cure for cancer will come through nanotech, about 20 years from now. we should stop wasting our time on drugs, which are horrendously expensive and don't work anyway.


----------



## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

TMR, I beg to differ and have to ask what you'd tell patients who can't wait for a promised cure in 20+ years? Current drugs are a lot more effective than most people think. The problem is relapse and distant metastasis that occures 1 - 20 years after the primary treatment. Cancer is controlled in a significant fraction of patients.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

Unfortunally, cancer and aids and all those other diseases with no cure, is death control, like Tsunami's and the like. And i realize that statement is going to give me some flack.


----------



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You mean Ma Nature's answer to over population??

From Gaia's viewpoint....you're a hero.  - now there can be two getting flak.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

Pretty much, as much as it sucks. Earth cannot handle the current population like it is now. And so Death control.


----------



## Dr.G. (Aug 4, 2001)

LONDON (AP) -- Lance Armstrong's libel case against The Sunday Times will go to trial in November after London's Court of Appeal finalized defense details on Friday.

Armstrong, who retired after winning his seventh straight Tour de France last Sunday, is suing the British newspaper for printing a review of the book LA Confidentiel: les secrets de Lance Armstrong -- LA Confidential, The Secrets of Lance Armstrong -- in June 2004.

The article reprinted allegations that Armstrong had taken performance enhancing drugs. Armstrong has denied all doping allegations.


----------



## Makr (Jul 21, 2005)

There is pretty much no way the guy is on dope. The tour does have state of the art dope tests.


----------

