How do you think LA will do now in July
Ignoring all the other stuff thats going on at the moment.
To date I reckon L.A's preperation for the Tour de France is the equivalent of a couple of Sportives and a Sunday run or two.
Surely he's not gonna be in the condition to feature?
He wont be there just to make up the numbers. So something has to give? There is no team time trial from which he can make big gains. The team can only get him so far up the G.C before he has to do it on his own.
Am I being naive, or is there still time ( 6 weeks) to up his preparation. Is he relying on experience or is it really closer to the event when the pro's up their ante and get into TDF condition .
Surely L.A is NOT coming to France to get finish 8th, 11th or 23rd?
To date I reckon L.A's preperation for the Tour de France is the equivalent of a couple of Sportives and a Sunday run or two.
Surely he's not gonna be in the condition to feature?
He wont be there just to make up the numbers. So something has to give? There is no team time trial from which he can make big gains. The team can only get him so far up the G.C before he has to do it on his own.
Am I being naive, or is there still time ( 6 weeks) to up his preparation. Is he relying on experience or is it really closer to the event when the pro's up their ante and get into TDF condition .
Surely L.A is NOT coming to France to get finish 8th, 11th or 23rd?
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He will ride Tour De Suisse I guess, maybe one other race close to TDF... the first week of TDF will be training...reckon top 5 for him unless Floyd provides hard evidence to trigger investigations which ASO would act on, block shack0
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I think Dave's point is the most pertinent, it all depends on whether an investigation into the allegations is launched publically. If it is then it gives ASO grounds for retracting their invite, should they be inclined to do so.
As for Armstrong's form, he's shown glimpses that it's solid but nothing more than that. He certainly lacks racing compared to last year.0 -
He doesn't appear to be competitive, but you never know, as he's got it right in previous years. If he finishes in the Top 10 I will be surprised - last year he rode very smartly and gained time at every available opportunity (esp TTT & wind-generated splits in the peleton). His ITT form is so-so and he was regularly distance in the mountains by the top GC riders.
Seems he's going to add the Tour of Luxemburg to his schedule, but perhaps the best course of action is to sit back on the GC and go for a stage win?0 -
I think LA is hoping to make up time on the cobbled stage and then not lose too much in the mountains.
I think his position can all depend on the others. How will Sastre, Menchov, Evans, Schleck, Wiggins etc do as if they have a better tour than last year then that can end up knocking him down a place or two.
He needs more racing in his legs though0 -
LA looked pretty good by the ventoux last year... i still think he'll have few good days in the mountains...but let's see...0
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Don't think Lancey is riding the TdS now and has pulled out of le Dauphine. I hope he doesn't come to the Tour - he isn't welcome. Whack Shack should ride for Horner. If he does turn up he will get smoked, and to save face will make up a ton of excuses and likely pull out.Contador is the Greatest0
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frenchfighter wrote:Don't think Lancey is riding the TdS now and has pulled out of le Dauphine. I hope he doesn't come to the Tour - he isn't welcome. Whack Shack should ride for Horner. If he does turn up he will get smoked, and to save face will make up a ton of excuses and likely pull out.
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In the past ASO would have been wary but today they seem to have changed tack, Prudhomme is under orders to maximise the audiences and the cash. So even if he's unfit, ASO will want him there because he brings legions of people to the roadside and TV screen.
As for his riding, he needs some racing. Whilst he never raced much in previous years, he was always competitive in the Dauphiné or Suisse tours.
To me he just doesn't seem to be enjoying the races and I suspect playing catch-up all season long is frustrating, as is knowing that Contador's ready to win again.0 -
It must be galling for him to think that someone else's "conditioning" programme is more effective and attracts less suspicion than hisKléber wrote:To me he just doesn't seem to be enjoying the races and I suspect playing catch-up all season long is frustrating, as is knowing that Contador's ready to win again.0 -
He is riding the Tour of Luxembourg, I assume as well as, rather than instead of, the T de S.
If it isn't.........
Desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. He certainly wasn't planning on crashing out of the T of C, with virtually no serious racing under his belt.
How will he Tour? With difficulty, I suspect. The French smell blood! :P
On the bike? Probably better than the "haters" hope, but worse than the "fanboys" desire.
The ASO will sit on the fence and reap whatever financial rewards comes with the media scrum."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:On the bike? Probably better than the "haters" hope, but worse than the "fanboys" desire.
I suspect it will a lot closer to the former than the latter. Shown absolutely nothing this year.Le Blaireau (1)0 -
People made the mistake of writing him off last year, then he got on the podium.
With Schleck junior having had an even worse early season than Lance it would appear that Contador is so far clear of everybody else he'll walk it...BUT Astana are not exaclty a powerhouse these days and the early cobbled stages could easily take out a favourite or two...
