La Différence Culturelle

Any 7-year-old Flemish schoolchild knows 100 times more about cycling 
than all Americans combined.

So says American former pro cyclist turned author and television sports
commentator; Bob Roll.

Hats off to Bob! A bit cheeky, then again completely true. And nowhere are the cultural differences more visible than during Le Tour de France. Here we see and hear more of American riders than during all season.

I'm sure "they" are as surprised about "Europeans" when they're asked to let us in on how they deal with a beautiful failure or a tragic time loss, out to puncture their team.

We expect to cry with them, cheer them on and show our deepest respect for their strength & courage. And certainly so if they're beaten up by the road, the race and
the loss.

But then we hear them talk in what sounds like PR terms: "we can do it", "we might be down but we'll get back up", "we'll show them". Huh? Sounds like pretending, like showmen reading from a script.

And not like the heroes we admire for crying, yelling, laughing and fighting on the bike
- for showing us their pain and pride, their suffering and their fighting, bloody and all.

As Keith says:
To me, the biggest thing America had done this century - apart from throwing its weight around - was its music.