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Book Tour de Lance

By Jeremy Dunn • 19th July 2010 10:09pm • Posted in Events

Since the start of the 2010 Tour de France on Saturday July 3rd, the Cycle Club NYC has been the place to watch all the race action play out. In fact, there have been reports that the Club is the only place in New York City showing the Tour each and every day. To enhance the coverage we invited Bill Strickland, the acclaimed author of Tour de Lance, to read selections from his new book and regale listeners with inside stories of the Tour de France.

Strickland sat front and center to read his behind-the-scenes tale of following Mr. Armstrong as he mounted what would become a nearly impossible 2009 comeback. The sport of cycling is lucky to have Strickland as its bard. His tales from the back of the tour bus, as it were, are enough to make even the staunchest Lance detractor drool. Name me one person who would refuse a ride in the Astana team car with Ekimov?

During the post-reading Q&A, Strickland insisted that no questions were off limits - even the tough ones about doping, or cycling's current pariah Floyd Landis. Although none of the questioners delved into those subjects, they did keep coming back to Strickland's fascination with the Tour de France and his up-and-down relationship with Armstrong. "Sometimes I have him on speed dial, and sometimes I think he has forgotten who I am" was his comment, which was followed by a laugh. His most poignant response came after a question regarding Lance's rough 2010 Tour start. Strickland thought for a second, smiled, and then said "The Tour did what it does to all its great champions — it leveled him."

The Cycle Club still has a few signed copies of Tour de Lance: The Extraordinary Story of Lance Armstrong's Fight to Reclaim the Tour de France. Look to Bill's website True BS for reviews of the book from around the web.

And for another take on the event check out the NBC New York Blog.

Comments

Stefan Rohner

19th July 2010 10:52pm

thanks, not interested in Armstrong at all!

Slate Olson

20th July 2010 06:27am

Ah Stefan. Where's the love for the man who kept Jan a bridesmaid??

Stefan Rohner

20th July 2010 10:05am

;)) ok ok a little….

Luke Friend

20th July 2010 05:35pm

How can anyone who loves bike racing not be interested in a 7-time winner of the Tour de France? This isn't aimed at Stefan's comment directly but all this anti-Lance chatter gets me down. It's as though now to prove that you a real hardcore racing enthusiast you have to be overly critical of Armstrong and talk-up just how 'Euro' you really are. A tad sad I think.

Mike Ile

20th July 2010 06:40pm

I think you have to be impressed with all that Lance has accomplished, both off the bike and on. But I am one of those whose opinion of him as a champion will be affected if it turns out that he doped. I don't know whether he did; but the facts matter.

Stefan Rohner

20th July 2010 09:58pm

Luke, personally I never was interested in him, I love cycling and study cycling since a very young age. he is a great man, big sportsman, all he has achieved in his career and live is wonderful!
I just have a problem with robots, human beings what never show any type off emotions, machines, my feeling was/is that it is all only about HIM. next step: going into politics…maybe, would suite him.

you remember Indurain?

Mike, they all dope? who knows… that does not change the personality, or maybe too much of it dos change… ;)

Stefan Rohner

21st July 2010 08:37pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQsqS-mY3jI&;feature=player_embedded#at=68

Stefan Rohner

25th July 2010 01:59pm

14:58 TDF 2010, last day.

what a stupid lance armstrong selfish show!

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