Contador or Amstrong fauvorite in the next Tour....and why?

Patrick1.0

Jez mon wrote:

Beating someone using CERA but that's another story

But that's just the thing though isn't it? I mean, you say that can't be done when it's Lance doing it but when it's Contador... hey, this guy is really special.

hopper1

I say Lance! No particular reason, just my preference. :shock:
Having said that, I do doubt that he could win it, as in all his previous years of winning the TdF, he did so by targeting it as his sole mission for the year.
This time, he has said that he wants to race all over the world to 'promote cancer awareness', so with a much busier schedule, I doubt he'll have enough in the tank to win the TdF in '09.
Just my two penneth!!! :twisted: :oops:

BilgeRat

andyp wrote:

Arkibal wrote:

Raising cancer awardness is a bad thing here?

What is 'raising cancer awareness' exactly? Everyone talks about it and blows smoke up Lance Armstrong's ars* for it but what does it mean? I know what cancer is. I think everyone I know does too. I genuinely don't get it.

Exactly, the whole thing has as much substance as Lehmann Bros balance sheet.

Trev36

Contador.

Contador has the current runs on the board, with what is looking like now 3 grand tour wins.
If they end up on the same team Contador has earnt the right to remain team leader.
Despite what Armstrong has achieved in the past, it is the past. In my mind he has to prove his worth. You can't just rock in 3 years later and throw your weight around.

Contador will beat him anyway.

DaveyL

andyp wrote:

Arkibal wrote:

Raising cancer awardness is a bad thing here?

What is 'raising cancer awareness' exactly? Everyone talks about it and blows smoke up Lance Armstrong's ars* for it but what does it mean? I know what cancer is. I think everyone I know does too. I genuinely don't get it.

Everyone also knows about AIDS, poverty in Africa, war in Iraq, human rights abuses in China and the Council Tax, but people still publicise/protest them to make others more aware, and hopefully create a spike in public/media interest such that governments or world organisations will be moved to do something more than they are currently doing or change their policy. It's amazing how craven some people will become when presented with the chance to have a pop at Armstrong.

singlespeedexplosif

Lance. He can afford better 'doctors'

secretsqirrel

Heart says Contador.
Head says Contador.

So Contador it is.

He can't do it alone, however, it is really down to teams rather than the individuals. We just don't know who is going to be riding with LA. I would never rule out a leader (whoever it is) from team CSC. But if Contador can enjoy the same support next year as this year, then he will be difficult to beat.

andyp

DaveyL wrote:

Everyone also knows about AIDS, poverty in Africa, war in Iraq, human rights abuses in China and the Council Tax, but people still publicise/protest them to make others more aware, and hopefully create a spike in public/media interest such that governments or world organisations will be moved to do something more than they are currently doing or change their policy. It's amazing how craven some people will become when presented with the chance to have a pop at Armstrong.

Craven? Didn't he present Newsround?

It was a serious question and there was no 'pop' at Armstrong in there. If I was going to have a go at him I'd pick one of the many areas of safe territory to do so.

I know what 'raising awareness' is but how do you do it, i.e. what is the Livestrong Foundation actually spending it's money on?

Tom Butcher

Head says Contador
Heart says anyone except Basso, Contador or Armstrong (would have included Evans but there'd be nobody left to cheer for).

I think Armstrongs best chance of beating Contador is to get on the same team and get in a position somehow - whether by getting an early lead in the TT or team orders - where Contador can't attack him.

blazing_saddles

Arkibal wrote:

Even though aurelio, kleber, blaze etc. are on the which hunt for catching LA, I share that his comeback is weird.
But I wish him all the best, he is an athlete that draws the masses, how bad can that be???
Raising cancer awardness is a bad thing here?

Nice one Arki.
Notice Iain is true to his word; he's stopped posting?
Now, check out all the endless posts on Uncle Lance and see how many posts you can find by me.
I'm really not interested in trying to catch, or speculate upon the chances of an overthehill,
PEDophile.

I'm more interested in the fact that nobody is questioning why, if Astana become LaLa Land, why Contador will stick to them like glue?

Oh and the ASO, having given DDL and Ali-Puff the Paris-Tours green light, haven't a leg to stand on, regarding stopping Basso riding the 2009 Tour.
He's not renowned for his water carrying abilities. Witness his efforts for Sammy Sanchez at the Olympics.

