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Thursday's Eurofile: Armstrong says he needs to train; More MSR rosters
By Andrew Hood
VeloNews European correspondent
This report filed March 17, 2005
Lance Armstrong received yet another award this week after receiving the Grand Prix de l'Academie des Sports in Paris on Tuesday, where he told reporters he's behind in his preparation for the Tour de France.


Armstrong at Tuesday's awards ceremony


photo: AFP


Armstrong said wintry weather at the recent Paris-Nice wasn't the ideal setting for his return to Europe. Cold weather and a fever prompted the Texan to not start the fourth stage.

"Maybe I shouldn't have started Paris-Nice. It was a hard race, very fast, intense and with bad weather," he said. "I must admit I'm a little bit behind, more than I normally would be."

Armstrong insisted he'll be racing this summer's Tour, but wouldn't elaborate on where he expects to finish.

"I am going to try it. Only an injury or illness would stop me," he said. "I don't know if I'll win, but I will be at the start line."

The weather-shortened stages and his decision to leave the race undercut what was expected to be a solid week of training. Armstrong has since been training in Girona, Spain, as the European weather has returned to spring-like conditions.

"The body quickly wore down and got worse. Then I got sick. Next thing you know I go home," Armstrong said. "When you consider race conditions, the thing you can't emulate in training is the speed. When you shorten the stages by two-thirds the speed goes up and the time goes down. I was not ready for that."

The six-time Tour champion said he was touched by the prestigious award given to the year's top sporting achievement.

"I have to say it is an honor to be here. I don't normally get too choked up about things like this, but this is special," Armstrong was quoted on his webpage. "Winning six Tours is something beyond my comprehension."

Armstrong joins other sporting greats such Formula One champion Michael Schumacher and Brazilian national team hero Ronaldo, who previously won the award given to the male or female athlete with the best individual achievement over the previous year.

LA defends Olympic comments
Lance Armstrong defended himself after he spoke glowingly about Paris last week in an interview with a French newspaper at the expense of New York City to win the bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

Armstrong was roasted in the New York tabloid press over off-hand comments to the French media during last week's Paris-Nice that he preferred Paris over New York in the Olympics bid, comments he said were taken out of context.

"It's the first time I've ever been called un-American. So, I tried to resolve it. I spoke to the city (New York), to the (New York 2012) organizing committee," Armstrong said. "I sent messages to the mayor. It was amazing how a one-minute interview became worldwide news. Some of the tabloid papers, they let it rip. They took the gloves off. But c'est la vie, as they say."

Armstrong reaffirmed his support for the New York bid, but also expressed dismay at the ensuing uproar over his comments.

"As an American my heart has to be with New York City, and I have to support the bid for New York City," he said. "But you also have to be fair and say Paris has a good bid. Are they deserving cities for the Olympic Games? Absolutely. They're great cities, legendary cities, historical cities. Perhaps I wasn't strong enough when I said my vote was for New York City. Since it wasn't strong enough they said, ‘He's a traitor. He's a weasel.'"

Guest

The tour is all the way in July. What, do people expect him to be perfectly trained NOW for that? It shouldn't even be a topic to deal with because it's just ridiculous to ask. But on the other hand, he's sounding pretty pessimistic, which is odd. To me, it almost looks like he's not going to try, and he's just prepping everyone for the inevitable loss he'll suffer when he loses. Which is lame. Put some effort into it if you're going for it, man. Otherwise, it's like you're wasting everyone's time and the Discovery Channel's investment.

