LA returning to "traditional preparation"

[Kimono]

I used to really like LA but for me his act has finally jumped the shark. It's been a time coming, beginning with the Hollywood phase he entered when he and wife Kik split ways. When I see LA now I see Joe Montana in Kansas City Chiefs garb or Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform ... a man living on former glory who can't let go of the applause, the accolades, the locker room, etc.

It won't matter if Lance moves to the mountains of France, trains every bloody day there, and becomes a resident sherpa. It's over for him; the train has left the station; etc. etc. Even as late as this year I wanted LA to win the TDF but by the 1st mountain stage it was obvious that Contador was far superior. For that matter it was obvious that Contador was toying with everyone, including AS. I believe AC could easily have put at least another minute or two into the field if he had wanted to.

It's just pathetic now with Lance and yes, if LA wants to make a fool of himself that's his business and yes, I also know that he doesn't give a damn about what I think. I'm just writing this as someone who was inspired by LA to get off of my mountain bike 8 years ago, go on the road, become a cycling fan, etc.

Please Lance, go retire try to regain some dignity. Radio Shack... Good grief

 

[bianchigirl]

Oh, he'll ride the Tour of California - after all, he has far more chance of winning there and we all know a win in the ToC will be perceived as far superior to a win at the Giro

 

[fpcyclingn]

I used to really like LA but for me his act has finally jumped the shark. It's been a time coming, beginning with the Hollywood phase he entered when he and wife Kik split ways. When I see LA now I see Joe Montana in Kansas City Chiefs garb or Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform ... a man living on former glory who can't let go of the applause, the accolades, the locker room, etc.

It won't matter if Lance moves to the mountains of France, trains every bloody day there, and becomes a resident sherpa. It's over for him; the train has left the station; etc. etc. Even as late as this year I wanted LA to win the TDF but by the 1st mountain stage it was obvious that Contador was far superior. For that matter it was obvious that Contador was toying with everyone, including AS. I believe AC could easily have put at least another minute or two into the field if he had wanted to.

It's just pathetic now with Lance and yes, if LA wants to make a fool of himself that's his business and yes, I also know that he doesn't give a damn about what I think. I'm just writing this as someone who was inspired by LA to get off of my mountain bike 8 years ago, go on the road, become a cycling fan, etc.

Please Lance, go retire try to regain some dignity. Radio Shack... Good grief

Can you stop talking? You are a nobody. LA takes a podium last year after some **** training but you treat him like he's washed up?

Maybe he really, really enjoys cycling.. and has all his life. Unlike douche bags like you who got into the sport for the flash and glam.

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.

 

[ruamruam]

Can you stop talking? You are a nobody. LA takes a podium last year after some **** training but you treat him like he's washed up?

Maybe he really, really enjoys cycling.. and has all his life. Unlike douche bags like you who got into the sport for the flash and glam.

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.

Please tell how you really feel!!!!

 

[Hugh Januss]

Can you stop talking? You are a nobody. LA takes a podium last year after some **** training but you treat him like he's washed up?

Maybe he really, really enjoys cycling.. and has all his life. Unlike douche bags like you who got into the sport for the flash and glam.

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.[/QUOTE]

If by that you meant "maybe I'll drop in next month to show how *** I still am" don't put yourself out, we'll just assume nothing has changed.

 

[Skip Madness]

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.

It's curious how when other people come posting here on an internet forum they are all internet rejects, and yet when you come posting here to tell them all that (over and over again) you aren't. I'd like to know the secret. Do tell.

 

[pedaling squares]

... Andy Schleck just followed Contador's lead pretty much.

Did we watch the same tour? I swear that I saw Andy attacking many times, sometimes putting Contador into difficulty and often blowing up the rest of the lead group. I'll have to watch that Ventoux stage again, I must have mistaken Andy for someone else.

Funny to hear Armstrong pretend to be confused if he should ride the Giro or the ToC. He says the Giro is great preparation for the Tour......if that is true I wonder why he never rode it prior to this year?

The answer it obvious, which ever race gives him the most $$$ to show up gets Armstrong and his groupies......that there are no Radio Shack stores in Italy doesn't seem to factor into his decision making.

