The Tour de France is back!
Despite Lance (previous rant here), I’mm still excited by the event. Getting a bus stuck under the finish line on day 1 certainly helped with the excitement…
But most of all I love it because of the raw, simple hard work that goes into it all.
Hard work which explain’s Bradley Wiggins’* rant last year in response to allegations of doping.
‘It justifies their own bone-idleness because they can’t ever imagine applying themselves to do anything in their lives.
‘It’s easy for them to sit under a pseudonym on Twitter and write that sort of s**t, rather than get off their arses in their own lives and apply themselves and work hard at something and achieve something.
‘And that’s ultimately it.
Hard work and guts and team work. And massive crashes. What’s not to like?!
*: I’mm a fan of Wiggins for many reasons (lack of cheating; witty; honest; the way he sat on the throne at the Olympics etc.). I love his soundbites too, such as:
- ‘œIt’s nice to be recognised for achieving something in life because so much of British culture is built on people being famous for not achieving anything. It’s nice in sport when people stop you in the street and respect you for something you have achieved.’
- “I will never be a celebrity and I don’t consider myself a celebrity. I despise that whole celebrity culture.”
- “Kids from Kilburn don’t become favourite for the Tour de France. You’re supposed to become a postman or a milkman or work in Ladbrokes.”
- ‘œWe’re just going to draw the raffle numbers now.’
I think we share the admiration of sir Wiggins, just a shame he is not it this year