The Official LANCE ARMSTRONG Thread 2010-2011

[wattage]

So...does anyone have any photos of Armstrong at Flanders?

I heard he looked as if he dropped some weight, but I want to see for myself.

Well, Lance actually did look good this time.

 

[flicker]

Oh yeah a couple more to hang the hat of hatred on: Salvodelli and Paolo Bettini, they" retired "in the nick of time.

 

[pmcg76]

I only know because I missed a quiz question on this because I picked Hinault Very logical choice and surprising answer. But then again I believe he hated Roubaix and only raced because he got ****ed at people challenging his toughness. Of course if he's there he's going to win.

I agree on LeMond. He started it, Induraini continued it, and Lance took it to the level it is today. Even back when I was a Lance fanboy I thought it he did a lot of harm to the sport for doing it and taking it to the level he did.

LeMond was the first to build his season around winning the Tour but he usually rode a full spring including Paris-Roubaix which very few other contenders done, he helped Duclos-Lassalle win in 92. His season post 88 usually consisted of Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, Flanders, Roubaix, Du Pont, Giro, hardly a sparse spring build-up.

Indurain rode the Giro in 92/93/94 and also raced in spring races and sometimes the Ardennes Classics. Again hardly a sparse spring programme.

 

[red_flanders]

Indeed. LeMond's change was not to try and be fit for all the races--not to avoid them altogether. Later in his career he really didn't round into form until the Tour. Note that earlier in his career he won the Pernod Trophy (or whatever it was called) which was the equivalent of the World Cup or ProTour Number 1. Takes riding, winning and placing in a lot of races to do that.

 

[El Oso]

I stand corrected
I didn't know LeMond did so well in the classics. A little research might have helped. His record is pretty impressive, I would have never guessed a MSR podium from him.

I know that Indurain did the double, but what I was saying was that he didn't do classics like Hinault did, but instead focused on GTs. Lance then took this to the extreme.

Ok, I'll stop digging my hole and remove my foot from my mouth.

 

[Acacio Da Silva]

LeMond was the first to build his season around winning the Tour but he usually rode a full spring including Paris-Roubaix which very few other contenders done, he helped Duclos-Lassalle win in 92. His season post 88 usually consisted of Paris-Nice, Milan-San Remo, Flanders, Roubaix, Du Pont, Giro, hardly a sparse spring build-up.

Indurain rode the Giro in 92/93/94 and also raced in spring races and sometimes the Ardennes Classics. Again hardly a sparse spring programme.

Hello to all. Have been reading this thread with great interest especially when Greg is mentioned. Oh what great/painful memories. For several seasons Greg rode in my opinion too many intense Spring campaigns just like Sean did, Roche, Hinault, and co especially during those La Vie Clare days in particular. But then again Bernard Tapie was running the road show for Hinault from I think 84 to 86 a period when Lemond was at his peak in my opinion and Greg had no other option. However his Spring campaign changed completely from 87 onwards due due to his hunting accident in 87 and that was when he took a new direction in prepartion and outlook towards the Tour de France. Toshiba and then PDM parted company with him before moving to ADR - this was when I tought it was end of the Amercian that you dreaded on the second categories. It was a calculated risk for Greg but it sure worked out OK for him as the likes of Delgado, Lejaretta, Bernard, Bugno, Fignon etc etc where slowly burning themselves out at the Giro/Veulta gigs. It sure was a fascinating time.

 

[pmcg76]

Hello to all. Have been reading this thread with great interest especially when Greg is mentioned. Oh what great/painful memories. For several seasons Greg rode in my opinion too many intense Spring campaigns just like Sean did, Roche, Hinault, and co especially during those La Vie Clare days in particular. But then again Bernard Tapie was running the road show for Hinault from I think 84 to 86 a period when Lemond was at his peak in my opinion and Greg had no other option. However his Spring campaign changed completely from 87 onwards due due to his hunting accident in 87 and that was when he took a new direction in prepartion and outlook towards the Tour de France. Toshiba and then PDM parted company with him before moving to ADR - this was when I tought it was end of the Amercian that you dreaded on the second categories. It was a calculated risk for Greg but it sure worked out OK for him as the likes of Delgado, Lejaretta, Bernard, Bugno, Fignon etc etc where slowly burning themselves out at the Giro/Veulta gigs. It sure was a fascinating time.

