Ninety5rpm said:
3rd place, and well ahead of everyone in the top 5 from last year's tour, is not exactly run over.
Ohhhhh, I certainly think so!
He came back to the sport thinking that he was going to get by on cruise mode and he is getting his a$$ handed back to him. Your argument hides behind the numbers, but the reality right now is that he's got 6 other riders either ahead or behind him (~ 2 minutes), whence in previous years, at this stage of the game, he'd be 6 minutes ahead of everyone else.
This after dragging his body through Italy, France and God knows where else. His only goal is now to get Phil Ligget's and Paul Sherwin's nipples hard with excitement with the only weapon now left in his arsenal: Sprint 1 mile from the top of the mountain.
Lance knows age is against him. He also knows getting into his very, very, very best shape may just not be enough. Contador will be back next year. Andy and Frank Schleck will be back next year. I bet Menchov is coming back (as well as Vonokhourov).
He is now surrounded with lots of young whipper-snappers who do not look up to him and are willing to race him every single time.