Professional Cycling For the Fans - Some dont like lance

In my opinion I would have preferred a more complete "palmares"...however I would also respect a person who made decisions like being a better father over compiling most wins. I will never know the reasons for his decisions...so I remain hopeful of a future rider who takes me back to the days of the more complete palmares.

Actually his decisions seem pretty simple to me. Post cancer he had lost a fair pop of muscle mass. This made him well suited to Tours but unsuited to classics. Next up he looks for his chance. The 99 tour presented a great one, wide open. He manages to get enought of a team to win. With a TDF win in hand he can build up the team. To the American audience all that matters is the TDF. At that point a loss at the TDF may blow everything. That is the win he needs that year to keep and keep improving his team. Perhaps at wins 3 or 4 he had the shot to try the double. But by 5 it would have been foolish. Same for 6. By 7 he is past his prime still great, but not enough left in the tank for a double.

All in all I think wise decisions. I have no issue with Lance and his choices, he took the gold ring that was there.

Out of curiousity, during the 7 years that Lance won the Tour de France, did he ever race after July?

Not trying to make any point - just wondering.

Out of curiousity, during the 7 years that Lance won the Tour de France, did he ever race after July?

Not trying to make any point - just wondering.

Yeah he did the odd crit, which is kinda old school considering that's how a lot racers used to make some dough after the Tour. He never did any race of consiquence, like the Vuelta or the WC's.

Yeah he did the odd crit, which is kinda old school considering that's how a lot racers used to make some dough after the Tour. He never did any race of consiquence, like the Vuelta or the WC's.

2000 was pretty impressive, post-Tour, in light of keeping some form for the Olympic Games. GP Eddy Merckx (w. Ekimov); GP des Nations; 2nd place, Paris-Camembert; 3rd place, Classique des Alpes and a Bronze Medal, Olympic Games ITT.

I'm pretty sure these are all post-TdF races but feel free to make any necessary corrections.

He also lined up at Zurich a few times, with a 3rd place in 2002 being a post-Tour highlight in the former World Cup Race.

Lance is bye all means the greatest cyclist of this era. No doubt about it.

What era? And yes, there is considerable doubt about it.

Actually his decisions seem pretty simple to me. Post cancer he had lost a fair pop of muscle mass. This made him well suited to Tours but unsuited to classics. Next up he looks for his chance. The 99 tour presented a great one, wide open. He manages to get enought of a team to win. With a TDF win in hand he can build up the team. To the American audience all that matters is the TDF. At that point a loss at the TDF may blow everything. That is the win he needs that year to keep and keep improving his team. Perhaps at wins 3 or 4 he had the shot to try the double. But by 5 it would have been foolish. Same for 6. By 7 he is past his prime still great, but not enough left in the tank for a double.

All in all I think wise decisions. I have no issue with Lance and his choices, he took the gold ring that was there.


Well put.... What people always forget about Lance is that he won a lot of different races befoe the tour. But as you said after cancer he lost body weight to be a prime GC contender he did what was best for American cycling in his eyes by focusing on the TDF. No one can ever say he wasn't the best rider to train and ride the Tour. He developed a system that a lot of pros are using currently. ... Was he the greatest rider ever?.... You can't compare his era to past and someday even present eras.

I beleive pro cycling has gotten to a point where races are soo demanding on riders that it would be nearly impossible to ride over 100 races a year like Merckx and his counterparts use to do.

All this being said.... I like Lance as a bike racer who was a determined and competitive champion. But I don't care for him as an individual. A mark of a true champion is being able to turn off that aggresion and hostility once the competion is over. IMO it always seemed that Lance could never turn off his type A personality once he stepped off the bike.

Lance is bye all means the greatest cyclist of this era. No doubt about it.

Halleluya :rolleyes:

No, let's be serious.

