Gee333 said:Certainly one would agree that training on the roads by yourself is different than training in a race environment. And training in that environment is essential to work your way up to snuff come Tour time. Several Tour riders do that as well, even AC. Although AC is the exception as he can blaze his guns and still be Tour ready.
And really, how different is his Spring than in previous years? You never see him shooting for the win during this time. Then add in that he's 159 years old and he doesn't have the resilience as Contador.
People get all worked up because of all the hype that the media put on this race as an LA vs. AC showdown. Anyone who thought it really was going to be one was sadly mistaken. The real showdown will happen in July, period.
And really, who cares what Watson said. We know who's side he's on. So dismiss it and move on instead of ranting about it over and over again. (Not directed at you Python, just a general observation.)
I don't think this is technically true. He's done well when he's raced Amstel Gold. I think the only reason why I (I won't pretend to speak for others) think this is relevant is it is a credibility issue for Lance and Company. At the start of this season, they were talking up how much weight he's lost (listing himself at 71kg), how much stronger he is compared to last year (Carmichael and that motor scooter), that he's more comfortable in the peloton, that he wants a more traditional calendar this year and that he wants to win prior to the Tour. And then reality shows up and they start back tracking and spinning. To my knowledge, no reputable journalist or media personality has mentioned the contradiction, because, like you, they say it's only March--which really isn't the point. Hell it's March for everybody, so that doesn't mean anything to me.
For an athlete that supposedly trains harder, smarter, longer, he shouldn't have such shltty form at this time of the year. But it's March and he's getting shelled out the back of every climb he's raced so far (Murcia and Critierium) and his pre-Tour racing schedule is going to be largely devoid of big mountains (Tour of Flanders, Amstel, (that 4 day tour around some part of France), ToC, and ToS). But somehow, magically (I suppose), he's going to be competitive in the high mountains in July. I say magically because all of the normal stories have been exposed (doesn't train harder, longer or smarter, he's not measuring his food, his high cadence is bs, everyone recons the high mountains) as lies. If he had not oversold things, there wouldn't be much to say.
As for Graham Watson, he's definitely entitled to his opinion, but his bias is seeping through into his work. Reading the descriptions under the photographs, it's clear that he despises AC and glorifies all that is Lance and Company. That makes sense if he's only acting as the team photographer, which isn't the case. If he can't keep his opinion out of his work, perhaps he can hire someone to write the blurbs.