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Originally Posted by T77911S
i dont think he is saying that. but they have singled lance out. of course more euros have been booted, look at the ratio of US to euros. but i will have to agree that i think the french hate to see a non french win, especially an american, perhaps more when lance first started winning. look at how many french teams have been let in under the wild card. they should have let that us team in(cant think of the name) years ago but opted for french teams that were not as good, that us team ended up folding, perhaps becasue they did not get in and their sponsors backed out.
what i dont get is that they accuse LA of doping because he has won the tour so much, but they do not take into account that he trains SPECIFICALLY for the tour and he does not win that much outside of the tour. if they are basing his doping on how much he wins, why hasnt someone accused eddie merckx of doping? he won all year long. no one has ever been able to maintain that kind of condition all year long.
if i were lance, i would offer to let an official spend 24/7 with me, he can even watch as i take a dump if that will prove that i am clean.
i have read that they will not take anything that has been opened, can you blame them.
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You must realized most of what you read in the newspapers is designed for the audience. The viewpoint that the French are out to get Lance is groundless. The TDF has grown because of Lance and they know and appreciate it. Anti-French slurs appeal to a certain type of Americans, but those that spend a lot of time there know very well how much Americans are loved and accepted in France. That does not mean the French are in lockstep with our every act. But it does mean they do not judge a country by it's politicians only. Much could be learned by this viewpoint.
Since it is a French race, I see nothing outrageously wrong with them allowing more French teams than others. This is commonly done in all countries, the French have not a lock on helping the home team. You should see the crap the Indy 500 pulled on foreign teams!
And the French officials have never formally accused Lance of illegal drugs. Some journalist have and some of those are French, but not French race officials. BTW, the drug testing labs are actually Swiss run. The bulldog way the investigations for illegal drugs in cycling have gone in the last 10 years is astounding and will be what saves this race.
I have watched the TDF 5 times on the ground (they are often within a mile or two of my house) and I have never witnessed any hate towards Americans or Lance in those events. I'm sure some must exist, but it is certainly not common or tolerated.