by Shane Bacon
To Americans, Lance Armstrong is a hero. He's a man that not only beat cancer, but went on to beat thousands of cyclists for seven straight years at the Tour de France, a feat never accomplished before in the sport's biggest race.
To everyone else, Armstrong is a cheat. Countries see him as an American that found an edge that still can't be traced. They see him as a guy that has a little too much dirt under his fingernails that one day will be revealed, like a sports figure with a Joker jersey on under his cycling gear.
Because of that, Armstrong has professed fear for his personal safety if he decides to enter the 2009 Tour de France, the first time he would be competing in the event since his final victory in 2005.
"I don't want to enter an unsafe situation but you see this stuff coming out of France," said the American rider, who has many critics in France. "They're some aggressive, angry emotions. If you believe what you read, my personal safety could be in jeopardy."
It is worth noting that the country in question here is France (which, when speaking of violent acts, always brings me back to this video), even if the people do seem to get heated when talking about Lance and his dominance over their big sporting event.
Lance Armstrong Fears Personal Safety at '09 Tour de France originally appeared on FanHouse Back Porch on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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