I was going through some old Tour photos last night, and I came across some shots that I took during the 2002 Tour. This shot is from the stage that went right through the middle of the lovely village of Vianden, in the Luxembourg Ardennes. It’s a really sweet place, with pavé streets, delightful shops, warm friendly people, and a magnificent castle towering over the little village.

I stayed for about three nights in the Hotel Heintz, which has been owned by the same family for about four hundred years. The front door was three feet from the race route - it climbed right in front of the hotel.

The first morning I was there, the owner saw my Go Lance banner and he immediately took it out of my hands and headed up the narrow staircase with it. Over his shoulder, he told me he was going to hang it up. I kinda stood there, with my mouth open, wondering if I was ever going to get it back. Obviously, he was a huge Lance fan....

His wife, with a big smile, showed me the way to a delightful petit dejeuner, overlooking a lovely garden area. I ate, wondering where in the heck my banner was. Later, the owner came up and took me outside, pointing overhead. There was the banner, stretched clear across the street with the American flag and the Luxembourg (I think) flag. It was visible from the entire village, and especially by the peloton as it made a left-hand turn and started up the long, narrow, cobble-stone road through the middle of the village.

Vianden has remained one of my most favorite places from the five years that I’ve done the Tour de France.... Check out the Link below...

Well, bummer to hear that Mike Creed is not going to be with the team next year. He is just a cool dude, and what I like about him is that he is his own person. He makes me think of what Dr. Seuss said, “ Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind”. I always tried to take pics of him to send to his site when I was at races.... He'll be riding his last DC team race at the BGI SF Grand Prix... He’s had a tough year with that EB virus, but Creed is tough and persistent - he’ll work his arse off for the team that signs him on.... Hey, Creed, Saunier Duval is looking for American riders....

I’m looking forward to seeing all the guys in a couple of days in SF. I’ll be heading up Wednesday night or early Thursday morning - a couple of the European teams are coming in today or tomorrow, but most are arriving on Wednesday. I’ll be doing my Food Police thing again for the teams meals. I’m the “door person” who makes the teams eat their meals in the right place and without any interruptions. Three times a day I get to see all the guys and greet them: breakfast, lunch and dinner. If they dine out at a restaurant, I accompany them - Food Escort Service... Tough job, huh? I’ll also be in charge of the course marshals on the far end (Fillmore, etc) of the course. Plus a sponsor photographer, and working in Race HQ, and general go-fer.... stuff like picking up the official race vehicles, or picking up teams from the airport - whatever needs doing....

Photo is Creed hitting the top of Fillmore in SF last year....

Zowee and Zap! George wins the GP Ouest France Plouay in a bunch sprint... And who was working for him? Eki!! Yes, very quietly and unannounced, Eki is racing again.. Fantastic news...

Alright.... Discovery Team does just fine in the Vuelta TT - Tom Danielson did a smart ride and came in 5th place - two seconds ahead of Roberto Heras.... Nice going, Tom! It was kinda hard to see that Joseba Beloki had his rear wheel slip out on the first turn and he went sliding to the ground... Scary deja vu thing....

I had sat down late last night to write a bit about how the Discovery Team and Lance do have tons fans and friends in France, and that, for me, anyway, my comments go after the crappy French media. Yeah, I get emails from folks in France who hate Lance and believe nothing good, BUT, I get lots more from folks who remain as loyal as ever to Lance, and who do not believe what their own L’Creep says at all.

If you’ve been reading this blog, and/or reading my daily Tour reports on LanceArmstrong.com for the past three or so years, you know that the French people have been wonderfully warm, welcoming and helpful to me.... I’ve written about that many times, and if you’ve looked at the book I co-authored, Tour de France for Dummies, you will see in the Authors Dedications and Acknowledgements that I wrote this:

I would also like to thank the people of France and Belgium for their gracious hospitality and generosity every year. Thanks, too, for their unhesitating assistance during the times when I was hopelessly lost along the Tour route. Merci beaucoup por tout. Vive le Tour! (Even though some ding-dong proof-reader somewhere at Wiley changed it to “beaucomp” in the final wording for the book - and the Wiley Project Editor who spoke fluent French and didn’t catch it).

But the point is that my comments in the blog are not directed at the French people - many, many fans there like and respect Lance... Since my Blog Comments are turned off, I am going to include emails from two French people, both received after I started writing today’s post... One is from Christine, who I ran into a few times during the Tour this year, and one from Eric, who zings us pretty good, and says to everyone, hey - don't trash our whole country just because you are pissed at the media....

Quoted from Christine, writing from France:
“My young friend .... and I are Lance's most faithful French fans and I want
you to know that we are totally put off by the relentlessness of French
medias.
We believe there is a conspiracy against Lance which had been carefully
prepared and planned for a long time.
The French cannot stand to see an American win seven times their most
prestigious trophy while no French, and even European, rider will ever be
able to get close to this record.
The French cannot forgive Lance for being too good!

We love your blog and read it daily to keep ourselves informed on the latest
news about the Discovery Channel riders and their families. Thank you for
the numerous beautiful photos you so kindly share with all the fans.

Please tell us in what way we can help, from the French side, to support and
defend Lance and the team”.

Quoted from Eric, writing from France, in response to Ryan's email that was posted here:
“I'm French, and I just read some of your articles on your blog. I was really mad about the e-mail from Ryan. It's unbelievable to see what crazy bullshit american people can sometimes say about our country. You American guys especially...Unfortunately.
I'm not fond of cycling, but as everyone else, I heard the news about Armstrong's case. Actually I don't know the truth about Armstrong getting doped or not (although I've got my idea on this point...but it's nothing more than a personal opinion). I've got nothing to do with any of the French media you 're talking about in your blog, and to be honest, I don't understand why you feel yourself so often obliged to insult our country for whatever crappy reason.

