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Armstrong takes money then spits in the face of the Giro !

whiteboytrash

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MILAN (AP) — Lance Armstrong already has a tenuous relationship with Tour de France organizers. Now his rapport with the Giro d'Italia appears at risk, too.

Armstrong played an integral role in a protest by riders over concerns about the safety of the ninth stage of the Giro on Sunday. As a result, all 190 riders were given the same time as winner Mark Cavendish.

"We saw in the first lap that the course wasn't safe," said overall leader Danilo Di Luca. "There were cars parked in the middle of the road, traffic islands and tram lines. We asked the organizers to annul the times and we're happy that they granted our request."

Several riders acknowledged that Armstrong had a hand in organizing the protest, and race director Angelo Zomegnan was livid.

"This circuit required explosive bursts. It required riders to get their butts up of the seats of their bikes, and some riders who are not so young anymore apparently don't feel like doing that," Zomegnan said. "Instead, it seems like their legs have become shorter and their tongues longer."

Asked by The Associated Press if he was referring to the 37-year-old Armstrong, Zomegnan replied, "I never name people who have disappointed me, just like I don't name girlfriends that have snubbed me."

Cavendish clocked 4 hours, 16 minutes, 13 seconds over the 102.5-mile leg. Allan Davis crossed second and Tyler Farrar was third.

Di Luca holds a 13-second lead over Thomas Lovkvist in the overall standings, with Michael Rogers third, 44 seconds back, and Armstrong's Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer is fourth, 51 seconds behind.

Armstrong is 25th overall, 4:39 behind Di Luca.

Aware that he wouldn't lose any time, Armstrong dropped off the back of the pack with 10 miles to go. Di Luca and Ivan Basso's Liquigas team soon followed suit.

Armstrong has acknowledged that RCS Sport is paying him a significant sum to race the Giro for the first time, and until the Texan began criticizing several stage finishes as overly dangerous a few days ago, Zomegnan and the RCS-controlled Gazzetta dello Sport were his biggest cheerleaders.

Armstrong is also leading a protest against his Astana team, which has not paid its riders for two months. He and seven teammates rode with the sponsor names on their jerseys faded out for a third consecutive day.

Armstrong himself said the group was "livid" with the lengthy seventh stage Friday that concluded with a dangerous and steep descent through the rain.

The mood of the group grew even more cautious after Spanish rider Pedro Horillo Munoz ended up in a coma after falling 60 yards off the side of the road on a downhill stretch Saturday.

Horillo Munoz was woken from a 24-hour coma on Sunday. He was able to move his legs and speak with doctors at a hospital in Bergamo, race organizers said.

Riders made 11 laps on a circuit through cobble-stoned streets in the center of Milan on Sunday, passing directly in front of RCS's offices.

Three riders — Francesco Reda, Markus Fothen and Serafin Martinez Acevedo — fell during the first lap and riders started yelling about the danger. A few laps later, the peleton came to a stop and Di Luca made an announcement to fans with a microphone.

"We're sorry, but the course is too dangerous," Di Luca said, with Armstrong beside him. "We don't want to risk our health. The circuit is not safe enough. We hope the fans understand."

Armstrong did not speak with reporters after the stage, but there was little doubt he was involved.

"After the first lap, Lance said this circuit shouldn't be raced on," said Filippo Pozzato of the Katusha team. "It turned into a big mess. Decisions like that shouldn't be made during the race but before. Often when you make decisions during the race you make mistakes."


No time bonuses were awarded to the top three finishers.

"They've betrayed the fans," Zomegnan said.

By contrast, Armstrong's longtime team manager Johan Bruyneel was pleased by the protest.

"That's what our sport has been missing," he said. "We have big players in our sport, which are the UCI and national federations and the big organizers, mainly the Tour de France and RCS. ...

"This is a step in the right direction where riders, and hopefully in the future teams, could have a better and a stronger voice when it's up to organizing our sport."
 
whiteboytrash said:
Armstrong has acknowledged that RCS Sport is paying him a significant sum to race the Giro for the first time, and until the Texan began criticizing several stage finishes as overly dangerous a few days ago, Zomegnan and the RCS-controlled Gazzetta dello Sport were his biggest cheerleaders.

I thought his comback was all about spreading the message of Livestrong to the world so why would he need a starting fee to come to Italy. It doesn't sound very philanthropical to me.

If I was in his situation I wouldn't take a starting fee but rather encourage the organizers to make a donation to the charity.
 

whiteboytrash

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ingsve said:
I thought his comback was all about spreading the message of Livestrong to the world so why would he need a starting fee to come to Italy. It doesn't sound very philanthropical to me.

If I was in his situation I wouldn't take a starting fee but rather encourage the organizers to make a donation to the charity.

