Who can beat Lance in the Tour?

[Kenny]

When he focusses on the Tour Rik may be able to finish in the top 10. But maybe not this year. His
results aren't, partially due to bad luck, quite what you expect from a rider of that caliber. I
don't think Millar has the capability to end in the top 8. Definitely not this year.

I guess the most complete riders for the Tour are Armstrong , Ullrich , Gonzalez and Garzelli. But
now that the last two are active in the Giro, the tour will probably become a duel between lance and
jan. Armstrong deserves the advantage in the prediction of the next tour winner. But I believe
Ullrich has made a big step forward in comparison to the past years where he was at this time
desperately trying to loose some weight. Right now after his win in Koln and a 30th place in LBL he
has already passed that stadium so I think he will have a better conditionnal base to compete
against Lance.

 

[Peter Vesel]

It's a little premature to label Cadel Evans as a rider who has bad days in 3 week tours a
la Botero.

He has only ridden one so far.

Peter

 

[Jeff Jones]

"Davide Tosi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Tony Austn <[email protected]_screw_spam> wrote:
>
> >In article <[email protected]>, "Tom Schulenburg"
> ><[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> "Phil Shibano" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >
> >> > Gonzalez - Great Vuelta last year, has the tools.
> >> Don't think he'll be there
> >
> > If he has the right team, Aitor will be the major threat. His time trials are vicious
>
> He will *NOT* be there. For '03 he decided to take part in Giro and
Vuelta.
> The Fassa leader for le tour will be Ivan Basso.
>
He changed his mind today (or Ferretti did):

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may26news

That's good for the Tour I think.

cheers, Jeff

 

[Kyle Legate]

Sandy wrote:
> "UrbanCyclist" <[email protected]> a écrit
> news:[email protected]...
>
>> Sometimes when they get weird haircuts or dye its sometimes a sign they're doping.
>
> This is an abysmally stupid comment. Shame on you. Double "sometimes", to boot. Class A
> rumormonger and idiot. Try saying it to his face.
>
This 'try saying it to his face' stuff is hilarious. What's he going to do? Flail about at you with
his skinny cyclist spaghetti arms?

 

[Heinz Getzler]

[email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Here's a list of the guys who could beat Lance if he finally has a bad day in the Tour:
>
> Hamilton - Great spring, beat Lance at Liege. Botero - Can't have a bad day but usually does.
> Beloki - A pretender, but capable of hanging on. Gonzalez - Great Vuelta last year, has the tools.
> Simoni - Great climber, attacker. Herras - Best climber but he's a teammate. Garzelli - Will he be
> there? Perez - Will not be there but a hope for the future. Ulrich - Will he be there? Does he
> have the form? Pantini - Not the same without the dope. Kinda like Pedro Delgado.. Casagrande -
> Won't be there because of Rumsas Rumsas - Won't be there because of his mother in law... Zulle -
> Won't be there
>
> Who else?

I think Garzelli or Simoni could pose a possible threat to Lance in the tour. If they decide to work
together then I think Lance has a lot to think about....

 

[Davide Tosi]

"Jeff Jones" <jeff@cyclingnews-punt-com> wrote:

>"Davide Tosi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>> Tony Austn <[email protected]_screw_spam> wrote:
>>
>> >In article <[email protected]>, "Tom Schulenburg"
>> ><[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> "Phil Shibano" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> >
>> >> > Gonzalez - Great Vuelta last year, has the tools.
>> >> Don't think he'll be there
>> >
>> > If he has the right team, Aitor will be the major threat. His time trials are vicious
>>
>> He will *NOT* be there. For '03 he decided to take part in Giro and
>Vuelta.
>> The Fassa leader for le tour will be Ivan Basso.
>>
>He changed his mind today (or Ferretti did):
>
>http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may26news
>
>That's good for the Tour I think.

So I guess he will not defend his Vuelta title

 

[Bruce]

Dyed hair used to be a way to hide the effects of certain drugs which showed in your hair growth and
color. So that was actually a knowledgable comment.

-Bruce

"Kyle Legate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sandy wrote:
> > "UrbanCyclist" <[email protected]> a écrit
> > news:[email protected]...
> >
> >> Sometimes when they get weird haircuts or dye its sometimes a sign they're doping.
> >
> > This is an abysmally stupid comment. Shame on you. Double "sometimes", to boot. Class A
> > rumormonger and idiot. Try saying it to his face.
> >
> This 'try saying it to his face' stuff is hilarious. What's he going to
do?
> Flail about at you with his skinny cyclist spaghetti arms?

 

[Tritonrider]

>[email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
>news:<[email protected]>...
>> Here's a list of the guys who could beat Lance if he finally has a bad day in the Tour:

<snip>>Ulrich - Will he be there? Does he have the form?

