Lance

We try to catch at least one stage of the Giro di Italia, each time we go to Italy. The Giro is to Italy, what the Tour de France is to France. The route of the Giro changes each year and usually passes relatively close to where we stay. In 2004, the closest stage of the race was from Frosisone to Montevergine Di Mercogliano. We decide to drive to Montevergine to catch the finish. The last 10 kilometers of the stage were a steep climb up to Montevergine where there was a church.
When we arrived at the foot of the mountain., all traffic, except for news media was already blocked off. The only way to get to the top was to walk. The 10Km road was a classic switch back curved road. Since we were going to walk, we started using the ancient steps that went straight up the mountain. Every few hundred feet, we would cross the steep road that was going back and forth. We were only about a third of the way up, and as we approached another section of the road, we saw a small station wagon coming our way. My wife stepped in the road in front of the wagon and stopped them. There were four men in the car. She asked if they could give us a lift and the driver said ok if we didn't mind riding in the back of the wagon. He opened the lift gate and we sat with our legs hanging out. It wasn't dangers, as the little car with six passengers and curvy road, could never get out of first gear.
As we took off, the driver asked where we were from, and we said America.
The four men were retired professional cyclist now working as sports journalist .It was 2004 and in a few months Lance Armstrong was going to try for his sixth win of the Tour De France. The four men started talking about Lance and everything they said was bad. Each man took his turn with a litany of negative comments about Lance. We listened in silence . When they had said about all they could say, the driver , once again turned his attention to us. Where we from exactly in America.? He Asked. I answered. "Were are from Austin, Texas... the home of Lance Armstrong" . All four of the men groaned. Then they all started complementing Lance as the greatest cyclist ever.