Totoro

Me too. If he goes for the 8th, the Lance poster is coming off the back of the garage wall.

531Aussie

i assume everyone's read the quote on Armtrong's site:


by Mark Higgins, CSE:

We have been getting a lot of calls on the Lance comments from today's Austin American Statesman.

Here is a statement from Lance regarding his career:

"While I'm absolutely enjoying my time as a retired athlete with Sheryl and the kids, the recent smear campaign out of France has awoken my competitive side. I'm not willing to put a percentage on the chances but I will no longer rule it out..." - Lance Armstrong

TheKillerPenguin

Alright! guess this means Ullrich has one final chance to prove he can win.

Now now Jan, don't get all excited and fly through a car window this time.

TwoTyred

Why did he say he would round out his palmares and contemplate the
hour record and then a few months later say he was retiring?
That's always confused me.

skinnyone

....

KrisPistofferson

Le pwn3d!

roadwarrior

Even the cycling press? Like Cycle Sport, Velonews, and Pro Cycling?

I am shocked to learn that these astute members of the press, albeit the cycling press, are so enamoured with Lance that you cannot find a single article outside of that worth reading.

But then if you get your cycling information from the local sports page, that would explain a lot of things....

gmason

Even if he does mean it, he had better arrange an agreement between the UCI and the GTs. If not, he can't be on a Pro Tour team to race the TdF. And with the second string (possibly) racing it, he probably won't want to anyway.

Oh BTW, Euronews has been saying all day that if his 1999 TdF win is removed, he will only be a record tier, not a record setter. I love the accuracy standards of the press these days.

gmason

Even if he does mean it, he had better arrange an agreement between the UCI and the GTs. If not, he can't be on a Pro Tour team to race the TdF. And with the second string (possibly) racing it, he probably won't want to anyway.

Oh BTW, Euronews has been saying all day that if his 1999 TdF win is removed, he will only be a record tier, not a record setter. I love the accuracy standards of the press these days.

plin

If Lance's reason to come back for an 8th is just to piss off the French and Equipe, that's just pathetic and would show what a petty person he is. In fact, I am not surprised looking back at the Simeoni incident. Why not just forget France where he is not appreciated and enjoy the years that he's got left after all the abuse that he has put on his body.

Why go for an 8th when everyone knows that he cheated on the 1st?

Grasschopper

Ok question:

Isn't L'Equipe owned the organizing body of the TdF? (the answer to this one is yes https://www.aso.fr/2005/orga_us.html)

Who would have more to gain from LA coming back for #8?

Along the lines of the above, if LA wanted #8 don't you think Discovery would put the pressure on the UCI and other teams to get together with the grand tours?

Hill Climber

Who’s everyone?
I don’t know it.
You don’t know it.
Sure, there is plenty of speculation, but there has been no proof... and don’t say questionable evidence from a dodgy French lab and claims from a rag of a French newspaper are proof.

ExMachina

If LA want to really piss off the French, he should give one of his yellow jerseys to W

cibai

That would piss off alot of Americans too though

Bécane

Or in his native language: "Scheiße!"


Oops already posted.

plin

Of course everyone does not include Lance fans who thinks that Lance is just a victim of jealous french people. If people think that 6 blood samples are not proof enough (the lab is willing to perform DNA testing on each one of them), nothing else can convince them anyways.

There are a lot of things that we don't see with our own eyes. But nothing prevents people from believing in them. God is a good example.

SunSwingsLow

All I know is I got slammed pretty hard for saying that Lance would be back by a large majority of this board.

Very limited athletes have gone out on top and stayed away. hes still strong enough to win and now he has motivation to do so. Very lethal combination.

FXjohn

I predict he'll come back and win his 8th with a vengeance.

Rich22

can someone explain how the climbs in the giro/vuelta dont suit armstrong but the TdF climbs do?


Thanks,
Rich

jkoman

He can't come back because he never left! He only rides a few races annually and hasn't really missed anything he wouldn't skip normally.

I believe that all riders should commit to their samples being tested for 10 years after competition and all records and winning being subject to removal and recovery. If you're clean whats the worry...A and B samples should be kept for 10 years.

LA has shown a remarkable ability to channel anger/frustrations into winning...that seems to be just as much FOR him as against others ie. the French. Every strength is a weakness and every weakness a strength. I for one am ready for cycling to move on, hopefully to more focus on the ProTour or at least as much as the TDF gets...consistency and support of the sport as a whole ranks high in my book!

juf2m

I really hope this doesn't happen. I respect him enormously but GOD I am sick of him!!!! It would be like one of those rock bands that has endless farewell tours.

I want Basso or Jan to win!

Wind 'N Snow

Merci, quand meme. C'est difficile d'etre un polyglot dans une monde anglophone!

Cromulent

Yes... he'd become the Cher of the cycling world.

So basically what Lance is saying is, "I really want to spend time with my children, be a dad and a new husband... unless someone calls me names. Then... watch out!"

Stay retired, Lance. You've given us one of the most inspiring stories in all of sports. Thank you for that. The people who believe you still believe you... your fans, your family, your friends, your fiancee, and millions of cancer survivors around the world. You've got nothing to prove to them, to yourself, and least of all to L'Equipe.

You really want to piss 'em off? Stay retired.

FXjohn

Now he's a bad father...

Cromulent

Nope... I'm sure he's a great father. I wish he was my dad. Those are the some of the reasons he gave for retiring. I'm not saying the guy can't change his mind. Lance is gonna do what Lance is gonna do. I just hope he stays retired.