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

[erader]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-tourdefrance-armstrong

erader

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

is the real jb now acting as a joke-account in the media?

 

[hrotha]

What he says isn't wrong per se, but... which stage suits him better than the last few ones? Does he think he can pick a stage and just go win it? Does he assume he won't even need a second try?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Might as well save it for a stage win. It's not as though he's going to even pretend to be the loyal teammate trying to help Levi, right?

Once again, it's all about Lance. Not the team. Not the current team leader. Just Lance.

 

[The Sheep]

He's going for lantarn rouge, it's also a price

 

[Publicus]

So Lance's goals trump those of the team? There is no I in team, but there is a me. Way to go Lance!

 

[theyoungest]

Let's hope he doesn't steal the victory on the Tourmalet away from the real strongmen in this Tour.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Let's hope he doesn't steal the victory on the Tourmalet away from the real strongmen in this Tour.

if there's even one frenchmen with lance in the leading group lance will be dropped.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Vino will chase Lance down and slap him with Cancellara's downtube motor.

 

[Mellow Velo]

At least he's getting something right.
70. ARMSTRONG Lance 21 TEAM RADIOSHACK 5h 07' 56" + 15' 14"

 

[Benotti69]

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-tourdefrance-armstrong

erader

yep he definitely is riding in the bus to lose time, nah, he's trying you can see it in his face. if he wasn't trying he'd be riding in the bus.

boy their spin is getting more pathetic day by day. i'm sure they have a plan to get him on the podium, maybe announce that he is the 'second coming' and he will lay hands on all of paris if they let him win the TdF

 

[Big Doopie]

as previously mentioned, he is becoming weaker and weaker as we get further and further from the last rest day. the only chance is that he gets his vitamins on the next one and tries something on the next day. remember he was at his best this week the day after vitamins day.

we are seeing him for the fraud he is. look at all the riders (even on his team) who naturally recuperate better than he does. in "normal" circumstances he would never have even been top ten at a tour. and he owns the record. what a joke. i really hope he goes to prison...and for a long time.

 

[ScottyMuser]

The problem is, if Lance is losing time on purpose, there just aren't enough stages left where he coudl do something. If he gets in a break, than unless the peloton do silly things, they should catch him - today a better rider in better form managed the stage win, but I don't expect the GC contenders to allow another break get far enough on any of the bigger climbs, and tomorrow may be the only stage where a breakaway is able to get to the base of the final climb first. Then theres Tourmalet, which a breakaway can't win unless its Contador/Schleck, Pau dfay where, despite the 2 GC climbs I can see a group of 10-15 riders making it to the end together, and LA isn't good enough to be in them, the pancake flat sprinters stage into Bordeaux, and the ITT where Cancellara will destroy him.

 

[ScottyMuser]

as previously mentioned, he is becoming weaker and weaker as we get further and further from the last rest day. the only chance is that he gets his vitamins on the next one and tries something on the next day. remember he was at his best this week the day after vitamins day.

we are seeing him for the fraud he is. look at all the riders (even on his team) who naturally recuperate better than he does. in "normal" circumstances he would never have even been top ten at a tour. and he owns the record. what a joke. i really hope he goes to prison...and for a long time.

The problem is, the day after the rest day has both 2 Cat 1 climbs so tempo will be kept high by astana, AND Tourmalet where Andy/Alberto et al HAVE to attack - they're not just going to let him get away up front and not fight between themselves. yesterday was probably the stage most suited for him, as the climbs weren't overly hard, yet he even dropped off then.

 

[buckwheat]

as previously mentioned, he is becoming weaker and weaker as we get further and further from the last rest day. the only chance is that he gets his vitamins on the next one and tries something on the next day. remember he was at his best this week the day after vitamins day.

we are seeing him for the fraud he is. look at all the riders (even on his team) who naturally recuperate better than he does. in "normal" circumstances he would never have even been top ten at a tour. and he owns the record. what a joke. i really hope he goes to prison...and for a long time.

I have the under/over at 2 hours for the final GC.

I like the article. The Hog says it's better that he's 20 min. down than 12 but at the time he said it LA was 25 minutes down. I think losing big time in the next 3 stages might put him in danger of the 2 hour shame.

