Lance Armstrong, shattered, is surrounded by the press after hauling himself to the finish line at Morzine on Sunday. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
When a great champion cracks in the mountains it’s like the moment when a once-mighty battleship is superceded by a new competitor and rendered hideously obsolete. All sports have their moments like this and it’s always poignant even when you never cared for, or even disliked, the champion in question. As is often the case, cycling has an especially brutal way of showing this. It’s final and, like a broken-backed battleship sinking, just a matter of minutes. One minute you’re there, the next you’re not.
True, Lance Armstrong’s crack-up on the road to Morzine on Sunday wasn’t as dramatic as the day in 1996 when Miguel Indurain broke at Les Arcs but that’s because we knew it was coming. If it didn’t happen on Sunday it would have happened at some point during the Texan’s final Tour.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in