Armstrong was really good today

westerburk

I used to hate him
now i like him because hes still going despite it all. Hes almost an honory Brit.

Toppers off sir Lance jolly good show today!

carrock

westerburk wrote:

I used to hate him
now i like him because hes still going despite it all. Hes almost an honory Brit.

Toppers off sir Lance jolly good show today!

Yes hats off- for a guy of 38 pushing 39 he is impressive

Strange thing is, he appears to be considerably better than last year- fitter, stronger, more up for it- but I can't see him getting on the podium- I can see him 4th or 5th behind contador, schleck, wiggins, evans etc

Splottboy

Whats new, the guys a God!

iainf72

Not baiting, but what made him really good. He finished in a group of 36 without any significant GC attacks.

All today told us is the GC guys are waiting. There was talk the Shack would try something today but if they were planning anything Astana put pay to it with ease.

westerburk

I think so splottboy, I cant believe these guys going on about drugs when

A hes the most tested athlete in history
B hes NEVER tested positive
C He had a bike decorated in creatures killed in the name of art

heard some dodgy things about the "actual" extent of his cancer though. Think he might have bigged things up for his excellent book. Its called its not about the bike and is a really good read.

finchy

westerburk wrote:

I think so splottboy, I cant believe these guys going on about drugs when

A hes the most tested athlete in history
B hes NEVER tested positive
C He had a bike decorated in creatures killed in the name of art

heard some dodgy things about the "actual" extent of his cancer though. Think he might have bigged things up for his excellent book. Its called its not about the bike and is a really good read.

Top marks for sarcasm here. BTW how did the school thing pan out in the end?

Pokerface

westerburk wrote:

I think so splottboy, I cant believe these guys going on about drugs when

A hes the most tested athlete in history

Without turning this into another "I hate Lance and he's a cheat" thread - let me just point out that there is currently no test for autologous blood transfusions. So most of the peleton could be shooting up their own blood and no one would be the wiser.

As for Lance - he kept up with the main group of leaders and while there were no attacks, etc - there were still many riders who COULDN'T keep up.

jamlala

The book is very good there is no doubt about that, AND he is one of the biggest draws on the TdeF. I think he's great but understand why others don't. Nothing wrong with being 39 dammit........my 5 yr old asked today if I was going to do the Tour de France next year, bless him!

CTL

I don't care much for the Radio Shack ads, I mean they are average but the Nike ad with Lance I first saw today was real good.

Splottboy

God = the power of Life or Death over all living things.

Enjoy yer burger and sausage did yer, or is the Veggie thing still in fashion? Lol!

dilemna

There is no God, so where does that leave Armstrong?

Steve2020

westerburk wrote:

I think so splottboy, I cant believe these guys going on about drugs when

A hes the most tested athlete in history
B hes NEVER tested positive
C He had a bike decorated in creatures killed in the name of art

heard some dodgy things about the "actual" extent of his cancer though. Think he might have bigged things up for his excellent book. Its called its not about the bike and is a really good read.

B-

westerburk

well if that were any way true it would have been all over the papers and he would have been done for it.


Get over it, hes great and my inspiration for cycling. In fact when i cant be bothered to go out i just have to think " what would lance do" and i get right on with it.

Inspirational

Abdoujaparov

His story is inspirational, but morally he's questionable. After listening to and reading 10 odd years of interviews with him, I just get the impression that he's a cnt.

jamlala

Abdoujaparov wrote:

His story is inspirational, but morally he's questionable. After listening to and reading 10 odd years of interviews with him, I just get the impression that he's a cnt.

Often necessary unfortunately, single-mindedness is a more clean description I guess?

cooper.michael1

What does david harmon have against Ivan Basso? today on a couple of occasions when in the middle of the TV screen behind Armstrong he said 'i can't see basso in this group'

Then at the end he was going on about how Basso had dropped time today becuase he is 4mins down on GC, and how it will be hard to come back from there, as if he was struggling today he wont survive tomorrow.

...he came in in the main group of GC contenders. Is 2:30-ish behind Evans on GC, the time he lost on the pave.

