L.A to ride in Tour de France if organisers 'respectful'

Schmidthouse

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 22,00.html

October 22, 2008

LANCE Armstrong could still race in the next Tour de France, as long as race organisers make him feel welcome, said his team.

"For the moment, we are going to determine his program based on where he is really welcome and invited ... and we will see about the rest," Astana team director Johan Bruyneel said.

"So the main thing is that he is definitely not excluding riding in the Tour, but it would have to be in an atmosphere that is serene and respectful."

The seven-time Tour champion, who is scheduled to race the Giro d'Italia for the first time in 2009, expressed doubts last week over whether he would try for another Tour title because of the problems he may encounter with "the organisers, journalists and fans."

Bruyneel said the stance of organisers ASO would have to soften somewhat for Armstrong to come back.

"At the end of the day, I always go to a party I'm invited to," Bruyneel said in an interview at a hotel in Paris ahead of Wednesday's unveiling of the 2009 Tour route.

The 37-year-old Armstrong is returning to cycling after three years in retirement, and he wants to draw more attention to his global campaign to fight cancer, a disease he survived before winning seven straight Tours from 1999-2005.

Armstrong has feuded for years with Tour officials over drug-testing issues, but Tour director Christian Prudhomme has said he and the Astana team will be allowed to race next year - as long as they avoid doping problems.

Astana was banned from this year's Tour.

Bruyneel, who helped guide Armstrong on each of his seven Tour wins, said Prudhomme should have been more welcoming.

"Prudhomme said immediately that Lance would be welcome ... but there was always a 'but,"' Bruyneel said.

"(Prudhomme said Armstrong) will have to comply with all the tests and regulations. That is definitely something that was not necessary to say. They (ASO) create that controversy, and ultimately it's in the interests of everybody that that controversy goes away."

Armstrong retired after his seventh Tour win in 2005, and a month later French sports daily L'Equipe, which is owned by ASO, reported that Armstrong's "B" samples from the 1999 Tour contained EPO, a blood-boosting hormone that enhances endurance.

Armstrong, who has always denied doping, said at the time that he was the victim of a "witch hunt" and a Dutch lawyer appointed by the International Cycling Union later cleared him.

French Anti-Doping director Pierre Bordry recently offered Armstrong a chance to retest the 1999 urine samples, but Armstrong rejected it.

Bruyneel said Armstrong has nothing to prove by gunning for an eighth Tour win.

"One thing has to be sure, clear. Lance does not need to win an eighth Tour de France, that stands above everything," Bruyneel said.

"Of course, if he is making a comeback he would like to compete at the highest level. But he can do without it."

Bruyneel said Astana's training program starts in December in Tenerife, Spain, and Armstrong is for now only certain to race in the January 20-25 Tour Down Under in Australia, the Tour of California and the Giro d'Italia.

skavanagh.bikeradar

He can do without it? Brilliant. I recommend he does without it immediately.

avoidingmyphd

At first glance, he has a point: it did seem a but unnecessary when Prudhomme said "he can ride....as long as he obeys the rules". At the time, I thought "Er, obviously."

BUT the the rules were changed for him to ride the Tour Down Under, and suddenly it does seem necessary to specify that you expect him to respect the rules.

DaveyL

Weren't the rules also "changed" for Mario Cipollini last year?

calvjones

DaveyL wrote:

Weren't the rules also "changed" for Mario Cipollini last year?

Don't think so as Cali was not a Pro Tour event? May be wrong tho'.

DavMartinR

I still love this global cancer campaign stuff.

Imagine Bill Gates at Microsoft saying "listen up people we are now Global!! We are in Austrailia, Italy and France, Thats golobal people!! O'yea" Obviously in an america accent.

Kléber

If he wants to raise awareness, why not do the Tour of Malaysia, the Tour du Faso, the Vuelta a Chile and the Qinghai Lake Tour? Most of Europe and the US is well aware of cancer and the Nike yellow wristband empire.

DaveyL

If he just wanted to come back and race, he could just say that. It's not like he needs to justify himself.

SpaceJunk

Bruyneel

"So the main thing is that he is definitely not excluding riding in the Tour, but it would have to be in an atmosphere that is serene and respectful."