Is this THE REAL Acacio Da Silva(former Maillot Jaune/Stage winner at the Tour) or just a user name, it sounds like somebody speaking in the first person with the relevant experience. Sean Kelly addressed as Sean!!! Former team-mates at Kas!!!

Either way, welcome to the forum, expect some very intereseting questions.

What about that stage in the 1988 Tour?

 

[this_is_edie]

The group he finished win was 20-something seconds away from the 3rd step on the podium. That really can't be viewed as a bad performance... or even average. It was pretty solid.

There are a lot of highly regarded cobbled riders who finished in the same group. Either a LOT of guys had very bad days... or Armstrong had a good ride.

I have to agree with you. How he went from CI form to this is another question but he did have a good ride, surprisingly. Can he repeat day in and day out and recover during the Tour.... calling Dr Ferrari

 

[karlboss]

geez. armstrong finished a longish race with 15 longish intervals in the 3d large group.

big f-ing deal. a storm in a tea cup.

as was evidenced by his solid itt in the criterium international - the only piece of info worth looking at in the last several weeks - his form was on the mend but still far from anything to fawn over.

the shape he is in, just like boonen or any other rider not suited or ready to climb real mountains, hed be left for dead on a stage with a single 20+ minute hill requiring effort at the threshold. guaranteed.

as i said, digging deep into anaerobic stores up a short hill and mostly following wheels for the rest of the race is no sign of a world beating performance. he was just ahead of the most skeptical predictions. which were no more than fun for those who made them anyway.

3rd group? how is 1-1-2-30 the 3rd large group?

 

[Phlakaton]

3rd group? how is 1-1-2-30 the 3rd large group?

Armstrong is on a pace he knows well for the TDF. When he is riding like he did at Flanders it would seem to me the peak timing he wants will be right on the money. He doesnt come to Flanders to win as far as I'm concerned so he is testing his fitness. Period. I don't read anything into his early season since he knows how to win.

 

[Phlakaton]

The cobbled section in the TdF is hype. oooooh aaaaaah cobbles..

Alberto will lead a rider "protest for safety" on the cobbled section
and the section will be neutralized by the riders. Yawn.

doesnt matter if the cobble sections are tough, strange or dangerous - all riders know is that cobbles are there - and that creates brain cramps and panic even amongst the best. they have caused problems in the past and will again if these guys are nervous like I've seen in past tours. if wind can cause a crazy split cobbles can cause serious crashes.

 

[Publicus]

Again? Smh.

 

[this_is_edie]

there goes the neighborhood again for the twenty-something time

 

[flicker]

doesnt matter if the cobble sections are tough, strange or dangerous - all riders know is that cobbles are there - and that creates brain cramps and panic even amongst the best. they have caused problems in the past and will again if these guys are nervous like I've seen in past tours. if wind can cause a crazy split cobbles can cause serious crashes.

The top pros are pros, cobbles no prob.

 

[Acacio Da Silva]

Oh the horror, the horror. One Knows of the cobbles after a dry race when after a week you are still cleaning out of your ears and coughing up the dirt after a dry race. Trust me folk. Its a real man race. To race in this region and you do not come from it especially in the rain is hell. Keep off those cobbles, keep to the side, grass verges, footpaths if possible. Its got to that point.

Was you there in 88 pmcg76

 

[9000ft]

LA had a solid race. Nothing spectacular but solid. Not too many people, including I'd imagine him, where expecting him to be a contender and he wasn't. Just solid among the best in the world in a very difficult race. Seeing how most in the interwebzs LA pathological haters predicted he'd be way OTB or a DNF, I'd say be those standards he exceeded predictions.

For me it's one of many interesting stories from the race. Nothing more nothing less.

 

[Phlakaton]

The top pros are pros, cobbles no prob.

maybe so - but top pros get caught out plenty by idiots in the mix freaking out.

