Lance wants the Monaco TT to decide Astana leadership
 

You've seen it here first.

In French:

http://www.leparisien.fr/tour-de-fra...009-565872.php

In Spanish:

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte...246438648.html

Translated to Russian :D

ПАРИЖ. - Американское Ланс Армстронг, чемпион 7 времен путешествия франция и товарищ в объявленном Астана бухгалтера Альберто испанского, тому если директор оборудования, Johan Bruyneel, аранжирует, то что только головка рядков, " возможно самая лучшая вещь была бы понадеяться к результату первого contrarreloj". " Если уважение Bruyneel которое делает отсутсвием одиночного руководителя, я не ищет револьвер то. Но оно все еще не говорил его к мне. Возможно самая лучшая вещь была бы понадеяться к результату первого contrarreloj" , она объявила Texan в опубликованном интервью газетой ' Он Parisien'. Армстронг, 37 лет, подготовка приносит назад к сознаванию которое пролог 15 километров которые оспорят следующее суббота в Монако и узнают что он пошел в март знать трассу которая описала как как " очень техник, с восхождением от inicio". " Я главным образом шлих в первом contrarreloj" , американско говорить, который не хотело рассматривать к бухгалтеру (выигрывать галлового круга в 2007) как " rival" потому что они " в таких же оборудовании и ем не был добром говоря eso". " говорит к человеку; больше relajado" то прежде чем выбыто его первое из задействовать и его убеждает того " выиграть не более длиной поэтому необходимо, оно идет хотя оно попробовать, конечно ". " Я могу сказать что я здесь для давать мой максимум и что я чувствую сильным. Но я не могу убедить что он идет выиграть. Не более длиной он как просто как antes" , Я заключаю человека который больше путешествия франция выигрывало в истории.

I had to use bablefish to translate. Just in chase you don't read in the above languages. Here is the second link in English

PARIS. - The American Lance Armstrong, seven times champion of the Tour of France and companion in the Astana of the Alberto Spanish Accountant, declared that if the director of the equipment, Johan Bruyneel, arranges that only there is a head of rows, " perhaps the best thing would be to hope to the result of first contrarreloj". " If Bruyneel esteem that makes lack a single leader, I do not look for revolver that. But it has still not said it to me. Perhaps the best thing would be to hope to the result of first contrarreloj" , it declared Texan in an interview published by the newspaper ' Him Parisien'. Armstrong, of 37 years, is preparation brings back to consciousness that prologue of 15 kilometers that will dispute the next Saturday in Monaco and recognizes that it went in March to know the route that described like as " very technician, with an ascent from inicio". " I am mainly concentrate in first contrarreloj" , the American said, who did not want to consider to Accountant (winning of the Gallic round in 2007) like a " rival" because they are " in the same equipment and he would not be well saying eso". " is said to a man; more relajado" that before retired his first of the cycling and it assures that " to win no longer is so essential, it is going although it to try, by all means ". " I can say that I am here for giving my maximum and that I feel strong. But I cannot assure that it is going to win. No longer it is as simple as antes" , I conclude the man who more Tour of France has won in history.

From reading the article, it doesn't look like he has any plans to ride support. But it'll take more than the prologue to figure out who's ready.

It looks like there is a conditional somewhere in what it is reported Lance said.

Years ago they tested the kind of program that bacame babblefish by translating from English to Russian and then back. One rather famous phrase came out:

The Vodka is desirous, but the meat is rotten.

The original English was:

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Lance is no LeMond, I'm pretty sure that whatever he said he said in English. It has been to French and back. I think I will wait before I decide to say nasty things about him.Heck, in htis case I want to see any interview and know the context.

:lol:

Well, Lance does speak passable French.

