Death threats and Jeering crowds fail to stop Lance Armstrong. We must pray for this American. Prayer photo :: World's Largest Prayer Board Annointed.net News :: Your Prayer Request will be seen by thousands on this Prayer Board

Death threats and Jeering crowds fail to stop Lance Armstrong. We must pray for this American. Prayer photo

Posted by: JG on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 07:20 PM

Death threats and Jeering crowds fail to stop Lance Armstrong. We must pray for this American. The French and the Germans are out of control. Please post a prayer of protection.

July 23, 2004

Crowd spiting on America
Lance Armstrong cycles through what was possibly the the most dangerous crowd the tour has drawn to any climb.
Lance Armstrong said Wednesday's time trial up to L'Alpe D'Huez should not have been held and hoped it would not be repeated. It was very dangerous. There was almost no protections for the riders.

"There were four or five kilometres of people all the time," he said. "I don't know that's a good thing for the Tour de France. I don't think it's safe and we would all agree with that, and the organisers would all agree."

The American Lance Armstrong was spat at, jeered, cursed and insulted by crowding spectators as he stormed to victory over the 15.5-kilometre climbing course round 21 hairpin bends, to put one hand on the big prize he is close to winning for a record sixth time. There have been threats to stop him. Some have said there have been death threats. All over a bicycle race. Let's see now, they don't want us in Iraq but are willing to kill a man for winning a race.

I am really asking you to please post a prayer for Lance. It would be a shame if someone did something stupid. Let's pray against stupid.

Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc admitted he'd seen fans spit at Armstrong and agreed with the Texan, who said having a time-trial up the mountain stage was a "bad idea".

The storms surround Lance Armstrong

"I was very scared and I felt relieved when we reached the section with barriers," Leblanc said.

Talking to French television immediately after putting on his 62nd tour leader's yellow jersey, Armstrong singled out German fans as the worst of the group for their "disgusting" behaviour, though he later he was asked to backed away from specifying a nationality.

Similarly, Robbie McEwen, the points category leader, appeared to suffer because he's a sprint rival to German great Erik Zabel.

"This is not directed at Germany or all Germans, but there was a group of them who gave me a hard time on the way up," said McEwen, who finished at 8:28 adrift and topped it off with a trademark wheelie.

With four days to go, McEwen leads the points category with 225, from Norway's Thor Hushovd (213) and Zabel (212), with countryman Stuart O'Grady next on 204.

Fellow Australian Michael Rogers showed his big race pedigree to finish an encouraging 12th in the stage, around two-and-a-half minutes behind Armstrong.

Despite problems with the crowd, Armstrong was sensational and took his third Tour de France stage win in four days' racing in front of - and perhaps in spite of - what looked like the biggest crowd the tour has drawn to any climb in its 101-year history