lance drinking beer at the lakers game......

if they're drinking light beer then they're still tea tottlers.

It does look like a good tour. I wonder if that long TT right at the end is a nod to make it more exciting, because Ullrich will have a good chance to win that stage.

I think the TT up the Aple D'Huez also helps Jan. He can't respond to the accelerations of Lance all that well, but he can ride a fast tempo the whole way up. This might be to his advantage.

I hope Tyler gets on the podium. He was close last year despite the collarbone.

I don't think Vino will be as big a player as last year. He was by far the most aggressive rider last year, and rode far better than he ever has. I think his career has peaked.

teetotaler

lance won by over a minute last year, sure. but we were all worried going into that last time trial and beloki wasnt even in the race at that point.

lance may win, but he has definitely lost the fire as described in its not about the bike. he talked allowing hismelf a window of time when he could eat tacos and drink beer; the last two years hes talked about drinking beer and having ice cream if he has a big enough lead DURING the tdf. im not criticizinf the beer or the ice cream, just pointing out that lance isnt sticking to what got him to where he is. i think the traveling and endoresments will hurt him the most. its hard to get in 6 hours on the bike when you are flying to la or nyc to do a photoshoot or a benefit. its classic though. enjoying the benefits of your success will ultimately decrease that success. i thik ulrich wins this year. is there some record of years between wins. if he wins it would be 6 years (97 to 04). nonetheless, go lance, hes great for running.

Did anyone on this thread follow the results of last week's Tour of Georgia? Lance crushed the field. And sure the Tour of GA isnt the Giro or Vuelta, but he took it to guys like Jens Voight, Julich, and Chris Horner, who are all among the top 25 in the world right now (IMHO).

I questioned his resolve after last year, but Tour of GA has made me a beleiver again. He won the TT and won a bunch sprint on a road stage IN THER SAME DAY! I don't think he has won a bunch sprint since his pre-cancer days.

That shows some surprising explosive power.

unfortunate son wrote:

lance won't win the tour this year. you can bet on that. he's found a new chick and lacks the focus. i hate to see it, but hey, why not be happy for the guy? he's dating cheryl crow!

It's actually Sheryl Crow (with an "S"), and I agree that she's hot.

Did anyone catch the TNT dialogue while they were showing the couple? Ernie Johnson mentioned Lance Armstrong as they were walking to their seats, and Charles Barkley responded with something like "Forgot about him - he just rides a bicycle, look at her - SHE'S HOT!" Ernie responded by saying "he's one of the best athletes in the world!" But Charles just kept saying "he just rides a bike."

That's why Charles Barkley is funny - he says what he's thinking. But it also points out the ridiculous attitude often seen in "ball" sports: anyone can run, ride a bike, etc. It's not like hitting a baseball, shooting a 3 pointer, or running for a touchdown.

BDG

Sorry to hijack this thread with cycling minutiae! But if you know the Alpe d'Huez climb, it features steep ascents linked by very wide flat hairpin bends. They really disrupt your rhythm and makes things very difficult for a tempo rider like Ullrich who doesn't find changing pace easy. Alpe d'Huez plays to Armstrong's forte. So I'm not optimistic for Ullrich's chances. In 2001, they essentially time trialled it (Armstrong leapt ahead at the bottom and he and Ullrich progressed without help to the top) and Armstrong steadily pulled out 2 minutes advantage.

To those saying he no longer has the fire, please examine this year's results, contrast them with previous years. The bottom line is that Armstrong is not doing anything to suggest he is weaker or less motivated this year. In fact, the opposite may be the case

Nick,

I agree. Plus, the steep sections of Alpe d'Huez give Armstrong an advantage because his power-to-weight is better than Ullrich's (provided Lance eases up on the beer and Krispy Kremes).

With his win in the Tour of Georgia, I have to hope his need to make amends for last year hasn't fired him up so much that he ends up peaking too early.

That was 2.5 liters before the '72 oly marathon, not .5.

(Shorter the night before '72 marathon)

2.5 liters would be about 5 12oz beers. I'm calling bullshit on that. Shorter wouldn't have done anything that stupid.

