“A lot of Americans will see a cyclist and just believe you’re the Antichrist for no reason, and they will try to run you over or try to come so close to you that it will scare you away from riding bikes. That’s a huge problem that’s unique to this country. That would never happen anywhere else in the world. Not China, not the most brutal dictatorial regime on Earth. It would never happen to you in Italy or Denmark or Switzerland or England or France or Spain or Russia or Vietnam or India or Afghanistan. … This country has a long way to go in terms of tolerance for cyclists. The vitriol of motorists never ceases to amaze me.”
— Former pro cyclist and current Versus commentator Bob Roll comparing bicycling in the US with other countries. In a great interview by Andrew Hartsock, Bobke tells about how he got into TV. I hadn't heard this, but Esquire magazine called the worst color commentator on Earth, but “the best thing to happen to the Tour de France since Lance Armstrong.”
It's his mannerisms and pronunciations (“Tour Day France”), as well as his obvious love and deep knowledge of cycling, that make him so likeable.
Roll is in Lawrence, Kansas, to speak at Sunflower Outdoor & Bike at 7 p.m. Friday. The shop is located at 802 and 804 Massachusetts St. Sporting a beard in the off-season, the Durango resident only makes 5-10 such appearances a year.
“The World According to Bobke,” Lawrence Journal World, Feb. 1, 2008
Picture is Bob Roll at Seattle Bike Expo in 2005
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