I think he is going to have the best form he has had since he won, but the team is much weaker. I
can see him winning a stage or two and being top five, but not seriously challenging Lance. Bill C

 

[Dashi Toshii]

"Davide Tosi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "Jeff Jones" <jeff@cyclingnews-punt-com> wrote:
>
> >"Davide Tosi" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >> Tony Austn <[email protected]_screw_spam> wrote:
> >>
> >> >In article <[email protected]>, "Tom Schulenburg"
> >> ><[email protected]> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> "Phil Shibano" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> >
> >> >> > Gonzalez - Great Vuelta last year, has the tools.
> >> >> Don't think he'll be there
> >> >
> >> > If he has the right team, Aitor will be the major threat. His time trials are vicious
> >>
> >> He will *NOT* be there. For '03 he decided to take part in Giro and
> >Vuelta.
> >> The Fassa leader for le tour will be Ivan Basso.
> >>
> >He changed his mind today (or Ferretti did):
> >
> >http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may26news
> >
> >That's good for the Tour I think.
>
> So I guess he will not defend his Vuelta title

No he will be too busy applying anti-viral drugs to Pandan's in an attempt to stop the spread of
AIDS in Europe! <g>

Toshii

 

[Kyle Legate]

Bruce wrote:
> Dyed hair used to be a way to hide the effects of certain drugs which showed in your hair growth
> and color. So that was actually a knowledgable comment.
>
Wow, so my girlfriend may be doping! I'd better raid the medicine cabinet!

 

[Us]

she may be one if she's with you......................

Kyle Legate wrote:
> Bruce wrote:
>
>>Dyed hair used to be a way to hide the effects of certain drugs which showed in your hair growth
>>and color. So that was actually a knowledgable comment.
>>
>
> Wow, so my girlfriend may be doping! I'd better raid the medicine cabinet!

 

[Sandy]

Wrong. Even if the outward appearance of hair could distract, doping controls are blind to it.

The fact is that such a comment is not any sort of "knowledge" but a sign that the writer
desperately wants to believe that he, too, could win, if only he could dope like the big guys. But
he is writing here, not riding there. And the envy shows through. To imply doping on such feeble
evidence remains rumormongering - pathethic, puerile, and totally unjustified.

But this is usenet, not life, so I suppose anything goes ........

"Bruce" <[email protected]> a écrit dans news:[email protected]...
> Dyed hair used to be a way to hide the effects of certain drugs which
showed
> in your hair growth and color. So that was actually a knowledgable
comment.
>
> -Bruce
>
>
> "Kyle Legate" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Sandy wrote:
> > > "UrbanCyclist" <[email protected]> a écrit
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > >> Sometimes when they get weird haircuts or dye its sometimes a sign they're doping.
> > >
> > > This is an abysmally stupid comment. Shame on you. Double "sometimes", to boot. Class A
> > > rumormonger and idiot. Try saying it to his face.
> > >
> > This 'try saying it to his face' stuff is hilarious. What's he going to
> do?
> > Flail about at you with his skinny cyclist spaghetti arms?
> >
>

 

[Cyrus]

> Some Banesto guy?
>
Mercado, Mancebo or Osa?

 

[Cyrus]

[email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> [email protected] (Cyrus) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
> > [email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
> > news:<[email protected]>...
> > > Here's a list of the guys who could beat Lance if he finally has a bad day in the Tour:
> > >
>
> > > Perez - Will not be there but a hope for the future.
> > Which one? Milaneza-Perez? Can't time trial. But fun to watch in the mountains.
>
> Milaneza Perez. He was smokin' at Romandie.
>

Check this out: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may27news2

If you haven't read this article before, read it now:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may19news << Bernard announced, "Today I saw the next
Armstrong. And his name is [Francisco] Perez." Even if Perez never climbs quite as high as
Armstrong, to move up 814 positions on UCI rankings in a mere 18 months is worthy of attention.>>

I don't know if I should laugh or puke. How stupid are people? Forget Milaneza. Forget Perez. Forget
the 2004 tdf invitation for Milaneza. We will see if this turns out to be a classic story of a
medicore amateur who took drugs to rise to the top of the pro field.

cy

 

[Heinz Getzler]

[email protected] (TritonRider) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> >[email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
> >news:<[email protected]>...
> >> Here's a list of the guys who could beat Lance if he finally has a bad day in the Tour:
>
> <snip>>Ulrich - Will he be there? Does he have the form?
>
> I think he is going to have the best form he has had since he won, but the team is much weaker. I
> can see him winning a stage or two and being top five, but not seriously challenging Lance.

