Documenting the Armstrong Way
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Gibney has directed such successful documentaries as “Taxi to the Dark Side,” “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.” His turns the camera eye on Armstrong as he attempts to scale back to the top of the Tour de France after a three-and-one-half-year absence. And Tour de France Stage 12 was a doozy… but for fans of the payday loan or cash loan, you’ll be sad to hear that he didn’t need one of those to repair his punctured tire.
But this isn’t really a cycling movie
As I’ve said, the man survived testicular cancer that required brain and testicular surgery, as well as lots of chemo. Him being alive is a miraculous thing, and his ability to compete as an elite athlete is even more amazing. Now 37 years old, Armstrong would be the oldest to ever win if he triumphs, besting Firmin Lambot by one year (Lambot was 36 in 1922 when he won the Tour).
“What interested me was the story of his comeback – his will,” Gibney told the L.A. Times.
“It’s about cancer. It’s about getting old. It’s about proving all the naysayers wrong,” said Columbia Pictures President Matt Tolmach. “It’s about a comeback. It unfolds in an isolated period of time. It’s all the ingredients for a documentary.”
Yet French officials continue to protest
24 separate times. That’s how often Lance Armstrong has been tested for prohibited drugs or other substances that might boost his performance beyond allowable levels. Each time, the rumors circulated within the French Anti-doping Agency have been unfounded.
“I am sorry that they are disappointed that all the tests were negative, but I do not use any prohibited drugs or substances,” Armstrong told the Wall Street Journal.
Even if he doesn’t win, check this movie out
Currently, the film doesn’t have a title. However, considering the director’s track history of Oscar-winning success and the enduring spirit of the film’s subject, how could it be anything but fascinating? Release is planned for 2010. Until then, save your money. Movies will cost even more by then, but a payday loan or cash loan can help.
Lance Armstrong has about nine stages remaining in his triumphant comeback. Will he win? We’ll see. But in truth, he’s been a winner for some time.
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If Armstrong manages to win this Tour, it will be like Rocky Balboa in real life. (Actually, there were several people that were like Rocky in real life that became Heavyweight champions – he was modeled on Smokin’ Joe Frazier, and then you have James Braddock, a no body who came out of nowhere beating Max Baer for the title, even if he was mangled later by Joe Louis.) Cycling can get ridiculed by some, who might go on about how football or other contact sports are harder because of the physical punishment that’s dished out, but it really doesn’t compare to having to go 80 miles or more – all uphill at 30 mph. Tour de France cyclists are easily among the most rugged of athletes for the kind of distances of travel that are involved and the routes they have to go in order to complete the race. Just riding that amount of miles at a leisurely pace would be an achievement – nevermind being able to do what those boys do. I’d love to see Lance win just one more time before he retires, but we’ll see if he’s able to pull it off this year. An 8th Yellow Jersey from a guy that old would be quite the accomplishment, especially when he’s seemingly the only famous American Athlete that DOESN’T do steroids.