Will Armstrong beat Sastre this year?

[Ninety5rpm]

Armstrong has referred to last year, when Sastre won, to be a "bit of a joke". He also considers Sastre to be the one to watch this year.

Will Armstrong beat Sastre this year, or not?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

no message

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Yes, it was for the poll.

 

[BigBoat]

I think the whole cycling world is suffering from an unhealthy obsession with Lance...I dont like him, I think he's a total as$hole. He has been better lately , but arrogant in other ways >> like bagging on the other riders with the media, etc.

I follow some other Tour media coverage (like fox sports) and they do not obsess over him as much.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Yep.

I follow some other Tour media coverage (like fox sports) and they do not obsess over him as much.

From what I've been watching, there hasn't been much coverage at all, other than small blips of his return.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think the whole cycling world is suffering from an unhealthy obsession with Lance...I dont like him, I think he's a total as$hole. It has less to do with his doping but the way he acts; But then again he will probably win the Tour unless he breaks his back or something. He has been better lately though, but arrogant in other ways.

I follow some other Tour media coverage (like fox sports) and they do not obsess over him as much.

Which cyclists do you like?

 

[BigBoat]

Which cyclists do you like?

I like the Evans camp, and Riis' team especially. Why cant riders be like Basso and just keep their damn mouths shut.

 

[phillop]

every ones not giving sastre enough credit, most people are listening to armstrongs comments about last years tour being a joke. sastre one last, year and to me appeared to be the strongest on every mountain stage.
i think cervelo will have a very strong ttt, sastre will be VERY tough to beat.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

It's a tie!

Twelve votes are in, and it's a 6:6 tie!

Only one thing is for sure, half of us are wrong!

 

[Ninety5rpm]

every ones not giving sastre enough credit, most people are listening to armstrongs comments about last years tour being a joke. sastre one last, year and to me appeared to be the strongest on every mountain stage.
i think cervelo will have a very strong ttt, sastre will be VERY tough to beat.

Actually, anyone listening to Armstrong this week rather than hand wringing about a misinterpretation of his "bit of a joke" comment from 9 months ago would know that Armstrong is also saying that Sastre will be tough to beat. But I think he will beat him.

 

[Bagster]

I like the Evans camp, and Riis' team especially. Why cant riders be like Basso and just keep their damn mouths shut.

Actually Bigboat, you and Lance have more in common than you think, except he tends to put his money where his undoubtedly big mouth is.

Wouldn't it be a bit of a boring world if all riders were quiet unassuming types like Basso. Funny how Cavendish can pretty say what he likes and nobody bats an eyelid but apparently Lance isn't entitled to speak his mind. Yes he's brash and can be arrogant but he is also the best rider of his generation and I think that barring accidents he will prove that point yet again. The same 'arrogance' that Lance displays can be found in a lot of great champions, Merckx, Hinault, Antequeil just to name three. If they were all like Indurain or Basso, people like you wouldn't have the material you need to trigger your anti whoever outbursts on forums, then you would have to get out and ride your bike! But i guess it is easier to criticise than do the business.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

every ones not giving sastre enough credit, most people are listening to armstrongs comments about last years tour being a joke. sastre one last, year and to me appeared to be the strongest on every mountain stage.
i think cervelo will have a very strong ttt, sastre will be VERY tough to beat.

i don't believe this will come true. I think out of the big contenders sastre will lose out the most in the TTT. I also forsee sastre being isolated alot in the high mountains, maybe Marchante will be there for a stage or two, but even that is iffy imo.

Sastre's team is his weakness (Evans has a better team). I think the defending champion has an uphill battle... but he is resilient, and if anyone can, sastre can

 

[BroDeal]

Actually Bigboat, you and Lance have more in common than you think, except he tends to put his money where his undoubtedly big mouth is.

Wouldn't it be a bit of a boring world if all riders were quiet unassuming types like Basso. Funny how Cavendish can pretty say what he likes and nobody bats an eyelid but apparently Lance isn't entitled to speak his mind. Yes he's brash and can be arrogant but he is also the best rider of his generation and I think that barring accidents he will prove that point yet again. The same 'arrogance' that Lance displays can be found in a lot of great champions, Merckx, Hinault, Antequeil just to name three. If they were all like Indurain or Basso, people like you wouldn't have the material you need to trigger your anti whoever outbursts on forums, then you would have to get out and ride your bike! But i guess it is easier to criticise than do the business.

