I think Levi's deluding himself

[richwagmn]

Front page interview with Levi. Seems to think he can win a tour (nothing wrong there, good to set goals). But he seems to believe LA would work for him in the TDF if he's the strongest rider. Does anyone besides LL believe that?

 

[franciep10]

I doubt he's deluding himself, I think he knows he has to fall in line or no tour of california.

 

[Publicus]

The strongest rider is decided on the road. I think he truly believes that to be the case. Now the fact that he went along with Lance's bs this year, despite him acknowledging that AC was the strongest, well I don't know what to make of that. He and Lance were Bosom Buddies up until he got injured.

 

[lucybears]

Front page interview with Levi. Seems to think he can win a tour (nothing wrong there, good to set goals). But he seems to believe LA would work for him in the TDF if he's the strongest rider. Does anyone besides LL believe that?

ROFL
Seems to think he can win a tour
California, LA would work for him, well... the team will & we all know that LA ts a team player
ROFLLMAO

 

[peloton]

Front page interview with Levi. Seems to think he can win a tour (nothing wrong there, good to set goals). But he seems to believe LA would work for him in the TDF if he's the strongest rider. Does anyone besides LL believe that?

No.
The Giro was his GT winning shot, failed.
He is delusional if he thinks LA would be his b*tch.

 

[BYOP88]

I find it funny because didn't Levi leave USPS after coming 3rd in the 01 or 02 Vuelta(Sorry for not knowing, but I know someone can tell me which one it was) because he wanted to be team leader at the TDF, but wouldn't at USPS due to some other guy being there, so what does he think has changed between now and then?

 

[peloton]

I find it funny because didn't Levi leave USPS after coming 3rd in the 01 or 02 Vuelta(Sorry for not knowing, but I know someone can tell me which one it was) because he wanted to be team leader at the TDF, but wouldn't at USPS due to some other guy being there, so what does he think has changed between now and then?

let's go to the clinic...

 

[Anonymous]

Levi said when he signed with Radio, that he wants to win the tour and JBs team is the place he needs to be to do that.

Also in the article, Levi does not say he can win in 2010. I think he's referring to after Lance retires again.

Either way, at this stage of his career, Levi is closer to AC than Lance is, in terms of what they can do on the bike. The 2008 Vuelta was very close between the two, and Levi even sacrificed himself on one of the mountain stages to help AC, yet, still comes 2nd overall @ 45secs, or equal time excluding time bonuses.

I flirted with the idea on the forum a few months back, but I honestly think that if during the tour Lance realises he cannot beat AC, he would be more than happy for Levi to beat him. At this stage, the ex-Astana camp just do not want Conti on top.

I think Levi can win the Tour, I like the deisel type riders and if he can limit his time losses in the mountains then I see no reason why he can't take 2 mins on AC in the final TT.

 

[cyclegeek]

Really...

do we have to go through another year of you winers about how LANCE ARMSTRONG hands you your **** every year? Get over it, he plays you all like a fiddle, HA!

 

[kurtinsc]

Levi said when he signed with Radio, that he wants to win the tour and JBs team is the place he needs to be to do that.

Also in the article, Levi does not say he can win in 2010. I think he's referring to after Lance retires again.

Either way, at this stage of his career, Levi is closer to AC than Lance is, in terms of what they can do on the bike. The 2008 Vuelta was very close between the two, and Levi even sacrificed himself on one of the mountain stages to help AC, yet, still comes 2nd overall @ 45secs, or equal time excluding time bonuses.

I flirted with the idea on the forum a few months back, but I honestly think that if during the tour Lance realises he cannot beat AC, he would be more than happy for Levi to beat him. At this stage, the ex-Astana camp just do not want Conti on top.

I think Levi can win the Tour, I like the deisel type riders and if he can limit his time losses in the mountains then I see no reason why he can't take 2 mins on AC in the final TT.

Levi might be able to win the Tour if it had an additional 60km pancake flat TT.

This course... no, he can't win that. Neither can Lance unless he improves a lot from last year. Andy is the only shot as far as I can tell... maybe Basso if he gets some improvement from another year back from his "time off".

 

[Andrichuk]

2008 was 2 years ago, Levi is getting older and AC is getting closer to his Prime.

 

[Earth Tribe]

He's too inconsistent in the grand tours to ever win one. I don't think Lance has to worry.

