As an older athlete, I feel like we are revisting a debate that raged in the early 90s. If the older guys remember, we all got very excited about Mark Allen training for the Olympic marathon trails after he ran 2:40:? at Kona (I think it was for the Atlanta Olympics). He took an entire year and did nothing but run in Boulder with a great coach and ended up a sad heep of pain on the sidewalk in Berlin about 16 miles into a sub 2:25 effort. He didn't even make it to the last 10k (which all of the sub 2:35 old guys like me know is where the WHOLE show happens).
I think every young athlete on this board who is convinced that Lance can run under 2:30 should review Mark Allen's own works on his attempt (I will find a link and post it). He was very humbled by it.
Now remember, Mark was a world class athlete with 7 ironman championships under his belt and trained as a runner for his sport for 10 years before he attempted to qualify for the olympic trials. I think Lance is an amazing athlete, but I think he has disrespected another sport in the same way that people disrepect his. He doesn't like it and I think in the end his comments will make him look like the braggart athlete that he detests -- it makes him look like a real jackass. If he can do it, he should shut up and let his feet do the talking. He needs to call the Chicago marathon race organizers and STEP IT UP and quit yapping!