bruyneel: lance losing time "defintely on purpose"....

[dgodave]

Then you know that I'm right. The best days were the last ones when the Aussie brigade finally realized Cuddles wasn't going to win it. They left the race threads IIRC.

I thought the Cadel love was kind of cute, actually. Touching, even.
.
Plus, he actually merited quite a bit of attention.
.
This Lance fascination is just bizzare. Like 4 of the top 10 threads dedicated to him alone. And the yellow jersey gets, what.... zero?
.

 

[Cobblestones]

I kind of wonder how long it takes for Lance to 'charge up' his batteries for the one final attack? 5 stages? 7? 12? He might not be topped off until the Champs Elysees.

 

[MacRoadie]

maybe if he can get it again, miracle cure, shed another nut he'll be back for numbers 8,9 and 10

Hey, I'm a card-carrying "Hater" and I know you were only kidding, but that's still a bit over the top...

 

[enrecul]

etymology Junior Member

etymology
Junior Member
i love you forever after that post

 

[hrotha]

armstrong crashes!!! it is a BIG crash because with it, lance has broken the record for most crashes in a tdf without abandoning.

The whole thing was great but this part in particular had me laughing out loud. Well done.

 

[embankmentlb]

Just a new chapter in "it's all about Lance". He only works for himself, it's all he knows. He let's Levi hang himself & knowone says a word. Contador played it smart last year..

 

[Old School]

The Best

Etymology

You, my friend, have placed yourself in the halls of achievement! THANK YOU for that great piece of writing! I have a headache from laughing so hard!

The details were awesome.

Thank again.

PS, Lance is a fraud...like Ben Johnson, Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Marion Jones...and ALL the record breakers of the past 20 years...CHEATERS.

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

Like him or not Lance is still 'the leader' of RSH and it only makes sense for the team to try to get something out of this Tour with Armstrong.

It is quite clear he is out of the the GC, but it's true that he does need to lose time (quite a lot) to create a springboard for a potential stage win. Bruyneel's position in the article makes sense.

I think Armstrong will go for broke on Tuesday's stage 16 to Pau. The climbs are hard early on, but the final climb is far enough from the finish that Schleck, Contador and the GC co. won't likely go for it that day. He may get away early that day. If not, he maybe able to try again on the Aubisque.

Who knows if it will work for him or not. But I think we will seem Armstrong try very hard on stage 16. This stage makes the most sense, the only other shot he may have is the stage 19 TT -- but both Bruyneel and Armstrong are smart enough to know stg. 16 makes more sense.

Holding Armstrong (and a guy or two) back now, also plays OK with RSH team GC goal as well. They need guys up there everyday to win that classification. Levi needs to ride well everyday, and a few other RSH guys are trying these past few days... when they blow if Armstrong, Popovych and Brajkovic are going for it... and Levi is just riding 'steady' the whole gamble could work out for them.

I think RSH have kind of split the team: sit Armstrong, Popovych and Brajkovic. Levi, Horner and Kloden are riding. Murayev, Rast and Paulhino are floating between crews.

RSH hasn't really had a bad Tour. But given who they have on the team nothing they do will be viewed as a success unless they can take away something of note with Armstrong.

If Armstrong can win stg. 16, RSH wins the team GC, Paulihno's stage and Levi's top 10 GC... they can spin a success story.

Then they really need to sign Phinney (the next great American superstar).

Oh and I guess they need to dodge that federal inquiry bullet too?

We'll see how it all works out for 'em.

 

[scribe]

Like him or not Lance is still 'the leader' of RSH and it only makes sense for the team to try to get something out of this Tour with Armstrong.

It is quite clear he is out of the the GC, but it's true that he does need to lose time (quite a lot) to create a springboard for a potential stage win. Bruyneel's position in the article makes sense.

I think Armstrong will go for broke on Tuesday's stage 16 to Pau. The climbs are hard early on, but the final climb is far enough from the finish that Schleck, Contador and the GC co. won't likely go for it that day. He may get away early that day. If not, he maybe able to try again on the Aubisque.

Who knows if it will work for him or not. But I think we will seem Armstrong try very hard on stage 16. This stage makes the most sense, the only other shot he may have is the stage 19 TT -- but both Bruyneel and Armstrong are smart enough to know stg. 16 makes more sense.

