LA: Engaged, [censored], training for comeback!

I am so pumped, I could smile all day!
"the best way to [censored] the French off!"
Hilarious!!!!
I really hope he does it.
Really!!!!!!!!

GO LANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hombredesubaru said:

I am so pumped, I could smile all day!
"the best way to [censored] the French off!"
Hilarious!!!!
I really hope he does it.
Really!!!!!!!!

GO LANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bruyneel confirms quoted from Eurosport:

Discovery Channel sports director Johan Bruyneel added further speculation to Amstrong's desire to race again.

"Yes, the quote from Lance in the Austin American-Statesman is certain," Bruyneel told Cyclingnews from a team car on the Vuelta A Espana.

"You know, we had some retirement parties in Nice after the Tour and then Lance went back to the States and took it easy for a few weeks. Then he called me three weeks later and said 'I'm back on the bike... I'm getting bored and missing the exercise, the riding'."

Calm down.... its all PR..... you know and I know he's not coming back.....

hombredesubaru said:

Bruyneel confirms quoted from Eurosport:

Discovery Channel sports director Johan Bruyneel added further speculation to Amstrong's desire to race again.

"Yes, the quote from Lance in the Austin American-Statesman is certain," Bruyneel told Cyclingnews from a team car on the Vuelta A Espana.

"You know, we had some retirement parties in Nice after the Tour and then Lance went back to the States and took it easy for a few weeks. Then he called me three weeks later and said 'I'm back on the bike... I'm getting bored and missing the exercise, the riding'."

Cyclingnews also reported other info from Bruyneel:

"Bruyneel explained that "I'm not excluding a comeback by Lance for 2006, but can't confirm anything until I talk to him. But it's not impossible."" :p

I would have said, before the L'Equipe article, that LA had definitely decided on retirement. LA knows that L'Equipe was very happy he retired (he mentioned during the Larry King interview that "the day I retired, they wrote a front-page editorial on "L'equipe," and they said at the end of the article -- or the end of the editorial, they said never has an athlete's retirement been so welcome."😉. So LA knows that the best way to get back at L'Equipe, and also to prove that he is not concerned about additional drug testing, is to ride the Tour in 06. I think it's a low probability (under 25%), but before the L'Equipe article, it was a zero probability. 😉

musette said:

Cyclingnews also reported other info from Bruyneel:

"Bruyneel explained that "I'm not excluding a comeback by Lance for 2006, but can't confirm anything until I talk to him. But it's not impossible."" :p

The cyclingnews article also included the info that the first training camp for Discovery will be in December in AUSTIN and that Lance will participate.

Basso must be crapping himself, although probably excited if he can beat Lance.

Ullrich must be contemplating suicide.

hombredesubaru said:

Basso must be crapping himself, although probably excited if he can beat Lance.

Ullrich must be contemplating suicide.

...and the drug dealers will be rejoicing as there sales of EPO will hit the levels of 1999.

It's also interesting to note that Bruyneel has had a large amount to spend on recruiting cyclists, given LA's salary is no longer required for 06. He has spent so frugally, notwithstanding Popo's inexperience and Paolo's not being a GC contender for the TdF, that one wonders if the possibility of an LA comeback was among the many considerations that went into Bruyneel's recruiting strategy of frugality. 😉

TM website has the article title: "Armstrong contemplates shock U-turn"

http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tmoteam/en/archive/news/templateId=renderInternalPage/yearID=2005/monthID=8/itemID=72464/id=41212.html

musette said:

It's also interesting to note that Bruyneel has had a large amount to spend on recruiting cyclists, given LA's salary is no longer required for 06. He has spent so frugally, notwithstanding Popo's inexperience and Paolo's not being a GC contender for the TdF, that one wonders if the possibility of an LA comeback was among the many considerations that went into Bruyneel's recruiting strategy of frugality. 😉

TM website has the article title: "Armstrong contemplates shock U-turn"

http://www.t-mobile-team.com/cms/tmoteam/en/archive/news/templateId=renderInternalPage/yearID=2005/monthID=8/itemID=72464/id=41212.html

Hilarious that its already up on T-Mobile website.
Lets all chip in and send donations to Jan Ullrich charity to buy him lots of toilet paper since I'm sure he will be crapping himself for the next week.

