"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - No hour record for Lance?

Lance has expressed concern over his time trialing (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/jun05/jun07news2) lately. Chris Carmichael also noted that Lance was "behind schedule" on OLN's Road to the Tour last weekend. I find this peculiar considering all the talk at the turn of the year regarding a stab at the hour record. Was that what put Lance behind schedule? If so, wouldn't training for that have improved his TT? Curious.

I thought he abandoned all ideas of doing the hour. My understanding was that he was just toying with the idea and had really done nothing to prepare for it.

I thought it was a cover story for his documented meetings with Michele Ferrari

Lance has expressed concern over his time trialing (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/jun05/jun07news2) lately. Chris Carmichael also noted that Lance was "behind schedule" on OLN's Road to the Tour last weekend. I find this peculiar considering all the talk at the turn of the year regarding a stab at the hour record. Was that what put Lance behind schedule? If so, wouldn't training for that have improved his TT? Curious.

Take everything said about Lance's form right now - no matter who says it - with a grain of salt. The answer will be soon in the TDF prologue!

I still think Lance could go for the hour after he retires. It doesn't require a team. He can train specifically for it. He can stay close to his kids. Discovery could do a couple of shows, one behind the scenes and the other on the event itself.

Like Lance has never fed the press and the public bullsheot before.

yea what the heck happened to all the lance nonsense about, ooooh I think i'll try and concentrate on some 1 day classics, and the hour record. Then all the sudden it was just about the tour. I was really excited about this year as a whole, not just 3 weeks in july-

he origionally said all that stuff (about the classics and the hour and what not) for next season, his last year before his contract ran out, but after tour #7. I guess he was just ready to finish.

The "one hour" record is a very different sort of riding. The ideal way to prepare for it would be to "retire" from all other forms of riding. Then, learn to ride on a track (an art in itself). Learn to maintain absolutely perfect "aero" form and perfect cadence for exactly one hour.

IF it is true that his kids are now his "Number One" priority, he could enroll his kids at a school where he does his one hour training. Probably four to six months of training would be enough, if that was his sole focus. And, the training, and the attempt itself would be terrific events for drawing in the "general", non-sports audience.

Lance = One Trick Pony (There, that oughta get a rise out of someone! :) )

The "one hour" record is a very different sort of riding. The ideal way to prepare for it would be to "retire" from all other forms of riding. Then, learn to ride on a track (an art in itself). Learn to maintain absolutely perfect "aero" form and perfect cadence for exactly one hour.

IF it is true that his kids are now his "Number One" priority, he could enroll his kids at a school where he does his one hour training. Probably four to six months of training would be enough, if that was his sole focus. And, the training, and the attempt itself would be terrific events for drawing in the "general", non-sports audience.

I bet Lance would have to do a lot of work to learn how to be aero and have a "perfect" cadence! LOL

Lance will be finished after The Tour. Done! He's getting on a tour bus and going on tour with Cheryl Crowe. He's spending time with his kids. he'll be doing commercials and T.V. with Discovery channel. He'll be doing radio on Sirius. He'll be playing golf and laying on the beach. Maybe he'll start a bike company like Lemond and Merckx did. He'll be riding his bike for fun and fitness....probably do some rides with Cheryl...who is now an avid cyclist herself. I also hear that Lance will take a management role with Discovery team...so perhaps he'll be working closely with Johan. Lance is not doing the hour record. He may retire with 7 Tour wins. If you told me back in 1997, when Lance had cancer, that he would go on to win 7 Tours de France....I'd would have rolled my eyes at you and told you that you were clinically insane. Lance doesn't need the hour record.

That said...he aint won number 7 just yet!

Lance will be finished after The Tour. Done! He's getting on a tour bus and going on tour with Cheryl Crowe. He's spending time with his kids. he'll be doing commercials and T.V. with Discovery channel. He'll be doing radio on Sirius. He'll be playing golf and laying on the beach. Maybe he'll start a bike company like Lemond and Merckx did. He'll be riding his bike for fun and fitness....probably do some rides with Cheryl...who is now an avid cyclist herself. I also hear that Lance will take a management role with Discovery team...so perhaps he'll be working closely with Johan. Lance is not doing the hour record. He may retire with 7 Tour wins. If you told me back in 1997, when Lance had cancer, that he would go on to win 7 Tours de France....I'd would have rolled my eyes at you and told you that you were clinically insane. Lance doesn't need the hour record.

That said...he aint won number 7 just yet!

Yeah, the guy is in for a good life, and he has certainly earned it. It IS a shame that he did not go for the hour record - I was really hoping he would break it prior to retirement.

Perhaps one needs to suffer incredible trauma to do well, ala Greg Lemond and Lance - both incredible, almost unbelievable come back stories.

We are getting closer to the day of reckoning vis-a-vis #7!

Skydive...

You know, in other sports wouldn't it be great to see teams from different eras play each other? Let's see the '82 St. Louis Cardinals play the 2004 Boston Red Sox. let's see the '72 Dolphins play the 2004 New England Patriots.

Well this can actually be done in cycling. Put Merckx on a track in 1972 and let him ride as fast as he can for 1 hour. Then put Armstrong on same track in 2005...with similar bike and similar weather conditions and tell him to also ride as fast as he can for one hour. Here is a way for Armstrong to compete directly with Eddy Merckx. That's what makes the hour record so special. For these reasons I am glad that the UCI decided to restrict the use of modern trick bycycles. The hour record should be about the athlete physically. It's not a test of technology. I am sorry that Lemond never did the hour, and I am equally sorry that Lance will not do it. I don't see how Armstrong and Lemond could resist the challenge of going head to head with the great Eddy Merckx.

one, that is a fascinating proposition that has never crossed my mind. It is always fun to speculate how a Marciano would have done against a Muhammed Ali, etc., etc. Yours is a great point as a way to actually settle that argument! It would be amazing to have records say in an indoor arena that is temperature/humidity controlled, with perhaps even a day of the same barometric pressure. Use of the same equipment would make a rather interesting comparison! Now the next thing is who would win? Hmmmmm! :D

Skydive....did you ever buy the DVD 'The Impossible Hour'? It was a documentary on Ole Ritter's attempt to break the hour record. Ritter's attempt was a failure...but the film was a big success in my book. Very well done. It's an older film...but I think you would adore it. I got my copy from 'World Cycling Productions' several years ago. Not sure if they still sell it?

Skydive....did you ever buy the DVD 'The Impossible Hour'? It was a documentary on Ole Ritter's attempt to break the hour record. Ritter's attempt was a failure...but the film was a big success in my book. Very well done. It's an older film...but I think you would adore it. I got my copy from 'World Cycling Productions' several years ago. Not sure if they still sell it?

I have never even heard of that one - I will have to look into it. I have the usual ones, like "Pro" and "A Day in Hell." The mainstream stuff! :D

Here ya go Sky.....

http://www.worldcycling.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=HSTDSTAR&Category_Code=ALL-DVD

Here ya go Sky.....

http://www.worldcycling.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=HSTDSTAR&Category_Code=ALL-DVD


Super! Thanks. Of course I will check on eBay first! :)