Lance sure blows as a team mate.

[StyrbjornSterki]

...Levi and Company knew what they were getting into.

They're all suffering from the Stockholm Syndrome.

 

[HL2037]

He owns the team. He can do what he wants. Levi and Company knew what they were getting into.

He doesn't own the race. His team has been invited, and this is how he shows his gratitude.

 

[Lajeretta4Ever]

He doesn't own the race. His team has been invited, and this is how he shows his gratitude.

He is still beating 100+ riders a day. He also put in a pretty good showing during Stage 15. Stop obsessing over him. We have a really good race going on and is is just a side show.

 

[Bob Sanders]

Lance has already had his farewell-tour once, in 2005. I don't care if he is winning or losing as long as he is honoring the race by at least making an effort. Look at Cadel Evans. He has no chance in this race anymore, still he fights everyday to limit his losses.

Look at Vacansoleil. Don't you think Brice and Roman Feillu would have loved to have the chance to give it their all on these stages? But they had to stay home to make space for Lance and his team.

And at the first sign that he won't be able to totally dominate, he loses interest completely. Sits back and talks about beer and pizza. Can't be bothered to help his teammate who is in top ten. Won't even attempt to win an etape.

It doesn't matter how old you are or how many times you won. If you are not going to take it serious, then stay home and let more motivated riders have the chance.

Are you contending that team in the lead of Team GC isn't good enough to be in the race and is only there because of Lance's name? LULZ Shack has other riders with very good history at the tour. He is just a bonus.

 

[HL2037]

He is still beating 100+ riders a day. He also put in a pretty good showing during Stage 15. Stop obsessing over him. We have a really good race going on and is is just a side show.

These 100+ are riders who have actually worked for their leader or been in a breakaway. Who have contributed something to the race.

 

[HL2037]

Are you contending that team in the lead of Team GC isn't good enough to be in the race and is only there because of Lance's name? LULZ Shack has other riders with very good history at the tour. He is just a bonus.

I know that american broadcasters are telling you all kinds of stories, but the fact is that nobody really cares about "the all important team GC". It's the one you go after when there is no chance in grand classement or points or mountain competitions or for a stage victory, and you need something for the sponsors.

Not even Footon Servetto are aiming for the team competition. A team of tour debutants, and they still are almost allways in the breakaway. Because even a decent attempt at a stage victory gives more respect than going for team GC.

EDIT: About the other Shack riders, as your college pointed out above, they are Lances property. The only history they have in the tour is serving as his personal slaves.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

He is still beating 100+ riders a day....

There's more than 100+ domestiques still in the race, too. Unlike His Lanceness, they don't get paid to win, the get paid to support. Pretty faint praise that they're all he can manage to beat.

 

[Big GMaC]

Oopshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1xweKPpfY0

 

[eztarget]

Lance has already had his farewell-tour once, in 2005. I don't care if he is winning or losing as long as he is honoring the race by at least making an effort. Look at Cadel Evans. He has no chance in this race anymore, still he fights everyday to limit his losses.

Look at Vacansoleil. Don't you think Brice and Roman Feillu would have loved to have the chance to give it their all on these stages? But they had to stay home to make space for Lance and his team.

And at the first sign that he won't be able to totally dominate, he loses interest completely. Sits back and talks about beer and pizza. Can't be bothered to help his teammate who is in top ten. Won't even attempt to win an etape.

It doesn't matter how old you are or how many times you won. If you are not going to take it serious, then stay home and let more motivated riders have the chance.

Great post. I'm a huge LA fan but like I said earlier he should have stayed retired. He proved last year that he could hang with the young new guys. I'm willing to bet he didn't prepare for this year's race like he did in the past.

 

[Big GMaC]

Great post. I'm a huge LA fan but like I said earlier he should have stayed retired. He proved last year that he could hang with the young new guys. I'm willing to bet he didn't prepare for this year's race like he did in the past.

I think we can be quite sure of that

 

[SilentAssassin]

Lance is having a bad tour. He never really recovered after that bad crash. But his exposure in this year's tour gives Americans a reason to watch.

 

[reigarc]

yea, c'mon the man's almost 40 y/o. He prepared well, he expected to go better than last year. he didn't expect to blow up like he did.

he deserves some respect for not dropping out, he ain't one of the 100s of other cyclists, he actually won 7 times, world champion at 22, cancer survivor, etc.

this interview shows a different side, before he won tdf

http://www.worldsport.tv/#browse/by_genre/interviews?id=1_213

 

[MinusOne]

You are not very bright, are you? He never attacked because he NEVER allowed them to get in position for a stage win until 2004 or 2005. And Hincappie won a mountain stage in 2005; Lance "took" a win from Kloden in 2004 when Lance had wanted Floyd Landis to win the stage.

Do you think that lance's teammates in his seven victories did not know who hired them and exactly what they were supposed to do during the Tour? They must have known that they were expected to give everything for Lance's victory, and could only race for themselves when that victory was assured.

In 2004, Lance tried very hard to get Floyd a victory, but Floyd was to burnt and Kloden and Ullrich too strong. So rather than let Kloden win, lance took it himself. Not unexpected or unjustified. Versus just replayed this stage last night - there was no way that Floyd had the legs at the end to win.

Last year did suck for Contador, having the second strongest man on the team working for himself and only a little for Contador. This year, lance has nothing in the tank from what I can see. I just don't see all the criticism - its not like he has the form to help Levi, and no one else on the team does either. This sucks fro Levi but its not like he would be putting the big hurt on Contador anyway. Levi was always riding for a fifth through tenth spot at the very best.