When Ryan says that Armstrong raised much money for our "good old country", he should remember that the French Tour used to exist waaayyyy back before LA.... Maybe it's something new or unbelievable for him, but in France we don't need American dollars to live. I was laughing to death when I read that LA made us rich thanks to all the souvenirs he used to buy in France. Seriously, guys, seriously... Read your text twice before putting this on your blog....... LA eating "bad French food" ? C'mon, do you know there's a life after your crappy Mc Donalds ?????? I never heard that the USA were infamous for their outstanding cooking skills... LA "bolstering our economy" ? Seriously, man, who do you think you are ??? People who are actually bolstering our economy are all the French tourists that come to see the race, and not an american savior... If LA didn't make the French Tour, there would be as many people coming to see it, they just would see someone else win the race, as it was the case before LA's years, but of course you don't remember that...
If I were reacting like you, I would say that LA's a doped jerk, and since he's a doped jerk, the entire United States of America stink like you wouldn't know. And where would we go from here ?
But I won't. Wanna know why ? Cause I've got lots of American friends, and I'm proud of it. Like many other French people, I truly appreciate your contry that I visited twice. I've got ABSOLUTELY NOTHING against American people. But what gives you such a bad reputation in the whole world is this silly habit to think that every population in the world owes you something.

Ryan doesn't remember of any "international cross-over hero" from France ? Do you remember this guy named Jean-Michel Bayle who beat the crap outta all your SX riders in the 90's ?? Shall I remember him what kind of crap we used to read about him in the US press at this time, just because US journalists were upset about the american defeat ? No, of course, it would hurt the hand-on-the-heart American pride... Jeeze, man... Once again, where do we go from here ?

I fully understand that LA's fans are upset about these accusations, but PLEASE don't take this as an excuse to vomit on my country, this is just childish... But American people are known to be childish, aren't they ? Aaahhh... reputations...

Thanks for your time...It had to be said.”

So different strokes from different folks.... We’ve now had a sample from the American point of view and from the French point of view - Just like religion and politics, nobody is going to change anyone else’s point of view on this subject... You all know exactly where I stand in support of Lance, so this blog is now gonna move on to other things....

So, tearing ourselves away from the L’Creep gutter and wiping their stench off our shoes, let’s get back to reality, we got a Vuelta happening tomorrow.... Nope, we’re not gonna get to be glued to OLN every day, dammit.... What’s the next best thing if you live in cycling-deprived countries like I do? I had been doing chants and incantations for Cycling.TV to get the rights and the euros to pay for them, but that’s a no-go. I woulda been glad to pop a few bucks a day for their live coverage... I liked those guys.... When you emailed them, they actually answered back!

So we have the good old standbys: Eurosport.com, Velonews.com and Cyclingnews.com. I’m not sure if Eurosport will have audio coverage - I haven’t looked yet.... I cyber around all three to get the scoop, and pound away at the Refresh button. Good thing those guys don’t type as slow or make as many typos as I do... Of course, we all want instant news....

The Discovery team line-up looks good: Ace, Triki, Tom, Stijn, Leif, Benoit, Benjamin, Michael and Max. Yikes, I just realized that I don’t have it up yet on my DC fan site. We have some strong legs and a great determination to do well - these guys are clean and mean....

I’m working on a photography project, so this is short and...whatever. Thanks so much for all your emails and your thoughtful comments and suggestions. Lance fans are pretty sharp cookies - they know what’s going on....

Team photo is at the 2005 training camp....

News Flash!! An unidentified source who claims to have access to documentation by the French Police has disclosed that they are hot on the trail of Lance Armstrong and the Discovery Team for yet another crime. The French Police have evidence from the Italian Police that Lance Armstrong had been hiding Osama Bin Laden in the Team bus during the Tour de France. Evidently Bin Laden had been using the team bus as a hide-out since the 1999 Tour de France. This year, Osama had been wearing a Discovery Team tee shirt, Nike tennis shoes and had borrowed George’s new sunglasses as a disguise. Osama had been in charge of cleaning the expresso machine, but was seen by an unidentified source sneaking in and out of the team hotel carrying a blue ice-chest to disguise the caffeine-laden expresso machine....

Upon reading this in L’Creep, La Merde, and other media sources, Jean Marie LeBlanc immediately announced to the press that Lance owed his fans and his country an explanation, because the connection of Osama to Lance and the Team had been proven beyond a reasonable doubt - Hey, it was printed in the newspapers - what more does one need?

Wow - Hatred is an ugly thing.... I see it as a toxic, puke-yellow-green colored place festering inside some folks. Hatred doesn’t seem to co-exist with common sense or rational thinking, and Hatred believes anything that is written anywhere, but only as long as it says what Hatred wants to hear.

Oh, yeah, the other thing I am learning about Hatred is that it usually calls itself “Anonymous” and rarely has a legitimate email address.... However, since I have access to the originating IP of all posts to my Lance Guestmap and Guestbook, I notice that Hatred seems to live fairly often in France, Spain and South America.... Yep, Hatred lives right here in the good ole US of A, too..

I received dozens and dozens of emails, and really, only a very few were from Haters. Most of the emails were from rational, thinking folks who don’t swallow L’Creep stories and headlines as “facts”. The following is an email that summarizes very well the contents of all the emails that are coming in. Ryan from Colorado, gave me the OK to use this....

Hi Velogal -

Long time reader here. Had some things on my chest that I wanted to
get out.

It's just amazing to me how in less than two days, French media has
taken this so far to the extreme. Now in its wake are American media
outlets ambulance chasing these outlandish reports. I just don't
understand. Firstly, I think you're right about this bastion of
yellow journalism again throwing out unmerited allegations. Who can
dispute this research? They know it; they can say what they want to,
he's a public figure.