Lance did as well as the other GC contenders today.

micron

And with saddle sores too!!! (Hope he hasn't mislaid that 1999 backdated TUE )

sherer

westerburk wrote:

I think so splottboy, I cant believe these guys going on about drugs when

A hes the most tested athlete in history
B hes NEVER tested positive
C He had a bike decorated in creatures killed in the name of art

heard some dodgy things about the "actual" extent of his cancer though. Think he might have bigged things up for his excellent book. Its called its not about the bike and is a really good read.

he did test positive for Cordicoids in the 99 tour but he produced a TUE for it. Although surely if he had a TUE it wouldn't even be announced ?

Plus there is the possible EPO positive from 2001 Tour De Suisse that Landis has mentioned

Bakunin

I can't stand Lance.

But he was good today -- much better than Levi, Klodi, and Horner.

He was in a position to react if need be. I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but he was game today.

dave_1

micron wrote:

And with saddle sores too!!! (Hope he hasn't mislaid that 1999 backdated TUE )

I think you're not going to be very happy by the end of the weekend ...my hunch is LA is much better than 2009..

dave_1

Bakunin wrote:

I can't stand Lance.

But he was good today -- much better than Levi, Klodi, and Horner.

He was in a position to react if need be. I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but he was game today.

I found his positioning on the final climb to be arrogant, playing mind games against AC. AC had every right to sit 4th in line behind his 3 Astanas but LA sat there as if Astana were his team , a clear breach of etiqette by LA...think LA was trying to let them no he's ready for attacks.

markmod

westerburk wrote:

heard some dodgy things about the "actual" extent of his cancer though. Think he might have bigged things up for his excellent book. Its called its not about the bike and is a really good read.

Regarding Lance's cancer, trust me he hasn't 'bigged' up his cancer. It was as bad as it can get mate, with many many 'mets' (secondaries) in his lungs and several tumours in his brain.

The chances of survival from this were very very low indeed!
Any form of cancer is a big thing, trust me I know I have just been diagnosed with life threatening throat cancer.. Which is a fairly big thing, 6 lots of chemo and 6 weeks of intensive radiotherapy everyday of the working week... I have been told I should start feeling better again by Christmas is treatment is successful!

Think about how this would change your life... Keeping working is real hard so onto £79 (before tax and insurance) a week stat sick pay, extreme tiredness with no energy at all, constant level of pain, feeding through a tube into your stomach, can't go out in the sun without sunblock cream and stupid wide brimmed hat, facial scarring and killed saliver gland and tastebuds, and worst of all no cycling because you can't take in enough calories to replace those burnt off, through my feed tube.

All cancers are a big deal even if your not a top athelete, your life will change but to come back from what Lance had and compete at his level of success is what gives me my strength to fight and beat this.

Any cancer is a big thing. LIVESTRONG

richara3

markmod.

My dads just been through the same (last summer ) He gets by by drinking FORTISIP.... they are a drink that contains everything the body needs. ( NUTRITIONALLY COMPLETE ) My dad gets them on prescription by the box load. Dont think they are the most pallitable but without them my dad would not be here. They may just give you the extra calories to allow you to go for the odd ride.

http://uk.nutricia.com/products/view/fortisip_bottle

All the best with your cancer

Andy

blazing_saddles

Dave_1 wrote:

micron wrote:

And with saddle sores too!!! (Hope he hasn't mislaid that 1999 backdated TUE )

I think you're not going to be very happy by the end of the weekend ...my hunch is LA is much better than 2009..

I think so, too.
He looked pretty solid, yesterday, even though that was a pretty large group.
How do you think he's managed to get much better than 2009, with less riding, so much schedule disruption and the federal investigation hanging over him, Dave?

DaveyL

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

micron wrote:

And with saddle sores too!!! (Hope he hasn't mislaid that 1999 backdated TUE )

I think you're not going to be very happy by the end of the weekend ...my hunch is LA is much better than 2009..

I think so, too.
He looked pretty solid, yesterday, even though that was a pretty large group.
How do you think he's managed to get much better than 2009, with less riding and so much schedule disruption and the federal investigation hanging over him, Dave?

Probably the same way Basso is better this year than last.

blazing_saddles

DaveyL wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

micron wrote:

And with saddle sores too!!! (Hope he hasn't mislaid that 1999 backdated TUE )

I think you're not going to be very happy by the end of the weekend ...my hunch is LA is much better than 2009..

