Lance is back?

[LeTallecWiz]

It seems he'll come back for the Tour in 2009 ...

Thoughts?

I hope he wins - as the last time an athlete of this stature in his sport returned, it was a major letdown (think #45 with the Wizards)

 

[Oncy]

That takes a lot of balls.

Andy Ford©

 

[RedKev]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=26884.msg670012#msg670012 date=1220949963]
It seems he'll come back for the Tour in 2009 ...

Thoughts?

I hope he wins - as the last time an athlete of this stature in his sport returned, it was a major letdown (think #45 with the Wizards)
[/quote]

I don't know what it is about him but I think he's a cock.

He's not even close to the same stature as Jordon, and Jordon's comeback wasn't bad considering the dross he had in the team. (I will admit this is only a second hand opinion, I don't really follow basketball)

I don't follow cycling that much but it pisses me off that the only race I watch (well partially at least) is the only race he competes in. I was happy that he wasn't in the race this year and won't be too overjoyed to hear about him next year.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

[quote author=RedKev link=topic=26884.msg670163#msg670163 date=1220960511]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=26884.msg670012#msg670012 date=1220949963]
It seems he'll come back for the Tour in 2009 ...

Thoughts?

I hope he wins - as the last time an athlete of this stature in his sport returned, it was a major letdown (think #45 with the Wizards)
[/quote]

I don't know what it is about him but I think he's a cock.

He's not even close to the same stature as Jordon, and Jordon's comeback wasn't bad considering the dross he had in the team. (I will admit this is only a second hand opinion, I don't really follow basketball)
[/quote]

Uuuh, I'm a huge fan of 23 but how are they not the same stature? He dominated the tour de france for how many years running? that is unparalleld and will probably never be matched again ... Jordan dominated his game but respect where respect is due, Armstrong was phenomenal.

 

[RedKev]

[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=26884.msg670167#msg670167 date=1220960668]
[quote author=RedKev link=topic=26884.msg670163#msg670163 date=1220960511]
[quote author=LeTallecWiz link=topic=26884.msg670012#msg670012 date=1220949963]
It seems he'll come back for the Tour in 2009 ...

Thoughts?

I hope he wins - as the last time an athlete of this stature in his sport returned, it was a major letdown (think #45 with the Wizards)
[/quote]

I don't know what it is about him but I think he's a cock.

He's not even close to the same stature as Jordon, and Jordon's comeback wasn't bad considering the dross he had in the team. (I will admit this is only a second hand opinion, I don't really follow basketball)
[/quote]

Uuuh, I'm a huge fan of 23 but how are they not the same stature? He dominated the tour de france for how many years running? that is unparalleld and will probably never be matched again ... Jordan dominated his game but respect where respect is due, Armstrong was phenomenal.
[/quote]

Armstrong was awesome. But did he ever win anything outside of that 7 year stint?

 

[LeTallecWiz]

that is like the Super Bowl of cycling ... there's nothing that even compares to it

 

[the count]

[quote author=RedKev link=topic=26884.msg670201#msg670201 date=1220962040]

Armstrong was awesome. But did he ever win anything outside of that 7 year stint?
[/quote]

I think he won the world championship pre cancer.
After cancer he came back with a much leaner shape, minus about fifteen kilos, and he claimed that this was partly responsible for allowing him to compete in the arduous events like the Tour as distinct from before where he excelled in the shorter classics.

 

[The Nomad]

Its a hoax

 

[HC]

In the world of Cycling, Lance is just as big as chuffing Michael Jordan.

I mean he won the chuffing TDF seven times, CONSECUTIVELY!

 

[Ryan]

He's an utter fucking legend, and will romp to victory in Le Tour next year or any year.

 

[Roger REDerer]

Yeah but did he really take drugs though ?

 

[Avmenon]

He might have, but the way the French went after him on it when he had no way to defend himself was disgusting.

 

[Oncy]

He should have just got on a train to Paris, they would have quit soon enough.

