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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 21, 2004 19:26:21 GMT -5
I don't know much about cycling. Saw my first race in Montreal, 1976 on Mt. Royal during the Olympics. Those guys are fast and in shape.
I get the feeling that Lance Armstrong is toying with the other 150 riders, waiting, formulating strategy, blowing them out of the water. I really don't know if he took banned substances, but it wasn't a drink of juice that enabled him to dominate ALL the other riders; like Tiger Woods did before he met his Delilah Swedish model or Bobby Orr pre knee surgery. This guy is great, steroids or not. He has 50 million people watching everything he eats, drinks or pisses.
From what I've gathered, the Tour de France is a bicycle race in a European country that is so small, they have to extend the race into neighboring Belgium and Spain to keep the riders from crashing when they get up a full head of steam. The riders trade their skin tight lycra shirts with eachother, wearing yellow or pink or polka dots and shorts that let you see the year the coins in your pocket were minted. No matter where they finished the day before they all start off together the next day. They add incomprenhisible bonus points for stages and hills and sprints and something called trials and then they subtract seconds. Fifty riders magically cross the line at exactly the same time. After three weeks they all ride into Paris having pedalled for 80 hours and the winner wins by ten minutes. Everyone is excited when one rider breaks wind in front of the others.
As tough as these guys are, I haven't seen them drop the gloves and have a bench clearing brawl of 120 pounders. Corey Locke would be a giant in this company. He makes Armstrong look like Karen Carpenter. I think I'll stick to hockey instead of camping out for three days to see 150 men whiz by in three seconds.
Winning six years in a row is considered a big thing, but there are a lot of guys who have won five years in a row.
-Just an arrogant North American who doesn't get it-
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Post by Rimmer on Jul 22, 2004 2:12:13 GMT -5
Winning six years in a row is considered a big thing, but there are a lot of guys who have won five years in a row. -Just an arrogant North American who doesn't get it- actually, it was done only once in the history of the race. it was Miguel Indurain from Spain who did it in the early 90s, I believe. R. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 22, 2004 11:19:24 GMT -5
Lance Armstrong is doing what he's done in the past to win, HFLA. He stays relatively close, say within a few minutes of the leaders, until they hit the Alps. It's at this point he starts to leave the pack behind and gets pretty much untouchable.
Lance is noted for being extremely strong on the Alps and if you were watching it yesterday he proved it once again. I didn't think he could have overtaken Jan Ullrich as easily as he did. Yesterday was a 204.5-kilometer (127-mile) time trail with quite a lot of that race being uphill. What makes it even more spetacular is the times these guys come in with. Lance finished first in a time of 6 hours, 11 minutes and 52 seconds.
As far as popularity goes, Europeans know their cyclists, their track and field athletes, and, believe it or not, their chefs, as well as we know our hockey players. Just ask any track athlete that has competed over there and listen to how they describe it. Sold out stadiums, appreciative crowds and extensive media coverage.
And, as far as crowds go, did you notice how close the fans were to the cyclists yesterday? The Gendarm only restrained the very few who looked as if they were goig to interfere with the riders. But, for the most part they are permitted to get extremely close to their riders.
Cheers.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 22, 2004 19:36:08 GMT -5
actually, it was done only once in the history of the race. it was Miguel Indurain from Spain who did it in the early 90s, I believe. R. You are correct. I meant to say that several have won it five times (not necessarily in a row). I am amazed that a man can dominate 150 others over 20 days with all the risks and possible pitfals over the dangerous curves, lack of crowd control, fatigue, distance and duration and do it year after year. I've yet to see Tiger Woods win the British open defeating the best 150 golfers in the world five years in a row. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 5, 2005 4:06:30 GMT -5
Lance is like Mohammud Ali, the early years.
He toys with all comers and wears them down with superiority.
Sidney Crosby and everybody else.
Who said all men are created equal?
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Post by mic on Jul 5, 2005 7:28:14 GMT -5
Actually, and without taking anything from Armstrong, he isn't dominating 150 riders. There are like what, 10 teams ? 15 teams ? That would make something like 10 to 20 real rivals (one or two leaders pro team). And among them, Armstrong has to control 5 who could really be dangerous for him. And that is his teams job. He consistently had teams organised around him who were able to control the race, even in the mountains. But anyway, Armstrong will definitly be remembered as one of the great Tour de France legend.
As for the cyclism in general : Disgruntled70sHabs is right when he says that this sport has a good coverage. The Giro of Italy, the Vuelta of Spain and the Tour de France have strong roots, as they exist for more or less hundred years. But the absence of a major european rider since Miguel Indurain and doping scandals have really hurt the sport and today I won't consider it as a major sport in Europe. Despite the huge amount of people along the road.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 5, 2005 14:58:47 GMT -5
Actually, and without taking anything from Armstrong, he isn't dominating 150 riders. There are like what, 10 teams ? 15 teams ? That would make something like 10 to 20 real rivals (one or two leaders pro team). And among them, Armstrong has to control 5 who could really be dangerous for him. And that is his teams job. He consistently had teams organised around him who were able to control the race, even in the mountains. But anyway, Armstrong will definitly be remembered as one of the great Tour de France legend. As for the cyclism in general : Disgruntled70sHabs is right when he says that this sport has a good coverage. The Giro of Italy, the Vuelta of Spain and the Tour de France have strong roots, as they exist for more or less hundred years. But the absence of a major european rider since Miguel Indurain and doping scandals have really hurt the sport and today I won't consider it as a major sport in Europe. Despite the huge amount of people along the road. Somewhat true, but that's like saying Ali wasn't the best boxer in the world because he only fought 25 contenders. Tiger Woods defeats over 150 golfers to win, including those who didn't make the cut, and those who didn't earn berths in the tournament or declined to compete that week. Hypothetically they all have a chance to win if there is a crash, an overeager fan, a stone on the road, a slick of oil. I do remember the team leaders faltering and the #2 or #3 on a given team taking their place as team leader. In any case, Lance is a marvel no matter how many urine tests they subject him to. (Take that Barry Bonds) |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 25, 2005 14:34:28 GMT -5
Lance wins.
Lance retires.
3 Americans in top 10.
France top two 11th and 28th.
Discovery Team seeking new leader, (French riders need not apply)
We can say our favorite teams are the Hab's and whoever is playing the Leafs.
Posters can criticize the US and it's leaders, but don't mess with the French, they're sensitive.
Nothing serious, just joking.
This kind of opportunity doesn't come around every year, just 10 times in the last 15 years.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jul 25, 2005 20:04:24 GMT -5
AND! Italy surrenders ... er ... just in case.
Excellent way to go out. Do you think he's a tad tired now? Possibly the best athlete on the planet right now.
Cheers.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 26, 2005 11:44:03 GMT -5
AND! Italy surrenders ... er ... just in case. Excellent way to go out. Do you think he's a tad tired now? Possibly the best athlete on the planet right now. Cheers. At least, now Lance doesn't have to ride 180 hard miles on his bike and still have to keep up with Sheryl Crowe all night. That would tire anybody. |
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