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A Q for Americans: Do you know of Lance Armstrong?

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General interest discussions, not necessarily related to depletion.
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A Q for Americans: Do you know of Lance Armstrong?

Postby hanrahan » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 07:27:45

All of Europe and most of us in Australia know that he is about to win his seventh Tour de France, the toughest bike race over 22 days, but how many of his own coumtrymen are aware of this?

By any reasonable definition this makes him the best athlete (across all sports) competing today and worthy of shortlisting among the alltime greats. Aussies are sports mad, I know, but he would be warmly recieved here, in spite of not being one of our own.

So, is he well known in his own country?

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Postby MD » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 07:31:56

Almost universally.
Stop filling dumpsters, as much as you possibly can, and everything will get better.

Just think it through.
It's not hard to do.
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Postby EddieB » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 08:24:04

Armstrong is indeed a household name, but as far as cycling goes that's it for most Americans. If asked who Eddie Merckx or Jan Ulrich is few would know the answer. Heck, even Lance's teammates are largely unknown. Knowledge about cycling is only skin deep in the US.
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Postby Specop_007 » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 08:29:58

Lance Armstrong?
Wasnt he the guy who went to the moon or sumthun?

:oops:


Yes, we know who he is. One HELL of a monster on a bike.
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Postby lorenzo » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 09:48:10

Just for the record: Lance Armstrong's coach and trainer is Johan Bruyneel, Belgium's beast, himself once a great cyclist. Without the Belgian touch, nothing on this planet works. Name anything. I deliver.
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Postby LadyRuby » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 11:58:01

Yeah, yeah, everyone knows about Lance Armstrong. Personally, I think professional athletes are overrated and overglorified. Why don't we glorify and celebrate our school teachers like we do our football, baseball, etc. stars? Screwed up priorities, and in this arena I think Europeans could be even be WORSE than the Americans!! So the guy's great a riding a bike. How useful is that?
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Postby TheTurtle » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 13:24:21

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LadyRuby', ' ')So the guy's great a riding a bike. How useful is that?

While I agree with you about professional athletes in general and Lance Armstrong in particular, I find it very amusing that you ask this question on Peakoil.com, of all places . :lol:
“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” (Ted Perry)
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Postby LadyRuby » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 13:34:31

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TheTurtle', 'W')hile I agree with you about professional athletes in general and Lance Armstrong in particular, I find it very amusing that you ask this question on Peakoil.com, of all places . :lol:


True, good point! :-D
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Postby NeoPeasant » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 14:03:39

He's famous for riding a bike. So what the hell's he doing selling Subarus?
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Postby Petro » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 14:26:20

I don't believe in hero worship, sorry.
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Postby Hawkcreek » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 15:57:14

--
Last edited by Hawkcreek on Sun 09 Sep 2007, 17:41:59, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby smallpoxgirl » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 16:06:21

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'L')ance Armstrong?
Wasnt he the guy who went to the moon or sumthun?


No No. He's the Olympic diver that was so popular back in the 80's. Then he wrote an autobiography where he came out as gay and HIV positive.
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Postby mgibbons19 » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 16:13:31

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LadyRuby', 'S')o the guy's great a riding a bike. How useful is that?


Athletes are overrated, Ill agree. But, I get paid for doing something I (hopfully) am good at. It's called my career. Can't blame them for doing the same. And further, considering the awareness Armstrong has brought to both cancer research and cycling in the US, I think this is a silly attitude. I would bet that between fundraising for cancer, giving ppl the hope and the will to live, and generally raising cycling awareness so a few less bikers get run over on the roads, he's saved more than his share of lives in the world. In other words, because of his platform, he's probably done more good than I'll ever be able to.
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Postby dub_scratch » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 18:23:04

Lance Armstrong is not only one of the greatest athletes, he is one of the greatest athletes of all time. But he is among others who have taken human athleticism to its limits. Another is Dean Karnazes who absolutly blows away anything that anyone could have imagined humans could do just a few decades ago. (see http://www.ultramarathonman.com).

OK, anybody ready for big the peak oil tie-in?
We are at peak human athletic achievement in parallel to the peak in energy. The fact that so many people live in relative affluence increases the competitive pool. But perhaps more importantly is the idea that societal complexity at high levels allows people to spend their own physical energy and time doing this kind of stuff. Case in point: I saw Dean Karnazes profiled on 60 Minuets where he told the interviewer how he would often order a pizza to be delivered in a remote part of Marin County California along one of his daily runs. That story told me all that I needed to know about what is really behind this great achievement in human conditioning.
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Postby Specop_007 » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 20:16:08

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 'J')ust for the record: Lance Armstrong's coach and trainer is Johan Bruyneel, Belgium's beast, himself once a great cyclist. Without the Belgian touch, nothing on this planet works. Name anything. I deliver.


Playstation.
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Postby EddieB » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 20:40:33

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'J')ust for the record: Lance Armstrong's coach and trainer is Johan Bruyneel, Belgium's beast, himself once a great cyclist. Without the Belgian touch, nothing on this planet works. Name anything. I deliver.


Dynamite
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Postby WebHubbleTelescope » Sun 24 Jul 2005, 21:48:58

I wish I could have a 20 person entourage at my side as I bike daily to work, ready to fix flats, exchange me a brand-new bike, or give me first-aid if I get run over by a lunatic.
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