Lance 'bashing French'

2006-07-15 10:32

Los Angeles - Lance Armstrong renewed his verbal attack on the French, bashing their World Cup team during an American awards show and using a derogatory word to describe the players.

"All their players (France) tested positive ... for being ass holes," the seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong was quoted as saying in the Los Angeles Daily News on Friday.

The American cycling hero Armstrong made his comments in his opening monologue as the host of the ESPY Awards, an annual televised event produced by ESPN.

The show was taped on Wednesday at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre and is scheduled to be aired on Sunday night.

Armstrong said afterwards that he didn't regard his comments about the French as being offensive.

"Well, if they'd live with me and heard me at home, they'd know that was a step down," Armstrong told the newspaper.

Armstrong, a cancer survivor, retired from competitive cycling in 2005 after capturing his seventh Tour de France title.

Because of the Tour de France's timing, this is the first year he has been able to attend the show in person to pick up his awards, including four straight athlete-of-the-year trophies.

- AFP