Strawman alert. Plenty of people have been bagging on Cav for his comments about the Olympics and team Garmin. He is turning out to be quite a jerk. Maybe he will grow out of it. If you are still a jerk in your mid thirties or later (Armstrong!) then that means you will likely stay a jerk for the rest of your life.

Merckx, Hinault, and Antequeil were true champions who did not need a special doctor to help them win. They earned respect through actual merit.

 

[Bagster]

Strawman alert. Plenty of people have been bagging on Cav for his comments about the Olympics and team Garmin. He is turning out to be quite a jerk. Maybe he will grow out of it. If you are still a jerk in your mid thirties or later (Armstrong!) then that means you will likely stay a jerk for the rest of your life.

Merckx, Hinault, and Antequeil were true champions who did not need a special doctor to help them win. They earned respect through actual merit.

LOL! You are kidding right Don't come with your strawman crap. Stay on the topic Lance hater, no-one mentioned drugs, but since you obsessively bring it up, Antequeil was actually quite up front about doping and openly admitted to taking amphetamines. Plus if you think that Hinault and Merckx were drug free angels you are even dumber than your post suggests. Sound like your definition of a jerk is anyone who doesn't fit into your narrow view of the world..'bro!'

 

[Bagster]

i don't believe this will come true. I think out of the big contenders sastre will lose out the most in the TTT. I also forsee sastre being isolated alot in the high mountains, maybe Marchante will be there for a stage or two, but even that is iffy imo.

Sastre's team is his weakness (Evans has a better team). I think the defending champion has an uphill battle... but he is resilient, and if anyone can, sastre can

I like Sastre but I can't see him repeating last years TT heroics. It is hard to win the GC with a split team. By that I mean trying to support both a Green jersey contender and a GC contender. Personally I think it was a BIG mistake not to take Simon Gerrans who would have been a big help to Sastre in the mountains. I also think he will be isolated in the mountains, though he is an expert in feeding of scraps and will be right in the mix in the big stuff. Top 5 but no win for Carlos this year I think.

 

[LugHugger]

sastre to finish above armstrong but not win for me. i'm one of those who find armstrong's personality objectionable and therefore root against him in almost everything that he does on a bike.

i am prepared to accept that what he has to say on the Tour is worth reading and sifting through the obvious and unsubtle psychobabble does make for some interesting analysis. it seems to me as though his recent comments have been deflection and possibly an acknowledgment that he doesn't fancy his chances. the hog's appearance with contador and his comments on team leadership do seem to have planted seeds of doubt in the 7 time winner.

as to cyclings' greats record of substance abuse, to me their use seems more to be about pain relief rather than performance enhancement, but that's a discussion best had elsewhere.

 

[BroDeal]

LOL! You are kidding right Don't come with your strawman crap. Stay on the topic Lance hater, no-one mentioned drugs, but since you obsessively bring it up, Antequeil was actually quite up front about doping and openly admitted to taking amphetamines. Plus if you think that Hinault and Merckx were drug free angels you are even dumber than your post suggests. Sound like your definition of a jerk is anyone who doesn't fit into your narrow view of the world..'bro!'

As Willy Voet once wrote, the older drugs could not change a rider's potential but EPO was different; EPO could change a rider's potential. It became possible to turn a donkey into a racehorse. It is not about what someone took. It is about what the results of the product were. Caffeine was once forbidden. I certainly would not place those who abused caffeine in the same category as those who were on a medically designed and monitored blood doping program. There is no comparison.

 

[phillop]

Actually Bigboat, you and Lance have more in common than you think, except he tends to put his money where his undoubtedly big mouth is.

Wouldn't it be a bit of a boring world if all riders were quiet unassuming types like Basso. Funny how Cavendish can pretty say what he likes and nobody bats an eyelid but apparently Lance isn't entitled to speak his mind. Yes he's brash and can be arrogant but he is also the best rider of his generation and I think that barring accidents he will prove that point yet again. The same 'arrogance' that Lance displays can be found in a lot of great champions, Merckx, Hinault, Antequeil just to name three. If they were all like Indurain or Basso, people like you wouldn't have the material you need to trigger your anti whoever outbursts on forums, then you would have to get out and ride your bike! But i guess it is easier to criticise than do the business.

yea well this will be interesting, i dont think sastre will have a chances of taking yellow is to takie it in the le grand bournard stage, or ventoux, i dont think he will need a team in the ventoux stage as i see him attacking at the base. and between le grand bournard and the finish that just leaves a tt and a couple of easier stages. i think cervelos ttt will be strong as they have strong time trialists in hushovd roulston haussler, klier etc that being exsplosive riders will be good for the ttt, rather than riders that are best at going to the front and riding at a solid tempo the hole way. they will have a strong start for sure with these riders, and im backing sastre etc to hang on till the end

 

[Irish2009]

I don't know who will be top at the end of the Tour, but if Sastre wins and Armstrong finishes no better than fifth i'll be starting a "The Tour between 1999 and 2006 were a Joke" thread.I am "joking" of course lets hope it's a drud scandal free,entertaining and best man wins tour.

