Professional Cycling For the Fans - Eddie says Lance will win...nice interview

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,364713,00.html

I thought he was a bit harsh on Jan, but I'm sure he knows better than me.

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,364713,00.html

I thought he was a bit harsh on Jan, but I'm sure he knows better than me.

I'm sure he knows better than anyone on this board.

He mentions that "The others are no longer riding just to win, but are riding so that you lose."

Do you guys think that might be why Rasmussen is riding so well, because he is one of the only guys that since the tour began has had a goal other than to beat lance, i.e. win the KOTM?

Good read.

Eddie Merckx's opinion on Lance is quite consistent. He was saying Lance has chance to win 7 TDF(didn't say consecutive) as far back as in 2000.

There is a photo of Merckx, in Lance's book, visiting in the hopspital where Lance had his brain surgery. Both seem to be very nice guy and it seems that both had many people hate them when they are in their prime.

"That's the mentality of the French -- they'd rather be on the side of the loser. I was never as popular in France as I was in 1975 -- when I lost the Tour after having won it five times."------Eddie Merckx

A lot of very insightful comments in there. Thanks for the link

great read - thanks for the link. good guy, that eddie. and it's surely been said here a million times, but surely the greatest rider of all time for having won so many tours AND giros....

My respect for Eddie grows with every word I hear him speak. He is a class act and I would still rate him as the top cycler of all time. Given Lance's super-human conditioning, I am not sure Merckx would've beaten him in the Tour though. Maybe they can challenge each other in the Tour de Heaven one day!

Wow, Eddie is SO the man. Thanks for that link.

Very interesting read, especially the bits concerning Jan and
Godefroot's opinions on Jan's training regimine.
Good insight on Vino, Kloden et al given todays stage.

Marty

Very interesting that publicly Jan's manager doesn't support him, something pretty wrong with that IMO.

I know this interview is a week old already, but i was interested in Eddie's comment that he would have preferred Lance to announce his retirement right after the tour instead of months before. It was mentioned that Lance had said his sponsers wanted him to do it this way. What's diff does it make? Does Eddie think the competition won't fight as hard knowing Lance will be gone soon?

It says in that article that when Lance met Eddie last time, they "did a bit of training together." Did Eddie show him how to eat an entire turkey in one sitting, or something?

Um, I think you better lose that little movie/sig

Um, I think you better lose that little movie/sig
Why?

The movie/sig is annoying, but also hilarious. I don't know if I love it or hate it.

Seriously though, good interview. The tour de heaven will be an interesting race.

peace,
sam

Eddy ain't fat these days, he looks ready to race again.

Come on, people, live a little. I only put gifs in my sig for a few days to give everyone a laugh, and then move on. It's not like I put some beastiality in it, or something.
http://www.chameleon.net/~wildfox/temp/maristabby1.JPG :eek:

Is that some bad funk music I hear playing in the background?

I know this interview is a week old already, but i was interested in Eddie's comment that he would have preferred Lance to announce his retirement right after the tour instead of months before. It was mentioned that Lance had said his sponsers wanted him to do it this way. What's diff does it make? Does Eddie think the competition won't fight as hard knowing Lance will be gone soon?

I thought is was more the opposite ... and that the pressure on LA would be much greater since it was his LAST one. Probably valid points, but LA was obviously able to handle it and I'm sure USA ratings are better for the farewell tour.

Excellent interview. I agree -- Eddie is a class act. Sad to say that I wasn't very aware of pro bike racing in his heyday, but I feel fortunate that both Eddie and Lance have been around in my lifetime. Both these guys are just amazing.

SPIEGEL: Ullrich simply doesn't want to sacrifice his entire year for bicycle racing. Can't you understand that?

Good god, is the interviewer getting mad at Merckx because he doesn't think Jan can beat Lance?? It appears the German press is even more heavy-handed than the American one...

Nice interview though :)