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"Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..."
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Armstrong and Landis were arranging Landis' attempt to win the stage this morning, at the top of the last climb.

At the top of the final climb, Armstrong reached an arm over to Landis and gave him the green light to try for what would have been his first individual victory. The finish was 8 miles away, at the end of a long, speedy descent to Le Grand-Bornand in the French Alps.

"I said, 'How bad do you want to win a stage in the Tour de France?' He said, 'Real bad,'" Armstrong recounted later. "I said, 'How fast can you go downhill?' and he said, 'I go downhill real fast.' He said, 'Can I do it?' And I said, 'Sure you can do it.' Then I told him, 'Run like you stole something, Floyd.'"

Landis zoomed away but was quickly caught by German Jan Ullrich, Armstrong's big rival. Armstrong laid chase, followed by Basso and Kloden. Together, Ullrich, Basso and Kloden had been the only riders able to stay with the two Americans on the last climb up the Col de la Croix Fry.

Hurtling toward the finish, the five riders eyed each other and jostled for position. Armstrong, distinctive in his overall leader's yellow jersey, put his sunglasses back on and took a couple of sips from his drink bottle.

Just after they passed under a blue inflatable arch marking a half-mile to go, Kloden made his move, spurting suddenly ahead to build a slight lead through the final corners. The win seemed his.

But then, when it was almost too late, Armstrong hit the highest of his many gears. With a final glance over his shoulder and within sight of the line, he rocketed off in pursuit and found just enough speed to edge Kloden for the win.

Armstrong dedicated his win to Landis, who single-handedly led his boss up the grinding final section of the last climb. His pace was so punishing that none but Basso, Kloden and Ullrich - No. 2, 3 and 4 in the overall standings behind Armstrong - could follow.

"He was the man of the day," Armstrong said of Landis. "In the Tour de France, to go to the front of the climb and ride tempo and end up with five guys is very hard to do."

"I really wanted him to win the stage," he added. "But it didn't work out that way."

When they hugged at the finish, still perched on their bikes, Landis told Armstrong: "I couldn't go any more."
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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I was keeping track of the live coverage on cyclingnews.com during this. I was really hoping that Landis would get the win.
It would have been fantastic to see him get a win after tirelessly pulling Lance all over France over the past few weeks.
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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booth, you might want to add "spoiler" to the topic title

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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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http://ww2.olntv.com/tdf04/



"your horse is too high" - tigerchik
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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All the talk about Lance being a jerk for taking the stage should be put to rest right here.

Landis took off to go for the win, and after doing all the work on the climbs he should have been allowed to go, but Ullrich and Kloden went after him. What the hell did lance owe Kloden after he took the win away from Landis?

Not a goddamn thing.

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [MattinSF] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
Landis took off to go for the win, and after doing all the work on the climbs he should have been allowed to go, but Ullrich and Kloden went after him. What the hell did lance owe Kloden after he took the win away from Landis?


There you go. That is why Lance took the victory away from Kloden. Lance is not a poor sport -- he is a loyal teammate. When the T-Mobile guys couldn't bear to let Floyd go, their fate was sealed.

Good for Lance.
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [Ashburn] [ In reply to ]
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to German fans - See what happens when you "mess with Texas"
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [MattinSF] [ In reply to ]
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More of a prick for taking it. Not a jerk...he didn't need it.

Living up to his reputation I guess.
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [Brian286] [ In reply to ]
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This is part of why Americans don't generally like cycling as a sport. Let the other guy, on the other team, who slowed down instead of charging through the line get the easy win? I don't understand why Kloeden deserved to win more than Lance did. If he had gotten to the line faster, then he would have deserved the win. He didn't, and he lost. You could just as easily say that those two riders in stage 9 deserved the win and the peleton should have slowed down to let them have it.

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [slowguy] [ In reply to ]
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It was a petty move...period.
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [boothrand] [ In reply to ]
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Here's what Jan had to say on the matter.



http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5480047/

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Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [TriMaster-P] [ In reply to ]
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The guy's a class act.

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


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [smartasscoach] [ In reply to ]
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Very much so...Armstrong could use a lesson in it...
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [Brian286] [ In reply to ]
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A classy, under trained, over weight, out-smarted LOSER!

"Rip their balls off Lance"
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [Brian286] [ In reply to ]
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why wasn't it petty that kloden and ullrich finally started to chase hard after floyd went? he was no danger to either of their positions and they still could have shut out basso for any time bonuses by finishing 2nd and 3rd. why couldn't they let him have his moment, especially after he pulled so hard up the final climb? i think it annoyed armstrong that they did that and he sent a message. i don't see what the big deal is. you might not like lance, but i think he was showing respect for his teammate by, essentially, sticking up for him with taking the stage...




f/k/a mclamb6
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [mclamb6] [ In reply to ]
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finally a opposing reasoned opinion that I respect. I don't agree with it but I respect it...
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [Brian286] [ In reply to ]
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And one that doesn't mention a baseball example, LOL...

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


smartasscoach.tri-oeiras.com
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Re: "Run Like You Stole Something, Floyd..." [Brian286] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
finally a opposing reasoned opinion that I respect. I don't agree with it but I respect it...


Brian, that's the same argument that's been made all day.

"I've said this on another thread already.

Landis did all the work on the climbs pulling them all up the hills. At the top of the last descent Lance cut him loose to go for his first ever stage win which was a nice gesture from the team captian.

Ullrich wouldn't let him go however and reeled him back in bringing Kloden and Lance back to the front.

If Ullrich wouldn't let Lance's team mate have a stage win, why should Lance sit back and give one to Ullrich's?

Ullrich was the spoiler on the stage today. the win should have gone to Floyd Landis, when he was denied, Lance did the next best thing, he took it for Postal and will probably give Landis the check. "





"Landis took off to go for the win, and after doing all the work on the climbs he should have been allowed to go, but Ullrich and Kloden went after him. What the hell did lance owe Kloden after he took the win away from Landis? "


Man, I read this stage totally different. I think Lance went after Kloden because he was pissed they didn't allow Landis to go up the road and take the stage after pulling everyone up that climb. He deserved the stage win, and there was really no reason to chase him down after all the hard work he put in destroying the rest of the field (I know time bonuses, blah, blah, blah). The was one heck of an effort by Floyd.

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