"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - OMG: Lance is racing the Tour

http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE4B07OA20081201

while my intent was to intimate sarcasm/feigned excitement in the thread title, i can't help but be genuinely interested in this saga. lance is sort of a guilty pleasure. kinda like... the lifetime network.

OMG!

PS
I forgot to email you. I'll get with you on that stem if you've still got it. :D

You wear spandex and watch lifetime...not a good combo.

I hope AC stomps LA. My fear is that we see a split team ala LeMond/Hinult. Personally I think AC deserves team leader status.

Shades of H. Ross Perot: I will not run. I will not run. I will n.... wait a minute. Changed my mind. I'll run.

http://stuff.pyzam.com/funnypics/animals/bongo.jpg

Someone start a poll: exactly how many threads do we need to start every time Lance talks to the press?

someone start a poll: Exactly how many threads do we need to start every time lance talks to the press?

7...

7...

nice

I have no problem with him entering and winning the TDF.
The strongest rider is suppose to win; if that's him, so be it.

it's a combination of the strongest rider and the strongest team.

i'm not seeing the team falling in 100% behind Lance. wasn't there another Tour in which a team was split between two leaders? I think it was like LeMond and Hinault or something?

I'd say it's mostly the strongest rider.

I'd say it's mostly the strongest rider.

Or strongest and smartest rider, as LeMond proved in 1989, since his team certainly wasn't the strongest.

The only interesting bit in this announcement is that it comes AFTER the start of their training camp. Hmmmm?

If you're implying that Lance saw weakness in Contador and decided to jump into the Tour...

Nobody shows all their cards during training camp.

Hell, if they're trying to peak for the Tour, none of the GC riders even have cards to show at training camp.

Lance Bass?

but wasn't alberto hopped up on mircera so we're not really sure how strong he really is when he's not on that junk? here's hoping for some clean racing next year..

Gtfo!!1!11

The only interesting bit in this announcement is that it comes AFTER the start of their training camp. Hmmmm?

He must have dropped Contador on the way to massage....

If you're implying that Lance saw weakness in Contador and decided to jump into the Tour...

Nobody shows all their cards during training camp.

Hell, if they're trying to peak for the Tour, none of the GC riders even have cards to show at training camp.

No they haven't shown their 'cards' but A) Lance is now privy to all of AC's numbers. He knows his VO2Max, his watts etc. Lance wouldn't be coming back if he didn't know what his own numbers are and now he has the inside scoop on the best current GT rider. B) Lance has access to the undetectable unmentionables that will make him Lance again.

Perhaps he saw a weakness, if they don't have any cards wouldn't they essentially be on a level playing field? Conversely, maybe he saw Contador is the real thing but realized the exposure gained by his organization at the Tour is too much to pass up.

Ultimately, I'm not trying to crack any sort of conspiracy. It could be as simple as the two of them having the opportunity to discuss the Tour in person. No big deal and something I'm willing to accept.

One must ponder though, given Lance's race to win mentality, why else would he not commit to riding the Tour until seeing the only other contender? Just a little tidbit I'm filing away until the start of the Tour.

This sounds like it may end up being a showdown which will break the team into Lance and Alberto factions.. Go back to 1986 TDF when La Vie Claire came to the TDF with arguably one of the best TDF teams in history, 4 riders in the top 10 overall..

Hinault who had promised Lemond he would work for him, made him earn it.. As the Patron and 7 time winner, Lance will be throwing down the gauntlet and Alberto better be able to show that he is truly the team leader.. It will be interesting..

if there is a split i think ac deserves it. from what i've seen, hes the one that started all the drama

Astana has an aweful lot of riders with more history riding for Lance than for AC. If there is a split, my bet is Lance has his fair share of help.

but wasn't alberto hopped up on mircera so we're not really sure how strong he really is when he's not on that junk? here's hoping for some clean racing next year..

B) Lance has access to the undetectable unmentionables that will make him Lance again.

Seriously, guys? I'm sick of the doping allegations, especially when you have nothing to base it on. Plus, nobody gets tested more than GT winners.


This sounds like it may end up being a showdown which will break the team into Lance and Alberto factions.. Go back to 1986 TDF when La Vie Claire came to the TDF with arguably one of the best TDF teams in history, 4 riders in the top 10 overall..

My thoughts exactly.

Seriously, guys? I'm sick of the doping allegations, especially when you have nothing to base it on. Plus, nobody gets tested more than GT winners.


y.

Head/sand

My bet is he wasn't going to get the deal he wanted to ride the Giro instead of the Tour. So now it's the Tour again.

Head/sand

I'm just not a fan of speculation and judgment from the sidelines. Call me an optimist.

