Lance Armstrong is THE man!
 

I've read the books, I'm a keen cyclist and he is a truly inspiring man.
I trust he is drug free.
I'm off to Paris on Sunday to see him cross the line and then back to Blighty to see mr Ladbrokes to collect my winnings.
Just read this report on today’s stage win, thought I'd share.......

Kings Of The Mountains

Moments after Lance Armstrong claimed his fourth successive mountain stage win in the 2004 Tour de France he echoed the sentiment offered to him on the podium by Bernard Hinault. “Perfect! No gifts.” That’s what one of the five five-time Tour champions told the rider who is about to win a sixth title. The Texan had been asked if thought he deserved to inherit the moniker of ‘The Cannibal’, the nickname given to Eddy Merckx who had an insatiable appetite for victories. And Lance was quick to respond, “No.” But that doesn’t mean he’s prepared to offer any other riders the chance to win a stage that’s within his reach.
“I’ve given gifts in the Tour de France and very rarely has it ever come back to help me. This is the biggest bike race in the world,” said Armstrong. “And I want to win. No gifts.” One rider, however, was given the go-ahead to try as hard as he could to win the stage. Floyd Landis is the master’s apprentice. And today The Boss – as Armstrong has become known over the past five years – wanted the 28-year-old to enjoy the sweet taste of success at the Tour. Even if Floyd was able to achieve that, it could not have been called a gift.
Since joining the US Postal team at the start of 2002 Landis has demonstrated that he’s a capable team player. He’s usually strong on the early sections of the high mountains and is then content to get to the finish as best he can. His job description isn’t to be in front at the top of vicious climbs like the Col de la Forclaz or the Col de la Croix-Fry – the two which were tackled by the peloton in the final 50km of stage 17 – but that’s where Floyd was. As he led an elite group of five over the final summit, Armstrong turned to Landis and asked, “How bad do you want to win a stage of the Tour de France?
“Real bad,” came Floyd’s reply.
“How fast can you go down a hill?
“Real fast!
“So,” concluded Armstrong, “run like you stole something!
Landis didn’t need any more prompting. Like a bullet out of a gun he was gone. Real fast was no exaggeration. But, alas poor Floyd, he’s not the only one who had the nerves and the energy to ride that way. On a day that concluded with a 13 kilometer descent Jan Ullrich was another man who doesn’t believe that there’s any place for gifts in the Tour. The German was part of the five man crew that crested the Croix-Fry climb ahead of a peloton that had been shredded from the first of the five mountains in the 204.5km stage.
Floyd had never stolen anything. And in the end it was Ullrich’s compatriot and team-mate, Andreas Kloden, who did attempt to pinch the victory. Sprinting ahead of Armstrong, Landis, Ullrich and Ivan Basso in the final kilometer the German champion held a solid lead with 100m to go. But Lance chased down that bullet and, with a matter of meters remaining, shot past Kloden to win a fine sprint.

Stage 14 might not have finished at the top of a climb, but it was certainly a tough day in the mountains. Armstrong’s might have beaten Kloden may have been in a sprint but the victory set up on the cols of the Savoie. These factors are important to recognize because it means that Lance Armstrong has become the first rider in the history of the Tour to win four successive mountain stages. The Cannibal is a title he may deserve, but he can’t take that from Merckx. Anyway, The Boss suits Armstrong. He dictates terms in the race he loves and the rest the peloton can sort out the minor prizes between them.
Richard Virenque did just that in the 2004 race. He began the event with the hopes of becoming the only rider to win seven King of the Mountains titles. The campaign was put into overdrive on Bastille Day and it ended today when he attained enough points in the climbing classification for him to be unbeatable. Richard has 226 points; Lance 168 and even if the rider in the yellow jersey wanted to emulate Merckx’s achievements from 1970 and claim the polka-dot jersey as well, he no longer can. There’s just aren’t enough mountains left in the race.
There is, however, enough road ahead that an unpredictable event could see Lance lose some of the four minute nine second advantage he has over Basso in the general classification. And for that reason, the celebrations haven’t yet truly begun. There is one more road stage for the rouleurs to try their luck, a time trial that Armstrong surely won’t give away easily and the procession to Paris on Sunday. The sprinters will determine the green classification that day, but right now it’s time to salute the King of the Mountains.

