Armstrong off road!

[Matno]

(I think Armstrong should have waited some time when he heard Ullrich had fallen down)

He did. As soon as he heard that Ullrich was down, he relaxed and eased off on the pace for the rest of the race. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. We all knew going in to that last TT that Ullrich wasn't very good at riding in the rain. All part of the game. Certainly not Lance's fault and definitely not a reason to stop and wait.

How do you reconcile this statement with your previous comment about Jan Ullrich waiting for Lance? (In case you forgot, you said: "Great stage from Lance, I have to admit, but why the hell did Jan wait? I know Lance waited 2 years ago, but that was something completely different: the tour was decided at that moment and they were going down at that moment. I think Jan could be very sorry next sunday.") Methinks I see a little bit of unfounded anti-Lance sentiment in your posts. Who's laughing now?

Also, regarding Lance's crash a few days ago, when he said it was his own fault, he was playing smart, being a gentleman, whatever you want to call it. Had he tried to pass the blame, it would have looked like he was looking for an excuse. As it was, by saying it was his own fault, it turned the situation into more of "I made a mistake" (and I still dominated). Don't forget that Lance is a PR wiz. As to whether or not it really was his fault...well, let's just say that if somebody suddenly leaned out right in front of ME holding a bag in front of them, which snagged my handlebars, it would certainly NOT be MY fault!

[StoereVent]

@ Matno,

ofcourse I don't really think Lance should have waited (do you really think I'm that stupid (do you only recognize sarcasm when people add a smiling face to the posting)?)... And ofcourse Lance did win because he was the best. And there's no 'unfounded anti-Lance sentiment' in my posts. But most of the time I tend to favor the underdog (but ofcourse you could not know that 'coz you don't know me).

I have to admit this: I'm a sentimental guy that thinks that Eddy Merkcx is the best cyclist there has even been (eventough I'm not Belgian), and I'm afraid Lance is going to win even his 6th tour: people could mistake Lance for a better cyclist than Merkcx. Maybe that's the deeper motivation behind my postings. (so no 'unfounded anti-Lance sentiment', but very 'founded anti-Lance sentiment'.

I'm very happy for you that you are laughing now.

Jeroen.

[Dennis]

Well, I for one would like to see Tyler Hamilton win next year, but would not be at all disappointed to see Lance win 6 times. It would be a great thing.

For me, the real hero of this Tour is of course, Tyler Hamilton. To finish 4th and to win a stage with his collarbone situation (and to win the team classification) is truly an inspiring performance.

Also, in my opinion. Lance really proved just how great a cyclist he is by overcoming the 3 crashes he had personally, plus his good fortune and quick thinking not to get caught up in Beloki's crash, and not to have his chainstay break in the fall on the Luz Ardiden climb (yes, on OLN they stated that his drive side chainstay had cracked 3/4 of the way through in his crash with the musette bag). that Trek sure is strong, even for the special lightweight one he was riding.
He had an awful lot to overcome, but it was still his to lose at the end. Yes, Jan pushed him to the max, but its too bad Beloki crashed out because I believe he would have given Lance a harder time. Could you imagine what it would have been like to have Beloki and Ullrich attack Lance on the Luz Ardiden climb? that would have brought out the very best in all of them.
I don't see how one can try to see that Merckx, or Armstrong, or Indurain, or whoever is the best cyclist ever. They all raced in different eras. Suffice it to say that Merckx was the best of his era, Hinault the best of his, and Armstrong the best of his. This an age of specialization in all sports and even though Merckx and Hinault won all different races, Armstrong (like all great sportsman of the current era) has specialized in the Tour and has made it his own. Since it is the greatest bike race in the world, I would say he is the best cyclist in the world right now.


anyway, it was the best Tour I have seen and I can't wait for next year to see if Lance can win 6 and to see if Tyler can present a really serious challenge as a totally healthy rider.