Best all times without any doubt:

Eddy Merckx ( the cannibal ! )...he was on his bloody bike from January to October with wins everywhere:

1965 (9)
Circuit du Houtland
Grand Prix Itterbeek
Grand Prix Kessel-Lo
Nederbrakel
Wezembeek
Visé
St Jansteen
Vilvoorde
Renaix
2ème du Championnat de Belgique
-

1966 (20)
Milan-San Remo
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Trophée Baracchi
Bruxelles-Meulebeke
Circuit des Frontières
Grand Prix de Rumes
Escalade de Montjuich
Circuit du Morbihan
Deux étapes du Circuit du Morbihan
Une étape du Midi-Libre
Une étape de l'Escalade de Montjuich
Koolskamp
Rousiès
Denderleeuw
Puteaux
Helchteren
Overijse
Viane
Châteaulin
2ème du Tour de Lombardie
2ème de la Coppa Agostini
3ème du Het Volk
-

1967 (26)
Championnat du Monde
Milan-San Remo
Gand-Wevelgem
Flèche Wallonne
Trophée Baracchi
Grand Prix Salvarini
Circuit des Frontières
Dworp (Championnat du Brabant)
Deux étapes du Tour d'Italie
Deux étapes du Tour de Sardaigne
Deux étapes de Paris-Nice
Une étape de Paris-Luxembourg
Simpeveld
Enter
La Clayette
De Panne
St Lenaarts
Liedekerke
Armentières
Daumesnil
Nandrin
Camors
Critérium des As
2ème de Liège-Bastogne-Liège
3ème du Tour des Flandres
-

1968 (32)
Paris-Roubaix
Trois Vallées Varésines
Grand Prix de Lugano
Tour d'Italie
Tour de Sardaigne
Tour de Catalogne
Tour de Romandie
A travers Lausanne
Quatre étapes du Tour d'Italie
Deux étapes du Tour de Sardaigne
Deux étapes d'A travers Lausanne
Deux étapes du Tour de Catalogne
Une étape du Tour de Belgique
Une étape du Tour de Romandie
Une étape de la Semaine Catalane
Romano-Lombardo
Cinisello
Salsomaggiore
La Clayette
Bornem
Ohain
Alsemberg
Pieve di Soligno
Malderen
De Panne
Woluwe-St Lambert
Meilleur Grimpeur du Tour d'Italie
Classement par Points du Tour d'Italie
2ème du Grand Prix Forli
3ème du Tour de Lombardie
3ème de Sassari-Cagliari
-

1969 (43)
Milan-San Remo
Tour des Flandres
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Bruxelles-Meulebeke
Tour de France
Tour de Valence
Paris-Nice
Paris-Luxembourg
Six étapes du Tour de France
Quatre étapes du Tour d'Italie
Trois étapes de Paris-Nice
Trois étapes du Tour de Valence
Une étape de Paris-Luxembourg
Une étape du Tour de Majorque
Yvetot
La Trimouille
Guerlesquin
Remiremont
Saussignac
Auvelais
Schaerbeek
Alès
Scorze
Aalst
Londerzeel
Moorslede
Ottignies
Woluwe-St Lambert
Ronde d'Aix en Provence
Châteaulin
Château-Chinon
Meilleur Grimpeur du Tour de France
Maillot Vert du Tour de France
2ème de Paris-Roubaix
2ème du Trophée Laigueglia
3ème de l'Amstel Gold Race
3ème du Trophée Baracchi
-

1970 (52)
Championnat de Belgique
Paris-Roubaix
Gand-Wevelgem
Flèche Wallonne
Coppa Agostini
Grand Prix Union
Tour d'Italie
Tour de France
Paris-Nice
Tour de Belgique
Escalade de Montjuich
A travers Lausanne
Huit étapes du Tour de France
Trois étapes du Tour d'Italie
Trois étapes de Paris-Nice
Deux étapes du Tour de Belgique
Deux étapes du Tour de Sardaigne
Une étape d'A travers Lausanne
Une étape de l'Escalade de Montjuich
Puy de Dôme (en ligne)
Bilzen
Renaix
Woluwe-St Lambert
Sanary Col San Martino
Lorient
Villafranca
Caen
Seignelay
St Cyprien
St Niklaas
Bussières
Varilhes
Fabriano
Castelfranco
Daumesnil
Bastia
Vailly sur Sauldre
Chateaugiron
Critérium des As
Meilleur Grimpeur du Tour de France
2ème des Trois Vallées Varésines
2ème du Tour de Sardaigne
3ème de Liège-Bastogne-Liège
-

