European Perspective...

[TRDean]

In all seriousness...I would love to know what some of our European contributors here think of the LA, Astana, AC situation. I don't mean from their point of view...but that of the different cycling countries. What id the Dutch, Belgian, Italian, etc. media saying? Is the rest of Europe really interested in the LA/AC squabble? What are the real thoughts on LA? Is he considered a savior in Europe? Just curious...

Also, something that is funny...didn't lance state that he was afraid for his life because of the French fans? From my distant point of view...it looked like he got a lot of love.

All comments welcome.

 

[Chippers]

From what I've seen the British media is too busy sining the praises of Cavendish and Wiggins to worry about some old fella falling out with some young gun. The British media (national newspapers instead of cycle mags) seems more interested in the olympics than taking any long term interest in the sport.

I think if you asked the most sports editors who/what Skil-Shimano were they'd probably say a cycle training course.

 

[TRDean]

From what I've seen the British media is too busy sining the praises of Cavendish and Wiggins to worry about some old fella falling out with some young gun. The British media (national newspapers instead of cycle mags) seems more interested in the olympics than taking any long term interest in the sport.

I think if you asked the most sports editors who/what Skil-Shimano were they'd probably say a cycle training course.

Thanks Chippers!! Funny you picked out Skil-Shimano...they are my favorite team!! That made me laugh. Thanks again.

 

[bjaelkesex]

Danish media coverage:
60 per cent Team Saxo Bank
30 per cent Astana drama
10 per cent Tour

The media were at first divided on his comeback (some laughed while others called it the return of the king), but the evaluations given to Lance after the Tour all reads the same: respect.

 

[anubisza]

Yep in England we've had lots of coverage of Cav and Wiggo, and not much really said about anyone else, including AC and LA.

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

Also, something that is funny...didn't lance state that he was afraid for his life because of the French fans? From my distant point of view...it looked like he got a lot of love.

He was always quite paradoxal about that, he sometimes brought the worst clichés possible (French don't like winners, or americans, etc...) all the while living there for a while (I believe), and a lot of people like him at the very least as a champion. French public may be split over LA, but not to the point of endangering his life. People on the side of the road were always pretty well-natured, not that much hostility. French media (a completely different thing) and him have a love-hate relationship.

The LA/AC/Astana thing was all over the headlines in France as well, treatment has been fairly consensual though: Lance is a great champion, his comeback is to be saluted, etc... Contador is the best stage rider right now "best climber of the world", and a great champion, but did not receive the support he should have from his team. Lance twitters and remarks were in the press, but he was not vilified for that.

As you may know, ASO direction was changed and L'Equipe "ordered" to not mention some subjects, so the context was in for a rather light-earthed coverage.

Armstrong "only" taking 3rd place helped that: as someone said, French loves the bridesmaid, and it certainly helped in improving his image to its critics. On the whole he was a lot more sympathetic, smiling and all. Except for the Astana drama, he kind of avoided the negativity in interviews. He couldn't refrain from a remark about anti-doping, but kept it low profile.

 

[TRDean]

Yep in England we've had lots of coverage of Cav and Wiggo, and not much really said about anyone else, including AC and LA.

I guess it is good that Cav and Wiggo are getting some luv from home. I really think Cav craves that on his home soil. Good for them!

 

[anubisza]

I guess it is good that Cav and Wiggo are getting some luv from home. I really think Cav craves that on his home soil. Good for them!

British press love them when they're doing well, but will be equally fast to tear them down if something goes wrong.

 

[pmcg76]

It all really depends on what country, newspaper etc, I can only speak about UK/Ireland. I think overall LA received respect considering his age and problems but most acknowledged the tension within the Astana team, one newspaper not in the Lance camp is The Times/Sunday Times, London but then when you have Walsh, Kimmage & Jeremy Whittle as your correspondents, its not going to be a Lance fest, just read timesonline for Whittles take on Lance/Astana. To me very accurate.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article6728591.ece

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/more_sport/cycling/article6728035.ece

The success of Britain at the Olympics and now Cavendish/Wiggins is really helping to raise the profile of cycling in the UK but look at the BBC website and nearly everything is somehow linked to Lance.

Magazines are unreliable, I know the majority of contributors to one major selling UK(Globally selling) magazine are not Lance fans but since his return, he has received ridiculous amounts of coverage by this magazine. Lance sells and unfortunatley, money comes before anything, if you can attract the preripheral fans it leads to increased profits, hence the Lance focus over personal views and standards.