Secondly, and this is the thing I always say when people dispute LA's
cleanliness: what would be his motivation to dope? The man has
survived advanced stages of cancer and returning to even ride
professionally is a feat unto itself. Take a look at the man and you
see that the people and places he goes above and beyond his
profession to do what he thinks is right is unbelievable. Not
withstanding Ride for the Roses, Tour of Hope, extensive visits with
cancer patients, not to mention his own cancer foundation which has
raised incredible amounts of money for research - and is listed as
one of the most streamlined non-profits (no excessives: close to all
of the money goes to the cause). He's a hero and an inspiration to
millions. Again, what would be his motivation to risk this by blood
doping?

As the red-headed stepchild of Europe (and the rest of the world for
that matter), France is left once again as an island unto itself. It
would be an interesting L'Equipe report to take into account the
money and awareness that LA has raised for that good country. Take
into accounts the millions that have flocked to the French
countryside during the past seven Julys, staying in French hotels,
eating bad French food, buying souvenirs, bolstering their economy.
Where's your Messiah now, Frenchies? He's back in Austin - and again
outcasted by the people and culture he's been such an advocate for
throughout his cycling career. Talk about biting the hand that feeds
you! He gave those yellow tabloiders a job all those years ago.

This isn't new news, granted. But for some reason when I wake up and
see polls plastered on ESPN.com asking whether people think that
Lance is clean (70% approval rating, although good if you're a
president, is just ridiculous). This seems like a different day for
this second coming of the same old cavalry. It makes me sad and
angry. Not just because I'm a fan of LA, but because he can become
another victim of people who are admittedly out to get him. They
have been for years. Why? Because he's too good. And that's
something that France and the rest of Europe have never had any
experience with. They've never had an international cross-over hero
of this sort. Seriously, I can't even think of a famous French
person. Wait, Gerard Depardieu - there's one. Tin Tin - there's
another...

Give me a break. I hope and pray that this blows over like it always
has - because Lance has shown us all how to face adversity. It just
irritates the piss out of me to see his good name get slandered.
Keep on truckin', LA. Thanks for your good work, VG.

Thanks, Ryan - Well said, and kudos to you, too! And kudos to all of you who LiveStrong in your belief in Lance and his dedication to finding a cure for cancer - Thanks for all your supportive, thoughtful emails...

Oh, yeah - The pic is the Texas flag flying high above Le Crillion Hotel in Paris, France.

OK - This is a blog - not a forum for flaming... Comments are turned off - You can email me with your comments - But you might as well know that Lance-hating and Lance-bashing emails get deleted, unread.... TS ...Head on over to the forums and chat rooms if you want to flame and debate this....

Yawn....zzzzzzzz...same ole...same ole... L’Equipe is up to their usual sleazy journalism.. Sell those papers, get those hits on their site... Dig thru garbage, dredge up frozen piss, do whatever it takes, ‘cause doping accusations about Lance still sells.... Gee, not too much to write about now that the Tour is over - Bashing Jan about his weight is boring, and the Tyler thing has kinda slipped off the sensational headlines... Virenque, the proven doper, is the national French hero, so leave him alone - don’t touch his frozen piss... Let’s get Lance...

I was thinking this morning about how this one reporter from L’Equipe is always around Lance and the team. I forget his name - let’s call him Dick... Every year at training camp, Dick and his photographer show up in their expensive rental car. Like media prima donnas, they expect the royalty treatment and exclusive access for interviews. They are haughty, demanding and rude, to say the least. They act like Solvang is Hicksville, and have no respect or appreciation for the warm, friendly people or the beauty of the countryside around Solvang.

These same guys are always at the Tour, pushing and shoving the rest of us around to get their interviews and photos. With big, phony grins and handshakes, they interview Johan and Dirk and the team. With hearty handshakes and the sharp knife of sleazy journalism hidden behind their backs, they pretend to pander to Lance and the team to get the access they want.

Know what? I hope that the management of the Discovery Team just sends L’Equipe out the door, and tells the Dick guy, “Don’t let it hit you in the butt as you leave....”. The DC team damn well does not need that two-bit French newspaper - We do not need their sleazy publicity and we damn sure don’t get any good will from them.

So what I’d sure like to see is a No-Interviews-for-L’Equipe Policy go into effect as of right now.... F’em - nobody even remotely connected with the team even gives them the time of day from now on.... C’est finis, L’Equipe Dick...

Photo is from 2004 Tour....

As I predicted, Lance showed up in Trek Town, (Waterloo, Wisconsin) for a surprise visit and tour of the humongous Trek campus. About 600 employees were called outside for a surprise meeting - the surprise was Lance. He thanked them and praised them for their quality work on the bikes that have carried him to seven victories in the Tour de France. This is the second visit to the Trek digs for Lance, but Trek technology and testing mechanisms have changed lots in the past four years....

The annual Trek dealers convention is happening in Waterloo now, instead of later at Interbike in Las Vegas. John Burke, head honcho of Trek, decided to showcase the Trek digs, and Waterloo, WI this year, to inspire dealer loyalty...

On the loyalty theme, Lance said that he will be a lifetime Trek athlete - his contract with Trek runs through 2010. Trek’s loyalty to, and support of Lance is well-proven, but John Burke made a presentation of 1,000 shares of Trek Corporation stock for each of the seven Tour wins - Lance now owns 7,000 shares of Trek. Lance joked and said for that, he might consider going for another one... Just Joking!! Ha - Keep your eyes out for news headlines, now, that Lance is gonna go for eight - and laugh....

And, thanks for all your comments about yesterday’s posting - here and via email!

Roger Hammond is on fire now that he has been named to ride on the Great Britain team at the six0stage Tour of Great Britain, starting on Aug 30th. He’ll also do the World’s - wearing the GB championship jersey and looking for a repeat win. Photo is from the 2004 training camp...

