i fail to see where there is any trace of jealousy in Miguel Indurain's comments.
he is only saying that Jan can beat Lance...
nothing more. Can Jan beat Lance? sure he can. Lance can have a bad day. a crash. he can be sick.
Lance knows it too.
Lance is probably 90% sure winner of this year's tour, but he can lose it too.

Based on that quote alone I can't see why you're saying that Indurain is trying to "downplay Lance"...

In fact, Lance is the first one to say that Jan is the only rider out there that can beat him!

Also you're being very unfair to Indurain, a true champion which was always modest about himself and never known for shooting his mouth. The same goes for Jan.



Paulo

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"Yeah, no one likes a smartass, but we all like stars" - Thom Yorke


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com

[reply]"Jan Ullrich can beat Lance Armstrong, I'm sure of it," said Indurain in an interview with [i]Welt Am Sonntag.[/i] "Both of them are complete riders. Armstrong has a few weak points in the time trials while Ullrich has to improve his climbing."

Armstrong lost a time trial last year, and Ullrich got dropped in the mountains by Armstrong last time they competed. Rather than disrespecting Lance, Big Mig seems to be stating the obvious. I'm not a big Indurain fan but he has always been a class act and respectful towards other riders. See also the interview with Carlos Sastre in VN #12.

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Gerard Vroomen
3T.bike
OPEN cycle

Indurain is a big Armstrong backer, and a personal friend of Lance's by all accounts. His full remarks are more along the lines of, "Jan can beat Lance -- but never will because he lacks the commitment."

Put his comments into context. Indurain is now a TV commentator for Spanish television so his job is to hype the Tour. No one is going to say Lance is unbeatable, or that he needs a bad day or crash to be vulnerable. As much as I love watching Lance trash the field after the first climbing day, it does hurt the ratings when the tour is decided about a third of the way through. Big Mig is just doing his job.

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Jim Manton / ERO Sports

Weak points in the time trial???? What is he smoking? Lance has won all but ONE time trial in the tour in the last FOUR YEARS. Jan has a big goose egg. If he is "weak", who the hell is "strong". Eh, Miguel???

I wouldn't play to much into his statements. Afterall, think of his job and his audience right now. I'm sure his audience would just love to hear him spewing tales of wonder and amazement about Lance, Lance, Lance . . . .

However, I'm pretty sure Big Mig does come over and do Lance's ride in Tx (ride for the roses or something like that).

Yes Mig and Lance are friends. Mig has even stayed in Austin with Lance. There was even photos of the week before Ride for the Roses where Lance, Mig and Robin Williams were out to dinner together. I see no disrespect in his comments at all.

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What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?

I can't believe Indurain. According to another interview I read, Mig claims that Lance could also lose if a team of giant robots were allowed to compete this year. What a jerk!

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No sidewindin bushwackin, hornswaglin, cracker croaker is gonna rouin me bishen cutter!