From dailypeloton.com Bob Roll interview"


"It seems that 7-Eleven was doing a race in France . They were staying
at one of those crusty little motels that one always hears the pros
speak of when they are telling Americans that they don't know how good
they have it in the States.

Now, in one of those crusty little motels, there was an exhausted,
young cycling team from the United States that had just gotten done
flogging themselves on the bike for six hours, with nothing to show
for their efforts but badly battered bodies and egos.

They were tired, hungry, and homesick - but mostly, they were just
thirsty. According to Roll, he tried to ask the waiter for a glass of
water in French, to show respect, and this waiter, apparently offended
by Roll's lack of elegance with his native tongue, feigned
misunderstanding Roll's request not just once, but several times -
humiliating him in the process - adding insult to the already
injurious day. So, ever since that day in the mid-1980's, Roll has
intentionally mispronounced the title. That sheds a little bit of
light on the mystery, doesn't it?"