lance armstrong goes for a 7th victory

**the 12 th man** · 21/02/2005, 2:12 PM

see he's announced a bid for 7 in a row,new team as as well,
his ex us postal team is now sponsored by the "discovery channel".

i'm right out of appropriate puns.

**Macy** · 21/02/2005, 2:26 PM

Not really a new team, same team different sponsor. He's an animal to be going for 7 in a row (best I could post

anyway)....

**the 12 th man** · 21/02/2005, 2:34 PM

slip of the finger there on the new team bit.

i was thinking they might discover something if they really wanted

**Macy** · 21/02/2005, 2:49 PM

Pity Discovery isn't in competition with postal, they'd really lick them...

**pete** · 21/02/2005, 8:30 PM

I'm sure his former team will discover they not half the team without him. Maybe they'll channel their energies to showing they can survive without him.

**REVIP** · 21/02/2005, 9:09 PM

US Postal has withdrawn from the European tour, don't know about at home. The French sports daily, L'Equipe has details of all the teams:

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/EQ_D1.html

Only one Irish rider, young Roche, aged 20.

**Kowalski** · 22/02/2005, 12:39 PM

Is there an english language version of l'equipe?

**Pauro 76** · 24/02/2005, 5:20 PM

Will this finally be the year when Lance goes off the boil?

(Geddit, Lance, Boil?)

**Kingdom** · 24/02/2005, 6:17 PM

Taxi for Pauro

**REVIP** · 27/02/2005, 9:38 PM

Originally Posted by Kowalski

Is there an english language version of l'equipe?

Never seen one.

My French is pretty crap, but most of the stuff you can work out.

Always amazes me that the French can keep a daily paper going that has nothing in it but sport, with completely up to date coverage, they must sell enough copies to mkae it pay.

**pete** · 28/02/2005, 10:27 AM

They had report on Nantes v Cork City from last years Inter Toto Cup. Resident translator was reading us the report as drove home on french motorway.

Maybe standard daily newspapers don't do that much sports in france?

Irish people into sport more than most countries but daily papers do extensive sport so would be hard for dedicated sports daily to survive.

**the 12 th man** · 28/02/2005, 10:53 AM

so who can stop him this year ?
i believe he was saying that the route this year was not to his liking.

**REVIP** · 04/03/2005, 7:48 PM

Maybe standard daily newspapers don't do that much sports in france?

[/QUOTE]

Think you're probably right. Le Monde and Figaro never look as though they are bulging with supplements.

See in today's Irish Times that young Nick Roche has opted for France rather than Ireland.

**the 12 th man** · 05/03/2005, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by REVIP

See in today's Irish Times that young Nick Roche has opted for France rather than Ireland.

he much regrets doing it but the french cycling authorities told him he would be excluded from a lot of events if he didn't surrender it.(irish passport)

**shedite** · 05/03/2005, 6:44 PM

I think the discovery channel only signed on the condition that Lance did another tour. I reckon Rubiera will probably be their leader when Lance finally retires. I reckon Ulrich is probably the only one who can challenge Lance. Maybe Ivan Basso.

**Pauro 76** · 05/03/2005, 7:06 PM

what age is Nick Roche?

**the 12 th man** · 06/03/2005, 1:44 PM

Originally Posted by PAURO 7

what age is Nick Roche?

20 afaik

**Macy** · 07/03/2005, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by the 12 th man

he much regrets doing it but the french cycling authorities told him he would be excluded from a lot of events if he didn't surrender it.(irish passport)

Actually it appears to be that the French Government don't allow dual citizenship....

From Cycling News

Roche's mother Lydia is French and he has held dual nationality for several years. However, he says that last Autumn he was told by French administration officials that dual citizenship was not possible. He could remain Irish but would then have to surrender his French passport. As he now lives in France with his family and is set to remain there after his career ends, he has reluctantly opted for French nationality.

"The problem is really relating to citizenship, rather than the French federation's end of things," he explained this week. "When you're 16 in France, you have to go to the local town Hall and to sign a paper saying that you are French. I did that, as I was obliged. I have had my French passports since I was born, because I was born in France. I only got my Irish passport more recently. If I was still living in Ireland, I probably would never have found out about it. If I had signed for foreign team, it would be possible that I never found out about it. Anyway, the woman that I was dealing with said I could have been disqualified from any race if I had continued with two. As long as I am on the French list, for them I am not allowed to be anything else.

"I am sad to give up my Irish passport. But I feel that this is the only option. It is different for the other Irish guys racing here because most of them have a background in Ireland, with their families and everything else there. If cycling doesn't work for them, they are going to go back to Ireland to live and work there. But for me, if cycling doesn't work out, I am going to stay in France as my family are here. We are not supposed to admit it, but it is definitely easier to get work here if you are French."