The world according to LeMond........

kennf

Say no to day-glo.

slovakguy

certainly one of my favourite finishes. the number of times the lead changed hands in that last k still make me shake my head. too bad the rest of the race didn't have that level of excitement with the big dogs riding pace until the final go round. mark me down for a fan of the mountain stages just because the attacks, counters and constant battle against the pain make those the stages for me. second favourite, itt's.

__________________
"To Hell with poverty, we'll get drunk on cheap wine."
--Gang of Four, To Hell With Poverty

limerickman

Helm : Kelly said after the race that he did have the wrong gear setup for the sprint (not that he was trying to make excuses).

Subsequently, I've heard Sean say that LeMond, when he decided to, could beat any rider in his day, Hinault included.
When you look at the guys who were competing in the 1980's - and look at their palmares - it only goes to show the class of a rider like LeMond and the wins he got back then.
Hinault is second on the all time list, Kelly third (although I think Zabel may now be ahead of Kelly) : and LeMond beat these guys frequently and often.
No more needs be said.

__________________
.."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.

helmutRoole2

I don't think anyone here believes Boonen doesn't dope. I think the general consensus here is, they all dope to a degree.

Do I? I appreciate Armstrong's abilities.


He can't clear their name for a reason. You'd have to be a dumb ass or someone not following events ref. Armstrong not to connect the dots. It's all been stated before. Ferrari, '84 blood doping ties, six positives in 1999 for EPO. Those are just three in a long list.


Look, I understand that he's your hero and you take it personally when people says things bad about him. And I know I've said this to you before, but maybe it's time you hear it again.

Tear down the Armstrong posters from the ceiling of your bedroom. Throw out your coveted yellow dildo. Put your seat back on your bicycle. Throw away the Lance blow up doll and patch kit. It's over, Casa. Armstrong has left the building. You'll have to seek out another sport where an American pretty boy dominates to rekindle those lustful boy-toy fantasies.

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"Bait in 08" --nns1400

kennf

Another interesting point about the '89 World's is that Lemond said in a post-race interview that he felt lousy until two laps to go, and considered abandoning the race at one point. That's one long warm-up.

limerickman

LeMond destroyed us over here, that day.

We'd hoped to retain the world title in 1989 (after 87).

__________________
.."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.

classic1

The really unlucky one was Bauer IMO. He gets over the top of the climb just behind Fignon, looks to be on a big ride, is going to get back on no problem...then punctures. Wouldn't that just piss you off?

A Frenchman. Thierry Claverolet. Won a KOM in the Tour one year and a couple of mountain stages.

The years from around 1983/84 to 1989/1990 were a Golden era in cycling history IMO, like the early 50's and the mid 60's.

Three great Tours in 1986, 1987 and 1989. 1988 Giro with the Gavia. Great world championship races in 83, 84, 87, 89 and controversy in 88 and 90. And a shitload of great classic races. 1984 Liege is probably the stand out to my mind, but there are a host of contenders

limerickman

Thierry committed suicide some years ago - superb rider.

__________________
.."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.

whiteboytrash

There is also a bar named after him sitting at the foot of d'Huez.......

limerickman

That was his pub, WBT

Paul Kimmage wrote an excellent article on Thierry a couple of years back in the Sunset Times.

Kimmage and Claveroylat both rode for RMO and were close buddies and had kept up contact after they both retired.

He said that Thierry suffered from terrible depression after he retired.

great rider.

__________________
.."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.

kennf

Even worse was Bauer's '87 (? I could be off a year) World's, where he was in the brew-ha with Criquellion. Bauer had that race in the bag. Hell of a nice guy. Drank a Molson with him once.

helmutRoole2

Looking back, does anyone think that Alexi Grewal wasn't doped at the '84 Olympics?

I mean, when you compare the two careers and you consider the blood doping going on within the US team...

Anyone?

Anyone other than House?

__________________
"Bait in 08" --nns1400

limerickman

Grewal admitted that he doped ........he used write ana rticle in Cycle Sport and fair dues to him, he admitted his guilt.

__________________
.."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.

thunder

House, you want evidence?

Was the insulin and actovegin not evidence in waste bags? I believe USPS tacitly conceded this when they said a soigneur had diabetes.

Both products illegal.

House, you are asking for a "proven evidence" setting the benchmark so high as to be unreasonable. Judicial Inquiries and Royal Commissions make findings also, like a civil court, they are not held to a criminal court level of burden.

So, you want Armstrong to be afforded a level of burden akin to a criminal court, when his civil liberties are not being compromised?

Absurd.

If you wish to dope in 2008, you can dope, knowing, that inside your own home, with rights afforded to you wrt privacy, you could dope your arse off, and dispose of all evidence. There would be no evidence.

Do not you understand the regime you are actually promoting. You are promoting a see no evil do no evil regime which tacitly endorses doping. It gives riders carte blanche opportunities to dope from the inside of their own private home.

You want a level of evidence, that is just unreasonable, and promotes a culture of doping. There is no evidence in that scenario. You wilfully refuse to acknowledge the evidence that exists, and hide behind spurious defences like constitutional rights, which are not relevant considering a sporting case. For every doper like Armstrong, there is someone he denied rewards, like Bassons, Mcgee, Voeckler. Will you suggest Armstrong had a hand in not affording these riders human rights? That is stupid is not it, well, see how stupid your argument is.