 

[pmcg76]

Oh the horror, the horror. One Knows of the cobbles after a dry race when after a week you are still cleaning out of your ears and coughing up the dirt after a dry race. Trust me folk. Its a real man race. To race in this region and you do not come from it especially in the rain is hell. Keep off those cobbles, keep to the side, grass verges, footpaths if possible. Its got to that point.

Was you there in 88 pmcg76

No, I was only 11 years old and only started following cycling during the 89 Tour. I devoured every magazine, book, article about cycling from the mid 80 onwards and I remember seeing photos of the stage Da Silva(you!!!) narrowly won in the 88 Tour from Rooks which was almost lost because of a premature celebration. I am Irish so the former team-mates of Sean Kelly are well remembered here, especially from the Kas team.

Would be very cool if you really are Da Silva, nobody else has noticed yet or maybe they just need to do a google search first. Congratulations on a good career.

 

[richwagmn]

LA had a solid race. Nothing spectacular but solid. Not too many people, including I'd imagine him, where expecting him to be a contender and he wasn't. Just solid among the best in the world in a very difficult race. Seeing how most in the interwebzs LA pathological haters predicted he'd be way OTB or a DNF, I'd say be those standards he exceeded predictions.

For me it's one of many interesting stories from the race. Nothing more nothing less.

Not a fan of LA, but I agree he did well for himself yesterday. Rode a smart race near the front. Saw him closing some gaps too.

Team RS looked good.

But... spartacus was amazing. His attack of Boonen was spectacular. Works his *** off for his team in the TDF every year. One of the true class acts of cycling (Boonen too IMO).

 

[Runitout]

No, I was only 11 years old and only started following cycling during the 89 Tour. I devoured every magazine, book, article about cycling from the mid 80 onwards and I remember seeing photos of the stage Da Silva(you!!!) narrowly won in the 88 Tour from Rooks which was almost lost because of a premature celebration. I am Irish so the former team-mates of Sean Kelly are well remembered here, especially from the Kas team.

Would be very cool if you really are Da Silva, nobody else has noticed yet or maybe they just need to do a google search first. Congratulations on a good career.

Some of us are waiting for him to confirm his identity.

It would be nice to hear from such a rider- he saw the end of the best era of racing in my opinion- and rode with heart and conviction.

 

[MacRoadie]

Deleted post.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Well, I am positive I wasn't there in '88, but I'm not so sure Acacio Da Silva was either.


Ronde van Vlaanderen 1988

Individueel Klassement
1. Eddy PLANCKAERT (Bel) en 7h27'28"

<Snipped for brevity>

If he was, I don't know what the significance of 1988 is...

Nothing to do with Tour of Flanders!

What PMG is referring to is Stage 4 of the Tour de France in 1988 - as AdS just narrowly held on to win from a fast finishing Rooks on an uphill finish.
(You can just about see it here on this video at 51 seconds)

However - AdS account of the cobbles is more pertinent to this thread, as he raced over the cobbles in a Tour de France, when it is usually dry and dusty.

 

[theswordsman]

Despite a solid showing in the Tour of Flanders on Sunday, Lance Armstrong has reportedly dropped three scheduled Spring Classics from his racing programme.

According to Belgian media, the 38 year old Texan will now not compete in the Amstel Gold race on April 18th, and will also scratch out Flèche Wallonne on April 21st and then, four days later, Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

There are some suggestions that he will instead return to America to train after completing the Circuit de la Sarthe.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/3...-Liege-and-Fleche-Wallonne-from-schedule.aspx

The Tour of the Gila also has hopes that Lance will race there.

Since the media never looked at Armstrong's and Contador's schedules and realized they would face off at La Fleche Wallone and Liege Bastogne Liege, he gets out of those comparisons easily enough. He also won't be in a race that earns UCI points until the Tour de Suisse, so if Radio Shack is to get higher than 24th in the team standings, it will be up to other riders.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-out-of-amstel-gold-race

The team confirmed it to me, and said Armstrong is returning to the US after Sarthe.

Susan

 

[auscyclefan94]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/armstrong-out-of-amstel-gold-race

The team confirmed it to me, and said Armstrong is returning to the US after Sarthe.

Susan

Your Always the reliable source susan!