Well, look at who was with him today. One Ivan Basso, who had not really been considered as a current contender, but maybe as a future contender. Well, maybe time has passed faster than people thought. Maybe the “annointed contenders” such as Ullrich, Hamilton, and Heras just don’t have it anymore. Maybe the next generation is arriving today. Tomorrow will be the real telling day. If Basso can not only keep up with Armstrong but actually drop him, then he’s got a shot. On the other hand, maybe he emptied the tank today, in which case it may well be Armstrong’s game again this year.
As far as your “I can’t stand the guy” crack, well, Bernie Hinault was known as a bit of a dickhead himself. It doesn’t take away from the man’s accomplishments.
It’s got nothing to do with his personal disposition. You see, I used to watch the Tour on ESPN every day when Indurain was winning. I became a big fan and don’t want anyone surpassing his accomplishments. Armstrong already tied Indurain’s consecutive win streak and now he’s going to beat it. I actually cried a little when Indurain cracked and Riis took the Tour. That’s the only reason I can’t stand Armstrong. So many years I had faith in Ullrich to beat him, and every year he breaks my heart. So I don’t care if its Basso or Mancebo or even Virenque, just let someone beat Armstrong.
I’m not sure why, exactly, you can’t stand Lance Armstrong just because he’s poised to break Indurain’s record. All records fall. I’m sure (if Armstrong wins this year) that some hotshot will be along presently to win the Tour 7 times in a row. Even if Lance loses this year, that hotshot will still be along eventually to win 6 in a row.
Granted, I’m a n00b to this whole thing, but I see a lot to admire about Lance Armstrong and Team Postal. They operate like a machine, for one thing. Their control is mind-blowing. They also strike me as ice-men - cool and calculating, and extremely smart from a strategic point of view. This may not qualify him as having “panache” in some folks’ books, but he’s an extraordinarily cagey and intelligent competitor. He seems to know when to be quiet and when to ride for all he’s worth…and from what I’ve read, he also seems to know how to make his competitors think he’s in more pain and weaker than he is.
I doubt if he’ll ever be as “great” as Merckx (since he doesn’t race the Giro D’Italia and the Tour of Spain as well,) but if he wins this year, he’ll have earned it.
Why does Jan Ullrich look different to me this year? He looks like someone has been beating him with the ugly bratwurst.
I’m sorry Tyler Hamilton had to bow out. I heard his back was one big bruise and the team doc told him to quit. Poor guy!
I see on Velonews that Lance and Masso were somewhat in peril when they rode through today’s mass of crazed Basques. Halfway down this article is a photo of one of the spectators standing right in front of them, screaming at them and flipping them off with both hands. I suppose he and his buds were pissed that one of their own was not leading today.
Voeckler is one gutsy guy to hang onto the yellow jersey today. His face was a picture of pain as he pedaled into the home stretch, but he hung on - by 22 seconds. I wonder if he’ll keep it one more day?
It was like watching them ride into a wall which was breaking up just a few feet in front of them. People for them, people against them. People slapping them on the back. If any of those fans tripped both the two would have had no chance but to ride right over them. Scary!
Actually, it was a piece of cake if you compare it to some of the classic mountain stage finishes like Alpe d’Huez. The “Alpe” is usually wall-to-wall people for every one of the 21 switchbacks. Of course, a lot of the spectators on the “Alpe” are Dutch (for some reason the Dutch had a great streak going in winning the mountain stages up to Alpe D’Huez in the '70s and '80s), so everyone is dressed in Orange (like the Basques on Saturday) and veeeeeerrrrrrryyyyyy drunk. Makes for quite a spectacle to say the least.
I’m really curious how they have organized the time trial up to Alpe D’Huez on Wednesday. The crowds should be huge, and I don’t think they can wall up the entire road all the way up. It will be interesting to see if anyone is “hindered” during the time trial.
There are some interesting stories about riders crashing into overly enthousiastic spectators (see Guerini in 1999 on his way to winning “L’Alpe”) or even getting decked by “fans” of other riders (in the early days of the Tour).
