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Lance Armstrong brands US radio host a "complete f-ing idiot"

RadioShack star hits out after ESPN host urges drivers to run cyclists down

Lance Armstrong has branded a US radio talkshow host who said live on air that motorists should run cyclists down a “complete f-ing idiot.” In a message on his Twitter page, the seven times Tour de France winner also called the remarks “Disgusting, ignorant” and “foolish.”

The comments were made by ESPN 980 host Tony Kornheiser, who has recently come back to work after being suspended for hitting out at a female colleague for “dressing too young.”

The radio host made his remarks during a discussion of a new cycle lane close to the White House in Washington, DC.

“The last time I looked, the roads were made for automobiles," he began. "We're going to be dominated as if this was Beijing by hundreds of thousands of bicyclists."
Kornheiser then turned his wrath on the clothes cyclists wear, before calling on motorists to run them down.

"They all wear … my God … with the little water bottle in the back and the stupid hats and their shiny shorts," said the talk show host. "They are the same disgusting poseurs that in the middle of a snowstorm come out with cross-country skiing on your block. Run 'em down.”

He continued: "Let them use the right, I'm OK with that. I don't take my car and ride on the sidewalk because I understand that's not for my car… Why do these people think that these roads were built for bicycles?... They dare you to run them down."

Armstrong has urged his 2.5 million followers on Twitter to complain to ESPN about Kornheiser’s comments, "Tony Kornheiser on cyclists on the road, 'run 'em down'. Really? Big mistake, Tony."

The radio station also has a presence on Twitter, and you can let them know your thoughts on Kornheiser’s remarks by sending a message starting with their user name, @ESPNRadio980.
 

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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6 comments

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James Warrener | 13 years ago
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We are coming under a spam attack!!!!!!!!

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Mark Clarke | 14 years ago
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The more open the mouth - the more closed the mind. This is why I'm now scared when I ride on the roads. 2 people died in London last week ... it's crazy!

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cityrider | 14 years ago
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Who should have more right on the road? Drivers or cyclists?
Because drivers pay "road tax" they feel they should own the road, not the cyclist. But that is far from the truth.
Society as a whole pay too much for cars. Road tax should be relabelled as "pollution tax" and should be at least ten times to reflect the real damages that car driving causes. After the relabelling, both drivers and cyclists will have equal right on the road, because nobody pay any "road tax". It is public road and is funded by everyone paying tax.

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horizontal dropout replied to cityrider | 13 years ago
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"Road tax should be relabelled as "pollution tax" "

Not to disagree with your sentiment, just to correct a common misapprehension and add another weapon to your armoury, road tax was relabelled a long time ago. From http://ipayroadtax.com/:

"Road tax doesn't exist. It's VED, or 'car tax'. Motorists do not pay for the roads, we all do, via general taxation. In 1926, Winston Churchill started the process to abolish road tax. He didn't want motorists to think a token payment gave them ownership of the road. Road tax finally died in 1937, says DVLA. Paying Vehicle Excise Duty gives no "right to the road" for motorists (or car-owning cyclists)."

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OldRidgeback | 14 years ago
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sack the moron. The US Secretary of Transportation has strongly criticised bad driving on numerous occasions.

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jobysp | 14 years ago
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This guy obviously wants to get sacked, but its about time that a celeb cyclist realises what goes on in "our" every day lives and actually says something.

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