Rasmussen wannabes

[kingjr]

Ullrich was weighed at 80kg at the 2005 pre-Tour medical check

Source please, afaik he weighed 73.

 

[Arnout]

Armstrong admitted he never raced at 72kg or lower, so he was quite heavy.

edit: and he is what, about the same height as Alberto? Yet more than 10kg heavier...

I'm not trying to defend Armstrong here (why would I) but could it be in general that shocks to the body like the cancer of Armstrong and his subsequent decline in weight (I think so much is clear from pictures) meant he has less weight than his body programmed and thus had excess capacity, which would be more effective than just losing a few kg in which you generally also lose capacity?

I'm not saying this is what happened, nor do I think this is the reason Armstrong started to climb like a mountain goat all of a sudden, but I'm just wondering.

 

[Netserk]

If you lose capacity when you lose a few kg, why shouldn't you lose capacity when having cancer as well?

 

[MBotero]

I found an article about the"greatest climber"Big George who was flying in 2005 TDF with almost 80kg,than in 2006TDF with 72kg was not able to deliver the same results.So poor guy lost some power in contradiction with today heroes.
http://le-grimpeur.net/blog/archives/16

 

[del1962]

I'm not trying to defend Armstrong here (why would I) but could it be in general that shocks to the body like the cancer of Armstrong and his subsequent decline in weight (I think so much is clear from pictures) meant he has less weight than his body programmed and thus had excess capacity, which would be more effective than just losing a few kg in which you generally also lose capacity?

I'm not saying this is what happened, nor do I think this is the reason Armstrong started to climb like a mountain goat all of a sudden, but I'm just wondering.

The thing is Armstrong was working with Ferrari in 1995, but only came 39th in the tour, so then on EPO with one of the most knowledgable doctors about dope, he wasn't winning GTs. Even with EPO he still needed to lose weight.

OK there is a possibility that others had to tone it back and the introduction of 50% rule (though this didn't bother Pantani) gave advantages but he still lost weight,

 

[SundayRider]

The thing is Armstrong was working with Ferrari in 1995, but only came 39th in the tour, so then on EPO with one of the most knowledgable doctors about dope, he wasn't winning GTs. Even with EPO he still needed to lose weight.

OK there is a possibility that others had to tone it back and the introduction of 50% rule (though this didn't bother Pantani) gave advantages but he still lost weight,

His training, general lifestyle was much more focused during his 1st comeback and rise to Tour contender.

 

[nomapnocompass]

Armstrong was a man of marginal gains!

 

[Netserk]

AFAIK the Armstrong weight loss is a myth. It wouldn't surprise me if he raced at the same weight before and after cancer.

 

[nomapnocompass]

Armstrong Atlanta 1996

Armstrong Tour de France 2003

He definitely lost weight, although not to the metabolically modulated levels that Wiggins and Froome have done.

 

[Race Radio]

Armstrong weight fluctuated significantly.

In 1995, when he finished the Tour for the first time, he was super skinny

 

[vedrafjord]

Armstrong you've been told above.
Ullrich was weighed at 80kg at the 2005 pre-Tour medical check

That just seems ridiculous. Wikipedia lists his current, middle aged spread weight as 80kg. 80kg is 12.6 stone, a full stone heavier than me for example even though I'm 6ft tall and have the chunky legs of a sprinter and a bit of a belly. He could have hit that weight in the off-season, maybe, but pre-TdF I'd say around 73kg would be a lot closer to the truth.