Armstrong for the tour?

whydoesitalwaysrainonme

Does anybody reckon Armstrong has a good shot at the tour? bearing in mind that he is currently third. Whether he can climb up two places and hold it there is to be seen but i hope he wins. Anyone else think he can do it?

Chaz.Harding

Ohh... I see you've got you sh1t-stirring spoon out there! (There's more than a couple of L-A haters on here!! )

I hope he does well. I think he's strong enough to win, if his team works for him. If he becomes a domestique (which will probably never happen!!), then I don't think he can do it.

**Battens down hatches ready for abuse**

whydoesitalwaysrainonme

I reckon if he puts the hammer down he can do it....i don't think contador will like that
also i don't know why people think they can hate Armstrong really because if you've won as many tours as him it is near enough impossible to get away with it, he would have had to discovered a super epo that nobody knows about and is undetectable.

Mettan

No.

Contador, A Schleck, Sastre - should beat him.

It's early days though - he's doing alright so far.

whydoesitalwaysrainonme

Mods
sorry that i put this in the cake stop forum, i was meant to put it in pro race but put it in here for some reason. Please move.

Chaz.Harding

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Now you've really screwed yourself.... Opening the Lance Armstrong EPO / performance enhancing drugs debate can-of-worms!

You really want some abuse don't ya!

Seriously, I think he is a bloody awesome athlete, BUT, IMHO, he isn't the best cyclist. He can win the TdF alot, but Mercx won everything, all the time. I think it's something ridiculous like - he WON the equivilent of winning a race per week, for SIX YEARS!

1892

yes he can win it, but I don't think he will

nolf

He ws in a great position for todays stage. The only grand tour contender (not including micheal rogers) who made the break, and has put 41 seconds into all of his rivals.

I reckon he could make a top 5 placing if he keeps riding smart and has a good team TT.

I still reckon contador will leave him for dead in the mountains though.

redddraggon

He might get Top 10 by the end, but there's plenty of better climbers, and Bertie has turned up his TTing up a notch too.

I can imagine Bertie doing Armstrong in on the climbs and the TTs, fingers crossed luck holds out for Contador.

softlad

Bert's blood will be up now. He will stuff it up Armstrong in the mountains and no mistake. Astana's TTT should be interesting tomorrow....

If this carries on, it will be less about who wins the TdF - and more about whether Bert can stuff LA, or vice versa.....

Mettan

Lance could be left with Cadel on the mountains (when they crack) - I expect to see Andy, Bertie and Carlos fighting in the mountains (when it gets to the sharp-end) - very early though, and there are a host of others who will be there or thereabouts.

nolf

I reckon it'll be andy and frank along with alberto and carlos who are at the sharp end in the mountains.

Would be great to watch them all up ventoux though: lance, evans, andy, alberto and carlos just going mano el mano up the mountain.

Hopefully it will still be close and we'll see some desperate attacks.

NWLondoner

The weekend mountain stages will show us who really has a chance of winning. I am impressed that LA is already 3rd and am thinking that yesterdays tactics could be the start of some change of allegiances in the Astana team.

DavidBelcher

NWLondoner wrote:

The weekend mountain stages will show us who really has a chance of winning. I am impressed that LA is already 3rd and am thinking that yesterdays tactics could be the start of some change of allegiances in the Astana team.

It is a bit of a bunfight within that team, isn't it? Much like the Vino/Ullrich/Kloden 3-way split within T-Mobile a few years ago, or the Hinault/Lemond & Roche/Visentini feuds of further back.

Surprised to see Wiggins talking up his chances of a top-15 placing on Saturday afternoon (excellent showing in the TT though), seems a wee bit over-ambitious to me but we'll wait and see.

David

NWLondoner

I am just looking forward to seeing the Schleck brothers to rip the field apart once they hit the mountains. I have put some money on an Andy Schleck to win plus an each way bet (just in case). Also put some cash down on a Denis Menchov win :?

mingmong

LA is agressive though. I <insert text> hope <insert text/> he carries his current position up the mountains.

