Will Lance Armstrong start the Tour de France
- Thread starter steve
- Start date
This is hard to answer.
ASO may say he's not welcome.
He can say he feels unwelcome following latest accusations.
He can say he's injured (but actually realising he'll be embarrassed).
But I think ASO won't refuse him... They'll enjoy watching him losing. Also, feeling unwelcome would be lame excuse.
Injury could be only acceptable excuse.
His vanity is enormous, so both, participating and absence, are realistic options... Absence how he could save self respect, and participation how he could show his greatness.
Investigation could be excuse too, but also a motive.
I hope he'll ride and I think he will. But it's 50:50.
ASO may say he's not welcome.
He can say he feels unwelcome following latest accusations.
He can say he's injured (but actually realising he'll be embarrassed).
But I think ASO won't refuse him... They'll enjoy watching him losing. Also, feeling unwelcome would be lame excuse.
Injury could be only acceptable excuse.
His vanity is enormous, so both, participating and absence, are realistic options... Absence how he could save self respect, and participation how he could show his greatness.
Investigation could be excuse too, but also a motive.
I hope he'll ride and I think he will. But it's 50:50.
YES HE WILL.
IMO, as far as ASO is concerned, wether LA is positive media or negative media, it equals to media, and that equals to $$$$, so they will let him race. (unless hard evidence comes into light)
Injury or not, LA will not back out because that wouldn't look good for him.
IMO, as far as ASO is concerned, wether LA is positive media or negative media, it equals to media, and that equals to $$$$, so they will let him race. (unless hard evidence comes into light)
Injury or not, LA will not back out because that wouldn't look good for him.
Great, and timely question.
I say he will find a convenient excuse/reason and ease his way out of the lineup.
IMO, he will not be in it if he knows he can't win it (yes, that 'ego' thing again), and I think he knows he can't win it anymore...
I say he will find a convenient excuse/reason and ease his way out of the lineup.
IMO, he will not be in it if he knows he can't win it (yes, that 'ego' thing again), and I think he knows he can't win it anymore...
That's a very valid point TZ. I will join your theory of him knowing he can't win, and go a step further and say that he will start the tour, but will find some 'respectful' way of dropping out. Case in point: TOC. A perfectly executed drop out.
I voted yes, but there is a lot of time from now until July 3rd. The closer it gets to race-day the more scrutiny he will be facing, especially in France.
I'm sure there's a clause in his contract, like there was with The Discovery Channel team when they came on with sponsorship, that he rides the Tour...
Lance coming to the Tour with not much in the way of wins - or even much racing isn't new. 2004 and 2005 were very sparse and despite that he won 4 of the harder stages of the 04 Tour "just because he could." That was the only year that Bernard Hinault liked Lance, even if it was only just a little bit and only for a month...
Lance coming to the Tour with not much in the way of wins - or even much racing isn't new. 2004 and 2005 were very sparse and despite that he won 4 of the harder stages of the 04 Tour "just because he could." That was the only year that Bernard Hinault liked Lance, even if it was only just a little bit and only for a month...
slovakguy said:
There is forum tittle tattle to the effect that Radio Shack might pull the plug by the end of the year.
On topic I hope Lance skips the T de F. His presence can only detract from what really matters (which is obviously the racing) & he's hardly a genuine contender.
Another thing is, wouldn't the ASO look bad and get criticized, if they don't let him in only based on alleged, unproven accusations ? Unless there will be some provided hard evidence, I don't see ASO doing anything to stop Lance. He's too big of a market face. Plus they know and like, that he will get sh1t on by the media already.
swampy1970 said:
Yes, but that was before he was 38 years old. Have you ever tried to blitz your way into condition at 38?
As you get close to 40, the body doesn't react to stress the way it did at, say 30. Recovery takes longer so the buildup needs to be slower.
Unless, of course, you enlist the aid of pharmaceuticals.
gtm said:
I don't know where the surprise would be in that. It was hardly a secret last year when he said he'd pretty much consider this (ie 2010) his final year.
Do you think they'd base a team around Leipheimer? Nuff said...
oldbobcat said:
No... I've been blitzing my way back into condition at 39 and almost doing as good a job of it as when I was 26.
Then again, I don't have too (nor can I) sustain 450 watts for about an hour and have to endure 3 weeks of racing in France.
I never believed for a minute that Radio Shack had long term plans for the team. They needed a media blitz for their expansion into European markets and along came Lance, Bruyneel, & Co., trying do distance themselves from Astana and draw the attention from their own Tour winner, with an opportunity that should have been a no-brainer.gtm said:
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