Lance Armstrong thread [R]

[Real Ray]

(Sports Network) - Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is
reportedly set to return to competitive cycling in 2009.

According to the Velo News, a cycling publication, Armstrong will end his
retirement and compete in five road races next year, including the Tour de
France.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=wfan&page=other/news/aon4178541.htm

[Stud83]

The sources told VeloNews that Armstrong will receive no salary or bonuses.

:confused: Astana already has Contador, Leipheimer and Kloden, all of which are serious contenders for YJ, are they really going to work for him?

[aveslacker]

:confused: Astana already has Contador, Leipheimer and Kloden, all of which are serious contenders for YJ, are they really going to work for him?

I was just going to post this. Maybe Lance is going to be a super domestique? Or perhaps go for the polka-dot jersey?

I don't know if I'd like this if I were Contador or Leipheimer. Shades of Lemond-Hinault in 1986.

[Moishe]

http://velonews.com/article/82892/sources-lance-armstrong-coming-back

Above is a link to another article from Velonews. It looks pretty likely that this is more than a rumor. As far as what role he will play with Astana remains to be seen. Knowing the driven nature of Lance, I can't see him doing this unless he wants to win the TDF. Of course if his fitness dictates otherwise then I could see him accepting the role of domestique.

The fact that he's running marathons and doing mountain bike centuries is a pretty good indication he's been taking care of himself. If he can get his cadence back then he stands to do at worst well. As for Leiphiemers feelings on the matter, it's a moot point as he'll never attack on a bike. Contador on the other hand may want to challenge for the teams leadership. That said, Lance probably is still an infinitely better TT rider and climber.

This could get very interesting!!!!!!:)

[argentine soccer fan]

Armstrong is 36, coming from a long layoff, Is it realistic for him to be able to come back and be competitive? I know the man is superman, but still...

[Moishe]

Armstrong is 36, coming from a long layoff, Is it realistic for him to be able to come back and be competitive? I know the man is superman, but still...

Is it realistic? Of course it is, as an endurance athlete what you lose physically you make up mentally which in truth can be a monumental difference maker on race day. Also if you factor in how dominating the gaps between him and all the second place riders, it would be unfathomable to believe he's lost that much. Considering he's been running marathons lately it's hard to believe he's that out of shape and not mentally tough. You won't find a bikey that considers running 27 miles easier than riding a century.

[aveslacker]

Lance is on record as saying something to the effect of running his first marathon was harder than completing the Tour. He also finished second in that recent Leadville century, where the whole race is over something like 10,000 feet. So he's still in some kind of decent form.

And didn't he also make a comment about riding in the classics and other Grands Tours? Maybe he wants to do that.

I'd like to see him win the polka dot. That's my second favorite jersey.

[Moishe]

And didn't he also make a comment about riding in the classics and other Grands Tours? Maybe he wants to do that.

Lance stated that before and just after his last TDF victory. As much as a Vuelta, Giro and Paris Roubaix would beef up his argument for best ever (Personally I'm an Eddy man) I just doubt he wants anything other than the mellow johnny. It is the biggest prize and if he's gonna come back, why come back for anything less?

Here's the link to the Leadville story. Sounded like a killer ride.

http://velonews.com/article/81522

[prowazekii]

Answers to a few questions raised here: He has raced competitively recently, 100% sure he's racing in Tour. But not sure it will be with Astana.


The 36-year-old Armstrong told Vanity Fair in an exclusive interview posted on its Web site Tuesday that he was inspired to return after finishing second last month in the Leadville 100, a lung-searing 100-mile mountain bike race through the Colorado Rockies.



In the Vanity Fair interview, Armstrong told the magazine he's 100 percent sure he's going to compete in the Tour next summer.



Armstrong's close friend and longtime team director, Johan Bruyneel, now with team Astana, sent a text message to an AP reporter in Paris saying he did not want to comment now.


Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080909/ap_on_sp_ot/cyc_armstrong_comeback)

[Moishe]

Naturally Astana seems like the perfect fit for Lance. The only other realistic options imho would be either Columbia or Garmin. I really can't see Lance racing for a non-American team again.

I also find it amusing that Christoph Preudhome is even a concern. Granted the douche-bag pretty has the final say, it was his silly decision that took an outstanding 08 TDF and kept it from being one of the best in many years. I have no issue with his hard line on doping, but to cherry pick which team he nixed is odd.