Exactly. The Giro is apparently great preparation for being dragged onto the 3rd step of the podium. Now, that is a fantastic performance considering his age and layoff, but a return to his prior preparation makes sense. I plan on being at the ATOC this year, and I hope that Armstrong chooses to go to Italy. I want to watch the best riders, and I include him in that list, but not at the expense of watching part race, part circus. He won't be able to convince them to put a TTT into a one week stage race, so hopefully the Giro throws one in.

 

[cyclelicious]

He obviously touched a nerve.

 

[Digger]

Can you stop talking? You are a nobody. LA takes a podium last year after some **** training but you treat him like he's washed up?

Maybe he really, really enjoys cycling.. and has all his life. Unlike douche bags like you who got into the sport for the flash and glam.

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.

Aside from your insults, do you have anything of note to add to the argument? You're a Lance fan I take it.

 

[Galic Ho]

Lance may have lost a little edge due to age but in 2010 he will have motivation, money, a good DS, team support, a chip on his shoulder, et cetera. I think he'll make it interesting.

I really hope Lance, Alberto, Andy, and Brad stay healthy, satisfy the testers, and find teams in some cases, so we can see the full drama play out.

I just threw up in my mouth!!! Just kidding, but your first paragrpah creates the image in my head. Motivation. No juicing. Fully squeezed till the pharmicist is run dry. Wiggins? WTF? He needs the juice too, he was looking gaunt with all that weight loss. Contador will smack LA's Texan **** all over the Alps and Pyrenees. I wonder whether Lance will cry? Heck will Levi have to vacate and make way for the King, whom he is better than now? Yep. Kloden is in position to lay down and play the submissive role after dropping by Freidburg University to see the vampire. Yeah, everything is underway, even the mind games, which didn't work this year when they could sabotage Contador (proximity), good luck Bruyneel planning the coup next year...wait Lance is doing that again, the jack of all trades. Give the man a shovel and he keeps digging. Is that a Texan trait?

Race Radio and bianchigirl have it figured out. It's the dollars. After Lance and the Milan issue, RCS Sport won't take him back. Heck they were rumoured to have forked up $2 million to get him there, why burn money for an ungrateful and at times moody juvenile racer who won't take the event seriously? I seriously doubt the Italians are collectively that stupid, but if he does race in Italy the line of free credit won't be extended (another rumour I heard is the race director considered it an abysmal waste this year given the performance and behaviour). The Californian's would sell their souls to get LA to race. He is the epitome of all that state represents and thus everything that is wrong with it. Perfect match. Maybe the sponsor can provide some of their epo product as a bonus?

 

[Hugh Januss]

Aside from your insults, do you have anything of note to add to the argument?

I don't think that was his aim. I think he just wanted to see how many of us he could catch with his troll bait. At that he did real good!

 

[British Pro Cycling]

I hope he does the Giro because I could easily see him winning that this time around. He's certainly going to be better than last time given all the factors at play. But my head tells me the sponsers will lay down the law.

 

[Anonymous]

Lance may have lost a little edge due to age but in 2010 he will have motivation, money, a good DS, team support, a chip on his shoulder, et cetera. I think he'll make it interesting.

I really hope Lance, Alberto, Andy, and Brad stay healthy, satisfy the testers, and find teams in some cases, so we can see the full drama play out.

I don't. I hope Armstrong is the only one of them busted for doping. I hope the rest of them dope and that Armstrong knows it while he is being run out of cycling. I hope they send him pictures of themselves hooked up to bags of blood, smiling at him with a mocking look in their eyes. I hope that kids everywhere will take their yellow Nike products and throw them in the trash. I hope that his twitter followers are reduced to 3. I could go on, but...

 

[peloton]

Can you stop talking? You are a nobody. LA takes a podium last year after some **** training but you treat him like he's washed up?

Maybe he really, really enjoys cycling.. and has all his life. Unlike douche bags like you who got into the sport for the flash and glam.

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.

bye, you are ignored.

 

[BigBoat]

Most importantly...He is BUYING all the good TTT riders like he had with Astana and this will win him teh Tour in the TTT if they run it again which they likely will. good TT riders juiced properly, and Hincapie is good for pacelines because he's so tall as is Kloden.

Lance will be in better shape next year without breaking a leg or his back... It takes a year or so to get into full shape when you've been out for that long. And I'm talking about his mental ability too, to stay focused and ride the TTs all out.

What I want to see happen is for the organizers to stop one of the mountain stages at 50k in, allow the riders to sit then take little 4cc blood samples from the top 20 or so in G.C.... And get crit values to see where they really are without plasma volume and saline. That surely wont happen though.

