The Official LANCE ARMSTRONG Thread 2010-2011

[Ripper]

He'll be depending on Vino and Pereiro in the high mountains so maybe it doesn't mean much that this short lead out killed de la Fuente.

So you are now disagreeing with yourself?

 

[mr. tibbs]

I just can't wrap my head around it either. They could easily send a team to do the giro without harming their chances in ToC and the Tour.

And I would have loved to see Kloden get top-billing at one of the GTs. The Giro's not his style of race for winning the overall, but I bet he could carry a TT or something. Oh well...

 

[BroDeal]

And I would have loved to see Kloden get top-billing at one of the GTs. The Giro's not his style of race for winning the overall, but I bet he could carry a TT or something. Oh well...

What is the purpose of having twenty-six riders if a Giro team cannot be assembled? Sounds like Retirement Shack is not as strong as some people would have us believe.

 

[Carboncrank]

What is the purpose of having twenty-six riders if a Giro team cannot be assembled? Sounds like Retirement Shack is not as strong as some people would have us believe.

Classic trolling. Johann wanted to go. Giro said no because they wouldn't send any of the five guys that could win it, even though there a plenty of teams going with nobody capable of winning it.

 

[BroDeal]

Classic trolling. Johann wanted to go. Giro said no because they wouldn't send any of the five guys that could win it, even though there a plenty of teams going with nobody capable of winning it.

Classic idiocy. Riding a GT does not have to be about the GC. There are any number of riders on Retirement Shack who would love to have the opportunity to win a Giro stage, which they would have an even better chance of doing if the team was not supporting a GC hopeful. How about giving Fuyu Li a shot at riding the Giro, or Fumi Beppu, or some of the young guys?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

My speculation is that they're skipping the Giro because their entire season will be completely focused as a team for Lance in the Tour. They will be going to use the ToC for training, while Levi will go for it, but mostly they'll train only for the Tour in order to drive the train for Lance. This has been the USPS/Disco pattern - All for Lance, all for the Tour. Little else matters.

Anyone hear any updates on the Astana drip bag case? Still think it may eventually reveal itself and prevent RS and several riders from even participating.

 

[BroDeal]

Anyone hear any updates on the Astana drip bag case? Still think it may eventually reveal itself and prevent RS and several riders from even participating.

That is what I said in the "Algarve" thread. It is hanging over the team like the sword of Damocles. If it falls then it could take the whole team down

Even if the riders who will go to the Tour are planning their entire season around the TdF, there are still seventeen other riders on the team. There is no reason the second tier riders could not go to the Giro and hunt for stage wins.

 

[Carboncrank]

My speculation is that they're skipping the Giro because their entire season will be completely focused as a team for Lance in the Tour. They will be going to use the ToC for training, while Levi will go for it, but mostly they'll train only for the Tour in order to drive the train for Lance. This has been the USPS/Disco pattern - All for Lance, all for the Tour. Little else matters.

Anyone hear any updates on the Astana drip bag case? Still think it may eventually reveal itself and prevent RS and several riders from even participating.

Alpe Alpe Alpe.. not you too... Johann want's to go. He can field a team.

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/01/giro-team-radioshack-maybe-armstrong-no.html

 

[Race Radio]

Alpe Alpe Alpe.. not you too... Johann want's to go. He can field a team.

http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/01/giro-team-radioshack-maybe-armstrong-no.html

You do realize this link in no way supports your claims? Not that you would care.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Of course he can field a team. RS are top heavy in 3 week diesels. Lance won't release anybody who might feature in July.

I reckon we won't hear much on the Bruyneel drip bags, until maximum damage can be done.
Very late June is my guess.

 

[craig1985]

Heard all this before. Bruyneel turns carthorses into racehorses.
The fanboys did the same with Popo & that whole 'Hincapie can win the Tour' thing was the height of hog dope program mania.

The guy will amount to nothing. He won't even make the Tour team.

That hardly takes a genius to say that when considering he wasn't named on their shortlist for the Tour IIRC. I know you like to think you are such the insider, but really what you post is nothing but a rehash of what everybody already knows.

I'm pretty much trusting isso on his comments on Machado (may or may not be a wise choice here ) in that Tiago loves to attack but doesn't use any brains in his riding/attacking. That, and if isso is from where I think he is, he would probably know more about the Tiago then most people on here would.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Good Post Mellow (as always). You may indeed be correct.