 

[rata de sentina]

Lance has already had his farewell-tour once, in 2005. I don't care if he is winning or losing as long as he is honoring the race by at least making an effort. Look at Cadel Evans. He has no chance in this race anymore, still he fights everyday to limit his losses.

I have to say there is a bit of a contrast. CE is sweating blood and yoyos off the back when he goes. Even today he rode in on his own rather than drop back to a group. On stage 14 I was really surprised that he only lost a few minutes to AC and AS considering he was dropped on the penultimate climb. LA just lets go when he's had enough, gets in a group and cruises. Fair enough he had a crash and lost his motivation, even though I don't think he had the form anyway, but with the talk of pizzas, beer and beaches he is being a bit disrespectful.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Lance ridicules the tour that's also why he gets booed so much. he shoudl've quit en took the beating like a man instead of dropping at every moment and laughing in the camera's as if this is all one big joke. yes it is becoming a joke as soon as that dopehead gets put in jail.

 

[Roland Rat]

I have to say there is a bit of a contrast. CE is sweating blood and yoyos off the back when he goes. Even today he rode in on his own rather than drop back to a group. On stage 14 I was really surprised that he only lost a few minutes to AC and AS considering he was dropped on the penultimate climb. LA just lets go when he's had enough, gets in a group and cruises. Fair enough he had a crash and lost his motivation, even though I don't think he had the form anyway, but with the talk of pizzas, beer and beaches he is being a bit disrespectful.

LA probably doesn't want to show himself suffering like a dog to come in 5 minutes behind the contenders, and would rather come in 10 minutes down while making it look like he's not making much of an effort. I'd also bet that when the camera's are on him, he's making it look easier than when they're not.

 

[Benotti69]

LA probably doesn't want to show himself suffering like a dog to come in 5 minutes behind the contenders, and would rather come in 10 minutes down while making it look like he's not making much of an effort. I'd also bet that when the camera's are on him, he's making it look easier than when they're not.

yeah, i reckon when the camera's are there he is forcing a smile for the folks back home to make it look easy, almost like if he tried he could win, but he's hurt from the 'millions' crashes that the other keep causing But you know i don't think he can come in 5 mins down even if he wanted, more like 9mins...he is trying then the camera pops up and its all smiles and as soon as the camera moves on he is grimacing

 

[Angliru]

Laughing stock? Whatever.

BTW - LA came back last year. For those who may have forgotten, he raced a pretty good race.

As for AC, didn't he attack Vino a couple days ago only to see Vino lose the stage to someone else by 8 seconds?

No, actually he responded to a dangerous attack by Joaquin Rodriguez, a rider well known for being quite good on steep grades like the one they were climbing. Rodriguez would've caught Vino anyway. It was better that there be 2 Astana riders at that point when the catch occurred than just Vino and Rodriguez, especially with Vino having spent so much time in the break suffering. There was always the chance Vino could've latched on when the catch was made but virtually no chance that he would have enough left in the take to win the sprint. And it was 4 seconds by the way. With Astana's primary goal being winning the Tour, it would seem regaining the 10 seconds that Contador lost to AS was a pretty good result.

Regarding Armstrong, we know he came back motivated by the fact that Sastre had won the 2008 Tour. It gave him the belief that getting his 8th Tour win would be a cakewalk versus, in his estimation, such mediocre talent. Also the fact that he was joining the same team as the sport's top stage racer, with the likely belief that he would bow down to his greatness and support his goal of a triumphant return, he figured he had neutralized the only rider that would be a threat.

 

[Angliru]

That's fine. But Lance gave some stages away (e.g. to Pantini). He also wanted Hincapie to win a stage, but took it from Kloden (no gifts).

Anyways, you bring up good points, but I don't ever recall LA attacking his own teammate who was set for a stage win.

He.....didn't....attack....his....own...teammate.

Is it no gifts or gifts?

It's always nice to gift a stage to another proud champion and then tell the media afterwards that you gifted the stage just to show what a class act you are.

 

[kurtinsc]

I have to say there is a bit of a contrast. CE is sweating blood and yoyos off the back when he goes. Even today he rode in on his own rather than drop back to a group. On stage 14 I was really surprised that he only lost a few minutes to AC and AS considering he was dropped on the penultimate climb. LA just lets go when he's had enough, gets in a group and cruises. Fair enough he had a crash and lost his motivation, even though I don't think he had the form anyway, but with the talk of pizzas, beer and beaches he is being a bit disrespectful.

I don't know if he had the climbing ability anymore to keep up... but his prologue showing suggests his form was at least decent. He doesn't have the best TT position and hasn't done anything to suggest he could ride a prologue like that this year. While he wasn't going to win the Tour... that ride suggested he might have had the form for a podium spot.

 

[rata de sentina]

I don't know if he had the climbing ability anymore to keep up... but his prologue showing suggests his form was at least decent. He doesn't have the best TT position and hasn't done anything to suggest he could ride a prologue like that this year. While he wasn't going to win the Tour... that ride suggested he might have had the form for a podium spot.

I'm afraid I can't agree. I really don't see how you can equate a decent prologue performance with good overall form for the rest of the race and I think the evidence supports me. I thought the people who said that at the time were being silly and that's been subsequently shown. The people who do well in the prologue are those who try the hardest, ie those with GC ambitions, those who want to win the prologue and those who might harbour ambitions of getting the yellow jersey for a few early days.