Serene?? Does that mean Lance wants the ASO to guarantee the peloton will be allowed to meditate on the start line before each stage??

Or is LA just trying to get rid of that crappy music that blasts out over the PA before and after each day's racing?

Patrick1.0

Schmidthouse wrote:

They (ASO) create that controversy, and ultimately it's in the interests of everybody that that controversy goes away."

I wouldn't say that is true. Not if it means sweeping things under the carpet.

dennisn

Patrick1.0 wrote:

Schmidthouse wrote:

They (ASO) create that controversy, and ultimately it's in the interests of everybody that that controversy goes away."

I wouldn't say that is true. Not if it means sweeping things under the carpet.

I tend to look upon all this Lance - ASO "controversy" as a sort of conspiracy theory
type of thing. It's all a bunch of hype from both sides to attract more viewer and fans.
Sure he will ride the "Tour", and just watch as audience numbers climb. Love him or hate him, all will be watching. It's too much soap opera to pass up. Everybody, riders, sponsors, promoters, governing bodies, you name it, makes money. Well, anyway that's my conspiracy theory.

Dennis Noward

andy_wrx

St Lance expects the ASO to respect him - well obviously the reverse will also be true.

I'm puzzled at Bruyneel's arrogance in expecting Lance to be invited - does the ASO invite all the teams and riders, or is St Lance so far up himself that he thinks he should be invited whilst mere mortals should have to enter...?

And Lance has nothing to gain by going for an 8th - now you really are kidding, Johan !

"Of course, if he is making a comeback he would like to compete at the highest level. But he can do without it."
- I'll bet the Giro organisers will be pleased to be referred to as second-best...

LangerDan

TBH, I think we can expect these nuggets of "infotainment" every fortnight or so for the next 8 months. If you look back over the past few months there has been a regular succession of Max Clifford-type events and incidents designed to get maximum exposure.

Lance races his MTB

Lance might be coming back

Lance is coming back

This is how Lance is coming back.

The nasty UCI mightn't let Lance race in Australia

The UCI let Lance race in Australia

Lance to race in Italy

Lance mightn't race in France

Lance might race in France, but only if they are nice to him.


It's not about the bike - it's about "Hello" magazine gone mad.

Kléber

Don't forget he's part of the team that's in talks to hire the disgraced Vinokourov. If the ink dries on that contract, Astana's best hope for July is the Tour of Austria.

chriskempton

If his comeback is to raise awareness of cancer, surely he'll selflessly be targeting the highest profile events, regardless of how "welcoming" they are to him.

I really can't believe the gullibility of his fan base.

andy_wrx

Perhaps those awful Frenchies at ASO might have designed the 2009 Tour route too hard for him, with the Ventoux stage the day before Paris and not much TT mileage.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 684233.stm

The penultimate stage of the 2009 Tour de France will be a tough mountain test, placing further doubt on a possible return for Lance Armstrong.

Organisers have broken with tradition in adding the steep Mont Ventoux climb so late in the three-week event.

Armstrong, 37, is set to return with the Astana team but is yet to decide whether to go for an eighth Tour title.

Already committed to the Giro d'Italia, team boss Johan Bruyneel said he was "50-50" to also race in the Tour.

The Belgian added: "We have to see if he is physically able to cope with it. Personally, I think he is capable.

"Today is 22 October 2008 and I can tell you he is in better shape than in October 2003 or 2004 because he used to take a big break after the Tour.

"He now needs to get this extra one per cent that will make the difference."

Armstrong will end a three-and-a-half-year absence from the sport when he rides in the Tour Down Under in Australia in January. He has also announced he will be competing in the Giro d'Italia for the first time in his career, in May.

The American used to concentrate solely on the Tour de France but earlier this month he said there was a chance the Giro could be the only three-week stage race he would compete in.

The Italian race is one of cycling's three grand tours - along with the Tour de France and the Vuelta (Tour of Spain) - and it ends five weeks before Le Tour begins on 5 July.

Armstrong initially looked set to launch a bid for an eighth title in France but it was met with a less than enthusiastic response from Tour organisers.

