Laggard said:
I respectfully but vehemently disagree. The guy's almost 30, has won 7 races in his career and has never finished higher than 23rd at the TDF. He's shown nothing that would make one believe that this year will be any different. The TDG is NOT the TDF.
Hear hear. Landis is not a GC contender because, even though his ITT/TTT might be sufficient, his climbing is not at the requisite quality level. Also, Landis seems to have a bad history of losing the lead when he is in yellow. He was a very good domestique to LA, because, for that purpose, his climbing was good and his TTT skills were very good. However, it takes more to be a leader.
And on all the silly speculation that LA didn't want Danielson to win -- Pleeease, must I always step in and clarify the facts for those who can't see the obvious?
Danielson is LA's mentee. LA let him win.
1) Evidence #1: Danielson Bows to LA, Literally, On the Podium
http://www.thepaceline.com/2005tdg.aspx
2) Reports from LA Official Website
Paceline, LA's website, has pre-final stage notes: "Basically, it was the perfect script and then the
perfect execution. Dan Osipow called it, “The best tactical race in the US in years. It was like a day at the Tour de France – everyone had a role and they all executed.”
For Lance, seeing Tom not only win the stage but nab the race lead has been very satisfying.
The plan all along had been for Tom to go for it, his one minute gap having a lot better chance of winning than Lance’s 1’42”. And so Lance had been drilling Tom in
mentor-to-protégé manor [sic]: “You’ve done it in testing so many times, it’s now time to do it in the race, time to show you can and will win.” And what was the mentor’s review of TD’s performance? I think that can best be summed up as Lance and Tom sat in the very small press room after the stage, before the mikes went live. LA looked at Tom and said, “
That was so $#@!ing money…” Announcer Dave Towle asked Lance if, following the stage win, had he "passed the torch"? Lance looked at him and said, "Passed the torch? No, but I did pass the lighter..."
http://www.thepaceline.com/members/newsitem.aspx?cid=1035
3) Danielson's words
On Stage 5: "On the second to last climb [in Stage 5], we sent a few guys up the road and Lance, he hit it, and it was incredible. Only a couple guys could follow and Floyd was dropping and Bobby was dropping. I went across on Levi's wheel and Lance, he was amazing, he pulled the whole climb and I just sat back there thinking, 'There's no way I'm going to lose this race now.'
You know, a six-time Tour de France champion pulling, my idol before I had a bike. It was an incredible experience for me. I was going to do whatever it took to get the stage win and in the last km, I saw maybe I could go for the overall and I just gave everything I had. Obviously, it was enough."
http://www.thepaceline.com/members/newsitem.aspx?cid=1031
"Personally, I'd like to
dedicate it to first, my wife and parents for coming out, but also for
Lance and Johan and the Discovery Channel team for giving me the opportunity to ride on this team and to be at this race with Lance. It couldn't be a more special thing for me to be at this race and to do this well today - it's just pay back for all the confidence they've given to me. I owe them this and a lot more in the future."
http://www.thepaceline.com/members/newsitem.aspx?cid=1031
4) In LA's own words:
"The climbs were tough today and we kept sending guys and
Johan had a great plan and the riders, all of us, just tried to implement the plan and Tom rode a hell of a final climb -
it was exactly what we talked about this morning - but to do what you talk about in the morning, every player has to live up to their responsibility, and I think we all did, especially Tom.
We all knew Tom was our guy and
in fact I've been telling Tom for weeks he best get ready to ride at the front and lead the team because I don't think I'm going that well and I think (he) could do it. He's good."
http://www.thepaceline.com/members/newsitem.aspx?cid=1031
At the final stage press conference:
"For me, I'm just as happy to see the team win than I am to get an individual win."
http://www.tourdegeorgia.com/2005/press_center/documents/LancequotesonSunday.pdf
5) Background Danielson Sucking Up to LA
"I just want to add in a little about Lance.
Of course he is my idol, but spending more time with him I really admire him as a person. A fighter on the bike, off the bike he spends every second on something else. He really gives a lot of his time to make the sport better, meeting and talking with numerous people involved to make cycling better for those who follow him. In addition, while we are sleeping, he still is up on the phone working on things for the cancer community. It truly blows me away where he gets all his energy and how each involved he is making other people's lives better. As if all he has done isn't enough, he is still hard at work to make sure those benefit in the future both in the cancer community and in cycling"
http://www.cyclingnews.com/riders/2005/diaries/tom/?id=tom0503
