Second Edition News for April 15, 1997

Rolf Järmann's Diary Update

Paris-Roubaix doesn't do much for me anymore. I've ridden it already six times and finished only once. I have a little hope that I'll see Roubaix tomorrow. It's also not so bad when I don't (for me; for the French it THE race). Perhaps I'll find refuge in a group during the beginning phase, and then who knows?

In any case my bag with my warm clothes waits for me at the first feed zone and at the second. By the way, I'll start with a normal steel bike, no suspension fork, no thick tyres, but I know that I'll pay for this on Monday morning with sore hands, whether I finish or not.

Paris-Roubaix 13 April 97

Dirk, our masseuse, knocks, it's already 7 o'clock. Get up, get dressed, and off to breakfast! I eat 3 croissants, bread, and a portion of fruit salad. I can't eat the Spaghetti, which there's still some of, at this hour. Back to the room, I pack my bag, put away my computer and clean up the newspapers, and lie in bed. Luckily I already set out my racing things last night, the rain gear with all the bad weather clothing is also set. So I almost have an hour of time until we drive away at nine. I study the course, 98km until the first pave section, 115km the first feed zone, 155km the forest of Arenberg, a very decisive part, 206,m the second feeding zone. I don't look any further; if I'm still up there with a group I'll get to the finish with them somehow.

We ride our bikes to the start, it's only 4km. The start area in Compiegne is covered with cobbles and is already full of people. I sign in and make my way to the team car. There I'll also be met from Susi Schaer of Timeout. She's doing a report for the Tour de France. So the filmers want to know all sorts of things from me. Of course, I go to a lot of trouble, as I want to seem helpful. Plus, I haven't seen Susi in a long time. Afterwards I grab my mussette and pack four ham sandwitches and two almondcakes. The rest, the energy bars, I leave behind. Then Dirk gives me two water bottles with tea and then I'm ready. The last twenty minutes before the start I spend catching with all sorts of people, journalists, riders from my team and other teams. Oddly, I'm not at all nervous, a bad sign.

I jump from one brick to another, totally alone, far and wide neither another rider nor a team car in sight, which I can climb into. Suddenly, I see Dominiqe Bozzi with a flat tyre standing in the middle of the crowd. I stop by him, finally we're two teammates. We greet each other, since we never saw each other during the whole race. Then we have to laugh, totally blown and with black heads. We look like miners, or even worse. We talk to the people and wait for a car, which will take us the last 80km to Roubaix. But except for a French radio journalist, who asks completely stupid questions, nothing happens. "What's your name, number 126?" "Eddy Merckx, how's that?", "And now are you two tired?", "A little, we're taking a small break, then we'll ride further." "Did you guys have any mechanical problems?", "Left and right", "Are you both French?" Dominiqe: "No, I'm Corsican", "But that's in France!" "Yah, but I'm Corsican." The people around us have to let out a loud laugh, until the radio reporter takes off.

Finally, the broomwagen arrives, we have to stuff the bikes in so we can find room. In the car the pave is not so bad. We pick up Sven Teutenberg and another three riders. Finally, we arrive at the second feeding zone, where we climb out and into our respective team cars, which have luckily waited. Our car is nearly full. Chanteur and Aus have already climbed in. Along the way to the finish we get lost but manage to arrive about 10 minutes before the first finisher. My eyes are burning a lot, and I can't get all the dust out. The hands are still black, along with the head and legs, actually everything. I'm amazed, but otherwise I'm doing alright, no pains in my hands, nothing. I stand in the shower, which could have come from a concentration camp, and I actually only hope that there's still warm water. What a piece of luck, even hot water, that's the only advantage, when one gives up!

Already the first riders and team cars arrive. Our sponsor, with whom the team manager rode, steers immediately towards me and congratulates me for my race. It pleases me that I was seen live for an hour on the television here in France. I should be happy when he's so pleased.

