Professional Cycling - Lance=foot in mouth

so i notticed lance's comments in a link posted in another thread. here is what he said to the director of the tour when he called him up, baisically to rub it in his face about the operation peurto doping scandal:

"I just want you to know this never would have happened on our watch.”

so lance, how would you have actualy kept the other riders from doping, egh?

do you realy expect us to beleive that no one was doping during your 7 wins, and they all just decided to wait until after you retire to start doping?

or is it that you know this scandal reflects as badly on you as it does the inplicated riders. while people may have given you the benefit of the doubt about doping before, its pretty hard to believe you beat a bunch of dopers clean and now instead of sliping quietly into the sunset with that cloud hanging over you, you decide to flaunt that you got away with murder. to the director of the tour no less.

what a class act.

am i the only one who thinks less of lance after this year?

here is the link for the quote

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/19/sports/othersports/19lance.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1153272228-3Iy4c1Lu/xSM2Z5W0XFmvA&oref=slogin

First of all: Go Gators! (MA 1991).

I avoid most of the LA stuff. I admired his riding ability and have huge respect for his comeback over cancer.

I do pick up an attitude from him (and Greg LeMond as well though for different reasons) that the TdF was an irritating part of their lives and that they made it rather than the other way around.

LeMond refused to go to France a few years ago when the Tour was trying to get all living winners together. This was probably to avoid LA and Hinault but I still thought it poor. I like LeMond but let's be honest w/o the TdF is he in the financial situation he's in now? Would he have had his time as a top US athlete? I think the answer's obvious.

What if LA beats cancer and continues to be a Classics rider, even a wildly successful one with multiple Paris-Roubaix and Pro-Tour titles? His victory over cancer is still an amazing and inspiring story but who outside of cycling knows about it? What are his chances of emceeing the Espys and having the opportunity to call the entire French soccer team a-holes? Is he a multi-millionaire? Again I think the answers are obvious.

I don't expect false humility but the TdF is responsible for these guy's fame and fortune and they shouldn't be so disrespectful. At least that's my view, others will differ I'm sure.

I realize I didn't address the doping but I avoid that topic and will until something beyond "he said/she said" stuff appears.


:beer:

I find it funny that this doping inquisition happened right before a Lance-less TdF...I might, why damage cycling's image at the zenith of it's popularity with Lance leading the way? It's hard to believe that Lance would not use any enhancers with such a dominating performance for 7 years. It's the same thing I say of Bonds and the HR record.

It's hard to believe that Lance would not use any enhancers with such a dominating performance for 7 years.
Before winning the TdF LA was a world champion pro cyclist, then he started focusing exclusivly on one race (the TdF). He trained solely for this race, he had custom equipment, custom teams anything to give him a leg up for this one race. His opponants raced in other races and didn't focus exclusivly on this one race. I have no trouble believing someone could start where he did and take that approach, get those results all without drugs. Now, beating cancer to the degree he had it, that's hard to believe.

Before winning the TdF LA was a world champion pro cyclist,

He won one worlds as part of a 2 man break where the other rider (who if he had won would have been only the third man in history to do the golder triple) flatted in the last mile.


His pre cancer results were good, but not spectacular. Of course his TDF results was not as superhuman as his supporters make out. Very cold and calculating. Rather Anquetil like.

I actually think if Landis was more cold and calculating, he'd probably still be in great contention. I was just thinking the same thing about the difference between Landis and Armstrong today. Armstrong focused on destroying the field and putting as much time between himself and everyone else. He pimped out his squad and disposed of them like 5 dollar hookers on a two bit job when he climbed up the mountains, then poured it on and just fought it out to the finish. He wanted to win, not just ride this race of tactics where he just tried to keep the jersey and keep an eye on the competition. I think Landis is great- but if he'd been more cold and calculating, he might be in a very different situation than he is right now.

I hope he fights and gets as much out of it as he can, and then some.

Koffee

I find it funny that this doping inquisition happened right before a Lance-less TdF...I might, why damage cycling's image at the zenith of it's popularity with Lance leading the way? It's hard to believe that Lance would not use any enhancers with such a dominating performance for 7 years. It's the same thing I say of Bonds and the HR record.
exactly man, it's a marketing thing. Think about it. cycling was on a somewhat downward slope. What else than a red-blooded good ol' american boy to spruce it up? His cancer survival is just the icing on the cake. I'm sure marketing heads were DROOLING over this. Rememeber, money makes the world go 'round.....

