To Lance,
Thank you for all the wonderful memories you have left behind in Adelaide. I have always loved the tour down under, but this year you added a whole new spin to it. I was lucky enough to get close to you and you signed my Autibiography of you, Its not about the Bike. Thank you. My father passed away from cancer in 2002 when I was 22. The impact of cancer is huge, especially when affected closely. Your courage and power to conquer the desease is absolutely amazing and inspiring and your continuing battle to raise awareness is just as amazing. What would the world be wiothout people like you.

Hi Lance,

It was great to have you here in Adelaide! I only wish I met you as you have inspired me so much. Maybe next year. I saw you ride on Sunday and was proudly wearing your LiveStrong Yellow T-Shirt from the 2007 New York Marathon on Montefiore Hill.
I too am a cancer survivor x 3(2 of which were life threatening and they started at the age of 15 and given 5 months to live). I have also endured a heart attack triple bypass 10 years ago. In my darkest hour a friend gave me your book to read, and since then I have been out there assisting others have quality of life. I have competed and completed 5 Marathons(2xLondon, Paris, Rome, New York), in fact New York was done 2007 even though I was way, way behind you.

So Lance, thanks for being you and totally support your cause to fight cancer and to assist the loved ones who are confronted with the ordeal as well. Let me know if I can assist in anyway, and hope to see you next year in Adelaide.

Thank you for bringing cancer to the fore front. I dont have cancer but i lost my grandmother to stomach cancer 7 years ago and it saddens me everytime i think of her. I hope that someone that has survived cancer and then returned to become the best in their sport can help bring cancer to the top of priorites. I was given your book, ‘It’s not about the bike’ and i have to say that it was the hardest thing i have ever read. The emotion and pain is there in every word, however there is an overwhelming sense of defience and hope.

Congratulations on your return to cycling. I have seen you ride only on TV here in Australia. But i hope to see you next year at the TDU. Good luck in 2009. i will be cheering you on from home.

Most importantly keep at the bean – counters and get them fighting cancer.

We all appreciate Lance visiting Australia to promote such a worthy cause, and riding for us as well.

Thanks Doug and Lance for bringing your message to Adelaide and Australia and launching this great fight from our home town. The fact that sticks with me is that at least 40% of all cancers are curable if detected early. It is a great wake up call in what is the biggest battle – overcoming people’s complacency toward the disease.

Well done also on your availability to the people who came from near and far to be with you. Lance was extremely patient, calm and assured and is the kind of statesman the cause needs. Best of luck with spreading the message throughout this year and beyond.

Thanks Lance!
Up until last week, my 7 year olds hero was me. One evening while sitting on his bed reading to him, he asked me why I was so excited that Lance was coming to Adelaide for the Tour Down Under. I got out my Lance books and told him the story of who he is, what he has achieved and why he is coming. He sat an listened with word, and we shared a moment that connected both of us, can I say forever.
On the Friday before the tour started, Lance rode up Old Willunga Hill – my training hill. The local Adelaide paper took a picture of this and my Son saw it. He was so excited that I ride the same hill that Lance will in the tour. We went to the paper and got a A4 photo for him to put on his wall. It is a great pic – I love it and so does he!
We watched the race on the Saturday from Willunga School – and everytime Lance (The Peleton) rode by, my son waas at the fence screaming with all of the other kids there (many from Canteen – a kid’s cancer foundation). It was unreal to see the excitment on his face.
Then, it happened, on the Sunday night, when puttting him to bed, my Son asked me, “Dad – you know what I want to be when I grow up”?. Normally the answer is a Footballer, as he also loves the Crows (an Adelaide Aussie rule team), but he looked me in the eye and said “A bike rider like Lance”.
It did then and still does bring a tear to my eye seeing someone that inspire me so much now become the my Son’s hero too!! He wants me to get him a bike so he too can ride up Willunga Hill with me – the hill that Lance rode!
So, from my Son (and me), thanks Lance for being such an inspiration to all of us and bringing your message about accomplishment and cancer treatment to our little part of the world.
May the miles you ride bring us all closer together and fight for not only a bike race – but importantly the Human Race!!
Your a legend!!

Lance,

You are a true hero and inspiration. In every aspect of your visit to Australia, you displayed the highest level of professionalism in dealing with the media, signing autographs and interaction with the Australian public. You are truly the people’s champion and great ambassador for your country. My wife and I wish you the very best on the bike for 2009, and in your endeavours ro spread the message of the Livestrong foundation. We look forward to spending many late nights cheering for you in the Tour De France.

Hey Lance,
You mentioned in an interview that it was warm last week. Have you seen how HOT it is in Adelaide this week?!!! So thrilled to see you race last week, great effort mate. Thanks for coming ‘downunder’, it was an opportunity for those of us not able to get to ‘Le Tour’, to get a taste of what it is like. Hope to see y’all next year.

with cancer the leading cause of death in Australi, there is little doubt their government would be responsive to Live Strong’s efforts. As for the numerous developing and impoverished nations, what headway has Live Strong and LAF made there, and what barriers remain with certain governments, or competing NGO’s for limited resources to aid these most needing nations?

