As a newcomer to the sport why does eveyone hate Lance? Is it the old 'if they're on top knock them down' thing? Or did he do something really BAD!
Also why did Pantani get so upset when Lance let him cross the line first(or is this the reason people don't like him/)

G'day Sberry,

well as a newcomer to the sport, you certainly haven't shied away from the hard questions first up. Your thread will draw heaps of replies (this subject always does!). Ok....first, before all the Lance-oholics out there jump down my throat.....personally I think there can be no arguement that Lance is the best 3 week tour rider, with the best team & the best preparation, of the last 5 years. His comeback from illness is nothing short of a miracle & shows extrordinary detemination & courage..........there I've said it!.

Now ....why does he draw so much criticsm?.....where do I start?...some maybe justified, most isn't. Its a really difficult question to answer because Lance himself is such a paradox. I think different people dislike him for different reasons.....for instance, cycling tradionalists may dislike him because largely, he is so single minded to his approach to the Tour de France (and professional about preparation) that many of the vaguries & tradional nuances of the Tour de France have been cast aside in the pursuit of winning. Lance isn't there to make friends...he's there to win.....he doesn't put up with any crap from anyone, can be short with cycling journo's & is dismissive of anything that gets in the way of his & the teams goals. He's not the 'traditional' nice guy....yet ask anyone about his comittment to charities involving cancer sufferers (& the sufferers themselves)...they wouldn't have a bad word to say about him..........Is he good?...damn right he is....do I like him? ...nuh.....does he care? ...nuh...should he care?...nuh

The Pantani incident you speak of is an example of Lance 'wearing' unjustified grief. Basically, that day Pantani & Armstrong waged a 2 man war to the top of the climb. A hard tough race, fought out by 2 fantastic competitors. Lance allowed pantani to win the stage....why...because Lance didn't need to win the stage to achieve his tour goals. I s'pose it was a sign of respect by Lance to Pantani that he graciously allowed him to win. Lance's problem, was that he then told the world, that he allowed Pantani to win...implying that he could of won if he'd wished too. Pantani, of course, took exception to this & lance was accused of being 'ungracious'. Another case of Lance doing something for the right reasons....but managing to stuff up the execution & drawing grief for it.

enough from me...I'm sure the Lance-oholics are queueing up to give their opinion & no doubt rubbish mine....

cheers,

Hitchy

Topic = TIRED


Haven't we all done this already?

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Absolutely...but I thought I'd be nice to the newbie!....theres about 8 threads running with this stuff at the moment,

cheers,

Hitchy

And I thought it was all about the bike...I'd better go look for them pesky threads then!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SBERRY
[B]As a newcomer to the sport why does eveyone hate Lance? Is it the old 'if they're on top knock them down' thing? Or did he do something really BAD!

Everybody doesn't hate him. It is just that the ones who do, make the most noise and didn't you always hate the kid that could run faster than you,always got picked for the team first or whose family had better things than yours did.

It has NOTHING to do with the bike. Cycling has never had anything to do with the bike and always everything to do with the man on the bike.

Thomas Davis

Thats one of the smartest statements about why Lance draws the ire he does I've ever read. No Sarcasm this time.

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