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Lance Armstrong is in the focus business. His focus on Tour de France was stronger and more powerful than all the others. And we get what we focus upon.

Learning From Lance - New York Times:

Learning From Lance
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

There is no doubt that Lance Armstrong's seventh straight victory in the Tour de France, which has prompted sportswriters to rename the whole race the Tour de Lance, makes him one of the greatest U.S. athletes of all time. What I find most impressive about Armstrong, besides his sheer willpower to triumph over cancer, is the strategic focus he brings to his work, from his prerace training regimen to the meticulous way he and his cycling team plot out every leg of the race. It is a sight to behold. I have been thinking about them lately because their abilities to meld strength and strategy - to thoughtfully plan ahead and to sacrifice today for a big gain tomorrow - seem to be such fading virtues in American life.

Ask the eConsultant - Personal MBA - Book Review - Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fullfillment by George Leonard:

Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fullfillment by George Leonard

The Seattle Times: Quotable: What they're saying about Lance:

Quotable: What they're saying about Lance

'I always said the greatest time to retire for a professional athlete is when the public says, 'He could have went another year.' '

Wayne Gretzky

'... A great triumph of the human spirit, a testament not only to your athletic talent but to your courage.'

President Bush

'He is strong in the leg and the head, in the arm and the heart. He is strong inside and outside. He is so strong that there are no points or moments of weakness. He is a force of nature and of science.'

Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport

'Lance is the greatest American rider and the greatest Tour de France rider ever. Lance, he's past being a cycling person � he's moved to that superstar, rock-star status, which I think benefits the sport.'

Frankie Andreu

'He's dominated for seven years. He's a professional down to his fingertips. He's the champion of his generation, the last 10 years.'

Bernard Hinault

'With his physical and mental strength, his enthusiasm and will-power, nobody � me included � was able to hold a candle to him these past seven years.'

Jan Ullrich

'Lance brought a new level of professionalism, a different level of professionalism to the sport. ... In the way he trained, the way he paid attention to details, that would be what I would think of as Lance Armstrong's legacy to the sport of cycling.'

Bjarne Riis

Overall classification:

1. Lance Armstrong (US/Discovery) 82h 34min 05sec
2. Ivan Basso (Ita/CSC) at 4:40
3. Jan Ullrich (Ger/T-Mobile) at 6:21
4. Francisco Mancebo (Spa/Balears) at 9:59
5. Levi Leipheimer (US/Gerolsteiner) at 11:25
6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz/T-Mobile) at 11:27
7. Mickael Rasmussen (Den/Rabobank) at 11:33
8. Cadel Evans (Aus/Lotto) at 11:55
9. Floyd Landis (US/Phonak) at 12:44
10. Oscar Pereiro (Spa/Phonak) at 16:04

Tour De France 2005 Blog


Tour De France 2005 Blog List

Get yourself a Lance Armstrong Wallpaper ...

Lance Armstrong Wallpaper:

Lance Armstrong Wallpaper

SI.com - More Sports - 2005 Tour de France - Armstrong wins 7th Tour de France - Sunday July 24, 2005 11:09AM:

Magnificent Seventh
Armstrong rides into retirement with one final victory

PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday -- and did it a little earlier than expected.

Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.

The stage started as it has done for the past six years -- with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.

One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. He held up seven fingers -- one for each win -- and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.

His sixth win last year already set a record, putting Armstrong ahead of four other riders -- Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian Eddy Merckx and Spaniard Miguel Indurain -- who all won five Tours.

Armstrong's new record of seven wins confirmed him as one of the greatest cyclists ever, and capped a career where he cam

Armstrong Ends Career With Seventh Tour Win - New York Times:

Armstrong Ends Career With Seventh Tour Win
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 11:03 a.m. ET

PARIS (AP) -- Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday -- and did it a little earlier than expected.

Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.

The stage started as it has done for the past six years -- with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader's yellow jersey.

One hand on his handlebars, the other holding a flute of champagne, Armstrong toasted his teammates as he pedaled into Paris to collect his crown. He held up seven fingers -- one for each win -- and a piece of paper with the number 7 on it.

But Armstrong's last ride as a professional -- the closing 89.8-mile 21st stage into Paris from Corbeil-Essonnes south of the capital -- was not without incident in the rain.

Three of his teammates slipped and crashed coming around a bend just before they crossed the River Seine. Armstrong, right behind them, braked and skidded into the fallen riders.

Armstrong used his right foot to steady himself, and was able to stay on the bike.

His teammates, wearing special shirts with a band of yellow on right shoulder, recovered and led him up the Champs-Elysees at the front of the pack.

Organizers then announced that they had stopped the clock because of the slippery conditions.

MSNBC - Armstrong wraps up seventh Tour title:

Armstrong wraps up seventh Tour title
Lance ends career in style with ceremonial ride
BREAKING NEWS
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:24 a.m. ET July 24, 2005

PARIS - Lance Armstrong closed out his amazing career with a seventh consecutive Tour de France victory Sunday � and did it a little earlier than expected.

Because of wet conditions, race organizers stopped the clock as Armstrong and the main pack entered Paris. Although riders were still racing, with eight laps of the Champs-Elysees to complete, organizers said that Armstrong had officially won.

The stage started as it has done for the past six years � with Armstrong celebrating and wearing the race leader�s yellow jersey.