Lance's win in this year's TdF is amazing. But not because he won THIS race, but because his present course is a continuation of the journey he began when he was diagnosed with cancer. After reading Lance's book, and following the cycling scene for the last few years, I firmly believe that Lance will not be defeated in any race he sets his mind to win. To me, his victory this year was never really in question. I think Lance possesses something intangible -- call it the will to win, that never give up attitude, whatever -- that the rest of peloton lacks. And it is directly related to his battle with cancer. He went to the brink of death -- he stared death in the face and refused to give up. That battle, that struggle, imparted in him this intangible drive for victory that few professional athletes have. After what he endured as a cancer patient, I simply do not believe that riding a bike up a mountain or racing against the clock is as difficult to him as it is to the other racers. And when he does find himself in trouble, as he did at times this year, he knows how to regroup and right the ship.
I saw no reason to believe that Ullrich, Vino or any other competitor would overtake him this year. Ullrich has never beaten Lance in a race, and though he took a big chunk of time out of Lance in the first ITT, I figured Lance would recover and come back. And he did. When the outcome of the race hung in the balance, when he had to make a charge to ensure his victory, he did that very thing. Even in spite of The Crash. He was thrown to the pavement, yet he picked himself up and came back stronger than ever. What a fitting metaphor for not only this race but his life in general.
The other competitors had him on the ropes, and he came out swinging. He was supposed to be vulnerable, he wasn't the same Lance this year that he was in years past. Indeed he struggled, but in the process, he won this year's race with the fastest average speed (over 25 mph) than he posted over any of his other victories. That in and of itself speaks volumes. Maybe Lance wasn't 100% on form, but maybe the others were. A less than perfect Lance Armstrong bested a world class field with his fastest speed of any TdF, yet won by the smallest margin. That says more about his competition than it does his alleged lack of conditioning.
It's not that I don't like Ullrich (after this race, I have become a huge Jan Ullrich fan) or Beloki or Hamilton or any of the other top riders in the world. It's just that Lance has something that they don't, and I do not not see any of them beating him in a three week stage race. Lance has said that he will be back next year, and he won't be looking for second place. Barring a crash, I think that he will win #6. I don't think he can lose. He won't tolerate it. And I will root for him all the way.
I have lost one family member to cancer, and another relative died with the disease, not from it. I have seen what cancer can do to the body and to a family. Many of you have seen it as well; others of you have battled the disease and won. Cancer is terrible. The toll it takes on our population is incredible. My hat's off to anyone who has faced that specter and come out victorious. Lance is one of those who has. For that, I will always root for him. And I think he will win for as long as he wants to.
RP
I saw no reason to believe that Ullrich, Vino or any other competitor would overtake him this year. Ullrich has never beaten Lance in a race, and though he took a big chunk of time out of Lance in the first ITT, I figured Lance would recover and come back. And he did. When the outcome of the race hung in the balance, when he had to make a charge to ensure his victory, he did that very thing. Even in spite of The Crash. He was thrown to the pavement, yet he picked himself up and came back stronger than ever. What a fitting metaphor for not only this race but his life in general.
The other competitors had him on the ropes, and he came out swinging. He was supposed to be vulnerable, he wasn't the same Lance this year that he was in years past. Indeed he struggled, but in the process, he won this year's race with the fastest average speed (over 25 mph) than he posted over any of his other victories. That in and of itself speaks volumes. Maybe Lance wasn't 100% on form, but maybe the others were. A less than perfect Lance Armstrong bested a world class field with his fastest speed of any TdF, yet won by the smallest margin. That says more about his competition than it does his alleged lack of conditioning.
It's not that I don't like Ullrich (after this race, I have become a huge Jan Ullrich fan) or Beloki or Hamilton or any of the other top riders in the world. It's just that Lance has something that they don't, and I do not not see any of them beating him in a three week stage race. Lance has said that he will be back next year, and he won't be looking for second place. Barring a crash, I think that he will win #6. I don't think he can lose. He won't tolerate it. And I will root for him all the way.
I have lost one family member to cancer, and another relative died with the disease, not from it. I have seen what cancer can do to the body and to a family. Many of you have seen it as well; others of you have battled the disease and won. Cancer is terrible. The toll it takes on our population is incredible. My hat's off to anyone who has faced that specter and come out victorious. Lance is one of those who has. For that, I will always root for him. And I think he will win for as long as he wants to.
RP