Kickstands have gotten a bum rap in the past. Early models were heavy and unatractive. They were kinda bolted to the bottom of the bike. People who rode with them frequently did little maintenance on the bike so the arm would sometimes impact the crank arm making for a noisy ride. It just did not spell riding efficiency.

There was a class of bike called a "touring bike". It has milder angles, and longer wheelbase, often equipped with front/rear panniers. This was not a cut-rate Walmart bike. It was well constructed and very durable. It needed a good sturdy kick stand because you don't want to lay a fully loaded bike on its side. They have become passe and the new so-called "better bikes" did not come with them for effiency reasons. (I bet Lance never uses one). As a result, they became frowned upon as inpractical and extraneous because you could simply lean the bike against a wall or lay it on its side.

Nothing wrong with them at all. I have not seen any kickstands lately, but I imagine the ones that exist today are lighter and more effiecient than the old clunkers of yesteryear.