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How long can Levi keep it in his pants?

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Ninety5rpm said:
Oh, man.

59 Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo Test Team 0:02:36
...
81 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack

:confused:

Oh come on now, let's cut him some slack - it's cold out there at Paris-Nice, remember? Also he's just not having fun at the race.
 
Feb 21, 2010
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From a career perspective, Levi has done amazingly well.

If you were Levi, and knew the prospect of actually winning a GT was slim-to-nil after goes with Rabo and Gerolsteiner, returning to the squad that pays handsomely without excessive pressure to produce could be considered a dream job.

Can hardly find fault with the guy. Seems a decent enough fellow, has a fetching female to cozy with, not a loud-mouthed braggart or gushing with ego. Only past digression was a positive test way back in 1996.
 
Colm.Murphy said:
From a career perspective, Levi has done amazingly well.

If you were Levi, and knew the prospect of actually winning a GT was slim-to-nil after goes with Rabo and Gerolsteiner, returning to the squad that pays handsomely without excessive pressure to produce could be considered a dream job.

Can hardly find fault with the guy. Seems a decent enough fellow, has a fetching female to cozy with, not a loud-mouthed braggart or gushing with ego. Only past digression was a positive test way back in 1996.

I think Levi is one guy that people struggle to dislike (why you would put effort into that is beyond me) for the very reasons you point out.

The problem he faces is what would appear to be an uncanny knack for being on the periphery of suspicious activity due to the teams he has ridden for.

With all the innuendo (and subsequent positives) surrounding many of his former US Postal and Gerolsteiner teammates, there is always an underlying "how can you spend so much time around all these guys and not know anything" subtext to his story.
 
Colm.Murphy said:
From a career perspective, Levi has done amazingly well.

If you were Levi, and knew the prospect of actually winning a GT was slim-to-nil after goes with Rabo and Gerolsteiner, returning to the squad that pays handsomely without excessive pressure to produce could be considered a dream job.

Can hardly find fault with the guy. Seems a decent enough fellow, has a fetching female to cozy with, not a loud-mouthed braggart or gushing with ego. Only past digression was a positive test way back in 1996.

His fault is that he lacks a kick in the mountains and the killer instinct to win a GT. Other than that, I got no complaints with the guy--well his comments after Stage 4 the other day put him firmly in the bltch category, but that's part and parcel wit his lack of killer instinct.
 
Feb 21, 2010
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MacRoadie said:
I think Levi is one guy that people struggle to dislike (why you would put effort into that is beyond me) for the very reasons you point out.

The problem he faces is what would appear to be an uncanny knack for being on the periphery of suspicious activity due to the teams he has ridden for.

With all the innuendo (and subsequent positives) surrounding many of his former US Postal and Gerolsteiner teammates, there is always an underlying "how can you spend so much time around all these guys and not know anything" subtext to his story.

Kind of like Julich in that way. Motorola, Cofidis, CA, Telekom, CSC.

Among the anglo's, Bobby seemed decent enough.
 
MacRoadie said:
I think Levi is one guy that people struggle to dislike (why you would put effort into that is beyond me) for the very reasons you point out.

The problem he faces is what would appear to be an uncanny knack for being on the periphery of suspicious activity due to the teams he has ridden for.

With all the innuendo (and subsequent positives) surrounding many of his former US Postal and Gerolsteiner teammates, there is always an underlying "how can you spend so much time around all these guys and not know anything" subtext to his story.

People don't necessarily dislike Bottle. They don't care for him because he colorless. His inability to pull off a big win has not helped. Neither has hanging around teams full of doperz as well as testing positive himself.
 
Colm.Murphy said:
From a career perspective, Levi has done amazingly well.

If you were Levi, and knew the prospect of actually winning a GT was slim-to-nil after goes with Rabo and Gerolsteiner, returning to the squad that pays handsomely without excessive pressure to produce could be considered a dream job.

Can hardly find fault with the guy. Seems a decent enough fellow, has a fetching female to cozy with, not a loud-mouthed braggart or gushing with ego. Only past digression was a positive test way back in 1996.

The only real fault I have with Levi is not living up to expectations. I think he had the physical capability to win a GT and should definitely have won more 1-week stage races, but he's never been able to put it together due to what seem to be mental issues.

At this point in time he's really the USA's only competitive stage racer and we don't really have anyone else that's up and coming in terms of stage racing. So it's kind of a lot of frustration at the end of an era with Levi and Lance about to retire.

All that being said, his wife is indeed a major hottie so I must give huge props to Levi on that account. :D
 
BroDeal said:
People don't necessarily dislike Bottle. They don't care for him because he colorless. His inability to pull off a big win has not helped. Neither has hanging around teams full of doperz as well as testing positive himself.

I agree 100%. It's not that people dislike him, it's just that not too many people LIKE him.

Like I said, I think if people want to dislike him, they have a hard time finding something concrete to focus or build their dislike on. It's not one thing you can put your finger on.

I think saying "people don't care for him" hits the nail on the head.
 
MacRoadie said:
I agree 100%. It's not that people dislike him, it's just that not too many people LIKE him.

Like I said, I think if people want to dislike him, they have a hard time finding something concrete to focus or build their dislike on. It's not one thing you can put your finger on.

I think saying "people don't care for him" hits the nail on the head.

Dude should have hired an image consultant eight years ago, gotten a tattoo, or taken smackdown talk training from Hulk Hogan. He could have grown a goatee, worn a doo rag, and gotten a earing and a parrot. Something that would give an image and a personality.