So much silence from the Lance detractors, save the ever hilarious WBT.
Lets all invest in Amgen now!! too funny!!

[font=Verdana]...still used EPO 1999. Comeback or no comeback he still used.

It amazes me how you pass off the L'Equipe article as ‘sensationalist reporting’ and tabloid journalism but this is not ? It’s the same sensationalist press statements to divert attention from the [censored] Pound's comments and the upcoming UCI report. We have seen it all before. Lets just wait for Graham Watson (who made so much money from selling Lance photography books) to tell us on the DC website that ‘The other riders must be very scared by this statement as there chances of winning will have to wait one more year… and for the lucky few who have kept on the right side of Lance they maybe allowed to win a stage or two….’

[/font][font=Verdana]LOL ! You guys are incorrigible ![/font]
[font=Verdana][/font]
[font=Verdana]PS I guess the kiddes will have to be without a daddy for 2006.... and to think you bought that as one of the reasons he retired.... LOL !

[/font]

hombredesubaru said:

Hilarious that its already up on T-Mobile website.
Lets all chip in and send donations to Jan Ullrich charity to buy him lots of toilet paper since I'm sure he will be crapping himself for the next week.

So much silence from the Lance detractors, save the ever hilarious WBT.
Lets all invest in Amgen now!! too funny!!

man u got class (not)

hombredesubaru said:

Lets all chip in and send donations to Jan Ullrich charity to buy him lots of toilet paper since I'm sure he will be crapping himself for the next week.

hombredesubaru said:

Hilarious that its already up on T-Mobile website.
Lets all chip in and send donations to Jan Ullrich charity to buy him lots of toilet paper since I'm sure he will be crapping himself for the next week.

So much silence from the Lance detractors, save the ever hilarious WBT.
Lets all invest in Amgen now!! too funny!!

I think its just a really bad idea for Armstrong to comeback. He left on top, something very few athletes has ever done. Eventhough the L'Equipe article has broguht about the controversy, the best way to let it disappear is not to give them a chance to bring it up. Obviously it would come up next year, but if Lance would to try it again, then it would be brought up everyday leading up to the TDF start. This reminds me of a quote I heard from a football coach (I forgot who said it) "There are 3 things that can happen with a pass, and 2 of them are bad."

The only other motivation that I think Lance could have for a return, is to my knowledge Raymond Poulidor has the most podium finishes all the time at 8 (3 seconds and 5 thirds) and of course both Armstrong and Ullrich has 7 podiums.

[font=Verdana]The guy is all class.... only he would announce that he is getting engaged to his lovely girlfriend and overshadow the great moment with telling everyone he is making a comeback.... LOL ! She must be just as happy as the kiddies…. What’s another birthday or two ! LOL !
[/font]

Capt.Injury said:

I think its just a really bad idea for Armstrong to comeback. He left on top, something very few athletes has ever done. Eventhough the L'Equipe article has broguht about the controversy, the best way to let it disappear is not to give them a chance to bring it up. Obviously it would come up next year, but if Lance would to try it again, then it would be brought up everyday leading up to the TDF start. This reminds me of a quote I heard from a football coach (I forgot who said it) "There are 3 things that can happen with a pass, and 2 of them are bad."

The only other motivation that I think Lance could have for a return, is to my knowledge Raymond Poulidor has the most podium finishes all the time at 8 (3 seconds and 5 thirds) and of course both Armstrong and Ullrich has 7 podiums.

LA has historically carefully followed the cycling press (although less in 05), and he saves on his computer all the negative things that people say about him or the boasts that other cyclists make about their own strengths and TdF prospects. That is one of the ways he used to motivate himself, along with thinking about JU. Bruyneel would sometimes pass along choice tidbits to LA, which LA would keep as motivational tools.

Imagine how many "inspirational" messages LA has collected for himself from the L'Equipe matter. 😉

whiteboytrash said:

[font=Verdana]The guy is all class.... only he would announce that he is getting engaged to his lovely girlfriend and overshadow the great moment with telling everyone he is making a comeback.... LOL ! She must be just as happy as the kiddies…. What’s another birthday or two ! LOL !
[/font]

Too true!!
In fairness HIS website only announces the engagement.
He probably had to wait until the doping [censored] was over to announce.
Hard to tell if the reportr sneaked the comeback comment out of him, but needless to say, Suzy Halliburton the reporter, and Lance go back a long way at the Austin American Statesman and he wouldnt have let it slip unless it was planned.
Whether he means it or not...only time will tell.

