| | Associated Press
PARIS -- Lance Armstrong raised a glass of champagne even
before he crossed the finish line -- celebrating a Tour de France
win that was even sweeter this time around.
Armstrong has a habit of making the impossible look easy,
whether conquering cancer or winning one of the world's most
grueling sporting events for the second straight year.
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Lance Armstrong rides past the Arc de Triomphe during the 21st and final stage. |
Because of his insurmountable lead in Sunday's final stage of
the Tour de France, riders joked and clowned with the 28-year-old
Texan as they coasted past the famous sites of Paris and throngs of
spectators.
Shortly after the cyclists took off from the Eiffel Tower,
Armstrong donned a long-haired wig. As he passed the Louvre Museum,
he grabbed a pocket camera and took snapshots of the flag-waving
Americans shooting pictures of him.
He even was passed a glass of local bubbly and made a toast as
he pedaled, even though he'd earlier declared he wasn't "a
champagne kind of guy."
Indeed, he didn't look much like a guy who'd just cycled 2,250
miles for three weeks.
"It was a hard Tour de France and, like last year, I'm glad
it's finished and I can see more of these guys," he said from the
winner's podium, his wife Kristin at his side and 9-month-old son
Luke cradled in his arms.
Somewhere in the crowd, too, were entertainers Robin Williams
and Sean Penn, just a few of the thousands of Americans who helped
fill the crowds lining the Champs-Elysees where Sunday's race
concluded with a dozen sharp-turned circuits in front of the Arc de
Triomphe.
Stefano Zanini of Italy won the final mad sprint finish, and
declared, "I'm too happy."
But most spectators were watching Armstrong as he proudly held
his young son above his head, tears welling in his eyes.
"This one's even more special than last year, partly because of
this little guy," Armstrong said. Luke was born three months after
Armstrong's first Tour victory -- and just two years after he
battled back from cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain.
Armstrong won plaudits from his closest challengers,
particularly Germany's top rider Jan Ullrich, who had questioned
whether Armstrong really was the best rider in 1999, when Ullrich
didn't compete.
"Armstrong is a worthy champion. He was the strongest man, and
he met our every attack. He earned his victory," said Ullrich, who
won the Tour in 1997 but has finished second every year since.
The festive mood was momentarily jarred when Jeroen Blijlevens
of the Netherlands violently hit American rider Bobby Julich just
after crossing the finish line. Blijlevens, who finished 124th in
the overall standings, was kicked out of this year's Tour for a
"particularly serious attack," according to a statement from the
International Cycling Union. It wasn't immediately clear what
provoked the altercation.
Before the race, Armstrong was already looking ahead to
September's Olympics in Sydney, and speculating openly about his
prospects of clinching a first gold medal in the time trial
competition. He won all three time trials in last year's Tour as
well as a time trial Friday, his first stage victory in this year's
Tour.
"It's special to ride for your country," he said in an
interview aboard a special Orient Express train that carried all
128 riders into Paris on Sunday.
"Winning gold is a big objective," he said, noting that unlike
last year, he was coming away from the Tour in strong mental shape.
"I had no motivation to ride again that year, but today I feel
like I'm ready to go for it."
His only scheduled appearance Sunday after the race was to
attend a benefit for cancer research, a cause he's championed since
being diagnosed in 1996 with advanced testicular cancer. Given less
than a 40 percent chance of survival, he underwent brain surgery
and chemotherapy and had a testicle removed.
He resumed professional competition in 1998 but skipped that
year's Tour, which nearly fell apart over revelations that many top
cyclists were using banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong himself was accused of using illegal drugs in 1999, an
allegation traced to his use of a steroid-based skin cream for
saddle sores. No such allegations surfaced this year, a factor
Armstrong credited with making the competition less stressful even
though it was physically more demanding, with four grueling stages
through the Alps and Pyrenees.
As 2000 winner, Armstrong takes away $315,000, plus $7,200 for
his stage win, and a range of bonuses for racking up points in
other aspects of the Tour.
He will fly Tuesday to New York to begin a round of appearances
before starting pre-Olympic training near his part-time French home
of Nice next week.
Few Americans cheering on Armstrong from the sidelines knew much
about cycling, but all admired his incredible comeback.
"He's a serious guy who knows he's been given another chance in
life," said Bob Henderson, a fan from Palo Alto, Calif., where
he's done fund-raising for Armstrong's cancer foundation.
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