Koffee

timmhaan

i agree. he's not really putting discovery channel in a very good light right now. and i would agree with the fact that he still has some time to train, however, he has always said that he wins the tour based on the fact that in the middle of winter he is out there doing 6-7 hour rides while most others are putting in half the time. i still hope he puts in a good effort and we see a good race. i hate to see anyone just go through the motions.

wabbit

I think he's realized that he's 33 and it probably takes a bit more effort to be where he normally is at this time of year. He's getting older and it gets a little harder. ALso, PN really is a race for the classics guys who are getting ready for MSR and the world cup. And as for the bad weather and getting sick, that's not exactly something he can control- everyone's been sick. I really doubt he's getting too worried just yet. SOme guys like Ullrich haven't raced at all yet!

fore0121

I read that article yesterday and thought the same thing, he's prepping the cycling community for his inevitable loss. I'm not a huge Lance fan, but I sure as hell respect the rider that he is and the effort he puts into anything he does. He is a beast when he is at his peak. I'm all about someone else getting a turn on top, but not if they don't earn it.

I really hope he steps it up and is ready to ride, to the fullest of his abilities. If he does lose I would like it to be because someone else worked harder, trained smarter, planned better and just kicked his a$$ on sheer will. If nobody can do that, he should still be on top. Someone has to take it from him, he should not give it away. If he is not at his best, he shouldn't ride.

That being said, all I've read about how much he loves and respects this race, I don't expect anything less than full out from him. He has been (and still is) a great champion and I would hate to see him just ride this Tour like a fairwell parade.

f

khuon

The one thing Armstrong may be to a fault is honest about his own performance. I don't think he's doing any prepping of the audience or whatnot. I think he's just telling it like it is. I think he's being very analytical in that sense. The reader is left to draw his or her own conclusion. As for me, I'll reserve judgement for when the race is actually underway.

Blackberry

When the bell rings, he'll be ready.

Guest

The thing is, he knows he's getting older. So he (and Carmichael) should have tweaked his training to reflect that. As you age, you don't train longer, just smarter. There's absolutely no reason why he can't kick ass in the Tour if he puts his best efforts into it. I am not into excuses or explanations. Discovery Channel is like our American hope for European racing. They took on the team and they're expecting some kind of return for this. If they don't get it and they decide to walk, who's going to step in and finance the team if they feel like Lance is just doing lip service?

I'm sure no one can predict where they'll be months from now with their training. But I sure don't like the tone of how he says it. To me, he just sounds like he's riding for the heck of it to fulfill his contract obligations, and he's setting everyone up for his inevitable loss. If that's the case, he should step down as the team leader and ride for another young gun who's busting his ass 6 hours a day to win the race (his words, not mine).

Koffee

SipperPhoto

don;t we hear this every single year..

Oh Lance doesn't look good.

Lance dropped out of a race.

Why didn't Lance win that race, he can win the Tour, but finishes 45th in some one Day Race in the Spring?

He looks about the same every year for the pst 6 years, and we all know how things turned out...

I'll hold my judgement of his physical conditioning untl July. It's early yet... ya never want to peak too early.

JEff

collegeskier

The Discovery Channel does not care what Lance says about race prep. They want him to win, but really who reads what Lance says about how prepared he is. Well we all did but guess what we are going to support DC cause the sponsored a bike team and we want a US company to sponsor a cycling team. DC cares much more about the celebrity of Lance which I am sure they both have PR firms working on to make sure they can market him long after he gets off the bike for good. As for how prepared he is and making excuses if/when he losses. Well to be honest would you say in March that he is going to win at the end of July. 2nd I believe he will eventually lose the TDF. Personally I have to say that I would be disappointed if he did not. Why give up till you are beat. You don't stop until you have lost, then you have to answer the what if question. Being beaten by the best cyclists in the world is nothing to be ashamed about. But if he had walked away after last year, people always would have said he should have come back for a 7th win, well it will always be that way. And after all we all show up to our jobs or school even though we are not the best at it per say, why should atheletes be any different?

Guest

Because athletes with their overinflated salaries are paid millions of dollars. So you better get on that bike and ride your butt off.

