Book Tour de Lance

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.