I have no idea what that says but anyone who thinks Lance came out of retirement to be a domestique is quite naive. I'm sure Bruneel's hope is that Contador and Armstrong will do a La Vie Claire and destroy the entire field and fight it out amongst themselves. People talk about that being a no-win situation but remember that La Vie Claire went 1-2 on 85 and 86 (in fact they went 1-2-10 in 85 and 1-2-4 in 86). If Lance is strong enough to win (Contador almost certainly will be) then this team certainly has the potential to do the same thing. Of course they also have the potential to completely implode!

Here's the portion in question and a translation:

"Q: Certains pensent que Johan Bruyneel, le manageur d’Astana, devrait trancher avant le départ de la course…
R: Je ne l’ai pas encore vu. S’il estime qu’il faut un seul leader, je ne chercherai pas à bouleverser ça. Mais il ne m’a pas encore dit ça. Le mieux serait peut-être d’attendre le résultat du premier contre-la-montre."

[translation:]
Q: Some people think Astana's manager Johan Bruyneel should decide before the start of the race...

A: I haven't seen him yet. If he feels we need a single leader, I'm not going to try to interfere with that. But he hasn't said that yet to me. It would be best perhaps to await the results of the first time trial.

Armstrong does ok in French, but he could not have produced that quote. I'm sure it's a translation from English.

This is the operative quote. Its interesting that he picks his strong(est) area to decide who the leader should be....
Not a little unfair I would venture to say.

In

before

the

Howzit... :D

i never knew "Contador" was spanish for "accountant"

Follow this link to a version much easier to understand for us English speakers:
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cyclin...ory?id=4285723

if lance wins the tour he'll be the oldest guy to ever do so.

astana would be crazy to back lance over contador.

ed rader

The best part is when Contador translated from Spanish to English is Accountant.

Contador isn't exactly a slouch when it comes to the ITT. I still think Bruyneel is too smart for all this infighting to be real.

So what do you do as a GC contender from another team, when you're in the front group with all the favorites and either AC or LA breaks away...do you go or is the strategy to make you blow and then other guy goes. I guess that's a challenge whether the guys are on the same team or not but it'll make for some interesting calls on tactics.

Contador will start out as the leader. Having three guys as possible winner of GC gives Bruyneel lots of options as the race develops. He can fake out other teams, play one rider against another, go with an unexpectedly strong rider in place of an unexpectedly weak (or ill) rider, etc. But of course if he's too crafty it could all blow up in his face. Anyhoo, it will be lots of fun for us.

He's got 4 even. Kloden is no slouch. (Neither is Leipheimer - not sure who you're thinking of as the fourth now that I think about it)

ESPN has an AMERICAN ENGLISH story from 2 days ago , where Lance says Contador is the main guy, and he'll ride support out of the rules of cycling, the command of his tour director, and the spirit of the race.

But he does expect that the team will win the ITT and whoever has the yellow from Astana from that day forward would be the rider the team would support. He says some nice stuff about Contador but says he doesnt know him well, and it sounds like begrudging respect, which is EXACTLY what youd expect from the sports greatest champion (won the biggest race the most times), towards an "upstart" with one win, and likely better health and conditioning due to younger age.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf200...=ESPNHeadlines

Having 4 potential GC contenders on the same team gives ole Johan a lot of options, but all this talk is cheap and becomes worthless starting Saturday, when the legs start doing the talking.

Yes it is.... and Sastre means TAILOR, the guy who tailor clothing stuff....

And Translated from the French to English

Marco Pantani > Mark Marsh
Lance > Launch

maybe someone should bother asking mumbles vinokourov whom he's got as the protected rider since he's apparently running the team again...

newb question - are these "real" (i.e. written in black and white) rules, or more of an unwritten code that everyone pretty much has to follow?

where can one read about these rules?

I don't think Lance wants that anymore.

In a Eurosport interview (before the stage) he said !st week will decide. Saturday will give an indication. He kept talking Levi up aswell.

After the stage interview just on, he said he wasn't expecting anything great from himself today, like the jersey. He was happy given where he was against Levi who is a specialist.

Paraphrasing not quoting.