A Times Editorial

A winner deserving of honor

Lance Armstrong survived a bicycle wreck and the unseemly efforts by a few French officials and spectators to break his concentration on route to a fourth straight victory in the grueling Tour de France. No one should have been surprised. Survival and triumph are familiar experiences for Armstrong.

His battle with cancer has been well documented. In 1996, Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. His doctor gave him a 40 percent survival chance, later admitting it was really 20 percent. But Armstrong survived brain surgery and radical chemotherapy, and triumphed over cancer.

Along the route of this year's Tour, some French spectators heckled Armstrong over the allegation that he uses illegal, performance-enhancing drugs. He has denied the charge and passed every drug test given him, unlike some of his competitors. French officials will not give up, however, keeping an investigation of Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service team open for two years despite turning up no evidence. And the French government is bringing an unprecedented tax case against Armstrong over the Tour purse (which by tradition goes to the winner's team members).

Even his opponents were hesitant to give the American cyclist his due. After Armstrong doubled his lead over second-place Joseba Beloki in the Pyrenees Mountains, Beloki warned: "In the Alps it'll be different." He was right. In the Alps, Armstrong doubled his lead again.

Winning in the face of adversity has made Armstrong a great athlete. Cancer has made him a better person. Admittedly arrogant in his youth, Armstrong said cancer taught him humility. Now, grateful for his wife and three children and another chance at life, he marks win after win with modest acknowledgement, thanking his teammates and praising his competitors.

With a record-tying fifth straight Tour victory in sight next year, Armstrong was asked how he would like to be remembered. "There's never been a Tour de France victory by a cancer survivor before me," he responded. "That's what I'd like to be remembered for."

In these troubling times, Americans need a role model who deserves the honor. Luckily, we have Lance Armstrong.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright