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Official "be nice" Lance Armstrong thread

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Dr. Maserati

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Dr. Maserati said:
Actually in the interest of fairness Lance did highlight his intention to compete - and win - in the Tour when he confirmed his comeback on Sept 10th.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/sep08/sep10news

Then when he maded the offical announcement on the 24th he said it was his desire to compete in the Tour but played down the chances of him winning.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=3607524&categoryid=null

In fairness to me:

""Everyone is saying that the Giro will serve to prepare for the Tour," Armstrong said in a written statement released by organizers in Italian. "Actually, it could be that I come to Italy to win and the Giro will actually be my real three-week stage race of the year."

From http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2008263473_digs14.html?syndication=rss

And that is not the only time he talked about riding the Giro (even in exclusion of the TdF).
 
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Publicus said:
According to an article, Contador had to hitch a ride to the time trial either from the hotel or his brother because the Astana folks were off picking up Lance's girlfriend and kids at the airport (at Lance's instructions). Make of it what you will.

Oh that, yeah I heard about that, and yeah it was his brother who got him there.
 
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Wow, when I saw the title of this thread, I thought it would be filled with posts from people such as Wheel, Bagster, and Belokki. Much to my surprise, it is filled with the real story of Carnal Germ Snot. I have to say that I am very, VERY proud.....<I'm breaking up a bit, sorry>......just....just so.......well.......you guys are the best, THE BEST!
 

Dr. Maserati

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fulcrum said:
In fairness to me:

""Everyone is saying that the Giro will serve to prepare for the Tour," Armstrong said in a written statement released by organizers in Italian. "Actually, it could be that I come to Italy to win and the Giro will actually be my real three-week stage race of the year."

From http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2008263473_digs14.html?syndication=rss

And that is not the only time he talked about riding the Giro (even in exclusion of the TdF).

Agreed - I was just pointing out the timeline. Once it was announced he was joining Astana his comments about the Tour were a lot less and he said that his main focus was to be the Giro. Of course one could speculate if this meant that he had no desire to ride for the GC (though I'd doubt it) but that became a moot point when he broke his clavicle.
 
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Dr. Maserati said:
Agreed - I was just pointing out the timeline. Once it was announced he was joining Astana his comments about the Tour were a lot less and he said that his main focus was to be the Giro. Of course one could speculate if this meant that he had no desire to ride for the GC (though I'd doubt it) but that became a moot point when he broke his clavicle.


It seems clear to me that Armstrong's outlook underwent an evolution between July 2008 and July 2009 as he went through the reality of returning to training and racing. I don't see how anyone can try to draw a straight line of consistency through all of his public statements, or accuse him of dishonesty or hypocrisy solely because they were inconsistent.
 
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Armstrong's results in this TdF were remarkable considering his age, fractured collarbone and time off during retirement. However, IMO, making the Astana infighting public, his twittering, announcing Team Radioshack when he did, and his immaturity in his response to Contador's valid comments during the post-Tour press conference has detracted from his achievements this year. If he had shut his mouth and stopped twittering, then there would be a few more people on this forum being complimentary rather than rightly antagonistic.
 
fulcrum said:
Lance is a loser.

He announced his return to cycling and behaved the worst possible way. From the very beginning he new he wanted to ride the tour with J. Bruyneel and Astana. Since he knew this was going to create problems and upset the team make and balance, he started by saying he was going to race the Giro.

Then after people got used to that idea, he said he might race the tour. When people in Astana, namely Alberto Contador, got uneasy about that and tried to leave, both JB and Lance made up this stories about how Alberto would be the team leader etc etc.

