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What they said about Armstrong

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PARIS (Reuters) -- This is what riders, coaches, fans and even the eventual winner himself had to say about Lance Armstrong as he rode his way to a third consecutive Tour de France victory on Sunday:

"It will be a hard, close fight between [Jan] Ullrich and Armstrong. Armstrong may have a slight advantage over the first few days because he comes straight from the Tour of Switzerland but then it will be a matter of seconds. Both will fight at the same, very high level."
--Walter Godefroot, chief of Ullrich's Telekom team, speaking in late June as he unveiled his nine-strong team for the Tour.

"I disagree with the view that I'm the overwhelming favorite. There are guys who are as strong as me who've won this race before and guys as strong as me who have won other races."
--Armstrong, just before the Tour began in Dunkirk.

"I'm not thinking about winning the whole race. There are still three weeks to go and Armstrong is very hard to beat...I know he can be beaten, though."
--Festina rider Christophe Moreau, after winning the Tour's prologue in Dunkirk. Moreau abandoned the Tour during the 12th stage.

"Lance Armstrong is my hero. I think he's an absolute inspiration. To come back like he did from cancer, it inspired me to do the sport."
--Weary cycling fan Alan House, 52, of Preston, England, after ascending Alpe d'Huez a few hours before Armstrong put his remarkable stamp on the same climb.

"This was a real attack by Armstrong -- we all should have expected it...This quite simply is the story of the favorite fulfilling expectations."
--Roger Legeay, sport director of the Credit Agricole team, after Armstrong won the first stage in the Alps by powering past his rivals at the base of Alpe d'Huez.

"He's the best rider in the world. Today just proved that."
--Breathless Australian sprinter Stuart O'Grady, after Armstrong won his first stage at Alpe d'Huez.

"He deserves the cycling Oscar."
--Actor, cycling fan and Armstrong friend Robin Williams, commenting on how the Texan bluffed his opponents into thinking he was hurting before he won the 10th stage at Alpe d'Huez.

"This was an important stage. The climb was good for Ullrich and the fact Lance could take a minute on him says a lot."
--Johan Bruyneel, sport director of Armstrong's U.S. Postal team, after the Texan won his second consecutive stage in the Alps and added 60 seconds to his lead over Ullrich.

"I still believe there's another level of Lance Armstrong."
--Armstrong, after winning his second consecutive stage in the Alps, an uphill individual time trial from Grenoble to Chamrousse.

"A well-directed meteor shower."
--Former Armstrong teammate Jonathan Vaughters, speaking on the first rest day about the few things that could stop the Texan from winning a third Tour.

"When Armstrong quits cycling. Then it's possible."
--Vicente Belda, boss of a powerful Kelme team, on when one of his riders would be in a position to win the Tour.

"People should look at my face when I'm training like a dog back home or on my training camps. It's an ugly face. I'd rather have it then and feel good here."
--Armstrong, responding to suggestions after winning his third stage victory that he makes cycling look easy.

"Armstrong is impossible to match. He's the best... I've tried everything and I have no regrets."
--Ullrich, all but conceding defeat to Armstrong after missing what was arguably his final chance to reel in the defending champion's lead in the 144.5-kilometer stage from Tarbes to Luz-Ardiden.

"That first week he kept a low profile, remained behind his bodyguards... There was a radical change in the Pyrenees. He became more open, he signed autographs, he was more cooperative with journalists."
--Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc, describing how Armstrong had become more open during the mountain stages.

"Armstrong -- you either like him or you don't. Personally, I've never been friends with him. Sometimes we've had exchanges that were less than friendly."
--Former world number one Laurent Jalabert in an interview with French sports daily L'Equipe, published after the final mountain stage.

"I don't look at myself as a [Miguel] Indurain or a [Jacques] Anquetil or an [Eddy] Merckx or a [Bernard] Hinault... I look at myself as a lesser rider. Perhaps that's normal or natural, I don't know."
--Armstrong, comparing himself with the only riders who have each won five Tours.

"It's fitting that the leader of the free world and the leader of the world of cycling should both come from Texas."
--Tom Domine, 34-year-old cycling fan from Dallas, Texas.

 

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