I love that pic with Eddy!

Bravo, Floyd!
You made this Tour and especially this last week so exciting. One of your comments today was "I have been very lucky". True, but luck wouldn't have been there without your gutsy ride to Morzine.

Wow, first a kiss from the wife and now a congrats from Mr. Eddie Merckx himself. Does it get any better than this?

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/5c/full.getty-cycling-tdf2006-landis-merckx_12_23_26_pm.jpg


If I were Floyd, I'd blow that picture up real big and put it over my mantel. To get that kind of respect from Merckx, to be flanked on the podium by Merckx and Hinault, well, dayyum.

Speaking of panache, I read somewhere else that Merckx got down a 100 euro bet on Floyd after be blew up and before he came back. At 100-1 odds.

If I were Floyd, I'd blow that picture up real big and put it over my mantel. To get that kind of respect from Merckx, to be flanked on the podium by Merckx and Hinault, well, dayyum.

Speaking of panache, I read somewhere else that Merckx got down a 100 euro bet on Floyd after be blew up and before he came back. At 100-1 odds.

Actually, it was 239-1 odds in London. So, if you put 1,000 bucks down, you basically made a quarter of a million dollars.

Wow, first a kiss from the wife and now a congrats from Mr. Eddie Merckx himself. Does it get any better than this?

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/5c/full.getty-cycling-tdf2006-landis-merckx_12_23_26_pm.jpg

That's my boy!!! Now where's that son of mine?

That's my boy!!! Now where's that son of mine?

I'm a bit too old to have a third son, but if I did I would name him Floyd.

Eddy had always been my cycling hero and always will be, but Floyd has put in a legendary effort. I still think Eddy is the best ever, but what Floyd did puts him WAY up in the all time greats of cycling.

Does anybody make argyle cycling socks? I'd buy them in a heart beat. :)

I still think Eddy is the best ever, but what Floyd did puts him WAY up in the all time greats of cycling.
Sorry, but no it doesn't. And I'm a huge fan of Floyd. He'd probably even tell you that himself.

Sorry, but no it doesn't. And I'm a huge fan of Floyd. He'd probably even tell you that himself.

You are right. He doesn't have the resume of the all time greats. What I should have said was that his Tour accomplishment was one of the all time great ones. If he can follow this up with a couple more Tour victories on an artifical hip, then we can reconsider his placement.

Congrats! Couldn't happened to a nicer guy. Class act all the way.

**** I'm so excited.

BTW, where can you get phonak gears? I'm trying to find a hat.

For those that only follow the TDF don't forget he also won TofC, Paris/Nice, and TofG this season.

"The name is Gonchar, not Honchar damnit!"

LMAO

A few days ago OLN did an athlete profile of Gonchar and explained how to pronounce his name correctly. Yet still Phil can't get it right.

The Devil has got some hops for an old guy.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tour06/tour0614/S-RICCOTOUR7628.jpg

dumb question - why is OLN saying that Floyd already won the tdf when the final day is still tomorrow? Is tomorrow just for show?

Special note to Euro: Floyd would appear to be fast enough.

Great British showing in the Tour this year, eh? Well, not really. But then when do the Brits EVER have a great Tour de France? Ummm.. oh, that's right, NEVER.

Oh well. If Floyd can't come back from his hip replacement the American party @ the TDF would appear to be over for a while. Let's see what Tom Danielson can do. He may be the only American secret weapon left.

dumb question - why is OLN saying that Floyd already won the tdf when the final day is still tomorrow? Is tomorrow just for show?

Tomorrow is pancake flat and the sprinter's teams will want to keep it together til the end. The chances of a breakaway succeeding are only slightly greater than my chances of winning next year's tour. It's largely a ceremonial stage where they drink champagne, wear silly hats and plod along at 20mph until they hit the Champs Elysee.

Hey quick question guys , do those disc wheels produce any sounds? I thought i heard a 'whirling' sound coming from carlos sastre's disc. Thanks. Floyd's Da Man!

Disks produce a very intimidating rumbling noise. On the track, where they're pretty common, you can't really hear your own disk underneath you. But they sound very intimidating when someone with a disk comes flying past you. So you use a disk because the reverse is also true.

However, you're not allowed to use a disk in mass starts on the road. But I imagine the effect is the same in a road time trial - it would indeed be cool to come up to your minute man, then start the acceleration to pass, knowing that he'll hear you coming up with that rumbling disk. "Here I come, sucka!"

- L.

Does anybody make argyle cycling socks? I'd buy them in a heart beat. :)

Bellwether made some blue Argyle cycling socks a few years back. I bought a pair and only use them in big races, they're about my favorite socks. I'm always on the lookout for Argyle, but the sock makers don't seem to have a clue about the pent up demand out there...

- L.

Wow, FL must have really fired up Eddy Merckx to race again.

No doubt Axel being on the Phonak team helped unite these two.

http://msn.foxsports.com/id/5793062_7_2.jpg

This is what Eddy will look like at next year's Tour:

http://www.velo-club.net/nicolas/merckx69.JPG

(not to say he'll participate and win, but that he seems to be getting thinner all the time -- which is good -- because a few years ago he used to be HUGE)

This is what Eddy will look like at next year's Tour:

http://www.velo-club.net/nicolas/merckx69.JPG

(not to say he'll participate and win, but that he seems to be getting thinner all the time -- which is good -- because a few years ago he used to be HUGE)

The reason he's skinnier now is he had a stomach problem for YEARS and only got it fixed recently and after fixing it he said he immeadiately shed 30lbs and started riding again. It was in a VeloNews interview with him I think.

Why would it matter Floyed is a yank ? Could care less; he's inspirational just as Lance, Greg, Andy are.

Any competitor from any nation will train a little harder this Winter to stand a chance against the bionic hip next year !

This is about cyclists, not the Ryder Cup.

If I were Floyd, I'd blow that picture up real big and put it over my mantel.

I would too. But first, I'd Photoshop out that stuffed lion's tail. Bernard Hinault also looked very happy on the stage with Landis. I think the Cannibal and the Badger have the greatest respect for Landis after Stage 17. I wonder if Landis will also come into some similar carnal nickname.

Anyone know why Robbie Hunter had to ride the whole TT out of the saddle? I read it on cyclingnews.com but it doesn't tell you why.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tour06/tour0619/JD_06TDFstg19020.jpg

infected saddle sore, came in over 18 minutes down, eliminated due to missing the time cut, sucks.

Anyone know why Robbie Hunter had to ride the whole TT out of the saddle? I read it on cyclingnews.com but it doesn't tell you why.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2006/tour06/tour0619/JD_06TDFstg19020.jpg

As Smootie104 said; major saddle sore. That's really a downer, getting kicked out of the Big Dance just before the last stage. I know, he is on Landis' team and will get many rewards from the leader's treasure chest, but still that's the most unfair and sad way to end three weeks of total dedication to reaching the Yellow Jersey.

The reason he's skinnier now is he had a stomach problem for YEARS and only got it fixed recently and after fixing it he said he immeadiately shed 30lbs and started riding again. It was in a VeloNews interview with him I think.
Yeah, I know. He was still huge though.

As Smootie104 said; major saddle sore. That's really a downer, getting kicked out of the Big Dance just before the last stage. I know, he is on Landis' team and will get many rewards from the leader's treasure chest, but still that's the most unfair and sad way to end three weeks of total dedication to reaching the Yellow Jersey.

Wouldn't a wide seat have been a better option than standing the entire stage, or did they begin the stage thinking he'd be able to use the saddle.