Anyways, I hope for the best for Lance as he is a true cycling legend and regardless of what some have said, a really cool dude. His racing in some of the US Pro Tour events should do wonders for the sport in this country. I did the Tuesday Nighter and the consensus is that with the right team he could definitely be a front runner to wear yellow again.

[prowazekii]

Despite the fact that Astana has Bruyneel and many of Lance's former teammates, they seem set with GC contenders. Also as the team is now technically Kazakh there is probably not going to be as much pressure to bring him in as there would have been if US Postal or Discovery were the sponsors.


On Monday, the cycling journal VeloNews reported on its Web site that Armstrong would compete with the Astana team in the Tour and four other road races — the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere.
Armstrong's close friend and longtime team director, Johan Bruyneel, now with team Astana, sent a text message to the AP declining comment.
But there are no guarantees Astana will race the 2009 Tour. Race officials kept the team out this year because of previous doping violations. Tour director Christian Prudhomme did not return messages seeking comment on Armstrong's decision.
If Armstrong and his team aren't invited in 2009, he plans to appeal directly to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"I've already put a call in to him," he said.



This time, Armstrong's determined to silence the doubters and try to prove he really is clean.
He's even hired a video crew to chronicle his training for 2009, as well as his drug tests, for a possible documentary.
"There's this perception in cycling that this generation is now the cleanest generation we've had in decades, if not forever," said Armstrong, who's never tested positive. "And the generation that I raced with was the dirty generation. ... So there is a nice element here where I can come with really a completely comprehensive program and there will be no way to cheat."


Link (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i6A-Qsbau4RcCI-YEdg49dlhCUEgD933NV9G0)

[Real Ray]

:rolleyes:

This "I'm going to show the world I'm clean" line is such a load of crap. Peel beneath the surface, and I suspect that he's seen his "brand" take a bigger hit than he would like. There have been some sponsors that have stayed loyal-Nike comes to mind. But this comeback strikes me as more to do to restore his image/brand than stoking his competitive fires. He only needs to make a good showing in the Tour-win a stage, have the Yellow for a few days and the Oprah/Today Show crowd will have him back on the pedestal in the way that he wants it-especially as it relates to his post-cycling career.

That's a cynical take; I give him credit for the work he's done for cancer research. But you know what? Lance Armstrong by all accounts, is a cynical, win-at-all-costs, kind of guy. So if the shoe fits...

[Caesar]

a Vuelta, Giro and Paris Roubaix would beef up his argument for best ever
I don't think anything would cause him to surpass Merckx at this stage. Which is no slight on Armstrong - Merckx was superhuman.

[Moishe]

:rolleyes:

This "I'm going to show the world I'm clean" line is such a load of crap. Peel beneath the surface, and I suspect that he's seen his "brand" take a bigger hit than he would like. There have been some sponsors that have stayed loyal-Nike comes to mind. But this comeback strikes me as more to do to restore his image/brand than stoking his competitive fires. He only needs to make a good showing in the Tour-win a stage, have the Yellow for a few days and the Oprah/Today Show crowd will have him back on the pedestal in the way that he wants it-especially as it relates to his post-cycling career.

That's a cynical take; I give him credit for the work he's done for cancer research. But you know what? Lance Armstrong by all accounts, is a cynical, win-at-all-costs, kind of guy. So if the shoe fits...

Armstrong's two biggest sponsors have been Nike and Trek. Being that those two are still with him and in the grand scheme of things Nike is the biggest endorsement an athlete can attain, how has his "brand" suffered? More so how has his image suffered as well? You really don't put yourself through all the suffering that is stage racing just for your image, you do it to win and as you put it, he is a win-at-all-costs competitor. I would say that is his only agenda. The doping crap is to shut up detractors that are convinced he doped even though it was never proven which in cycling is pretty easy to do.

I don't think anything would cause him to surpass Merckx at this stage. Which is no slight on Armstrong - Merckx was superhuman.

I agree with you that he could never surpass the Cannibal but ticking off the other two Grand Tours as well as some "big" Spring Classics could make for a compelling argument. That said, I'm a Merckx man and always have been and due to the fact that he raced everything and anything just for the sake of racing is just awesome.

[Caesar]

I agree with you that he could never surpass the Cannibal but ticking off the other two Grand Tours as well as some "big" Spring Classics could make for a compelling argument. That said, I'm a Merckx man and always have been and due to the fact that he raced everything and anything just for the sake of racing is just awesome.
True. Merckx was a phenomenal rider. There was so much more to him than the Tour - heck, he won the Giro five times as well, and in his day it was rivalling the big race for popularity. Not to mention winning all three jerseys in the same Tour.

