Lance and the Prolog

"Steve Gerdemann" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why?

#1) No Tour has ever been decided by the prologue (even though Norm T. may
disagree with this)

#2) Even when LANCE has won the prologue, USPS doesn't defend the yellow.
Therefore, they do not put an emphasis on it (and rightfully so, given the goal they have
at the TdF)

He didn't ride it, but he did preview it that morning in the team car.

Having ridden those streets myself many times on a bike, I can tell you that it wasn't a very
technical course. Very few turns. Hardly a hill. Just some cobblestones which riding on before hand
won't tell you much. I'm sure he got all the info he needed from the other 197 riders before him.

I was sitting at a cafe right at the "most difficult part"- the turn up towards Trocadero on the
hill. Of the 198 riders, there was only 1 who had trouble with it (he took it too fast and went wide
up on the sidewalk and ended up having to put a foot down.)

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Steve Gerdemann" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why?

#1) No Tour has ever been decided by the prologue (even though Norm T. may
disagree with this)

#2) Even when LANCE has won the prologue, USPS doesn't defend the yellow.
Therefore, they do not put an emphasis on it (and rightfully so, given the goal they have at
the TdF)

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Quoted message said:

#1) No Tour has ever been decided by the prologue (even though Norm T. may
disagree with this)

is this true? what were the prolog restults in 1989. please post link to documentation.

"noob" <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

#1) No Tour has ever been decided by the prologue (even though Norm
T. may disagree with this)

is this true? what were the prolog restults in 1989. please post link to documentation.

Prologue winner in 1989 was Erik Breukink in Luxembourg. Overall winner was Lemond.

T.

TimBenz said:

"noob" <[email hidden]> wrote in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

#1) No Tour has ever been decided by the prologue (even though Norm
T. may disagree with this)

is this true? what were the prolog restults in 1989. please post link to documentation.

Prologue winner in 1989 was Erik Breukink in Luxembourg. Overall winner was Lemond.

Delgado lost 2:54 (or thereabouts) by his late arrival at the prologue ... He finished the Tour in
3rd place at 3:35 ...

Had he not arrived 2:40 late to start his prologue attempt, Delgado would still have finished 3rd
overall at 55 seconds.

So again, the 1989 Tour was NOT decided by the prologue.

--
Steven L. Sheffield stevens at veloworks dot com veloworks at worldnet dot ay tea tee dot net bellum
pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea aye tee why you ti
ay aitch aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you double-yew double-ewe
dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash

Steve Gerdemann said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why? I saw him warming
up last year at the prolog in Luxemburg city.

BTW by my unofficial db meter Lance got more cheers than any other rider including Virenque.

Steve Gerdemann

It's probably difficult to get any access to the course when it's on city streets that are normally
clogged with traffic, unlike the mountain stages, which you can probably ride pretty much any time
you like. I'm guessing that the organisers keep the prologue course closed for as little time as
possible to minimise disruption to the city.

&roo

[email hidden] (Steve Gerdemann) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why? I saw him warming
up last year at the prolog in Luxemburg city.

A bit odd but they got the desired results. The team goal was to finish the prologue first in the
team category as the results show. I'd speculate that Lance was more focused on the overall than a
prologue win. Having said that I don't think he *wanted* to finish where he did.

Quoted message said:

BTW by my unofficial db meter Lance got more cheers than any other rider including Virenque.

I noted that myself. The last 10 riders got pretty good cheering.

Quoted message said:

Steve Gerdemann

Nope, it was closed for a good long time before the event. I saw many riders riding practice runs
before the official start.

"Andrew Swan" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Steve Gerdemann said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why? I saw him
warming up last year at the prolog in Luxemburg city.

BTW by my unofficial db meter Lance got more cheers than any other rider including Virenque.

Steve Gerdemann

It's probably difficult to get any access to the course when it's on city streets that are
normally clogged with traffic, unlike the mountain stages, which you can probably ride pretty much
any time you like. I'm guessing that the organisers keep the prologue course closed for as little
time as possible to minimise disruption to the city.

&roo

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I'm sure he wanted to show right off the bat that he was dominant. But it wasn't a technical or
hilly course like last year, so riding it first wouldn't have given much advantage.

"amh" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
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Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Steve Gerdemann) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why? I saw him
warming up last year at the prolog in Luxemburg city.

A bit odd but they got the desired results. The team goal was to finish the prologue first in the
team category as the results show. I'd speculate that Lance was more focused on the overall than a
prologue win. Having said that I don't think he *wanted* to finish where he did.

Quoted message said:

BTW by my unofficial db meter Lance got more cheers than any other rider including Virenque.

I noted that myself. The last 10 riders got pretty good cheering.

Quoted message said:

Steve Gerdemann

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[email hidden] (Steve Gerdemann) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why? I saw him warming
up last year at the prolog in Luxemburg city.

BTW by my unofficial db meter Lance got more cheers than any other rider including Virenque.

Steve Gerdemann

LANCE!!!!!!!!! wanted to let someone else get yellow so his trusty USPS team wouldn't have to defend
it early in the race. Do you really think LANCE was unable to win? He was just waiting until some
tension had built up in the race before he SMASHED his opponents. What a showman.

Kenneth J. Papster

Oh, you mean he messed up last year when he took the yellow jersey in Luxembourg? Sometimes losing
is harder than winning.

"Deeznuts" <[email hidden]> a écrit dans le message de
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Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Steve Gerdemann) wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I was in Paris for the prolog of the tour. I arrived early enough to see some of the parade and
some riders warming up on the course. Saw most of the USPS team but not Lance. Later I read
somewhere that the race was the first time Lance rode the course. For someone who is supposed to
be fanatical about being prepared this seems odd. Anyone care to speculate why? I saw him
warming up last year at the prolog in Luxemburg city.

BTW by my unofficial db meter Lance got more cheers than any other rider including Virenque.

Steve Gerdemann

LANCE!!!!!!!!! wanted to let someone else get yellow so his trusty USPS team wouldn't have to
defend it early in the race. Do you really think LANCE was unable to win? He was just waiting
until some tension had built up in the race before he SMASHED his opponents. What a showman.

Kenneth J. Papster

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Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> #1) No Tour has ever been decided by the prologue (even though Norm
> T. may disagree with this)

is this true? what were the prolog restults in 1989. please post link to documentation.

Delgado lost 2:54 (or thereabouts) by his late arrival at the prologue ... He finished the Tour in
3rd place at 3:35 ...

Had he not arrived 2:40 late to start his prologue attempt, Delgado would still have finished 3rd
overall at 55 seconds.

This is not a fair assessment. Had Delgado not gotten himself into such a ridiculous hole, he may
have ridden the tour differently. We'll never know.

Quoted message said:

So again, the 1989 Tour was NOT decided by the prologue.

Technically true I assume. The course is just too short.

Doug