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'Icon' - Stephen Frears' Lance Armstrong movie has a title

Movie based on David Walsh's pursuit of drugs cheat due for August 2015 release...

Icon has been revealed as the name of the Stephen Frears-directed movie about David Walsh’s pursuit of Lance Armstrong, which is due to hit cinema screens this autumn.

Starring Chris O’Dowd as Walsh and Ben Foster as Armstrong, the movie centres on the Irish journalist’s mission to expose the cyclist who would win seven successive editions of the Tour de France as a drugs cheat.

Another actor involved on the project, albeit with a minor role, is Dustin Hoffmann, much to Sunday Times sports writer Walsh’s delight.

As he pointed out to Roy Greenslade in an interview last year, Hoffmann’s past roles include playing Carl Bernstein in All The President’s Men which focused on the Washington Post journalist’s breaking of the Watergate scandal with colleague Bob Woodward.

Icon is based on Walsh’s book Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong, the movie has been filmed in locations including France and London.

It’s one of three Armstrong-related biopics in development. Warner Brothers is working on Red-Blooded American based on the story of his former US Postal team mate Tyler Hamilton, who exposed the team’s culture of doping in the 2012 book, The Secret Race.

The Bad Robot Production company of JJ Abrams, meanwhile, has been working on a film based on New York Times sportswriter Juliet Macur’s book Cycle Of Lies: The Fall Of Lance Armstrong.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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28 comments

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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maybe less lean but it does look like the detail is there

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JohnnyRemo replied to ianrobo | 9 years ago
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ianrobo wrote:

...but it does look like the detail is there

Sidi shoes -  29  29  29

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teamjon | 9 years ago
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Well that's unpleasant. Normally Lance related articles draw hate/trolls which are pretty much to be expected, but the comments above from manmachine cross the line.

In addition to the excellent put-downs from normal human beings, hopefully the road.cc editorial policy will kick in and get this guy blocked - Lance hate is one thing, but homophobia and sexism is quite another.

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notfastenough | 9 years ago
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Why doesn't she have mine? I feel left out now.

And what is with his fixation on vaginas anyway?!

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andyp | 9 years ago
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Yes, your mommy has all our cocks. She has a strict rota so she can have us all as often as she likes.

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jacknorell replied to andyp | 9 years ago
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andyp wrote:

Yes, your mommy has all our cocks. She has a strict rota so she can have us all as often as she likes.

You, sir, win the internet for today.

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Quince | 9 years ago
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-

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Quince | 9 years ago
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...I'd quite forgotten what a charming and civilised place the internet could be.

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manmachine | 9 years ago
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 21
What's the matter sissy boys, mommy got your cocks? Didn't let you leave the house without them? Your little vaginas need wiping?  21

So easy...you make it so easy!  24

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The _Kaner replied to manmachine | 9 years ago
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manmachine wrote:

 21
What's the matter sissy boys, mommy got your cocks? Didn't let you leave the house without them? Your little vaginas need wiping?  21

So easy...you make it so easy!  24

First we have c@cks, then we have v@gin@s....make up your mind already...I think you may need to go back to the book all about 'the birds and the bees'.

Pleasant, indeed! Another trolling keyboard warrior....boohoo...

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andyp | 9 years ago
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From a quick look at his blog, the guy has no grasp of reality.

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manmachine | 9 years ago
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"Former Heroes"  24  24  24

Worshiping sports figures as idols...there you go.
Weak, sad sissified men, no boys that look up to athletes as anything more than another human who competes in a sport. Big fucking deal....boo hoo.

all those who are 'gutted' should go run to their mommies for a hug...poor little princesses...  21

No wonder the panty-wearing pussy crowd is always crying...
Pathetic pansies.

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timb27 replied to manmachine | 9 years ago
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manmachine wrote:

"Former Heroes"  24  24  24

Worshiping sports figures as idols...there you go.
Weak, sad sissified men, no boys that look up to athletes as anything more than another human who competes in a sport. Big fucking deal....boo hoo.

all those who are 'gutted' should go run to their mommies for a hug...poor little princesses...  21

No wonder the panty-wearing pussy crowd is always crying...
Pathetic pansies.

