Guys,
 While we wait for Dale to close this Lance episode down, can i as an
Irishman and, if i have it right... the Texan is from Irish stock way back.
... perhaps have a crack at what makes him tick..as we would say here in Ul
ster.... he's a hard lick.. in your idiom. tough.. a hard ass, who has beat
en cancer and won the Worlds major cycling race 7 times..
 i've been a fan since way back, he has been humiliated by Frenc
h press journos , cycle guys, and ASO themselves. he has attitude , h
e served the time , he had the pain, when you really look at what he went t
hrough cancer wise, then the Tour wins have some meaning.. c'mon guys heÂ
shut down the best pros in the world at the time, both in the mountains
and against the clock....
The French were incredulous, it couldn't be done, Â they attack him pe
rsonally, so, when you are knocked back so many times, and you know y
ou have done nothing wrong, you either get out..... or show your horns... T
exan style... in your face, Yes..the man has sand.. cut him some slack , he
earned the right to be confident....maybe a bit arrogant..
 he's still alive !!!Â
 Willie Carton on a cool wet november day in Coleraine N. Ireland...