Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — For $47.99 a month -- $42.99 a month because Comcast is running a promotion -- you can get the Outdoor Life Network, the current digital cable home of Lance Armstrong -- America's greatest athlete.

Depending on the stage length, the 100th Tour de France airs at 6:30 or 7 a.m. on OLN. Or you can watch the rebroadcast at noon in the lower level of Ski Haus.

Despite Comcast's enticing offer of free HBO, I chose the latter.

I arrived at Ski Haus shortly before noon and occupied one of the camping chairs in front of the television.

I was joined by a number of other men and women interested in the rerun, not to mention several Ski Haus employees --hen they weren't helping customers.

Footage from Thursday's Stage 11, a 153.5-kilometer tour of French wine country, was informative but a bit choppy because the cameramen were trying to keep their cameras still while riding on the backs of tiny motorcycles dodging support cars, racers and each other.

It would be like putting crews in cars and sending them onto the track to shoot NASCAR. Actually, the 100th staging of the Tour de France has played out much like an auto race, complete with ugly crashes, teamwork and obvious strategy.

And this one may even come down to the "last lap," as Armstrong and Germany's Jan Ullrich are almost even heading into the Pyrenees.

So why is America's greatest athlete making a run at his fifth-straight title in one of the world's most physically grueling events on a cable channel?

Because he's cycling on mountains in France. You don't get much more un-American than that.

By mid-July, most people are talking about NFL training camps, NBA players getting arrested or when the Red Sox officially will fade and surrender the AL East to the Yankees.

The country has spent the past five years enamored of Armstrong's story of courage and comeback during the weeks preceding and following the Tour. Then we forget about him until the next summer.

It's unfortunate.

Many Americans ride bikes, but they aren't avid cyclists and can't relate to the enormity of Armstrong's accomplishments. But many Americans can relate to Armstrong. Most people know someone who is battling back or has battled back from cancer.

It may be you.

Webster's New World College Dictionary loosely defines sport as any activity that gives enjoyment or recreation.

That describes football, basketball, baseball or cycling.

The same book defines courage as the attitude of facing and dealing with anything recognized as dangerous, difficult or painful instead of withdrawing from it.

That's how Armstrong has chosen to live his life.

But his time in the international spotlight will end when he leaves the world stage, maybe as early as the next few weeks. Take a break and watch Armstrong race. He represents America. Lucky us.