Armstrong the greatest US sportsman

[billyboy]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2002/sportsman/ (found a link)

Cant find a written link, but Lance Armstrong just got "crowned" world sportsman of the year in Monaco. When he returns from his customary May-long holidays, preparations will continu for his next foregone conclusion, his fifth consecutive Yellow jersey in the worlds greatest spectator sports event, the Tour de France.

Is Armstrong recognised in the States as the greatest sportsman in the world? Overcoming cancer to dominate the second toughest physical sport there is (after boxing) makes all the high profile football and basketball players look like millionaire pussycats wrapped in cotton wool.

 

[maradong]

Re: Armstrong the greatest US sportsman

Originally posted by billyboy
Cant find a written link, but Lance Armstrong just got "crowned" world sportsman of the year in Monaco. When he returns from his customary May-long holidays, preparations will continu for his next foregone conclusion, his fifth consecutive Yellow jersey in the worlds greatest spectator sports event, the Tour de France.

Is Armstrong recognised in the States as the greatest sportsman in the world? Overcoming cancer to dominate the second toughest physical sport there is (after boxing) makes all the high profile football and basketball players look like millionaire pussycats wrapped in cotton wool.

true but i dont think boxing is that hard. all you need is a lot of talent to become a good boxer ( fast eyes and so on ) ...

 

[zarathustra]

Re: Re: Armstrong the greatest US sportsman

Originally posted by maradong
true but i dont think boxing is that hard. all you need is a lot of talent to become a good boxer ( fast eyes and so on ) ...

Yeah, the theory of relativity wasn't hard to figure out either, all Einstein needed was a lot of intelligence.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Re: Re: Armstrong the greatest US sportsman

Originally posted by maradong
true but i dont think boxing is that hard. all you need is a lot of talent to become a good boxer ( fast eyes and so on ) ...

I think his quote was 'toughest physical sport' - and I'd have to say there's a difference in pushing yourself to perform and beat other people and getting hit by a Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali and then trying to push yourself to hit him back and knock him down.

Good for Lance - I think that's fantastic and I hope he can make a little of history and win again.

D

 

[jxyama]

Most Americans hear about Lance when he's on the cover of SI, winning a race. TV coverage is, in general, pretty poor. Announcers are from Europe, but average Americans won't understand what he's talking about most of the time...

I also sense that most Americans don't really understand what's involved in the Tour and how it really is a team sport.

He's made the Wheaties cover so people know who he is but I think he is quite underappreciated as a sportman. He's more of a celebrity just because his true athleticism is not properly recognized and the cancer part is dramatized. If he hadn't had to battle cancer, Americans wouldn't hype him as much, but I'd think he is deserving of being considered one of the greatest American athletes even if he never had cancer.

 

[tazo]

I think that to even finish the tour de france, in and of itself deserves a physical trophy. Lance armstrong is an inspiration everyone what determinating and hard work can perpetuate.

 

[Ugg]

I think cycling in the US has the taint of "Europeanness" just like cross-country skiing and many Americans don't view it as a real sport. It also doesn't "do" TV well, a prerequisite if there ever was one in the US. Too bad really. Anyway, Lance is an amazing athlete and deserves the title.

Few people have any idea of the level of endurance that is needed in cycling. IMO it is the toughest sport. It is the only one I devote any time to. Most other "sports" in the US are mostly about money.

 

[billyboy]

Originally posted by Ugg
It also doesn't "do" TV well, a prerequisite if there ever was one in the US.

Thats interesting, because in Europe it is the TV coverage that has brought cycling to the people. If you ever get invited to view a stage of a Tour , Giro or Vuelta live, Id recommend only going for the atmosphere. You get almost no appreciation of what the cycling is all about at the side of the road. Sure you can see the pain n their faces during a mountain stage, but literally only a fleeting glance.

I am in a cycle paradise in Spain, the home town of Roberto Heras, and the general feeling is that he is the reason Armstrong can only get better. Heras is the greatest hill climber there is, and Armstrong made sure he was paid a fortune to joiin US Postal and act as his pace maker in he all-important climbs. Heras climb of the Angliru last year in the Vuelta eclipsed even Lance's record sprint up the Alps. Just a bit of insider info there for ye.

 

[maradong]

Originally posted by Ugg

Few people have any idea of the level of endurance that is needed in cycling. IMO it is the toughest sport. It is the only one I devote any time to. Most other "sports" in the US are mostly about money.

right, just my point of view. but i forumlated it badly. well english is not my native language ...

apart from that. cycling is really the only sport aside climbing i practice. i do cycling for the endurance, and climbing for the fun.

