Lance's crash yesterday

[SoNiK4]

Say what you want but Lance hit down yesterday pretty damn hard, good on him for finishing the stage. Did he possibly clip the curb as well?

Video of the crash: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHBftK8okyA

 

[red_flanders]

He said he clipped the curb, causing the crash.

 

[forty four]

he did go down pretty hard i would rather he was beaten because someone else was better as opposed to flats and crashes. every ones luck runs out sometime he had great fortune for 7 wins thats life.

 

[SoNiK4]

He said he clipped the curb, causing the crash.

I was more referring to when he crashed...looking at him sliding across the road he looked pretty close to the curb, just wondered if he may have hit is as well.

 

[SoNiK4]

he did go down pretty hard i would rather he was beaten because someone else was better as opposed to flats and crashes. every ones luck runs out sometime he had great fortune for 7 wins thats life.

Totally agree.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm wondering if the non-racing pressures have LA distracted. He's been on the deck this year more than I can remember. Flandis drops his bomb and LA crashes out of ToC. The following investigation starts to pick up steam along with the WSJ articles and LA clips a curb?

I don't recall aything even remotely close to this going on during his run. Is it just bad luck or is his mind elsewhere?

 

[perico]

I think old age has robbed him of some of his reflexes and agility, which is not surprising, especially considering that he spent 3 years out of the peloton.

 

[riobonito92]

When you're under pressure you crash more. You take more risks, ride closer to the guy in front, lose concentration more easily. Many riders crash when they move up a level and are out of their depth.

When you get older, the reflexes go. Suddenly you hit the deck when, in an identical sitatuation two year's before you would have avoided the crash. I cannot believe that a stronger, fitter, younger Armstrong would have had been on the road in the same situation as in both of the last two crashes.

 

[max_powers]

I'm wondering if the non-racing pressures have LA distracted. He's been on the deck this year more than I can remember. Flandis drops his bomb and LA crashes out of ToC. The following investigation starts to pick up steam along with the WSJ articles and LA clips a curb?

I don't recall aything even remotely close to this going on during his run. Is it just bad luck or is his mind elsewhere?

Agreed, that seemed a mental error, amateurs clip pedals, but legends do fall

 

[tifosa]

I don't recall aything even remotely close to this going on during his run. Is it just bad luck or is his mind elsewhere?

Armstrong is preoccupied. Cycling pressures are one thing; the collapse of Armstrong's dynasty is something COMPLETELY different.

I believe he knows the jig is up.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

When Texarse was winning his Tours, his 'well-prepared' USPS team dominated the front centre of the road, keeping wonderboy way out of the crash zone. Team Rat Shyte can't manage to do that anymore. Makes for less boring and predictable racing, too.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Well, at least Lance scored a gold watch at this year's tour. So it's not a total loss.

 

[phlatties]

unfortunately this ain't rock n roll where a reunion or farewell tour might yield success. the older i get the better i was. pinned then fail sucks for all.

 

[Aristarchus]

When Texarse was winning his Tours, his 'well-prepared' USPS team dominated the front centre of the road, keeping wonderboy way out of the crash zone. Team Rat Shyte can't manage to do that anymore. Makes for less boring and predictable racing, too.

He couldn't actually keep up with everyone in his team (Levi), in this case.

 

[offbyone]

Lance doesn't seem to have the form to overcome all his bad luck. That said, like some of the other posters, I think it is unfortunate to see him dropped out of the GC this way. He may have gotten ridden off of wheels either way, but it is hard to know now.

 

[eleven]

In keeping with the board theme, it's readily apparent that he crashed out on purpose, just like he did at the Tour of California.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Lance doesn't seem to have the form to overcome all his bad luck. That said, like some of the other posters, I think it is unfortunate to see him dropped out of the GC this way. He may have gotten ridden off of wheels either way, but it is hard to know now.

Not really. He came back to the group, then was summarily dropped.
He did the same with Zulle and Mayo. F*** him. Let him go back to Michelob Ultra commercials and tweeting his solo exploits on the Col de Madeleine. Yeah, he's ready. Ready to get served a nice foot in his a$$.