His former mentor, and five-time Tour winner, Eddy Merckx has also said he is convinced that Armstrong will not compete as taking part in the Giro and the Tour in the same year will be too much.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has refused to be drawn on the issue, again offering a guarded response to the prospect of Armstrong's return to the race.

"It is up to him to decide whether he wants to come or not," he said.

"His return on the Tour would neither be a bad, nor a good thing. Of course he is a special character but for the Tour he is a rider like others."

The 2009 route is aimed at keeping the suspense going to the very end of the race, and Jean-Francois Pescheux, who helped design the course, stated: "The Ventoux will blow things up."

Riders will cover around 2,141 miles, including 20 major mountain climbs, with Mont Ventoux - a 7.6 average gradient over 21.2km - providing a gruelling challenge so in the closing stages.

The outcome of the Tour is usually decided in the final time trial but next year, the solo effort against the clock will take place three days before the arrival in Paris.

A team time trial, out of favour in recent years, has also been restored for 2009.

This year's winner, Carlos Sastre of Spain, said the route was so tough he would "not even think of winning."

But 2007 winner Alberto Contador, now a team-mate of Armstrong at Astana, said: "The more I look at the map, the more I like [the route].

"I really think that everything will be decided before Mont Ventoux, but for the one wearing the yellow jersey at that moment, there will be a terrible pressure."

vermooten

Lance knows that he will bring money to the Tour - they need him.

dennisn

vermooten wrote:

Lance knows that he will bring money to the Tour - they need him.

You got that right. And he needs them. And everyone goes away happy with full
pockets. It's about the money. Sit back a catch the show. Should be good.

Dennis Noward

dave_1

I see LA's coach , Charmichael, saying LA as of late september was training 20-24hrs a week...will move up to 22-26hrs a week with altitude visits every 8-10 weeks over winter. There's no way LA has returned to those volumes of training off a 100 miles a week for the past 2 years.....my guess is LA has been training most of 2008 to distances if not intensities of an unretired TDF rider, diet, etc...so my money is on him to push the others very very hard at 09 TDF. I wonder when in 08 he decided and what made him decide...bio passport? He must believe he was the best undoped-hence return when loopholes closed and he can still be

mididoctors

vermooten wrote:

Lance knows that he will bring money to the Tour - they need him.

no they don't

the golden age for the tour hasn't arrived yet...

when we see a real bread and water tour we will have entered that era.

flattythehurdler

The dyneponamic texan. Great.

dave_1

where is Aurelio...? He posted so much on Lance and is awol/missing in action?

jimmythecuckoo

skavanagh.bikeradar wrote:

He can do without it? Brilliant. I recommend he does without it immediately.

x1000

Patrick1.0

mididoctors wrote:

vermooten wrote:

Lance knows that he will bring money to the Tour - they need him.

no they don't

the golden age for the tour hasn't arrived yet...

when we see a real bread and water tour we will have entered that era.

I don't think we'll ever see that. I think we can see something pretty close though if retrospective testing becomes the norm and anti-doping controls are continually tightened.

turkeytickler

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

skavanagh.bikeradar wrote:

He can do without it? Brilliant. I recommend he does without it immediately.

x1000

i would rather he did without it too so x another 1000

dennisn

chriskempton wrote:

If his comeback is to raise awareness of cancer, surely he'll selflessly be targeting the highest profile events, regardless of how "welcoming" they are to him.

I really can't believe the gullibility of his fan base.

Run that one by me again. Not a clue what you're trying to say. Really. Cancer? Fan base? Tie that together for me.
Dennis Noward

Anonymous

dennisn wrote:

Patrick1.0 wrote:

Schmidthouse wrote:

They (ASO) create that controversy, and ultimately it's in the interests of everybody that that controversy goes away."

I wouldn't say that is true. Not if it means sweeping things under the carpet.

I tend to look upon all this Lance - ASO "controversy" as a sort of conspiracy theory
type of thing. It's all a bunch of hype from both sides to attract more viewer and fans.
Sure he will ride the "Tour", and just watch as audience numbers climb. Love him or hate him, all will be watching. It's too much soap opera to pass up. Everybody, riders, sponsors, promoters, governing bodies, you name it, makes money. Well, anyway that's my conspiracy theory.