Good imitation of Graham Watson BTW, WBTrash.
Are you Graham Watson?
Getting out all the anti-Lance feelings you harbor while making millions off of his images in your books.
Watson is even too idolatrous for my tastes and that is saying a lot.

Oh yeah, BTW, there was NOT any EPO when he peed in the cup.
Nyah nyah.
\Gotcha🙂

If Equipe is not disproved and he decides to race the level of abuse that he will have to withstand will be unlike anything any of you has ever seen (not me I've been to greek football grounds 😄 ). Hooliganism on the slopes of Ventoux (hope it makes a comeback next yr)... That should be some spectacle...
Seriously though... If he decides to do it it will be one the most stupid comebacks in the history of sports...

It's precisely the level of testing and scrutiny that LA would be subjected to in 06 that might prompt him to participate, as it would go to demonstrate he has been racing drug-free and would show he is not afraid to be tested. 😉

* $500,000 donation to Katrina - Press
* Engagement announcement – more press
* ‘I maybe coming back’ announcement – more and more press
* Bruyneel confirming he ‘maybe coming back’ – more and more and more press

- Gee this is a lot of press for a guy who has retired. I thought he wanted the quite life.... LOL !

Homesub I reckon you're ok… you can smell a rat when you see one and respect the achievements…

Watson photo's are fantastic but the Lance tyre pumping is very much over the top.... it’s not journalism its PR.... there is a big difference.

hombredesubaru said:

Too true!!
In fairness HIS website only announces the engagement.
He probably had to wait until the doping [censored] was over to announce.
Hard to tell if the reportr sneaked the comeback comment out of him, but needless to say, Suzy Halliburton the reporter, and Lance go back a long way at the Austin American Statesman and he wouldnt have let it slip unless it was planned.
Whether he means it or not...only time will tell.

Good imitation of Graham Watson BTW, WBTrash.
Are you Graham Watson?
Getting out all the anti-Lance feelings you harbor while making millions off of his images in your books.
Watson is even too idolatrous for my tastes and that is saying a lot.

Oh yeah, BTW, there was NOT any EPO when he peed in the cup.
Nyah nyah.
\Gotcha🙂

musette said:

It's precisely the level of testing and scrutiny that LA would be subjected to in 06 that might prompt him to participate, as it would go to demonstrate he has been racing drug-free and would show he is not afraid to be tested. 😉

1) It will be exactly the same level of scrutiny that he has been subjected to from 99 to 05. Most likely he won't be found doped, and you'll say that he's always been clean and the "other side" that the testers failed to catch him once more.
2) No comeback will vanish the EPO from the 99 samples...
3) No victory will vanish the EPO from the 99 samples...
4) He isn't getting any younger and more importantly so, his team (with one or two notably exceptions) isn't getting any younger either. Time catches up with everyone even American superheroes... On the other hand CSC has been strengthened and this time Basso won't be having his gloves on... Vino will have Beloki and Heras to lead him and most likely Cunego will be there along with Valverde and do I need to mention Ullrich?
5) Don't get excited however, I suspect it's just a trick to rally the troops for the hard times ahead...

whiteboytrash said:

* $500,000 donation to Katrina - Press
* Engagement announcement – more press
* ‘I maybe coming back’ announcement – more and more press
* Bruyneel confirming he ‘maybe coming back’ – more and more and more press

- Gee this is a lot of press for a guy who has retired. I thought he wanted the quite life.... LOL !

Homesub I reckon you're ok… you can smell a rat when you see one and respect the achievements…

Watson photo's are fantastic but the Lance tyre pumping is very much over the top.... it’s not journalism its PR.... there is a big difference.

Watson, Ligget and sherwin are as blatent ass lickers of la as you can get
the fact that sherwin was the old motorola pr manager doesn't seem to ever cross some peoples minds

i don't think he will set foot in france, the french would eat him alive and rightly so.

We all know what [censored] voet said about virenque giving money to rwandan orphans. He seems to be getting alot of good PR especially of his favourites the new york times and austin statesman at a time when the rest of the world sees him for what he really was: a cheat

I agree with lemond when he said there is no such things as miracles in cycling