Schleck A will be in yellow in Paris though.

Marshall the troops Cavendish!

Frank the tank

Five out of the top seven are from Astana I would think they'll be running the show from here on in.

marcthehammer

Also put some cash down on a Denis Menchov win .pmsl

Stewie Griffin

My mate got 14/1 on Menchov, I asked what the spread was on him crashing more than 5 times in the whole Tour.

No idea who I would put my own money on to win. Am finding the Astana sideshow entertaining though.

dennisn

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Am finding the Astana sideshow entertaining though.

Not sure if it's a "sideshow" after today's TTT.
Or were you referring to the "sideshow" within the Astana "show".

Stewie Griffin

dennisn wrote:

Stewie Griffin wrote:

Am finding the Astana sideshow entertaining though.

Not sure if it's a "sideshow" after today's TTT.
Or were you referring to the "sideshow" within the Astana "show".

The soap opera within the show, but yes they pulled everyones pants down today.

NWLondoner

marcthehammer wrote:

Also put some cash down on a Denis Menchov win .pmsl

All my hopes and money rest on the shoulders of Andy Schleck now 8)

marcthehammer

I really enjoy the coverage of the tour on itv4 but their constant interviewing of Lance bloody Armstrong is starting to do my head in!! Is lance and cav the only 2 riders who will talk to them?

Stewie Griffin

Cav clearly didnt want to today

dennisn

marcthehammer wrote:

I really enjoy the coverage of the tour on itv4 but their constant interviewing of Lance bloody Armstrong is starting to do my head in!! Is lance and cav the only 2 riders who will talk to them?

I know what you're saying. I think it's a problem with the people in charge of the various media organizations. They may not be cycling fans or even sports fans for that matter so the only people they even recognize the names of are the "stars". They more than likely
figure that that's what most people want to hear about and they are somewhat right
as people get their Lance or Cav in much smaller doses as compared to avid cyclists.
We have already heard it all, but for the, probably, vast majority of "somewhat interested"
people, it's the "stars" they want to know about. Not who carried water for who. Also Lance is "up near the top of the standings". Who else are they going to talk to? The last place team?

DavidBelcher

marcthehammer wrote:

I really enjoy the coverage of the tour on itv4 but their constant interviewing of Lance bloody Armstrong is starting to do my head in!! Is lance and cav the only 2 riders who will talk to them?

Fair point; wanting plenty of interview time with Cav is understandable given the British Isles interest, but surely there are other big names apart from Armstrong worth talking to (Wiggins and Millar for starters; being Brits and top ten placers at the moment I'm surprised ITV4 haven't given them more exposure)? Admittedly Evans is liable to throw a strop now and again so they might be giving him a wide berth!

David

daviddd

marcthehammer wrote:

I really enjoy the coverage of the tour on itv4 but their constant interviewing of Lance bloody Armstrong is starting to do my head in!! Is lance and cav the only 2 riders who will talk to them?

the perpetual and mindless ITV4 ads are even worse - argghhh!

1892

ITV always stick the ads in just as it's getting interesting, I tend to watch it on eurosport I think it's much better

marcthehammer

OMG how pissed did Lance look after todays stage I bet he let alberto have both barrels.!! .lol. I know hes won 7 times and respect for that but there is just something about him that i dont like. And didnt bradley do really well.

dennisn

marcthehammer wrote:

OMG how pissed did Lance look after todays stage I bet he let alberto have both barrels.!! .lol. I know hes won 7 times and respect for that but there is just something about him that i dont like. And didnt bradley do really well.

Why would Alberto let Lance "give it to him with both barrels"? Why would anybody?
Since when is Lance a person that can just scream at anyone he chooses and have everyone cower in mortal fear? Contador is his own man. Why wouldn't he tell Lance to
get f*cked? You might cower before the great LA, but I'm thinking most of the guys are
not shaking in their boots over him.

marcthehammer

I think that Lance is a very confident person who likes to get his own way and wouldnt think twice at screaming in someones face,As for alberto letting him i doubt he would but that wouldnt stop lance doing it.