"Today's ProCycling.com article about yesterday's announcement of the new Tour of California, an eight-day/750 mile event, quotes Levi Leipheimer as saying,""The Tour de France is getting nervous because this really is going to be the biggest race in the world.""
There once, or actually twice, was a Tour de Trump bike race, one stage of which started at the foot of Trump's Plaza Hotel. Somehow I was able to wangle my way into the front row of press and spectators during the introductions and this is what I heard Trump tell Greg LeMond (fill in his dreadful accent for the full richness of this:""Dis race is bigga than anything they got in Euwope.""
What a schmuck. In a year it was the Tour deFunct."
Leipheimer's claim to Trump's hubris.
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 8:20am
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 8:39am
#1
Tour de Trump
"Richard Rosenthal wrote: ""In a year it was the Tour deFunct.""
Actually, it became the Tour DuPont in 1991. Trump gave his name to the race for two years (1989 and 1990), then bailed (obviously the race didn't live up to his expectations) and DuPont stepped in. The last Tour DuPont was in 1996.
Here's the context of Leipheimer's remark:
""Gerolsteiner's Californian-connection Levi Leipheimer was on hand and said that races like this are the key to developing the cyclists of tomorrow. 'When I was 13 years old and saw the Tour de France on television, I just felt this immediate connection and new I would be there. And now we have the Amgen Tour of California to inspire the next generation of cyclists. The first stage comes to my home town of Santa Rosa, so I am excited! The Tour de France is getting nervous! It's going to be the biggest cycling race in the world.'""
I think he said it jokingly, unlike Trump, who probably believed what he said.
The odd thing about this race is that it's sponsored by a maker of EPO: http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/9118.0.html."
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 1:09pm
#2
I stand by my original remark: Changed name & ownership=new race
"Am I ever aware it morphed into the Tour de Gun Powder and Nylon. I've got stuff from it I think to put on e-bay if I ever develop mastery of e-bay. In the meantime, small and unimportant as the distinction is, I contend a new ownership and a new name made it a new race. I'm not the only one who thought that. Bicycling Mag. published my comment a month or so after Trump trumpeted it. Bicycling's headline? ""Tour deFunct."""
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 7:00pm
#3
Tour de Trump, halcyon days
Trump had to stop sponsoring the race because he had to file for bankruptcy in '90.
In fact, I was in Devil's Kitchen for Tour de Trump II in '90, and it was, for the time, an amazing feeling of communion and excitement. A perfect day, sunny and mild, and the roadside was absolutely jammed full of fans. I thought, foolishly, that cycling was finally ready to go prime time in the US.
Now I look at the Tour de California route with nostalgia, as I lived in Redondo Beach from '96-2000.
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 8:52am
#4
ROTFL
Levi is spending too much time in a hypobaric chamber...
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 1:44pm
#5
Trump was talking about his hair-do.
"I'm really getting sick of the guy. He's even worse than Corcoran.
It's amazing how the city has the absolute best of so many things but when it comes to our ""local celebrities"", it seems that the bottom of the barrel has been scraped clean. To wit:
Trump
Corcoran
Guiliani
Crazy Eddie
Al Sharpton
Imus
Diana Vreeland was ten times the man any of these clowns claim to be.
"
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 8:59am
#7
EPO sponsor
Maybe they'll give out vials of EPO as swag.
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 9:25am
#8
EPO!
EPO is a very beneficial drug for cancer treatment, much to Agmen's credit. EPO has also been abused by endurance athletes, but not because of Agmen.
By Agmen stepping up to sponsor the race (Where are all the other potential sponsors?), it not only helps cycling but shows, perhaps, a commitment by the maufacturer to stop the abuse.
It initially may seem somewhat ironic, but, I think it's a smart move.
Now, no one better test positive during the race!!!
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 6:04pm
#9
Amgen
Amgen is actually a client of mine at work. They comarket Enbrel, one of my accounts, which is a drug for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis (among other indications).
Given Amgen's link to cycling in both good and bad ways, I do think its a good move for corporate social responsibility.
Now, if I can only work it into the next campaign shoot and be able to have them fly me out for the race...
Thu, 11/03/2005 - 7:05pm
#10
Amgen
Somewhere I once read that EPO sales far exceed what can be expected by demand for legitimate medical purposes. Implicit then is Amgen looks the other way and produces as much Epogen as it can sell. Unfortunately, I cannot locate the article or anything similar. Does anyone remember seeing such?
