Posts tagged france
The Tour de France, which ends Sunday, offers $2.6 million in prizes. Beyond battling for the yellow jersey, racers can collect points (like in Super Mario Bros.) for smaller awards.
My story on the green, polka dot and white jerseys ran in The Christian Science Monitor today.
Jean-Louis Pagès (above), a former geography professor, spends nearly half the year on the road scouting future Tour de France towns. My story on his selection process appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.
My story on the atmosphere, the racing and the unleashed donkeys atop the Col d’Aubisque appeared in The Christian Science Monitor today.
If French soccer supporters were frustrated with their team’s performance at the most recent World Cup, one can only imagine what the country’s die-hard cycling fans think about their homegrown talent – or lack thereof – in the Tour de France. It’s been more than two decades since a Frenchman won the Tour.
My story on the plight of French cycling appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.
“In the not so distant past, the Tour de France starting line was a simple affair. Riders arrived each day in the backs of cars and changed into spandex suits at local high schools, behind trees or even in plain view of spectators.
Today’s scene is more like a rock concert than a bike race. Teams drive to the start in huge buses adorned with colorful designs and sponsor logos. Fans hover around, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite cyclists. Outside some buses, such as Lance Armstrong’s RadioShack vehicle, bodyguards in dark sunglasses scan the crowd.” The lead of my story on the evolution of team buses in today’s Washington Post.
As the Tour de France gets under way, defrocked 2006 winner Floyd Landis has put forward fresh, detailed doping allegations against Lance Armstrong. But Armstrong has become as famous for deflecting scandal as for leading the peloton. My story on Armstrong’s recent travails appeared in today’s Christian Science Monitor.
My profile of Gerard Tiquet, the head groundskeeper at Roland Garros, ran in today’s Washington Post.
“Venus Williams was all smiles Wednesday, fielding more post-match queries about her off-court action — a recent interview with President Clinton for her upcoming book, how she designs her eye-popping tennis dresses — than her clay-court skills.”
An excerpt from my French Open notebook, filed today for The Washington Post.
During the 2009 Tour de France, I spent a few days behind-the-scenes with Cervélo TestTeam. My story on their team chemistry appeared in The Washington Post.
