Sunday, July 25, 2004
USATODAY.com - Armstrong takes victory lapPARIS — Now that Lance Armstrong has done what no cyclist has ever achieved in the Tour de France — win the race six times — the real work begins.
Lance Armstrong celebrates on the Champs-Elysees in Paris after his sixth straight Tour de France victory.
By Patrick Kovarik, AFP
He won't be going to Euro Disneyland, however. He's doing the usual media victory lap back in the USA with a round of morning talk shows and late-night celebrity gabs, but then it's home to Texas.
President Bush called Armstrong after Sunday's race, telling him: "You're awesome."
When Armstrong pulls into his Austin driveway, he'll find a mint-condition 1969 Pontiac GTO convertible, a Tour de France gift from rock-star girlfriend Sheryl Crow.
Perhaps he'll take the muscle car out for some long, fast drives in his beloved Texas Hill Country, where he can ponder what direction to take with his life and how, after reaching the highest peak in cycling, he can climb even higher.
Armstrong definitely won't quit while he's at the top.
"I'm enjoying the competition more than ever," he said after winning Saturday's penultimate stage, an individual time trial. "Not to make history or to make money, but just for the thrill of getting on my bike and race 200 other guys. This year that was something really special to me, and it's a big motivation for me."
Next year his mighty U.S. Postal Service team will become the Discovery Channel team, and he'll likely be back on the bike for the Tour de France and probably one of the other two Grand Tours in Italy and Spain.
He is the undisputed greatest rider in the Tour de France, but his critics have been eager to point out that he's a one-trick pony and should show his depth in the other major stage races.
"I haven't made a schedule for 2005," he said simply. "I've said that I'd like to do the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) before I stop, and I stand by that because it's a beautiful race. There are a lot of things I'd like to do, but I'm 33 and time's running out, so I may have to say 'Whoops, I didn't do it.' But we'll see."
His mentor, Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, won all of the Grand Tours, the one-day spring classic races and was so dominant in the Tour de France that one year he won the overall winner's yellow jersey plus the jerseys awarded to the best sprinter and climber.
"Those days are over," says Merckx, who was known as "The Cannibal" for his voracious appetite for winning. "The level of competition now is higher, and it is necessary to focus on your big goals."
For the immediate future, Armstrong's goals will be more team-oriented than in the past. Under the rules of the newly formed elite professional cycling tour, teams must compete in all three Grand Tours, the spring classics and all of the World Cup races.
In return for that commitment, which will entail an investment of several million dollars, team owners have equity in their operations.
Before, if a team could not find a sponsor, it dissolved. Now the number of teams will be limited, and anyone seeking entry into that circle will have to purchase a franchise from an existing owner, as in American major league sports.
Armstrong, along with team director Johan Bruyneel and agent Bill Stapleton, is an owner and stands to reap significant benefits if the Discovery Channel team is successful. For several years he has taken a salary well below his market value to build his stake in the team. His long-term financial plan is to grow the value of the team instead of his weekly paycheck.
From bike to boardroom
But negotiating the world of business while still playing the game can be trickier than dodging rowdy fans on the roads of L'Alpe d'Huez.
Michael Jordan's failed foray into NBA team management is a textbook example of how success on the playing field doesn't always translate into success in the boardroom.
Right now, Armstrong is the most dominant U.S. athlete competing globally in an individual sport. Tiger Woods is in danger of losing his No. 1 ranking to Ernie Els and Andy Roddick has slipped on the tennis court, as has Serena Williams.
Armstrong's domination of the 2004 Tour provided no signs he is losing his edge.
His aggressive riding — he won three stages in head-to-head sprints this year — is more in the style of a young gunslinger looking to make a name for himself.
"Riding in a Grand Tour takes a lot out of a rider," says his longtime coach, Chris Carmichael. "Every Tour takes some longevity from your career, most of it from the preparation, stress and travel than from the race itself.
