bac

While I do tend to agree (and there's a heck of a lot of time between now and the 2009 tour), there is NO QUESTION that you can NEVER count Armstrong out. I'm certainly not going to be foolish enough to state that he cannot win just because its an incredible long shot.

It does seem like a lose/lose situation for Lance though. He really has little to gain, and a heck of a lot to lose. I'll give it up to him for having the balls (no jokes please!) to go for #8, and for his relentless attack on cancer.

... Brad

Hezz

I have to disagree with this completely. It seems to me that he has a lot to gain and very little to loose. I can't imagine him coming back and finishing in anything worst than the top ten. And if it is obvious that he can't hang with the elite anymore for 21 days then I think he will quit early and acknowledge that he bit off more than he could chew. The only thing I could see bad is if he gets caught for doping. That would ruin all his credibility. But if he doesn't do so good it leaves the question that he is just old and couldn't get back in high enough condition to compete at the highest level. Either way he is getting a lot of exposure and respect for trying. As far as his credibility among cyclist I think he could care less. It's the wider public that he is concerned with.

mooncricket

I agree wit Hezz.

Armstrong has milked his 7xTDF as much as he could already. Just imagine what he could do with only an attempt for an 8th. The mere thought of it puts him on the front page of everything, and instantly he's no longer a "has-been".

What the heck.

Life is for living now.

It's a heck of a lot better than sitting at home and watching lesser--though younger--men having all the fun.

Best of luck to Lance.

Jay68442

It puts him and the LAF/LiveStrong on the front page of everything. Great way to take your cause global don't you think? Go Lance.

SamDaBikinMan

Two things,

Did anyone notice that the guy who beat Lance in Leadville is 43 years old. This dispells the age factor.

There is some chat that the tour should be left in the hands of the current generation riders and Lance needs to stay retired. Well, my rebuttal would be that if these riders are up to the task they will beat Armstrong. Then the tour can and will be thiers.

In any event I cannot wait til July 09. GO LANCE!!!!

I hope he whips em again!

Jinker

While not a huge Lance (on the bike) fan, I'm thinking what would be cool is seeing Lance act as a super-ultra-domestique, take a stage or two, and help land a teammate in Yellow in Paris. Would be great to see him go out there, mix it up, have fun, and *not* necessarily dominate.

Much more interesting than having him run a team tailor made to keep him out of the wind as many km as possible, winning the race again.

xfimpg

LA's coming out of retirement?

Here's what I think it comes down to: Alberto Contador.
Under the tutelage of Bruyneel, the 25-year old has the definite potential to break LA's record of 7 titles.

That's the reason LA's returing. Win 1 or 2 more and slow him down.

Sure there's the thrill of the competition, but that's not the way LA thinks; LA is a competitive animal.

He knows that if AC was to equal his record of 7, he would be too far from his prime to make a successful comeback.

And my bet is he won't be riding for Astana. My bet is Columbia.

DMF 

He'd still have to beat Contador, so the "save my record" rationale is irrelevant.

See the nearby thread for thoughts on who he'd ride for. Some rather intriguing possibilities.

xfimpg

I don't agree, because I think Lance is capable of beating Contador, although he is going to need a really good team. Therefore, my point of vue on protecting his record is relevant.

Hezz

Ya, I think something like this would also work in Lances favor. If he worked hard and helped others out and finished in the top 20 he would still gain a lot of respect. Maybe more so for not seeming selfish.

Gee3

Here is my conspiracy theory...

Lance will come back and ride with Astana. But not in the capacity as the Team Captain. Instead... under the Astana name he will ride to promote the fight against cancer, a la Saul Raisin and his cause. So instead of riding in the peleton, he'll ride the stages before the actual race to raise awareness for the fight against cancer. (Afterall, he did say that was one of his reasons for making this "comeback".) He'll complete all 21 stages and at the end proclaim a "win", but not as TdF champ, but a "win" in the raised awareness for the fight against cancer.

It's a great PR stunt for Astana and the LAF, and it may even take some of the media pressure off Contador, assuming the ASO lets Astana race.

That's my story, I'm stickin' to it!

Laggard

I'm bummed that he's coming back. We had a chance to let the focus of the TDF be the TDF and not one man. Now that's gone for a couple years.

I'd be more impressed if he'd chosen to come back and try and win something he's never won before. Tour of Italy? Vuelta? How bout some one days? Tour of Lombardy, LBL or Het Volk?

In response to someone else here: 37 is ancient for a cyclist, especially a tour rider. He's 7-10 years past the age where most cyclists hit their physical prime.

bac

I, for one, cannot wait to see the Contador/Armstrong showdown. Will they be on the same team next year? Contador says that if Lance is on the team, he will leave. So, let the games begin.

Lance vs. Alberto in the 2009 TdF! Yeah baby!

... Brad

slacker00

I'm glad Lance is back. He'll bring mainstream popularity of cycling back a little bit.

Lance being 37 isn't too old, for him. His experience will offset quite a bit as far as any physical limitations age may have given him. Not to mention that he will probably be surrounded by a powerful team, much like his past wins. I'd like to see him bring back Landis & Hincappie for one last hurrah, for nostalgia sake, but it probably won't happen. Lance is the greatest of all time, counting him out is like counting out Michael Jordan or Brett Favre. Sure, eventually the candle will flicker and go out, but until then you just can't bet against them.

staehpj1

There is no guarantee that they will be invited to the tour. It would suck if they weren't but...

Donegal

I love it...........

Not only will Lance be back, but Astana will go to the tour and with additional testing. The actual value here is to keep the mediocre lab at Chateau Malabry from deciding the race. With duplicate testing, and big names, no railroading, no inuendos, etc. What will L'Equipe be reporting if they can't make sh*& up?

If I were a professional cyclist racing in France, my samples would be duplicated, put in a safe place and held in case of another fraudulent attack on cyclists. Some of these guys deserve to get canned, no doubt. After the Landis case fiasco, then Mayo, I can assure you that they would not determine my future.

The race could get very interesting.

jaxgtr

Good point Donegal. I had not even thought about that, but after the BS of ADFL wanting to retest his 99 samples, that makes perfect sense.