Then when the Tour started, they changed their tune once again, saying that the "road would decide who the strongest rider was". From the beginning, Lance took effective control of Astana, even though he was not even a payed employee. While leveraging his personal friendship with Bruyneel to the professional detriment of Contador, and also leveraging the economic opportunities he is able to offer as the boss in a new team, he isolated Contador in the team. He made public comments against him. He practice phsycological warfare against his own teammate. He pulled every dirty trick in the book to distract Alberto. He made all sorts of announcement regarding his new team once he new Alberto was making the headlines thanks to his talking on the road. Lance together with Bruyneel, set a "team strategy" that was counterproductive to Alberto's strengths and capabilities.

When all of the above failed, Lance truly showed his colors by his behavior at the podium, post race party etc. It's time for the world to know the real Armstrong.

This post needs to be deleted and the poster banned. Its probably the closest summary we have to actual events. We don't do that here.

Yeah, you're right. Lance behaved poorly. Contador ruined the masterplan.

What we forget that Contador is the first cyclist I can remember that beat Lance at the mind games. Top effort. Every other cyclist that took him on in the head got smashed. I think Jan Ullrich is smiling in his chair in Switzerland.
 

Dr. Maserati

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Azdak6 said:
It seems clear to me that Armstrong's outlook underwent an evolution between July 2008 and July 2009 as he went through the reality of returning to training and racing. I don't see how anyone can try to draw a straight line of consistency through all of his public statements, or accuse him of dishonesty or hypocrisy solely because they were inconsistent.

I never accused him of dishonesty or hypocisy - I actually believe at the start of the season his main goal was the Giro.
But I also believe that he is a true competitor and that he would have gone to the Tour with an eye on winning it.
 
Thoughtforfood said:
Wow, when I saw the title of this thread, I thought it would be filled with posts from people such as Wheel, Bagster, and Belokki. Much to my surprise, it is filled with the real story of Carnal Germ Snot. I have to say that I am very, VERY proud.....<I'm breaking up a bit, sorry>......just....just so.......well.......you guys are the best, THE BEST!

It is not called "The official be nice toLance Armstrong thread"
 
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Hugh Januss said:
It is not called "The official be nice toLance Armstrong thread"

Yea, but certainly you can understand the initial misunderstanding.

Either way, I truly wish he would just go away. It would free up some serious time in my life...
 
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Hugh Januss said:
Due of course to the fact that you can't just step away from the computer and go on about your life?

Well yes, of course...I mean, he exists so that I have a reason to live. I sometimes think that if I cease to care, both he and I will disappear...
 
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Dr. Maserati said:
I never accused him of dishonesty or hypocisy - I actually believe at the start of the season his main goal was the Giro.
But I also believe that he is a true competitor and that he would have gone to the Tour with an eye on winning it.


Sorry--I was just using your comment as a reference to make a general statement. I should have been clearer that I was not directing any of it at you personally.

It sounded different in my head. Again--apologies....:eek:
 
elapid said:
armstrong's results in this tdf were remarkable considering his age, fractured collarbone and time off during retirement. However, imo, making the astana infighting public, his twittering, announcing team radioshack when he did, and his immaturity in his response to contador's valid comments during the post-tour press conference has detracted from his achievements this year. If he had shut his mouth and stopped twittering, then there would be a few more people on this forum being complimentary rather than rightly antagonistic.

100% what he said!
 
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thehog said:
What we forget that Contador is the first cyclist I can remember that beat Lance at the mind games. Top effort.

Exactly what I though when I saw Lance's behaviour on the podium: this guy is thoroughly beaten in the psych. game and doesn't know how to act appropriately. Really surprised by his behaviour; never thought I'd see that.

Seems like it was new territory for him; hence, he couldn't act appropriately or follow a scripted behaviour (not part of his repertoire).

Then again, Alberto's post-Tour personal comments seem a tad melodramatic or youthful to me, and should never have been said. Even his comment about the wrong national anthem being a "grave" mistake is a little over the top.

No one is coming out well with these personal attacks (and I see Bruyneel is back at it again today with a Twitter comment clearly applied to AC).
 
the truth. said:
What sort of pedantic muck is that. Lets have a thread , but get like minded people to agree.

