i don't know why but that excites me. i don't think he can win but it's going to be fun watching him try.
http://www.velonews.com/article/8289...ng-coming-back
i don't know why but that excites me. i don't think he can win but it's going to be fun watching him try.
http://www.velonews.com/article/8289...ng-coming-back
70% of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Bob Sanders
His daughter Grace is in my nephew's class in Austin. I understand that nobody even blinks when he picks her up from school (one nice thing about Austin).
Wait a second... you're telling me Sixpac Shakur is a CHICK?
I know it would not be with his friend Bruneel, but maybe Chipotle would be a better choice for him. Astana already has Alberto Contador and Andreas Kolden. Armstrong would probably be a #3 rider on their team (given his age and probable lower level of conditioning). They are a solid and established team. Garmin Chipotle is a young and up and coming team. If he hopes to win, he will need the support of a strong team. Not sure that Astana would support him. They have a couple of potential leaders already and he would be more of a distraction. On the other hand, Chipotle could learn a lot from his experience and presence and would benefit more from his being there. If he wanted to leave a legasy and impact the future of the sport, I think he would be better able to do that with them. They have a solid nucleus and he could help take them to the next higher level.
I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz
Astana is denying the story. However, if Armstrong comes back it will likely only be with a team run by Bruneel.Originally Posted by zippyjuan
It only ends once... Anything that happens before that is just progress.
Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
don't forget the role of sponsors zippy. if the person writing the checks for the team says, "we want lance!!!", then the DS is gonna jump to make it happen.
70% of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Bob Sanders
Well there is supposed to be a big articale in Vanity Fair this month so they me be saying nothing as I am sure VF paid him some money. Also with his sponsor being Trek they are the only ones riding Trek. Also as far as the other riders go the only one they have to deal with is Alberto. Everyone else is in support of AC so then there would be two riders. Based on the schedule in Velo news, Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphiné Libéré and the Tour de France I think they would have Alberto focus on the Giro and the Veulta leaving the tour up for who is racing best at that time. As far as the other races go most are classics and are not ACs strong suit so there would be no conflict. This would be great for American cycling and I hope it happens.
Still do not know who he may ride for. Maybe he knows- or does not know himself. He may be in negotiations at this time. It is a little surprising he is announcing his decision to ride again before a team is finalized. Unless he is just trying to add pressure on the team to get a deal done.
I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz
Lance was so successful because his team's job was to make him win. Contador and Kloden don't want to do that. If Lance goes with Astana this could be like T-Mobile with Ullrich, Vino and Kloden where they have trouble landing a guy at the top of the GC
If he does not ride with Astana it would be a huge shocker. They are the only pro tour team that races on Treks which is his sponsor. The events he is in; Amgen Tour of California (this is Levi's race), Paris-Nice(Classic not Albertos strong suit), the Tour de Georgia (again not for AC), the Dauphiné Libéré (Classic not for Alberto) and the Tour de France. Alberto will be convinced to work towards the Giro and Vuelta giving way for Lance during the Tour. The Giro is too close to the tour to race in both so they will help Alberto win the Giro and then help Lance win the Tour as I don't really think in this day and age you could win both since they are so close together. As far as the classics rides go AC is a climber and those races are just tune ups he probably could care a less.
You have to be kidding. Contador won the Paris-Nice last year. The Dauphine Libere has been won by a bunch of climbers. Lance's dedication to the former race is basically non-existent (would he have ever dropped out of a TDF because it was cold and he had a sore throat?). Contador won the TDF at 24, and could have won it again this year if he had competed. Unless Lance somehow (and this is a long shot) proves to be in peak fitness, it would be ridiculous to even try to convince Contador not to go after the GC.
Also, Kloden is still on Astana, and is likely in better form than Lance. He came in 2nd to Lance in the TDF after starting the race as a domestique. He's always been behind a captain and still has yet to help that captain win. He can't be counted on to really get behind Lance.
I am not doubting about Alberto but Astana is the only one he can ride for unless another team allows him to ride Trek which I am not sure other team's bike sponsors will allow. I agree AC would have won the TDF this year if they were allowed to ride. However, I don't see him riding for another team or director sportif other than Astana. I am sure they are working out all the deails right now. If Lance has the shape to win then I still think they will have AC focus on the Giro and Vuelta and let Lance have his crack at the TDF. AC I doubt would be able to win both the Giro and TDF as its too grueling and too close in time frame. In any event Kloden will always sit backseat with Levi becuase AC is their man and now they will have two for this year. I guess we will find out on the 24th.
this warms my heart to see so many apexers posess real cycling knowledge. /wipes tear from eye.
