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CNN Sunday Morning
Tour de France Begins
Aired July 06, 2003 - 07:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we were just talking about this. Lance Armstrong is on his quest for his fifth straight Tour de France title. The opening times trials, through the streets of Paris yesterday, were not quite to his liking. For more on the opening days of the Tour, we are joined by phone, by Paris bureau chief Jim Bittermann.
Hello, to you Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Kris.
OSBORN: I guess, a couple seconds back in the qualifying trials, huh?
BITTERMANN: Exactly, yes, he was ranked seventh in the times trials. An Australian, Bradley McGee came in first.
Now, we've just witnessed the beginning of the first stage, this is the fist official stage of the Tour de France. It will go on now for the next 21 days, finishing on the 27th of July. It is one of the world's largest and most followed spectator events, 15 million people will line the routes in France and a little bit in Spain.
They dip into Spain at one point, as these riders go day after day in what is really one of the most grueling sporting events you could imagine. They're going to cover over 2,000 miles in this Tour de France this year, the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France.
Kris?
OSBORN: Anniversary -- you know, Jim, as you were talking we see this map and you really get a sense of just how long, how grueling it is. That being said, and bearing in mind how long this is, any buzz out of the gate? Anyone who looked particularly promising?
BITTERMANN: Well, in fact, Lance Armstrong is the favorite. He said in a news conference the other day, he said, I wish people would stop referring to me as the favored, because in fact, I'd rather be known as someone who is going to come from behind. And that's what he's done in previous years. So, I wouldn't take too much into this, what happened yesterday, as prologue. He finished seventh. I think he could still dominate this race in many ways.
However, having said that, there are a lot of people out there, even Lance Armstrong, fear. There is a Spanish rider who quite good. There is the Australian yesterday, surprised everybody. He's a well- known rider, but he kind of surprised everybody by the way he came in first yesterday.
So, this is one of those contests where you really can't say too much ahead of time of how it's going to turn out, because even the slightest injury, the smallest collision, any kind of small defect along the way. If you wake up in the morning with a bad stomach, that could put you out of this, you have to be in top form. And it is really tough to say at the beginning who's going to be there at the end.
OSBORN: Yes, it doesn't seem like you can ever know the word "tired" to do that race. Thank you so much, Paris Bureau Chief Jim Bittermann, on the phone detailing the beginning of the Tour de France.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 6, 2003 - 07:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, we were just talking about this. Lance Armstrong is on his quest for his fifth straight Tour de France title. The opening times trials, through the streets of Paris yesterday, were not quite to his liking. For more on the opening days of the Tour, we are joined by phone, by Paris bureau chief Jim Bittermann.
Hello, to you Jim.
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN PARIS BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Kris.
OSBORN: I guess, a couple seconds back in the qualifying trials, huh?
BITTERMANN: Exactly, yes, he was ranked seventh in the times trials. An Australian, Bradley McGee came in first.
Now, we've just witnessed the beginning of the first stage, this is the fist official stage of the Tour de France. It will go on now for the next 21 days, finishing on the 27th of July. It is one of the world's largest and most followed spectator events, 15 million people will line the routes in France and a little bit in Spain.
They dip into Spain at one point, as these riders go day after day in what is really one of the most grueling sporting events you could imagine. They're going to cover over 2,000 miles in this Tour de France this year, the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France.
Kris?
OSBORN: Anniversary -- you know, Jim, as you were talking we see this map and you really get a sense of just how long, how grueling it is. That being said, and bearing in mind how long this is, any buzz out of the gate? Anyone who looked particularly promising?
BITTERMANN: Well, in fact, Lance Armstrong is the favorite. He said in a news conference the other day, he said, I wish people would stop referring to me as the favored, because in fact, I'd rather be known as someone who is going to come from behind. And that's what he's done in previous years. So, I wouldn't take too much into this, what happened yesterday, as prologue. He finished seventh. I think he could still dominate this race in many ways.
However, having said that, there are a lot of people out there, even Lance Armstrong, fear. There is a Spanish rider who quite good. There is the Australian yesterday, surprised everybody. He's a well- known rider, but he kind of surprised everybody by the way he came in first yesterday.
So, this is one of those contests where you really can't say too much ahead of time of how it's going to turn out, because even the slightest injury, the smallest collision, any kind of small defect along the way. If you wake up in the morning with a bad stomach, that could put you out of this, you have to be in top form. And it is really tough to say at the beginning who's going to be there at the end.
OSBORN: Yes, it doesn't seem like you can ever know the word "tired" to do that race. Thank you so much, Paris Bureau Chief Jim Bittermann, on the phone detailing the beginning of the Tour de France.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
