I think Levi's deluding himself

[Alpe d'Huez]

It is strange how he's often said he wanted his own team, but when had it, he didn't focus, or deliver. And now, he's signed with RS, and willing to play second fiddle, while hoping the person ahead of him doesn't have it. I've always felt, and said, if he focused his entire season on the Giro or Vuelta (whichever has more TT, and less sharp climbs) and got a team to fully support that, he could win either. But I fear he just doesn't have the confidence or focus, is dreaming too much of the Tour, and is getting too old.

I agree that a 4th Cali title isn't assured, but it depends on who shows up and tries to win. He may focus his season on it.

Strangely enough though, he actually makes a little sense if you consider the style RS and JB are likely to employ. That is to set a train of riders setting a fast pace up every climb and allow attrition to weed everyone out, and do your best to outlast Berti, Andy, Frank, Basso, etc. It's how Lance won his last 4-5 Tours, with almost no attacking in the mountains. So if they try this, all he has to do is outlast Lance, and never attack him once. If you look at he 2009 season, it seems like he could do this in the 2010 Tour, and be ahead of Lance late in the race and lay claim to team leadership. Not that Lance would acquiesce.

Good point about AC showing up to the Tour of Cali, just showing up and having fun would definitely cause RS some consternation!

 

[Ferminal]

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!

Who is "you"? Are you referring to his "teammates"?

 

[auscyclefan94]

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.

Unfortunately for me the TDU is 900km away from where i live
Luckily the worlds are an 1-2 hour drive away from my place. i can't wait. What made you follow AC as rider coming from America?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Who is "you"? Are you referring to his "teammates"?

"you" is lance armstrong. he has loyal spies working for him in every forum and in every cycling media outlet. he's every where.

 

[Deagol]

wishful thinking letter of the year...


Dear Lance,

Would you ever consider helping Levi try to win the Tour this year instead of trying to win it yourself? You have won it 7 times, so what more could you possibly have to prove? Why does it always have to be about you? It might actually feel great to give all of yourself in helping a friend who has helped you in the past. Just think of the positive legacy that could leave in the hearts and minds of cycling fans. Dare I say it might be much more endearing than an eighth TDF title? At best, it would be a way to establish a "good guy" image and at worst, it might act as a bit of damage control. Levi seems like a nice guy.
- deluded fan

 

[Ripper]

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

His (Optimus) Prime

 

[Publicus]

Unfortunately for me the TDU is 900km away from where i live
Luckily the worlds are an 1-2 hour drive away from my place. i can't wait. What made you follow AC as rider coming from America?

That's easy. I got into cycling in 2004 during the historic portion of Lance's career and became a big fan of Lance and Disco. Once Lance left and stayed with Disco. In 2007 I watched Paris-Nice for the first time. AC's style of racing (panache) was so categorically different than the USPS/Disco train, that you had to stand up and take notice. That of course carried over to the TdF.

I've been a big fan ever since.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Levi drank the Kool Aid

One of the reasons Leipheimer has been so successful is that he was willing to peak and be in better shape than others in mid-February. In mid-May there will be a lot of guys with race miles in their legs and victories from earlier in the season. Will he be able to reach an even higher peak in May and hit that level again for the Tour?
It was this time last year Lance talked about being a super domestique and the best teammate Contador ever had. Big talk, lots of press, didn't happen in real life. (The same was true with the Don Catlin program that never happened, amd September 2008's promise to be totally open with the press no matter what turned into the Giro's no interviews, read my tweets & watch my video, Good luck with that. Welcome to 2009).
Levi won't be allowed to finish ahead of Lance. And if Lance is in a situation like Contador got criticized for last year, having a chance to attack and build time on opponents, is he really going to hold back in hopes of having Levi or Kloden with him on the podium? If you think it's going to happen, write it down, and read the note in mid-July. Cheers

 

[Escarabajo]

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?

Age.

....................................

 

[cyclegeek]

I new

a simple stir of the pot would bring the babies out, waaaaaa! 37 years old, hasn't raced in 3 years and they still wine, waaaaa! He must be dopin. Ha. He's just kickin **** and takin names. He owns you and you can't stand it!

 

[Polish]

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.

If I am not mistaken, frank and andy were here last year...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe0z_iU_0S4

 

[Ripper]

a simple stir of the pot would bring the babies out, waaaaaa! 37 years old, hasn't raced in 3 years and they still wine, waaaaa! He must be dopin. Ha. He's just kickin **** and takin names. He owns you and you can't stand it!

2 posts in and awesomely sarcastic, or awesomely ***. Either way entertaining, so well done

 

[cyclegeek]

Who is "you"? Are you referring to his "teammates"?

Only YOU know who YOU are!

 

[cyclegeek]

2 posts in and awesomely sarcastic, or awesomely ***. Either way entertaining, so well done

Awesomely ***.

 

[cyclegeek]

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...

Waaaaaa! I think I need my diaper changed!

 

[cyclegeek]

"you" is lance armstrong. he has loyal spies working for him in every forum and in every cycling media outlet. he's every where.

Oh my you have lost it! Spies? Your broken.

 

[Lifeshape]

"you" is lance armstrong. he has loyal spies working for him in every forum and in every cycling media outlet. he's every where.

Big Brother is watching/reading/commenting and Mod'ing? A little Orwellian or Stalinist don't you think? Unless... you are on his payroll...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Oh my you have lost it! Spies? Your broken.

that's coming from a person who has posted only 6 times and just joined in the past few days. You phucked in the head mate.