Dutch people, drunk?? Sir, I highly resent that slanderous gibberish of yours. The fine orange-clad gentlemen on the Alpe are merely extatic with joy of seeing their fellow countrymen finally ride something a little taller than the Vaalserberg! Also, the thin air in the Alpes might be playing its part in rendering the poor Lowlanders a tad, shall we say, instable - they’re not used to such dazzling heights. Why, some of them even smoke oxygen supplements to compensate, in the form of rather large looking cigarettes with a very distinct spicy aroma. Alcohol? Not for the true Calvinist. Shame on you, mr. Holmes!
I’ve been thinking the same ever since they announced it. A time trial, at Huez? Are the mad?? There’s no way to get a fair comparison up that overcrowded magnified ant hill, unless you shoot anyone who sets foot on the tarmac on sight. Which requires a hell of a lot of snipers, and a better PR machine than even Jean-Marie has.
It ought to be interesting, to say the least!
Speaking of decking… I remember a rider actually punching a too obsessive supporter in the face whilst riding up the Alpe d’Huez. Must have been the early 90’s… for some reason, my mind wanders between Claudio Chiapucci and Gianni Bugno. Anyone remember that incident?
Tour de France newbie here - all I know is that Armstrong has won 5 years in a row, and Jan Ullrich has won once and come second too many times. I’m wondering if Jan Ullrich is going to make 2nd place this year too? He seems pretty far behind the top 5 teams… does he always fall so far back and claw his way up towards the end?
Hmmmm, I don’t remember that. I did however just read that when Merckx finished second in 1975 he was actually punched in the gut by a French fan during one of the major climbs. I guess he was angry about a Belgian winning all those Tours.
After losing time to Armstrong twice Ullrich was saying something to the effect that since his teammate Andreas Klöden was closer to Armstrong by about 4 minutes that Klöden was the new captain of the team and that he’d have to try helping him to win. Although he may have just been really pissed off at himself at the moment. It was in one of those catch them right after the finish line interviews.
It wouldn’t surprise me if he actually did this. When Ullrich won his Tour De France, it was in a similiar situation. Bjarne Riis was supposed to be the number one in their team, but Ullrich was stronger, so Riis decided to help (although reluctantly) his teammate Ulrich. The same thing happened with Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond also.
Apparantly he’s said that on the T-Mobile website. It’s all in German and babelfish isn’t being particularly helpful. Yes I can’t seem to find the specific lines in the routs diary of “January Ullrich.”
Actually neither Armstrong nor Indurain nor anyone else can compare to Eddy Merckx. Merckx is by far the greatest cyclist ever. Not only did he win five Tours, but he also won:
Giro d’Italia (five times)
Vuelta a España (once)
Tour of Switzerland (once)
Milan - San Remo (seven times!!!)
Paris - Roubaix (three times)
Flèche Wallone (three times)
Ghent - Wevelgem (three times)
Liège - Bastogne - Liège (five times)
and he held the hour record. He is also the only person ever to win the Tour, and in the same year finish as the best sprinter (green jersey) and the best climber (polka dot jersey) in the Tour. “Le Cannibale” still holds the record for the most stage wins in the Tour (34) and I doubt that record will ever be broken, because today’s Tour winners ride tactically and don’t go for stage wins anymore.
Armstorng and Indurain don’t even come close to Eddy Merckx.
To a certain extent I can understand JJ’s case. It’s like being a Dallas Cowboys fan last year and seeing a division rival in the superbowl (Philadelphia) and rooting for the other team. OK, so the analogy doesn’t work so well since Philadelphia lost (ha ha), but you get my point I hope.
Mainly I want to thank you, Mycroft Holmes, for a sense of perspective. Even if Lance wins this year, and it looks like he will (woo hoo!), that only makes him the “winningest” Tour racer ever. That more intagible label of “best” … well, we can argue about that until the cows come home. Certainly I would agree with you that Merckx was the best ever. Although there was that Italian (dang it I’ve forgotten his name) who won the Tour just before the onset of WWII and then won it again more than a decade (!) later after the war (which he, like, fought in and all). I’ve always wondered just what the fellow may have accomplished in between if there had been no war.
Dammit, Mycroft, stop being so feckin’ sensible, will you? I’ve been consistently agreeing with you for over a month in that Euro 2004 thread, and now you’re completely stealing my thoughts in this one too.
There has to be something we disagree on? You’re a German, for crying out loud. Surely we can find some uncommon ground here?
Eddy Merckx, indeed - the greatest ever. Bar. None.
