NEWS UPDATE: Olympic heroes in N Lincs
WIDE-eyed school children ogled their sporting heroes today as Olympic cyclists plummeted through Barton on leg five of the 2008 Tour of Britain cycle race.
Pupils from Barton St Peter’s Church of England Primary School and Baysgarth School, cycling enthusiasts and sports lovers all lined the streets to watch the riders race through.
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Team GB Olympic gold medallist champs Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas, along with Chris Newton, who picked up a bronze medal at the Games this summer, were among the impressive pack.
The Tour of Britain, which comes hot on the heels of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, saw nearly 100 cyclists don helmets and hop on their bikes to pass through the region having come over the Humber Bridge from Hull.
They whizzed through Barton-upon-Humber, Barrow-upon-Humber and South Ferriby before heading back over the bridge toward Beverly and up the east coast, finishing in North Yorkshire.
For the full story, buy today’s Scunthorpe Telegraph.
Comments
by Grandadpop, Scunthorpe
Friday, September 12 2008, 8:48PM
“I'm glad the children and all the mums and dads enjoyed the spectacle of some of the world's greatest cyclists whizzing by, followed by their entourage. It must have been quite exciting and good luck to them.
However, I feel it is wrong to describe sportsmen and sportswomen as 'heroes' because they are not.
Lifeboatmen/women who risk their lives to go out on the high seas to rescue some poor devil in distress, are HEROES.
Firemen/firewomen who go into burning buildings to rescue people, are HEROES.
Paramedics, who tear through the streets in their ambulances, risking life and limb to save someone's life...are HEROES.
Sportsmen and sportswomen are simply...sportsmen and sportswomen! Nothing more, nothing less - unless they are champions, then call them champions but please, real heroes are out there quietly getting on with their jobs, sometimes getting injured themselves, crippled for life, disabled, blinded, even killed, like the lads and lasses in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They don't ask for any medals, gold, silver or bronze...just a little 'thank you' sometimes would be nice though. They and the others I have mentioned are the REAL heroes. Not someone who can run faster, jump higher or accelerate more quickly than you or me on a bicycle...amazing though that is.
Please remember, they are just sportsmen and sportswomen...or champions if you will but not heroes!
By all means praise them for their outstanding achievements, honour them if you must but let's keep it in perspective...
Heroes...?
I don't think so.”