SamDaBikinMan

My guess is that all the pro contenders will be working overtime to try and topple Lance.

Nobody wants to be the next tour winner "after" lance retires. The self respecting pro will want to stop him in his tracks not just take over as champ since Lance is not there anymore.

Personally I'd love to see him have to work and barely take second this year.

77Univega

- - Yeah well I hope he wins. Y'see these United States have been behind the bicycling curve for too long and Lance's victories have (finally) brought some attention to cycling.
I would like to see United Statesians win future TDF's for the sake of promoting the wheel here.

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Panoramic

Well it was the same story for lance's first win. None of the top contenders were racing, but it gave him experience to win again. If I was a b-rate cyclist in terms of being the best, a win would definately boost my chances for next year.

SamDaBikinMan

America has already had a champion who did what you say Lances victories should do. Lemond.

As soon as Lance stop winning and no American takes his podium place then the general American public will once again try to run us off the roads as usual.

MacMan

Where I live, they never stopped

khuon

Yeah... as far as the TdF goes, the US has made a pretty strong showing over the 20 years: 9 1st. place finishes isn't too bad. I still would like to see Armstrong win but more to the point, I want to see him do his best and if his best means he'll win, that's great. If it means that he doesn't win but puts up a great fight then that's just as good. I'm into the TdF for the the competition and the drama.


That's what I'm worried about too. There's good momentum in cycling popularity in the USA (or at least much better than in previous decades) and I support anything that continues to drive that. What does kind of tick me off is that the USA has dominated in other cycling events before and no one took notice... not even our own country. Just look back at the first International Mountain Bike Championships when the US swept the competition. Look at the records held by Ned Overend, Alison Dunlap, John Tomac, Juliana Furtado, etc... They fought on an international stage too and dominated just as equally as Armstrong.

77Univega

- - Well said. Those events did not get the publicity they deserved; the TDF steals the show once a year and that's it.
I hope that when Lance retires, he will use his celebrity status to highlight the other cycling events.

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RonH

Hi Sam. Good to see ya.


They're doing that every day.

mrwizard

I have to agree with the wanting to see Lance win. I am a newbie to road cycling and if someone looked at me with my Trek bike they would think I am a child of the Lance Tour domination era. I actually started riding last summer when I was in Europe because my host father had a really nice old Bianchi(maybe he'll sell it to me someday since he doesn't ride ever ). I had respected the sport of cycling, but never really become interested in it until I felt the joy and thrill of riding a roadie.

Now more than ever I have an increased amount of respect for anybody to even ride Cat 5/4 races, much less professionals and the ones who are privileged enough to ride in the tour. Lance winning again would just be an unbelievable thing for American cycling whether it was my reason for getting into the saddle or not it has been the reasons for others. Whatever reason it takes is worth it if it gets them riding and out of their car. I imagine there would be nothing like retiring still on the top.

Jose R

Yep.

I remember Greg Lemond's last two tours. I remember watching him crack on the Tourmalet, while lesser riders patted him on his back as they went past him. As endearing a gesture that was, it probably was humiliating for Lemond to experience.

Same thing with Miguel Indurain. His last tour, an attempt at six in a row, he came in a little overweight having just gotten married the winter before, and got shelled out the back in the first mountain stages. It didn't get any better for him. In the honourary stage, finishing in his home town in Spain, he came in far behind "Mr. 60 percent" Bjarni Riis, who eventually won that tour. As he cracked in the mountains, lesser riders also patted him on his back as they rode past him.

Which will it be for Lance? Win while having Basso and Ullrich chase him all the way to Paris; or, crack in the mountains while lesser riders pat him on his back as they pass him.

mrwizard

I'm not going to say he will "crack" and be patted along. I think whichever way that it goes it will be a race for the books. Lance may not win, but I think he is going to show up strong. From interviews with him that I have seen to just quotes from teammates, he seems to be a very passionate guy and I don't think he would race if he wasn't really preparing to give it all he has. Whether he comes in first or not we won't know till July 24th, but I think we can expect that he is going to show the world he's still got plenty left in his legs, heart and mind.

On a side note, I didn't plan on making it to the tour this year even though I am going to be in Germany and some other parts of Europe at the same time, but if Lance is winning on the 23rd you better believe I will be telling my friend to enjoy his last days in Europe without me, "I'm heading to Paris!".

zakk

why not doing for the enjoyment of the sport? There will be a Tour de France after The Great American marketing Hope is gone.

oboeguy

Umm, because he's a fan of Lance? Why don't I travel to every MLB to see a ballgame? Because I'm a Yankee fan so I go to Yankee Stadium a couple times a year for a game. Why do I go to basketball games at MSG and the Meadowlands? Because I'm a Nets and Knicks fan. I'm sorry that I haven't also gone to Staples Center in LA or the Palace in Detroit, etc. I hope it doesn't offend you.

Guess what people, Lance has made cycling more popular in the US. If the popularity declines when he retires, deal with it. Don't blame Lance or his fans!