Gene Honda Civic Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Bump, Robbie McEwan won again in the green jersey, not sure where Lance finished though. you're a day behind DBAHO--- Right now McEwan is off the back of the pack as the tour spends it's first day in the mountains... Not the biggest mountains, just the longest stage, so the favorites are just marking eachother.. Richard Virenque will get the stage win, and take over "king of the Mountains" jersey. No real racing until Friday and Saturday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Lance thinks he is getting spied on http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=1840215 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobDylan Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Lance better win it, or else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Lance finished second today, in the same time as Ivan Basso, on what was the first Mountain top finish of the tour. Thomas Voekler (yellow jersey) lost significant time, and should give it up tomorrow on a hellish stage. With the exception of Basso, every major contender lost time to Lance today... Mayo - lost 1'03" Ulrich - lost 2'30" Hamilton - lost 3'27" Overall Lance is in Second, 5'24" back of Voekler. Basso is the closest Major contender to lance, 1'11" back it's 3'37" back to Ulrich 4'22" back to Hamilton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficerKarkovice Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Basso really looked good today. At only 26 years old this guy could be a force to be reckoned with in coming years. Hamilton really looks to be struggling but I certainly wouldn't count out Roberto Heras yet and of course Ullrich. Mayo is one tough bastard in the mountains but I just don't know if he can make up for his shortcomings in the time trials...much like Heras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aboz56 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Call me whatever you want, but I almost want him to lose so we can stop hearing about a bike race... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 The mountain stages is where Lance really gets it going. Watch for him to start making a move. They way he rides reminds me ALOT of Miguel Inderain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficerKarkovice Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Call me whatever you want, but I almost want him to lose so we can stop hearing about a bike race... Hey to each his own...I find it particularly interesting as do many others here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Hey to each his own...I find it particularly interesting as do many others here. Yeah I wasn't going to bother responding... I just spent 30 minutes relaying everything on the phone to my dad... As for your Basso comment earlier...I don't know what to make of Basso. Before the tour I predicted him to end up being the biggest dissapointment of the tour. Right now I'd say that goes to Heras(who hasn't even had to TT yet). -- The CSC team is going to be an interesting one to watch... They've got 4 guys who could win any of the remaining stages. (Basso, Sastre, Julich, and Piil) -- Basso has finished high in the TdF before, but he was really disappointing in the pre-tour tune-ups. Riis has a good eye for talent though, and has shown he can make the best of it, (hamilton, and Sastre). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficerKarkovice Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 Yeah I wasn't going to bother responding... I just spent 30 minutes relaying everything on the phone to my dad... As for your Basso comment earlier...I don't know what to make of Basso. Before the tour I predicted him to end up being the biggest dissapointment of the tour. Right now I'd say that goes to Heras(who hasn't even had to TT yet). -- The CSC team is going to be an interesting one to watch... They've got 4 guys who could win any of the remaining stages. (Basso, Sastre, Julich, and Piil) -- Basso has finished high in the TdF before, but he was really disappointing in the pre-tour tune-ups. Riis has a good eye for talent though, and has shown he can make the best of it, (hamilton, and Sastre). Hahah...I had just gotten off the phone with my dad talking about it as well. I agree about Heras...I think he and Hamilton are in some serious trouble. The guy I can just never seem to count out is Jan Ullrich (and I don't think anyone really does...including Armstrong). You're right, CSC is going to be fun to watch...especially with the showings today by Basso and Sastre. When it comes down to it though Armstrong has to feel pretty damn good about the guys he has riding along side him. The one rider I really like watching for some reason is George Hincapie...maybe it's because he is a horse out there at 6'3" 185 lbs...huge for a rider and especially a climber like himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficerKarkovice Posted July 17, 2004 Share Posted July 17, 2004 Another big day in Le Tour... In a surprising move Tyler Hamilton drops out of the race citing back problems from an earlier fall. Also, Spaniard Iban Mayo got off his bike and had to be talked into getting back on and riding...finishing back 37:40. Ivan Basso still would not go away finishing second to Lance today after a strong push in the final climb. Barring any disasters, Armstrong is in real good shape right now. Ullrich lost another 2:42 today and is now down 6:49 overall. Lance is still in second overall but only :22 seconds from grabbing the yellow jersey. A few other notes: Very impressive two days for Thomas Voeckler holding onto the yellow jersey (even if only by :22 seconds). They really need to do something about the fans on the side of the road. They get worse every year/day...and almost caused an accident on several occasions today. Greg LeMond is an idiot...enough said. The U.S. Postal team is really, really tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Lance wins stage 15 and takes the Yellow Jersey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Lance wins stage 15 and takes the Yellow Jersey. Can't say I'm suprised, any1 know if McEwen still has the green jersey? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimpy2121 Posted July 20, 2004 Share Posted July 20, 2004 Can't say I'm suprised, any1 know if McEwen still has the green jersey? Yea, McEwen still has it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Sir Lance-a-Lot kicked everyone's ass today, he's now 3:48 up with 4 stages to go. He even passed up Basso who had started two minutes ahead of him for the time trial. I think this guy is one of the best athletes of our time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OfficerKarkovice Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Huge day for Lance today...but how about this stat: Today along the 9.6 mile climb there were 900,000 spectators...900,000!