 

[British Pro Cycling]

Most importantly...He is BUYING all the good TTT riders and this will win him teh Tour in the TTT if they run it again which they likely will. good TT riders juiced properly, and Hincapie is good for pacelines because he's so tall as is Kloden.

I hope they don't run a TTT again. Evans would be completely fcuked.

 

[cromagnon]

When I see LA now I see Joe Montana in Kansas City Chiefs garb or Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform ... a man living on former glory who can't let go of the applause, the accolades, the locker room, etc.

I'm not a fan just pointing out the analogy would hold up had he not gotten a podium at the Tour. Most great riders never get that far in their career, he comes back and 1st time delivers.

Maybe when you're older if you are still fit and healthy you will think "why the hell should I not do what I've enjoyed doing my whole life?". Being forced or pressured to behave a certain way because of "age" is a bunch of BS. My uncle has the heart of an 18 year old according to his doctor because he didn't hang the bike up for no good reason. He looks younger than my dad who is 10 years younger than him yet people in the family make comments about him "trying to act young" blah blah. Sad small minded tossers.

 

[egtalbot]

Most importantly...He is BUYING all the good TTT riders like he had with Astana and this will win him teh Tour in the TTT if they run it again which they likely will. good TT riders juiced properly, and Hincapie is good for pacelines because he's so tall as is Kloden.

I thought Hincapie was going with BMC?

 

[Anonymous]

well if hes up to no good in the mountains hes up to the same as everybody else... he wasnt caught with anything this year, others where, no doubt next year he wont be caught with anything, others will, yet he will remain the dirtiest man in the pelaton...

im no lover or fanboy, but i dont have the energy to be any more doubtful of him than of anybody else...

one thing i do know, is it wouldnt surprise me if he won next year, saxo dont have the support for baby schleck, and AC without JB has the tactical nous of a kipper...

personally im more worried hoping that bmc get invited to PR and big george gets another try... yes.. i do admit to being a hincapie fanboy..

 

[Galic Ho]

Most importantly...He is BUYING all the good TTT riders like he had with Astana and this will win him teh Tour in the TTT if they run it again which they likely will. good TT riders juiced properly, and Hincapie is good for pacelines because he's so tall as is Kloden.

Lance will be in better shape next year without breaking a leg or his back... It takes a year or so to get into full shape when you've been out for that long. And I'm talking about his mental ability too, to stay focused and ride the TTs all out.

Ok now you're being stupid or haven't been reading the news updates. TTT and buying riders? Hincapie is riding for BMC so he won't help. Kloden, Horner and Levi are all pushing over 35, heck there will be 3 plus 36 year olds. Drugs or not the jokes and flak they'll cop will sting those over developed egos and eat at the low self esteem from seeing AS and AC power away in the mountains. When Contador goes to Caisse, he will loose very little time in the TTT, they set the fastest initial time this year and were within a minute and a half (without Valverde and AC) of Astana. Put the 5 minute deficit aside and the truth is LA still won't catch Contador even if he gains 3 minutes in a TTT. Do you expect the ASO to incorporate a 60 km TTT for Lance? Strategy going to help? Don't make me laugh, a toddler can manage the school playground with more tactical nous than the pro peloton was dictated to this year by Astana. Contador has the Shack's number and LA is already bluffing. I'm not buying any of it. Neither should anyone but BigBoats explanation. Drugs only do soo much, he reached the limit this year. LA can't use EPO doses large enough to bridge the gap, story over. Rest of the stuff will be the same.

I will agree about the ITT bit he looked scrappy this year. But it was his technique not the rigors of the 'new' program. He looked similar in the hills. AC on the other hand looked as close as one can get to fluid, smooth and nearly flawless. LA will be lucky to make the top 5. He better hope Levi hurts something or he'll beaten by another team mate.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Can you stop talking? You are a nobody. LA takes a podium last year after some **** training but you treat him like he's washed up?

Maybe he really, really enjoys cycling.. and has all his life. Unlike douche bags like you who got into the sport for the flash and glam.

But have fun joining the rest of the internet rejects here, having your daily water-cooler conversation with each other about the perceived drama.

Maybe I'll drop in next month to tell you all how *** you all are again, just in case you forgot.