I rode the L'Alpe last summer several times. The bottom third is steep but then it "levels" out until the last couple of virages. (I went from a 39 X 25 to a 39 x 21 and even 31 x 19 in places.) Ullrich pulled back time on Lance as the climb progressed. And without the flying lead-in, Lance will have to find a tempo which suits him, same as Ullrich. I'm not sure this stage will really make the difference in this year's tour...even though it will be great theater.

My thoughts on the tour is that Lance does look too hot too early. I'd bet he could peak for the Giro. So the question is...can he cool it off and find another peak? Last year, as he's hinted in several places, he was overtrained by the time of the Tour which is why he took longer than usual off this past winter.

Ullrich is a mystery. Last year was a contract year and he couldn't risk a bad tour. He needed early results and steady results. This year he's back in the fold at T-mobile and does look thin. My only worry about him is that he keeps talking about the olympics. I guess it is tough to get the East German out of him. Plus it suggests that he might be a bit psychologically whipped by Lance. Not sure he can just focus on the Tour. Or is he just playing possum, hiding from Lance his true form in the hopes that Lance eases up just a tad?

My vote for Dark Horse is Hamilton. And whoever said Vinokorouv has peaked is wrong. He'll be a factor in this year's tour if he has improved his flat course TT ability. It's clear he has more explosive power in the hills than Lance. The tag team of Ullrich and Vino will be much more formidable than any challenge mounted last year.

Ah the fun of the Tour.

Sorry, I meant 7 or 8 12oz beers. No way it happened.

With David Millar soon to be busted for EPO, the Olympic Time Trial is wide open. Maybe after Jan takes his yearly beating from Lanc in the Tour, he'll get it together fo the Oly's.

Think Botero is finished? He was unstoppable 2 years ago in the TT.

Where is Joseba?? (I mean the Joseba that posts here, not the guy who crashed horrifically last year)

Come'on do you really think top celebity athlete's train 24/7.

The only reason we're talking about this is National television took a break on Kobe, and spotted some Celeb's in the audience like usual...They just happened to see Lance and Cheryl. Would we really be talking if it were Fred and Dorthy? TNT just got some smak before the Enquirer. We give celeb's to much of our energy, I'd probibly run a faster 5k Sat. but I'm writing this Crap waisting my energy!

+33+014R

holly shit! A beer, call the pollice, a crime has been committed, an athlete is drinking a beer. give me a break. Have you ever heard of steve prefontaine? probably one of the best runners ever, he could drink almost anybody under the table. Yeah yeah i know, "Look how he died." He lived his life on the edge. you have to live life to its fullest. stop being a bunch of bible beaters, and LIVE! take a risk everyonce in a while, you might like it

I love how it's become fashionable among those that follow cycling (at least the ones I know and apparently some of the ones on this board) to profess their love for Tyler Hamilton and Ullrich, these are the same people who were big Lance fans when everyone didn't know who he was. Just because Armstrong isn't the human interest underdog he used to be and is now a huge worldwide celebrity and perennial Tour favorite suddenly it's cool to say Lance is washed up. My prediction is he wins this year by a larger margin then last year, medals in Athens (though probably not gold) and retires as the Greatest Tour de France rider ever.

And another thing in response to holy shitt's post, Prefontaine isn't one of the best runners ever, in fact he was the 4th best 5k runner in Munich. Maybe the best U.S. runner of that era but thats it.

Again, apologise to runners for this intrusion into your sport!

But Frank's statement that Ullrich pulled back time on Alpe d'Huez in 2001 is a myth. It is often quoted because people assume the figures thrown up on the television screen (and released on DVD by World Cycling Productions) are accurate. They are actually not. I have a live recording of the whole race and out of curiosity, made my own calculations (based on the time differences of when the riders reached specific points of the course.) The reality is that Armstrong continued to pull out time on Ullrich over all parts of the course.

And to respond to another poster, why on earth should David Millar be banned for EPO use??? The only cloud on Millar's horizon is that Phillipe Gaumont - who is facing a possible jail sentence for drug trafficking - was reported by a French newspaper to have told a French judge that Millar had ordered the team doctor to inject Gaumont with a "clear liquid." It's a ludicrously vague allegation that doesn't have the slightest ring of credibility and I would note that so far, the French judge was not sufficiently convinced to even call Millar in for questioning.

You are so right. No way Jan beats Lance going uphill. Simple as that. I'd rate Hamilton and Beloki as the only riders with a slim chance to beat him, barring an accident.