Versus: "Armstrong countering sniper attacks by the Spaniard"

[bianchigirl]

Bob Roll has about as much credibility outside the Vs/'Only Lance Network' bubble as something with no credibility at all - non-US fans find him laughable.

So Astana are going to be running a sprinter? But post 99 orthodoxy says you can't win the TdF and win sprint stages. Here's to Astana breaking the Boss Hog orthodoxy and reminding us all that GT teams used to be able to do it all - stage wins, sprint wins and take the GC without having to be anally obsessed with the triumph of one man

 

[Angliru]

Thanks for the link Hog. Atleast someone in the Aus media (however small or big his outlet is) has the balls write something different about Armstrong.

On a different note (but again the same in a way) I was watching the WCP coverage on the 2003 TdF and it is as if Sherwen and Liggett have to mention Armstrong every 45sec or they will get sacked. It is driving me insane!

Well they did add their little "Lance Locater Jersey" to the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys to help everyone know exactly where he was at all times, not that they weren't already relaying this info to us regularly.

 

[racerralph]

Well they did add their little "Lance Locater Jersey" to the yellow, polka dot and green jerseys to help everyone know exactly where he was at all times, not that they weren't already relaying this info to us regularly.

The Hilarious part of that is, that he NEVER got to wear the Yellow jersey
And I'll wager he won't get that chance this year either!

 

[42x16ss]

So Astana are going to be running a sprinter? But post 99 orthodoxy says you can't win the TdF and win sprint stages. Here's to Astana breaking the Boss Hog orthodoxy and reminding us all that GT teams used to be able to do it all - stage wins, sprint wins and take the GC without having to be anally obsessed with the triumph of one man

I think that this is another example of AC being sharper than he is given credit for. Astana need a decent classics rider/sprinter and Davis has had decent results in races like Milan-Sanremo and some of the cobbled semi-classics.

When you add in the fact that not many of the current Astana riders have experience on cobbles and that Davis and Contador are friends, Davis is probably the best off contract rider for Astana to sign.

 

[Anonymous]

So Astana are going to be running a sprinter? But post 99 orthodoxy says you can't win the TdF and win sprint stages. Here's to Astana breaking the Boss Hog orthodoxy and reminding us all that GT teams used to be able to do it all - stage wins, sprint wins and take the GC without having to be anally obsessed with the triumph of one man

It gets even more interesting if they have Vino getting into breakaways or helping reel in GC guys who try to attack. That's if Davis is picked for the Tour team - he could end up at the Giro or Vuelta or both. This year Astana fans could have a really interesting three weeks, if the four Kazakh "suggestion" doesn't happen. Who on the team would make a good leadout man? Gasparotto was to share classics duties with Vino, but is also mentioned for Contador's first event at Volta Ao Algarve.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gasparotto-ready-to-prove-place-in-astana

Astana does have a new twitter account going @Team_Astana, and they replied to my question & said they'll be getting the website going soon. I hope a lot of info will be forthcoming once camp gets going in Calpe next week. But yes, it will be neat to see them vying for classics and sprint stages, and to see how Contador races when he's free to show his own personality.

 

[Psalmon]

It makes you wonder if Steegmans will last at Radio Shack. Would he get a shot at the Shack Tour team?

I'd be priceless to see him leave, frustrated, to Astana and hear Alberto say, "I would never let a guy like that leave my team."

 

[Ferminal]

Bob Roll has about as much credibility outside the Vs/'Only Lance Network' bubble as something with no credibility at all - non-US fans find him laughable.

So Astana are going to be running a sprinter? But post 99 orthodoxy says you can't win the TdF and win sprint stages. Here's to Astana breaking the Boss Hog orthodoxy and reminding us all that GT teams used to be able to do it all - stage wins, sprint wins and take the GC without having to be anally obsessed with the triumph of one man

What happens if Davis and Vino race together... Vino runs a 4km leadout?

 

[bianchigirl]

Thinking back to the Bob Roll 'article' I'm struck by the fact that he makes a great deal of trying to implicate AC through the Saiz connection whilst never once mentioning the fact that the Hog spent his entire career being mentored by, and earning his nickname with...Manolo Saiz

The Astana team seem significantly more interesting to me than the bunch of old nags that are basically out to pasture at GeriShack

 

[thehog]

Thinking back to the Bob Roll 'article' I'm struck by the fact that he makes a great deal of trying to implicate AC through the Saiz connection whilst never once mentioning the fact that the Hog spent his entire career being mentored by, and earning his nickname with...Manolo Saiz

The Astana team seem significantly more interesting to me than the bunch of old nags that are basically out to pasture at GeriShack

Agreed. As Tour squads on paper Sky look the best with CSC number 2, Astana 3 with RS 4th if that.

 

[yetanothergreenworld]

Re: the Bob Roll piece -- It's interesting that these attacks on AC by LA loyalists always make "the team" into a sort of proxy for LA himself -- "Contador betrayed the team" comes to serve as an ostensibly more disinterested substitute for "Contador attacked Armstrong." Also notice how, during the TDF, the idea of an Astana "Team victory," with three riders stacking the podium or whatever, emerged as a sort of consolation prize for Armstrong. If Armstrong wasn't going to win, then at least there would be this perceived victory by Astana for which Bruyneel and Armstrong would get most of the credit and of which Contador would be seen as the lucky beneficiary. This was definitely the attitude of Roll, Ligget and Sherwen at least, who got seriously into the idea of an all-Astana podium once it was clear that Contador was going to win the GC; and hence their outrage at Contador for spoiling it by dropping Kloden on the Tourmalet. Back when Armstrong was in his heyday they never cared about such things -- e.g. whether or not he would wait for Heras in the Pyrenees in 2002.

 

[Tangled Tango]

Re: the Bob Roll piece -- It's interesting that these attacks on AC by LA loyalists always make "the team" into a sort of proxy for LA himself -- "Contador betrayed the team" comes to serve as an ostensibly more disinterested substitute for "Contador attacked Armstrong." Also notice how, during the TDF, the idea of an Astana "Team victory," with three riders stacking the podium or whatever, emerged as a sort of consolation prize for Armstrong. If Armstrong wasn't going to win, then at least there would be this perceived victory by Astana for which Bruyneel and Armstrong would get most of the credit and of which Contador would be seen as the lucky beneficiary. This was definitely the attitude of Roll, Ligget and Sherwen at least, who got seriously into the idea of an all-Astana podium once it was clear that Contador was going to win the GC; and hence their outrage at Contador for spoiling it by dropping Kloden on the Tourmalet. Back when Armstrong was in his heyday they never cared about such things -- e.g. whether or not he would wait for Heras in the Pyrenees in 2002.

Absolutely correct. There was never any room on the podium for his team mates when Armstrong was winning the Tour. It was all for one, period. Why, when he kept talking about multiple podium places, no one brought that up to JB at any of the press conferences drove me nuts. It was an obvious defelection from Armstrong having to struggle just to stay third.

 

[Señor_Contador]

VS is now on Armstrong's payroll. It might as well be renamed "the Lance Armstrong channel".

It's a shame people like Sherwin or Liggett got into this mess.

Such a shame.

 

[Anonymous]

Absolutely correct. There was never any room on the podium for his team mates when Armstrong was winning the Tour. It was all for one, period. Why, when he kept talking about multiple podium places, no one brought that up to JB at any of the press conferences drove me nuts. It was an obvious defelection from Armstrong having to struggle just to stay third.

Exactly. In Stage 3 when he leapfrogged Contador in the team placement, he also took time on Kloden and Leipheimer. In the press he was the savvy veteran with the great instincts. Nobody mentioned filling the podium, or that he didn't give the others a head up if he knew what was coming, or that he had Popovych and Zubeldia help pull to increase the lead. And if the team car claims they didn't think the move would stay away, maybe they aren't the geniuses they're made out to be. Why have riders work harder than they need to on a move you expect to fail the day before a Team Time Trial?

 

[BYOP88]

It makes you wonder if Steegmans will last at Radio Shack. Would he get a shot at the Shack Tour team?

I'd be priceless to see him leave, frustrated, to Astana and hear Alberto say, "I would never let a guy like that leave my team."

If Steegmans makes the Tour team for the Shack, it will more than likely be for the stage with the cobble sections, and for setting the pace on the flat roads(I also see Vaitkus having the same job, if selected) as for sprints, I doubt Steegmans would be allowed to participate in them as the team effort will all be for 1 rider(maybe that 1 could be Levi or Kloden ).

 

[richwagmn]

Re: the Bob Roll piece -- It's interesting that these attacks on AC by LA loyalists always make "the team" into a sort of proxy for LA himself -- "Contador betrayed the team" comes to serve as an ostensibly more disinterested substitute for "Contador attacked Armstrong." Also notice how, during the TDF, the idea of an Astana "Team victory," with three riders stacking the podium or whatever, emerged as a sort of consolation prize for Armstrong. If Armstrong wasn't going to win, then at least there would be this perceived victory by Astana for which Bruyneel and Armstrong would get most of the credit and of which Contador would be seen as the lucky beneficiary. This was definitely the attitude of Roll, Ligget and Sherwen at least, who got seriously into the idea of an all-Astana podium once it was clear that Contador was going to win the GC; and hence their outrage at Contador for spoiling it by dropping Kloden on the Tourmalet. Back when Armstrong was in his heyday they never cared about such things -- e.g. whether or not he would wait for Heras in the Pyrenees in 2002.

Truer words were never spoken. AC got under the craw of all the LA loyalists, Roll included. How dare he not bow to their god?

 

[lucybears]

only a month ago LA was saying things like

"The days of this team being built around me are done," Armstrong said concisely. "I'm 38 now, I'll be 39 this season - it would be irresponsible to build it around me. Going into the Tour we have to look at Levi [Leipheimer], [Andreas] Klöden, the tactics, the ideas that we use..."

still, there's no 'I' in team.....

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/lance-armstrong-radioshack-not-built-around-me