Cheatstrong: The Story of the Tour de France

Welcome back to the Bill Bradley Collective, where in late July we are in the proverbial dog days of both summer and sports. Unless you’re an MLB trade deadline follower, an NFL training camp devotee or fan of European club soccer friendlies abroad, there’s not much on the docket. But there is an event of great prestige; just concluded, on the global sport landscape, the Tour de France that is the focus of this week’s conversation. Cycling’s premier event dates back to the infancy of the 20th century, and the early history leads this discourse. A near century’s worth of competition precedes American interest in the event before native son Greg LeMond pockets three tour wins in the late 80s. Interest wanes post-Lemond amidst doping scandals that mar the event from it’s very beginning. Until we get to Lance Armstrong, who becomes one of American sport’s great celebrities and icons on the back of seven consecutive tour wins, victories later exposed as being done under the veil of performance enhancing drugs. The Tour is a massive European summer sport sensation, but viewed with great cynicism by American viewers in a post-Armstrong world. Where the tour stands today concludes our conversation. But FIRST, a trilogy of rants, leading off with Zak taking aim at the Susan Collins/Joe Manchin led Reform of Electoral Count Act and the future of electoral politics in our splintered world; Ed fires off on Washington whatever the fuck they call themselves owner Dan Snyder and his off-shore yacht occupancy in the wake of a Congressional subpoena into long-term cultural indiscretion; and in closing Andrew pens a eulogy for Europe’s Ryder Cup side, as pillars disqualify themselves to the LIV outfit and a (briefly) once proud captain joins their ranks.