Holding Armstrong (and a guy or two) back now, also plays OK with RSH team GC goal as well. They need guys up there everyday to win that classification. Levi needs to ride well everyday, and a few other RSH guys are trying these past few days... when they blow if Armstrong, Popovych and Brajkovic are going for it... and Levi is just riding 'steady' the whole gamble could work out for them.

I think RSH have kind of split the team: sit Armstrong, Popovych and Brajkovic. Levi, Horner and Kloden are riding. Murayev, Rast and Paulhino are floating between crews.

RSH hasn't really had a bad Tour. But given who they have on the team nothing they do will be viewed as a success unless they can take away something of note with Armstrong.

If Armstrong can win stg. 16, RSH wins the team GC, Paulihno's stage and Levi's top 10 GC... they can spin a success story.

Then they really need to sign Phinney (the next great American superstar).

Oh and I guess they need to dodge that federal inquiry bullet too?

We'll see how it all works out for 'em.

To be fair to all of the giddiness over the monumental collapse of Armstrong, the idea that he has to lose 40 minutes to the field to 'get a stage victory' is utter nonsense. In his prime, he didn't need permission from the GC contenders to do whatever he wanted. He'd flat-out just take it, and gain time doing so.

 

[Mellow Velo]

This forum was fine during the Giro. Not something a 3 week fan would notice of course...

Yes, the term 3WF.
First coined at the height of the Armstrong era.
Now, part of universal cycling language.
Mine, I think.

Etymology: The Hans Christian Anderson of the Cyclingnews forums.

 

[shouldawouldacoulda]

To be fair to all of the giddiness over the monumental collapse of Armstrong, the idea that he has to lose 40 minutes to the field to 'get a stage victory' is utter nonsense. In his prime, he didn't need permission from the GC contenders to do whatever he wanted. He'd flat-out just take it, and gain time doing so.

True. But if he is just targeting a specific stage win now, what incentive does he have to nut himself on stages like today, or finishes like Mende?

Why wouldn't he just sit up when the sitting is good and he's under no threat to miss the time cut?

 

[red_flanders]

Like him or not Lance is still 'the leader' of RSH and it only makes sense for the team to try to get something out of this Tour with Armstrong.

In cycling, when a leader falters, the team changes leadership. You may have noted it happen repeatedly in the long history of cycling.

That it isn't happening in RS now is the farce. They have a guy in 7th who can TT very well. Chance for a top 5 finish, and he rides alone. Ridiculous.

 

[red_flanders]

If Levi was closer to winning I think it would be a different story.

If they thought he could win I'd hope that would be true--I'm sure it would be. Clearly he can't and clearly they know it. But he can top 5, and chances to win a stage or the team comp are similarly small.

They just don't know how to ride when they're not killing everyone.

 

[Anonymous]

|To be honest, i think if Lance does go for a win he will get chased down big time. His attitude towards this tour has been pathetic, not even trying on most stages, Im sure there are other riders at radioshack who would have liked to have raced to tour.,

I actually, however misguided they are, feel sorry for his fans. there are many who have spent a lot of money travelling to europe to cheer him on and hes not even trying.

I think if he tries to get a stage win the rest of the peloton will look at him and think F You. Youve done nothing for two weeks, you aint stealing a stage.

 

[hrotha]

True. But if he is just targeting a specific stage win now, what incentive does he have to nut himself on stages like today, or finishes like Mende?

Why wouldn't he just sit up when the sitting is good and he's under no threat to miss the time cut?

The Mende stage was PERFECT for a rider like Armstrong, if his condition was good.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

|To be honest, i think if Lance does go for a win he will get chased down big time. His attitude towards this tour has been pathetic, not even trying on most stages, Im sure there are other riders at radioshack who would have liked to have raced to tour.,

I actually, however misguided they are, feel sorry for his fans. there are many who have spent a lot of money travelling to europe to cheer him on and hes not even trying.

I think if he tries to get a stage win the rest of the peloton will look at him and think F You. Youve done nothing for two weeks, you aint stealing a stage.

Yeah I lolled hard and then felt pity for all those americans I saw at the prologue in rotterdam really believing he could win another tour.

 

[scribe]

In cycling, when a leader falters, the team changes leadership. You may have noted it happen repeatedly in the long history of cycling.

