And he'd STILL whup all our butts... If he's half a man and can do what he does, then what does that make us? I'm thinking most of us are between 1/32nd and 1/16th of a man.

He may have come across as a jerk, but I don't think that was his goal... The big contenders for next year are people like Basso and Ulrich, and the surprising new cyclists are people like Valverde and Rassmussen (the Skeletor), none of whom are from the US. Zabrinskie did do a great job though, maybe he'll surprise us.

Don't worry, every country has its 'day in the sun' where they have a tour winner, and sell a lot of extra bikes. But it'll wane, and then a new champ will come around in a few years. Plus, Lance isn't going to retreat into hiding, he's still a celebrity. He'll still be doing LAF stuff, and maybe crazy stuff like running for Governer of Texas (I'd vote for him), or going for the hour record. Just seeing him around will still be a reminder of the US whupping it up for 7 years at the TdF, and he's still got his respect, because he's leaving a champ, instead of hanging on too long and leaving as an old dog with his tail between his legs.

peace,
sam