So I told you that I would let you know about the letter I wrote to the SL Tribune about that column in the Business Digest. (See August 17th blog post) I’m going to share the letters with you - mainly to encourage you to write to a newspaper or any other media form, when you disagree, or see some kind of injustice or innuendo, or see mistaken assumptions.... Following is the email sequence with Linda Fantin, Business Editor of the SL Tribune:

My email to reporter Linda Fantin on Aug 17th:
I am really annoyed and disappointed about this paragraph in the 8/16/05 Business Digest column about Lance Armstrong's Nu Skin
convention appearance:

"Armstrong has been accused by other cyclists of taking performance-enhancing drugs, which may explain the disclaimer on Nu Skin's Web site: Lance Armstrong's speaking engagement at the Nu Skin Enterprises Global Convention does not imply an endorsement of the company or its products."

What was your intention and purpose in adding this innuendo? The disclaimer is there because Lance is a paid keynote speaker, just like other celebrities who appear at conventions, and Nu Skin is not retaining (paying) him to endorse their product. Pretty simple... The same as when Tiger Woods is a keynote speaker at a convention, or any other sports celebrity. There is no hidden meaning, Linda, it's just business. A disclaimer is required so there will be no implied endorsement...You write a Business Digest column, don't you? I guess I am assuming that you have some grasp of business principles. It's obvious that you've not done your homework about cycling...

Linda Fantin’s response to me, dated Aug 18th:
Your point about such disclaimers being a normal business practice
is a good one. But I disagree that it was inappropriate to include
such information and to note that Mr. Armstrong has been accused by
some of his colleagues of taking performance-enhancing drugs.
As you point out, it stands to reason that Mr. Armstrong would
insist on such a disclaimer if for no other reason than to make sure
that people do not assume the opposite is true -- that he is acting
as a spokesman for a company that makes many substances banned by
athletic organizations. In my editorial judgment, it would be an
error of omission not to note both of those facts.
Your admiration for Mr. Armstrong is understandable. My intention
was not to make it look like Mr. Armstrong was guilty, only to
acknowledge an obvious juxtaposition.

My response to her Aug 18th email, also dated Aug. 18th:
Thank you for your response to my letter. But, if you are going to write about "both of these facts":
1. Could you be specific about what are the banned substances that the Nu Skin company makes? In looking at the Nu Skin website, I see that they market products for skin care, hair care, oral care, fragrances and cosmetics. I don't see any banned substances on Nu Skin's product list, nor do I see any obvious juxtaposition of their products to banned substances or performance-enhancing drugs.
2. Could you be specific about what "athletic organizations" you are citing that ban these Nu Skin substances?
3. Could you be specific about what colleagues have made accusations about Lance Armstrong? There have not been accusations from any other riders that Lance Armstrong has used performance-enhancing drugs. What is your information source?

Linda Fantin’s response, also dated Aug 18th:
Dear Sammarye,
NuSkin has a dietary supplement division called Pharmanex which
makes various performance-enhancing products. However, upon further
research - prompted by your questions - I must correct my earlier
statements. While the World Anti-Doping Agency recommends that
athletes avoid supplements, there is no evidence that any Pharmanex
product contains substances banned by WADA. And a group called
Consumer Labs, which appears to be independent of Pharmanex, has
certified the company's products to be safe for athletes.
This has not always been the case. For years, Pharmanex was a
leading producer of ephedra and recently won a lawsuit that
overturned the federal ban on the banned stimulant.
I was mistaken, and I thank you for helping to educate me. In
hindsight, I should have not linked the disclaimer to the allegations
against Mr. Armstrong. I will discuss the possibility of running a
clarification.

My response, dated Aug 19th:
Linda -
I appreciate your willingness to dialogue with me, and your offer to run a clarification of your column of August 16th.

Riding with Lance at Madame Tussauds? OK, gang, this creeps me out.... Check the link.

Heads Up! For the Barclays Global Investors Grand Prix in San Francisco on September 3rd and 4th. Just got word that Ivan Basso, Dave Zabriskie and the CSC team will appear at the Speedplay booth in the Expo on Saturday, the 3rd at 2 pm. The BGIGP website is www.sanfrangrandprix.com. Photo of Ivan Basso is after the finish of Stage 10 climb from Grenoble to Courcheval - TdF 2005.

George Hincapie Day in Greenville, NC will be September 9th. We’re talking parade, dignitaries, music, food, and a twenty-one wheel salute. Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit on the salute, but they are planning on having a bicycle-raised-front-wheel salute to him before the ceremonies. It’s pretty special to win a stage at the Tour, but it’s also pretty special to be the guy who has ridden all seven Tours with Lance....

Speaking of Lance... At the 24 Hour Fitness appearance in Colorado, Lance was asked for the umpteenth hundred time if he was really retiring. Sez Lance, “Stick a fork in me, I’m done”.

I recently talked about the problem for riders with those nasty cysts or boils, and now I see an article in a NZ site about Hayden Roulston and the difficulties he is having with one of those non-healing cysts. Hayden has been off the bike for over four months, following an unsuccessful operation to remove the problem cyst. Problem was the usual - he had ridden with the cyst bothering him for months and months... Big mistake... It only gets worse. The operation was not successful - and he tried to get back on the bike too soon. He now can ride only an hour every other day and doesn’t know when he can really start training again. Hayden has missed almost the whole 2005 season... What a bummer for him and for the DC team. Follow the Link to read the article.

I just saw on the newswire the kind of reporting that really pisses me off. I’m not sure if the reporter is stupid or sleazy. It’s in the Business Digest of the Salt Lake City Tribune, and in a rather innocuous short article by someone named Linda Fantin. The article is announcing that Lance will be Guest of Honor and Keynote speaker for the Nu Skin worldwide convention called, “Choose to be a Champion”, held from October 5th thru 8th. Ok. fine....

But then she adds this paragraph:
“Armstrong has been accused by other cyclists of taking performance-enhancing drugs, which may explain the disclaimer on Nu Skin's Web site: Lance Armstrong's speaking engagement at the Nu Skin Enterprises Global Convention does not imply an endorsement of the company or its products.”

Hello, Linda, are you dense or what? The disclaimer is there because Lance is a paid keynote speaker, just like other celebrities who appear at conventions, and Nu Skin is not retaining (paying) him to endorse their product.

