Getting your player ready...
Tour de France chef Willy Balmat enjoyed cooking for Alexandre Vinokourov more than he did for seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong. Balmat has cooked for Tour teams for more than 20 years, which has meant preparing well-balanced meals for some and gourmet dishes for others. “It was easier with Vinokourov. He appreciated good cooking, especially when I prepared a deer’s liver flambeed with cognac,” Balmat said. As for Armstrong, “he was incredibly demanding” and “left nothing to chance.” Balmat cooked for Armstrong from 1992-96. “It was not easy with Armstrong,” Balmat said. “Actually, he was annoying.” The Associated Press