It takes another hour long car ride before I arrive at my hotel at 7 o'clock in Deinze [Belgium]. That I don't have any pain was certainly a stroke of luck, I feel my legs and the back pretty strongly, the eyes are infected and the ears are still black. That was guarenteed my last Paris-Roubaix.

translated by David Wear

Lance Armstrong Interview

Lance in Compiegne: "I'm not there in Austin, but here. This is what I miss: the atmosphere, the team, the riders, the peloton, the public, even the journalists. Racing was my life. I came over here from America because I love cycling. Here I was a champion. Now I'm a citizen in the United States.

First i have to be healthy. Then I need to become strong. After that period I might even dare to think about winning. In the past I couldn't say what I can say now: I will be satisfied when I can come back as a medium rider. I have already been to a hairdresser for the first time.

I'm happy now. I am alive. In the past, as I lay awake I wanted to sit on a bike; otherwise I was depressed. Now I want to get going."

The first medical news was: you have cancer with a change of 70 per cent for recovery; later 50 per cent. "Thirty, twenty, ten, what the hell? That isn't important. Even when you have only a change of 1 per cent. How many people hear they have zero chance?"

After the news about his cancer Lance Armstrong received many thousands of reactions from around the world. Including a postcard from Annalisa Casartelli, the widow of Fabio. "When you hear that you have cancer, you are desperate. You cry, you became angry, you don't want to die, but then you think it might be over. Then I thought: but Fabio didn't had any chance. He had no chance; but I have."

About his relationship with Cofidis: "I must show what I'm worth before the end of the season. I don't need to win; I have to ride with the peloton. In the meantime I train two hours every day. It's not possible to do more. But at the end of the season I will show that I can ride still.

Even when it is only in a little kermesse race. I want to live; if necessary I pay my last dollar for it."

"Wednesday I will watch the Waalse Pijl on TV. It will give me pain. That's the place where I won last year. The Ardennes is my place. More than Vlaanderen, Roubaix. Before Luik-Bastenaken-Luik I will fly back to Austin. It's still too exacting for me."

"I always thought there is no life without racing. But now i know I can be happy without racing. That experience - not because of cancer - is good for every pro-rider in the peloton. The world is not turning around Paris-Roubaix or the Tour de France. Every day I am alive; to be good for other people; that's the case. But when I can come back in racing, I will go for 100 percent; I will not racing more carefully than before. With cancer you have a big chance to die; with cycling very small. I have seen the death, and believe me: cycling is very easy"

Henk Vogels: "I had a chance to win"

The Australian Dutch Henk Vogels knows for sure: "I will come back next year". Phil Anderson: "Henk has a enormous mentality. He is a strong fellow; good in individual time trials. Believe me: his time is coming".

Henk Vogels senior, a plumber from Amsterdam, went to Perth/Australia. His son Henk wanted to became rider. Father brought his son to the Netherlands to race. Henk junior: "In Australia you have only a few races every year; in Holland hundreds. So my father wanted to give me the best surroundings. In 1994 Vogels won the most important race for amateurs: Olympia's Ronde. Henk junior (who carries two passports: an Australian and a Dutch one) was considered good enough for a pro-team. Jan Raas gave him a contract; but without too many results. Henk had knee-injuries for around two years.

From the beginning of this season Henk has been with Gan, along with fellow Australian, Stuart O'Grady. In the Ronde van Vlaanderen he came 15. His debut in Gent-Wevelgem was good enough for 6th place. In Paris-Roubaix he thought about a victory. "Moncassin is our leader. But because he is a sprinter there are no riders who will bring him to the finish. That was the change for O'Grady and me."

Stuart was with the escape with Tafi, Van Bon and Knaven; but without any result. Thirty kilometers before the finish line Henk Vogels was in front with Wauters. "That Belgian guy Wauters is a strong guy; but i can beat him in the sprint. Therefore I felt my chance for victory was growing."

Henk finished in 10th place. Tomorrow he is moving house to Toulouse; where he and O'Grady will become neighbours of Moncassin.