That it isn't happening in RS now is the farce. They have a guy in 7th who can TT very well. Chance for a top 5 finish, and he rides alone. Ridiculous.

No one had support, on any team, when Levi started falling off the selection today. At all other times, he has had plenty of guys around. Bottom line is that Levi couldn't step it up when the 5 GC guys ahead of him were up to the task.

 

[La Pandera]

I think the scenario is quite similar to the 2006 Tour where they had Hincapie and Pop as co-leaders. Hincapie's status a direct result of his brief performance in the mountains of the 2005 Tour where he won a stage. As it stands right now they have no one with a chance of actually winning and with Leipheimer falling in the gc instead of rising or at least holding his position their options are quite limited. Paulinho's stage win is the only real plus that they have to show for their Tour appearance at this point. They really aren't fooling anyone that the team classification carries any weight in comparison to having someone battling for a podium spot. It is and would be quite the small consolation for what could've been.

As many expected, Kloden is having his usual off year after an on year at the Tour. Where he was a podium contender last year he isn't in the top ten this year. Leipheimer just can't keep up with the riders that he should be battling for the final podium spot and with each mountain stage slides further and further down the standings. Armstrong contribution is invisible, at least to my eyes. If he was true to his word of riding for Leipheimer then he must be blocking the wind for him but only when the camera's aren't around. I haven't seen him fetching bottles which he may as well do since his intention is to fall off the back as soon as the road turns upward, and then content himself chatting with whatever Shack domestique they have assigned to escort him to the line.

If Armstrong is saving it all for an all out effort in getting a stage win, he must have witnessed Vino's 2 days of grit and eventual glory and been motivated. It remains to be seen if he can match Vino's determination after appearing to have given up all hope of accomplishing anything after his string of uncharateristic misfortune.

He says he doesn't want any gifts and has never given any (Pantani/Ventoux?), obviously in response to the media introducing the possibility that he's worthy of one for all his years of Tour success, does he believe that the peloton would actually consider gifting him a stage? How would he know the difference unless someone with a complete lack of class or tact (like himself) admitted that was the case after the fact?
For me it would be poetic justice for his doing the same to Pantani.

 

[Anonymous]

Why would other teams care if he hasn't been working for other teams? I'm not sure I understand that statement.

i shoudlnt reply but i will.

Teams will think F you youve done nothing for two weeks, we arent gifting you a stage. How else do you want me to say it.

He has treated the entire race with utter contempt. Not even trying.

 

[Quaker]

Will they let him bring in a Lemond trainer in his jail cell?

 

[hrotha]

What if he gets in a breakaway and the Riblon of the day drops him? Would he risk being exposed like that? I'd say the back of the bunch sounds quite comfortable for Lance.

But that would be so sad I still expect him to give it a go.

 

[red_flanders]

No one had support, on any team, when Levi started falling off the selection today. At all other times, he has had plenty of guys around. Bottom line is that Levi couldn't step it up when the 5 GC guys ahead of him were up to the task.

True, but irrelevant to my point.

They're not even trying to support Levi. I assume we can agree on that rather obvious fact?

 

[erader]

bottom line is lance has given up. he has that sheepish look whenever he is interviewed and practically said this morning not to look for anything special from him.

there are lots of other riders with plenty of reason to also give up -- wiggins, basso, levi, gesink, evans, vino etc -- yet they soldier on.


erader

 

[La Pandera]

No one had support, on any team, when Levi started falling off the selection today. At all other times, he has had plenty of guys around. Bottom line is that Levi couldn't step it up when the 5 GC guys ahead of him were up to the task.

Rabobank, I believe Menchov had Gesink still in the yellow jersey group when Leipheimer lost his wheel to follow.

 

[La Pandera]

bottom line is lance has given up. he has that sheepish look whenever he is interviewed and practically said this morning not to look for anything special from him.

there are lots of other riders with plenty of reason to also give up -- wiggins, basso, levi, gesink, evans, vino etc -- yet they soldier on.


erader

Exactly, for me its pretty disappointing to see Armstrong coasting along smiling at the cameras because things haven't gone his way. Of the pre-race contenders that have come up short of their's and the media's expectations, Armstrong is the only one who has simply given up.