Professional Cycling For the Fans - Will you watch if Lance drops out?

How many are you are just Fairweather Johnsons and will stop watching if Lance Armstrong drops out or is unable to win?

I'm in for the whole Tour. I've watched the Tour for too long, before Lance was even a pro.

Dan, Im with you.

I was watching back in the 80's I AIN'T NO 99'er!!


hmmmm.......says you're in beaufort, I'm in Savannah, have we met? Are you a Low Country Velo?

Dan, Im with you.

I was watching back in the 80's


hmmmm.......says you're in beaufort, I'm in Savannah, have we met? Are you a Low Country Velo?

I'm not with Lowcountry Velo, but some ride with me on Tuesday at Bike Doctor of Hilton Head.

yes, but I would lost lots of interest since there is nobody to cheer for. As the same for football, soccer, basketball, boxing, you have to be cheer for one side to get the best of enjoying it.

It'll be sad if Lance has a wreck and if he has to withdraw, it'll be even worse, but I can't get enough of this. I'm also stocked about "1 - 11 - 21" If any of those numbers wins, I'll be a happy man :D

I'm not with Lowcountry Velo, but some ride with me on Tuesday at Bike Doctor of Hilton Head.

I take it you know Evangelista, Mack, DG, Minnicks, Charles etc....

Cool.

There is a 60 miler at I-95 and 21 Tommorow, 9 am

yes, but I would lost lots of interest since there is nobody to cheer for. As the same for football, soccer, basketball, boxing, you have to be cheer for one side to get the best of enjoying it.



Tyler, Bobby Julich, Levi

All Americans with the ability to keep the race interesting.

I got up at 6:00 AM to watch live coverage of Het Volk in February and I'll do the same for the Giro di Lombardia in October.

So yes, I will keep watching.

Menchov's my guy. He won't win but I'll be there for him.

I wonder how long I'll get away with fairweather johnson?

I can remember going out to watch stages of the Milk Race back home when I was a wee boy. I remember when Le Tour came to the south coast of England (didn't get to watch it though). I honestly couldn't care less who is riding in it, from a particular rider perspective. It's a sporting spectacle that never ceases to amaze and delight me. I'll watch it no matter what.

I'm a fairweather fan - go Greg Lemond!!!

:)

55/Rad

I don't care about all of you elitists
I don't take pride in this

But I will watch the race every year, as long as I have the oppurtunity to.


yes, but I would lost lots of interest since there is nobody to cheer for. As the same for football, soccer, basketball, boxing, you have to be cheer for one side to get the best of enjoying it.

I'm the opposite... sort of. I generally just try to look at everyones actions, and cheer for excellent skill.

It's the Tour de France, not the Tour de Lance. Don't get me wrong, I contribute to LAF, I've got my Livestrong bracelet and have followed LA since his days with Motorola, but the event is bigger than any of the participants.

It's the Tour de France, not the Tour de Lance. Don't get me wrong, I contribute to LAF, I've got my Livestrong bracelet and have followed LA since his days with Motorola, but the event is bigger than any of the participants.
Ditto. In fact I want Cipo to do well this tour.

I'm the opposite... sort of. I generally just try to look at everyones actions, and cheer for excellent skill.

that's what the sport is suppose to give, unfortunately I'm not one of them. It's hard to see the match fair and square without cheering for one first :).

Looks like Laggard et al weren't kidding about people who join the forum just for the Tour.

In any case, of course I would keep watching. Cycling is bigger than just Lance and the Tour.

LOL

I mean I knew that there are a lot of people into nothing but the TDF, but I had no idea that it also extended only to Lance's participation.

It's a start though. :)

I'm a fairweather fan - go Greg Lemond!!!

:)

55/Rad

Is he the one on the Mountain Bike?

yes, but I would lost lots of interest since there is nobody to cheer for. As the same for football, soccer, basketball, boxing, you have to be cheer for one side to get the best of enjoying it.

