So true. Today was great to watch and Lance looked really strong but everyone's performance (even Lance's) left a lot of questions. I don't think anyone could have stayed with Lance and Basso today no matter how bad they wanted it but I guarantee that tomorrow's stage was on everybody's mind today. Some people dug really deep today and some saved something for tomorrow. I don't know who did and who didn't but tomorrow we'll find out.

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Anyone who tells you they're as fast now as they were when they were 18...
sure wasn't very fast when they were 18.

Everybody suffered today and suffered a lot! That said, anyone that watches the race today and doesn't think Lance is the man on the bike is out in left field. Say what you will about his life off the bike, he's a doper, whatever, but the power and acceleration he has when he wants to show it is second to NONE period!!!

Actually, that is one of the questions I still have. He was not second to none today, he was second to Basso. I don't see Basso as an overall threat because he can't TT (also, though FB is a strong team, I think they are down to 6 guys) but I'm sure Lance would have liked an extra 8 seconds of time bonus and he probably would have liked to win the stage. I hope and kind of think that Lance thought "Basso has never won a stage before and will fight like hell if I try to take it. I'd rather save my energy and be happy with putting time into my big rivals today and wait for tomorrow." If that's what happened, he is the Lance of '01 and '02 and the others can pack up the gear and call it a year. If he wanted the stage, dug deep to get it but couldn't take it from Basso, he is still damn strong but he is mortal and he may have fried himself for tomorrw. We won't know for sure for a week but we'll find out more tomorrow.

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Anyone who tells you they're as fast now as they were when they were 18...
sure wasn't very fast when they were 18.

"I hope and kind of think that Lance thought "Basso has never won a stage before and will fight like hell if I try to take it. I'd rather save my energy and be happy with putting time into my big rivals today and wait for tomorrow." If that's what happened, he is the Lance of '01 and '02 and the others can pack up the gear and call it a year. If he wanted the stage, dug deep to get it but couldn't take it from Basso, he is still damn strong but he is mortal and he may have fried himself for tomorrw."

I agree with you. However, after watching him (granted he never shows the hurt) he looked strong. I think that he did let Basso have the stage for exactly the reason you stated above. He would have really had to give it that little extra that he wasn't prepared to do on the first real day of racing. I didn't see any of the top riders looking like they didn't pay the price though so I tend to feel this is Lance of old.

As for Armstrong, who won here in 2002, the 32-year-old American said he had allowed Basso to win the stage because he is trying to help the Italian's mother in her fight against cancer.

"He's a hell of a good guy," Armstrong said. "We've been friends for a long time, and off the bike we're trying to work a little bit on his mom's situation, to try and see if she can win the fight against cancer. "


What a guy, I just hope it doesn't come back to bite him in the ass.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Last year he really would have fought for the time bonus. This year he seems much more confident in his form. He didn't look like he was hurting (relatively speaking :) ) today, while the rest of the GC contenders didn't look like they were having much fun. I also thought he looked like the '01 or '02 Lance again. Waaaahooooo! Go Lance!!!

Chris

I think Lance is a great rider and, notwithstanding what a lot of people have said here, I think he's a class act too. That said, making these kind of comments to the press bothers me. If you're going to give someone a stage, great do it but the gift loses a lot of its meaning if you tell people it was a gift. I loathe Pantani and believe his fall from grace and ultimate death were actually better than he deserved but I understand why he was pissed about the Ventoux thing. I could see Basso being a little pissed about this too.

If you want to let the peloton know what's up, fine. Tell Basso and if he really is such a good guy, he will spread it around and everyone in the bunch will know before tomorrow's start that the boss is still the boss and still the one who giveth and who taketh away. Taking it to the press is lame.

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Anyone who tells you they're as fast now as they were when they were 18...
sure wasn't very fast when they were 18.

Did LA actually say "I let him win" ???

I can't find any article quoting him as saying that. The only thing I've seen is the article in this thread where the author says that Armstrong said he "allowed" Basso to have the victory. Where's the actual quote, or is this just the author's interpretation?

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Steve Perkins

Seven huge climbs, all categorized. Unbelievable. An epic. Today and tommorow will be historic days in the Tour de France, regardless of the outcome.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

"I can't find any article quoting him as saying that. The only thing I've seen is the article in this thread where the author says that Armstrong said he "allowed" Basso to have the victory. Where's the actual quote, or is this just the author's interpretation?"

French press is like the Liberal press of American. They both suck! Factual news is a thing of the past. