Leipheimer beaten

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does not one just lurv the juxtaposition of font styles, the gauche airbrushing style, the sportif style, all with the skull and crossbones.

Such a talented designer is Ball to put that together and make it work :D

Sivtsov came 5th or 6th in the young riders classification in the Tour de France last year - so he can obviously climb. Suddenly, Kirchen is having some good help for this years tour. Rogers will be fit but won't be leader so Rogers will ride for Kirchen with Hincapie, Sivtsov and Loqvist all helping him.

[QUOTE=thoughtforfood]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2005/2446671733_5011a1987f_o.jpg
I know my chin is at the top, I can feel it this time....honest

- what the !!!?????? Is he farking mad ? How can he live like this.....

my favorite:

"I retired last September," Hamilton said. "I didn't announce it. No one knew it, really. But I retired. I was done."

- you mean no one cared rather than no one knew !
________

But at 37, he doesn't care about perception. He's reinventing himself with Rock Racing, one of the top teams that will start the weeklong stage race Monday.

"I'll never forget what happened to me. I'll never be through it," Hamilton said Sunday in an interview with The Associated Press. "You can't forget something like that. It's behind me. I don't dwell on it like I used to. I'm done stating my case. I'm done trying to change the doubters. I'm moving forward."

After years of being in the shadows of American cycling — especially Lance Armstrong, a seven-time winner of the Tour de France — Hamilton finally got his moment to shine on a gorgeous, sunny day along the Saronic Gulf a few miles outside Athens.

Gold medal winner, 2004 Olympic time trial. The kid whose Olympic dreams were hatched while watching the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" hockey team and skiers such as Bill Johnson and the Mahre brothers finally had his moment. He was immortal, never to be forgotten, a champion.
"Highlight of my career," Hamilton said.
The bliss lasted about two weeks.

Hamilton tested positive for blood doping at the Olympics. But his backup sample deteriorated and couldn't be tested, meaning he kept the gold medal on what amounted to a technicality. He tested positive again for blood doping in September 2004 at the Spanish Vuelta, and that time, he couldn't escape a two-year suspension.

Hamilton swore innocence. Some believed him, some didn't.
In the end, he did his time, and returned to stage racing last year at the Tour de Georgia.

"We welcomed Tyler back to the tour last year and we welcome him back this year," event director Chris Aronhalt said Sunday. "Honestly, we're thrilled to have him at the start line. Tyler is still a very popular rider."
Yet trouble still has a way of finding him.

He raced last year with a team called Tinkoff, which signed Hamilton with little reservation at the end of his suspension. One problem: Hamilton says the Russian team owner hasn't paid him what he's owed, so they're now battling in an Italian court.

That fight was going to be Hamilton's last.

"I retired last September," Hamilton said. "I didn't announce it. No one knew it, really. But I retired. I was done."

Three months later, the phone rang.

Michael Ball was on the other end. Ball is best known for his work in the fashion world. He's also an avid cyclist, a lightning rod in the sport, and was trying to assemble what he called a dream team of sorts.

Hamilton listened to his sales pitch. Two weeks later, he signed a contract.
"To say that Tyler's career is finished, that's far from the truth," Ball said. "I just met with him recently and he is looking amazing. He hasn't raced since last year, this particular race, and he's trained extremely hard over the last three months, four months, and he's going to surprise us."

Hamilton won't win the Tour de Georgia this week. His role in Rock Racing's lineup right now is to be a support rider of sorts, which — since he still isn't exactly race-sharp after his exile — is fine with him.

"There's no ego at all on this team, period," Ball said. "Everybody's in there for a team win."

There's no shortage of teams who'll challenge for top honors at the Tour de Georgia, which is likely the top stage race in the country.
Astana — snubbed by the Tour de France — is in the field and led by reigning U.S. champion Levi Leipheimer. Team High Road, led by George Hincapie, likely will be at the front throughout the week. Slipstream Chipotle, led by Christian VandeVelde and Tom Danielson, is another pre-race favorite, as is Team CSC, featuring 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Bobby Julich.

But plenty of buzz has centered around Rock Racing, especially Hamilton, who made peace long ago with the fact that skeptics will never believe his pleas of innocence.

"People ask me today, if you had to do it all over again, would you do the Kangaroo Court all over again? And I say, 'Absolutely,'" Hamilton said. "I know what was right. I had to fight for what's right. If I didn't do that, I wouldn't have any integrity. And I know that I have integrity. This is the best sport in the world, the toughest sport, and I'm glad to still be part of it."

