Christian Vande Velde gains ground in Tour de France

Christian Vande Velde's prediction was right on the money. In his last conversation with the Tribune, the cyclist from Lemont said Thursday's stage six of the Tour de France would be ``nervous. There are going to be crashes." And that was before Vande Velde knew it would be raining for much of the 113-mile ride from Girona to Barcelona, Spain.

[James Smith]

Positive attitude from a former teammate and current competitor. Mr. Vande Velde gets the gold star for this interview. Cheers.

[My Opinion_El Paso_Texas]

Rock and Roll Christian!

[Kevin Holzhauer]

As always, professionalism and class from Christian in the face of arrogance by one of the sports biggest ego-maniacs.
Lance has always been a me-first jerk with little regard for the sport that made him a star. Not to mention his sneering attitude toward the American members of the european peloton. It's like Ty Cobb being the most famous baseball player of his time, you respect Lance for being a great player, not for being a great winner.
Go Christian! Win one for the suburbs!

[Drew Giffin]

Go Christian Go. Not only is he all class, but so is Team Garmin-Slipstream. Slipstream is from Boulder and is outspoken about being "clean" and drug-free. So when they win, you know it's the real deal.

[Jeremy]

Christian has been known in American and Europe as the most sportsman-like cyclist on the pro circuit. He was very friendly with the fans when I saw him at the Tour of California, and I hope he does well this year.

I'm a Lance fan, but not a blind one, so that diss on CVV goes down in my book as a major DICK MOVE. He gets a few points back for apologizing, but still!

[Bbb]

It's peloton not peleton.

[Lance P O S]

Lance Armstrong is the biggest farce of a human out there. That POS is not a hero but a drug cheat and fake.

Cycling is a dead sport to me until Lance gone and forgotten.

[Albert]

Christian is a great ambassador of cycling and professional athletes. I respect him for representing a Garmin-Slipstream team that holds a strict anti-doping stance in cycling.

I met Christian in person twice. Last year at the National Crit Championships in Downers Grove, Illinois and at the Tour of California in February. On both occasions, he was very friendly and accomodating to the cycling fans gathered around him.

I think Lance sometimes talks before he actually thinks about what he is saying. Lance may not be the best role-model, but his work with growing cancer awareness and the popularity of cycling is respectable.

Good luck Christian in the Tour and rest of the cycling season!!