Originally Posted by
USAZorro
I don't care who their D.S. is, they aren't going to beat Contador or Andy Schleck for several years.
Maybe not, but I think next year it will be even closer. Lance's preparation for this tour wasn't ideal. Andy's still on the way up. With a strong team around Lance, and no ambiguity about his role, it's bound to be a closer contest. What will hurt Lance is he doesn't look quite as sharp in the TT as in the past. And, besides his age, it looks like he made the mistake of beefing up his upper body during his hiatus (to attract generation Y-ers no doubt). I saw this year's return as part of a mid-life crisis. Next year, he'll get more serious, and I doubt Contador or Schleck will be writing him off.