At Tour, Armstrong could finally win French hearts

Associated Press MONACO — For all of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France victories, he still hasn’t won the hearts of the French. That may be about to change. “A lot has been made about that relationship between them and myself,” he told The Associated Press by phone this week. “The comments are not necessarily in line with reality.” Armstrong is awaiting his first Tour since 2005. The 37-year-old Texan often put off the French during his seven straight titles with a self-confidence seen as arrogance, and an unapologetic crushing of rivals that seemed to drain the race of the suspense the fans crave. There are signs, though, that the hostility Armstrong was greeted by in some previous races will be absent this time. A poll published in Thursday’s edition of L’Equipe showed 72 percent of respondents said they were “not bothered”... [read full story]                    

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