Lance to ride in '09 Tour

Jagshund · 09-08-2008, 12:00 PM

I quit paying attention after the slew of doping accusations, but this might be enough to drag my attention back to the sport for a few weeks:

From: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=3576014

Seven-time champion Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement and compete in next year's Tour de France, Velo News reported Monday, citing sources close to the situation.

Armstrong, who will turn 37 on Sept. 18, will join the Astana team, the sources told Velo News.

This is like Barry Sanders putting on some pads . . .

SlowToady · 09-08-2008, 12:09 PM

I don't know that I buy it, yet. He threatened to come out of retirement last year, as a response to the doping allegations, and ride in the '08 Tour, but that never panned out.

I have the utmost respect and awe for Lance, and am a Lance fan to the grave. That said, at almost 38 years old, and having been in retirement for already over a year, I don't see him winning even if he does enter. IMO, he quit at exactly the right time: while he was on top of the world. Most other athletes ride the downward spiral from greatness.

Lance left the sport as possibly the greatest cyclist to slip on a jersey...why risk marring that? A loss at the Tour would be devastating.

gassy · 09-08-2008, 12:11 PM

He's nut.

onewhippedpuppy · 09-08-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gassy

He's nut.

Good stuff.

SlowToady · 09-08-2008, 12:24 PM

One nut or two, the guy still bangs hotter chicks than any of us:-P

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Good stuff.

dd74 · 09-08-2008, 12:28 PM

Isn't that "half-bang?"

Anyway, I sort of thought this would happen. He's too competitive to not race. I don't know, though, LeMond tried to come back in the mid 90s, IIRC, and was dusted. He dropped out, in fact.

But wow, Lance coming back would really be something!

Jagshund · 09-08-2008, 01:16 PM

While Lance only had a severe case of cancer (hmmm. "case of cancer?"), Lemond got blasted in the chest with a shotgun! Which one would be easier to come back from? I don't want to find out through experience.

I'd like to believe he can do it; I'm tired of tv commentators telling us that folks in their 30's are "past their prime".

KNS · 09-08-2008, 01:22 PM

Lance just came in second in a mountain bike race in Leadville, CO over the weekend. It is a grueling race that starts at 10,500 ft and climbs to over 14,000 ft. Lance said he would have been happy had he came in the top five. I wouldn't count him out just yet.

SlowToady · 09-08-2008, 01:27 PM

I'd say the cancer, but that's not why I'm replying:-P

They have it about half right, about folks in their 30s past their prime. The Tour, as Lance has said, is a race that requires some age on the competitors because with the age comes the experience and battle hardened body that one needs in order to win. There's a reason why you don't/didn't see the 21 year old New Guys kicking Lance's ass up those mountains for 3 weeks. Their bodies just can't handle it no matter how good they are. The Tour rewards maturity. Typically Tour winners are in their early 30s, or very late 20s, which gives them a relatively small time frame in which to compete in something like the Tour, putting them right near their prime.

So they're sort of past their prime, while being in their prime...or something. Anyhow, does anyone really listen to those TV Commentators? Most of the time I wish they'd just STFU and let me narrate the game/race/event to myself.

I, too, would love to see Lance win another Tour, but if you'll recall his last Tour victory, it wasn't certain, and he didn't walk away with it. His competition made it difficult the entire way.

Then again, this is the guy who's spent most of his professional sporting career pulling just these types of rabbits out of just those types of hats...

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1968Cayman

While Lance only had a severe case of cancer (hmmm. "case of cancer?"), Lemond got blasted in the chest with a shotgun! Which one would be easier to come back from? I don't want to find out through experience.

I'd like to believe he can do it; I'm tired of tv commentators telling us that folks in their 30's are "past their prime".

ckissick · 09-08-2008, 01:35 PM

I expected him to announce he would compete in the Ironman Triathlon. That would be interesting.

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

Lance will need that Astana team to be top quality.

dd74 · 09-08-2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1968Cayman

While Lance only had a severe case of cancer (hmmm. "case of cancer?"), Lemond got blasted in the chest with a shotgun! Which one would be easier to come back from? I don't want to find out through experience.

I'd like to believe he can do it; I'm tired of tv commentators telling us that folks in their 30's are "past their prime".

I don't think the shotgun blast was what knocked him out the last time. Didn't he win a Tour after being shot? There was a documentary about Lemond that suggests it was the emergence of enhancement drugs in the other riders during his final Tour that made him quit.

legion · 09-08-2008, 01:47 PM

Michael Jordan
Brett Favre
Lance Armstrong

What do they have in common?

dd74 · 09-08-2008, 01:49 PM

They've all banged Sheryl Crow?

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

i've contacted my source on the inside... they had asked me for a special volume request, now i think i know what it is for

Laneco · 09-08-2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckissick

I expected him to announce he would compete in the Ironman Triathlon. That would be interesting.

Absolutely - especially given that he was an exceptional triathlete before he concentrated his energies on cycling. Guess swimming was his weakness, but time and good coaching/training may have overcome that. He smoked everyone on the bike though. Guy could come out of the water dead stinking last and pass everyone on the bike!

As for as another tour - YOU GO LANCE!!! He races, I'll watch. Otherwise the rolling drug circus and french crybaby media can go jump in the lake and I will once again boycott watching Tour de Drug/Tour de Whiner.

angela