Lance says it's taking him longer to recover
 

Well my friend-just wait until you're 20 years older and see how it feels then!!!!!!!

Yup, me and Lance.......I knew we were really close and all.

So that's my problem.

Lance must not have read the thread about having more endurance as you get older.:rolleyes:

I'm no Lance lover and think he's on a hiding to nothing with this 'comeback'. I also resent the way the Tour Down Under has been hijacked by the Lance Media Mania ... much of which is probably little to do with the man (the quality of general journalism in Australia is abysmal). However, he does have a say in the way his minders behave and there are enough reports there to suggest the little tin god complex hasn't gone away.

Having said all that though, the man has come out, looked good and worked hard. He looked very nervous and was well protected during the prologue but that's quite understandable and he was never going to win it anyway. He's been right up with the leading groups throughout the other stages. He was in a major breakaway on thursday, had to genuinely work hard to stay with it and there was no suggestion he was there as a passenger (only 14 riders, EVERYONE has to work). I've just come back from Willunga Hill - they had to climb it twice. On the second climb, the peleton was shattered, spread over a 2km at least, to the extent that the spectators had given up and were going home when another big bunch came around the corner ... and then another one. When the front end came past me, Lance was leading a small chasing group trying to haul in Montcoutie and another rider ... and Lance was looking strong and good.

He's come back to be a racer and is worth his spot in the peleton, you can't take that from him.

But that won't stop me resenting the way his personal objectives (the cancer promotion and Lance Inc) have overtaken the race. Maybe it's different where you are, but that's the case here.

Richard

He's won 7 TDFs and done more than most people could ever imagine to help others. In my book he deserves the benefit of the doubt and can take as long as he wants to recover. When I visit my favorite on-line sites to view race results, I can choose what to read with intent, what to skim, and what to ignore. Hence, I don't see the "Lance mania". For as long as I can remember the media has been trying to feed me something. That doesn't mean I have to take it. Nor, is it a reflection of the person the media is covering.

For someone who reportedly knows his body as well as he does, the recogntion of recovery differences is likely very modest compared to the average or even above average recreational rider. however, my knee jerk reaction to the thread's title is: Welcome to the club, Lance.

The media and the public in general are drawn to celebrity. If Lance Armstrong is in a race, the media will cover his every move and the throngs of casual fans will obsess over him as well. That's just the way it is. The only way Lance could stop that is not to race. That Lance has recognized this and is exploiting it to further the goals of his international cancer awareness efforts is not something I could ever resent. To the extent that he is doing it to pump his own ego is less admirable, but nobody acheives what he has without a big ego.

I think Lance is actually taking some pretty large risks re: his ego. It is extremely unlikely that he will ever be a dominant force again, and that must hurt someone who so apparently loves to win and hates to lose. He seems to be getting out there and paying his dues by putting in the hard efforts. If he can make the ajustment to becoming a superdomestique in support of a teammate with a better chance at overall victory, I think that would be a very admirable thing.

not that I really follow pro racing, but I've never heard of the TdU until this year. That has to be worth something to them.

Where do you get these ideas?

Doug, he only had one nut removed and he can't use testosterone patches any more than any other rider could. He has to have a naturally occuring amount of it in his system.

I think that a 37 yr old cyclist, who hasn't competed in a multi-stage race in 3.5 years, is doing pretty darn well to be just 49 seconds back of the leaders.

Lance is in a sport when only the top few finishers are given their due. If an NFL wide receiver played at 37, started every game, and finished, say 15th in the NFL in pass receptions, everyone would laud them for having a very good season. Or if a 37 yo baseball player hit .290 with 30 hr to finish around 12th-15th in overall offensive production, then again people would say they had a fine season.

But if the best Lance can do this year is to finish 10th in a major tour event, people are going to say he's washed up and should retire.

Does that have something to do with "what I could once do all night long, it now takes all night to do once??""":50::rolleyes:

In Lance's books, he claims that he focuses on one race - TdF. All other races are training races, posturing and communicating false intelligence to the competition. I do not have to believe it or not. The proof is 7 TdFs in a row.

I believe that superior coaching and training technique and increased general knowledge allows athletes to extend their careers. I hope that is the case for all of us as well.

Having media attention on Lance is great for the sponsors. We have to keep in mind that the pro peloton is a moving ad banner designed to showcase new equipment and create impressions for sponsors.

I am glad Lance is in the Tour of California which I plan on watching.

As far as Lance taking longer to recover, I suspect that is information for his competition and the media. Hey, we all think since he is older that his recover time is greater, why not confirm it for us to manage expectations and increase the value of a win if he does it?