Lance, thankyou for the inspiration and hope you have given so many people worldwide, but specifically in you time in Adelaide for The Tour Down Under. My bike riding experience is little – many years as a kid riding steep hills on gravel roads on Kangaroo Island on a bike with no gears – it was always a challenge!
We left this beautiful place in the world in 1995 to move to Adelaide, selling our farm so that my parents could enjoy some well earned retirement (my father taking over the farm when 16 years old his father died, and developing it into a very fine and viable property.
My complexion means skin cancer is a real problem after years of sun exposure when farming. I have had one operation and regular ‘burn offs’. In the 13 years since coming to Adelaide, one of my best KI mates was diagnosed with cancer and lost his battle. In 2004 my father was diagnosed with liver cancer and in 8 weeks he was gone.
Our second daughter is a physician, and by chance, or as a direct result of her experience with her grandfather’s death, she is specialising in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
We have been fans of the Tour Down Under since inception, not always able to see all stages by any means because of work commitments, but were inspired by this year’s Pro Tour status and the extra quality riders that were coming as a result; names we recognised from many years of late nights watching the Tour de France. For you to come this year to make your comeback to competitive cycling was a tremendous bonus for 2 main reasons. I admired your achievements on the bike, but my admiration has grown for what you are now doing to assist with cancer research. Anything that may help just one person come through and not suffer as my father and my mate did is a cause worthy of the greatest accolades. I would love to meet and chat with you one day, but realise that will probably never happen, and in the scheme of things that is not important. With your past sporting success and the profile you have had, you have done, and can continue to do more than almost anyone to assist firstly those who are unfortunate to be diagnosed with cancer through your life story and the inspiration and hope that brings; but also to be able to assist with the vital fundraising that will help people like my daughter in research, diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
It seem strange to say that as a 57 year old, that there I was, idolising someone much younger riding a bike around Adelaide. My wife and I were able to see the start at Norwood; you rode very close to our house at the start of stage 4 on Glynburn Rd; and then we got in the whole of stages 5 & 6. I stayed out of your way to give you space and privacy which you did not always get, especially from the media, but that is probably a necessity for publicity for the cause. If you are prepared to undergo that for the cause, all I can say is a huge, huge thankyou for what you are doing for this wonderful cause. You are welcome in our little city anytime.

Hey Lance, Great to see you compete in this year’s TDU. My wife and I attended the 2008 event and were very disappointed when we found out we would miss you live this year. It is normally a great atmosphere but looked wild this year so we hope to be attending in 2010 or if not the TDU, at the the World Champs in Victoria in 2010, for which I am sure you will be selected to represent your country.

Please go easy on Cadel and the other Aussies in Europe this year, but have a safe and great 2009 and continue to spread the word worldwide about cancer awareness and the great support you give sufferers and their families. Good Luck.

Lance
Thanks for coming out for the Tour Down Under – I travelled from Sydney and saw every stage and marvelled at the athleticism and humility of not just you but all the other cyclists that graced our shores – you all showed such generosity and patience with all of us cycling mad fans. I was entering the restaurant as you were leaving on your last night in Adelaide and I “chickened out” and just couldn’t ask you for a photo with you, George Hincapie, Mick Rogers and Johan Bruyneel – just my way of appreciating that it was your downtime and by that stage you probably needed a break.
It was an honour to see you race live and the comeback looks great.
The publicity that you were able to achieve for cancer awareness during your visit was extraordinary -so many of us have been affected directly or indirectly by this insidious disease (I lost my mother to breast cancer and it lives with me every day) lets hope that our governments continue with the support well after you are riding the roads of California, Texas and Europe.
Thanks again – I hope you remember your time in Australia with great fondness and we will of you
Good luck with your comeback and I hope you will head back to Australia next year – even if not to race but to just enjoy our country

Lance

It was great that you came to Australia in January 2009 for the Tour Down Under.

I wish to make you aware that the pm has changed the accessibility to cancer treatment in his recent budget and now it is going to cost the cancer patient, male or female, money for the treatment which was previously covered by australias medicare. It is very concerning that they are going to be charging people for wasted treatment for radium or chemo. People don’t understand the change that has been introduced in this budget and the financial impact it is going to have on cancer patients – they are going to have to find money for their treatment which used to be previously covered. This is not fair at all given I know two ladies who are both battling breast cancer.

Just thought LAF should know what has happened here and I don’t know if Andy was made aware of the changes during his recent trip here.

Glad to read you are 12 in Italy and going well/over the injury you suffered earlier this year. Wish you well for the italian race and the tour de france. you are a great ambassador for sport and I wish our sportsplayers could be as dignified as you.

Good luck with all.