To your average European non-cycling/passive fan, Lance is a star the way Woods, Federer, Nadal, Bolt are stars. They do not follow the sport closely enough to get any negativity. I have always found it strange that most non cycling fans see cycling as THE druggie sport but Lance as a star/hero, kinda contradictory and something that really galls me. Ask your average European non-cycling fan about the Simeoni affair and they will look at you blankly.

Having lived in Belgium, I know Lance is not the shining star, that would be Boonen. I always say the core European countries will always be fine with or without Lance, he might add a few extra fans during the Tour but they arent exactly relying on these people to keep cycling alive.

 

[rhubroma]

In Italy LA got more press than anyone else, including Contador. La Gazzetta dello Sport is much more pro Lance bias, than say la Repubblica which also has made some critical comments.

The RAI commentators Cassani and Borbarelli are hoplessly biased in treating the doping issue as a "few bad apples" thing, as it is in their interest to do so. Especially Cassani, who was an ex-pro and knows what's up, which makes his silences sometimes noteworthy. They are hypocrits, though very good cycling commentators when calling the races. They had praise for Contador, but also Armstrong. Yet the Simeoni affair remains a blight on his image in Italy.

All and all, Armstrong sells so he gets privledged consideration here too.

 

[ak-zaaf]

over here (netherlands) he got most of the press during the tour. twitter updates getting treated like press-releases etc.

problem here is that from the million viewers the tour gets, about 90% only watches the tour and no other cycling. and all those people turn to one clueless media-figure (mart smeets) who has his arm so far up armstrongs rectum he can almost tickle his brain.

for the more serious cycling fans i think there is mostly skepticism and the feeling that this whole comeback is not doing cycling any good in the long term.


as for contador: the second largest newspaper already compared him to the 5+ winners because they think he's that good. dutch commentators even said he has already given us more than armstrong in his 7 reigning years.

 

[Futuroscope]

In all seriousness...I would love to know what some of our European contributors here think of the LA, Astana, AC situation. I don't mean from their point of view...but that of the different cycling countries. What id the Dutch, Belgian, Italian, etc. media saying? Is the rest of Europe really interested in the LA/AC squabble? What are the real thoughts on LA? Is he considered a savior in Europe? Just curious...

Also, something that is funny...didn't lance state that he was afraid for his life because of the French fans? From my distant point of view...it looked like he got a lot of love.

All comments welcome.

i have seen both...some really focus on the the AC-LA drama and think its typical american arrogance, while others (specially those who have deep knowledge of the sport) aren't that interested at all about the 'astana situation' because they knew lance would never be a real threat to contador. and neither 'group' thinks lance did jack **** to help contador as the american press seems to believe.

 

[TRDean]

Thanks for the replies guys!!! It is good to read this information.

 

[53x11 in DC]

As you may know, ASO direction was changed and L'Equipe "ordered" to not mention some subjects, so the context was in for a rather light-earthed coverage.

.

This is so not true, and if you'd been reading L'Equipe back to front every day for the last 25 days (which I have), you'd know better...

DOPING

Covered everywhere, in every conceivable form..

- Wiggo defended against suspicions
- Lance ('99 situation) mentioned numerous times, esp by Phillipe Brunel
- DiLuca got in-depth coverage
- Landaluze and ??? got coverage
- F. Schleck's springtime situation got coverage
- Contador suspicions discussed at length
- LeMond assertions/accusations covered at length, with Fignon, Hinault, and loads of others weighing in
- 2008 covered, including today, wher the AFLD will do further tests on 08 samples
- Prdhomme was asked about this year's results, and he discussed it with some apprehension about making any bold predictions
- Andorra/Astana "delay" brought up many times and subsequently put to rest

CONTENTIOUS SITUATIONS
- AC and Conta discussed ad nauseum
- Cav and Hush discussed ad nauseum
- FSchleck/Armstrong discussion on the Romme dissected (as well on France2, where Fsch ducked the question)
- Astana's late-to-the-sign-in issues touched upon
- the "Grand Bordure" never died, LA mildly attacked for being in the front echelon
- Sastre's blowup covered in depth, including the apology
- Evans and Menchov beaten down a bit as well
- Bruyneel/Astana covered in depth

OTHER
- Spectator death far from glossed over... race directors adressed this head-on as a tragedy and asked for renewed vigilance on the roadside


I hardly think they've been "light-hearted", or muted to ANY extent. If you read Brunel's daily diatribes, it was clear that he still has a hard-on for creating dissonance.

