Tour de Lance '09

Highlander179 · 07-06-2009, 12:50 PM

Lance will be wearing the yellow jersey after stage 4. That's right, I said it.

Let the drama begin!

Laneco · 07-06-2009, 01:26 PM

That man can read a race, no doubt about it. This is one area of cycling where age is an advantage. Doesn't matter how big the guns you brought to the race are, you still have to figure out when to pull the trigger...

Should be a very, very interesting race!

angela

McLovin · 07-06-2009, 01:38 PM

One of the top 5 greatest athletes of all time?

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

Very interesting tour this year. Sastre will give him a helluva run for the money. Menchov might, but it's very rare for someone to be able to hold a peak for very long and I think he peaked for the Gyro.

It'll be VERY interesting to see how the dynamic unfolds between Lance and Contador. Team Astana is insanely powerful. Arguably more powerful even than the fabled Discovery Team from a few years ago.

tcar · 07-06-2009, 03:33 PM

Astana was formed partly for the purpose of getting Alex Vinokourov (a Kazakh) a yellow jersey in Paris. He's sitting out; banned for substance until '10 or '11.

The team is owned by the country of Kazakhstan.

You're right, it's really a powerful team.

dd74 · 07-06-2009, 03:35 PM

When it comes down to the whole thing, it's a veteran's race.

I think Lance's true threat might be Christian Vande Velde. He's another physiologic wonder of nature.

What, only a month after breaking four vertebrae and his pelvis, and he's in the Tour?

Hebrewhomeboy · 07-06-2009, 08:18 PM

Woah woah woah, Lance is doing the Tour de France again? Damn, I've been living under a rock I think. This guy is a machine.

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laneco

That man can read a race, no doubt about it. This is one area of cycling where age is an advantage. Doesn't matter how big the guns you brought to the race are, you still have to figure out when to pull the trigger...

Should be a very, very interesting race!

angela

Best quote I have seen in a long time!!!!!!!!!!!
Lance is the man!!!!

HHI944 · 07-06-2009, 08:40 PM

I met him a few years ago at Ride for the Roses. He's a great guy, but meeting him in person gives you even more of a sense that he just can't be happy with a 'normal' life. Poor guy got bored in retirement and decided he would dominate cycling's most grueling race...........again.

dd74 · 07-06-2009, 11:35 PM

My goodness, LA's already won the tour on tactic alone.

Crosswinds, slow corner on flat surface and with nine members of a very strong opposing team up front - and he knew where to be at the right time to move up seven spots.

That's not racing. That's mathematics.

look 171 · 07-07-2009, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd74

My goodness, LA's already won the tour on tactic alone.

Crosswinds, slow corner on flat surface and with nine members of a very strong opposing team up front - and he knew where to be at the right time to move up seven spots.

That's not racing. That's mathematics.

How can they let them get away on the flats. Someone felt asleep. There are going to be some pissed team bosses at the end of the day.

Not to take anything away from Lance, but I really think the other GC men missed the break when the men attack up front to split the field.

Johan Bruneel (sp?) is the real man and some of the super domestiques are behind all the racing just like Wilfred Peeters was to Johan Museeuw, my hero. Up to the mid 90s, a rider must be able to read a race and rely on their domestiques or simplely make friends or buy them off if they want to win. Now, race radio changed all that. Their coach is doing all the racing. Telling them when to attack, and how long the hill is and where to let up.

I think Lance did the right thing and gain some free time on the real GC men, but its still early. I would watch that young Spanish punk on his team. he might turn out to be his biggest battle.

look 171 · 07-07-2009, 01:17 AM

I was talking to some local hot dog riders from way back and these guys were still Jr.s who rode some big races around the country. They met this kid, name Lance Armstrong from Texas and that he didn't know how to race coming from tri. He just put his head down and pull for a long, long time and they all blew by and jumped him before the finish line. A couple of those guys become national riders. Then, a few years later, Lance jumped the field and wore rainbow.

Zef · Zef's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highlander179

Lance will be wearing the yellow jersey after stage 4. That's right, I said it.

Let the drama begin!

Sound like you're an expert on the subject.....

greglepore · 07-07-2009, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd74

My goodness, LA's already won the tour on tactic alone.

Crosswinds, slow corner on flat surface and with nine members of a very strong opposing team up front - and he knew where to be at the right time to move up seven spots.

That's not racing. That's mathematics.

Brilliant move, if only b/c it pretty much eliminates the inner team friction that might exist otherwise. The TTT today should be interesting.

T77911S · 07-07-2009, 04:10 AM

if he is truly looking for the overall, he may not want the yellow this soon, if he gets it, he may not defend.

i hated to see george H on a differnet team. he lives about 4 hours from me. he would do this local ride called mt mitchell. i rode next to him for a while one year. man, you see a guy like that in person, they look totally different. he is so tall and thin, they look like giants on tv. his brother does the local circuit around here, both are very nice guys.

tsiegwart · 07-07-2009, 07:09 AM

I love watching Lance race, but the problem this year is that his biggest rival is on his own team. This violates Lance's own "rule number one" for winning the TDF. One team and one leader. He won't gain any time on Contador in the TTT as he did with other rivals in the past and I don't think he can climb with Contador. However, I still think Lance can beat him in long individul time trials. If Contador tops Lance in the first individual TT, it's over. It'll be fascinating to watch Lance's reaction if he needs to support Contador.

tsiegwart · 07-07-2009, 07:39 AM

Oh man!

Cancellara keeps the yellow by fractions of a second over lance. This is going to be a fun month of racing.

Rikao4 · 07-07-2009, 08:05 AM

well he better watch himself..
when the head of the show says..
'we will be watching him closely'

they really want to catch him on 'dope'
sticks in their craw something fierce..
an American winning the tour over and over again..

would not suprise me ..if they contaminate his water..

Rika

dd74 · 07-07-2009, 08:36 AM

I'm not looking at this thread until late tonight - as in 1AM or so. I'm afraid someone might give something away from today's events.

The local radio station almost did in between Michael Jackson coverage. I was Johnny on the Spot, twisting the tuning button to Spanish radio - which I wouldn't understand anyway.

tcar · 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highlander179

Lance will be wearing the yellow jersey after stage 4. That's right, I said it.

Let the drama begin!

SPOILER

If Astana had been 1 second faster LA would have yellow today. Amazing team here.

He and Contador are still where they were yesterday, relative to each other.