Koffee

Blackberry

Lance doesn't need the money. At this point, he's riding for history. Someday, he will lose. But it would require a personality transplant for him to do anything else than fight like hell. That's been a cornerstone of his entire life, from teenage scrapes, to beating cancer to winning more TDFs than anyone in history. Or in his own words:

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever."

Crack'n'fail

your all falling for his first psychological attack of the year, well I guess second, the first was when he said he didn't know if he would race it. He makes everyone think he can be beaten then dissapoints them with a devestating ride.

khuon

Look, man, I ain't fallin' for no banana in my tailpipe!

I figure he's doing some self-analysis and just being vocal about it... no more... no less. Frankly I'm glad he's trying to be open about how he perceives himself. I'll wait to see how he rides... and you know what? Whether (or even despite if) he wins or loses, there's more to the TdF than just him and I'll still have fun watching it.

fore0121

While this may be true, I think Koffee has a point. He is usually out of shape and busting his ass in private. His desire (or obligation) to take a crack at some of the spring classics has seemingly put him out of his element. He just seems off. In that same article he said that if he had a chance to re-plan his schedule, he would have. He is not on track. He may get there, but he just seems different. He doesn't usually provide quotes so nonchalantly. As has been mentioned, he is very calculating and mentally one step ahead. This interview seemed like he was realizing the end was near and just wanted everyone to know he wont be king forever, IMO. Maybe Kuhon is right, just being introspective.

LA Re: Spring Classics/Training:

... I was considering doing other things; now having planned that way and planned to do some classics, along with that plan came starting my 2005 season at Paris-Nice. So that's why I did start here. Plus my [personal] schedule had filled up through February, so I wouldn't have been able to start racing earlier, like at Vuelta Murcia, a race that's a little more chilled out [than Paris-Nice]. But instead I got busy and got thrown in to this lions' den here at Paris-Nice.

I think [Paris-Nice] is a fine, classic race but I would do just about anything to go back and change my program... I don't need to be here. Number one, I need training; simple, hard, focused training right now before I get into some races and if I was going to get into races, something like Murcia or something else would be more appropriate. Here, you're not even training; we did 46km [on Tuesday]; okay, it was fast, but that's not what I need.

LA Re: This years TDF

"I am going to try it. Only an injury or illness would stop me," he said. "I don't know if I'll win, but I will be at the start line."

"I don't know if I'll win"? Doesn't sound like Lance to me. That is not a statement he makes without thought, at least not in the past.
f

Roni

He is behind his training because he is now a star. Everyone like media, TV, Radio etc etc want him and they do not realise how much training he needs being a cyclist. It's not like football where they can be interviewed anytime as the training is no where near as hard as on the bike. The media etc need to give him a break or he will not be up to scratch. He will win the tour as he is a human calculator and knows exactly what is required.

2manybikes

It's all according to plan. Don't seem to well prepared or trained to the opposition. Then when you get to the mountains.....well, you know.

He plans it all. The only thing that may be a problem is if he gets sick again.

doctorSpoc

uhmm... seems to me last year (and previous season) he started his racing season even earlier and was, at least able to finish those races respectively, and show some pretty good fitness... 3dr in Criterium International

- Tour of the Algarve February 18-22... he held the leaders jersery after a ITT 'til Landis took it on the final stage... LA was only about 1min down on GC though
- Vuelta a Murcian (March 3-7) twenty something on GC
- Criterium International (March 27-28 ) - 3rd on GC

...get the feeling that this is a result of that... 'the TdF is the only race of the season syndrome'. people just don't know better... probably due to lack of TV coverage in North America. to anyone who actually follows pro racing, LA is very obviously far behind in his prep for this years TdF... for him, don't look at other riders. look at where LA has been in his fitness in previous years and look at where he is now... he's pretty behind, that's pretty obvious, if he said any differently in that interview he would have looked pretty stupid for not admitting it, that's why he did so...

Corsaire

This year could his LA's "Waterloo", who would kick his butt I wonder. It could also be a tight match in favor of the adversary whowever that is: Basso maybe?