I agree, but it's to early to tell how good Lance's form will be. Ullrich will probably not
seriously challenge Lance this year. Lance's real challenge will probably come next year.
> Bill C

 

[Heinz Getzler]

[email protected] (CTRDY01) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> >
> >If Jan Ullrick manages to get on a decent team and gets the support of them, he will win
> >the TdF.\\
> >
> >Hawke
>
> This is not anything new, but there's been a lot of talk about the abilities of any one particular
> individual recently. Apart from the fact the Lance makes the Tour de France his focal, point,
> trains hard and probably better then most and is obviously talented, the fact remains that US
> Postal is quite an impressive team in the sense of having all people on the team working toward
> one common goal. Seeing the entire team in the final portions of the mountain stages, all there,
> all supporting the team goal (getting Lance in Yellow in Paris). Truly spectacular! This is a Pro
> event and by all accounts I believe the USP is the most Pro team (see recent acquisition of
> Beltran...)

Beltran will possibly prove a good asset for Lance. It's hard to tell however since Beltrann has not
done anything of note recently.
>
> Just to say; it's goign to take more than one individual to beat Lance. If Lance doesn't beat
> Lance.... an entire team will have to.
>
> - Chris - http://www.customgetaways.com Sport Vacations (Multisport, Cycling,
> Marathons, etc...)

 

[Peter Allen]

"Cyrus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > [email protected] (Cyrus) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > > [email protected] (Phil Shibano) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > > > Here's a list of the guys who could beat Lance if he finally has a
bad
> > > > day in the Tour:
> > > >
> >
> > > > Perez - Will not be there but a hope for the future.
> > > Which one? Milaneza-Perez? Can't time trial. But fun to watch in the mountains.
> >
> > Milaneza Perez. He was smokin' at Romandie.
> >
>
> Check this out: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may27news2
>
>
> If you haven't read this article before, read it now:
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/may03/may19news << Bernard announced, "Today I saw the
> next Armstrong. And his name is [Francisco] Perez." Even if Perez never climbs quite as high as
> Armstrong, to move up 814 positions on UCI rankings in a mere 18 months is worthy of attention.>>
>
> I don't know if I should laugh or puke. How stupid are people? Forget Milaneza. Forget Perez.
> Forget the 2004 tdf invitation for Milaneza. We will see if this turns out to be a classic story
> of a medicore amateur who took drugs to rise to the top of the pro field.
>

Problem with the current situation as regards doping/cycling is that no-one gets banned for more
than a few months. So, say you're early 20s (Perez is, I think?) and your DS has told you you're a
great prospect, in four years time he'll have you leading for some of the minor races, and in five
or six years he wants you leading in the grand tours... but you want to win NOW!

You know you're not going to win much as you are, because you're not really strong enough yet - but
there's always EPO or whatever ****, if you take that you'll be good enough, win a bit... even if
you get caught, you can just serve your ban, you'll be back before your DS was going to let you lead
anyway, so you won't miss any wins...

I'm not trying to advocate long (or lifetime) bans for all doping offenses here - Ullrich's
nightclub amphetamines, Simoni's cocaine-laced sweets and Garzelli's diuretic spring to mind: none
of them was going to do anything much for performance, and they could argue convincingly enough that
they weren't trying to dope - but someone like Perez who has clearly taken EPO knowingly, with the
intention of cheating in races, should be banned for life.

Peter

 

[Lindsay]

On Sat, 24 May 2003 00:16:55 -0500, UrbanCyclist <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Thu, 22 May 2003 17:51:23 +0100, "Stan Cox" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>"Phil Shibano" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>> Who else?
>>
>>I think this is the point. Lance has had 4 tours and managed to avoid all the major disasters. I
>>realise that he does this by being strong enough to ride near the front ost of the time and with
>>meticulous planning. I would
>
>A wife separating from you is quite a significant crash. The emotional stress is great. He also
>doesn't know the outcome. But then he overcame cancer, so I guess even that is possible.

They supposedly got back together a few months ago.

Lindsay
----------------------------
"One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the
difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's
remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license."

P.J. O'Rourke

 

[Steve Croft]

"Mike S." <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet> wrote in message news:<Ay9za.41787$eJ2.38756@fed1read07>...

> The Indurain era wasn't the most exciting racing to watch, but ya gotta hand it to the guy!

Not that the Lance era has been boring! He has made some dramatic attacks, instead of Indurain who
would gain his time mostly in the ITT. You ain't never gonna see attacks like Merckx (although Jacky
keeps tryin'!)

 

[Heinz Getzler]

[email protected] (Steve Croft) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Mike S." <mikeshaw2@coxDOTnet> wrote in message news:<Ay9za.41787$eJ2.38756@fed1read07>...
>
> > The Indurain era wasn't the most exciting racing to watch, but ya gotta hand it to the guy!
>
> Not that the Lance era has been boring! He has made some dramatic attacks, instead of Indurain who
> would gain his time mostly in the ITT. You ain't never gonna see attacks like Merckx (although
> Jacky keeps tryin'!)
I think that Lance has been one the most exciting riders since Hinault. Lance showed a lot of
panache and guts the way he attacked in the mountains. I think Lance performs well in the races in
the races he enters. I just wish he would enter more major races like the Giro......)