Will Armstrong ride the Tour de France?

[RTMcFadden]

No. He's done. He won't take the risk of being arrested if something else in revealed while he's in France. There's no way that anyone, even Sarkosy, can guarantee that this will not happen. I suspect that he' announce his retirement before the Dauphine Libere.

 

[hfer07]

No. He's done. He won't take the risk of being arrested if something else in revealed while he's in France. There's no way that anyone, even Sarkosy, can guarantee that this will not happen. I suspect that he' announce his retirement before the Dauphine Libere.

FOA He's not scheduled to ride the Dauphine & secondly, if something goes wrong, which it will- France is actually the best place he wants to be in, & apply for a temporary asylum while his lawyers clean up the mess

 

[RTMcFadden]

FOA He's not scheduled to ride the Dauphine & secondly, if something goes wrong, which it will- France is actually the best place he wants to be in, & apply for a temporary asylum while his lawyers clean up the mess

Never said he was going to ride the Dauphine. Might want to work on your reading comprehension skills.

 

[VeloCity]

Bordry/AFLD are already publicly putting pressure on the ASO not to invite RadioShack to this year's Tour until there is further "clarification", I think, was the term he used.

Not that Bordry or AFLD have much sway anymore, which is a real shame.

 

[Escarabajo]

...

Does that Dallas insurance company SCA care about it? Can they reopen the initiatives about his 'potential' doping and their desire to reacquire the monies they paid to him after his TdF win (cannot remember the year sorry)

NW

No.

The case was not about doping it was about him winning the Tour. So as long as ASO keeps him in the books as the winner He gets to keep the money.

 

[Oldman]

Lance has lived inside this successfull bubble for so long i think he thinks he can do anything. I seriously think he underestimated whats happening right now. i would not be surprised to see him at the tour, and get absolutely flogged by kids ten years younger then him, then pull out.

Paul and Phil will be the only 2 people cheering him on.

Except now, for the first time; he's between a rock and a hard place. He's taken alot of money in the promotional run up to the Tour and needs to at least start it to keep the cash and sustain his "legacy". That's the rock and was part of the plan for this year. The hard place is the frisky French habit of incarcaration for acts commited on their soil. Should some prosecutor there decide evidence presented by USADA or others during the Tour relates to such an act, would they jail the Dude?

 

[pedaling squares]

I'm going to do an about-face on my opinion of a few weeks ago. I thought that up until now he'd been sandbagging a bit, I mean who knows better than Armstrong how to prepare for the tour? But now we're a few weeks away from the race, he has dangerously few intense kms in his legs, and his handlers are trying to turn a scratched face into a serious injury. It's starting to look like a fall-back plan for when he skips the tour. I'll restate an old observation - it's so ironic to see Radio Shack sink money into something cheap, crappy, and unproductive.

 

[meep__]

Armstrong's attorney might want this freely circulated pic to disappear then:
http://www.roadcycling.com/artman2/uploads/1/lance_armstrong_2010_tour_of_california_crash_1.jpg
"We believe our lies are better than their lies..."

 

[Jan the Man]

I voted c) I'm sick of hearing about it to be honest.

I am ambivelent to Armstrong. I have never been a fan, however don't hate him.

In some respects I wish he wasn't there because last year , frankly, as a spectacle the tour was a distant thrid to both the Giro and Vuelta. A large part of my problem with the Tour was the hulabaloo surrounding Armstrong.

This year I anticipate that the media scrum will be larger, despite the fact that his powers will have undoubtedly waned and that he is likely not even to be the main challenger from his own team.

 

[barn yard]

Armstrong's attorney might want this freely circulated pic to disappear then:
http://www.roadcycling.com/artman2/uploads/1/lance_armstrong_2010_tour_of_california_crash_1.jpg
"We believe our lies are better than their lies..."

nice find, pic saved

His attorney Bill Stapleton told the USA Today newspaper that the injury was more serious than originally thought.

"His (left) eye looks pretty bad, the cut goes from the bottom of his eyelid to his nose. He may have to see the surgeon again before he leaves for next week's Tour of Luxembourg, “ Armstrong said.

 

[SpartacusRox]

Bordry/AFLD are already publicly putting pressure on the ASO not to invite RadioShack to this year's Tour until there is further "clarification", I think, was the term he used.

Not that Bordry or AFLD have much sway anymore, which is a real shame.

In which case then they should not be inviting BMC or Garmin given Floyds comments regarding Hincape and Dave Z.

 

[Tangled Tango]

Armstrong's attorney might want this freely circulated pic to disappear then:
http://www.roadcycling.com/artman2/uploads/1/lance_armstrong_2010_tour_of_california_crash_1.jpg
"We believe our lies are better than their lies..."

Didn´t LA take that pic and post it on Twitter himself? Probably regrets that little sympathy searching move now.

I said months ago I suspected he would find a way to either not start the Tour or abandon once his form was revealed to be insufficient. He now has even more excuses; I mean reasons to offer his fans.

 

[Anonymous]

I think the ASO will uninvite RS between now and July.. its too much of a risk for them and will detract from the race. There is already
enough of a media circus surrounding lance. And also can they take the risk that during the race someone will drop another huge, and even more damning lance bombshell.