Personally, I think most of them do drugs. The average speed increase of the tour over the years is astonishing.

Roche allegedly did them, as allegedly did Sean Kelly.....I believe all the greats did them too - Hinault, Delagdo, Indurain, etc..

No other athletes in the world have to perform day-in, day-out for the whole of the season from March to October. They have few days off.

The life of a pro cyclist is not great either - average age of death is 57. :(

You're right of course.











But he is THE man!
R

Armstrong is unlucky to be the 5 times TDF winner (and probably 6) in the era where drugs have been uncovered.

Because of this, he will always be less of a "great" in many eyes.

Still, look at Virenque - admitted drugs, yet still the French treat him like a hero.

do ppl care about the cyclist on drugs? i assumed it was regarded as bodybuilding is...ie. everyone does it but no one mentions it?

I believe Armstrong is clean.
that's it.

IIRC Armstrong has to stear clear of nandrolone(sp) etc due to the treatment he's been recieving

Armstrong is one of the most tested athletes in the world. Never been tested positive. As far as I'm concerned he's clean. And an AWESOME athlete.

...and would the sport ever want him to be tested positive?
Also, cycling is not as rigourous on testing as other sports. A lot of the stuff is subjective anyway....

It's all double standards. Most riders are registered asthmatics so they can use albuterol.

Why would Lance be involved with that dodgy doctor as well?????

All smells a bit.

What about Marco Pantani?! Who would have thought it :rolleyes:

Lance who :confused:

I've heard of Niel Armstrong and Stretch Armstrong :confused:

imlach, I think your right - most of them do drugs!

And that's the problem. It's either they all do drugs or they all don't. It has to be fair to all.

Armstrong is a great champion, and I'd like to hope he's clean.
But the drug allegations have been doing the rounds since his first win.
Then he goes and beats everyone yesterday on the mountain time trial by over a minute. How the hell can he do that on a 40 minute stage.


David

The guy is just amazing, and he seems a genuinly nice guy too, not big headed at all. Just the guy next door (almost). I would like to think he's pretty clear of drugs, if he wasnt they would soon pick it up.
He is always so grateful to his team too. Great person, gets my vote....

Possibly because he is the first one to take professionalism to a next level in cycling, and also by focussing on the TDF as his main event.

Next to that the US Postal team (sponsored by Subaru :D ) is of an extreme quality and organization, and the team director is one of the best available.

As for drugs... the dividing line between "preparation" and "drugs" is a very thin one.

He is one of the most impressive athletes of our era IMHO.

Wasn't it the entire Chelsea squad who were put on creatine? OK, not a drug per se, but blurring the line at the very least!

That's an easy bandwagon to jump on imlach.

Interesting, In what way is drug testing in cycling not as rigourous as other (which other) sports?

Er, the fact that for years they were all on it and no-one was caught? Not so sure the accusation stands now, but the suspicion has some foundation, don't you think?

All althletes at the highest levels use performance enhancing chemicals.

However they will ensure that they they utilise them within the limit of the drug laws and not encroach within the envelope. Just like F1 teams who work right up to the limit of the regulations - you would be disadvanted not too.

And it may be as simple as a quick espresso and a cigarette before the start as caffiene and nicotine are stimulants...its true...I remember Gianni Bugno being disqualified from the Tour because of drug abuse...he had too much caffiene in his bloodstream as he had had an extra espresso in the pre race time.

He is the man :) The Schumacher of cycling :D

"All althletes at the highest levels use performance enhancing chemicals."

i had a mate that cycled at national level......even at 17/18 he was been given a lot more than creatine and a cup of coffee!

Erm... I know UK media don't pay much attention to cycling, but especially the French police has been clamping down on drugs in the TDF like mad, people got jailed, etc...

