ABC SPORTS: 1999 TOUR DE FRANCE (TV)
Summary
This ABC Sports special, broadcast from Poitiers, France, opens with a montage of footage taken during the 1999 Tour de France. As the song "I Won't Back Down," by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, plays in the background, clips of American cyclist Lance Armstrong leading the race are intercut with shots of the French countryside and mountain ranges. Announcers Adrian Karsten and Phil Liggett narrate the footage, explaining that the Tour de France has been plagued with scandals concerning the use of performance-enhancing drugs in recent years. But the narrators insist that this race has seen the return of credibility and sportsmanship because of Lance Armstrong, who had been a successful cycling competitor for many years; Armstrong was forced to retire in 1996 after being diagnosed with a terminal form of testicular cancer. The announcers explain that he miraculously survived and has come back from his near-death experience to lead the 1999 Tour de France by a significant margin. After the montage is shown, the announcers go to correspondents Paul Sherwen and John Eustice, who discuss the particular leg of the race that they will be reporting about on this day, the twenty-fourth day of the race. Sherwen explains that this stage of the race will be the final trial in a series of three individual time trials, which all factor into each rider's overall time. The cyclists are asked to do a certain number of laps around the "Futuroscope" Theme Park, individually, until each major competitor is timed and accounted for. After several riders take their turn, a brief documentary on United States coach Johan Bryneel is screened. The announcers then spend time substantiating their shared assertion that Tour de France cyclists are "the best-conditioned athletes in the world." After a remote report from Robin Roberts on the FIFA Soccer Cup, the timed trials conclude with Lance Armstrong edging out Swiss cyclist Alex Zulle for the win. The race, the announcers remind everyone, will conclude the next day.
Next, a montage features footage of Armstrong winning the final trial. Karsten and Liggett narrate the footage, explaining that the Tour de France has been plagued with scandals concerning the use of performance-enhancing drugs in recent years. But the narrators insist that this race has seen the return of credibility and sportsmanship because of Armstrong, who had been a successful cycling competitor for many years; Armstrong was forced to retire in 1996 after being diagnosed with a terminal form of testicular cancer. The announcers explain that he miraculously survived and has come back from his near-death experience to lead the 1999 Tour de France by a significant margin. After the montage is shown, the announcers go to correspondents Paul Sherwen and John Eustice, who discuss the particular leg of the race that they will be reporting on. Eustice explains that they will be looking at the final stretch of the entire twenty-five day affair. Eustice predicts that Lance Armstrong will win the race, barring the occurrence of a freak accident. In that case, Armstrong would become only the second American to win the Tour de France. After a few minutes of footage of the race winding down, the announcers cut to a documentary about the last American who won the race -- Greg LaMond. Although LaMond was an American, he raced for a French team. Following the documentary about LaMond, the announcers introduce an intimate interview between Paul Sherwen and Lance Armstrong about the specifics of Armstrong's bout with cancer and his recovery. When the documentary concludes, the announcers go to a live shot of Armstrong, who is riding casually in order to reduce the chances of getting into a sudden accident. Armstrong shouts a special greeting into the camera to a young woman named Kelly Davidson, and Karsten explains to the audience that Davidson is a cancer patient back in Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas. A documentary about the history of the Tour de France follows, and then the race winds up with Armstrong claiming victory.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: July 24, 1999 Saturday 5:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:52:53
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:57277
- GENRE: Sports
- SUBJECT HEADING: Bicycle racing; She Made It Collection (Robin Roberts); Sports; Tour de France - 1999
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1999
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "The Thomas Crown Affair" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - Degree deodorant
- TV - Commercials - Excedrin headache relief medication
- TV - Commercials - Festina watches
- TV - Commercials - Lincoln automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Mobil One motor oil
- TV - Commercials - Mongoose bicycles
- TV - Commercials - National Car Rental
- TV - Commercials - Nike shoes
- TV - Commercials - Ortho Bug-Be-Gone extermination fluid
- TV - Commercials - Powerbars health treat
- TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
- TV - PSA - "Save the Children"
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "ABC Sports: MLS Soccer Game"
- TV - Promos - "It's Like, You Know..."
- TV - Promos - "Norm"
- TV - Promos - "Showdown at Sherwood Golf Match"
- TV - Promos - "Spin City"
- TV - Promos - "Tremors 2"
- TV - Promos - "Two Girls and a Guy"
- TV - Promos - "Wonderful World of Disney"
CREDITS
- Howard Katz … Executive Producer
- Curt Gowdy … Coordinating Producer
- David Kiviat … Coordinating Producer
- Jim Carr … Producer
- Patrick Donaher … Associate Producer
- Marybeth Duffy … Associate Producer
- Vince DeDario … Associate Director
- Mark Fincham … Researcher
- Adrian Karsten … Announcer
- Phil Liggett … Announcer
- Paul Sherwen … Commentator
- John Eustice … Commentator
- Robin Roberts … Reporter
- Lance Armstrong
- Johan Bryneel
- Kelly Davidson
- Greg LaMond
- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Alex Zulle