 

[Bagster]

As Willy Voet once wrote, the older drugs could not change a rider's potential but EPO was different; EPO could change a rider's potential. It became possible to turn a donkey into a racehorse. It is not about what someone took. It is about what the results of the product were. Caffeine was once forbidden. I certainly would not place those who abused caffeine in the same category as those who were on a medically designed and monitored blood doping program. There is no comparison.

Ah so you are saying that Armstrong was only a donkey, who with a quick injection of EPO became a 7 time TdF winner. Of course that would need the assumption that all the true racehorses did not take EPO and that Armstrong successfully masked the EPO for 7 years, or lets say 6 years if we don't include the 1999 French 'cough' 'cough' retests. It's funny how Eddie Merckx, who most would agree was the greatest rider ever is willing to say that Armstrong is the best rider of his generation and yet you intimate that he is a donkey? Hmm. Ahh look your probably right he is probably just a cat 5 club racer who injects a lot of stuff, what would Eddie know.

 

[BroDeal]

Ah so you are saying that Armstrong was only a donkey, who with a quick injection of EPO became a 7 time TdF winner. Of course that would need the assumption that all the true racehorses did not take EPO and that Armstrong successfully masked the EPO for 7 years, or lets say 6 years if we don't include the 1999 French 'cough' 'cough' retests. It's funny how Eddie Merckx, who most would agree was the greatest rider ever is willing to say that Armstrong is the best rider of his generation and yet you intimate that he is a donkey? Hmm. Ahh look your probably right he is probably just a cat 5 club racer who injects a lot of stuff, what would Eddie know.

Are you as thick as two planks. You should take this sh!t to the doping forum. Just as I suggested before. In fact we don't even need to post anything new there because you can read the responses made to the other two thickies, byu123 and jackhammer111, which go over these exact same lines of reasoning.

 

[nobody]

Ah so you are saying that Armstrong was only a donkey, who with a quick injection of EPO became a 7 time TdF winner. Of course that would need the assumption that all the true racehorses did not take EPO and that Armstrong successfully masked the EPO for 7 years, or lets say 6 years if we don't include the 1999 French 'cough' 'cough' retests. It's funny how Eddie Merckx, who most would agree was the greatest rider ever is willing to say that Armstrong is the best rider of his generation and yet you intimate that he is a donkey? Hmm. Ahh look your probably right he is probably just a cat 5 club racer who injects a lot of stuff, what would Eddie know.

Why would Eddy say the truth about a friend?

Why has Eddy not testimonied to Landis' hearing?

If you are doing some research on the net about EPO and phiscal performance, you will learn a lot about its effect and the big improvement that provides to athletes but as every medicine it's not equal effective with every people.

 

[elapid]

LOL! You are kidding right Don't come with your strawman crap. Stay on the topic Lance hater, no-one mentioned drugs, but since you obsessively bring it up, Antequeil was actually quite up front about doping and openly admitted to taking amphetamines. Plus if you think that Hinault and Merckx were drug free angels you are even dumber than your post suggests. Sound like your definition of a jerk is anyone who doesn't fit into your narrow view of the world..'bro!'

Who's the jerk? Brodeal didn't mention drugs or doping once in his post. You did. He stayed on topic, you didn't. Bagster, read the posts before reacting inappropriately to the person writing the posts.

 

[indurain666]

Wow..Sastre vrs Armstrong?? LMAO...this has to be the most stupid thread ever...

 

[DavidT]

If Armstrong admits to himself that the team is bigger than him, and his role is in support of AC for the GC, then he will not push it in the ITT, and he will back off on the final climb each day in the mountains, then Sastre will finish above him on GC.
If Armstrong puts himself above the team, rides for himself and even splits the team by taking some of ACs support riders then he will finish above Sastre on GC.