wolfix said:
I remember a Indurain who in his first 4-5 TDF's was only good enough to finish in the bottom half. I remenber an Indurain who was never good enough to finish a Vuelta except one in which he got a second. The list of DNF was usually next to his name. .
I think that you'll find that attempting to compare Indurain and Armstrong's early careers is futile.
1.Armstrong was TEAM LEADER at Motorola - whereas Indurain was a domestique at Reynolds/Banesto.
Team leaders are expected to be the best rider on their team : Armstrong
was incapable of finishing three out of four TDF starts and he wasn't capable of starting another GT in the same year as managing not to finish a TDF.
Indurain by comparison was a domestique - his job was to work for his team leader in his early career.
Indurain started and competed in both the TDF/Vuelta between 1985-1988
(his early career), as well as racing a full stage race/one day race program.
Indurain finished the first GT that he started at the Vuelta in 1985 - his first year as a pro.
Armstrong wasn't capable of finishing his first GT until three years in to his pro career.
wolfix said:
I remember an Armstong who won and dominated 7 TDF's and retired a champion. Indurain won 5 and was handed his ass in the last TDF he rode in.
.
I remember the doping allegations that surrounded Armstrong from within his own team, from within the press and from former competitors who all suggested that Armstrong's explanation for his "improvement" was/is a pack of lies.
And I agree - it was/is a pack of lies.
I also remember Indurain winning 7 GT's and doing the TDF/Giro double, twice.
A feat that Armstrong was incapable of doing.
wolfix said:
The funny thing about Indurain was that he was not considerd a great rider for half of his career..... then he just exploded into a champ overnight. And it was overnight. No one could see that coming. Of course everyone said it was because he has was tested and had huge lungs. Of course he was riding for Reynolds who had a their TDF winner testing positive for dope...... Wait , it was a banned substance, but not banned by the TDF. Loopholes.
Became a champ overnight? As you already said you didn't follow cycling during the 1980's : so perhaps you missed the fact that Indurain made steady progression from 1985 to 1991?
Winning the Tour of EEC 1986? Winning the Tour of Murcia 1986? Winning the Tour of Bourgos 1986?
Winning Paris Nice 1989 and 1990? Winning the Tour of Catalunya 1988?
Winning the Criterium Intl 1989?
Completing major GT;s in 1990 - and finishing 10th in the TDF and 7th in the
Vuelta.
Just what is your concept of overnight success?
Armstrong's "improvement" was overnight success in terms of GT's.
wolfix said:
I remember someone making the argument that Armstrong developed overnight into a tour winner and it had to be something helpful ...... Just like Indurain.
Did Armstrong win a paris-nice between 1993-1996? Did he win any major stage races apart from the Tour duPont between 1993-1996?
I think you'll find that Indurains palmares supports his subsequent performances rather better than Armstrong's hour and a half time lag in 1995.
Armstrong's earlier palmares shows the lie of his subsequent performances.
wolfix said:
Do you remember a fresh faced World Champion named Armstrong who won the race younger then anyone up to that point?
I don't remember any one younger.
But then again, I don't remember anyone here trying to claim that a one day race being evidence of great stage racing ability either.
wolfix said:
Indurain was never able to win the rainbow jersey. Matter of fact, the closest he came was when a 21 year rookie named Armstrong was to show him how you win a World's. Indurain was unable to stay with Armstrong.
i believe Indurain punctured in the last km at Oslo.
The again, Indurain as TDF/Giro double winner that year had enough to contend with, by that stage of the season.
But speaking of not being able to sprint for the win - do you remember Armstrong not being able to win a sprint finish against that well known sprinter
Sergei Outschekov at the TDF in his early career?