Pretty simple... The same as when Tiger Woods is a keynote speaker at a convention, or any other sports celebrity. There is no hidden meaning, Linda, it’s just business. A disclaimer is required so there will be no implied endorsement of the product... You write a Business Digest column, don’t you? I guess I am assuming that you have some grasp of business principles. It’s obvious that you’ve not done your homework about cycling...

Yeah - I wrote her a email.... I’ll let you know if she responds...

Photo is Stage 20 before the big TT - Lance and the kids are playing, while the other teams are warming up...

Pretty quiet on the cycling front right now... I see that Lance is going to be in Lowry, Colorado tomorrow for the opening of a 24 Hour Fitness: go to www.thepaceline.com for more info. Wonder if he will bring his bike? Lotsa great climbing in Colorado to entice him to take a little ride...

I was going through some old pics and found some from the Tour 2002 - all I had then was a Sony Cybershot 505V. It took really nice, sharp images if nothing moved - it had a 10x Carl Zeiss zoom lens, and the battery life sucked. But I had a lot of fun shots, and lost a whole bunch of them in a computer crash a couple of years ago. But this pic of a French couple beside my car and Go Lance banner made me smile. I don’t remember what stage it was, but I sure experienced how much the French people loved Lance.

I was driving the green Skoda diesel and it was really a sweet car... For whatever reason, I pulled over beside the road on a totally flat part of the course. I think there was a huge traffic jam with busses and RVs, so I knew I was too late to get anywhere significant, and said to Hell with it and pulled over to wait for the peloton to fly by. I parked about two feet off the road, with a line of spectator cars parked in front of me and behind me. I got out to put up my Go Lance banner and American flag. There was a slight bend in the road, and I knew that the huge neon yellow banner would be visible to the peloton from way down the road.

Johan and Dirk always honked and/or flashed their headlights at me from the team car when they saw me with my banner that year, and Lance waggled his fingers at me when they were just riding tempo on the flats, or grunted at me when he was climbing. So that year, I always found a spot kinda away from the crowds and stood with my banner in silent suport, waiting to see if I received any acknowledgement from the team guys that they saw the banner...

Well, here I was, right in the middle of the French countryside, with my yellow Go Lance tee shirt, my yellow Go Lance hat, my huge Go Lance banner and the Stars and Stripes. The French fans had been at their spots for and long time already, and were picque-nicking with their tables, chairs, dogs, and food. I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I would get, but I just smiled and nodded to them all. I decided to open my trunk and tie the banner to it and to a signpost that I parked right up against. I was rummaging around in my car for anything I could find to use for string or rope.

Much to my pleasant surprise, the folks from the car behind me walked up with bungee cords, and the people in front of me brought some heavy twine. None of them spoke English and I knew about ten words in French. But they all pitched in and helped me get my sign up.. We all did a lot of laughing and communicating with gestures to get the banner up, and it was real clear that Lance was a favorite in that spot!

The two people in the photo (I think their names are Bernard and Christine) invited me to picque-nique with them - they had a tablecloth spread out on the ground just out of the picture. They fed me pate on delicious rough, country bread, peches and Cinzano... Yummy.. The people parked in front of me later offered cafe au lait out of a huge thermos and sweet biscuits.

These people were so warm and welcoming - I had a most lovely, charming afternoon with them - it didn’t matter one bit that we spoke different languages...

And, yes, when the Posties came by, the headlights flashed, the horn tooted and several of my Posties waved at me when they saw the banner...

Monday Morning Stuff... Armstrong Radio Sirius Faction was a re-run - from the day Lance did the race in Ojai. I actually had not heard the entire show, so it was good to hear Lance talk about the Mike Anderson BS and his view of the media... Lance is not about to let anyone lay some smear trip on him that is a bunch of lies....

So, I was totally on overload the last two or three days - I decided to organize my small living space, and sent a lot of time at Ikea, and in then mi casa assembling storage units and throwing out junk. BTW - I am now a whiz at the Ikea system..

The other project that I’ve been spending quite a bit of time and energy on is expanding my photography business. So a new website is being launched, with the help of my friend and Web Guru at Nicerpage.com. Check out the site - it’s still in progress....... I’ve decided to do some select wedding photography - I’m returning to doing weddings on a limited basis, after several years hiatus where I’ve concentrated on sports and cycling. So I need to develop an updated digital wedding portfolio. For the next couple of weeks, I’m willing to offer an inexpensive fee in exchange for the use of wedding photos for my portfolio... I’m also shooting a wedding next Saturday...

I put up some new photos on the page I have for my little friend, Cameron Stewart. He and his brother, Ben, competed in a Kid’s Triathlon near Sacramento. Cam is a 5 year survivor, and Lance is his hero. My blog entry last June 16 tells Cam’s story.... Go to the Link below, and leave a congrats message for Cam and Ben.

The Vuelta team has been announced: Ace, Triki, Tom, Stijn, Leif, Benoit, Benjamin, Chechu and Max. In reserve are Eki, Roger, Michael and Gennady. I thought Eki was coming to SF, and he still may if he isn’t called up for the Vuelta. It’s looking like a super fine race with Charles Dionne, Chris Horner, Ivan Basso licking their lips about the prize money, and the DC team wanting to look good in the neighborhood of Tailwind Sports, and racing in the back yard of Thom Weisel’s corporate digs...

Check out the Link for the story of a little eight-year-old gal, Sarah Cramer of Wilsonville, Oregon, who has joined the Peloton Project and is trying to raise the $5,000 that it takes to be invited to the Friday night Ride for the Roses dinner with Lance and Company. Seems that Sarah was diagnosed with a brain tumor last November. Sarah loves cycling, and she’s gonna ride in the LiveStrong Ride Portland event on September 25th. If you have a couple of bucks to spare, why don’t you head on over to the Livestrong Portland donate site, and have a look.