What is disappointing to me is the coverage of mtb events. the other night I was watching a DH race (world cup) on OLN. it was a half hour that covered both the men's and women's races. They showed the runs (partial) of about 4 women and maybe 5 men. they showed not more than 30 seconds of each run of a total time of almost 2 minutes.
it was crappy coverage, but I guess not too many advertisers have much interest in mtb racing anymore. too bad, I really like watching DH but could give a rat's a__ about XC. XC too me is roadies on dirt roads. not technical enough. but thats a different thread.
my 5 cents.
[smiley=groucho.gif]

[fevans]

Did anyone see the CBS TDF show Sunday?  What a waste!  It was truly pathetic.  Oh, it was cool how they edited everything and added dramatic music, but how can you possibly cover a 3-week event in one hour?  It was very strange hearing Liggett's commentary again in the CBS highlight mode.  



It's no wonder that cycling hasn't taken off here in the states.  There is effectively zero television coverage of cycling here in the mainstream media.  I wonder how many people actually know that the tour has been going on for the last 3 weeks.  It's all very sad.  Thank goodness for OLN!  I switched from cable to satellite specifically for OLN and the cycling coverage.

[bikendan]

 ;)i am a huge lance fan, but i kinda agree with storerevent. nobody ever dominated so much in the tour as merkcx. if you read about his accomplishments in other major races, not just the tour, he was one of a kind. he has held 3 jerseys at one time and 2 more than once. he  has to be the greatest. i know it was different times then but very little has changed. you still have to pedal a bike that is driven by a chain. technology has made some differences but it still is a brutal, physical and mental challenge.
but i am extremely proud of both lance and tyler. they both have shown the kind of grit and determination that i thought american athletetes once had but lost.  

[Matno]

Jeroen,

Sorry, I must have been tired when I posted that last post! Normally, I'm not nearly that provocative! (I also admit to not always recognizing sarcasm without smileys!)

There's nothing wrong with favoring the underdog. I would love to see Tyler Hamilton win. (Can you imagine how awesome it would have been if he had won this time?!) On the other hand, I'm not much of a Jan Ullrich fan (in spite of having spent several years in Germany). I'm not sure why. However, I do feel bad for him. It must really hurt to finish 2nd so many times. He is a good sport about it. I'm glad he at least won one tour...

I too am a huge fan of Eddy Merkcx. Nobody can dispute his incredible record. On the other hand, while I actually usually do favor the underdog, I also love to see someone who totally dominates. Don't forget that not too long ago, Lance WAS the underdog. (Well, okay, NOW it's starting to seem like a long time ago!)

I can't help but think how much the TdF has changed with modern technology/strategy. I can't imagine that the whole team concept (i.e. the whole team focused on getting one person to the front) played as much of a role "back in the day" as it does now. I never watched the TdF as a kid, so I really don't know how it used to be, but I'd  sure like to see. I have heard though, that there used to be a lot more physical contact (i.e. pulling on jerseys, etc). Somebody should make a video collection with highlights from all of the previous tours (that have been filmed). That would be awesome....

[Dennis]

I think one big effect technology has had on the pro bike racing is TV and radios on the riders.
In the old days, Lance would have had no idea that Jan had fallen in the TT, for example, and would have been forced to take more risks. Who know, maybe Lance would have fallen also.

Also, in the past, the peloton would have had no idea just how far ahead any breakaways would be. These days, they always know just how far ahead the breaks are, and are able to gauge how fast they need to go to bring them back. except, of course, when Tyler Hamilton is out front!!!
[smiley=groucho.gif]

[Scott]

Dennis -you wrote "I really like watching DH but could give a rat's a__ about XC. XC too me is roadies on dirt roads. not technical enough. but thats a different thread."  Not to go to far off the path here but if you ever have a chance to ride some of the CT. or the N.Y. Hunter Mtn x/c series you might find the excitement missing in most x/c events.  Both series feature courses with sections too technical to be ridden by fairly accomplished sport class riders-not too shabby for NORBA sponsored races.