For Wieler Revue-Tourspecial he looked back at his win last year. “When I won a stage in the Tour de France, it got more attention than I expected. It’s also because as a cyclist, you live in a small world and miss the cues of what that means for the fans in your country. I got a lot of positive feedback on that win.”
The Tour de France is the only major race in the United States. “Except for the Tour de France, it’s hard for Americans to follow all the other races. When I say I’ve ridden the Tour de France, people say, ‘Oh, you must be really good.’ It’s still hard to explain to people who don’t know the nuances between a professional cyclist and my rider. Recreational cycling.
Of course, the most famous American cyclist of all time is regularly discussed in his country. “Yes, I still regularly remember the Armstrong era. Even the years of doping. People who are so firm in their belief say that cyclists are still the same as they were in those years. So it’s hard to convince people that the sport today is different than it was back then.”
“The recognition by Armstrong and other former top players has of course had a huge impact on the popularity of the sport. People have lost faith in clean sport. But the environment is completely different now.”