Go over to the general forum and find out in the "Is it safe in here thread". The other thread was shut down on the suggestion of Amsterhammer because he does not want the "hateboys" as he calls them to be able to express an opinion.
 
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elapid said:
Armstrong's results in this TdF were remarkable considering his age, fractured collarbone and time off during retirement. However, IMO, making the Astana infighting public, his twittering, announcing Team Radioshack when he did, and his immaturity in his response to Contador's valid comments during the post-Tour press conference has detracted from his achievements this year. If he had shut his mouth and stopped twittering, then there would be a few more people on this forum being complimentary rather than rightly antagonistic.

He should also stop trying to buy his opponents out and make them super-domestiques. Heras first, Basso after, now Andy Schleck...

Cycling fans want to see competition. Not wonder why there is a US Postal/Discovery train setting tempo uphill and nobody is attacking. (Maybe because the guys that could attack were actually working for Lance?).
 

Dr. Maserati

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BroDeal said:
Go over to the general forum and find out in the "Is it safe in here thread". The other thread was shut down on the suggestion of Amsterhammer because he does not want the "hateboys" as he calls them to be able to express an opinion.

Again to be fair Bro - the other Lance thread had dropped to a new low which was kind of an amazing given the way the thread had operated! So I think that was the basis for shutting it down.
 
fulcrum said:
He should also stop trying to buy his opponents out and make them super-domestiques. Heras first, Basso after, now Andy Schleck...

Cycling fans want to see competition. Not wonder why there is a US Postal/Discovery train setting tempo uphill and nobody is attacking. (Maybe because the guys that could attack were actually working for Lance?).
+1............................

To my surprise, this is actually becoming a nice thread.:)
 
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Sarge

He said he's main focus of coming back is cancer awareness. He succeeded. He knows he can not win against the young guns so he challenges them and rose to the occasion. The guy is driven. Is it true he's not paid to ride? Is it true that his winnings are distributed among his domestiques? If yes, why do you think his TEAM mates loves him so? Astana should have been 1-2-3 on the podium but the gifted "pistolero" is a loose cannon and selfish. Btw, JB is the biggest part of AC winning all of his GT's plus his TEAM mates. To be on the top, of course you have to have an A type personality. But you have to also look at your team mates. Will AC race in the Vuelta? Will JB there for him after all of the accusations? His team mates? He is toast so he'll skip. I'll be so surprised. LA brought back the excitement in cycling. Half a million fans at the Ventoux is incredible. AmGen tour was awesome. Next year will be much more exciting because LA is truly on the horse again. He should not have retired until he won ten straight...
 
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Teufel Hunden said:
He said he's main focus of coming back is cancer awareness. He succeeded. He knows he can not win against the young guns so he challenges them and rose to the occasion. The guy is driven. Is it true he's not paid to ride? Is it true that his winnings are distributed among his domestiques? If yes, why do you think his TEAM mates loves him so? Astana should have been 1-2-3 on the podium but the gifted "pistolero" is a loose cannon and selfish. Btw, JB is the biggest part of AC winning all of his GT's plus his TEAM mates. To be on the top, of course you have to have an A type personality. But you have to also look at your team mates. Will AC race in the Vuelta? Will JB there for him after all of the accusations? His team mates? He is toast so he'll skip. I'll be so surprised. LA brought back the excitement in cycling. Half a million fans at the Ventoux is incredible. AmGen tour was awesome. Next year will be much more exciting because LA is truly on the horse again. He should not have retired until he won ten straight...

Paragraphs are your friend.

Is it true he's not paid to ride

Yes.

Is it true that his winnings are distributed among his domestiques?

Not sure what he did with his winnings from the Nevada Cycling Classic. All teams behave this way though.

Will AC race in the Vuelta

No. He said so. Don't know his reasons. Wide open for LA.

Next year will be much more exciting because LA is truly on the horse again.

A bike would work better.