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Lance JournalFrom Kristan Richard. More is available at the Lance Armstrong Foundation site at www.laf.org.Lance and I just finished dinner and are listening to the Jayhawks on the stereo, which echoes in our empty apartment. The TV isn't connected to satellite yet, so all we get are French stations and we are sick of our books and magazines - so I decided to interview Lance. KR: What do the guys in the peloton talk about during a race? I know sometimes you go too hard to talk, but other times it looks like male-bonding time to me. What's the real story? LA: It is not male bonding - it is surface level chitchat. Lot's of people are foreign, so you keep it simple, "how are the legs?" Or "how's the family?" If I'm talking to Frankie or Kevin or George, then we really talk. KR: So you specifically go look for them in the pack so you can chat? No way! LA: Yes. KR: Of all the races this year, is there one that means the most to you, or one which you would like to win more than any others? Why? LA: The USPRO Championships, in Philadelphia. Because it's the American Championships and I feel like it is an achievable goal. Whereas if I say the Classics or the World Championships, that may not be achievable. KR: When you have to really reach inside yourself for motivation and the strength to keep going, where do you look? LA: I look at the past eighteen months. I think about some of the places I've been, and how bad it felt there. Then I think nothing could be worse. The other day Kevin and I were talking and he reminded me of this ride we did in December of '96 in Austin. It was a 45-minute ride and I got 20 minutes into it and had to stop and lay down in somebody's yard. He was scared to death and wanted to go get a car to come pick me up. I said, " No, I'll make it." And we finished the ride. Now here we were, back in the peloton together in the Ruta del Sol. Amazing. He said, "Man, you've come a long way." He is like my little brother. I love that kid. KR: What is your greatest fear? LA: I don't know if it's necessarily me getting sick again.more like somebody close to me getting sick. I know what it's like to go through what I went through, and I don't want to see any of my loved ones go through that. KR: What has been your most glorious moment? LA: In terms of cycling, the stage I won for Fabio in the Tour was the most glorious and most meaningful for me. Personally, it was when you actually agreed to marry me. My subject is now tired and mildly annoyed at the inquisition from his fiancée. By the way, he isn't doing the Tour of Valencia this week, he's resting up for Paris-Nice instead. If you have any other interesting questions for another interview, feel free to post them on the LAF guest book and I'll see if I can make him talk. I have my ways. [Bill notes: despite the last sentence, www.cyclingnews.com is intent on keeping things suitable for family viewing!] Dutch Pro Prospects for 1998As we approach the turn of the century, it looks like the Dutch professional cyclists are coming out of the trough. After some good results at the end of last season - 3 stages in the Tour of Spain and the third place to Leon Van Bon in the World Championships - predicting a continuation of the improvement in the new season is not unjustified optimism.Since February, the international peloton has been active on the Southern European roads, in South America and Asia. In mild temperatures the Spanish, French and Italian riders have been showing their form for 3 weeks. The Italians dominated the opening races and took control of the Tour of the Meditteranean. With 5 days to the Omloop Het Volk, the start of the Northern European cycling season, the Dutch riders have already taken 4 first places. Servais Knaven and Steven de Jongh (both TVM) won stages in Etoile de Besseges, Rabobank's Leon van Bon was the final winner of the Tour of Mallorca, and teammate Max van Heeswijk won a stage in the Tour of Andalusia. It is hoped that this year that the form will continue for the World Championships which will be held in their own country - in Valkenburg. Also positive is the number of national amateurs that have found a place with the professionals. Bruinsma, Hiemstra, Lotz (all with Rabobank), Van Kessel, Vries (TVM), Van Dartel, Van Steen (Nürnberger) and Ackermans (Gerolsteiner) are all cases in question. Another rider Remco van der Ven, winner of the 1997 Olympia's Tour, will ride with TVM in the second half of the season. This is a 400 per cent increase on the 1997 transfers into the professional ranks. One source of concern is the number of Dutch riders with a professional licence. At this time there are around 35 Dutch riders who are registered with an officially sponsored team, whereas one year ago there were around 42. The Rabobank team has 15 riders in its service, TVM 8, the other 12 are riding in seven foreign teams in Belgium, Germany, Denmark and the USA. The Netherlands stands in contrast with Italy who have around 250 registered professinal riders. They have 59 debutants this year. Rotorua, New Zealand National Cross Country MTBJeff Lyall provides me with the NZ results. Full details can be found at http.//www.mountainbike.co.nz/events/nzchamps/1998/. After the Rotorua round of the National Summer MTB tour the six race series is still wide open. The mens Pro-Elite cross country race was won by Swedens Kim Eriksson in a closely fought race with Bryce Shapley from Rotorua. Taupo's Dean Hill came third while Laurence Mote, the series leader failed to finish. Dunedin's Kashi Leuchs has two wins in the series to his credit but opted to forgo the Rotorua race for a chance to race on the Olympic course in Australia last week. Kashi will race the Karapoti classic in Wellington this weekend as well as the last two rounds of the nationals in Auckland and Wellington. Dean Hill currently leads the series by one point from Bryce Shapely.Susy Pryde made it 4 in a row at Rotorua in the womens cross country race with a 1.30 win over veteran campaigner Kathy Lynch. Pryde, who is predominantly a road cyclist with the American based Saeco Cannodale team, has hopes of representing NZ in both MTB and road racing at the Sydney Olympics. Karen Hastie from Auckland was 3rd with last years series winner Annie Mahoney in 4th. February 22, 1998 Pro-Elite Men Time Laps 1. Kim Eriksson Sweden 2.32.50 6 2. Bryce Shapley Rotorua 2.35.42 6 3. Dean Hill Taupo 2.35.46 6 4. Paul Bishop Rotorua 2.40.52 6 5. Cliff Felingham Hastings 2.40.53 6 6. Ross Heald Upper Hutt 2.42.42 6 7. Shane Vincent Tokoroa 2.42.57 6 8. Timothy Vincent Nelson 2.43.45 6 9. Andrew Chung L Hutt 2.44.12 6 10. Julian Mitchell Christchurch 2.45.08 6 11. Wayne Hiscock Upper Hutt 2.45.13 6 12. Marcus Sullivan Nelson 2.45.34 6 13. Gregory Dick Mt Maunganui 2.46;40 6 l4. Adam Marshment Mt Maunganui 2.47.50 6 15. Steven Pearson Nelson 2.47.52 6 16. Lucas Gotz Switzerland 2.48.13 6 17. Ben Powell Dunedin 2.56.28 6 18. Dominic O'Rourke Auckland 2.56.35 6 19. Brendon Trower Napier 3.02.04 6 20. Michael Anderso Dunedin 3.01.08 6 21. Steve Rusbatch Christchurch 3.13.40 6 22. Paul Kelly Wellington 2.33.54 5 Pro-Elite Women 1. Susy Pryde Auckland 1.53.37 4 2. Kathy Lynch Motueka 1.55.03 4 3. Karen Hastie Auckland 1.59.18 4 4. Ann Mahoney Wellington 2.06.16 4 5. Catherine Dunn Wellington 2.07.50 4 6. Angela Mote Christchurch 2.11.00 4 7. Wendy East Auckland 2 14.18 4 8. Brenda Clapp Wellington 2.15.03 4 9. Lisa Savage Takaka 2.16.30 4 l0. Jill Sorensen Auckland 2.18.18 4 11. Viv Jerschke Auckland 2.19.08 4 12. Sarah Murdoch Auckland 2.19.29 4 |