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Huge day for Lance today...but how about this stat: Today along the 9.6 mile climb there were 900,000 spectators...900,000!!! Actually the thing that blew my mind was the time. A 9.6 mile climb took almost 40 minutes. A world class marathoner can run about that far in 40 min. That gives perspective on how hard that ride was today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 the fans piss me off so much. if i was riding i'd just start punching people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Actually the thing that blew my mind was the time. A 9.6 mile climb took almost 40 minutes. A world class marathoner can run about that far in 40 min. That gives perspective on how hard that ride was today. Today's average grade was about 8% -- they say that at about 10% grade running becomes faster than biking....Having personally ridden extended stretches above 15% I can attest to that... I was very happy with the results on a personal level... I have done very simillar climbs to the one that they did today, and I'm happy because I wouldn't have finished last if I was in the tour... The last guy took 54 minutes, only averaging about 10 MPH... On the most simillar climb that I've ridden over here, I've ridden at about 9MPH, but that was at the very beginning of a very long(128 mile) day, so I wasn't really trying to go fast, just conserve my legs for the rest of the ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted July 22, 2004 Author Share Posted July 22, 2004 Live Strong won stage 17 and increased his lead to 4:09 now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Live Strong won stage 17 and increased his lead to 4:09 now. He didn't get spat on by Germans this time I hope. :finger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitesoxin' Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Lance is so awesome. Just thought I'd let everyone know that. You're welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridgeportHeather Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Lance is so awesome. Just thought I'd let everyone know that. You're welcome. Thank you very much for telling us that! I'm sure NOBODY knew that already! Seriously, if Lance wins this whole thing again, which it looks like he will do barring a major setback in any of the last three stages, the French are going to be all up in arms about him being on STEROIDS, yada yada yada. They just can't get it in their heads that Americans are better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted July 23, 2004 Author Share Posted July 23, 2004 He maintained his lead of 4:09 in stage 18. Lance is also saying he wants to return to the Tour of France, but he's not sure if he'll be there in '05 or not. Lance may skip '05, but wants to return Thursday, July 22, 2004 Associated Press LONS-LE-SAUNIER, France -- Lance Armstrong will race again in the Tour de France, although maybe not next year. The Texan is on the verge of becoming the only rider to win the showcase event six straight times. He would like to focus on other races but is not prepared to turn his back on the 101-year-old Tour for good. "I would do it. I'm not saying I'd never do it again," he said after Friday's 18th stage. "I'll do it again before I stop. It's a special race. It's everything. You can't have this intensity in any other event." Asked if he would skip next year's Tour to focus on other events, Armstrong said: "It's too hard to say." "I haven't made a schedule yet," he added. "It's fair to say there's still a lot of things I'd like to do in cycling, like the classics and the hour record, that require a different type of focus." The key factor would appear to hinge on sponsor demands. Before the Tour, his team signed a three-year, multimillion-dollar sponsorship deal with the Discovery Channel, which will replace U.S. Postal Service. "I have to discuss it with them," he said. "If they give me the green light on something like that [riding in the classics and the hour record] I might do it. But if they say 'Lance, we'd like you to do the Tour' I understand that, too.'' The Tour's top three officials said they had not discussed Armstrong's 2005 plans with the five-time champion. "He is doubtless the greatest rider ever in the Tour de France. He is proving that," said Patrice Clerc, president of the Tour. "Now does he want a seventh, or an eighth? I have no idea." However, The New York Times reported Friday that this was the last time Armstrong would compete in the race. A high-ranking official among race organizers, who did not want to be identified, told the paper Armstrong already has informed the Tour of his plans. According to the paper, the official said Armstrong saw no point in trying for a seventh title and that this was a gesture of respect for the four cyclists who have won five times. Before the Tour, Armstrong had said he would race in the Tour in 2005. He also said this month he would be competing in 2005, although he didn't specify whether that would include the Tour. A call to Discovery's office in Silver Spring, Md., was not immediately returned. Former cyclist Johan Bruyneel, manager of Armstrong's team and a friend and mentor, feels the Texan may find the Tour too hard to resist. "We haven't spoken about the program either with him or the other riders,'' Bruyneel told French television. "Personally, I think that for Lance it would be very hard for him to motivate himself without the Tour de France." Dan Osipow, a spokesman for Tailwind Sports, which owns the team, said the team's schedule probably would be drawn up in December. "To say he's out right now is way too speculative. He is going to race a full season, we just can't say what events they will be," he said. "He's clearly insatiable. This race means more to him than anything [else] in sport," Osipow added. Armstrong has outclassed his rivals as the race heads toward the finish Sunday in Paris. He won three consecutive stages for the first time and a total of four in this Tour, matching his best showing since he first won the Tour in 1999. Armstrong has long been criticized for concentrating almost solely on the Tour de France, neglecting classic races that form an important part of cycling tradition. He is now considering some classics and wants to go for the hour record, where cyclists try to ride as far as possible in one hour on a circuit. "I think at some point, I have to start to look at other races in cycling. There's still a lot of things I want to do in cycling," Armstrong said. Armstrong, the father of three children, also has acknowledged that the demands of training for the Tour have taken him away from his family. "I'm more mentally than physically [tired],'' he said Friday. "Mentally I'm ready to go home and see my kids and relax." He said two weeks ago he would skip the Athens Olympics because he wants to be reunited with his children. He has been accompanied in this year's Tour by rock singer Sheryl Crow, following a divorce last year from his wife, Kristin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 Lance wins #6 http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/news/story?id=1846113 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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