Yes he doesn't need a salary from Astana because this is all about awareness..... ha ha ha !
 
whiteboytrash said:
Yes he doesn't need a salary from Astana because this is all about awareness..... ha ha ha !

Well, there's a diffrence between a salary and getting starting fees from race organizers. Of course he should get a salary since he is working for a team just like all the other riders but I doubt many riders get regular starting fees from organizers.
 
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whiteboytrash said:
Yes he doesn't need a salary from Astana because this is all about awareness..... ha ha ha !

And we're all aware that he is a control freak. To be fair DiLuca seemed prominent in the protest, too. I think it was a bad decision yesterday, but then again I didn't see the circuit. Fair enough if it had been raining. Armstrong biting the hand that feeds him displays the high level of arrogance he has maintained throughout retirement and into his alleged resurrection. Are 2 million dollars not enough "danger money" to race a crit? Maybe he should fark off and revert back to his usual methods of Tour "preparation".
 
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whiteboytrash said:
MILAN (AP) Armstrong's longtime team manager Johan Bruyneel was pleased by the protest.

"That's what our sport has been missing," he said. "We have big players in our sport, which are the UCI and national federations and the big organizers, mainly the Tour de France and RCS. ...

"This is a step in the right direction where riders, and hopefully in the future teams, could have a better and a stronger voice when it's up to organizing our sport."

Stronger voice, my R's. Lance Armstrong, who I assume is the strong voice he is referring to, only speaks for himself. This is the man who abused Filipo Simeoni (IIRC) for revealing that it was Armstrongs trainer Dr Michele Ferari that gave Simeoni EPO - Ferari was latter found guilty and banned from working with sportsmen (again, IIRC). Didn't Armstrong also hound Cedric Bassons out of the Tour for his anti-doping stance, or is this playing tricks on me?
 
Mar 11, 2009
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RhodriM said:
I hope he doesn't decide to try the Paris-Roubaix next year.

Nope, he's afraid....

I think he is being his typical arrogant self. It's a bike race, stay off the front or stay of the back and quit whining.
 
Mar 31, 2009
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So Di Luca and the rest of the riders share no blame in this? Wow. What power Lance wields, having all 190 riders stand by him silently as he masterminds the downfall of the Giro in one stage! Oh wait, Pimpin' Pozzato had an opinion, so that's something.

What a BS thread.
 
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Didnt a young LA win the worlds on a very tight dangerous circuit in the rain?
How things have changed. What another disapointment Mr Armstrong.
 
jfleischmann said:
So Di Luca and the rest of the riders share no blame in this? Wow. What power Lance wields, having all 190 riders stand by him silently as he masterminds the downfall of the Giro in one stage! Oh wait, Pimpin' Pozzato had an opinion, so that's something.

What a BS thread.

Well, several riders were opposed to neutralizing the stage and thought it was unnecessary. Among the people that thought the course was too dangerous it's probable that some were instigators and others were followers. With Lance being a confirmed instigator and one with lots of pull at that he should share alot of the responsibility.

Had Lance instead said that the protest was bull**** and had actively supported that opinion with action I think it is very likely that there wouldn't have been a protest.

I don't think Di Luca and others who was for the protest are without fault but I would tend to focus on the instigators of the protest. Di Luca was probably one of them though.
 
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There is always the possibility that the group really was against racing that course but younger, less secure riders can't voice their opinions for fear of retribution by the teams and organizers. But guys like Lance and Di Luca are at no such risk and so they spoke up.

It's clear many riders were not happy about the finishes of the last few stages and then when they saw parked cars, lots of tram tracks and even oncoming traffic only separated from the course by cones, they correctly said "enough is enough."
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Armstrong is a narcissistic whiner. Whatever race he is in, whatever business interest he pursues, is always about him, even if it is not. Armstrong, you got the invite, stop *****ing already and ride your bike - that's what you came here for, right? Oh, sorry, I forgot, you came to the Giro for YOU.

There are better ways to handle a controversy of this nature.

Armstrong, unfortunately, continues to do it his way.
 

whiteboytrash

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ingsve said:
Well, several riders were opposed to neutralizing the stage and thought it was unnecessary. Among the people that thought the course was too dangerous it's probable that some were instigators and others were followers. With Lance being a confirmed instigator and one with lots of pull at that he should share alot of the responsibility.

Had Lance instead said that the protest was bull**** and had actively supported that opinion with action I think it is very likely that there wouldn't have been a protest.

I don't think Di Luca and others who was for the protest are without fault but I would tend to focus on the instigators of the protest. Di Luca was probably one of them though.

I think the point is that if Celion Dion gets paid a million a night to sing in a showcase in Las Vegas she can't really complain about the auditoriums she performs in. Or if a stripper makes 10k a night she can't really complain about sleazy men looking her up and down all night.

