We and Lance

It was Paolo Bettini that did it the most. Interview after interview, he would use this reference to himself. It is one of my biggest bugbears. Bettini would refer to himself in the third person.

“Bettini will win the World Champs,” he would say. Or he would state proudly “Bettini is training well in California.”

It hurts the ear like tinnitus and causes my body to shudder uncontrollably.

I read about another cyclist who did the same. Ferdi Kübler – the famous Swiss cyclist. He is one of a few cyclists to win 3 Classics in a single year – 1951. He won Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the World Championships.

In one famous interchange on Mont Ventoux in the 1955 Tour de France Raphaël Geminiani warned Ferdi: “Careful on the Ventoux, it’s not like the others.”

Kübler replied “Ferdi too not like the others. Ferdi great champion.”

He blew up on the Giant of Provence and lost the stage.

He was heard to say: “Ferdi to old and sick. Ferdi committed suicide on Ventoux.”

Now we have another cyclist who is treading in this ego minefield. Proudly step in Lance Armstrong. The Texan is using "We" a lot. Now he could possibly be referring to his teammates at Astana, or his LiveStrong campaign. You make up your mind. It could also be the Royal "We".

All I can do is shake my head in dismay and wonder if all these users of the 3rd person are aware that this is the domain of royalty only. It is bad enough if the Queen uses the Royal "We".

Cyclists desist, I implore you.