Dennis Noward

I agree with Dennis, its all about drama....Lance will ride, if on 80% form he will win...millions will love him, the ever present Anti Lance mob (which has a large subscription on this forum) will hate him further and say he's on new undetectable drugs...blah blah blah....

Personally I admire the man...a man which which can overcome so much adversity, just think for a tiny moment how much money that man has raised for the fight against Cancer....and the awareness he has created....theres a long road in life and who knows?....theres a good chance many relations of the Anti Lance army(or even themselves) will fall prey to the disease...and his story gives such hope, and maybe the money he has riased could help in a good few survivals?

Lance is just the victim of utter success, lots of people do not like winners, Lance gets such a hard time on forums and the like due to having the technology to do so, the anti-eddy merckx army would be just as hateful in his day, same with Anquitel, and they hated Big Mig for his 'boringness'..

Theres more talk on this forum about Lance and drug use than any other rider...and 99% of the other riders were found guilty....Lance has never tested positive...and was tested 3 times more than any other rider...I'm not saying he was 100% clean, all I'm saying why does he creat such reaction and other riders don't?....I think I know...hes just too successfull...and he was on a totally different level to others...drugs or not....he's way more than a cyclist....already a world legend who inspies millions.

skavanagh.bikeradar

This had to happen to this thread sometime. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargghghgghghghghghgghghghghghghghghgghghgghgjgjggjghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghg.

dennisn

skavanagh.bikeradar wrote:

This had to happen to this thread sometime. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargghghgghghghghghgghghghghghghghghgghghgghgjgjggjghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghghg.

Finally drove one crazy. Now I feel better.

Dennis Noward

SpaceJunk

You know what I can't understand about all this Lance hoo-hah?

Sure he has won the TdF 7 times. And really that is quite an amazing feat. On top of that, he's done it AFTER surviving cancer. Doping or not doping, that is one hell of a story.

But I have a friend who nearly 3 years ago was diagnosed with cancer. I thought, 'hey give her a copy of 'It's not about the bike''. That should help her.

I caught up with her some weeks later and asked her what she thought of the book. Her response (initially) surprised me.

To paraphrase: she thought it was a good story. But she couldn't draw any inspiration from him. Why? She felt the guy was one of the most pig-headed, single minded people she's ever read about. Sure they are qualities you probably need to win 7 Tours, but are they qualities you need to beat cancer? (My friend overcame cancer, but freely admits others who were more determined then her to beat it, lost their battle). She wondered if they were qualities that endeared him to others?

Someone else in the meatime gave her the book 'How Lance does it' (I haven't read it), and her repsonse to that is why would I look to him as a life coach? (I think the book was written to help people in their day-to-day life). The guy can't even keep a long-term stable relationship. Why look to him for guidance in life? was her reaction.

I couldn't really argue with that.

So I went and read his two books again (the other: every second counts). And I think my friend is right.

I'm not knocking the guy - history shows he's the most successful rider ever at the our. And no one can knock his efforts in raising money for cancer awareness.

But that doesn't mean he's an instant inspiration to all of us.

Am I being a bit harsh? DO you think his books are overrated? Are you inspired, not by WHAT he's achieved, but HOW he's achieved it (his win-at-all costs attitude)?

Trev36

vermooten wrote:

Lance knows that he will bring money to the Tour - they need him.

Are you serious?
The tour doesn't need Armstrong.
As has been said before "The tour is bigger than one man"

Armstrong entry into the tour would certainly regenerate the American public interest though.

If anything it's Lance needs the tour.
For his agenda of publicity the Tour is the biggest and best place for his publicity wagon.
Armstrong needs the Tour, not the Tour needs Armstrong.
In saying that, Armstrong doesn't need to do the tour as is seen by all the publicity he has generated already. Doing other races will be well publicized throughout the cycling world as has already been the case, but the Tour takes it further into the general public more so than any other cycle race.
Armstrong is an attention seeker so I'd say he does want the tour. But whats stronger the publicity hunt of the Tour or the desire to prove people wrong by trying to win a different Grand Tour (The Giro)?