The result
of Lance Armstrong's return...shitloads of worldwide media exposure cycling will never get otherwise...and very exiciting battle with Contador and others.
What's so wrong with this? Everyone reads about cycling when they would not have otherwise-non cyclists and we get to see LA freak out when he's shown to be too old and AC takes his crown.
What's so wrong with this? Everyone reads about cycling when they would not have otherwise-non cyclists and we get to see LA freak out when he's shown to be too old and AC takes his crown.
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Why is it assumed that increased exposure of a sport is naturally beneficial for it? Take football as an example, it's seen a massive increase in exposure and money has poured in but does anyone think it's improved as a sport? It's faster and requires better athletes but it's so beholden to Sky TV's money in this country that should they decide it's no longer worth what they pay for it most clubs would go bust in a matter of weeks.0
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There is more exposure in the UK and US and in sections of the cycling media that are very short on stories elsewhere but for your average joe, few have noticed. In other words, people like us are getting the full exposure but few others know or care.
The Belgians are more interested in Boonen, the French are indifferent but ready to reheat the old allegations and both the Spanish and Italian coverage seems mixed, curious to learn of the comeback but little else.0 -
Funny that the French are ready to rehash old allegations.
Remind me,how many KOM victories of the housewifes choice,Virenque,
have the french deleted from the record books?
If he was clean in the years before his drugs mule got caught on the way to Ireland
then why start doping in '98?
Face it,the French aren't going to slag Virenque,who ultimately HAD to admit doping,so why do they have a chip on their shoulder about LA,who at the end of the day (sorry) has never had a positive test.so many cols,so little time!0 -
The French just seem to be saying "look, we've got questions to ask, will you answer them now?" Whether it was refusing interviews with French TV during the race or blacklisting journalists from Le Monde, the Figaro and the Liberation newspapers, he left a bad taste with many journalists, even if for the average punter, their view was more "he doped, so did everyone else, et alors..."
No one has taken Pantani's wins away, despite the evidence. The same goes for many other riders, just as no one stripped Armstrong despite the positive EPO test in 1999. As for slagging Virenque, the guy is a figure of fun in France, almost the French equivalent of Jade Goody today, reduced to doing reality TV shows. He's still mocked on TV for denying the doping, to the point where to deny something outrageously is apparently known as to deny "a la Virenque".0 -
nick hanson wrote:Face it,the French aren't going to slag Virenque,who ultimately HAD to admit doping,so why do they have a chip on their shoulder about LA,who at the end of the day (sorry) has never had a positive test.
I'm guessing you don't have any exposure to the French media then?
Virenque is the butt of a huge amount of abuse by the French. Search YouTubefor Virenque and you will find tons ofsplitting image type cartoons lampooning him. Here are two of them
Even when he admitted doping "without his approval" it was modified and passed into French popular culture as "of my own free will but without knowing". Virenque is no hero of the French. (BTW I'm not French but I live here)0 -
fact-many more Tv pics and reports of people racing on bicycles has been in the media across the world since LA came back...to say that is a bad thing and unhelpful to cycling...well... you must be practically planning trying to spike his water bottles if you hate him that much you'd deny the good impact his come back is having on cycling?!!! It will be a great battle and Contador will win...LA needs run out of the sport like Lemond and Indurain...he can't leave on top...why not enjoy the battle to come?0
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I've seen plenty of coverage of St Lance and precious little of cyclocross or 6 days or any other actual events that might be taking place.
And if there are more images of people on bikes would you truly link that to Armstrong? Or to the fact that the UK cycling team were outstanding in the Olympics and there are several UK cyclists who are now household names? I think Hoy and Cooke have had far more effect on raising the level of recognition of the sport in this country.
Armstrong raises the recognition level of Lance Armstrong, little more.0 -
micron wrote:I've seen plenty of coverage of St Lance and precious little of cyclocross or 6 days or any other actual events that might be taking place.
And if there are more images of people on bikes would you truly link that to Armstrong? Or to the fact that the UK cycling team were outstanding in the Olympics and there are several UK cyclists who are now household names? I think Hoy and Cooke have had far more effect on raising the level of recognition of the sport in this country.
