We can be heroes.... Where's mine gone?

It's a well known fact that i love cycling. I like my bike. I spin at classes 4 nights of the week. I catch every race on tv and am making my way to the new Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in November to see my first live track cycling race event and i simply cannot contain my excitement for that.

It was back in the very late 90's I heard of this guy called Lance Armstrong who'd survived cancer and was riding in the Tour de France. Back then coverage was sketchy and on channel 4. I dipped in and out. The next year (2000) I watched some more on tv. Highlights. He won again. Then we started to hear the remarkable story. He'd had cancer, was fighting for his life and then this. I was hooked on cycling.

As the years went on the books came out. It's Not About The Bike being the first one. I got it for Christmas. I was hooked. Read it in record time (for me), couldn't wait to read the second one. The story was so moving, sad, uplifting and above all really inspiring. He was my hero.

I followed all the news stories his continuing, seemingly miraculous cancer recovery. Heck, it was all i could do to get my hands of some of those yellow Livestrong bands. I duly fired up the Livestrong website purchased 10 kids and 10 adults sized yellow bands and a t shirt and waited on them being delivered. I'd be in the cool club (before the bands were really mainstream in this country) and I was helping raise money to the charity too.

Year on year Lance kept upping his game. Year on year he seemed to win the Tour de France with such strength and steely determination, i loved this guy!

Then there were the rumours that appeared each year on the tour. A few trickily named european cyclists would be banned. The others would condemn them publicly, who knows what was going on privately.

I'd sit and watch (nightly highlights on ITV3 by now) and the US Postal train would just keep going. Fired up. All with one mission in mind. Get Lance that yellow jersey before the 8 or so laps of the Champs Elysees on the final day of the Tour de France. And that they would do. Supreme in the team time trials they were...

2005 the team turned into the Discovery Channel team (I never liked that jersey by the way) and still I'd be excited at the prospects of another Lance win, surely not? He seemed to fight hard battles in the high mountain stages with main opponents such as Jan Ulrich (where is he now?) and Alexandre Vinokourov. But I remember one day up the side of some hard to spell mountain he stared Iban Mayo down and passed him with apparent ease. Next minute his handlebars are caught by the string handle of a spectators bag and he's on the ground. Quick as a flash he's back up on the bike and off again. My memory can't recall for definite if he won that stage but i think perhaps he did.

I loved this show of athleticism. Of courage beyond anything i've ever seen before. Above all, of hope that here was someone who'd survived cancer winning year upon year arguable the hardest bike race in the world.

Then he retired. I was devastated. Then he came back. I was nervous. What if he wasn't up to it? What if he didn't win? What an actual red neck that would be. 2009 saw him race for Astana. Johan Bruyneel ever present by his side (in the team car). Alberto Contador was his team mate (I don't like him by the way). Alberto can dance his way up the side of a hill. He won that year.

2010 saw Team Radioshack appear with Lance at the helm again. It wasn't to be his year again and soon he announced another retirement, for good this time. It was time. The rumour mill still kept going, of doping allegations. Contador had ate some dodgy beef before a race, aye right! David Millar was back after serving his ban, good lad. And several others were failing pee tests all over the ship.

Current day. Yesterday. The day I lost a hero. I mean, i wanted to believe for so long that somehow they'd gotten it wrong. Who do you believe? When there's a stack of 'evidence' that lots of people have opinions on then there's no arguing against is, is there? I don't know, because honestly I can't bring myself to read it. I want to believe it's not true. Deep down (I think) I know it's probably all true. Let's face it, there's was millions of pounds being spent in this guy through sponsorships endorsements and other such business deals.

I feel duped. Like my usual self i have been naive again. I mean in the grand scheme of things he doesn't know me from Adam but you know, it still grates. Hurts even. Is that the right thing? Yes, I think it is. I feel hurt and a little angry but I think i still like him. I'm not going to apologise for that. There really is no excuse for cheating in any way, be it at sport, at work or in relationships. There's no excuse. However, I still wear my yellow band (have done for many many years now) and I still have a cool abstract painting of Lance hanging on my wall. It won't be removed. What can I say...

Lance, i have no words, just hurt.

I'm on the lookout for a new hero. Maybe you fit the bill?

Angela x
.