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

53x11 in DC:

By light hearted I do not mean completely oblivious to reality, just that it felt more positive-oriented than my memories of the post Festina & end of Armstrong era. I did read it back to front for 10 days (second and last week bar the end), however I'll concede that you may have a more complete vision of the subject: I stopped reading L'Equipe a long time ago, mostly because of how they covered football and their love for "dissonance". The TdF is the only moment I am compelled to buy it.

You mention for doping the Dani de Luca/Landaluze/Other guy case but it seems to me as a good example of the TV coverage: it was mentioned on air, Adam and Fignon would say how the doping cheaters are stupid, and how the targeting system works in a somewhat forced manner. Then we would skip to something else. Those cases are outside the Tour anyway.
Sure L'Equipe echoes the discussions of fans, doping is just a topic that cannot be avoided. I do not ask them to create controversy where there's none. But they do not investigate like they did at some point (with Armstrong most notably), or so it seems to me.

My impression is that you can feel that ASO would like this Tour to be "return to normal" after a full decade of suspicions and doping scandals. The change of staff within the company is well documented, as for the order given to L'Equipe and Le Parisien to step down on the issue was documented in Le Canard Enchainé.

As I said, the Astana drama got a lot of coverage. The media opinion seems to favor Contador, but not to the point of putting down Armstrong (not saying that they should). Everyone seems pretty much happy overall that he came back.

Otherwise, the coverage of the race seems quite a bit more complete than what you see on Versus, judging by the reports there. L'Equipe devoted 8 to 10 pages daily to the Tour.

On TV, stages are not covered from the very beginning but at a minimum you get the last 3 hours (I think the ITT is the shortest retransmission), plus pre and post shows. Commercial breaks are pretty short, 30" to 1' I would say, 2 to 3 times an hour max. Comments on the race are pretty good (and a tad less hysterical than a few years ago which I appreciate).
Attention on french riders is not excessive: it is generally (very) positive, and the TV keeps tabs on the best classed ones, but never to the point of distracting of what is going on at the lead of the race.

Also I just mentioned L'Equipe and France 2 (the TV broadcaster which is expected to be "conservative" anyway), but there are other newspapers in France: Le Monde has a column by LeMond (which was heavily discussed in The Clinic) and Libération has a much more caustic coverage of the race since a few years, so alternative views to the "official line" exists for those who wants it.

 

[Baggins27]

As my fellow Brits have mentioned, most of the coverage here revolves around Cav and Wiggins, for obvious reasons.

As far as coverage of the Tour goes.... it's been ok but not great. As someone mentioned earlier, road cycling in the UK is not a hugely popular spectator sport. I find myself constantly having to explain the basics to people and even then it's only during the Tour that they take any real notice. Perhaps it will change when Team Sky hit the road (Sky Sports have a 24 hour sports news station here and will no doubt fill it with plenty of propaganda about the new team) but I'm not holding my breath.

As for Lance.... the BBC have been covering his every step since he returned and one or two features in magazines and stuff. Outside of the cycling magazines though the reporting ususally shows a fair bit of ignorance. It seems to me it's written by general sports writers rather than genuine cycling fans. His spat with Contador has had a little press but not much. Contador's win hasn't exactly hit the headlines either..... it's usually mentioned at the bottom of the "Cav wins in Paris" article!


Now the Tour has come and gone we'll go back to having no mention of cycling anywhere until the Worlds. Sad but true. Thank God for British Eurosport!

 

[uphillstruggle]

I only watched the ITV 4 coverage (UK) and a doggy feed that I believe was a versus channel, anyway both had the same commentary: Phil Liggit and his mates. They mentioned Cav and Wiggo a lot obviously and the newspaper coverage over here did the same, but they where always going on about Lance and contador - frankly some of the stuff they were coming out with was absurd.
Completely miss reading what was going on in the race, constantly telling us that Lance was at the Olympics and thought he could beat the current riders at the same time as we are watching him get dropped on a climb. The best one was Chris Boardman (who I really like and respect) saying that Lance was possibly the best cyclist of all time. Boardman also pulled Lance/astana on the stage 3 break by saying it was the teams/DS job to make sure AC was in there - which it was.

Over all Lance is the guy everyone know and most people who don't follow the cycling ask you how he is doing.

Think i'm going to get set up with eurosport soon i'd much rather listen to Kelly's thick Irish accent - at least he gives good analysis.