[RetiredArmy]

"I don't represent one side or the other, but I do represent a sponsor'' of the war, the Texan added."

I don't know about you folks, but I was a Lance Armstrong fan. This really bothers me. "I don't represent one side or the other, I represent a sponsor??" This bothers me. Sorry. It just bothers me a lot!

[ambrose]

No, he is keeping his trap shut and sticking to what he does best -- just as we have often urged Hollyweird celebs to do...

[Bikers4Bush]

At least he's not spewing crap like the hollyweirdos do.

Bottom line is that the guy rides in a race that has him exposed to assault every inch of the way if some nutjob decides to do it.

I'd keep my mouth shut too.

[billorites]

I'd hate to be an American athelete competing in Europe this particular month.

Hard enough to be competing, but for someone like Armstrong, to additionally have to answer to a hostile European population abouth his position on American policy? No thank you.

Smart of him to keep his head down.

[LibWhacker]

He probably tripled his chance of being targeted by terrorists by opening his mouth.

[Prolixus]

Hey, isn't Lance Armstrong already a hated man in "le france"? He was booed by "les francais" during the last tour de france. He's probably keeping quiet now to minimize the threat of violence to him and his team-mates during the next tour.

I don't know his politics but, since he has received remarkably little coverage in the media - considering his status as a champion world class athlete, I assume that he believes in hard work and discipline ...

[TADSLOS]

So, I guess he won't mind NOT waving the American flag across the finish line then. Maybe he can wave a USPS postage stamp like this one instead:

[optik_b]

There are much more important things happenning right now than a Bike race but I really hope nothing happens to Lance. He's been an inspiration to me having overcome cancer. I really will fear for his safety at this year's Tour De France.

[Freebird Forever]

I know he's a fellow Texan and all, but if he's not boycotting france, he's not worth my time.

[krb]

I think it is cool what he is saying. He really doesn't "represent" anything regarding the war. He is just an athlete trying to keep his mouth shut, and I don't blame him. He needs to be training, not evangelizing any political points.

[pittsburgh gop guy]

I read somewhere that he lives and trains in france for most of the year. Makes trips back to the States only for TV/PR appearances.

[joesnuffy]

Hope we send some secret service with him this year

[RonF]

Lance has paid quite a price to get where he is. And all it would take is one nut to throw a stick into his spokes while he's on a downhill to get him seriously injured or even killed. I don't blame him for being concerned. Most guys who are representing America with a flag on their clothes in foreign countries these days get to carry guns to defend themselves with.

[al_c]

Get over it. He's just trying to stay focused on the Tour.

Can't someone say someting that sounds neutral without people taking it as "unAmerican?"

[concentric circles]

Velo News - March 24

The five-day Setmana Catalana is the second race of the year for four-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, who finished safely in the lead group. Armstrong expressed his worries about the war in Iraq to the Spanish daily El Periodico.

"I do have fears because of being an American, I'm not going to deny it," said Armstrong, who repeated his apprehension of climbing up narrow roads lined with fans under little or no supervision.

"For example, on Thursday I'll be climbing up to Pal and there are certain to be people on the roads. The people will be close to me and they could have contact with me," he said. "That's one of the differences between my sport and others like football or Formula One. People are in contact with the cyclists but not footballers or F1 drivers. ... People must make a clear distinction between sport and politics. I'd like it if cycling fans could make that distinction."

[modendrite]

If you do a search under Lance Armstrong, you can find the March 10 Guardian article where he states that he is against the war in Iraq.

[theFIRMbss]

>I don't know about you folks, but I was a Lance Armstrong fan. This really bothers me.

Yeah, it bugs me, too,
but remember that these days
athletes are pretty

uneducated,
and have no hope for money
other than keeping

corporate sugar
daddies happy. Desperate
and dumb say dumb things.

[VOA]

I don't know about you folks, but I was a Lance Armstrong fan. This really bothers me.

It bothers me too.
BUT...I'll give Armstrong the benefit of the doubt for now. Seeing how his team sponsor
is the United States Post Service, he MAY be "playing it cool" under advisement from
his contacts at the USPS.

This may be why he's taking a non-committal tone in public -- so that by the
time the Tour comes around and Iraq is liberated, Lance, his team and the USPS
will simply be subjected to the usual sniping in the French press/media.

I doubt that Armstrong is "The Fourth Dixie Chick".

[DSH]

By way of a little context, here are two recent (but pre-war)statements by Armstrong, both made while he was racing in Spain.

* * * *

Armstrong limbers up with broadside at Bush

William Fotheringham

Monday March 10, 2003

The Guardian

Lance Armstrong, who is close to George W Bush, has told the president that he is opposed to war in Iraq. "He's a personal friend of mine but we've all got the right not to agree with our friends," said Armstrong.

The two Texans have a close relationship. Bush has appointed the cyclist to his presidential commission on cancer, has received Armstrong several times at the White House and phoned Armstrong almost immediately after he won his fourth Tour last July. But Armstrong is also famously independent-minded.

"I think we ought to consider the opinion of other strong nations," he added. "Entering in a unilateral way into the war is an error. But he has got all the information, he's the president and my opinion doesn't really matter. I'd always opt for a peaceful solution and not for a war."

Armstrong was speaking during the Tour of Murcia in southern Spain, his first build-up event to his attempt to win a fifth successive Tour de France. Showing signs of form already, he came close to his first win of the year yesterday in the final time-trial stage.

Armstrong was only 2sec behind the stage and overall winner, Javier Pascual Llorente of Spain, in the 12.9km (eight miles) individual contre-la-montre around Murcia.

It could well be that, when Armstrong rides the Tour in July, his country will be at war and he accepts that there could be threats to his personal security. "That is one of the consequences of war. I don't know if it would cause me problems, in the Tour de France for example. I hope it won't."

* * * *

And this, an interview found on Armstrong's own website, also dated March 10, 2003

Did you have any problems with the Spanish / Euro media? We read a few interviews you did that seemed pretty upbeat and focused mainly on cycling.

- No, no real problems at all. The only slight problem is that I was doing media stuff every night and that gets stressful. It's funny, you'll have a guy that just stands around and expects a 20 minute interview and will wait till he gets it. On the other hand you have other media outlets who call Jogi - our press manager - and schedule stuff weeks in advance. With the demand these days these are the ones I do and not the others. There's just not enough time in the day for every one of them.

I got lots of war questions which are making me more and more uncomfortable. Their position is "Well, you're the President's friend, so what can you tell us?.." I suppose at the end of the day athletes should be athletes and not diplomats or politicians. While I've told them I hope we can avoid war (who doesn't want to??), know this: I support the President and our troops 100%.

[CheneyChick]

I don't know about you folks, but I was a Lance Armstrong fan. This really bothers me.

Me too.

[Dan from Michigan]

I think keeping it quiet is smart. I have no problem with that. I don't even have a problem with those that say "I don't support the war" if they leave it at that.

I just have a problem with the Michael Moores, Ditzy Chicks, smug Frogs, Deutch, and the like. Arrogant jerks, cowardly "Americans" that bash the US in other countries, etc.