While the site is not associated with the Ride for the Roses Peloton Project, I know darn well the money is gonna head straight there, so she can be at the Friday night shindig in Austin....

I took the photo at the 2004 RftR Friday night bash.. I had to kinda crawl around the front of the stage and shoot with all the stage mikes and drums and stuff in the way... Lance was singing with Sheryl - Uh... no comment....

The Press Release is out, and Barclays Global Investors (BGI) is the new Title Sponsor for the fifth annual San Francisco Grand Prix... So now we say the Barclays Global Investors Grand Prix...

Habla Espanol? Well, you better get started, ‘cause word is that Johan is signing Spanish riders. Like Egoi Martinez of Euskaltel, José Angel Gomez Marchante of Saunier Duval and maybe Xabier Zandio of Illes Balears. Obviously, Johan plans on beefing up the climbing team - not many racers can hold their own solo, like Lance did...

And how about that Bobby Julich? Wow - burning thru the TT and moving from 12th place to top spot on the podium. Quite an accomplishment - Congrats, Bobby! He sure has found his niche now that he is with CSC.

And Popo got married in Italy - civil ceremony, with the big wedding scheduled for December in Ukraine. Popo was fantastic at the Tour, winning Best Young Rider and finishing 12th in the GC. He’s a great guy: very gregarious and social, always laughing and joking. He readily signed autographs and chatted with the fans at the Tour. But you can tell that he has that Lance brand of grit and determination.

And bummer that Paolo is out of commission for the rest of the season. He will have to have surgery on a cyst that is extremely painful on his bum... Those cysts, or boils, are a real hazard to the riders - they occur rather often, and just knock the guy off the bike for a long time. When you see guys smearing jars of chamois butter on their shorts as well as on all regions south, it’s for a good reason!

Photo of Popo was taken before the start of Stage 16, TdF 2005...

There’s a bit of buzz going around that Lance may appear at the Trek dealer’s bike show in Madison, Wisconsin from Aug 17th to 22nd. It’s not open to the public, unfortunately, sorta like Interbike. And it’s a bummer that Trek is not gonna exhibit at Interbike next month - this will be the first time that they haven’t participated in the huge Las Vegas bike show. Their display is always huge and so interesting... I was kinda wondering if Lance might show up at Interbike, but nope. If at all, it will be in Madison. Hmmm... Since my office is right above Hyland Bike shop in San Jose, I better go downstairs and see if Bill needs a rep at the Wisconsin Trek show, huh?

I guess Trek has decided to present their new 2006 line, and the bikes Lance rode at the Tour, plus Lance’s line of 10/2 clothing exclusively to Trek dealers at their own show. No distractions for the dealers like gambling, showgirls and party-hearty in LV. And no hang-overs - seems like a ton of people at Interbike have a perpetual hang-over for three days.... Pas moi - I like to know which end of the camera I’m using and where I’m at.... Plus, what stays in Las Vegas is not gonna be my hard-earned money on the tables...

It sounds like Ivan Basso and George Hincapie (George for sure) will be at the SF Grand Prix on September 4th. Cool! The new Title Sponsor should be announced real soon - I know but can’t say till it’s officially announced. It should be a great race - The streets will be packed again - if you want a spot on Fillmore right at the fence, you better show up real early in the morning. The official start time is 10 am, but fans will be lining up on The Fillmore by 7 or 8 am.

The race is 108.1 miles, with three 1.3 mile parade laps, then nine 8.8 mile laps of the entire course, finishing with five 5-mile laps that exclude Fillmore Street Hill. You can make it from Fillmore down to the Start/Finish line in time walking if you really haul A... I made it in time from the top of Fillmore last year by walking at running speed with my cameras, but the finish is so packed with people that it’s difficult to get to a good finish line viewing spot, unless you’re lucky (or pushy)....

And, I’ll be surprised if Lance doesn’t make an appearance there, somewhere...

Sweet.. Max takes the stage today at Benelux, with Roger doing a great lead-out. According to Eurosport, Roger did a huge pull and led Max into the sprint, where he won by a bike length. The Sunday Stage 4 fiasco has brought some pretty bad publicity to the Eneco tour. One course marshal, it sounds like, walked away from his post and created the mess. Sure sounds like an area where there needed to be three or four marshals to direct the racers...

For the races where I’m in charge of the course marshals, I always try to have at least two marshals in key intersections. However, I sure do understand what it’s like to be so short of volunteers that there are just not enough to cover all the spots. For example, this year at the SF Grand Prix, I doubt that we will have course marshals every five feet all the way up Fillmore and Taylor - we just need them elsewhere on the course, where there are key intersections and no barricades. The purpose of course marshals is rider safety and public safety, and not providing prime viewing spots....

The Timpani Crit had a huge turnout yesterday - 500-600 racers, I think. I haven’t heard the actual count yet. There were a lot of crashes on the first turn - lots of skin on the pavement and lots of pavement under the skin: elbows, fingers, legs and butts... The turn is a clear, wide-open area, not some tricky chicane... Our on-site medical doctor was kept busy. The last lap of the last race had a big crash, and I ended up assisting the doctor while she cleaned up some really painful road rash on a guy. His kit was destroyed and he was bandaged from the neck down. He’s in a world of hurt today, for sure...

It was cool to see Vincent Gee (a wrench for our DC team and a good pal) show up at Timpani. He did two races as training and looked real good. He was wearing his Championship World Master’s Two-Man Time Trial kit that he won in Manchester almost a year ago. He told me that he gets to wear it for one more month, and then the year is up. After that, he can wear the rainbow stripes on his sleeve and neckband. I took the photo while he was speeding easily around the infamous Turn One, or Carnage Curve...

Oh, I almost forgot the Monday Morning Lance Armstrong Sirius Faction Radio Show Report: Re-run of the show the day after Paris-Nice, where Lance was in Europe and Higgs was in Atlanta... Third time around, I think...