 

[peloton]

Levi said when he signed with Radio, that he wants to win the tour and JBs team is the place he needs to be to do that.

Also in the article, Levi does not say he can win in 2010. I think he's referring to after Lance retires again.

Either way, at this stage of his career, Levi is closer to AC than Lance is, in terms of what they can do on the bike. The 2008 Vuelta was very close between the two, and Levi even sacrificed himself on one of the mountain stages to help AC, yet, still comes 2nd overall @ 45secs, or equal time excluding time bonuses.

Heh, where was Levi in the Giro 2008, the one AC won also?
Doing 2 GT in a year is an extreme physical feat, especially for a 25 y old and AC managed to win them both.

I think Levi will be pleased if he takes another Cali title.

 

[Anonymous]

Heh, where was Levi in the Giro 2008, the one AC won also?
Doing 2 GT in a year is an extreme physical feat, especially for a 25 y old and AC managed to win them both.

I think Levi will be pleased if he takes another Cali title.

Levi has finished 3 GTs behind AC winning, and two of them on the podium, yet you refer to the one GT he hadn't prepared for as your example for him not being there? Hmmm... I'd be more worried as to how AC won the Giro with no training...

Also in the 08 and 09 Giro, it is pretty clear that the Giro mountains are not suited to Levi's style, so it's hard to say that his 'bad' GT being the Giro reflects on his ability to win the Tour.

Levi might be able to win the Tour if it had an additional 60km pancake flat TT.

This course... no, he can't win that. Neither can Lance unless he improves a lot from last year. Andy is the only shot as far as I can tell... maybe Basso if he gets some improvement from another year back from his "time off".

I used the Vuelta example because of the TT comment. The Vuelta had only a 42km flat TT and the other TT was a hill climb, yet Levi was only 45sec behind AC even after he sacrificed himself on a mountain stage.

So, yes another 60km flat TT might help him, but his a better climber than people give him credit for and has shown in the Vuelta, where there is a high climbing to TT ratio, he has done very well.

The Vuelta is usually a climbers GT, much like next years Tour, so I think Levi is in with a shot of the podium, unless he fully sacrifices himself for Lance.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I find it funny because didn't Levi leave USPS after coming 3rd in the 01 or 02 Vuelta(Sorry for not knowing, but I know someone can tell me which one it was) because he wanted to be team leader at the TDF, but wouldn't at USPS due to some other guy being there, so what does he think has changed between now and then?

According to JB's book, levi asked to ride the tour and was shut down. he rode the vuelta and got 3rd behind Heras, so he left due to not getting enough opportunities. I don't see why he wants to win California for a 4th time. Why not ride the vuelta?

Levi isn't getting his fair share of leadership, but is now content or blinded by it.

 

[BikeCentric]

do we have to go through another year of you winers about how LANCE ARMSTRONG hands you your **** every year? Get over it, he plays you all like a fiddle, HA!

Based on this cyclegeek's statements here I suggest that the racers among us should perform the following experiment:

1.) Place 3rd in a local Cat 3, 4, or 5 race.

2.) Turn around while rolling across the line in 3rd and say to everyone behind you "how do you losers like THAT, I just played you all like a fiddle, HA!"

3.) Make the same statement while standing on the podium.

4.) Document the impact to your local social status among friends, team-mates, and competitors.

It's strange, I've placed 3rd 6 times now over the years and I learned early on that it's absolutely nothing to crow about. Yet Pharmstrong and his groupies think 3rd place gives them the right to actually talk trash! These are strange times we live in...

 

[racerralph]

Heh, where was Levi in the Giro 2008, the one AC won also?
Doing 2 GT in a year is an extreme physical feat, especially for a 25 y old and AC managed to win them both.

I think Levi will be pleased if he takes another Cali title.

That seems to be the only bone that dog needs each year. However, he better be afraid, very afraid. Andy Schleck just said he's thinking about making the trip to CA. this year. I'd wager if Andy does make that trip, it's going to spoil LL's whole year. Too bad. He's going to get what he deserves, which ain't much. How quickly he seems to have forgotten why he originally left USPS.

 

[hfer07]

Front page interview with Levi. Seems to think he can win a tour (nothing wrong there, good to set goals). But he seems to believe LA would work for him in the TDF if he's the strongest rider. Does anyone besides LL believe that?