I know what else he really enjoys doing. D_ _ _ _ g

 

[BroDeal]

well if hes up to no good in the mountains hes up to the same as everybody else... he wasnt caught with anything this year, others where, no doubt next year he wont be caught with anything, others will, yet he will remain the dirtiest man in the pelaton...

im no lover or fanboy, but i dont have the energy to be any more doubtful of him than of anybody else...

one thing i do know, is it wouldnt surprise me if he won next year, saxo dont have the support for baby schleck, and AC without JB has the tactical nous of a kipper...

I want some of what he is drinking, although I am afraid of what the long term effects of that Kool Aid might be.

Armstrong's blood profile for this year shows evidence of transfusions. He hid from the testers on several occasions. He is a proved doper with six positives for EPO, and there is no indication that he has changed one bit.

Armstrong could not even come close to Contador in the ITTs, a discipline that should not have been affected much by his age. He placed 16th in the Annecy time trial, a bare fifteen seconds ahead of Andy Schleck.

 

[British Pro Cycling]

Galic Ho, you would agree that Armstrong is likely to be better next year than last? That stands to reason given that he only recently came out of retirement. It usually takes a couple of years of competition for GC guys to get back to the heights of where they were. That is normal. The problem he will have, though, is it's a moving target - others will improve as well - and his age will be an increasing factor. I'd still bet on him making the podium though which at 38 would still be pretty good.

My view is he should seriously target another grand tour. I think he would have a better chance of winning than the tour and it would be a lovely way for him to round off his amazing career.

 

[British Pro Cycling]

Ignoring the unfounded first part of your post....

Armstrong could not even come close to Contador in the ITTs, a discipline that should not have been affected much by his age. He placed 16th in the Annecy time trial, a bare fifteen seconds ahead of Andy Schleck.

Losing weight quickly tends to lower your power. He should see his power go up next year. Ideally you already need to be at the peak of fitness before you start losing weight, not doing both at the same time, but you can't do that in the space of a year. But with Contador beating Cancellara in the TT (that gets more amazing the more you think about it) he will unlikely best him.

Really we just don't know what could happen though.

 

[BigBoat]

Ok now you're being stupid or haven't been reading the news updates. TTT and buying riders? Hincapie is riding for BMC so he won't help. Kloden, Horner and Levi are all pushing over 35, heck there will be 3 plus 36 year olds. Drugs or not the jokes and flak they'll cop will sting those over developed egos and eat at the low self esteem from seeing AS and AC power away in the mountains. When Contador goes to Caisse, he will loose very little time in the TTT, they set the fastest initial time this year and were within a minute and a half (without Valverde and AC) of Astana. Put the 5 minute deficit aside and the truth is LA still won't catch Contador even if he gains 3 minutes in a TTT. Do you expect the ASO to incorporate a 60 km TTT for Lance? Strategy going to help? Don't make me laugh, a toddler can manage the school playground with more tactical nous than the pro peloton was dictated to this year by Astana. Contador has the Shack's number and LA is already bluffing. I'm not buying any of it. Neither should anyone but BigBoats explanation. Drugs only do soo much, he reached the limit this year. LA can't use EPO doses large enough to bridge the gap, story over. Rest of the stuff will be the same.

I will agree about the ITT bit he looked scrappy this year. But it was his technique not the rigors of the 'new' program. He looked similar in the hills. AC on the other hand looked as close as one can get to fluid, smooth and nearly flawless. LA will be lucky to make the top 5. He better hope Levi hurts something or he'll beaten by another team mate.

Well...I dont know about that. Just because Lance has older TT specialists on his team doesnt mean their going to be any slower. Age doesnt slow you down that much really. It really depends on genetics and how much V02 max drops... I race guys that are pushing 50 that ride just a level or two below what they had at their primes. One cat 1 rider who's over 40, he TTs faster than he did when he was 30.

At 35 Levi can still ride very close to his prime, Lance a fair bit below. But "Lancer" wouldnt continue on riding the Tour if he didnt want to win again. I think Lance could be the first 40 year old Tour winner, sounds like I'm "nuts" and all and havnt been reading the news. Which is true, I havnt been reading the news. But...This is Lance and Dr. Ferrari tag team were talking about...LOL, and the strongest team in the history of mankind for the TTT.

And the UCI governing body is corrupt "to the core" and look the other way in the morning while the riders are back getting "slammed" with saline and plasma. Under those conditions, its possible for a 38+ year old to still win.