All I can say is.....you guys beat us up bad in the outback bowl. But I be darned if the onside kick was the worst call in CFB. I guess it was payback from two years ago when we demolished you equally as bad. Now what were we talking about. GO HAWKEYES!

"I just want you to know this never would have happened on our watch.”

am i the only one who thinks less of lance after this year?

Maybe he meant that they never would have been caught. And, just read around the forums and I think the answer to your question is obvious. I don't think less of him, although I do think less about him, because he retired. There are many other riders for me to follow now. Although maybe not according to you, him and OLN.

I actually think if Landis was more cold and calculating, he'd probably still be in great contention. I was just thinking the same thing about the difference between Landis and Armstrong today. Armstrong focused on destroying the field and putting as much time between himself and everyone else. He pimped out his squad and disposed of them like 5 dollar hookers on a two bit job when he climbed up the mountains, then poured it on and just fought it out to the finish. He wanted to win, not just ride this race of tactics where he just tried to keep the jersey and keep an eye on the competition. I think Landis is great- but if he'd been more cold and calculating, he might be in a very different situation than he is right now.

I hope he fights and gets as much out of it as he can, and then some.

Koffee

Was today cold and calculating enough for you?
;)

Remember, Lance had a couple of really bad days in 2000, and 2003.

Personally, I'm sick to death of all the Lance BS
and no, not from him but from the analysis of every word
that he says and everything that he does.
He's retired, give it a rest, even Groucho took his cigar
out every once in a while.
I'm not saying he doped, he didn't dope or think it's really relavent
at this point in time.
As for cold blooded? absolutely
and so was the badger, the cannibal, and Anquetil to be a great
champion you need to stomp on all competition, they all did that.

marty

I've never seen a champion who wasn't a killer on the bike, field, court or wherever they happened to ply their trade.

Well said Marty....by the way..New Hope PA is still standing after the summer floods here on the Delaware.

Cheers,

Brian

Was today cold and calculating enough for you?
;)

Remember, Lance had a couple of really bad days in 2000, and 2003.


It was so cold I had to put on my snowsuit and neoprene shoe covers. Brrrrrr....

:D

That's how he's gotta do it. And he needs to harden his heart and do that until he his Paris.

Koffee

. . .I don't expect false humility but the TdF is responsible for these guy's fame and fortune and they shouldn't be so disrespectful. . . .
You could also say:

"I don't expect false humility from tour director LeBlanc, but these guys are responsible for the TdF's fame and fortune and he shouldn't be so disrespectful."

Oh I disagree strongly....

Without disparaging Armstrong (whom I truly respect) and LeMond (still probably my fave) the Tour made them. At least it made the majority of their wealth and public presence. The TdF existed for a long time before either of them, drawing huge support and will continue to exist and draw huge support after them.

That's true of any rider, even Merckx. The Tour itself is bigger than any rider could ever be. Same is true of major sports events here in the US. The Superbowl and World Series will never be diminished by the retirement of any individual, yet many individuals have established their fame at these events.

LeBlanc and Armstrong do not get along but the Tour itself transcends both men. It'd be nice if both understood that.


:beer:

Yeah, but without the great riders, the Tour would be just another race. The riders would have found another race to demonstrate their skill.

Can't buy that. These same riders do race in plenty of other events. But the Tour de France is the one they get the most prestige for winning.

Oh yeah, gators eat boogers.

He won one worlds as part of a 2 man break where the other rider (who if he had won would have been only the third man in history to do the golder triple) flatted in the last mile.


Who are you talking about? I don't think you are correct? I saw the coverage, read all the articles at the time, it was a long solo move that Lance made, on a rainy circuit, and he just rode away alone.

Oh yeah, gators eat boogers. LOL

Well we need something after so many servings of Uga. :)

To paraphrase a line from Rocky Horror: "Oh no not BullDog again."

I can't buy that argument either. There's a reason riders choose to make their entire season 3 weeks in July.


:beer:

Go Gators!!

Go Gators!!

Thank you for adding something useful to the discussion.

You're welcome

Do y'all get chafed riding in those blue jean shorts? :)

Those shorts are really stylin' when matched with some orange hi-top Converses!

(yes, they do make them, or at least did)



:beer:

Do y'all get chafed riding in those blue jean shorts? :)


LOL!!!