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Tour de France

Date: Aug 05 2003

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Hi Friends!
The Tour de France is the most important cycling race in the world. To win it requires strength, smarts and ambition. “It’s the biggest race, I think the hardest race, the race that everybody wants to win, to do well in,” said Bjarne Riis of Denmark, who won the 1996 Tour and raced in it nine times before retiring. (SI.com)
This year’s Tour started in Paris on July 5, then went clockwise around France, through the Alps and Pyrenees mountains, and finished back in the city on July 27.
Listen in to John and Beth’s conversation to learn more about the Tour de France.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

John

Beth

John: Did you see that Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France again?

Beth: Yeah, I was so psyched. I was rooting for him.

John: Wasn’t it like the fifth time?

Beth: It was, and he’s definitely committed to a sixth tour next year.

John: That’s never happened before, has it?

Beth: No, it will be a world record.

John: It would be so cool to be in France and watch that thing take place.

Beth: I know. Apparently, people make reservations a year in advance or more, to get housing, or to have a hotel, and to be able to travel there. It’s a really popular event.

John: So, are the streets lined the whole way?

Beth: I think so, but what happens is the cyclists go by so fast that you only see like a minute of action and it takes a whole day to, you know, gather all of your stuff and get to the right place. But, it’s more about being there and witnessing this world class event.

John: I bet it’s really hard to be at the finish line at the end.

Beth: Oh yeah. I’m sure, with all the paparazzi and all the fans and family it must be really intense.

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Discussion

Lance Armstrong is truly an amazing athlete. He is now the winner of the last five Tours and he says that he’ll win a sixth in a row. If he does, he’ll be the only person in history who has ever done so. Right now he is tied for the record with Miguel Indurain of Spain, who won it from 1991-1995.
I’m excited to see if Lance can do it. He’s the greatest living American sports hero and I wish him the best!
Have a great week!
Tanis