I think that's a very "American" attitude. IMHO, cheering for and supporting one side at the expense of the other is generally something reserved for in a game as opposed to a sport. I think many people confuse the two. I personally just want to see everyone perform. I wish I could say I had been watching the TdF even before Lance but I can't really. I had been following it but until Armstrong started winning, I really didn't have access to real comprehensive race coverage. Although I was often able to catch a few stages of the grand tours in the past if I happened to be in Europe on business trips. And yes, I would continue to watch it even if Lance or any of the current major contendors/favourites were no longer in the race. As a matter of fact, I think that might even be more interesting.

And yes, I would continue to watch it even if Lance or any of the current major contendors/favourites were no longer in the race. As a matter of fact, I think that might even be more interesting.
That's why I enjoyed the Vuelta last year, it wasn't All About Lance.

who???

I really don't think Greg has a chance this year.

Was at the Tour in '75 and '76...Charleroi...saw and ridden many sections of Tour of Flanders, Fleche Wallone, Liege-Bastogne-Liege..

Lived in Waterloo, and the Tour will start, tomorrow, only a few blocks from where we lived.
Only missed that gem by about 30 years.
When I started racing in the early 70's, an American in the Tour was about as reachable as a Japanese baseball player in MLB.
I can remember us going nuts because George Mount did well in the road race at the '76 Montreal Olympics.
That''s how far this has come....
That's why I cherish the 7-Eleven jersey I have.

I mean I knew that there are a lot of people into nothing but the TDF, but I had no idea that it also extended only to Lance's participation.


A different perspective...

Three friends are interested in Lance's participation due to their kinship via cancer survivorship. And they now cycle with me, regularly.

While having raced and been a cycling fan since I lived overseas (I actually have seen Eddy race), my interest in Lance is beyond his cycling...he accomplished something that the last 10 people who passed in my and my wife's family did not.

Survive cancer.

This is a pretty funny question.

Of course I'll watch. Lance isn't the Tour!

Koff

Yes. If anything, it would be interesting to see what the OLN crowd would have to talk about....

Was at the Tour in '75 and '76...Charleroi...saw and ridden many sections of Tour of Flanders, Fleche Wallone, Liege-Bastogne-Liege..

Lived in Waterloo, and the Tour will start, tomorrow, only a few blocks from where we lived.
Only missed that gem by about 30 years.
When I started racing in the early 70's, an American in the Tour was about as reachable as a Japanese baseball player in MLB.
I can remember us going nuts because George Mount did well in the road race at the '76 Montreal Olympics.
That''s how far this has come....
That's why I cherish the 7-Eleven jersey I have.


George Mount is a good friend and my riding buddy.. as a matter of fact we are going to ride tomorrow (Livermore area)... The guy backed up his bike by hand, more miles that I will ever ride forward.:D

It would be like stop watching MLB because your favorite team is losing. If I did that I would never see any baseball, Go Seattle Mariners!!
I think it would be great for Lance to win again, but if not I'll still watch. Those french guys gotta be mad an American winning on an American made bike (well some of it) and from Texas to boot!

I will absolutely watch...I will be rooting for Lance too. But I have watched the TdF since Greg LeMond was winning it, like many other Americans. If Lance drops out for whatever reason, I think there will be enough compelling stories to cover. Will Ullrich finally win one?..which one of the young lions will stun the peloton?.. et al...This event is so much more than LA, but it would be nice to see him go out on top.

Also I would be able to stop hearing how LA is the greatest cyclist of all time.

I wonder how long I'll get away with fairweather johnson?

I watch the whole thing. It sucks because im going to miss the first 10 days because of my kilimanjaro trip :mad:

I'm a fairweather fan - go Greg Lemond!!!

:)

55/Rad

Good to see a few of us are still left....LOL

The Tour is "The Tour" always worth watching.

I wonder how long I'll get away with fairweather johnson?

I guess for as long as your Johnson continues to work in fair weather. :D

Heck yeah I'm watching the Tour even if Lance can't ride. There are many interesting things to watch:

- Jan Ullrich: fit or fat this year?
- Will Tom Danielson live up to the hype?
- Phonak was strong at Romandie: Landis and Botero!
- Boonen, how many sprints will he take? Green jersey?
- How will Damiano Cunego do in his first TdF?
- Basso's a great climber, can he handle a Giro/TdF double?

