You’d think that with such an historical event taking place in France overnight that the Australian newspapers would be a sea of yellow and ‘we are the champions’ headlines this morning. Yet what I saw staring back at me when I visited one of the most respected newspaper websites (ie not a Murdoch tome) was a dead, tattooed junkie. Now that’s news!
Australians are known for our love of the ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’, where we like to take a famous public figure, be it a politician, entertainer or sportsperson, and build them up to a level of adulation sometimes deserved, oftentimes not, and when that figure reaches the pinnacle of their field we criticise or ridicule them to bring them back down to ‘our’ level. We don’t want to be seen as lesser than them, or more likely want our heroes to be just ‘ordinary blokes’ like us. Aussies love to be the common man, but also want to be better than all those high-and-mighty Poms, Yanks, or in this case, ‘Frogs’.
Now that ‘we’ have won the world’s biggest bike race, we will embrace the victory and milk it for all it’s worth. Even if the majority or the Holden-drivin’, VB-drinkin’, steak-eatin’, footy-watchin’ public thinks that cyclists are lycra-wearin’ fags, and would gladly swerve their ute to run us into the gutter for a bit of a laugh.
So enjoy your time in the sun Cadel, make the most of the plaudits from the press, the politicians and the cycling fans, because cycling will still be seen as not a real man’s sport by most. Kind of like yachting, but hey, we loved it for a brief moment when we won the Americas Cup.
You little bloody ripper!
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@ Frank,
No need to come rain on Cadel's party. Winehouse was a loser who had ample, court-mandated time to deal with her issues. If she chooses not to help herself I can't feel any pity. At some point you have to get over it and move on.
You should tell your boy Schlecond to take another dose of V and take hold of the tour if he ever wants to win. I bet it will be a while before he gets another tour as climbing friendly and TT adverse as this year's was.
Cadel is awesome. Since it was pelting down and freezing here yesterday, me and my VMH went to an annual charity run book fair, which is enormous. We lined up before the doors opened, and within 2 minutes of the doors opening I had cleaned out the cycling section of every book that didn't have Lance in the title. $46 of our magnificent recession proof New Zealand dollars got me 18 cycling books, including Cuddle's biography.
Don't worry we've just seen him as the first item on the national TV news, even the Premier of Victoria request a public holiday...
Wow - Cadel totally smashed it!
While I had chosen Andy for the VSP by yesterday I'd gone off Schleck the younger for his whinging. I can't get with those that say Cadel was a wheel-sucker, where were Leopard Trek when HTC or Garmin Cervelo were pulling the peloton in the chase to bring back breakaways?
Chapeau Cadel!
Nice little post Brett and a very accurate summation of Australia. Interestingly I just walked in the door and my wife had the (terrible) Channel 10 news on. Guess what the lead story was? Yep, Cadel putting on the yellow. We were both suitably impressed.
Amy did follow shortly after but I think that's more a reflection on society in general, whether it was in Oz or pretty much anywhere in the Western world. That a celebrity gets a front page or headline before a "real" news story. It was a waste of a talent for sure but a definite sign of the times we live in.
Back to our boy Good Cadel, still smiling about his win all day today and after spending a day at a Bicycle and Lifestyle Show at Moore Park, the buzz in the place was all about him. Yes we all knew who he was of course as it was a bike show but it was still nice to be with like minded people giving nothing but praise to the bloke. Everyone was smiling and talking him up. Very nice.
@frank
Cheers frank on behalf of us all on the Island continent. Its been a long time coming.
@Steve
I don't think frank was raining on Cadel's parade at all champ, quite the opposite. Have a re-read of his post.
Just back from Portugal, north of Lisbon - fabulous 22-25 degress sunny every day for 2 weeks - 40-60K every morning through vinyards and vinyards and only 75c (euroland) for a beer - coffee and a huge chocky cake for 1 euro 20c, super friendly - food a third of the price of main Europ spots
BEST OF ALL, the house had a 48in screen with full Sky Sports package - I LIVED the last two weeks of the tour (generally in my swimming trunks holding a beer! Try not to visualise)
Even my wife who doesn't know who Lance is (good for her) is hooked, and bought a cycling mag!!
I think this tour may be a watershed for many people over here, with best ever coverage of a best ever tour for thrills and dare I say it spills (on HD on 48in screen, I was hiding behind the sofa on some of the descents, esp with Tommy parking and Sammy's rear wheelie)
Shame for Wiggo, get well soon all the war wounded, well done Andy for taking the race by the neck on Galibier, and well done Cadel, the unlikely looking hero for a masterclass in dogged resistance - he really deserved it - sadly and I fear Andy will never win it, though he will still be my favourite (I suspect the WW memory was in his mind when he complained about the parcours - forgiven)
GREAT TOUR
ps. sad about Amy - I'm a great fan, and news will always target an audience, let's not try to compare - we all share the planet - Tour not officially over yet, expect big news when race finishes today
Live le Tour
@Abdu Whereareyou
Vic Premier even said as much as "the greatest single sporting victory in Australian history" or similar, but then tempered it with "by an individual". he probably had a sudden thought of all the collingwood supporters sending him hate mail!
awesome effort by Cadel, and how about Richie P!
Oy Oz Concrats for your boy! He has done you proud. It has been a great ride watching him become a true hard man. Its funny watching him interviewed after the TT he really is a cuddly guy off bike but on bike he shares a tenacity with Hinault minus the pugnaciousness!
I hope that he does inspire the same change that lemon pants and pharmstrong did here in the couch driving, beer drinking, whack a bike rider with a 2 by 4 crowd - at least they know what we are now and it isn't an automatic blow off like in the dark ages.
Stoked by his Vsomeness I am off to ride a hilly 160k keeping the image of Cadel as my reminder of Rule 5.
He's still very awkward doing the media thing but I don't need my sporting heroes to inspire me in the post race interview if their "on field" performance speaks such great volumes.
Aussies do like a winner but they like that winner to have courage, determination and a grass roots "worker" ethic. Cuddles ticks all the boxes there.
The greatest thing about this win is that Cadel's whole strategy is founded on an iron will. He's not especially talented or physiologically superior but he packs a shitload of desire into his work every time he clips in.
Of course, expecting mainstream media to realise that our boy had the Tour wrapped up before it officially finished is a big ask. I'm sure the headlines will come on Monday...
No disrespect for Ms Winehouse either... Valé.