Breaking News! Lance Armstrong! Glasgow! Tomorrow!

FURTHER UPDATE:

I did make my way to Glasgow and Paisley albeit it too late!! So I did not catch glimpse of the Lance Armstrong show. However good buddy Andrew made his way there much much earlier and managed to get this great pic of the man himself. I am gutted i missed him but hey there's always the Tour de France next year! If anyone ou there was there and managed to get a pic, get in touch. I'd like to hear your story! :o)

UPDATE:
12noon, (today) Tuesday 18th August 2009. Ashtree House Hotel, 9 Orr Square, Paisley. Take your bike!!

Oh my goodness!! Breaking News. Lance Armstrong has just posted a tweet on his Twitter feed saying that he will land in Glasgow tomorrow!! Those who know me will also know that I have followed this guy since forever, he is one of my heroes. I may even have to phone in sick and go searching him out. Plans were afoot to go to see the Tour de France this year but those fell through so this prospect excites me like nothing else could. Who's in?? I'm currently searching the web in the hope I find out where he might be so that I maybe could catch a glimpse.

The Tour of Ireland takes place 21-23 August and Lance is riding in that with Team Astana. Then there's the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit which will take place in Dublin on 24-26 August. If you've seen the "blogs I like" list to the right hand side of this page then you might have read some of the Livestrong blog which gives regular updates on Lance and the global fight against cancer. Why not get yourself a yellow band and show your support? I've worn mine's for well over 4 years now and it only gets removed on special occasions such as weddings when it doesn't exactly match the outfit! Sorry Lance! ha ha.

Anyway to say I would be excited out my nut! to even catch a glimpse of Lance Armstrong on Scottish shores would be a huuuuuge under statement... I'd love it! Wouldn't I Linda?? Anyone got any details let me know. This is a plea! Also if you are around and about Glasgow tomorrow, get me a photie if you see him - pwetty pweese :o) hee hee.

3 of my fav things: Lance, Art and Colours all in this print
Livestrong

Ange xx

Training, Life, Andy Murray and ... Lance Armstrong

Hey everyone

Not written for a little while, although I'm not quite sure who I'm writing to as I don't even know if anyone actually reads this blog. (If you do, leave me a comment please!).

So the gym is going well. I'm getting back into the 'habit' of it but it's been quite hard and my legs were soooo tired this week but onwards and upwards. The gym for me is a place of strange occurrences. Let me explain. Where else would you see the sight of a young girl who has her designer velour tracksuit, full face make-up and 3 inch long, dangling diamante earrings!! Yeah i know, and there's me with my t-shirt and trackie bottoms on trying to look composed on the cross trainer, sweat running down my brow, iPod full-blast in ears suddenly catching myself and realising the guy on machine next to me may be hearing me breathing away heavily like i don't know what! I look around, take a swig of Highland Spring and try to maintain my breathing at a reasonable rate. Bad move since i have had blocked sinuses for a week. On the other hand you get the body builder types (as i like to call them) too. They waddle in with their pyjama style jogging bottoms on, the obligatory tattoo, tan and, more often than not, shaved (bald) head. Anyway, yeah the gym is a strange place.

But as my week started i was excited about the fact that Andy Murray was in the US Open final against Roger Federer and he even had a chance of winning!! Hey we seem to think we're unbeatable when we get to a final eh. Anyway i settled in with Radio 5 live on Monday night listening to the first set - oh dear! I'd forgotten how good Roger was since his form had ever so slightly dipped in the past few months. There was a bit of a fight back but alas after a good effort Murray never won.

But.... half way through there came BREAKING NEWS: Lance Armstrong has reinstated himself in a dope testing programme and will come out of retirement to race in the 2009 Tour de France. WOO and indeed HOO - big style!! One of my all time heroes will race again - fantastic news! This brightened up my week no end. Can't wait and since one of my regrets was not actually getting to see Le Tour 'live' when he raced before, here is my second opportunity. Those don't come along very often and i think i mentioned in an earlier blog posting I'm taking all opportunities that come my way. So anyone who's interested I'll be making my way by plane, train or automobile to Paris, France in July 2009 - wanna join me??

As ever, be safe

Word of the Day - LIVESTRONG

Ange xxoo