Drug investigation and team exclusion issues aside, I think he'll comfortably be top five, and I wouldn't bet against the podium.My cycle racing blog: http://cyclingapprentice.wordpress.com/
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Last year he raced more days in May than he'd raced the whole of this year (I think). He's had illness, injury and now some additional stuff to contend with.
Lack of racing, looked really unconvincing on the Cali climbs, so he's got a lot to do.
I don't think he'd enjoying riding particularly.
So how will he do - If he gets to the start and gets to the finish, probably somewhere between 10-20. Saxo, Liquigas have better teams. Contador has Vino to look after him during the first few days so he's probably not in mortal danger of losing time.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
I would have to agree with the sentiment that he has lacked racing this year for various reasons and will not do that well therefore.
All the issues surrounding him aside, I think he has had his best days and I would agree with FF that they are better focusing on one of the other riders (Horner / Leipheimer) as the main man for the Tour.
I can see top 10, just, more likely top 20 as iainf72 says.0 -
if I was him I would be hoping of getting into yellow for a least a day early on... not impossible but a tad random... if enters he should get round but he doesn't look great but then he looked a bit short at the Giro last year
think events may make this all moot but things may move slowly"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
Tend to agree the ASO will be inclined to let him start unless major evidence of the allegations comes out. Too much money resting on the interest created unfortunatley.
Can't see him doing that well and I would think that the tightening noose will ensure that most riders will be clean. Without "conditioning" I can't see him riding that well given the lack of racing miles this year.
I'm not a fan at all, but I do find it a bit sad when he is getting knocked for still achieving a relatively high placing given his age. He must be due a bit of credit assuming we have a level playing field now.0 -
greeny12 wrote:People made the mistake of writing him off last year, then he got on the podium.
With Schleck junior having had an even worse early season than Lance it would appear that Contador is so far clear of everybody else he'll walk it...BUT Astana are not exaclty a powerhouse these days and the early cobbled stages could easily take out a favourite or two...
Drug investigation and team exclusion issues aside, I think he'll comfortably be top five, and I wouldn't bet against the podium.
Would imagine Bertie will be well looked after by his unofficial minders - Quick Step. Can't see Lefevre wanting his 2011 option put in jeopardy. That said, I reckon Bertie could lose 10 mins and still win the Tour.0 -
It doesn't look good for him now, but I have to say I expected him to figure around place 10 in the TdF GC last year beforehand - there were no clear indications of a podium place in May back then. So, who knows? That being said, this year's route is a lot tougher, and so is the competition, with less opportunities to rely on smarts and a strong team.0
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I don't reckon he will finish the tour "if" he does start
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Well, I've got 20 dollars(with montydog) riding on ANY Shack rider being on the GC podium at the end. I figure Lance will be there to at least help try and get someone up there, if not himself.0
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I don't think he'll even start.0
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Does anyone else think he will just be satisfied with de-railing Contador over the cobbles and once he is destroyed go for stage wins?
Or have I been reading too much stuff on here about LA ?0 -
I dont believe lance would enter the tdf if he didnt think he could win it.0
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jimmythecuckoo wrote:Does anyone else think he will just be satisfied with de-railing Contador over the cobbles and once he is destroyed go for stage wins?
Or have I been reading too much stuff on here about LA ?
The latter.
I don't think Lance was even satisfied with 7 TdF wins.0 -
Chris Horner deserves the full support of his team - he has shown this season that when he is allowed to race he is streets ahead of Levi and LA. He dropped both of them, as well as several other TdF favourites, throughout the spring including Contador and also beat Valverde and co. in a do-or-die TT.
He would probably have won the ToC as well if it wasn't carved up to allow Levi his one annual shot at glory.
If Chris arrives in Paris fit and healthy he is the man they should support - but he is so far off Bruyneel's radar he might as well stay and ride in the hills around his home in Denia!0 -
Dont think he will ride and i hope that is the case as when he does ride the anti Lance brigade seem to froth at the mouth and reduce threads to arguing about the merits or otherwise of wearing black socks etc ...............all rather infantile .Gasping - but somehow still alive !0
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What makes you think Lance gets most of his training in races? Wasn't one of Lemond's biggest complaints about Lance that he had so few training days and was out training in the hidden wild? Anyways, read "Lance Armstrong's War" by Dan Coyle and you'll see his best training is outside of races.0
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Has he actually won a race since his comeback?
He has the capacity to surprise, but I just see it.
Top 20 at the Tour and perhaps a stage win (a 'gift' from Bertie maybe?).0 -
Top 10 if he starts, but he'll have to make the most of every opportunity he gets and tentative riding by others (like Wiggo last year at key moments) to do so. Of course I might be wrong and frequently am otherwise I'd be doing PTP!0
