Re: t-and-f: AOY - French version

[Kurt Bray]

I'm surprised he made the list at all. According to the SI AOY article about Lance, the French generally have a very low opinion of him. He gets jeered as he rides by in the French countryside. They view his achievements as impossible without drugs, therefore he must be a cheating doper. Plus the French never do like Americans of any sort to come over and win "their" sporting events.

Kurt Bray

As an interesting postscript to our recent AOY thread, I thought I'd pass
along the results of the 2002 "Champion of Champions" poll of the editorial
staff of the French sports daily, L'Equipe.  In spite of his Tour de France
exploits, Lance Armstrong was only tied for eighth with Serena Williams.
Here are the top ten.  Note that they have just one list for both men and
women--I believe Flo-Jo is the only woman who has ever won.

1. Michael Schumacher (Germany,  auto racing)    144 pts
2. Janica Kostelic (Croatia, alpine skiing)        117
3. Roberto Carlos (Brazil, soccer)          85
4. Tim Montgomery (USA, athletics)         84
5. Ole-Elnar Bjorndalen (Norway, biathlon)     69
6. Ronaldo (Brazil, soccer)                  65
7. Ellen MacArthur (GBR, yachting)             60
8. Serena Williams (USA, tennis)            57
     Lance Arrmstrong (USA, cycling)        57
10. Dejan Bodiroga (Yugoslavia, basketball)             49


No Barry Bonds.  No surprise.

Schumacher won this last year as well, but Americans won the two years
before that--Tiger Woods (2000) and Andre Agassi (1999).

Bob H

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