 

[flicker]

Armstrong is preoccupied. Cycling pressures are one thing; the collapse of Armstrong's dynasty is something COMPLETELY different.

I believe he knows the jig is up.

In your dreams Tifosa. Is that singular fem. for tifosi. He crashed because he was probably tired. Floyd and the WSJ article are not a factor. Simply tabloid journalism. If the WSJ was a for real newspaper they would shut up and let the authorities do their job.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, at least Lance scored a gold watch at this year's tour. So it's not a total loss.

Nope. It sold on ebay yesterday. It was inscribed "form Alberto with love."

 

[131313]

If the WSJ was a for real newspaper they would shut up and let the authorities do their job.

Can you be any more ridiculous? They're reporting on a story. It's newsworthy?

As far as "letting the authorities do their job", when the accusations of collusion extent to the authorities who are supposed to be policing the sport, then the role of news organizations is even more important. And keep in mind, without Flandis' allegations there would be no federal investigation?

You're being completely ridiculous.

As far as the crash... Sometimes, and ink spot is just an ink spot... He clipped a pedal. He's probably come within millimeters of having it happen before. Sometimes math bites you in the behind. I saw an old Tour video where, on a nondescript descent Indurain loses his back wheel in a corner. Amazingly, it hooks back up just in time. A couple of millimeters more sliding and there would have been no 5th Tour victory. Sometimes that's just how it goes.

I realize that for some, thinking of this as some sort of divine retribution is comforting. The truth is probably a lot more mundane. Dude just had some bad luck.

Whatever I think of LA, he clearly had good form starting the race. The prologue makes that clear, as did his performance up until the crash. I suspect he would have made the final selection without the crash. Going down at 70 kph then chasing non-stop for 5K to the foot of the climb=game over.

 

[CycloErgoSum]

Yeah, he's ready. Ready to get served a nice foot in his a$$.

God, I love the way you Americans speak!

 

[RedheadDane]

he did go down pretty hard i would rather he was beaten because someone else was better as opposed to flats and crashes. every ones luck runs out sometime he had great fortune for 7 wins thats life.

In his blog Chris Anker wrote something about Armstrong only falling once in the TdF from 1999-2005... so... I guess he has a lot of falling to make up to!

I think old age has robbed him of some of his reflexes and agility, which is not surprising, especially considering that he spent 3 years out of the peloton.

Yup! He [Armstrong] said so himself; he's getting old! According to Matti Breschel Armstrong told him, after the odd crash at the top of the cat 3 climp between Ramaz and Avoriaz, that "now he just wants to get home, drink beer and eat pizza. He's getting too old"

 

[Mach Schnell]

I realize that for some, thinking of this as some sort of divine retribution is comforting. The truth is probably a lot more mundane. Dude just had some bad luck.

A post like this is like a breath of fresh air.
Whats a lot more worthy of discussion is Schlecks form, and what appeared to be ACs inability to deal with his attack for the stage win.
I'm thinking, and I'll go out on a limb here, that the AC era has come and gone. Its going to be fun.

 

[Anonymous]

A post like this is like a breath of fresh air.
Whats a lot more worthy of discussion is Schlecks form, and what appeared to be ACs inability to deal with his attack for the stage win.
I'm thinking, and I'll go out on a limb here, that the AC era has come and gone. Its going to be fun.

Well that would be the revelation of the tour.

Losing 10 seconds probably was not catastrophic. AC seems a little under-cooked. I expect he will be very tough to deal with in the Pyrenees.

 

[BroDeal]

Yup! He [Armstrong] said so himself; he's getting old! According to Matti Breschel Armstrong told him, after the odd crash at the top of the cat 3 climp between Ramaz and Avoriaz, that "now he just wants to get home, drink beer and eat pizza. He's getting too old"

I doubt that had much to do with the crash. If you race bikes, you crash. It is normal. Armstrong's statement indicates that he was suffering before the crash and feeling out of place. That is a statement of someone who is not having fun and dreading the suffering that he knows is coming.