"Lance has been able to focus on just the Tour de France since 1999, and the results show how successful that plan has been."
His mother, who raised him as a single mom in Plano, Texas, says Armstrong isn't ready to hang up his cycling shorts.
"I can't see Lance as a director sportif (head team coach)," says Linda Armstrong-Kelly. "That's not active enough for him. He needs to keep moving; he can't stand still."
'Lance Chronicles, Part 2'
Armstrong's long-term future may be as a fixture on television.
The team sponsorship deal with the Discovery Channel includes generous provisions for Armstrong to become a television personality. Discovery has a global presence and reaches a billion viewers through its 35 cable and satellite channels.
The corporation has high hopes for its Discovery Health Channel, a natural fit for Armstrong and Carmichael. They've authored several training books, and Carmichael's new nutrition plan hits bookstores this week.
Armstrong will have another network promoting his brand next year. The Outdoor Life Network, which telecasts the Tour, also spent substantial airtime promoting Armstrong as a personality this year with a big build-up of programming in advance of the Tour.
The Lance Chronicles was a weekly show that offered an inside look at his preparations, while Road to the Tour covered the competitions leading to the world's biggest bike race.
OLN aired live broadcasts of the Tour this year as well as an array of prime-time shows that dissected the day's stage or took a wacky look at happenings in France.
Even though Armstrong will belong to Discovery, the rights to his races belong to OLN.
"As the leading destination for cycling sports and stories on television, OLN is pleased the team will have the support it needs to continue racing," says Gavin Harvey, president of OLN.
"Having a revered brand like Discovery come on board speaks volumes to OLN's long-held belief that the Tour de France — and cycling in general — is compelling and dramatic sports programming."
The duality of that somewhat touchy relationship was evident this year on the Postal team's jerseys: Both the OLN and Discovery Channel logos were included.
"Lance is capable of doing so many things," his mother says. "The Discovery Channel has a lot of potential for him, especially when it comes to health issues. But he can't be tied down to just one thing. He's always been an independent contractor and is most comfortable when he's in charge."
Fine, new romance
Off the bike, Armstrong's personal life is at peace after a tumultuous 18 months that culminated in a divorce from wife Kristin last December.
Their separation before the 2003 Tour added stress to his most difficult race ever, which he won by only 61 seconds after surviving severe dehydration and a serious crash.
In his life with Crow, Armstrong seems much more relaxed and at times like a love-struck schoolboy.
"She's nails," Armstrong says of Crow, bestowing his highest compliment. "Life is good with her. We can do normal things together."
Crow has adapted to the chaotic world of elite cycling with energy and a willingness to leave the rock-star life behind.
Instead of all-night partying, she's climbing Alpine ascents on her custom Trek Madone racing bike and schmoozing with five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault at the finish line.
"They're pretty sweet together," actor and Armstrong pal Robin Williams says jokingly. He's been hanging out at the Tour with Crow. "Makes my teeth hurt."
For her part, Crow says dealing with questions from the cycling media and autograph requests from race fans is much more fun than the paparazzi she faces as a rock star.
"They are really nuts," she says.
After Saturday's time-trial win, Armstrong handed Crow the stuffed lion he received for keeping the yellow jersey. His mom got the podium bouquet of yellow flowers.
Armstrong is building a new home in Austin to go with his beloved mountain bike ranch in the Hill Country. He and Crow also spend time at her canyon home near Los Angeles, where Armstrong rides the twisting, narrow roads above the Pacific.
One of the major issues in his failed marriage was the total focus he gave to winning the Tour, which made family time with son Luke, now 5, and twin 3-year-old daughters Grace and Isabelle, difficult to arrange. The children live with their mother, who also resides in Austin.
He tried a stint as an assistant soccer coach on Luke's novice team, but that too gave way to training time.
During this year's Tour, he decided to skip the Olympics in Athens next month so he could spend more time with his children.