Wow, an unnecessarily angry man with clear homophobic issues going by the name of "Manmachine". Who's thinking what I'm thinking?

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andyp | 9 years ago
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Poor journalism. It's *A Con*, not Icon  3

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Simon E | 9 years ago
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Tyler Hamilton's book is autobiographical so unsurprisingly emphasises his own career more than anything else.

David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins paints a much bigger picture. I felt it gave a far better impression of Lance Armstrong's behaviour and the huge influence he exerted. Unlike Hamilton's book, I can imagine reading it again. Kindle version is currently £1.49.

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ianrobo replied to Simon E | 9 years ago
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Simon E wrote:

Tyler Hamilton's book is autobiographical so unsurprisingly emphasises his own career more than anything else.

David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins paints a much bigger picture. I felt it gave a far better impression of Lance Armstrong's behaviour and the huge influence he exerted. Unlike Hamilton's book, I can imagine reading it again. Kindle version is currently £1.49.

get hold of an english version of LA Confidential which as the real ground breaker.

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ianrobo | 9 years ago
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both books are excellent but from Hamilton you learnt from the inside, Walsh's is about the overall investigation.

I heard Walsh speak at an event about 15 months and he is a fascinating listen into what went on and to listen to his story shows the depths to which LA went to.

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JohnnyRemo | 9 years ago
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Hamilton's book confirms Walsh's investigations - and what a nasty character Armstrong was...

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Nixster | 9 years ago
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Are either Walsh or Hamilton's books any good?
They're on Kindle and wondering if they're worth reading, although obviously there won't be muck in the way of dramatic tension about the ending....

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jameshcox replied to Nixster | 9 years ago
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I've read both, right to the end. It was difficult to read of your former heroes proving to be nothing of the sort. IMO Walsh's was the better written of the two.

But they're cheap enough on Kindle for you to make up your own mind. Just now Walsh was at UK£1.49, Hamilton at UK£3.99.

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banzicyclist2 | 9 years ago
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Uncanny, Are you sure Drugstrong has not started a new career in acting?

He looks as lean as a racing snake impressive commitment to the role

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DavidC replied to banzicyclist2 | 9 years ago
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banzicyclist2 wrote:

He looks as lean as a racing snake impressive commitment to the role

That photo is surely a promo release, intended to be flattering regarding the physical similarities between the actor and subject. These photos show a more candid (and less lean) view:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2475231/Ben-Foster-Lance-Ar...

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Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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In most Hollywood car films the vehicles seem to have a 15-speed gearbox. I wonder what they'll do now they're dubbing audio onto a bicycle that has more?

Lollipop sticks in the rear spokes?

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JohnnyRemo replied to Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:

In most Hollywood car films the vehicles seem to have a 15-speed gearbox. I wonder what they'll do now they're dubbing audio onto a bicycle that has more?

Lollipop sticks in the rear spokes?

David Millar was technical adviser on the film and they apparently went to great lengths to get the bikes and kit authentic to the time.

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Welsh boy replied to JohnnyRemo | 9 years ago
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[/quote]David Millar was technical adviser on the film and they apparently went to great lengths to get the bikes and kit authentic to the time.[/quote]

And the doping techniques then!

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Simon E replied to JohnnyRemo | 9 years ago
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JohnnyRemo wrote:

David Millar was technical adviser on the film and they apparently went to great lengths to get the bikes and kit authentic to the time.

There was an article in Cycling Weekly about how they wanted Condor cycles in London to rustle up a load of bikes very quickly. Lots of Classico and Italia RC frames were built up and painted in period colours and custom made decals. They are now being sold through http://www.ultimatecycles.co.uk/

The article (or parts of it?) is on the website now:
http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/condor-makes-history-lan...

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don simon fbpe replied to Peowpeowpeowlasers | 9 years ago
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Peowpeowpeowlasers wrote:

In most Hollywood car films the vehicles seem to have a 15-speed gearbox. I wonder what they'll do now they're dubbing audio onto a bicycle that has more?

Lollipop sticks in the rear spokes?

It'll be that whooshing sound of tyres like Pacific Blue irrespective of surface.

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Kadinkski | 9 years ago
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Wow, that photo of Ben Foster really looks like him.

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