 

[cyclegeek]

that's coming from a person who has posted only 6 times and just joined in the past few days. You phucked in the head mate.

Waaaaaaa, can you change my diapers now? Please!

 

[Psalmon]

31 seconds.

That's the margin that put Levi in third in 2007. Looking at that Tour there were decisive moments where Levi may have stayed in contact or taken control, but watched the top step ride away.

I remember watching the Plateau de Beille stage when MR and AC furiously attacked each other, thinking, geez Levi you're watching the Tour ride away from you right here (as with Cadel). For whatever reason, physiology, development, focus, Levi just doesn't have any acceleration, which cost him 40 seconds that day (Cadel lost 1:52 there and got second by 26 seconds overall, umgph!).

Oddly, Levi then beat Contador by 9 seconds on the Aubisque 3 days later.

Levi also enigmatically won the final TT (by 2:18 over AC), but finished 8th (excluding a nitro'ed, bovine-steroid, horse-blood injected Vino ), giving 18 seconds to AC in the first TT, 1:25 down to Cadel (who was "2nd").

Throw in a mechanical to Tignes (gave up 29 seconds to AC that day) and you can see how "making the podium" 31 seconds down, after Chicken's unexpected departure, must both vex him every day, and remind him to always be 101% prepared.

That's not a totally delusional approach. LA won the 99 Tour over Zulle by 1:34 excluding the crash on the Gois (the second group lost 6:03!). He took only 1:06 in the two TTs and despite all the adulation, only 31 seconds to Sestriere. LA was clearly "prepared", but not necessarily by that much. However after 1999, nobody would have a shot at beating him until 2003.

AC's 2007 victory clarified his potential to win and weaknesses to improve. Count those now as complete. So Lance aside, a 2007-like opportunity won't likely come again for Levi. But the Tour is a race where anything can happen on any day, and if a July rainstorm and pave take out key contenders save a couple Levi could beat, it makes perfect sense to consider himself a contender and be prepared.

No go work this winter on some acceleration Levi, and show us what you got up to Bear. That will be one day you'll need it for sure if you really want #4.

 

[cyclegeek]

If Levi seriously wants to be considered for a TDF victory or podium he needs to re-evaluate his goals and the T of C should not be one. Also can't wait to see how the best rider in the world, AC, rides without team support. I would be suprised if Astana is even allowed to ride this year!

 

[Mellow Velo]

Another dellusional geriatric, hoping he can reverse the ravages of time.
The only difference being, poor Levi hasn't got any hard core fans prepared to theorise about his ability to massively improve, in the twilight of his career.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not convinced Levi can take the top spot on the podium in the TdF from AC or AS. He can certainly crack the Top 10, maybe even the Top 5 but like it was said earlier, he lacks the killer aceleration to keep up with the young guns. And just when you think he's got it he seems to crack.

AC has just improved his all-around game so much it'll be hard to beat him if he has the team to support him, which I think he does, and he doesn't make stoopid mental mistakes.

 

[forumlurker]

If Levi seriously wants to be considered for a TDF victory or podium he needs to re-evaluate his goals and the T of C should not be one. Also can't wait to see how the best rider in the world, AC, rides without team support. I would be suprised if Astana is even allowed to ride this year!

he did pretty well in 2009 without team support

 

[BYOP88]

31 seconds.

That's the margin that put Levi in third in 2007. Looking at that Tour there were decisive moments where Levi may have stayed in contact or taken control, but watched the top step ride away.

I remember watching the Plateau de Beille stage when MR and AC furiously attacked each other, thinking, geez Levi you're watching the Tour ride away from you right here (as with Cadel). For whatever reason, physiology, development, focus, Levi just doesn't have any acceleration, which cost him 40 seconds that day (Cadel lost 1:52 there and got second by 26 seconds overall, umgph!).

Oddly, Levi then beat Contador by 9 seconds on the Aubisque 3 days later.

Levi also enigmatically won the final TT (by 2:18 over AC), but finished 8th (excluding a nitro'ed, bovine-steroid, horse-blood injected Vino ), giving 18 seconds to AC in the first TT, 1:25 down to Cadel (who was "2nd").

Throw in a mechanical to Tignes (gave up 29 seconds to AC that day) and you can see how "making the podium" 31 seconds down, after Chicken's unexpected departure, must both vex him every day, and remind him to always be 101% prepared.

That's not a totally delusional approach. LA won the 99 Tour over Zulle by 1:34 excluding the crash on the Gois (the second group lost 6:03!). He took only 1:06 in the two TTs and despite all the adulation, only 31 seconds to Sestriere. LA was clearly "prepared", but not necessarily by that much. However after 1999, nobody would have a shot at beating him until 2003.

AC's 2007 victory clarified his potential to win and weaknesses to improve. Count those now as complete. So Lance aside, a 2007-like opportunity won't likely come again for Levi. But the Tour is a race where anything can happen on any day, and if a July rainstorm and pave take out key contenders save a couple Levi could beat, it makes perfect sense to consider himself a contender and be prepared.

No go work this winter on some acceleration Levi, and show us what you got up to Bear. That will be one day you'll need it for sure if you really want #4.

That pretty much sums up Levi. With a bit of luck he may have won the 07 Tour but he didn't and that was his final chance. Also in the 1st or 2nd mountain stage of that Tour didn't Contador have a mechanical too, got dropped from the group he was in, started going again when the group Levi was in joined up with him and then Contador rode away from that group.