2009 TDF : Stage 4 : Tuesday 7 July : Montpellier > Montpellier : 39kms - Page 4

Stage 4 and way soon to call this race. Armstrong has led a charmed life, as far the tour goes, with few problems such as major crashes or illness.
I counted out Landis and the next day he was on top and after the end of the race in the crapper so we will see but way to soon to make a call, at least for me.

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Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

why should Bruyneel support Lance absolutely?

Contador has shown himself to be the best TTr and we know he's the best climber in the race... should Riis support Cancellar just because he's ahead before a single mountain has been climbed? sorry man but you comment just don't make any kind of sense. Lance still has a lot to prove.. he wasn't able to consistently stay with the big boys at the Giro... there is absolutely NO reason Bruyneel should put full stock in Armstrong at this point in time. Contador won the Giro after being called up while sitting on a beach with one weeks notice last year... we know what he can do... we know what Armstrong WASN't able to do last month... so i'm not understanding you logic (or lack there of) here..

this changes nothing.. Lance is still plan C,D, or E... Contador is still plan A... stop sucking on Lance's nutts so hard.. all the blood is rushing from your brain and you're not thinking right..

Sorry Doc but you are mistaken. Don't you mean nut,as in singular?

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Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

Menchov and Evans can safely go home now an pick up their participation ribbon at the door... their tours are effectively over..

i disagree with the other poster... Andy Schelck is still very much in the game... still a factor for the win (he just cannot have his bad day that he always has.. he's like ullrich or something), Roman Kreuziger and Nibali i still consider dark horses... other than that it looks like all Astana.

actually, i still, for whatever reason think that Sastre, even though far down, can still pull out a podium finish... maybe a win is out of the question now, but he showed some flashes at the Giro that he still has legs.. i think he's going to do some damage at some point.

I totally agree with you.
But where are those mountains? I don't understand why Arcalis is rated as H.C. climb because it's steepest part is quite short. 1st cat Verbier could be even harder because it is steeper and it's main part is almost as long as Arcalis'. I don't think it is possible to drop Lance at Arcalis and Verbier if he is form and it seems than Lance is form. Apart from those there are only two mountain stages left. I think everyone except Astana hates the route...
Lance was quite good during the third week of Giro. He has become better only better since then.

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Why am I still a fan of dopers sport?

I am not as you seem so keen to point out engaging in fellatio with LA.

I don't think you read my previous message properly. All I was saying was if Bruyneel was to do that then he could well end up with a Tour de France 8 times champion on his hands together with the prospect of being able to do much the same thing again with Contador. What a record for a team Director. As for whether its the smart play thats a different question. The smart play is undoubtedly to support Contador but if LA could pass it off with a 1/2 LA/Contador and mebbe Lepheimer as 3 what a record for Bruyneel. An 8 times champ, a 2 times champ and another talented guy.

If the team put their full support behind LA he has a good chance of winning especially with Contador supporting him. The fallback would be Contador takes over if LA falters. Contador then knows that he has Bruyneels undivided support in future.

As for Contadors performance in Italy. Of course he did brilliantly. Are you saying he hadn't been training prior to it???? C'mon get serious. LA had had his training massively curtailed and was riding it with bolts through his neck. He's old and he is tyring to get back into one of the toughest sports in the world. Don't be such an LA hater that your view becomes one sided. Personally my favourite for this race is Contador but I'd like to see LA win an 8th.

Anyway its exciting stuff.

Quite. In fact none knows quite how he's improved since the Giro. He's been suspiciously quiet. He's already successfully nullified Contadors first advantage over him. Bruyneel seems to be lining up a 1/2/3 for Astana.

A lot of the big climbs also dont appear at the end of stages but in the middle so much of the advantage that could be built in a stage is lost. I still struggle to believe that a 38 year old (even one with the class of LA) whos been out of the sport for 4 years can win an 8th race but he's very very focussed and determined. Yesterday proved just how canny he is. The other major names needed shooting for failing to watch for breaks properly.

Let's get one thing straight - there is no chance of Contador acting as a super domestique for Armstrong. AC is there to win the race, with or without the support of LA. There is nothing left between these two but animosity - anything said to the contrary is a public relations exercise to appease the sponsors.

Reverse the position of the names in the Para above and it is equally true unless Armstrong folds in the mountains and he has to use the "working for the team" excuse to save face.

These are two ruthless riders but with completelty different personalities. Armstrong revels in the mind games, the politics and the "my **** is bigger than yours" ego wars. Contador just focuses on riding his bike and is quiet and unassuming off it.

Unless someone messes with Contador's food, sabotages his bike or he comes down in an accident there is now way he won't be able to gain all the time he needs in the Pyrenees to ensure he is the clear leader come the Alps. Armstrong will enjoy the foreplay until then.

trouble with all this astana love fest is that barney r is just as good a ds as bruyneel. i'm wondering if riis isn't being the fox just burning off astana's legs chasing spartacus for lance's coveted yellow jersey. barney knows that canc will wilt in the pyrennees, but astana is chasing that hare rabidly. pyrennees and then unleash andy schleck? part two of the drama is how much attention is on astana and their leadership quandary. less of a focus on the leader's team.

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"Kick over the statues and the tyrants die. Wave bye bye to their heroes with a hammer."
--The Redskins, Kick Over the Statues

Hey I agree with you.

Reversing the names will not make it equally true. If it was Contador or Lepheimer first then he would have a second time winner of the tour de france and a 7 times winner of the tour de france not an 1 time winner and an 8 times winner. Which is better is your guess

I'm just curious if all four Astana top GC men will be given the freedom to ride for themselves on Arcalis.

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"Soldiers! Heroes!

The supreme command has erased our regiment from its records. Our regiment has been sacrificed for the honor of Belgrade and the Fatherland. Therefore, you no longer have to worry for your lives - they do not exist anymore.
So, forward to glory! For King and country! Long live the king! Long live Belgrade! "

are you smoking crack? have you actually looked at the profile? the Arcalis climb is preceded by ~50km of uphill before the climb starts proper.. this will be a huge test..

is that comment a joke or something?

To doctorSpoc

Can't you answer by saying I don't agree with you rather than by immediately taking an attacking stance?

Its quite easy you know and much more pleasant.

I must confess having looked at the Arcalis profile I agree that it has to be one of the defining stages of the race mainly because it ends in a slight incline :->.

This Tour de France has not even started in real terms.

And yet there are some who think that it is all over.

You only have to look at the histroy of the race to know that this race is far from over.

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.."But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I'm sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. [I]I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I'll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets - this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it" - Armstrong 2005 TDF
morelike hypocrisy.

Yes LA or Conti could crack or crash but barring misfortune it been made a lot harder for the others and they had the hill to climb. They're going to have to work like dingbats to pull it back. LA and AC have a huge advantage to go into the mountains with.

Menchov is almost certainly out of it. Evans has a huge mountain to climb.