Armstrong looks heavy; no win for Lance in Tour or Giro??

jerry3571

Not sure whether it's the dodgy dimensions of my Telly Picture but I think Armstrong is carrying his Marathon muscles and maybe a bit of upper body muscle too. I've just read an article by Simeoni which suggests Armstrong looking a bit heavy in the Milan San Remo.
I have a sneaking feeling that Mr Armstrong may not only be a bit leathery but also a bit too heavy for the major Tours. This maybe as good as it gets for the 7 times winner??
No victory on Vesuvius, Sestriere or even in Verbier in France this year??
Cheers Jerry

colint

I agree, doesn't look the same build at all. Maybe he'd have been better suited to having a crack some one day classics as a comeback rather than the tours, probably would have been more popular as well.

zammmmo

Well there's always next year! And the year after that....

Pokerface

Still 6 weeks to lose the extra weight. That's one of the reasons he's riding the Giro.

You'll see a leaner Lance at the Tour. Don't forget - we're not used to seeing him ride competitvely at this time of year!

colint

Fair point, and he did have the lay off with the collarbone I suppose

Quite Frankly

Perhaps his ''preparation'' hasn't got under way yet?

colint

FFS, I despair, I really do.

edhornby

maybe something to do with the fact that he's had a big layoff and he's 37 yrs old, the world has moved on...

Quite Frankly

colint wrote:

FFS, I despair, I really do.

What?

colint

Quite Frankly wrote:

colint wrote:

FFS, I despair, I really do.

What?

The thread is about Armstrongs weight, there are plenty of drug related Armstrong threads if thats what you want to discuss

Kléber

Colin, it would be hard to discuss Al Capone without mentioning his activities of a gangster

meagain

"... some one day classics as a comeback rather than the tours, probably would have been more popular as well."

But I doubt if as lucrative! What's popularity compared with MONEY?

David-Witts

Or is it just middle age girth or the natural redistribution of weight as the years roll by? Definitely seems heavier or top heavy muscular . Is this the kind of weight you loose during bike training? Also gone is his high cadence style. Fingers crossed that he’ll be up to riding the TDF and that the team will exist.

colint

Kléber wrote:

Colin, it would be hard to discuss Al Capone without mentioning his activities of a gangster

AC was never convicted of any offence relating to being a gangster ! Only tax evasion. He was an honest, hard working businessman.

Le Commentateur

Compared to Pantani's last hurrah in the 2003 Giro Lance looks pretty trim.

jerry3571

I think he looks a bit more like the pre cancer Armstrong where Eddy Merckx used to say"if Armstrong could lose a few kilos then he would be a good Tour rider". I seen him at the Leeds Classic, years ago, up close and he looked in mint condition and was frighteningly lean but a bit chunky. As soon as the muscle goes on it is hard to get rid of. Starvation diets etc. I think he's going to have a job with this more than his age.
I think too that the lay off from the crash wouldn't effect him a lot as he was reported to be back his Turbo Trainer within 4 days and he did the Tour of Gila as well.
We shall see how he goes in the next few hours I guess.
Ciao Jerry

PS- I think Mr Kléber is getting a bit OCD with his "Armstrong drug fascination". I think there are many more proven bad guys out there. None of us know what he gets up to so he's in the same boat as the rest of the pros in my book.

afx237vi

jerry3571 wrote:

PS- I think Mr Kléber is getting a bit OCD with his "Armstrong drug fascination". I think there are many more proven bad guys out there. None of us know what he gets up to so he's in the same boat as the rest of the pros in my book.

Because Di Luca, Valverde, Basso etc get such an easy ride on this forum.

iainf72

jerry3571 wrote:

I think too that the lay off from the crash wouldn't effect him a lot as he was reported to be back his Turbo Trainer within 4 days and he did the Tour of Gila as well.

The Tour of the Gila is just a chipper though innit. Hardly Tour of Romandie.

hevipedal

13th on the longest stage of the Giro? He may not be going to win the Giro and he may be a bit over his best weight from the Tour years but he's still beating Kids half his age up hill and down dale. Chapeau I say.

Vino2007

touché hevipedal, i think people fail to realise this guy for the past few years has been doing overall training for his running etc and the guy comes back within 12months of serious training and is as hevipedal says, whooping the arses of young guys who have been focused solely on the bike for god knows how long.
Lance certainly is a super athlete.

rockmount

Kléber wrote:

Colin, it would be hard to discuss Al Capone without mentioning his activities of a gangster

At least Al Capone was found guilty ... of something :?

Homer J

rockmount wrote:

Kléber wrote:

Colin, it would be hard to discuss Al Capone without mentioning his activities of a gangster

At least Al Capone was found guilty ... of something :?

Lance is guilty of being Lance and that's seems to be enough for most people :?

He does look like he has got a bit more muscle, but he put in a good performace today (stage 10)

liversedge

David-Witts wrote:

Also gone is his high cadence style

This really surprised me. Is his CV system less superhuman for some reason these days?

OffTheBackAdam

He looked to be pedalling faster than the others to me.
A good performance from him today.
I still feel his comeback's a mistake, if he wins, it's because he's still on the dope, if he doesn't, it's because he isn't, but was when he was winning. :roll:

teagar

The Flemish radio (and they know what they're talking about) has been very complimentary of Armstrong, saying that given that he's been out for 3 years and had the collarbone break, he's riding very well.

Clemson Cycling

Christian Vandvelde finished 48th at the Giro last year and 4th in the Tour de France if that means anything. Lance might not be showing his full hand.

timoid.

teagar wrote:

The Flemish radio (and they know what they're talking about) has been very complimentary of Armstrong, saying that given that he's been out for 3 years and had the collarbone break, he's riding very well.

Which is fair enough. I doubt Coppi in his pomp could win the giro with do little preparation.

jerry3571

After 4 days off he must be well unfit. Contador last year was on the Newcastle Browns in the Nightclubs before getting the call and he needed a week to get rid of his hang over and put everyone behind him.
I can't see Lance doing much better. Not bad for an oldie!! Only Rebellin could do better for an old chap; ah, bad one there... must think of someone better.... :?
Ciao Jerry

Bakunin

The guy looks like a doorman at a bar -- not a grand tour legend.

It must be all those Hollywood babes -- I think they like dudes with shoulders.

osucowboytc

OffTheBackAdam wrote:

He looked to be pedalling faster than the others to me.
A good performance from him today.
I still feel his comeback's a mistake, if he wins, it's because he's still on the dope, if he doesn't, it's because he isn't, but was when he was winning. :roll:

Could it not also be because he was out of the sport for a couple years and is now one of the oldest men in the peloton (at least in the Giro). He has been tested time and time again. Why do people still not believe that he is clean?

richard wants a baum

How many times were Jan, Basso, Valverde tested?