The parallel here is if Lance gets paid one million euros to turn up to the Giro he can't champion rider’s protests about the conditions. He's already received more than the winner will for just showing.

This is an awesome thread !
 
Mar 10, 2009
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Another thing to ask yourselves: If both DiLuca and Armstrong speak out, why is it that Armstrong receives the most press? Or incites the worst outbursts from race organizers and press alike?

Another thing to ask yourselves: why can't Armstrong just shut up and ride?
 
Maybe this answers the question as to why, in his prime, he raced so selectively.
It really is all about the Tour.
He needs the prep, but has a bad case of the willies after his kissing the tarmac at Castilla y Leon.
Crash=less cash.

If had his way, the only stage that would be raced, flat out, is that ridiculous ITT.

Still, at least now, they can cancel the really tough stage 19, citing riders fears of a possible eruption.:rolleyes:
 
I am not sure that the majority of the riders, specially the ones targeting the GC and its supporters, could care less for the protest. In fact I think they liked it because it is a breather for them. I don't like Armstrong that much but I think in this case the majority were with him. And of course who better to speak up than Lance Armstrong and Di Luca.
 
Apr 24, 2009
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Paul Kimmage was right when he described Armstrong as a cancer to the sport of cycling....where ever he goes he spreads himself just like the said disease!

Its a pity when they sorted his nads they didnt cut his tongue out to!
 
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Escarabajo said:
I am not sure that the majority of the riders, specially the ones targeting the GC and its supporters, could care less for the protest. In fact I think they liked it because it is a breather for them. I don't like Armstrong that much but I think in this case the majority were with him. And of course who better to speak up than Lance Armstrong and Di Luca.

Perhaps you're right. If the majority of the peloton were for the protest then who better to use as a mouthpiece than Armstrong.
 

whiteboytrash

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I think it’s about return on investment. If you're going to pay someone a million to just turn up then he has to say nice things. At least pretend that he loves the race and everything about it. All Armstrong has done as ***** about the course, the Italian riders and why the media are questioning him about his form.
 
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whiteboytrash said:
I think the point is that if Celion Dion gets paid a million a night to sing in a showcase in Las Vegas she can't really complain about the auditoriums she performs in. Or if a stripper makes 10k a night she can't really complain about sleazy men looking her up and down all night.

CD or the stipper could complain if the venue becomes unsafe, say with people crashing the stage (although not too likely at a CD show), or sleazy men going beyond just looking at the stripper, say by grabbing her or trying to get something extra.

Why hasn't the discussion here considered the fact that maybe the course really was too dangerous? It sounds like it was a crit (25 turns) but with long laps (15k). That's not a typical GT stage. Most pros that ride GTs and classics avoid crits, other than the few ceremonial ones they'll do but not really contest. Then throw in parked cars, tram tracks, and traffic going in the opposite direction, and it sounded like a pretty dangerous course, just for the sake of being in the birthplace of the Giro. When I've directed my local club's race, we had some traffic in opposing lanes, but the officials were not happy about it, so I can't imagine a pro race with traffic so close.
 
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I flew back in from Milan yesterday and will just add a few points.

It wasn't raining. It was pretty hot. Weather didn't influence the danger element.

I expected the entire course to be fenced off. I know a lap was around 15km, but there were a few dubious spots with parked cars, or fans standing in the middle of corso buenos aires where riders went up and back. Also, around the castle there was no fencing keeping people back.

Danilo di Luca showed himself to be a leader and a credit to the Maglia Rosa, regardless of whether you thought their action was justified. There are a few riders in the peleton with influence, but he was the one that went before the fans to explain. he also went out of his way for fans and photographers at the sign in earlier in the day as well as in bergamo the day before.

the stage itself i didnt think was especially difficult to warrant the neutralising. with that said, the fact there werent any intermediate sprints was only a minor detraction from an otherwise great day
 
Apr 10, 2009
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It is very obvious there are quite a few keyboard racers here.

Just by looking at the one photo posted in the Milano thread and reading some of the descriptions of the course posted earlier in that thread, I can say I would be hesitant at racing in a 160 man pack through those streets. Trying to navigate those streets handlebar to handlebar is asking for trouble regardless of your "bike handling skill". The riders saw the course, rode the course and made their decision en masse, I haven't heard too many objections coming from them about the decision.

Don't kill the messenger (whether he is American or Italian). It is in poor taste.
 
Mar 31, 2009
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Jacques Tati said:
Its a pity when they sorted his nads they didnt cut his tongue out to!

You know you've gone too far when advocating physical violence against someone on an internet message board. Intelligence reigns on cyclingnews.com forums I see, the editors must be so proud.

Regardless of the Lance hate b*tchfest that this message board has become, I think the Stage 9 fiasco has more to do with Pedro Horrillo taking a scenic downhill trip the other day. The peloton is spooked, and I for one don't blame them.
 

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