93 & 94 Tour de France - Why did LeMond and Armstrong DNF?

[NickBVK]

Yes, analysing the photo of Lance eating corn chips will help us determine if he doped and is relevant to this thread.

 

[forty four]

Yes, analysing the photo of Lance eating corn chips will help us determine if he doped and is relevant to this thread.

i know right typical around here.

 

[Kennf1]

No, that was one of the things he said. He just didn't know what was going on where he couldn't even hang in a peloton on the flats. Hell, a cat 4 can sit in a 150 man peloton going 28 mph. Now he is such an expert he knows details of Ferrari's pay structure 15 years ago.

He was clueless about all his doped competitors in the 90's while he did his cross country skiing and natural ability'd himself to victory.

He did say that in 1991, he felt he was in great shape before the Tour. Never heard him say anything about '92-'94 as far as fitness. I also never heard him say that he couldn't sit in a peloton on the flats at 28 mph, which of course, would be nonsensical for a pro racer to say. Got any links for these "quotes"?

 

[Kennf1]

Yes, analysing the photo of Lance eating corn chips will help us determine if he doped and is relevant to this thread.

I think you're missing the sarcasm/humor of the posts.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Got any links for these "quotes"?

Don't expect any anytime soon, and don't sweat it. Chris is mostly here just to keep the pot of hot sauce stirred up. Hence his .

To answer your question, Greg had to have heard about EPO, but figured it wouldn't do that much, and his suspicions weren't realized in his head until after he retired. He also didn't want to just blame doping, and instead tried to look at himself. He had a muscle biopsy taken in about 1994 that potentially showed mitochondrial myopathy, possibly resulting from the some 60 shotgun pellets still in his body. Sometime later when aware of the power of EPO he saw that writing on the wall, and also concluded the mitochondrial myopathy was very minimal. Sorry, I don't have a link for this. Much of his exhaustion in 92-94 he later attributed to overtraining. See Walsh's book for more on this.

Make no mistake though, MM or not, the onset of EPO in the peloton was what did LeMond in and ended his career prematurely.

 

[ultimobici]

Don't expect any anytime soon, and don't sweat it. Chris is mostly here just to keep the pot of hot sauce stirred up. Hence his .

To answer your question, Greg had to have heard about EPO, but figured it wouldn't do that much, and his suspicions weren't realized in his head until after he retired. He also didn't want to just blame doping, and instead tried to look at himself. He had a muscle biopsy taken in about 1994 that potentially showed mitochondrial myopathy, possibly resulting from the some 60 shotgun pellets still in his body. Sometime later when aware of the power of EPO he saw that writing on the wall, and also concluded the mitochondrial myopathy was very minimal. Sorry, I don't have a link for this. Much of his exhaustion in 92-94 he later attributed to overtraining. See Walsh's book for more on this.

Make no mistake though, MM or not, the onset of EPO in the peloton was what did LeMond in and ended his career prematurely.

Lemond was diagnosed in part by his team doctor at GAN, and it was a reasonable assumption at the time that the disease was to blame for his lack of form. But it was only after his retirement that this diagnosis was questioned.
This combined with the revelations that came in the wake of the Festina affair may have caused Lemond to put two and two together and conclude that his "disease" was actually chronic over-training. In retrospect both his career and that of Fignon seemed to hit a brick wall in 92.

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry I have to be the bearer of bad news

Yes, analysing the photo of Lance eating corn chips will help us determine if he doped and is relevant to this thread.

... but no amount of chin wagging by us armchair Sherlocks will shed any light on whether LA was doping in '93. That said it is an interesting diversion.

Now the shoes, the shoes may tell us something. Both LA and the legs behind him are wearing Rebock shoes and socks... just when did Nike start top sponsor LA?

 

[redtreviso]

... but no amount of chin wagging by us armchair Sherlocks will shed any light on whether LA was doping in '93. That said it is an interesting diversion.

Now the shoes, the shoes may tell us something. Both LA and the legs behind him are wearing Rebock shoes and socks... just when did Nike start top sponsor LA?

He acted like he was doping when he was 17... and he looked like a bloated wrestler.

 

[Anonymous]

that seems even stranger, that some American cyclists going to the TDF would pack easily damaged corn chips and mediocre Old El Paso salsa. Of all things to bring to France, chips and salsa?

Also note he isn't actually eating the salsa. The lid is still on the jar.

Dude, the chips and salsa were a gift from the guy taking the pics. He didn't bring it with him. Although, being that he's from Texas I wouldn't see it as too strange. The chips and salsa at some of the Tex-Mex restaurants in TX are pretty friggin' good.

 

[Lajeretta4Ever]

Later on he would soon learn that the testosterone patches worked much better in that area and save the "hot sauce" for injections.

Is that mild, medium or hot salsa? What is on my mind right now will surly get me banned from this forum for life if I post it.