Armstong Abandons TOC?

[stephens]

I did get some great photos at the start today and it looked to me that Andy Schleck was out for a Sunday riding about 200 yards back of the field on the second loop through town. Lance looked fairly serious on the first pass (the only one I got a photo of). As for the rest of the riders, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

I was in Visalia this morning as well and Tom Boonen was bandaged up from previous crashes. (And Bob Roll is still carrying around his crutches!). It looked like Andy Schleck dropped back on the parade laps to change out his radio because when he passed me on Main st. he was hanging on to the team car with his shirt unzipped and messing with the radio.

 

[barn yard]

anyone suggesting a 'staged crash' has some serious problems

it was however good timing and a very easy way to run away from the mess

 

[richwagmn]

http://twitter.com/johanbruyneel

and Chechu..... crashed.

Off to see Dr. Ferrari...

 

[stephens]

Looks like he gave it a shot for quite a while but couldn't hold his body weight with his arm so had to abandon. Video here:

http://video.bicycling.com/video/ATOC-Lance-Armstrong-crashes-ou

 

[kurtinsc]

I don't know... when I see blood coming off of a rider's face, I tend to think that he didn't do it on purpose.

I mean, it's one thing if you take a fall on a hip or hand and maybe fake a pelvis or wrist injury.

It's another when you hit the pavement with your face. I can't imagine anyone doing that intentionally.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Bicycling magazine has video of LA dropping out of ToC today. They were riding in the car with Johan and filming as the crash/dropout happened. Interesting video. (info courtesy Joao Correia's twitter)

http://bit.ly/9mchfL

edit - Stephens beat me to it.

 

[santacruz]

Video of him didn't look very bad... a pain in his elbow, and his face hurts... nothing broken.

 

[El Imbatido]

http://twitpic.com/1phpfe

Here is a twitpic of him.

I lol'd at one of the comments though:

about 28 minutes ago
Hey Lance, now you look like Darth Vader without the Helmet in Episode VI. Go Lance!

 

[auscyclefan94]

You'd think the drivers side airbag that is his gut would have saved him.

Post of the day!

 

[Roland Rat]

After watching the video it's clear it wasn't staged but, either

1. A convenient opportunity presented itself and they took it; or

2. It shows LA is struggling this year, for whatever reason. If he was serious about the Tour, i.e. 1999-2005 serious, he would have got on with it, finished the stage and then see what's what. As it is he just quit.

Neither are particularly good for him.

 

[python]

gees, i am struggling to keep up with flandisgate and the giro and now this - armstrong on the deck

nah, it was not staged out but his nervousness and poor positioning can be excused by the avalanche of bad news. anyone in his place would be nervous.

 

[Straßenrennen]

You know what else is weird.. every other time Lance has gone down his bodyguard (Popovych i think) never left his side and there he has...
Also the fractured elbow is bull**** any doctor worth his salt would be able to tell you that its nearly impossible to move a fractured elbow never mind move it like he is in the video (from 180 to 90 degrees).

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I think Roland Rat pretty much summed it up. And if Cal is right and that spot is sketchy, it's quite likely Lance had too much on his mind and didn't pay attention at that key moment and went down. There's no way he went down on purpose. Not like that. Not taking Chechu and Stuey with him. He would have ridden into a ditch with soft dirt and grass, and complained about back or neck pain and retired to get x-rays asap.

But it is odd to see him abandon like this. He seemed...defeated.

That part about the elbow did seem weird. Like he wanted a way out, and took it because of that.

This Lance won't win the Tour. I don't even know that he'll enter at this point. Kind of disappointing if so.

 

[Ferminal]

How important is this bike race if you retire with a cut face?

It would be the nail in the coffin if it were Cuddles.

 

[wattage]

I guess this was the last time we saw Lance riding. He's done, Floyd is coming to get you!

 

[python]

You know what else is weird.. every other time Lance has gone down his bodyguard (Popovych i think) never left his side and there he has...

i think popo's role was more determined by bruyneel rather than his own will.

Also the fractured elbow is bull**** any doctor worth his salt would be able to tell you that its nearly impossible to move a fractured elbow never mind move it like he is in the video (from 180 to 90 degrees).

well, in that video even bruyneel can be clearly heard that the elbow is not broken when armstrong kept complaining about his elbow.

in deed we are seeing a defeated man in that video. everything there screams that armstrong wanted to quit the moment he decked despite the brave encouragements from bru. he retorted one bru's encouragements with a sour question, 'and then what ?'