 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
89th Tour de France - Grand Tour
France, July 6-28, 2002
2002 Tour de France journals
John Eustice, Tour de France International Show host
 |
Nationality: American
New Yorker John Eustice is the host of the Tour de France's 2002 International Show, broadcasting to over 30 countries world-wide, with play by play by Phil Ligget. Eustice is covering his ninth Tour De France, his previous eight with ESPN and ABC Sports. In cycling, the 46 year old Eustice was the first-ever USPRO Champion in 1982. Originally from Ivyland, Pennsylvania, Eustice competed in the Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a Espana and World Cycling Championships. When he's not at the Tour de France, the father of two runs his sports event promotion company Sparta, organizers of the Housatonic Valley Classic and the Univest Grand Prix.
Prologue - Saturday July 6, 2002: Luxembourg ITT, 7 km
It's great to be back at the Tour after missing it in 2001. It gets into your blood and just never goes away like a lover you cannot forget. The Tour is always dramatic. I've done eight of them as a journalist and seen death, resurrection, scandal, triumph against all odds and tragic defeat. It brings you to a range of emotions that are just extraordinary and you become so deeply involved that the return to normal life requires a sort of detox period to straighten out and readapt.
I'm racing for a French team again. That's what it feels like anyway. A couple of weeks ago my cell phone rang and a voice said, "Allo? This is ASO-Tour de France calling. We need a host for our international broadcast." I promptly replied, "Shut the @ &*@ Tim!" (I thought it was a friend playing a cruel joke). "No, no it's us…!" And now I'm here, plucked back into the "Show" through the efforts of some wonderful friends.
The first day at Le Tour is always spent saying "Bonjour, ca va?" and shaking hands hundreds of times, but also catching up on the gossip and vibes, getting the real feeling of the peloton and who's hot.
Tour Impressions: Armstrong is cool, confident and has a super team. Team directors are desperately searching for chinks in his armor with statements like, "He's slower in the TTs - Gonzalez-Galdeano beat him at the Midi Libre." or, "He's not climbing as well as before, look how he had trouble in the Dauphine!" Problem is that he won both races. Robocop is looking very good and was even being friendly with the journalists which is really scaring everyone. The one danger point for the USPS team is the fact that they will have the entire responsibility of controlling the race, especially during the first 10 days. They're strong, but will have to be. Their workhorse Pavel Padernos is especially intriguing - he should be a giant locomotive on the front for them.
There's talk of an American podium - Armstrong, Hamilton and Leipheimer - and it's not a crazy idea. Lance with three Tour victories, and Tyler second in the Giro with a broken shoulder. Anyone ever heard of Iron Man Reggie MacNamara? A cycling hero of mine, MacNamara was an Australian Six Day rider of the 1920s who crashed a lot and kept racing. The press used to keep box scores of his injuries: six broken collar bones, three smashed whatevers… Tyler must be the new Iron Man. And then Levi, who gets third in his first Grand Tour and then comes into form just at the right time and wins the Route du Sud. All of them supported by super killer pro teams.
The Spanish Armada is marshalling its forces and getting ready for an assault. Look for a coalition - "unofficial" of course - of Kelme, iBanesto and ONCE to make life as miserable as possible for the USPS team. And look for Euskaltel to set the race on fire - big things are expected of Mayo.
The Italians are without any real aspirations for the moment, maybe some action from Frigo and an interested eye on the performances of Basso. CSC Tiscali have a fantastic director in Riis who salvaged Jalabert last year, and then got Hamilton onto the podium in the '02 Giro. Watch him work his magic on Carlos Sastre, too.
The French? Moreau crashed while motorpacing at 75kph a few weeks ago and says he's okay, but we'll see. Love his team though; the spirit of the old Peugeot and Z squads and the most expert directors in the business. And Fdj.com has their Australian speedsters Cooke and McGee and the ever-attacking Durand.
As always, there are hundreds of stories to follow in the Tour. I'll try and get you some interesting ones. It's now 3:00, the first rider goes off at 4:00, and the great adventure of the Tour de France will begin. It's raining and the course is hilly and twisting. A tough start to a tough race.