Lot's o' fun at the 2005 Tour with or without Lance.

Heck yeah I'm watching the Tour even if Lance can't ride. There are many interesting things to watch:

- Jan Ullrich: fit or fat this year?
- Will Tom Danielson live up to the hype?
- Phonak was strong at Romandie: Landis and Botero!
- Boonen, how many sprints will he take? Green jersey?
- How will Damiano Cunego do in his first TdF?
- Basso's a great climber, can he handle a Giro/TdF double?

Lot's o' fun at the 2005 Tour with or without Lance.

I may be wrong, but if I was Basso, I'd skip the Giro to be in FULL strength for TDF. This could be his only chance to beat LA, he's walking after this one as you all know. Basso, although a great rider and climber by now, doesn't have the strength to endure too many consecutive efforts, you could see that in the last TDF '04, his strength dwindle as the tour progressed, my take anyway.
Corsaire

Will Ullrich finally win one?

Another one.

Yeah it's the Tour! And a rare treat if you're behind the "Homeland Curtain" and get to watch it at all, I'm figuring Palo Alto Bikes might show parts of it, they often have races going on those TVs.

The tour will be MUCH better if Lance is in it (WINNING OR NOT), but I am such a Tour fan and am SOOOO glad that Lance has made OLN give us some great coverage of the Tour.

Now the REAL question is.....Will OLN continue coverage if Lance Drops out?

I don't care about all of you elitists

Well, I've been watching it long before there was TV. When I was a kid, I couldn't afford to sail to France, so I swam with my Louis Trousselier pennant clenched in my teeth. ...And it was uphill, ...both ways, ...the snow was knee deep, I tell ya'

Dam kids with your fancy schmancy cable TV!!!! ;)

I will watch the tour with Lance, or without Lance. I will still be watching the tour long after even Tom Danielson retires. I love the sport and the spectacle, and I have always been able to find riders to cheer on.

I may be wrong, but if I was Basso, I'd skip the Giro to be in FULL strength for TDF.

I don't know Corsaire. Basso will have the whole month of June to recover from the Giro. I'm assuming at top fitness level a world-class athlete should be able to recover. Indurain won Giro-TdF doubles in back to back years (I think).

I watch the whole thing. It sucks because im going to miss the first 10 days because of my kilimanjaro trip :mad:

I've got my TV tuner card setup and will be taping the whole thing and pressing it to a DVD (commercials and all)...So when you get back email me or PM me and I can mail ya one...Just pay me a few bucks for the DVD and the shipping.

I've got my TV tuner card setup and will be taping the whole thing and pressing it to a DVD (commercials and all)...So when you get back email me or PM me and I can mail ya one...Just pay me a few bucks for the DVD and the shipping.

Really? teh whole thing? if you can do up to like july 11th that would be awsome!

I should revise this question to: Will we get to watch if Lance drops out?

I'm in regardless.

Really? teh whole thing? if you can do up to like july 11th that would be awsome!

yep the whole thing! I don't know why, cause I always buy the editted World Cycling Production DVD anyways :) I am getting quite a good collection of cycling DVD's now acutally.

Tour de France 1998-2004
Giro d'Italia 1998, 2003, 2004
Paris Roubaix 1976 (A Sunday in Hell)
The Fausto Coppi Story

I am looking for software now to allow me to tape live web streaming...and then can starting taping cycling.tv

won't it be more interesting if lance doesn't win? :D cheer for the underdogs

Does anyone know which Mountain Stage will be the toughest for the contenders this year's TDF ?

Corsaire

I'm a Fairweather.

Nope. If Lance drops out, then I'm going to not only watch, I'll break my kneecaps on a regular basis and never ride again. I will be chanting a mantra over and over and hold my hand up in the air like Ghandi did until the next Tour de France, and just hope the entire year that Lance will give it one more shot.

:D

Koffee

...and hold my hand up in the air like Ghandi did until the next Tour de France, and just hope the entire year that Lance will give it one more shot.

I hope you have strong arms. ;)