Sigh. Ahh, nostalgia.

[Caesar]

I can't see Armstrong riding as a domestique. Echoing the comments above, Astana is going to be very interesting if he joins and at least one of the other two big names doesn't leave.

[Moishe]

True. Merckx was a phenomenal rider. There was so much more to him than the Tour - heck, he won the Giro five times as well, and in his day it was rivalling the big race for popularity. Not to mention winning all three jerseys in the same Tour.

Sigh. Ahh, nostalgia.

No doubt, no doubt.

I can't see Armstrong riding as a domestique. Echoing the comments above, Astana is going to be very interesting if he joins and at least one of the other two big names doesn't leave.

Domestique is definitely out of the question as far as I'm concerned. With Astana the only question/concern would be as to how Contador feels about the situation. Levi for all the love and respect I have for him as a pro will never be seen as a team or GC leader imho. Poor guy just doesn't have it in him to truly attack as a champion would. He would ride for Lance no questions asked Alberto on the other hand I just don't know enough about his persona to say he'd take the back seat. If it's not Astana then Columbia with Georgie makes the most sense especially when considering their big GC rider is Kim Kirchen. Solid rider but in no way going to ever challenge for the mellow johnny.

[prowazekii]

Reactions of some of the other riders:


"Why is everybody so impressed? I'm surprised in a way that I don't know what he's got to win from it," QuickStep rider Tom Boonen told The Associated Press after crossing the line behind stage winner Oscar Freire. "If somebody feels like racing just let him race. (But) I wouldn't do it, I think."


"He has to know by himself whether he wants to come back. But I think for his career it's better to stay (out), to quit with it," Silence-Lotto rider Greg van Avermaet said.


Astana team leader Alberto Contador said Armstrong's arrival could create a rivalry within the team as it bids to return to the Tour after being banned this year for prior doping offenses.
"Sure, the two of us would like to win the Tour and some kind of complication could develop, but to arrive at that point would be a race in which different factors would come into play," said Contador, last year's Tour champion who won this year's Giro d'Italia. "For now, let's not think about those."



Another Astana rider, Levi Leipheimer, seemed soured by talk of riding with Armstrong again.
"I don't want to talk about it," said Leipheimer, who rode alongside Armstrong for one season at U.S. Postal Service.



Link (http://sports.aol.com/story/_a/bbdp/armstrong-returns-opponents-ready/169514?icid=100214839x1209456596x1200519188)

[Real Ray]

Armstrong's two biggest sponsors have been Nike and Trek. Being that those two are still with him and in the grand scheme of things Nike is the biggest endorsement an athlete can attain, how has his "brand" suffered? More so how has his image suffered as well? You really don't put yourself through all the suffering that is stage racing just for your image, you do it to win and as you put it, he is a win-at-all-costs competitor. I would say that is his only agenda.

That's right-a bike company and Nike. You don't really see the big picture here. He is nowhere near the place he should be vis-a-vis the culture or Madison Avenue as a 7-time Tour winner. And why? Because many fans as well as people in media feel he doped. Selena Roberts of SI, in her writing about Roger Clemens wrote that, "Clemens is Lance Armstrong without the cancer halo." That sums it up nicely about both Clemens and Armstrong. I'm sorry, his "image" is that of an amazing cancer survivor, turned bike racing champ, whose achievements are now suspect due to rampant doping in his sport. If you think there's no problem there...well, we have a BIG gap in opinion on this.

I will give a bit of slack for feeling the pangs of a retired jock. But the larger truth IMO is due to suspicions of doping and his arrogance (which can't be overestimated) he needs a way to sanitize his image and by, "riding for cancer" he kills two birds with one stone.

[Real Ray]

..oh, and just in case this gets missed: Scientific Error Reignites Debate About Armstrong
In a letter to The Journal of Physiology posted online for subscribers on Monday, Edward F. Coyle, a respected human-performance expert with the University of Texas in Austin, acknowledged making an error in his long-term study of Armstrong’s muscle efficiency. The paper, which appeared in the same journal in 2005, has been repeatedly used by Armstrong and his lawyers to fend off allegations that his cycling success came in part through doping.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/sports/othersports/11cycling.html?ref=sports