Max lost his GC lead to Rik Verbrugghe in today’s stage at Benelux. Another rainy day, but that’s par for the course in Belgium - makes for some tough, exciting racing. Belgium is the heart of cycling, and a little rain never stops the race or the spectators. The first year that I went to the Tour, I was with Steve Bauer’s tour group for nearly two weeks, and I loved riding in Belgium. I had sorta herniated a vertebrae in my neck/shoulder area a couple of weeks before I left, so the cobblestones were pretty painful riding. I had to abandon the riding part pretty damn quick and just leave my bike on the van... But I really love Belgium....

Guess that Ivan Basso is thinking about doing the SF Grand Prix - that would be so cool to see him here. If so, you gotta be there, ‘cause you’ll see a future TdF maillot jaune... Ivan and Lance are really good friends, and remember that Lance helped a lot when Ivan’s mother needed treatment for her cancer.

The DC guys are gonna be racing in August - I see that Volodymyr, Tony and Patrick are on the roster for three races in a row: Tour de L’Ain from the 7th to the 10th, Teag Hainleite on the 13th, and the Deutschland Tour from the 15th to 23rd. They’ll see a lot of France and Germany in August...

Janez Brajkovic will be riding with the DC guy in the Duetschland Tour - we haven’t seen too much of him this year. When I was at the training camp with the guys, I sure saw him working hard - I didn’t see him ever get dropped. He won the 2004 U23 ITT World Championships in Italy, and Johan had his eye on Janez. Johan called the team director and Janez was in, but still had some other commitments to keep. But I remember seeing an interview he did last Spring after training camp, where he said how amazing Lance was: that Lance worked 24/7, trained harder than anyone else and still found time to be supportive with the team.

I took this shot of Janez at training camp last January - he was giving the camera a pretty hard stare, or maybe he was practicing “The Look” for future use....

What a finish at the Tour of Benelux - Stage 2! Quinziatto of Saunier Duval was out in front from 4km looking like he was going to steal the sprint - Zabel was nowhere in contention. The peloton came thundering up, and in the last 10 meters, Cadamuro of Domina Vacanze surged past and takes the victory. It was a rainy, slick stage, with several crashes. I think that Max continues his GC lead as number one....

Doesn’t it make you want to be there? You know it does for me! I still have TWS - I feel like I’m stuck in the ole Voiture Balai. I’m scheduled to go to Downer’s Grove for the US Crit Championships - I already have my freebie tix on SWA, but the ole budget is saying, “Not tonight, dear”... Lodging and car rental and things that go bump in the night - Oh My! I’m wavering back and forth several times a day - Can’t quite bring myself to cancel the flight - You know how that is....

I’m transferring literally thousands of Tour photos from my laptop to my desktop. It’s really a time-consuming process and I’ve had to kinda fit it in between all the work stuff that piled up for the almost-month that I was gone. Plus, I‘ve got something new that I am starting - going to extend my photography business into a new area. More on this later and look for another website soon.

Thanks to all for you comments - Bill made some good points about yesterday's blog and "The Wait"... And Mark wants to know, "Where's the Mayo"? Is he in the Voiture Balai?

I took this pic of Eki at the team bus this year on the Champs Elysees. I’m putting it up ‘cause so many fans of Eki write to me. He’s really a great guy, and we’re all gonna be so glad to see him racing again.

And so glad so see that Max won Stage 1 of the Tour of Benelux in his home country... That’s sweeeet! So in the GC now, Max is in 1st and Roger is in 4th. I think the DC guys will do well here - so does Johan...

Congrats to Michael and Dede Barry on the birth of Liam Michael! They are gonna be great parents - Liam was probably born wearing cycling shoes.... I’m sure you’ve read that Triki is OK after being nailed by that motorcycle, and will be doing the Vuelta. And I see that a couple of Lance’s Tour bikes will be in a cycling museum in France, along with trois maillot jaunes and a LiveStrong wristband. Vive Le Lance...

Finally watched the OLN Lance interview with Phil and Paul. It was interesting to see and hear how much Lance regrets giving that Mount Ventoux win to Pantani. It’s the one mountain stage win that Lance has always wanted, and could have had if he hadn’t been generous to a fault, giving it away to Marco - Who ended up being so pissed and nasty about it, anyway.

And, much to the dismay of Paul, Lance clarified what really happened with “The Look”. He was not giving the Evil Eye to Jan - just checking on where his team was. Lance also apologized for saying that Jan didn’t wait for him when he took his famous ender from snagging the strap on the Credit Lyonnais goodie bag. Jan told Lance that he did, indeed, wait.... But I have to say, watching the tape, it sure doesn’t look to me like Jan is waiting, at least until Tyler calls them off.

I always really like the Charlie Rose interviews with Lance. They seem to have a real connection and genuinely like each other. The interview that I taped at noon yesterday (a re-run because I was taping the Letterman show Monday night) was another great interview. Charlie asked Lance to keep coming back, even if he is now retired, and Lance immediately agreed. He said the CR show is his absolute favorite for appearances.

One thing is really clear, especially after the CR interview, and it’s that Lance is going to be very much involved with the team. He really wants to continue the incredibly successful, winning Johan Bruyneel model with another DC team guy. And Lance believes that it can be successful for another Tour win... What rider and what year is the question that will make for another exciting Tour in 2006. I was also very interested to hear Lance say that if Jan Ullrich wanted to ride for Discovery, they’d take him in a minute, “and he’d win the Tour”. Lance has no doubt about that - Jan’s riding ability and experience, plus the DC team training formula would equal the win that has eluded Jan for the past seven years...

So, to help alleviate some of the Lance withdrawal symptoms, I think we are gonna see a lotsa Lance next cycling season. I hope also, that Lance will make some public appearances at major, and at less than major, cycling events around the US. We need his name and support to keep the cycling fan momentum going... We need him at many cycling events around the US. Say a few words, talk about the LAF, sign a few autographs and head on back to the kids in Austin....