1971 (54)
Championnat du Monde
Milan-San Remo
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Tour de Lombardie
Grand Prix de Frankfort
Circuit Het Volk
Grand Prix de Camaiore
Grand Prix Baden-Baden
Tour de France
Paris-Nice
Tour de Belgique
Dauphiné-Libéré
Midi-Libre
Tour de Sardaigne
Escalade de Montjuich
Quatre étapes du Tour de France
Trois étapes de Paris-Nice
Trois étapes du Tour de Belgique
Trois étapes du Tour de Sardaigne
Deux étapes du Dauphiné-Libéré
Deux étapes du Midi Libre
Deux étapes de l'Escalade de Montjuich
Aalst
Bilzen
Geraardsbergen
Viane
Le Creusot + Deux manches
Chronostafetta + Une manche
La Souterraine
De Panne
Badia a Settimo
Ghedi
St Lenaarts
Poperinge
Voghera
Villafranca
Beek
Bilbao
Cordenons
Maillot Vert du Tour de France
2ème de la Flèche Brabançonne
2ème du Grand Prix de Monaco
3ème du Grand Prix E3
3ème du Grand Prix de l'Union
-

1972 (50)
Milan-San Remo
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Tour de Lombardie
Flèche Wallonne
Flèche Brabançonne
Grand Prix de l'Escaut
Tour d'Emilie
Tour du Piemont
Mendrisio
Grand Prix Union
Trophée Baracchi
Tour d'Italie
Tour de France
Escalade de Montjuich
A travers Lausanne
Six étapes du Tour de France
Quatre étapes du Tour d'Italie
Trois étapes de Paris-Nice
Deux étapes d'A travers Lausanne
Deux étapes de l'Escalade de Montjuich
Magne-Ayeneux
Castelfranco
Zomergem
Tienen
Quiberon
Brustem
Zingem
Plélan-le-Petit
Voghera
Ougrée
Maldegem
Beernem
Sallanches
Momignies
Renaix
Rummen
Woluwe-St Lambert
Boulogne/Mer
Maillot Vert du Tour de France
2ème du Championnat de Belgique
2ème du Grand Prix de Frankfort
2ème du Trophée Laigueglia
2ème du Grand Prix E3
2ème du Championnat des Flandres
2ème de Putte-Kapellen
2ème de Paris-Nice
3ème de Gand-Wevelgem
3ème du Het Volk
4ème du Championnat du Monde
-

1973 (51)
Paris-Roubaix
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Gand-Wevelgem
Amstel Gold Race
Circuit Het Volk
Paris-Bruxelles
Grand Prix de Fourmies
Trophée Laigueglia
Grand Prix des Nations
Tour de Flandre-Orientale
Tour d'Espagne
Tour d'Italie
Tour de Sardaigne
A travers Lausanne
Chronostafetta
Monte Campione
Six étapes du Tour d'Espagne
Six étapes du Tour d'Italie
Deux étapes d'A travers Lausanne
Une étape de Paris-Nice
Une étape du Tour de Sardaigne
Une étape du Grand Prix de Fourmies
Une manche de la Chronostafetta
Une manche de Monte Campione
Monsummano
Maggiora
Pavullo
Nandrin
St Lenaarts
Misano
Heusden Limbourg
Roccastrada
Liège
Jeumont
Merchtem
De Panne
Londerzeel
Moorslede
Wilrijk
Woluwe-St Lambert
Classement par points du Tour d'Italie
Classement par Points du Tour d'Espagne
2ème du Championnat de Belgique
2ème de la Flèche Wallonne
2ème de la Semaine Catalane
3ème du Grand Prix de l'Union
3ème du Criterium des As
3ème de Paris-Nice
4ème du Championnat du Monde
-

1974 (38)
Championnat du Monde
Trophée Laigueglia
Tour d'Italie
Tour de France
Tour de Suisse
Escalade de Montjuich
Huit étapes du Tour de France
Trois étapes de Paris-Nice
Trois étapes du Tour de Suisse
Deux étapes du Tour d'Italie
Deux étapes de l'Escalade de Montjuich
Momignies
Tavarnelle
Rijmenam
Heusden Limbourg
Poperinge
Nogaro
Malderen
Genève
Luxembourg
Knokke-Heist
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Londerzeel
Moorslede
Critérium des As
Classement par Points du Tour de Suisse
Meilleur Grimpeur du Tour de Suisse
2ème du Tour de Lombardie
2ème du Grand Prix de Frankfort
2ème de Gand-Wevelgem
2ème de la Semaine Catalane
3ème du Trophée Baracchi
3ème de Paris-Nice
-

