from www.dallasnews.com,
Sheryl Crow happy to play sidekick
Crow puts fame aside to follow boyfriend's run at Tour
record
05:56 PM CDT on Friday, July 9, 2004
By ANDREW HOOD / Special Contributor to The Dallas
Morning News
In the hustle and bustle of mechanics, teammates, coaches
and staff preparing Lance Armstrong for the Tour de France
prologue, there was a quiet presence that went almost
unnoticed.
At the Tour, Armstrong is the center of attention, not a 5-
3, 42-year-old singer-songwriter hovering around the U.S.
Postal Service team bus.
That's just fine for Sheryl Crow, who, at least in the
insular world of bicycle racing, is simply known as "Lance's
girlfriend."
"I don't mind being in the shadows," said Crow, a nine-time
Grammy winner.
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Crow is more accustomed to being in the spotlight, but since
she met the five-time Tour winner at an Andre Agassi
Charitable Foundation event last fall, she's been sticking
close to Armstrong and staying away from the media glare.
In Europe, where cycling is a major sport, Armstrong is a
much bigger draw than Crow. During her few days at the Tour,
she often walked unnoticed until she stood alongside her
bike racing boyfriend.
"This year for me has been a gift I've given myself to be
out of the public eye, and it's been fantastic being in
Europe – where he probably right now is a much bigger
personality and visual person than I am," she said. "I have
no gripes of being in the shadow."
Armstrong has been singing the praises of rocker girlfriend
Crow all season long.
"Sheryl is a great girl. It's nice to have her over here,"
Armstrong said.
Since their romance was "outed" during a Los Angeles Lakers
game, the pair has been all but inseparable. Crow reduced
her recording and touring schedule to be by Armstrong's side
and moved into his refurbished 14th-century apartment in
Girona in Spain's Catalunya region.
Armstrong's demanding schedule of training and racing and
endorsement and foundation work keeps them busy. The 32-year-
old Texan said he's thankful for Crow's devotion.
Songwriter Sheryl Crow has taken in much of the Tour de
France. "She's made a big commitment to be with me, to come
to this world of cycling. She has a big life also. She's not
just a bike fan, she's a big rock star," he said. "It's a
big commitment on her part to come live the life of a
cycling girlfriend, do laundry, cook food, do all the things
that all wives or girlfriends do."
For Crow, it's a labor of love.
"I've had so many incredible things happen to me, and I'd
say meeting Lance has been the most incredible. It's changed
my life, and I'm happier than I've ever been," she said.
"I'm with someone I admire greatly and not only enjoying
being with, so it works out great."
Armstrong's love life became gossip column fodder following
his separation from his wife Kristin in 2003. Their divorce
became final in November.
Crow is a keen runner and biker who often joins Armstrong
on his training forays up Europe's steepest mountains.
Before the Tour, when Armstrong and key teammates were
training on Alpe d'Huez, Crow rode up the difficult climb
on a mountain bike.
Crow's first race with Armstrong was the Tour of the Algarve
in southern Portugal in February. Since then, she's traveled
with Armstrong throughout Europe as he raced and trained to
prepare for the Tour.
Like most Americans, however, she's been impressed with the
magnitude and scale of the Tour.
"Lance has said all through this last training season
that whatever I've seen as far as bike races go, expect
it be a thousand times more chaotic. It's definitely been
that," she said.
Crow left her boyfriend's side this week for some
commitments, but promises to be back in Paris in time
to watch Armstrong roll down the Champs-Elysées later
this month.
"I don't know how he does it, but I will say that he's an
amazing example of the incredible will of the human spirit
to defy what the body is saying," she said. "He's mind over
matter all the way. More than that, he loves it and enjoys
it. It's all wrapped up in one."
Since Crow is sacrificing so much for him, how is Armstrong
going to return the favor?
"He says he's going to tune my guitars," she said.