LA: “I wouldn’t say that I’m not going for the victory”[NYT]
07-01-09, 05:35 AM
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LA: “I wouldn’t say that I’m not going for the victory”[NYT]
“I will say, full disclaimer, that it’s not been as easy as I thought. I think it’s also fair to say that I’m not as confident in winning as I was in other years.”
Article in this morning's NYT.
Article in this morning's NYT.
07-01-09, 05:44 AM
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Personally, I don't like Armstrong. However, when you look at how his form improved over the course of the Giro, I don't think that you can dismiss him at le Tour. I would be shocked if he were to win, but I would be even more shocked if he were not a significant factor in the GC standings.
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07-01-09, 06:02 AM
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I can't say that I don't dislike multiple non positives.
07-01-09, 07:09 AM
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LA: “I’d say that I’m going for the victory”
Translation for those of you having difficulty parsing his statement.
Translation for those of you having difficulty parsing his statement.
07-01-09, 07:57 AM
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It has been speculated that LA is not riding to win. This quote is a direct response to those people who say he is riding to ride. He wants to win. He may win. as Djohannson said, he will definitely be a factor in the GC standings.
07-01-09, 08:00 AM
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He will only be a factor if the team is riding for him. If they're riding for Contador... or Levi?... or split somehow, he will be pack fodder.
My $.02...
My $.02...
07-01-09, 08:25 AM
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If Armstrong finishes in the top 5 I'll fall off my chair. If he Podiums, I'll be shocked.
If he wins, it will be par for the course for Mr. Armstrong.
If he wins, it will be par for the course for Mr. Armstrong.
07-01-09, 08:34 AM
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Very plausible, the top 5! The work he is doing is really what's it's all about. Winning is just gravy although he is a really strong cyclist, no doubt.
07-01-09, 08:35 AM
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I didn't realize just how excited I'd get about this tour! In a VeloNews interview, on the subject of who would "lead" the team, Lance said basically that the race would sort that out.
Go get 'em, Lance.
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07-01-09, 08:37 AM
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Sounds a lot like the "I haven't had much time to ride lately" psych-out banter at the start of the local group ride...
07-01-09, 08:40 AM
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07-01-09, 08:46 AM
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I heard that he'll unmask himself as the anti-christ and change the Livestrong logo to 666.
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
07-01-09, 08:48 AM
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Certainly seems less definitive than what he stated shortly after last year's tour
He is an exceptional person, no doubt, but at his age the time off my prove to be a bigger foe than any other he's faced. Thing is that as you get older you may not get much slower, but you just don't recover as fast as you used to.
07-01-09, 08:52 AM
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Contador is too strong. If the team truly supports Contador, then I predict he can and will utterly dominate. I think Lance will embrace his role as domestique later in the race, knowing full well that he will get more positive press from being the best teammate in the field rather than being a 5th place GC contender. He will fight the fight at first, but come stage 16 or so, he will submit to AC.
If he can't win it himself, he wants to hear, "Contador wins with the help of Lance Armstrong"
Best TDF ever? I doubt it. Best pre-race hype ever? You bet.
I'll be happy if the climb at Ventoux actually is decisive in the victory and no one gets busted for doping.
If he can't win it himself, he wants to hear, "Contador wins with the help of Lance Armstrong"
Best TDF ever? I doubt it. Best pre-race hype ever? You bet.
I'll be happy if the climb at Ventoux actually is decisive in the victory and no one gets busted for doping.
07-01-09, 08:54 AM
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I can't wait to see how this thing plays out. I find it hard to believe the Johan will let the team lead for LA when you have Contador on your team, but who knows. They certainly are an amazing team (JB+LA) and there has to be a lot of loyalty between them.
07-01-09, 08:58 AM
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That's why they do the race boys. There's a lot of **** that can happen between Monaco and Paris.
07-01-09, 09:01 AM
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If a mask comes off his face, I predict it will actually be Hinault.
07-01-09, 09:09 AM
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Well, I'm not going for the win, but I'll be here to flame all the rest of you during the Tour, that's for sure.
07-01-09, 09:11 AM
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So Contador is really Lemond? Holy crap, they've both lost some weight!
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"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
"Let us hope our weapons are never needed --but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny. If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government -- and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws" - Edward Abbey
07-01-09, 09:13 AM
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When Contador was having it out with Rasmussen on the steeps a couple years back... those accelerations looked faster and more frequent than any of Armstrong's were. But that's just intuition. Anyone have a better handle on it? I'm not much of a racer nor a spectator.
07-01-09, 09:57 AM
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This past Sunday I watched the VS presentation of some of Lance's greatest stages. That just gets you fired up...and seeing it again makes you remember just what a champion he is.
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