To start, I’d like to invite Lance to come to the 32nd Annual Cat’s Hill Classic Criterium on Saturday, May 13, 2006, in Los Gatos, CA... Just stop by and say “Howdy”, Lance! Come by and have a look at the infamous Cat’s Hill - a cruel 23% grade climb from a sharp right turn on a straight-away. the Pro/Elite cat guys climb this as much 30 times for their event, Lance...

Jet on over and bring your friends from up the freeway, the super tech AMD guys and he LiveStrong Laptop guys. Hey - maybe AMD would love to be the Title Sponsor for this event. Just think of it - The 32nd Annual AMD Cat’s Hill Classic - Has a great ring, doesn’t it? Combines cycling, longevity, dedication and excitement in AMD’s own front yard (almost)... Wow, brilliant idea!!

This well-know and well-loved little crit has survived since 1974, due to the loving, heroic efforts of the Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club and support from the town of Los Gatos. It’s put on completely by volunteers from the LGBRC club, many of whom ride a tough race, and then run to their posts as course marshals.... Well, yes, I am a member of LGBRC (2004 USA Cycling Club of the Year, Division 1) and, yes, I am the publicity coordinator for the Cat’s Hill Crit.

I organized Dylan Casey Day in 2003, and the 2003 Mayor of Los Gatos, Sandy Decker, awarded Dylan a special Mayoral Commendation. Photo is Dylan signing autographs at the Cat’s... Link is to the news release on Dylan's site that I wrote. Dylan was a Postie and National time Trial Champion before he retired. Seeing the Cat’s Hill Crit when he was 12 years old is what got Dylan started in Professional cycling. And who knows, we just may have another Lance Armstrong watching, or racing a Junior event in the 2006 Cat’s Hill Classic Crit...

I’m sure that you all watched Lance on Letterman last night. LA seemed so relaxed and happy. He answered all the usual questions with grace and humor. I don’t know how he stands to be asked the same damn questions over and over again. And I’ve sat through so many press conferences after he races where everybody asks the same thing.... Letterman did ask Lance if, with all his Tour riding expertise, he might get a job delivering Chinese food in NYC. Lance grinned and said that he guessed that he was looking for a job now.... But he clarified (again) that his priorities are his kids and supporting cancer research and the LAF.

Speaking of cycling (and what else am I supposed to do here?) I’ll give you the links again for the Timpani Crit and the SF Grand Prix Volunteer sites. Just click on the names and it will take you there....

Yep - we need volunteers in SF, and we need a crowd to cheer for the racers at Timpani... And, yes, we don’t call it Timpani for nothin’! We have a live Timpani player at the race! Clad in an elegant tuxedo, our club prez, Barry Gordon, Timpani Master Extraordinaire, salutes the winners, and cheers on the racers with grand timpani flourishes (or whatever they’re called). It’s worth coming out to just experience the vigorous and enthusiastic Timpani!

How many cycling races have you been to with a timpani? I’ll get a pic of him this year.... I’m usually in New York working that race, but since it’s cancelled till next year, I’ll be at the Timpani Crit in Santa Clara on August 7th. I will likely be doing my favorite thing: Course Marshaling.... Mais Oui, I’ll take my cameras along..

The photo? Yeah - Well, it's one of my cats being very athletic- in mid-leap. Hey, if I can show Odessa's dog, I can show my cat.

Another Cycling Accident - MARCA reports that Triki Beltran was hit by a motorcycle while on a training ride in Spain. He was riding with several other guys (don't think they were DC team guys, but not sure). Triki and his bike were dragged across the pavement. Road rash and swollen elbow - Injuries are minor, but his Vuelta participation could be in jeopardy. Stay tuned...

The revival of the Monday morning Armstrong Radio Sirius Faction 28 report. I notice that it is now called Armstrong Radio, a change since before I left for the Tour. Armstrong Radio logo is in red, white and blue... So this was a Special Edition Tribute to Lance Armstrong. Lots of sound bites from folks we know, like Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, John Kerry, Tony Hawk, Johnny Moseley, and Sheryl Crow. Sheryl said that Lance is “bad ass” and a “good kisser”. Hey, what else do ya need? It’d work for me....

Anyway, lots of praise from the rich and famous, and congratulations from regular folk like us, plus carefully selected, cool music to add to the tribute. I’m sure that Lance liked this one....

On another note, (Ha - ‘scuze me) I see that some of our favorite guys may have been ripped off in the Grand Prix of Prague Crit on Wednesday. Billed as a Tour look-alike cycling extravaganza, it was a fiasco. Jan was there, so was our George Hincapie and Chechu - they all left without any money and refused to race. Gilberto Simoni was the winner and he received nada.... Jan says he’s gonna sue ‘em. The race organizers had contracts that said the money (I think they use crowns) was to be paid the day of the race, but it didn’t happen. So, I hear that Chechu, George, Jan and others refused to race. Guys like Simoni and Nico Mattan and Daniel Becke who raced, didn’t get any money, either. Simoni called it a “fraud”. Everyone paid their own way to get there. Here in the States, the race organizers that I work for usually cover those expenses...

So the race organizers say that they will be paid, but nobody thinks that will happen. I also hear that the organizers promoted the race as having Lance Armstrong, but they knew that he was not gonna be there... Here’s a quote from Radio PRAHA, "A lot of people came because last year was a great show, with Lance Armstrong, and 80,000 people wanted to see the same thing again. But in the few minutes before the start, the moderator said we have some technical problems." The technical problem was m-o-n-e-y, or the lack of it in the rider’s Discovery and T-Mobile jersey pockets....

They shortened the crit to 55 minutes, but Prague live TV pulled the plug after two minutes... George supposedly said that he had never experienced anything like this ever before. A lot of these post-Tour crits and one day races around Europe are just promotional deals for that particular race - the famous cycling stars show up and get paid big bucks to ride around. Nobody cares who wins.... The operative words here are “get paid”.

Photo is one that I took of George during the Solvang Training camp in 2005.