"Luke looks just like his dad," proud grandmother Armstrong-Kelly says. "And of the twins, Isabelle is more reserved. Grace is the daredevil, always running headfirst into life. Guess where she got that?"
Lance Armstrong celebrates on the Champs-Elysees in Paris after his sixth straight Tour de France victory.
By Patrick Kovarik, AFP
He won't be going to Euro Disneyland, however. He's doing the usual media victory lap back in the USA with a round of morning talk shows and late-night celebrity gabs, but then it's home to Texas.
President Bush called Armstrong after Sunday's race, telling him: "You're awesome."
When Armstrong pulls into his Austin driveway, he'll find a mint-condition 1969 Pontiac GTO convertible, a Tour de France gift from rock-star girlfriend Sheryl Crow.
Perhaps he'll take the muscle car out for some long, fast drives in his beloved Texas Hill Country, where he can ponder what direction to take with his life and how, after reaching the highest peak in cycling, he can climb even higher.
Armstrong definitely won't quit while he's at the top.
"I'm enjoying the competition more than ever," he said after winning Saturday's penultimate stage, an individual time trial. "Not to make history or to make money, but just for the thrill of getting on my bike and race 200 other guys. This year that was something really special to me, and it's a big motivation for me."
Next year his mighty U.S. Postal Service team will become the Discovery Channel team, and he'll likely be back on the bike for the Tour de France and probably one of the other two Grand Tours in Italy and Spain.
He is the undisputed greatest rider in the Tour de France, but his critics have been eager to point out that he's a one-trick pony and should show his depth in the other major stage races.
"I haven't made a schedule for 2005," he said simply. "I've said that I'd like to do the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy) before I stop, and I stand by that because it's a beautiful race. There are a lot of things I'd like to do, but I'm 33 and time's running out, so I may have to say 'Whoops, I didn't do it.' But we'll see."
His mentor, Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, won all of the Grand Tours, the one-day spring classic races and was so dominant in the Tour de France that one year he won the overall winner's yellow jersey plus the jerseys awarded to the best sprinter and climber.
"Those days are over," says Merckx, who was known as "The Cannibal" for his voracious appetite for winning. "The level of competition now is higher, and it is necessary to focus on your big goals."
For the immediate future, Armstrong's goals will be more team-oriented than in the past. Under the rules of the newly formed elite professional cycling tour, teams must compete in all three Grand Tours, the spring classics and all of the World Cup races.
In return for that commitment, which will entail an investment of several million dollars, team owners have equity in their operations.
Before, if a team could not find a sponsor, it dissolved. Now the number of teams will be limited, and anyone seeking entry into that circle will have to purchase a franchise from an existing owner, as in American major league sports.
Armstrong, along with team director Johan Bruyneel and agent Bill Stapleton, is an owner and stands to reap significant benefits if the Discovery Channel team is successful. For several years he has taken a salary well below his market value to build his stake in the team. His long-term financial plan is to grow the value of the team instead of his weekly paycheck.
From bike to boardroom
But negotiating the world of business while still playing the game can be trickier than dodging rowdy fans on the roads of L'Alpe d'Huez.
Michael Jordan's failed foray into NBA team management is a textbook example of how success on the playing field doesn't always translate into success in the boardroom.
Right now, Armstrong is the most dominant U.S. athlete competing globally in an individual sport. Tiger Woods is in danger of losing his No. 1 ranking to Ernie Els and Andy Roddick has slipped on the tennis court, as has Serena Williams.
Armstrong's domination of the 2004 Tour provided no signs he is losing his edge.
His aggressive riding — he won three stages in head-to-head sprints this year — is more in the style of a young gunslinger looking to make a name for himself.
"Riding in a Grand Tour takes a lot out of a rider," says his longtime coach, Chris Carmichael. "Every Tour takes some longevity from your career, most of it from the preparation, stress and travel than from the race itself.
"Lance has been able to focus on just the Tour de France since 1999, and the results show how successful that plan has been."