I think so, too.
He looked pretty solid, yesterday, even though that was a pretty large group.
How do you think he's managed to get much better than 2009, with less riding and so much schedule disruption and the federal investigation hanging over him, Dave?

Probably the same way Basso is better this year than last.

Davy: Has Dave given you his proxy vote?
I asked for Dave's opinion and I get your somewhat encoded response.
So, how has Basso and another year older Armstrong managed to improve, so much, specifically?

markmod

richara3 wrote:

markmod.

My dads just been through the same (last summer ) He gets by by drinking FORTISIP.... they are a drink that contains everything the body needs. ( NUTRITIONALLY COMPLETE ) My dad gets them on prescription by the box load. Dont think they are the most pallitable but without them my dad would not be here. They may just give you the extra calories to allow you to go for the odd ride.

http://uk.nutricia.com/products/view/fortisip_bottle

All the best with your cancer

Andy

Cheers for that Andy, Yes the FORTISIP are already part of my feed tube diet as prescribed by my keyworker/ dietician, as are a more calorific overnight feed that is fed through my tube.

I am glad your Dad is still with us mate, another one in the eye for cancer!! Wish him my best with his continued fight. I will have to be careful with rides as the morphine makes sense of judgement way off the norm as you can imagine :shock:

I stand by my earlier post about Lance, about his great recovery and performances since, this gives us all hope in life, that often insurmountable problems (not just cancer) can be often be beaten with inner strength, support of others (in my case medical teams etc)

I for one will be gutted if there is later proof that there was enhancement as per Landis's suggestion. Maybe I am just naive, and perhaps to easy to believe the best of thing in this world.

I for one still think that to see a man nearing forty performing so well in the tour is testament to Lance, and the man he is. Simple as that! (I hope)

DaveyL

Blazing Saddles wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Probably the same way Basso is better this year than last.

Davy: Has Dave given you his proxy vote?
I asked for Dave's opinion and I get your somewhat encoded response.
So, how has Basso and another year older Armstrong managed to improve, so much, specifically?

Pick your toys up, Blaze.

Basso came 5th at the Giro last year, behind Menchov, Di Luca, Pellizotto and Sastre, Armstrong was 3rdn the Tour last year. Would you say they have improved massively this year? Seems a few folk think the first year back racing after a lay-off is difficult.

Of course Dave_1 may have a different opinion.

thomasmc

Blazing Saddles wrote:

DaveyL wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Dave_1 wrote:

micron wrote:

And with saddle sores too!!! (Hope he hasn't mislaid that 1999 backdated TUE )

I think you're not going to be very happy by the end of the weekend ...my hunch is LA is much better than 2009..

I think so, too.
He looked pretty solid, yesterday, even though that was a pretty large group.
How do you think he's managed to get much better than 2009, with less riding and so much schedule disruption and the federal investigation hanging over him, Dave?

Probably the same way Basso is better this year than last.

Davy: Has Dave given you his proxy vote?
I asked for Dave's opinion and I get your somewhat encoded response.
So, how has Basso and another year older Armstrong managed to improve, so much, specifically?

Guys, I think its a bit early in the race to say he has improved a lot from last year

iainf72

thomasmc wrote:

Guys, I think its a bit early in the race to say he has improved a lot from last year

+1

Yesterday didn't really tell us anything. There are lots of people who can do 2 weeks of a grand tour without a problem but when it gets to week 3 they can fade badly.

Armstrong says he's got a saddle sore as well.

I thought, and this is just me, he rode too close to the front and gave the impression he was nervous. I noticed once or twice Sastre moved up and down the group with relative ease.

mididoctors

Dave_1 wrote:

[

I think you're not going to be very happy by the end of the weekend ...my hunch is LA is much better than 2009..

+1 looks stronger (but older)

I think he has more bad luck this year thou...

more likely to ride his own pace rather than go into the red al la verbier but he is surrounded by better/as strong riders who are already in front of him.

going to be an ask... if one of the2 big boys falters its all to play for

Astana look all loaded up and ready to go... so despite being better than 2009 he may still see the podium ride off up the road... hard to say thou he was riding well/smart at the suisse in a passive aggressive way which played off others


the most impressive or perhaps telling thing is how he is dealing with the pressure.. now that is sociopathic...