I'm just not a fan of speculation and judgment from the sidelines. Call me an optimist.

diablo rode with him, so he was "in the game" at least for 20-30 minutes.;)

My bet is he wasn't going to get the deal he wanted to ride the Giro instead of the Tour. So now it's the Tour again.

I thought I heard he was going to ride the Giro?

You can bash LA or like LA but he is promoting the sport of Bike Racing like no one else can. Go Lance

Doesn't the DS decide who rides which races? In theory anyways. Or not so much? Not that it matters in practice with Johan.

Usually...

riders will sit down with team management at the start of the season and talk about their desired race schedule. Then the DS and the other directors will decide a final schedule. If you're a team leader, you usually get the races you want. If you're a worker bee, well, pray.

You can bash LA or like LA but he is promoting the sport of Bike Racing in America like no one else can. Go Lance

Fixed.

Seems like just last week Lance was taking a pass on the Tour due to personal safety concerns. When did that go out the window?

When he remembered he'd be racing in France.

Seriously, guys? I'm sick of the doping allegations, especially when you have nothing to base it on. Plus, nobody gets tested more than GT winners.

ya but they said mircera could've been being used for the past 2 years... when it's that new it's hard/impossible to detect since no one is looking for it... remember levi's UBER time trial at the end of last years TdF?? suspicious! levi has never been outspoken against doping, that also makes me suspicious... alberto too. riders that don't talk smack about dopers make me suspicious.

diablo rode with him, so he was "in the game" at least for 20-30 minutes.;)


This is true and in the hour I gleamed the 'inner Lance' so I am the BF expert ;)

Seriousely though, I believe Lance doped. Do I care that Lance doped? Not in so much that he was doing what the rest of the peloton was doing so in essense he was playing on a level field. What proof do I have that LA doped? None. What I do have is this.

First all of LA's main rivals have admitted to or been suspended for doping. The two big ones are Der Jan and Basso. Given the fact that Jan was using EPO and Lance trounced him it would make Lance super human if he did it clean. Is that possible? Yes. Is that likely? No.

Second all of LA's lieutenants have been busted for doping (George excepted). Tyler, Roberto, and Flandis are all dopers. This is either an odd coincidence or they were just continuing the practices they learned from their days under LA tutelage. Again here are guys who did quite well in era of pretty rampant blood doping and EPO.

Now Lance may be the most amazing cyclist that has ever been born. He was able to consistently hammer into the ground the worlds elite cyclists while all those cyclists took PED's and he was clean. This is possible, I cannot say with 100% confidence he doped. I can however use an open mind and see that the likely hood of him doping is greater than him riding clean.

EDR, I agree with all of your observations but still emphasize that it's all just circumstantial. Also circumstantial is Lance's performance at Leaville, losing to Weins. Was he doping then, too?

Seriously, guys? I'm sick of the doping allegations, especially when you have nothing to base it on. Plus, nobody gets tested more than GT winners.



Marion Jones was tested a lot too... And never once did a test say positive :)


Just a thought

EDR, I agree with all of your observations but still emphasize that it's all just circumstantial. Also circumstantial is Lance's performance at Leaville, losing to Weins. Was he doping then, too?

I agree that it is circumstantial. I don't leave out the possibility that LA is a freak of nature and has a gift that is beyond anyone who has ever raced a bicycle. I just don't think the odds are in his favor.

Lance looks to be in pretty good shape. *shrug* good on him if he ends up racing/winning the tour again. I watched last 3 years, I'll watch again. good racing is good racing, doping or not.

I don't know what to believe:

This

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm21/mike9903/Par2298997.jpg


or Contador's Twitter

@lancearmstrong http://twitpic.com/oz1v - ok, nice,, but keep on training.. i ll need your help to win 2009 tour de FRANCE 11:08 AM Dec 2nd from TwitPic in reply to lancearmstrong

I can however use an open mind and see that the likely hood of him doping is greater than him riding clean.

But you can't even spell likelihood.

or Contador's Twitter



i dont know how twitter works, but do you really think that's AC?

The guy holding Lance's hand with the bad teeth? I'm pretty sure that's him, but those skinny climbers all look the same to me.

The guy holding Lance's hand with the bad teeth? I'm pretty sure that's him, but those skinny climbers all look the same to me.
:wtf: So his teeth are a bit crooked. So are mine - I choose not to give an orthodontist 10K to make thme look pretty. At least I am not skinny. :p

i dont know how twitter works, but do you really think that's AC?

But you don't know how twitter works....anything else for that matter.

Head/sand

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j47/joemowens/ostrich_head_in_ground_full.jpg