Andriotti, Arrieta, Blijlevens, Brignoli, Carrera, H.De Clercq, De Galdeano, De Paoli, Di Grande, Elli, Figueras, Frigo, Lastras, Latasa, Lom- bardi, Magnani, Mazzoleni, Missaglia, Mondini, Navas, Nocentini, Odriozola, Osa, Padrnos, Pantani, Cuapio, Peron, Piccoli, Romano, Sciandri, Solaun, Siboni, Varriale en Zanini, they all got busted in 2001, and the list is endless.

LOL it is a weird subject that one..... cracks me up everytime! the usual reply is no mate!! just protein shakes for me bud!!!

I used to train with a top 10 UK amature, he never took anything and worked 5 days a week as well........

Didn't amount to anything though.;)

The point is, drugs have been rife in cycling for decades.....the guys running the sport these days are as guilty as the next man for doing "drugs".

Given this, in whose interest would it be to expose the whole peleton as drug-users? Le Tour would lose all credibility. They're picking off selected riders now who are silly enough to be caught, but there's plenty other "stars" riding outwith the legalities.

Did you see Lance yesterday (Fri). Simoni broke free from the peleton to chase down the leaders, and Lance chased after him on his own (while US Postal slowed the peleton down), had words, told Simoni the breakaway would be chased down by US Postal unless he left the leading group. Simoni bowed to the pressure to allow the breakaway to prosper, and went back to the peleton with Lance....

What is the link between Simoni and Lance? Simoni gave evidence against doping at an Italian trial last year......which may or may not have implicated Lance.

So....for being one of the riders to "speak out", Armstrong now has an issue with Simoni, and seems to be trying to single him out as a "rogue".

Why would he want to do that? Surely those exposing doping should be applauded????

As I said, it's all a bit fishy.

For his sake, I hope the only thing he took was ear plugs to put up with your constant whinging about how the saddle chaffed your very long inner thighs

Drugs don't ride the bike, same as they don't lift the weights in the gym

Imlach...

I'm sure Pedro "Delagdo" (LOL) would take exception to you not mentioning the greatest of them all, "The Cannibal"... Or Bahamontes. Or Anquetil. Or even frigging Zoetemelk for that matter...

34 étappe wins (still 12 more than Lance), 5 time overall winner, you do yer Google...

In this thread, for me, you seem to bundle everything that is wrong with the UK today.

1) spout as many allegations as you can
2) prefarably don't know didly about the topic at hand
3) when people with more knowledge than you challenge you, ignore
4) conspiracy theories are to be posted again and again, even though they have been surpassed by the truth.
5) you constantly with a stiff upper lip talk out of your behind.

Do you *REALLY* think the French media wouldn't want to catch (or even frame) Armstrong ? Do you *REALLY* think the rest of Europe is a united blob protecting the Tour ? Do you *REALLY* think it was only in the last few years that some testing was done and some cyclists were caught ?

I don't even know where to start to educate people so ignorant...

You really are an island monkey aren't you ?

Bollox bollox and more bollox
 

Armstrong is one of the most drug tested atheletes in the world. Back in the late 90's he was tested randomly at pretty much every god given moment. Read his book! People turned up in the middle of the night, at dinner time, at breakfast time, week in week out, and you know what they found? NOTHING. The reason Armstrong is so ahead of the field? Training. Who goes and rides up the alpe d'huez during the winter months when there is snow all over the road? He just simply puts more effort in than the others.

It pisses me right off to come on here and read posts from people who know dick all about cycling saying that everyone is on drugs, and that armstrong is cheating. The guy is my hero-he is an awesome awesome man, and in my view, the greatest cyclist of all time.

Peeone/Somedude - spot on.

Imlach - christ son, I bet you have a poster of Mulder and Scully in your bedroom. Jesus.

Armstrong is possibly the greatest sportsman of all time, it's just that cycling isn't the greatest sport of all time, but fascinating once you get into it - bit like rallying really...

As anyone who has read Armstrong's books will know and to put it very simply, because I can't be bothered getting the book out to check the exact details, he has a very high lung capacity and something up with his blood or something that allows him to recover more quickly than you or I. This is why he was competing in triathlons as a teenager against grown men and either winning or doing v v well and better than he should have been for his age. Put simply he's gifted and there is no way he's a drug taker. Read the books and you'll understand why. If you have, then stop reading or watching so many sado X Files books/films.

No offence.