Given the reception he got in Georgia this weekend, there's clearly some people glad he is as well.

Sivtsov came 5th or 6th in the young riders classification in the Tour de France last year - so he can obviously climb. Suddenly, Kirchen is having some good help for this years tour. Rogers will be fit but won't be leader so Rogers will ride for Kirchen with Hincapie, Sivtsov and Loqvist all helping him.
maybe you should tell Rogers that he is riding for Kirchen.

Nope, Rogers will be supported ably by Lovqvist, Kirchen and Gerdemann. It was a weak field last year when Gerdemann came second in Switzerland and top 10 at the Tour, he also got some time on the Vino stage in a break.

No way you ride for him.

If Rogers is healthy he is the man. He came tenth 2 years ago in support of Kloden, and Kirchen could not even break the TMobile squad.

- what the !!!?????? Is he farking mad ? How can he live like this.....

He's pretty sad. Clinging to denial. Afraid that if he owns up to being a liar, he will lose all the people who have said that they believe in him. Which is true. It's so pathetic hearing the lies though that only the truly deluded/ignorant would sill swallow at this stage.

If you have a sport where you have to lie and cheat to get to the top because these are the unwritten rules.... this is what you usually get at the end of the "top pro assembly line". He won't be happy though until he starts being honest. The rest of his life will be a facade, like it was before he got revealed as a doper (though then he had less disbelievers than now).

He's pretty sad. Clinging to denial. Afraid that if he owns up to being a liar, he will lose all the people who have said that they believe in him. Which is true. It's so pathetic hearing the lies though that only the truly deluded/ignorant would sill swallow at this stage.

If you have a sport where you have to lie and cheat to get to the top because these are the unwritten rules.... this is what you usually get at the end of the "top pro assembly line". He won't be happy though until he starts being honest. The rest of his life will be a facade, like it was before he got revealed as a doper (though then he had less disbelievers than now).
you are not calling Whareagle deluded nor ignorant?

:o

you are not calling Whareagle deluded nor ignorant?

:oWhareagle is both. And he's also a half-baked coach, much like Carmichael.

Whareagle is both. And he's also a half-baked coach, much like Carmichael.Actually, deep down, Rich Wharton knows Tyler is a doper. There is a cognitive dissonance, this whole charade is about Rich Wharton and manifested with the whacky Hamilton defense. Just projecting some personality flaws.

Come on Whareagle, say it ain't say. Tell us you know the truth dude.

My favorite is the Michael Ball radio interview around the ToC that was posted here. When Ball said to the DJ's that he went up to Hamilton and had a talk with him about putting his doping past behind him. Then the DJ's straight away asked if that meant Tyler was finally admitting his guilt, and Ball quickly backtracked. But it was obvious that Ball believed he doped, and that Tyler knew that Ball believed he doped... and that Ball and him had had a conversation where Tyler's guilt was a given.

I'm not familiar with whareagle's posting history.

My favorite is the Michael Ball radio interview around the ToC that was posted here. When Ball said to the DJ's that he went up to Hamilton and had a talk with him about putting his doping past behind him. Then the DJ's straight away asked if that meant Tyler was finally admitting his guilt, and Ball quickly backtracked. But it was obvious that Ball believed he doped, and that Tyler knew that Ball believed he doped... and that Ball and him had had a conversation where Tyler's guilt was a given.

I'm not familiar with whareagle's posting history.
it would have been an interesting conversation.

I wonder if he left it open, if Hamilton chose to dope on RR. I assume he did. I very much doubt he said "but we cant have you dope on small cock and republic.

- what the !!!?????? Is he farking mad ? How can he live like this.....
It sounds like Hamilton wants to just move on and put this shit behind him. He is also well aware that a large number of fans consider him a douche.

Maybe he truly is happy to be racing again. I would not doubt it.

maybe you should tell Rogers that he is riding for Kirchen.

Nope, Rogers will be supported ably by Lovqvist, Kirchen and Gerdemann. It was a weak field last year when Gerdemann came second in Switzerland and top 10 at the Tour, he also got some time on the Vino stage in a break.

No way you ride for him.

If Rogers is healthy he is the man. He came tenth 2 years ago in support of Kloden, and Kirchen could not even break the TMobile squad. Any word on Roger's current health? One would think he would need to start doing a bit of racing to be on form for the Tour.