>>Personally for me, I know that by the end of the season in the fall, my strength is down to only about 50-60% of what it was at the beginning of the season. Most likely through muscle atrophy from getting digested for energy<<

I'm not sure I get this. I may be a bit tired in the Fall, but to say that my strength is down 50% after riding 6000+ miles in a season - that's bizarre. I'm STRONGER by Sept./October than I am in May. Thinner perhaps, but always riding better. Why wouldn't I be after all that riding/training? And if you're not, you'd have to examine how you're training/eating I suppose.

As for Lance being 5'9" - not a chance. Not on a 56cm frame (and as some point out it might be a 58cm frame). In fact I'm 5'11" (like Lance) and ride a 56cm frame and I have very long legs for somebody my height - 33-34" inseam, more typical of somebody 6'1"+. So if Lance is on a 56-58cm Trek the odds of him being under 5'11" are like zero.

90% of the serious cyclists I know are thin compared to average people. I don't know how you can ride 200-300 miles+ weekly and NOT get thin. Too much of a calorie furnace. I could manage it - but I'd have to work at it. And why would I do that? Being thin helps me ride/climb better. Is it a challenge to maintain strength when I get real thin from July through October? Sometimes. But not nearly as challenging as trying to climb hills carrying 10-20lbs of extra weight.