He is no saint, and probably wouldn't win the "(You fill in the blank) of the Year Award" for much of anything other than possibly something cycling related.
I respect him, however, on many levels. Mostly though, it's his "don't quit" attitude.
I'll be watching him and rooting for him again this year, just like every one else - even if they are too cool to admit it.
Here is his pre-race interview at the Tour Down under...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSEmViEGio&feature=related
The Tour Down Under is not a race he wanted / needed to win. There are more important things to stay alive for up ahead.
Sports Illustrated noted...
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) -- Andre Greipel of Germany won the Tour Down Under for the second time in three years on Sunday, finishing fifth in the sixth and final stage of the ProTour event captured by Chris Sutton.
Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong placed 77th out of 129 riders in the stage to finish 25th overall, 1 minute, 3 seconds down on Greipel's accumulated time of 18 hours, 47 minutes, 5 seconds.
Armstrong improved on his 29th-place showing in last year's Tour, his first race back from a 3 1/2-year retirement. Armstrong said he felt both lighter and stronger this year than he did in 2009, when he went on to finish third in the Tour de France.
The Texan hoped the Australian race would be his first step toward an eighth Tour victory in July.
"It won't be easy as a guy who's 39 years old by then, but I'll give it my best," he said.
Armstrong's longtime team manager Johan Bruyneel also saw the American rider's form and physical condition as being ahead of last season.
"Lance is good. He's a lot different (to) last year," Bruyneel said.
"Physically his form is a lot better. He feels good in the bunch and he feels good in the team so that's three things that are a lot better than last year."
He is now riding for Team Radio Shack.
I don't like the colors - and they didn't ask me.
Looks like TREK managed to hang on to Lance along with other sponsors like SRAM, and LOOK.
Along with Lance, I'll also be trying to follow George Hincapie, of Team BMC, who like myself, is from Greenville, SC. Both of these guys are about raced out - - But won't quit.
Other riders I'm following...
Frank and Andy Schleck of Saxo Bank ... Too cool that brothers can do this on the same team.
Jens Voigt after his spill last year... Also of Saxo Bank
Tour of Qatar going on right now...
We'll see how that turns out. No Radio Shack in Qatar.
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