DaveyL

andyp wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Everyone also knows about AIDS, poverty in Africa, war in Iraq, human rights abuses in China and the Council Tax, but people still publicise/protest them to make others more aware, and hopefully create a spike in public/media interest such that governments or world organisations will be moved to do something more than they are currently doing or change their policy. It's amazing how craven some people will become when presented with the chance to have a pop at Armstrong.

Craven? Didn't he present Newsround?

It was a serious question and there was no 'pop' at Armstrong in there. If I was going to have a go at him I'd pick one of the many areas of safe territory to do so.

I know what 'raising awareness' is but how do you do it, i.e. what is the Livestrong Foundation actually spending it's money on?

John Craven did indeed present Newsround. And now he looks a bit like Bill Clinton. Disturbing.

knedlicky

There are a couple things Armstrong has recently said which suggest he won’t take part in the TdF:
- an 8th victory isn’t important to him
- his highest priority isn’t the 5 professional races which were first mentioned when he announced his comeback, but all different races in Australia, America, South Africa, South America, and Europe. Some journalists have ventured to predict it’ll mostly be minor races in Australia and America for a team called Livestrong, not for Astana. Although I'm not sure he's that philanthropic to race out of the limelight.

Added to this and the cool reception his announcement got in France, the ARD TV channel in Germany (the equivalent of the BBC) has implied they will try and prevent Armstrong’s participation in the TdF when they negotiate the televising contract for next year’s Tour with Prudhomme. The ARD feel their word will carry weight because they transmit (and pay for) as much live coverage as Eurosport and the French TV channels.

All the ‘talk’ of a comeback is probably related to his interest in becoming Texas governor; Armstrong needs to keep in the public eye for his political ambitions.

knedlicky

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Oh and the ASO, having given DDL and Ali-Puff the Paris-Tours green light, haven't a leg to stand on, regarding stopping Basso riding the 2009 Tour.

The ARD also oppose the rumoured return of Landis, Hamilton and Basso to the TdF.

knedlicky

DaveyL wrote:

John Craven did indeed present Newsround. And now he looks a bit like Bill Clinton. Disturbing.

Talking of Uncle Bill … LA is supposed to be giving a speech at the Clinton’s ‘Global Summit’ in New York on 24 September.

The main 4 categories to be addressed at the ‘summit’ are Education, Energy & Climate, Health and Poverty, and this year’s 4 topics under Health are: Maternal and child nutrition, Provision of safe drinking water and sanitation at schools, Helping adolescent girls cope, and Training health workers. I expect the last-named might be where LA's speech may fit in; there's no other possibility.

Several personalities are to attend, like Bono, Geldorf and various (ex-)politicians. Rather than listen to LA., I’d much rather go and see what Ashley Judd has to say.

DaveyL

Why do we need a summit about these problems? Surely everyone knows about them already....

Let's hope Bill isn't involved in the "helping adolescent girls cope" meeting...

flattythehurdler

Armstrong's preparation will be better than AC's which will be more haphazard. LA will be prepared to the gills, and hence, will win, though in an ideal world he would get caught cheating (absolutely NO chance of this btw)

griselin

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I'm more interested in the fact that nobody is questioning why, if Astana become LaLa Land, why Contador will stick to them like glue?

This is clever. I'll be questioning why for sure.

Jez mon

Blazing Saddles wrote:

I'm more interested in the fact that nobody is questioning why, if Astana become LaLa Land, why Contador will stick to them like glue?

Because he's just a nice little boy who is loyal to a team who got him to sign a contract right before Lance's comeback.

OR because Bruyneel & Co are purveyors of sophisticated doping tech known only to them

Mettan

I'd like to see Andy Schleck step-up and sustain a real challenge next year - from one perspective, he seems to be the "fittest" rider on the planet currently - not a bad accolade really. Regards, Contador and Armstrong, I'd expect a healthy Contador to hold off Armstrong (at this age).

liversedge

only a fool would bet against Armstrong. He can only accept the top step in Paris, if he's not confident of his numbers he wouldn't be coming back. 9/2 is definitely worth a punt.

ms_tree

Isn't this all hypothetical?
We don't what team Armstrong is going to or if he will create a new one. If he does will Brunyeel (the Alex Ferguson of cycling - IMHO) go too? I LA goes to Astana will Bert pop off somewhere else? What sort of course will ASO devise. Might they tweak it if they think he is going? Questions, questions!
Of course it could all come to nothing!

Who do I want to win? Someone else please!
(At least Cadel-no-mates won't!!)