On Tuesday, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the American Century quarterly meeting on the plaza. I, like most of the people in attendance, was not there to hear about profit margins and investment strategies. Instead, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the man who is the reason I began riding a bike in the first place. Lance Armstrong showed up for a short presentation followed by a question and answer session with those in attendance. He showed up in a suit and tennis shoes which I guessed was due to sore legs from running. This was confirmed when he chose to sit, rather than stand when he walked out. It is not every day you get to see your idol in person; it is an even rarer opportunity when you get the chance to talk to him. Fortunately, I was able to do both. Despite many varying opinions about Armstrong, I found him to be extremely well spoken, engaging, and quite humorous.
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When asked about his participation in the New York City Marathon two days prior to his visit to KC he said that he would probably never run in another one again. Cardiovascular wise he was fine, “It was the constant impact of the pavement that really caused problems.” He then explained that the best part of the race for him was the start, after that it was not a pleasant experience. Lance did admit to a lack of training in the weeks leading up to the event. His response to those around him who chided him for not preparing for the race properly was simply that he really did not need to train for it because, he joked, I am Lance Armstrong. This brought a round of laughter from the audience. In retrospect however, his recommendation to those who thought they might participate in a marathon was simply, “I would definitely train for it.” Lance then talked about the state of US cycling and the future of the sport. “I wish I could say there was an 18 year old American out there that I thought could win the tour. I cannot. If I could, we would have signed him already.” He did state although it would be preferable, there would not be an American leader on the Discovery Team next year. This being an obvious allusion to the signing of Ivan Basso, which was announced shortly thereafter. He said that Bruyneel was not very happy after the Tour. He had been batting a thousand before the 2006 Tour and it was a let down for him to fail to have a rider on the podium. Finally, I had a chance to ask Lance a question. Not wanting to ask a question that Lance has already answered thousands of times, I inquired about his opinion on the upcoming Tour of Missouri. Could this race really bring top international talent to Missouri? Would they continue to return after the inaugural year of the race? I also wanted to know what he thought a race of this stature and scope would do for the local cycling scene and advocacy of the sport in the region. He stated definitively that he believes this is a race that can attract and will keep attracting top talent from around the world. “Look at the Tour of Georgia. People used to say, “You want me to race where?” But now it is a race that continues to attract many European and domestic pros.” Lance explained that Europeans really like racing in America because the accommodations are so much better than they experience in Europe. He referred back to the days of the Tour DuPont when Europeans were shocked by how nice their accommodations were. They kept coming back because they were treated so well. The same will be true for the Tour of Missouri. It is the athletes that make the race, not the other way around. If we have the athletes then the race will be there. He thinks that the sport needs personalities. That is what will keep the sport going. Armstrong also stated that they (Discovery) are always keeping their eyes out for riders out there who enter the sport late, perhaps from running, who rise up the ranks and learn the tactics quickly. After the Q&A session Lance left for a meeting with the investors and then headed home for some rest and relaxation. After a short video presentation the meeting adjourned. After the meeting I was re-inspired so I played hooky from work and enjoyed the unseasonably nice weather with a nice long bike ride.