Armstrong remains the story of Tour de France
By: Jim Williams
Examiner Sports Columnist
July 28, 2009
The Tour de France came to a close Sunday in Paris with Lance Armstrong on the podium again after a four-year absence. OK, it was a third place finish and he stood beside his Astana teammate Alberto Contador — but what a return to the Tour it was for the Texan.
Versus broadcaster Phil Liggett was there calling every moment of the race and he thinks what Armstrong did was amazing, but next year, at age 38, he could actually return to France and win.
I spoke to Liggett in France Friday as he was getting ready for the Tour’s wild finish and we talked about his observations of this year’s race:
What have been your overall impressions of this year’s race?
Liggett » “This was a wonderful race. With Contador, Armstrong, the Schleck brothers (Andy and Frank), Bradley Wiggins, and so many young riders doing so well we saw cycling at its best. The race drew amazing crowds, no matter where we were from day one in Monte Carlo to the amazing crowd on Mont Ventoux, people were [here] to see Armstrong and also to watch one of the best Tour de France that we have seen in years.”
How do you think Armstrong’s return was received by the cycling world?
Liggett » “The ratings in the United States, the U.K., South Africa, Australia, Asia and pretty much the rest of the world embraced the return of Armstrong to the Tour. You really can’t go anywhere in France and not hear people talking in a positive way about him. As a matter of fact, I went out to dinner and my waiter saw my yellow Lance Armstrong Foundation bracelet and he told me he tried to get one and couldn’t so I gave him mine. He wouldn’t take it for free and wanted to give me some money to give to the foundation. There is a genuine love from the French people for him. We saw French, Texas and U.S. flags all standing together along the route.”
What did you think of Armstrong’s performance and his choice to try again in 2010?
Liggett » “After four years of being away from the race he was a legitimate contender for [the] title this year at 37 years of age. But I really don’t think he was in race shape by his standards. What a great race it will be in 2010 with Armstrong facing Contador plus all those other young superstars.”
From a broadcast perspective, it was another great job done by the Versus crew and the race really popped in high def.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on washingtonexaminer.com.