Armstrong raises the recognition level of Lance Armstrong, little more.
sp pictures of bike racing beamed out on global networks every week or two cause LA is back is a bad thing? Tom Boonen and Cav won't get that-fact! ...and what rubbish to suggest otherwise...do you live in a cave or something? I hate LA-I think he is sociopathic and a complete egomanic with the foundation secondary to him being famous...and I don't believe in the GT wins of his peers or he in that era ...but really..the drivel there's been written on here in the last few months puts one off ever looking at bikeradar0 -
I can't wait for LA to ride again. He is an egomaniac who can't stand being out of the headlines. In the history of sport most of these comebacks end in embarrassment and failure with a few exceptions (George Foreman). We will see this madman taken down by his own ego. On a more general note, the worst thing that could happen to the sport of cycling now, would be a doping scandal involving Lance. We will know about headlines then.0
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Dave_1 not suggesting increased coverage of cycling is a bad thing - simply suggesting that, in this country at least, the 'Armstrong Effect' is overstated. The national cycling team are big news and it is the 'Beijing Effect' surely that has promoted cycling awareness in this country.
like andyp, I wonder whether the spotlight Arsmtrong brings is a good thing - have you notivced that, along with any increase in images of cycling there has been a concomittant increase in stories linking Armstrong to doping? Unclear as to how raising awareness of cycling as a 'dirty' sport is a good thing?
Otherwise, I absolutely concur Dave_1
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:roll: The Lance fan boys and Francophobes might like to believe such things, but the truth is rather different. In one poll in France a few years back Virenque was voted the second least admirable person in France. Only Le Pen, the right-wing politician, was less popular.nick hanson wrote:Face it,the French aren't going to slag Virenque0 -
One further point to ram home the "Virenque is a muppet, even in France" notion is that it's worth remembering that the Tour de France organisers tried to block his return to the race, only to be overruled by the UCI, to the open disgust of Jean Marie Leblanc.
On top of this, if the man was so popular in France, then French teams would have been biting their arms off to hire him but Virenque was an outcast with a lot more detractors than fans. He could never get work on a French team again, having to ride for Polti and then joining Quick-Step.0 -
I thought he rode for Polti and Quick Step because the French teams cleaned up their act and wouldn't want him or provide him with any gear.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0
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micron wrote:Dave_1 not suggesting increased coverage of cycling is a bad thing - simply suggesting that, in this country at least, the 'Armstrong Effect' is overstated. The national cycling team are big news and it is the 'Beijing Effect' surely that has promoted cycling awareness in this country.
like andyp, I wonder whether the spotlight Arsmtrong brings is a good thing - have you notivced that, along with any increase in images of cycling there has been a concomittant increase in stories linking Armstrong to doping? Unclear as to how raising awareness of cycling as a 'dirty' sport is a good thing?
Otherwise, I absolutely concur Dave_1
there's been no doping reports about LA on international TV networks from what I read or saw...just reports of his story and comeback so again, i presume you have either made it up cause you hate him more than me or you really live in a cave or in a tree and haven't noticed it at all on TV. Some of the replies here are hard to believe...it's liess to say the TV media are reporting his alleged doping past as the main story-I have not seen this, so prove it...name TV station, feature etc...fact is the the general public know little or nothing about that side of the LA debate....test them if you like...ask anyone...and also ask them about who Boonen or Chavenal are....nobodys to the general public...you ungrateful lot...should be glad of the profile LA has given bicycle racing even though he cares only about his fame.0 -
aurelio wrote:
:roll: The Lance fan boys and Francophobes might like to believe such things, but the truth is rather different. In one poll in France a few years back Virenque was voted the second least admirable person in France. Only Le Pen, the right-wing politician, was less popular.nick hanson wrote:Face it,the French aren't going to slag Virenque
Are you going to watch Lance Armstrong in France, italy or Ireland? It's a simple question...I think you'd throw stuff on the road if you could get near enough to him0 -
What about the resurgence in LANCE-A-LOTS.They were nearly extinct0
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micron wrote:I've seen plenty of coverage of St Lance and precious little of cyclocross or 6 days or any other actual events that might be taking place.
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To be fair though there is precious little coverage of those events anyway with or without Lance.
MGGasping - but somehow still alive !0