Believe it or not, Alberto Contador himself in a recent interview (either Pro-cycling or Cycling sport) said that Levi "could potentially" win a tour "if" he had joined another team, acknowledging how close the race was against him on the 08 Vuelta,giving credit to his skills as a TTer and climbing capabilities.
but that's all gone since he bowed down his last years to LA-perhaps to somehow pick up the leftovers of the comeback.....

 

[Publicus]

Levi has finished 3 GTs behind AC winning, and two of them on the podium, yet you refer to the one GT he hadn't prepared for as your example for him not being there? Hmmm... I'd be more worried as to how AC won the Giro with no training...

Also in the 08 and 09 Giro, it is pretty clear that the Giro mountains are not suited to Levi's style, so it's hard to say that his 'bad' GT being the Giro reflects on his ability to win the Tour.



I used the Vuelta example because of the TT comment. The Vuelta had only a 42km flat TT and the other TT was a hill climb, yet Levi was only 45sec behind AC even after he sacrificed himself on a mountain stage.

So, yes another 60km flat TT might help him, but his a better climber than people give him credit for and has shown in the Vuelta, where there is a high climbing to TT ratio, he has done very well.

The Vuelta is usually a climbers GT, much like next years Tour, so I think Levi is in with a shot of the podium, unless he fully sacrifices himself for Lance.

I think all of what you are saying makes a ton of sense except we know that AC 2009 is an exponentially better rider than 2007 or 2008 AC (just look at his TT results and ability to sustain attacks in the mountains). So yes, Levi was able to stay close to AC in 2007 and 2008, but he never . . . what's the word I'm looking for here . . . beat him.

Just like Lance, Levi is moving past his prime. AC is moving into his prime. I expect that Levi will bury himself for Lance at next year's TdF and I don't think it is going to make a wit of difference in the outcome--except that Levi is probably going to be pretty spent by the time he gets to the final TT (which doesn't bode well for your prediction of him taking 2 minutes on AC).

 

[Publicus]

According to JB's book, levi asked to ride the tour and was shut down. he rode the vuelta and got 3rd behind Heras, so he left due to not getting enough opportunities. I don't see why he wants to win California for a 4th time. Why not ride the vuelta?

Levi isn't getting his fair share of leadership, but is now content or blinded by it.

He and Kloden lack that Alpha Dog trait necessary to be a GT winner (IMO). They have the talent but lack the heart.

 

[auscyclefan94]

What does a 4th Cali win do for his career?
It's different to a 4th tour win. It's nice to win but why not try to win a vuelta. I think he could do it.

 

[Publicus]

What does a 4th Cali win do for his career?
It's different to a 4th tour win. It's nice to win but why not try to win a vuelta. I think he could do it.

It's achievable and no one else can say that. Now what that means in the grand scheme of things is another matter all together.

Frankly, I think winning a 4th title is going to be difficult. The race isn't hidden at the beginning of the season any more when few are in form. Better weather and the chance to prep for the TdF means better talent. Frankly, I would love it if AC showed up.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It's achievable and no one else can say that. Now what that means in the grand scheme of things is another matter all together.

Frankly, I think winning a 4th title is going to be difficult. The race isn't hidden at the beginning of the season any more when few are in form. Better weather and the chance to prep for the TdF means better talent. Frankly, I would love it if AC showed up.

Are you American Publicus? Personally I would love AC to steal the LA and LL show and cream them all then peak too early for the tour (so evans can wiN) Publicus, i'm catching up to you in posts.

 

[BroDeal]

The 2008 Vuelta was very close between the two, and Levi even sacrificed himself on one of the mountain stages to help AC, yet, still comes 2nd overall @ 45secs, or equal time excluding time bonuses.
...
I think Levi can win the Tour, I like the deisel type riders and if he can limit his time losses in the mountains then I see no reason why he can't take 2 mins on AC in the final TT.

Contador's time trialing took a big step up this year, so using previous GTs when Leecheimer was close to Contador does not work.

 

[Publicus]

Are you American Publicus? Personally I would love AC to steal the LA and LL show and cream them all then peak too early for the tour (so evans can wiN)

I am and I live in the Bay Area. The Tour of California always comes through my neck of the woods.

As for AC showing up, I wouldn't expect him to try and win, but I think his presence alone would positively shake Radio Shack to the core. At least that's how it would play out in my head.

You know, January can't get here fast enough. I'm tired of all of this idle speculation.... I'm not, but dammit I want to see some racing.