 

[yzedf]

Originally posted by billyboy
Thats interesting, because in Europe it is the TV coverage that has brought cycling to the people. If you ever get invited to view a stage of a Tour , Giro or Vuelta live, Id recommend only going for the atmosphere. You get almost no appreciation of what the cycling is all about at the side of the road. Sure you can see the pain n their faces during a mountain stage, but literally only a fleeting glance.

I am in a cycle paradise in Spain, the home town of Roberto Heras, and the general feeling is that he is the reason Armstrong can only get better. Heras is the greatest hill climber there is, and Armstrong made sure he was paid a fortune to joiin US Postal and act as his pace maker in he all-important climbs. Heras climb of the Angliru last year in the Vuelta eclipsed even Lance's record sprint up the Alps. Just a bit of insider info there for ye.

Funy thing is, Lance is generally known known for dropping all the climbers rather easily. That coupled with his natural talent in the individual time trial (probably due to his triathalon background), and he is more or less bound to win a race like the TdF. He is not as awe inspiring in his victories as Lemond or Indurain ever were, but I think that has a lot to do with the level of competition now versus the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's.

 

[billyboy]

Originally posted by yzedf
Funy thing is, Lance is generally known known for dropping all the climbers rather easily. That coupled with his natural talent in the individual time trial (probably due to his triathalon background), and he is more or less bound to win a race like the TdF. He is not as awe inspiring in his victories as Lemond or Indurain ever were, but I think that has a lot to do with the level of competition now versus the late 1980's and early to mid 1990's.

Its hard to compare champions in different eras because they can only beat the best at the time. I think the fact that every single cyclist in the world at the moment is basically wishing they could beat Armstrong gives some perspective to whatit is to be an oustanding champion. I know its subjective at the best of times saying so-and-so is the greatest, (guilty as charged) but at least with champions you can find a yardstick ie the TDF. I cant imagine how you compare Romiger with Beloki etc to come up with the strength of the opposition in different eras.

I agree that Indurain was awesome, probably the most awesome cyclist in modern times, not from the point of view of his achievements, which are amazing in themselves, but the manner in which he raced. A peaceful, powerful giant with no ego, he was and still is the epitome of the complete sportsman. I believe though that, unlike Armstrong, Indurain never won a mountain stage in the Tour de France. He didnt need to!

Armstrong admitted he doesnt race to make friends, which is fair enough, but in the TDF, Armstrong is "the" all-round terminator, and as the TDF is the race by which cyclists are judged, victories number 5 and beyond, injury permitting, will likely follow and plonk him at the top of the pile.

I hear what you say about Armstrong and hills, but Heras is not allowed to go head to head with him. Team orders and all that.

 

[jefhatfield]

i wouldn't say lance armstrong is as visible as shaq or barry bonds, but his achievements are amazing

there will never be anyone as big as babe ruth when it comes to american sports...too much competition now and different areas/sports for people to divert their attention to

and the fast pace of the media and short attention span on anyone famous or infamous

 

[wdlove]

I think that Lance Armstrong is a great athlete. He has overcome amazing trials in his life. A true inspiration to many. I see him occasionally in commercials. The only real national coverage that he gets is during the Tour de France.

 

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by tazo
I think that to even finish the tour de france, in and of itself deserves a physical trophy. Lance armstrong is an inspiration everyone what determinating and hard work can perpetuate.

Heck yeah that is reallly long, and man, didn't he have cancer when doing it? trys to remember
Well anyway he deserves it!

 

[wdlove]

Originally posted by MrMacman
Heck yeah that is reallly long, and man, didn't he have cancer when doing it? trys to remember
Well anyway he deserves it!

Lance Armstrong had metastatic testicular cancer in 1996. After surgery and chemotherapy he returned in 1998 to win 4 Tour de France titlese



http://www.lancearmstrong.com/lance/online2.nsf/main?readform

 

[MrMacMan]

Originally posted by wdlove
Lance Armstrong had metastatic testicular cancer in 1996. After surgery and chemotherapy he returned in 1998 to win 4 Tour de France titlese



http://www.lancearmstrong.com/lance/online2.nsf/main?readform

Ah yes thank you.

 

[pseudobrit]

Re: Re: Armstrong the greatest US sportsman

Originally posted by maradong
true but i dont think boxing is that hard. all you need is a lot of talent to become a good boxer ( fast eyes and so on ) ...

Try it sometime. I'll give you $20 if you can make it through five rounds. It's absolutely fatiguing.

 

[MrMacMan]

Re: Re: Re: Armstrong the greatest US sportsman

Originally posted by pseudobrit
Try it sometime. I'll give you $20 if you can make it through five rounds. It's absolutely fatiguing.

Yeah taking punch after punch in critical areas is defiantly gonna hurt you, atleast knock you down once in a while.