I just cant see him riding. I honestly beleive that when lance retired from the race the other day that was the last time we will see him riding outside of livestrong riders and us domestic races.

 

[Condorman]

I think the ASO will uninvite RS between now and July.. its too much of a risk for them and will detract from the race. There is already
enough of a media circus surrounding lance. And also can they take the risk that during the race someone will drop another huge, and even more damning lance bombshell.

I just cant see him riding. I honestly beleive that when lance retired from the race the other day that was the last time we will see him riding outside of livestrong riders and us domestic races.

But how can Prudhomme publicly justify uninviting RS without appearing to agree with FL?
The silence on the subject here in France is deafening (but I don't have a TV).

Maybe ASO could exclude Lance "for his safety"?

 

[Anonymous]

But how can Prudhomme publicly justify uninviting RS without appearing to agree with FL?
The silence on the subject here in France is deafening (but I don't have a TV).

Maybe ASO could exclude Lance "for his safety"?

purely on the basis that the media attention will be unproductive for the race, nowt to do with wether or not they think hes doping.

And yes, ive been keeping an eye on the french press and it is amazingly silent.. very very strange.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

purely on the basis that the media attention will be unproductive for the race, nowt to do with wether or not they think hes doping.

And yes, ive been keeping an eye on the french press and it is amazingly silent.. very very strange.

Landis' claims are not news in France.

It's like someone in France claiming that World Wide Wrestling (or whatever it's called) is a sham, with details. Wouldn't be news here.

 

[RTMcFadden]

Landis' claims are not news in France.

It's like someone in France claiming that World Wide Wrestling (or whatever it's called) is a sham, with details. Wouldn't be news here.

That's fake. Holy crap. What, I guess next you'll tell me all those guys are juiced on PEDs. My world will come to an end.

 

[pedaling squares]

Armstrong's attorney might want this freely circulated pic to disappear then:
http://www.roadcycling.com/artman2/uploads/1/lance_armstrong_2010_tour_of_california_crash_1.jpg
"We believe our lies are better than their lies..."

When you compare that photo to Stapleton's comment - well it's almost like the guy has been living in a world of lies for so long that he assumes anyone will believe whatever he says. The cut extends to the nose?! I saw a puffy eyebrow and a scratch under the lower lid. And an eye that could be clearly opened without aid. Amazing.

 

[Polish]

Landis' claims are not news in France.

.

I would guess the claims by Landis are old news in France.
Dog bites Man. Lance is a doper. yawn.
That was written all over the roads back in the day

The fact that legendary DS Cyrille Guimard's current team members have RECENTLY been popped for DEALING/USING EPO should be news in France.

If Lance is busted for the needles, that would be big news too.
Both here and in France.

 

[VeloCity]

In which case then they should not be inviting BMC or Garmin given Floyds comments regarding Hincape and Dave Z.

Notice that Bordry says "RadioShack's" participation. Think it probably has more to do with the fact that 4 RS individuals - Bruyneel, Armstrong, Leipheimer, and Rubiera - were named by Landis, all of whom are likely to be part of RS' Tour squad.

 

[Oldman]

Armstrong's attorney might want this freely circulated pic to disappear then:
http://www.roadcycling.com/artman2/uploads/1/lance_armstrong_2010_tour_of_california_crash_1.jpg
"We believe our lies are better than their lies..."

Both eyes will look like that if Kristin testifies...

 

[alberto.legstrong]

I'm going to do an about-face on my opinion of a few weeks ago. I thought that up until now he'd been sandbagging a bit, I mean who knows better than Armstrong how to prepare for the tour? But now we're a few weeks away from the race, he has dangerously few intense kms in his legs, and his handlers are trying to turn a scratched face into a serious injury. It's starting to look like a fall-back plan for when he skips the tour. I'll restate an old observation - it's so ironic to see Radio Shack sink money into something cheap, crappy, and unproductive.

I think RS is best at re-branding the mediocre products of its mediocre competitors and charging a higher margin for the pleasure of buying something that is obsolescent.

That and selling some obscure connector available nowhere else for your cables.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Armstrong's attorney might want this freely circulated pic to disappear then:
http://www.roadcycling.com/artman2/uploads/1/lance_armstrong_2010_tour_of_california_crash_1.jpg
"We believe our lies are better than their lies..."

Not to imply it's nothing but a scratch, sweating into that must burn like hell. But hardly the severity they are portraying.

 

[Boleyn]

I hope not. We can do wthout the media circus that will follow him.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

I think the ASO will uninvite RS between now and July.. its too much of a risk for them and will detract from the race. There is already
enough of a media circus surrounding lance. And also can they take the risk that during the race someone will drop another huge, and even more damning lance bombshell.

I just cant see him riding. I honestly beleive that when lance retired from the race the other day that was the last time we will see him riding outside of livestrong riders and us domestic races.

A faceplant may be the best we get in terms of our desire for a cathartic fall from grace.

One would have to wonder how much the Rasmussen debacle of 2007 is still ringing in their ears before willingly extending an invitation. But it's not beyond LA/JB to coerce an unwilling invitation from them.

On the one hand, the publicity circus is good for business, I don't care what the circumstances, on the other, it just is one more 'black eye' (ugh, sorry, couldn't resist) for cycling's black sheep red headed stepchild (at least in No. America) of all other sports status.