Corsaire

mnutini

Third attack on the way according to Eurosport

<snip>
Armstrong hints he's soon had enough

After the suspense over whether he'd ride the Tour de France this year, comes the buzz over whether six-time winner Lance Armstrong will retire at the end of the season, one year early. "If I were you, I'd come to the Tour of Georgia. I've planned an important announcement," he told L'Equipe.
</snip>

https://www.eurosport.com/home/pages/...to702797.shtml

joeprim

That's the way I read it too. I hate to disagree with Koffee, she's right too often, but this time I think he's playing.

Joe

gcasillo

If all of CSC rides for Basso, I say he's the favorite no matter what. That team is freakishly good, and Ivan is entering his cycling prime.

Turd, I'm gonna have to find a way to get down to the Tour de Georgia.

Guest

I don't know. He spends so much time jetsetting and playing the superstar that I don't see the dedication he used to have. He claimed he wanted to make a mark in the cycling world beyond the Tour de France and put his critics to rest by being a more well-rounded cyclist, but he just seems to be falling short. Either he's been shooting himself in the foot all these years by being the one year wonder and just putting all his focus on the Tour de France, and now he's finding he's unable to train to win several races over the season, or he is just playing with all of us. I've been thinking about it lately, and I just think he's got this singular way of focussing on one event, and every aspect of his training just pointed him to peaking for the Tour de France, and now, he just doesn't have a way of figuring out how to change up his training. It may be that he needs a new coach that can help him to focus earlier, train smarter, peak more, and be in peak conditioning by Milan San-Remo. He shouldn't be using major races to train, he should be winning major races. I really think he won't have the kind of season he hinted at when he interviewed at the end of last season about his future plans. I mean, did Julich think he was just training when he raced Paris-Nice? The ones who win are the ones who train hard and come in ready to lay it all down on the line, not use the race to build up some more conditioning and then drop out because it's too cold.

Koffee

Wheel Doctor

Koffee,
I figure we will just have to wait and see. Lance has proven to be a pro at sandbagging the competition. There seems to be a trend twords beating up on LA on the boards these days. It goes to my Dad's theory about being "Too successful, too powerful, too big and too famous or all three, eventually no matter how honest, hard working or how good your intentions, the world will eventually demonize you. Like you don't deserve the success you have worked so hard to acheive and there must be something dark, dishonest or criminal about you. It happens to countrys, individuals and corporations. It sucks when it happens. It's like you get treated badly for being good. How dare you be that good. Lance in everything I have read, the interviews I have seen, even with his marital breakup which diminished his status with some, he has remained solid in his role as a dad and today remains in good standing with his X. His foundation raises big money for cancer research. He is not outrageous or in you face like many other athletes. My cycling hero until Lance was Eddie Mercx. My computer wallpaper still is a famous picture of Eddie cresting a hill in a pink jersey.

What after his new life style and some seem to think problematic and seem to have issues with, he kicks ass again in the Tour and retires? The chances then of his record being broken anytime soon are remote. Not as remote a Cal Rypkins successive game record but still a formidable endeavor for the up and coming riders.

doctorSpoc

I'm with koffee... i don't think his drive is there... remember Lance was supposed to be ripping up the classics this year? if he was in prep for that shouldn't he have been in great shape for the early season... better than other years, and not worse. well the assault on the classics has been a total bust... he is worse this year than when he was prepping just for the TdF. the question is has he messed with his tour prep enough to screw that up too... the point i was making before is that he has never... even while playing opossum, unleashing psychological attacks, what ever you want to call it... he hasn't ridden this poorly in an early season since he almost quit when he came back to cycling after cancer. usually in the early season he doesn't try to win the events but you can see that he is holding back... and there are a few flashes of form (like in the time trial of the Critérium International last year) i think that in deciding if to do the TdF this year he may have ended up psyching himself out this time.