His mother, who raised him as a single mom in Plano, Texas, says Armstrong isn't ready to hang up his cycling shorts.
"I can't see Lance as a director sportif (head team coach)," says Linda Armstrong-Kelly. "That's not active enough for him. He needs to keep moving; he can't stand still."
'Lance Chronicles, Part 2'
Armstrong's long-term future may be as a fixture on television.
The team sponsorship deal with the Discovery Channel includes generous provisions for Armstrong to become a television personality. Discovery has a global presence and reaches a billion viewers through its 35 cable and satellite channels.
The corporation has high hopes for its Discovery Health Channel, a natural fit for Armstrong and Carmichael. They've authored several training books, and Carmichael's new nutrition plan hits bookstores this week.
Armstrong will have another network promoting his brand next year. The Outdoor Life Network, which telecasts the Tour, also spent substantial airtime promoting Armstrong as a personality this year with a big build-up of programming in advance of the Tour.
The Lance Chronicles was a weekly show that offered an inside look at his preparations, while Road to the Tour covered the competitions leading to the world's biggest bike race.
OLN aired live broadcasts of the Tour this year as well as an array of prime-time shows that dissected the day's stage or took a wacky look at happenings in France.
Even though Armstrong will belong to Discovery, the rights to his races belong to OLN.
"As the leading destination for cycling sports and stories on television, OLN is pleased the team will have the support it needs to continue racing," says Gavin Harvey, president of OLN.
"Having a revered brand like Discovery come on board speaks volumes to OLN's long-held belief that the Tour de France — and cycling in general — is compelling and dramatic sports programming."
The duality of that somewhat touchy relationship was evident this year on the Postal team's jerseys: Both the OLN and Discovery Channel logos were included.
"Lance is capable of doing so many things," his mother says. "The Discovery Channel has a lot of potential for him, especially when it comes to health issues. But he can't be tied down to just one thing. He's always been an independent contractor and is most comfortable when he's in charge."
Fine, new romance
Off the bike, Armstrong's personal life is at peace after a tumultuous 18 months that culminated in a divorce from wife Kristin last December.
Their separation before the 2003 Tour added stress to his most difficult race ever, which he won by only 61 seconds after surviving severe dehydration and a serious crash.
In his life with Crow, Armstrong seems much more relaxed and at times like a love-struck schoolboy.
"She's nails," Armstrong says of Crow, bestowing his highest compliment. "Life is good with her. We can do normal things together."
Crow has adapted to the chaotic world of elite cycling with energy and a willingness to leave the rock-star life behind.
Instead of all-night partying, she's climbing Alpine ascents on her custom Trek Madone racing bike and schmoozing with five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault at the finish line.
"They're pretty sweet together," actor and Armstrong pal Robin Williams says jokingly. He's been hanging out at the Tour with Crow. "Makes my teeth hurt."
For her part, Crow says dealing with questions from the cycling media and autograph requests from race fans is much more fun than the paparazzi she faces as a rock star.
"They are really nuts," she says.
After Saturday's time-trial win, Armstrong handed Crow the stuffed lion he received for keeping the yellow jersey. His mom got the podium bouquet of yellow flowers.
Armstrong is building a new home in Austin to go with his beloved mountain bike ranch in the Hill Country. He and Crow also spend time at her canyon home near Los Angeles, where Armstrong rides the twisting, narrow roads above the Pacific.
One of the major issues in his failed marriage was the total focus he gave to winning the Tour, which made family time with son Luke, now 5, and twin 3-year-old daughters Grace and Isabelle, difficult to arrange. The children live with their mother, who also resides in Austin.
He tried a stint as an assistant soccer coach on Luke's novice team, but that too gave way to training time.
During this year's Tour, he decided to skip the Olympics in Athens next month so he could spend more time with his children.
"Luke looks just like his dad," proud grandmother Armstrong-Kelly says. "And of the twins, Isabelle is more reserved. Grace is the daredevil, always running headfirst into life. Guess where she got that?"
