This was the year that the reign was supposed to come to end. For the first time in years it was to be Americans sulking over a failed Tour de France title, not the French. No Lance equals no title, right? Apparently, Floyd Landis didn’t get the memo. Instead, for the eighth straight year an American took home top honors in France’s storied bike race, and for the eighth straight year the French sulked. You would think that the French would have become accustomed to finishing behind an American. The last time a Frenchman won the Tour was Bernard Hinault in 1985. Since then, three separate Americans have claimed victory. I have come to a conclusion: the French don’t want to win as much as they want to see the U.S. fail. I’m betting they would have rather seen Landis fall flat on his face during Sunday’s final ride, than having a countryman actually finish in the top 3. If an Italian, German or Spaniard would have won, the French would have counted that as a victory. Since they aren’t really competitive in their own race, the French have nothing better to do except cheer against Americans. Instead of failing, Landis did exactly what the Lance Armstrong did for the last seven years, he overcame. Landis overcame the Alps, his competitors, and the French supporters. Making this victory even sweeter is the fact the 30-year-old Landis didn’t even take up bicycle riding until the age of 15. He also completed the grueling race with a degenerative hip, which he is scheduled to have replaced. That’s right; he wasn’t even completely healthy and still won. This one-legged, good ol’ country boy from Pennsylvania just beat the French in their own race. Americans now have a full year to celebrate another Tour conquest, and the French have that same time to try to prepare to take their long forgotten crown back. Even if we don’t win the race next year, or for ten more years, we will forever have the Top 8 reasons why the French can’t stand us. www.oldskoolsports.com
This was the year that the reign was supposed to come to end. For the first time in years it was to be Americans sulking over a failed Tour de France title, not the French. No Lance equals no title, right? Apparently, Floyd Landis didn’t get the memo. Instead, for the eighth straight year an American took home top honors in France’s storied bike race, and for the eighth straight year the French sulked. You would think that the French would have become accustomed to finishing behind an American. The last time a Frenchman won the Tour was Bernard Hinault in 1985. Since then, three separate Americans have claimed victory. I have come to a conclusion: the French don’t want to win as much as they want to see the U.S. fail. I’m betting they would have rather seen Landis fall flat on his face during Sunday’s final ride, than having a countryman actually finish in the top 3. If an Italian, German or Spaniard would have won, the French would have counted that as a victory. Since they aren’t really competitive in their own race, the French have nothing better to do except cheer against Americans. Instead of failing, Landis did exactly what the Lance Armstrong did for the last seven years, he overcame. Landis overcame the Alps, his competitors, and the French supporters. Making this victory even sweeter is the fact the 30-year-old Landis didn’t even take up bicycle riding until the age of 15. He also completed the grueling race with a degenerative hip, which he is scheduled to have replaced. That’s right; he wasn’t even completely healthy and still won. This one-legged, good ol’ country boy from Pennsylvania just beat the French in their own race. Americans now have a full year to celebrate another Tour conquest, and the French have that same time to try to prepare to take their long forgotten crown back. Even if we don’t win the race next year, or for ten more years, we will forever have the Top 8 reasons why the French can’t stand us. 