70% of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Bob Sanders
To Astana.... He is also putting together a U23 team. This will be good for cycling. Now when will AC quit Astana... Before next season? It will be good for the sport and if he can manage a victory... Whoo Hooo.
More info: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/sp...hp&oref=slogin
He says he will only ride three races- The Tour Down Under in Australia, the Tour de France, and the Leadville 100- a 100 mile mountain biking race that starts at 12,000 feet elevation. He came in second in this race last year (in what would have been a record time) and this is what encouraged him to return to racing.
My question is how much work Astana will be willing to do for him since that is all he is riding. Alberto Contador, the present team leader, won the Tour de France in 2007 and just recently won the Vuelta- the Spanish tour. I think that if Lance wants Contodor to support him in the Tour de France that he should ride at least a couple of other races to support Alberto. Contador is probably the best cyclist in the world right now. The other riders are pros and should be willing to ride for whomever is designated the leader of the team and Bruneel should be able to control them. If Johann had retired, I question if Lance would return at all. You can never count Armstrong out. But there is also a long history in all sports of athletes who should have stayed retired.
I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz
This was before it became official, but Contador says he wants to focus on the Tour de France too and if Lance is on the team would like to be allowed to change teams. He is the best rider in the world right now and could easily find employment elsewhere. That puts Bruneel in a tight spot. Lance would probably only help the team for maybe a year while Contador is young and could be an outstanding rider for several more years.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/....php?pass=true
CYCLING
Contador could leave Astana if Armstrong arrives
The Associated PressPublished: September 23, 2008
Alberto Contador is ready to leave the Astana cycling team if Lance Armstrong joins the Kazakh squad in 2009.
"I think I've earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for my place," the Spanish rider said Tuesday in AS newspaper. "And with Armstrong some difficult situations could arise in which the team would put him first and that would hurt me."
Contador, the 2007 Tour de France champion, won the Spanish Vuelta on Sunday.
"My intention is to stay (at Astana) because I have a contract until 2010, but I have already received a good number of offers from other teams," he said.
Earlier this month, Armstrong announced that he is returning to cycling after three years in retirement and would attempt to win the Tour de France for the eighth time.
He could be reunited with Johan Bruyneel, his former coach who now leads Contador at Astana. Bruyneel has said he could not imagine Armstrong riding for anyone else.
Armstrong will outline his comeback on Wednesday in New York.
"On the basis of what he says, we'll take a decision," said Contador, who - like Armstrong - plans to skip the Italian Giro and Vuelta to focus solely on the Tour.
Contador said he got no help in his Vuelta victory from American teammate Levi Leipheimer, who finished 46 seconds behind the 25-year-old Spanish rider.
"It's not normal that someone working for you finishes less than a minute off in the general standings," Contador said. "If (the penultimate stage time trial) had been 20 kilometers more who knows what would have happened."
I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz
Contador quit Astana and Lance announced he's riding with them. Should be very interesting next season.
It only ends once... Anything that happens before that is just progress.
Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
He quit already I did not ready anything about that???
I don't see anything about him actually quitting yet. All the related articles use the word "may" or "wants to" or "threatens to". He is under contract through 2010.
Astana was not allowed to participate in the Tour de France last year due to prior doping issues and is not guaranteed a slot for next year so since Contador would be their man in races besides the Tour, they would definaltely want to keep him on the roster if they can. Last week he became only the fifth rider to win all three of the majors- the Tour de France, the Vuelta (Spain) and the Giro d'Italia.
I add new pictures to my photo gallery pretty regularly. You can see them here if you are interested: http://www.pbase.com/jeffryz
Could have sworn I saw that on the scrolling headlines yesterday (may have been skynews). Just did a quick check online and couldn't find any confirmation so maybe it did just say that he may leave the team.
I really can't see him staying with Astana unless he is willing to play second fiddle to Lance in the TdF.
It only ends once... Anything that happens before that is just progress.
Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
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