 

[Darryl Webster]

Looks like he use to climb pre cancer

 

[Big Doopie]

The problem is, the day after the rest day has both 2 Cat 1 climbs so tempo will be kept high by astana, AND Tourmalet where Andy/Alberto et al HAVE to attack - they're not just going to let him get away up front and not fight between themselves. yesterday was probably the stage most suited for him, as the climbs weren't overly hard, yet he even dropped off then.

oh, i agree.

after all, his best showing (the day after last rest day) got him only 18th, but he at least had that "zip" in his pedaling stroke -- which was gone the day before the rest day, and has now vanished again.

funny thing, he's not sick. he is simply incapable of following physically.

that is why he is the greatest fraud in the history of sports and his "legacy" must be destroyed.

completely.

 

[Benotti69]

Looks like he use to climb pre cancer

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


seriously; it must be very interesting to watch LA's body language behind the closed doors, he is the guy used to being the 'best', having the best bikes, gear, team bus, hotels and this year they have been shat on in every way in the TdF, never mind what is coming out in the press. Will he make it to Paris. Is JB convincing him not to quit? Are they trying to formulate a plan? Are they working with ASO behind closed doors on some kind of announcement in Paris to do with Cancer to try and divert the Landis allegations. Time will tell

 

[dgodave]

...Once again, it's all about Lance....

Like this forum most of the time.
.

 

[scribe]

Like this forum most of the time.
.

It's a bizarre phenomenon.

 

[Cobblestones]

It's a bizarre phenomenon.

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

 

[bobs nob]

They had a fantastic result last year. It led them to believe that a worst case scenario as a top 15 or 20 this year and at least the appearance of being competitive.

This is worse than their worst nightmare and they are just spinning from one laughable interview to the next hoping to get through another day without being the joke that they are.

I'd be surprised to see them go on the attack from here. What if the attack fails miserably.? They can't handle being exposed. I was proud of him for not pulling out after the bad crash. Now, it looks like the whole team ought to pull out in disgrace.

It's a farce.

 

[dgodave]

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

I was right here for the entire Giro. Perhaps you somehow forgot the appreciation I expressed for the wonderful palazzos and basilicas.
.

 

[Cobblestones]

I was right here for the entire Giro. Perhaps you somehow forgot the appreciation I expressed for the wonderful palazzos and basilicas.
.

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.

 

[etymology]

Let's hope he doesn't steal the victory on the Tourmalet away from the real strongmen in this Tour.

in the leading group 4km from the top of the climb, lance puts in a blistering attack. in seconds, he has a 10 meter gap. shocking as it may be, any *real* cycling fan, any student of the tactical geeeeeeeeeenious that is johan, knows that time "deliberately" lost = big energy saved. armstrong is simply cashing in his energy saved chips.

there is NO reaction from the heads of state. contador, gesink, schleck, samu, menchov...all seem to be going backwards in the wake of armstrong's vicious acceleration. all are looking at each other. it is screamingly obvious from the looks on their faces that to a man, they are thinking "wtf???"

the best rider EVER in the entire universe slows his pace, allowing the elite group to ride up to him. armstrong slides to the back of this group in order to discreetly scratch his ball and tweet "tourmaulet, schmourmalet. just testing. real attack yet to come!"

dancing on his pedals with 3km to go, lance goes again. one by one, he passes contador, schleck, menchov, samu, gesink...placing "race against cancer" cards in the back pockets of their jerseys as he rides by.

the most tested athlete in the world is now leading the pack. pigs are flying and their is world peace as armstrong goes again. the podium pretenders react, though weakly. the massive crowd is screaming!!!

no use typing *what* the crowd is screaming as it would all appear as a series of "*****'s"

lance is not done yet...reaching into his bag of courage, he pulls out...the look.
he sees andy crying for frank. contador is yelling "i have much to learn!
the psychological damage inflicted by the look cause menchov, samu, and gesink to abandon on the spot.

satisfied that he is again the most feared rider iin the history of cycling, armstrong begins his sprint to victory atop the tormoulet....or so he thought.

failing to notice antler man running by his side, he veers a centimeter too close, hooking his right break lever on antlerman's yellow wristband.

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

he is up immediately. tragically, pieces of antlers wedged in his pedals make it impossible to clip in. as contador and schleck fly by, he knows his dream of a stage victory is over.

at 2km, alberto fires the afterburners. andy, still recovering from "the look," has nothing left in the legs. he loses over a minute in the final 2k.

back down the slope, all is not lost for armstrong. knowing there i no "i" in team, he waits 10 minutes levi in order to pace him to the finish.

the end.