Not sure what your link was for Carbon - I still stand by what I said that RS will be focused purely on the Tour, and 100% behind Lance. No controversy in that. It's the way LA has prepared and the support he's received since 2000, with exception to last season because of his fitness, and having at least one (if not three) superior riders on the same team.

 

[craig1985]

Giro:

Kloden
Steegmans
Rosseler
Impey
Beppu
Fuyu Li
McCartney
Irizar
Machado

TOC:

Armstrong
Leipheimer
Horner
Brajkovic
Rubiera
Vaitkus
Popovych
Rast

Not bad there.

Or on the Giro team you can give either Sam Brewley, Hermans, Busche, or Rovny a go and let them gain experience of what it takes to ride a GT, and in Rovny's case, he has already done that.

I hope they enjoy riding the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque (Four Days of Dunkirk if you fail at French) and the Tour de Picardie.

 

[UpTheRoad]

No way Bruyneel separates Armstrong and Kloden, even if you are thinking that Leipheimer takes on the Kloden role.

 

[Prodigy]

I reckon we won't hear much on the Bruyneel drip bags, until maximum damage can be done.
Very late June is my guess.

Are you saying the French investigation is in fact political? If they are seen to be trying to damage Armstrong/Bruyneel then it won't have any credibility.

 

[elapid]

Are you saying the French investigation is in fact political? If they are seen to be trying to damage Armstrong/Bruyneel then it won't have any credibility.

I think it is political, but more UCI v AFLD. Armstrong/Bruyneel will come out of it squeeky clean because the UCI will shut down the AFLD. The AFLD have criticized the UCI publicly in regards to this matter, and are continuing to go head to head with the UCI over drug testing at Paris-Nice, so there is no way the UCI will allow the AFLD, or any of their investigations, to go the distance. The UCI are the bully in the play ground. They'll play power games to establish and maintain their dominance even if it is to the detriment of the sport they are meant to be representing.

 

[Prodigy]

I think it is political, but more UCI v AFLD.

But I thought it's supposed to be a criminal matter?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Are you saying the French investigation is in fact political? If they are seen to be trying to damage Armstrong/Bruyneel then it won't have any credibility.

Elapid highlights the real protagonists. The UCI and AFLD are at loggerheads, currently, over the Paris-Nice doping "closed shop", that the UCI insist on running.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out that it's all about passport protection, McQuaid having smugly announced that the Tour was "clean" for the forseeable future.
If the average forum skeptic can figure out the scheme is open to manipulation, so can the French.

If the AFLD collect the ammunition, it makes sense to use it to maximum effect.
Late June, early July has become the scandal season, simply because all eyes are on the Tour.

 

[theswordsman]

If the AFLD collect the ammunition, it makes sense to use it to maximum effect.
Late June, early July has become the scandal season, simply because all eyes are on the Tour.

Do you think there's a chance that the OCLAESP would step up on their own to get DNA samples directly from any riders from Astana's 2009 TdF squad who show up for Paris-Nice? I'm anxious to see the RS rider list for the race.

 

[Publicus]

We have a new troll in our midst.

 

[Race Radio]

I think it is political, but more UCI v AFLD. Armstrong/Bruyneel will come out of it squeeky clean because the UCI will shut down the AFLD. The AFLD have criticized the UCI publicly in regards to this matter, and are continuing to go head to head with the UCI over drug testing at Paris-Nice, so there is no way the UCI will allow the AFLD, or any of their investigations, to go the distance. The UCI are the bully in the play ground. They'll play power games to establish and maintain their dominance even if it is to the detriment of the sport they are meant to be representing.

The UCI has no control over the AFLD. They cannot stop the investigation.

 

[Big GMaC]

We have a new troll in our midst.

i'm not seeing it? invisibility troll?

 

[elapid]

The UCI has no control over the AFLD. They cannot stop the investigation.

No, they cannot stop the investigation, but they don't have to act on it either.

 

[Race Radio]

No, they cannot stop the investigation, but they don't have to act on it either.

In this case it would not matter. This is a criminal case. The UCI can ignore it and the 7 riders can still be in big trouble.

 

[Hugh Januss]

In this case it would not matter. This is a criminal case. The UCI can ignore it and the 7 riders can still be in big trouble.

Will they be allowed to race while out on bail?