Evans has a similar problem, but at least he will threaten to cut people's heads off.
 
MacRoadie said:
Yeah nothing says "killer" like a 5'-8", 140# guy with shaved legs and wearing lycra telling you he's "gonna cut your head off".

Kinda like these two heavyweights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwKaeWkYbqk

LOL, I remember that, 95 Vuelta I think, the Venezuelan, Leonardo Sierra of Carrera(who was gonna be the next big thing at one point) and Gonzalez Arrieta of Banesto I think. Not easy fighting in cycling shoes.

I think this fight is what they are both most famous for.
 
MacRoadie said:
I agree 100%. It's not that people dislike him, it's just that not too many people LIKE him.

There isn't much to like. His best role is as a domestique, and people always want to make something out of him that he's not. He rides with no passion and panache. It's always, "I'll limit my losses in the mountains and see what I can do in the TT". Anyone who talks and races like that isn't going to engender himself to the public at large.


MacRoadie said:
Like I said, I think if people want to dislike him, they have a hard time finding something concrete to focus or build their dislike on. It's not one thing you can put your finger on.

Let me take a crack at it.

1) His riding style on a road bike is horrendous. His position on a TT frame is also an absolute monstrosity and should be banned. What is it about his body that he can't find a more graceful position? It could be...

2) ...that his head is enormous, and totally out of proportion to the rest of his body. In fact, I've seen smaller heads on Easter Island.

3) He seems to relish his role as an Armstrong groupie. He seems to revel in the spotlight it gives him. It is emasculating to say the least, but he seems to enjoy wearing the panties in his relationship with Lance, which relegates anyone who wants to be near him to "bimbo" status. Armstrong's basic premise seems to be, "You exist to prop me up. And if you don't like it leave." It is clear that Levi loves it, and that is enough to make me sick of him.

Those three reasons are enough to garner loathing for the man.
 
Jul 7, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Dude should have hired an image consultant eight years ago, gotten a tattoo, or taken smackdown talk training from Hulk Hogan. He could have grown a goatee, worn a doo rag, and gotten a earing and a parrot. Something that would give an image and a personality.

Evans has a similar problem, but at least he will threaten to cut people's heads off.

I thought the image he is trying to project is that of the great Kazoo from The Flintstones.
 
Apr 17, 2009
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I'm also annoyed by what appears to be favourable treatment in the TOC to let a "California" rider win. Specifically the bending of the rules when stages end in Santa Rosa. Finishing "with the pack" after crashing with 2 laps of the cirucit to go and not catching them on the chase? The entire circuit being neutral because there was heavy rain and the radios weren't working?
 

flicker

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Aug 17, 2009
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El Oso said:
I'm also annoyed by what appears to be favourable treatment in the TOC to let a "California" rider win. Specifically the bending of the rules when stages end in Santa Rosa. Finishing "with the pack" after crashing with 2 laps of the cirucit to go and not catching them on the chase? The entire circuit being neutral because there was heavy rain and the radios weren't working?

Yes it wasn't fair but it would have knocked quite a few favorites out of the race. In the Vuelta I remember top riders being towed back to the favorites after mechanicals. Dale Stetina being towed and motorpaced back to the group after being dropped in the Aspen cup. Cavendish and Cioppolini being towed back to the bunch after a crash 3 miles before finish in the ToC and then taking first and third in the sprint. Typical stage race ettiquette.

Anyway I do not think that rule bending was designed specifically for Levi.
 

flicker

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Aug 17, 2009
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I hope that Levi can harden the f___ up for the tour. I want Lance to win but he will choke.

Levi just needs to get behind Odessas Vespa and do Skaggs Springs and Geysers hill repeats.

Best American riders, Farrar,Phinney, Levi.
 
Apr 17, 2009
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flicker said:
Yes it wasn't fair but it would have knocked quite a few favorites out of the race. In the Vuelta I remember top riders being towed back to the favorites after mechanicals. Dale Stetina being towed and motorpaced back to the group after being dropped in the Aspen cup. Cavendish and Cioppolini being towed back to the bunch after a crash 3 miles before finish in the ToC and then taking first and third in the sprint. Typical stage race ettiquette.

Anyway I do not think that rule bending was designed specifically for Levi.

It just seemed suspicious to me with it being in Levi's "hometown" with Levi in the leader's jersey. I tried to find who got saved by the decision, but couldn't tell where the break was. However, if Jens! was in the front group, and I think he was as Haedo's leadout train, then the ruling effectively altered the race results, as Jens! finished only 21 seconds down that year.

My argument against it would be that's part of bicycle racing. While there is the 3k rule, 10k is not 3k, there is plenty of time to chase. The best analogy I can think of is Stage 3 of the '99 Tour. They didn't give all the riders the same time even though an accident on a narrow road kept back over half the peloton. Although that was not the difference in the Tour, Lance wins even if Zulle gets the 6:03 back. Just saying ...
 

flicker

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Aug 17, 2009
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Yeah Oso, I was there sitting in a pub in Santa Rosa on the 3 lap circuit watching the favorites not come by, and then seeing the "favorites" sashya in. Totally bogus but that to me is what makes stage racing kinda wimpy.

I hope Levi focuses more on the tour and vuelta. California seems contrived.
 
El Oso said:
However, if Jens! was in the front group, and I think he was as Haedo's leadout train, then the ruling effectively altered the race results, as Jens! finished only 21 seconds down that year.

I thought after his return to racing following that horrific face-plant last year, he had received a promotion and was now officially referred to as "Jens!!"