1975 (38)
Milan-San Remo
Tour des Flandres
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Amstel Gold Race
Tour de Sardaigne
Semaine Catalane
Escalade de Montjuich
Deux étapes du Tour de France
Deux étapes de Paris-Nice
Deux étapes du Tour de Romandie
Deux étapes de l'Escalade de Montjuich
Une étape du Tour de Suisse
Une étape du Tour de Sardaigne
Une étape de la Semaine Catalane
Genève
Pogny
Zürich
Copenhague
Rijmenam
Heusden Limbourg
Plancoët
Eeklo
Oostduinkerke
Valkenburg
Sindelfingen
Châteauroux
Overijse
Retie
Renaix
Wilrijk
Woerden
Callac
Châteaulin
Château-Chinon
2ème de Paris-Roubaix
2ème du Championnat de Zürich
2ème de Paris-Bruxelles
2ème du Grand Prix de Wallonnie
2ème du Tour de France
2ème du Tour de Suisse
2ème de Paris-Nice
2ème de quatre étapes du Tour de France
3ème du Championnat de Belgique
3ème de la Flèche Wallonne
3ème du Grand Prix Jeff Scherens
-

1976 (15)
Milan-San Remo
Tour de Flandre Orientale
Semaine Catalane
Deux étapes de la Semaine Catalane
Une étape de Tirreno-Adriatico
Une étape du Tour de Romandie
Bavikhove
De Panne
Berlin
Tienen
Quiberon
Assebroek
Bourges
Brasschaat
2ème de la Flèche Brabançonne
2ème du Criterium des As
2ème de Tirreno-Adriatico
3ème du Tour de Romandie
5ème du Championnat du Monde
-

1977 (17)
Tour Méditerranéen
Une étape du Tour de Suisse
Une étape du Tour de France
Une étape de Paris-Nice
Berlin
Alsemberg
Neufchâtel-en-Bray
Nice
Athus
Lannion
Retie
Nandrin
Boxmeer
Ronde d'Aix en Provence
Bain de Bretagne
Camors
St Claud
2ème du Grand Prix d'Ijsbergues
2ème du Circuit de l'Indre
2ème d'une étape du Tour de France

-

1978 (0)

^^
You left out the 6 day races. Eddy has more 6 day wins with Patrick Sercu than all but a handfull of riders have in total.

holy ****, he is even more of a god than i ever knew

Well put.... What people always forget about Lance is that he won a lot of different races befoe the tour. But as you said after cancer he lost body weight to be a prime GC contender he did what was best for American cycling in his eyes by focusing on the TDF. No one can ever say he wasn't the best rider to train and ride the Tour. He developed a system that a lot of pros are using currently. ... Was he the greatest rider ever?.... You can't compare his era to past and someday even present eras.

I beleive pro cycling has gotten to a point where races are soo demanding on riders that it would be nearly impossible to ride over 100 races a year like Merckx and his counterparts use to do.

All this being said.... I like Lance as a bike racer who was a determined and competitive champion. But I don't care for him as an individual. A mark of a true champion is being able to turn off that aggresion and hostility once the competion is over. IMO it always seemed that Lance could never turn off his type A personality once he stepped off the bike.

+1
I've heard a lot of people say the same thing about him...that he just can't seem to turn his competitiveness off after the race. Look at the sorts of things he's done in his personal life even. After he and Kristin get a divorce, she decides to train for a marathon to get over him. He shows up and runs the thing. Did he need to do that? No. Why did he do it? We'll never know, but it's not the sort of thing a normal person does. He should have just left it alone. then take the situation with Sheryl. They break off their engagement, a short time later she announces that she has breast cancer and has to go in for treatment. Next thing you know, Lance is roaming around L.A. with some bimbo whose boobs are more plastic than Michael Jackson's face. If lance wanted to run around with a bimbo, he could have found one that wasn't in Sheryl's backyard. He probably did that to rub it in her face. I think the guy is a jerk on a personal front. However, I do appreciate his dedication to cancer and also what he has done for cycling in general.

^^
You left out the 6 day races. Eddy has more 6 day wins with Patrick Sercu than all but a handfull of riders have in total.

I know I'm off topic here, but thanks Keith99 for the mention of the Merckx-Sercu track partnership. Their success spans Eddy's career and puts a good shine on the last three years of his fading results on the road.

Sercu is the monster of all things track.