Tour De France

[Fax]

Dave,
The great thing about a forum like this is being able to express opinions, and that's all I'm throwing out there...my personal opinion.  I don't like Schumacher, you do, I think Armstrong's a pompous ass, you see him as an inspiration to people.  If we agreed on everything we'd all be boring f**k*rs.
Got any sleep yet?
Fax

[Andy Zarse]

Fax,

I've never been really had an absolute understanding of your over-devotion to James Hunt. He was a good racer and a bit of a character and he had some balls. But he wopuldn't last five minutes today.

He was also an arrogant sh*t to the public, unless totty was involved. I know someone who flies for BA who hates him to this day. He got totally drunk and very unpleasant on a long haul sector and pissed all over the first class cabin. Fortunately some of it went on Ester Rantzen, but it's not really on is it? And what about that time he was arrested and done for beating up the guy outside the club? And his penchant for budgerigar breeding was a bit strange too.

He was no Jim Clark.

[Dave H]

Fax,

I've never been really had an absolute understanding of your over-devotion to James Hunt. He was a good racer and a bit of a character and he had some balls. But he wopuldn't last five minutes today.

He was also an arrogant sh**t to the public, unless totty was involved. I know someone who flies for BA who hates him to this day. He got totally drunk and very unpleasant on a long haul sector and pissed all over the first class cabin. Fortunately some of it went on Ester Rantzen, but it's not really on is it? And what about that time he was arrested and done for beating up the guy outside the club? And his penchant for budgerigar breeding was a bit strange too.

He was no Jim Clark.

Andy - Two words; "fighting talk".    

Fax - "Getting tired of looking at Sheryl Crow's heroin weathered mug too" made me piss myself!  That's funny!  Her last name is so appropriate.

Between her and Robin Williams, I'm not sure who wants access to his ball the most!

[Fax]

Hey Guys,
Wohoo, some good stuff here.  What made Hunt interesting to me was that he was a complete f**k*ng anarchist who did what he wanted and didn't give a flying f**k about what people thought of him. He absolutely refused to be a corporate stooge, basically told Marlboro to shove it when they wanted him to wear a suit & tie to public functions.  Those kind of people appeal to me, because I've never been one to conform to anything and I don't follow the herd.  Maybe thats one thing that pisses me off so much about Lance is that he is fricking everywhere, can't escape him.  I'm ready to sell my cycling rig after twenty years of riding just because cycling's become trendy or fashonable.  Now everytime I go out for a ride I've to look at all of my fat neighbors huffing, puffing and spilling out of their lycra.
And by the way Andy, Hunt was a hell of alot more talented than he was ever given credit for.
Fax

[Fax]

Andy,
I forgot one other thing I found very appealing about Master James, he was a devout animal lover (hence the budgie breeding) something he had in common with the Harper Brothers, Herr Schumacher and self.  Nigel Roebuck relates a very nice story of how James rescued a starving stray dog at Imola one year and fed it with food he collected from the various team motorhomes. He took it to race control and made the clerk of course sign a paper promising to look after the dog.  Niki Lauda has always said that James was his toughest rival (including Alain Prost) said that when James was rested he was a ferocious racer and the hardest to beat.
I'll still think Lance is on something.
Fax

[Robbo SPS]

What a top thread.

Late to catch on to this one.


I personally feel that Lance Armstrong is an imence rider with huge physical endurance, but he trains simply for this one race each year, he pre-rides the course and knows where, when and what is still left to go.

I dont think he is on anything.

Lance is great until he opens his mouth. He comes out as a very typically brash yank ( sorry fax - we havent met, but this is my opinion - no offence to you ). He is very single minded and annoying, why they gave him the mic on sunday night, lord only knows.

Its a shame that his succes has made cycling fashionable, but that will soon die and the fat people will soon stop, or die !!

Most people in the UK dont wear the full cycling lycra rig as we dont look to good, and its cold here most of the time

I cycle most days to work in shorts and t-shirt and see muppets in the kit struggling to get over 15mph on a trick bike - There will always be those who are like this. I call them SHEEP ( they also like F1 and Shumacher )

[Fran]

Damn - no wonder i was getting confused, i thought the great Mr Hunt you were talking about was a cyclist - not dear old Hunt the Shunt!!! 

[Fax]

Hey Fran,
Actually I think James did take up cycling in his latter years, come to think of it, might be what killed him.
Hey Robbo no offence taken, I agree completely about Lance's mouth.  One reason that I'm so jaded about this whole doping thing as that in recent years the US sporting scene has been scandalized by accusations and admissions of the use of performance boosting drugs. Our oldest and most sacred game, Baseball has been especially hard hit with some of its top stars being busted for illegal steriod use.  We thought our cyclist were clean but then Tyler Hamilton got busted so suspicion is running high when any athlete appears so dominant.
Fax

[Matt Harper]

Andy,
I forgot one other thing I found very appealing about Master James, he was a devout animal lover (hence the budgie breeding) something he had in common with the Harper Brothers, Herr Schumacher and self. 

I would like to take this opportunity to point out, in no uncertain terms, lest there be any doubt whatsoever, that I do not breed budgies.
I had a budgie once, his name was Freddie, but he escaped and the last time I saw him he was being persued across the sky by a large flock of Starlings (who presumably reduced him to his constituent parts). Since then it's been snarling dogs only.

[Dave H]

Uncle Freddie's DEAD???

[Dave H]

I too would like to make it clear that at no time have I been convicted or accused of sexual activity with budgies.

Horrible slimy things.

[Andy Zarse]

Came home from work yesterday afternoon and guess who's on TV?  Same schtick, I'm a miracle, its just incredible, yadda, yadda, yadda. Just shut the f**ck up!  I agree with Greg Lemond, Lance was just a good journeyman rider and then all the sudden he's superman?  Getting tired of looking at Sheryl Crow's heroin weathered mug too.
Fax

Fax, I love you man, but I'm going to  have to call you on this.  What on earth are you talking about?

You call Schumacher cos he's arrogant, you call Armstrong for the same reasons - but not folks like Hunt?

I call bollox on ya!

Dave, I've been waiting with baited breath. Did you manage to call Fax and what did he say to you? Hope you used an off-peak tariff, it might have been a long conversation.

Also, I wasn't aware Fax had phone numbers for Armstrong and Schumi either, though they can't have been pleased to hear from him just to be told they're arrogant. I suspect the reason he hasn't been able to call James is linked to the fact that he died twelve years ago and his phone has probably been cut off (though if he was with BT that may not be the case) and I would have thought an intelligent man like you would have known this.

[Andy Zarse]

I too would like to make it clear that at no time have I been convicted or accused of sexual activity with budgies.

Horrible slimy things.

I'm distressed to hear of your loss Matt, but you really shoulda told your bro.

BTW, I had a friend who reckonned he used to get his budgie to walk up and down his... well, you get the picture! Apparently Galtieri's sharp little claws felt quite nice.  He never mentioned anything about it being slimy though.

[Bob U]

Judging by the amount of posting you are doing this morning Andy I presume that your weekend has already started 

[Fax]

Maybe thats Lance's secret weapon, he has a budgie walk up & down his *&%# before every stage. Or does he just have a Crow suck on it.  I see this one getting deleted.
Fax