Word: armstrong
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...long as Armstrong is riding. Asked at the end of the second week whether he thought he was "too much of a force for the Tour's own good," Armstrong replied, "I don't know. But I know that I love the race. It is what they pay me to do. This is my job. They say, 'Lance, we want you to win the Tour de France.' That's what the team wants, what the sponsors want ... what cancer survivors around the world want...
...Armstrong's dominance in the world's toughest cycling event after nearly succumbing to testicular cancer six years ago has made him a celebrity. In the U.S., where most of the public cares little about his sport, he's undeniably famous, though if the U.S. Postal Service's huge, climate-controlled team bus rolled down the street in Seattle or New Orleans, most citizens would assume it was carrying mail. In France, however, the bus is a gray-and-blue magnet to autograph seekers and media hordes from around the world. Other teams have similar buses, but no other team...
...Friends like American comedian Robin Williams, who pulled up to the bus on a bike in the southwestern town of Lavelanet, or cancer patients who want a word of encouragement and a photo from their hero are the main exceptions. "Those are motivating moments for me," says Armstrong of his visits with cancer patients. "That's the way I can give back to someone who is in the same position...
While French journalist François Thomazeau estimates that "80% of the French public respects and loves Lance," it was the other 20% that made its presence felt on the grueling climb to Mont Ventoux in Provence on July 21. Armstrong, who is randomly tested for drugs throughout the year and has always been clean, has nevertheless faced suspicion that given his domination of a drug-tainted sport, he must be illegally boosting his performance. And so he was heckled with cries of "Dopé!" as he chased France's Richard Virenque, a rider who confessed to using performance...
...third-place finisher Raimondas Rumsas was arrested last week after French customs officials found banned substances in her car. Rumsas, who rode for Italy's Lampre team, has denied taking any illegal drugs.) While Virenque would credit his win in that stage to the cheering of the crowds, Armstrong heard little support for himself. "A boo is a lot louder than a cheer," said Armstrong. "If you have 10 people cheering and one person booing, all you hear is the booing...