Re: Armstrong is reportedly set to return to competitive cycling in 2009. IIRC he was pretty big in his pre-cancer incarnation and then came back to the tour slimmed-down. I recall reading that this was a conscious decision (I think). I was expecting him to be muscular, but not have that much definition. Makes me wonder if he's going for the green jersey. Nice to see Gruene Hall in some of those pics. I have fond memories of that place -- I used to go dancing there in college. I also took my wife there right before we got married.
Re: Armstrong is reportedly set to return to competitive cycling in 2009. They've even got a name for it over here that's how much cycling has changed: The New Cycling. It's what all the talk is about at my neck of the woods. The strongest teams are no longer allowed to dictate the race. This again works in favour of the youngsters. Traditionally youngsters were to serve their team, they weren't allowed to win races and would be told off by the peleton if they attacked too early in a stage as the peleton typically wanted to save strength till the final 20 kilometres or so. That's changed. Now even a complete nobody from some unknown team will attack from the very first kilometre. DIdn't happen in Armstrong's days.
Re: Armstrong is reportedly set to return to competitive cycling in 2009. New cycling is old cycling, nothing has changed. What races have you watched since 2006 in which an established team or rider hasn't won? I know anyone can find a result here and there but for the most part the victories have come from the same large core of established riders or teams. What upstarts are worth mentioning? Some of the "upcoming" teams are nothing more than established programs with new sponsors. Astana was Discovery was USPS was Motorola........Where are these changes Johanna? As far as the issue of these young upstarts riding of the front.......in stage races it's common and unless that group has a threat to the GC then the peloton lets them go. It is as it's been for quite some time. It happened in Armstrongs day just as it did for Sastre in France over the summer. When it mattered most they responded to the attacks. It's a chess match and you know it. This coming season is going to see a handful of teams dictate every race just like in all the previous years. Be it the Spring Classics, the Grand Tours or the UCI Pro Tour, we won't see anything that we'll be talking about for years to come. I hope I'm wrong but I just don't see it. I wouldn't be surprised to see Astana or CSC win the majority of the big races.
More on LA's schedule for the season. http://www.velonews.com/article/86604/lance-armstrong-confirms-milan-san-remo-start He has confirmed for Milan-San Remo and a "probably" for the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Lance enjoying his time at the Tour Down Under. He will probably decide whether to extend his return around midseason. http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/9112974/Lance-rides-near-lead-on-2nd-day-of-comeback
Good to see he's not selling the home on Mt. Bonnell (if even still owns it). I've been swimming out at deadmans hole years ago and it's a pretty sweet place during the hot Texas summers. If you've got the $12 mil then go for it, Dripping Springs it a very nice part of the Hill Country.
I made a thorough search under the couch cushions, the pockets of seldom worn coats, underneath the car seats, etc and I seem to be a little short.
Considering the Hill Country runs north of Mineral Wells, I'd say that aside from the state park, I could live without Mineral Wells. I once spent a month driving through damn near every small town in the Hill Country and what a nice trip it was. You can always take on a paper route to help make ends meet
French say Armstrong violated drug-test rules The AFLD are still looking for a way to get this guy. Do they realize how silly this vendetta looks to the rest of the world?
They say that if you throw enough shit at the wall at some point it will stick. It is not only silly but sad how the French cannot let it go. Armstrong at one point was the most tested athlete in the world coupled with how low the criteria to prove doping is yet they have nothing. Really sad.
I'm a fan of Armstrong's. Having said that, I am reasonably sure he doped (at a minimum) in 1999. It doesn't bother me that much because I've become pretty ambivalent about doping in general. In my opinion, he was pretty clearly in the wrong here. What's going to bail him out in the end is that the guy from the lab, whose job it was to oversee this whole process, agreed to let Lance go inside and shower. All the guy had to do was say that Lance had to stay in his sight the whole time until the credential was verified and the issue is settled. The French can huff and puff, but in the end I don't see too much else coming from this.
Lloyd: I'm talkin' bout a little place called Ass-pen. Harry: I don't know Lloyd, the French are assholes.
It's like getting Capone for tax evasion. But at the same time, Lance knows they are out to get him. Try not to be an arrogant dick for 5 minutes, no matter how much you (understandably) hate them. If the tester gave him permission, well then, duh asshat.
If you knew you were the focus of a witch hunt and knew that in no way were they going to catch you, wouldn't you reach a point in which you were tired of it and acted the same way? Lance has established a rep of being arrogant yet it's not to the fan or the folks that see him out and about but those that are constantly jacking with him; the press and the doping agencies. Treat others as you'd want to be treated. Simple but true.
I understand, but if you get pulled over for speeding, it doesn't serve your purpose any to give the cop an attitude. It just doesn't help the situation.
Apples and oranges my friend. If a cop pulls you over it's usually because he can prove you did something wrong in which case you'd be an idiot to throw attitude. The press solely goes on speculation and none of the doping agencies have ever been able to back anything up which to me is the big difference in the two scenarios.
If the guy who was there to administer the test gave him permission to shower first, and the French decide to punish Lance because he acted on that permission than we will clearly know that this is a completely biased and unfair personal attack whose sole purpose is to discredit the individual and not to "keep the sport clean".
That's my point. They are looking for ANY reason to throw him out. To give them this little loophole, as pathetic as it is, could have been prevented.
Armstrong sounds pessimistic about what the AFLD might do: "There is a very high likelihood they will prohibit me from riding on the Tour," "I wanted to tell that story in France but if we can't do that we can't do that it's their call, it's their country, their event, their rules so we have to play by those." http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/10042009/58/armstrong-fearful-tour-place.html
http://www.livestrong.com/lance-armstrong/video/5345-update-lances-injury-response-drug/5345/ A video from Lance updating his injury... and also detailing the events of this latest doping "scandal."