 

[Oncy]

I love Lance.
He is a driven and committed genius. He is arrogant and cocky and rightly so.
And i tell you, if you havnt already, read 'its not about the bike' its incredible, and brought me to my knees time and again. Beautiful book.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

He is a legend. I can't see how you can't think he's one of the all time great athletes. 2100 miles in 21 days, over Mountains. Thats some grueling shit.

Yes he's always going to be tarnished with the drugs thing, i can't believe the french would do that to an american thats won it so consistently.

Him, Merckx and Indurain are real endurance atheletes and no less worthy of 'legend' status than regular sporting stars.

The book is brilliant, does make you water up.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

and the story has got to be bollocks

 

[Rosco]

[quote author=Rouge Penguin link=topic=26884.msg671033#msg671033 date=1221043862]
and the story has got to be bollocks
[/quote]

No he'll be back.

I just wonder what drug use he'll be trying to get away with this time.

 

[Ossi]

...and the bastard has been married to Sheryl Crow.

 

[Rosco]

[quote author=Roger REDerer link=topic=26884.msg670791#msg670791 date=1221002265]
Yeah but did he really take drugs though ?
[/quote]

Nobody really knows but an unusual amount of his teammates have been banned since

 

[themn]

[quote author=Ossi link=topic=26884.msg671659#msg671659 date=1221123463]
...and the bastard has been married to Sheryl Crow.
[/quote]

No he hasn't.

They knocked about but never got hitched.

He is a legend though.

 

[Oncy]

Well for those of you who are interested.
He did come out of retirement to raise the awareness of cancer, and for the first time ever wanted to win the Giro Italia, he was preparing to enter the race when he had a bad fall and broke his collar bone. His training for the Giro was ruined and he knew it. The suggestion was that now he was training in the race to ready himself for the tour de france. He did a creditable job, and finished 12th overall, helping his team leader Levi Leipheimer into 6th in the process.
So can he win the tour? Probably not. Training in the Giro isnt ideal at all, theres also an upheaval at his team 'astana' who its rumoured are about to fold. That said, i thought he'd be out of the top 20 in the Giro with barely any training, so maybe, given a month of intense climbs he can get ready, who knows.
If you want a bet, put it on Cavendish being allowed to complete the tour and winning the green jersey in Paris. I think he's ready to go the distance, he was withdrawn from the Giro for specialist intensive training in order for him to complete the tour, and i believe he can do it, and if he stays the course hes a shoe in for the green jersey, hes the best sprinter in the world, and can prove it over there. Good luck on ventoux Mark, you're gonna need it.
Basso - Yellow
Cav - Green
Armstrong - 5th

 

[Rouge Penguin]

I've read a few of the books about him and i think i recommended 'its not about the bike' to Oncey. Like any great athlete, they are single minded, and focused on themselves. It may seem arrogant, but if you want to ride 2500 miles in 3 weeks, which includes climbs you'd cry about having to walk up, let alone cycle, you have to be pretty sure of your self.

He may have been tarnished by the French, but are you shocked that they tried to dirty an American who was regularly dicking on them in their own back yard? You can never be sure he didn't, but sometimes people come along who are just phenomenal at what they do.

There isn't another discipline that comes close to the endurance they have. Imagine running the London marathon everyday for 3 weeks, with 2 rest days and you get an idea of what they're doing.

If he enters, i doubt he'll win it. But maybe its not about winning, but proving he can still do it to himself.

He'll be remember with the sporting greats.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

Oh, and he might just be doing something he loves.

Cycling can be/is an addiction and i know i'd love to spend everyday doing it.

 

[Oncy]

I didnt realise contador was racing in the tour. I would like to change my basso vote to Contador ftw.

 

[themn]

[quote author=themn link=topic=26884.msg697937#msg697937 date=1223996738]
[quote author=Ossi link=topic=26884.msg671659#msg671659 date=1221123463]
...and the bastard has been married to Sheryl Crow.
[/quote]

No he hasn't.

They knocked about but never got hitched.

He is a legend though.
[/quote]

I don't remember writing this.

It's true though.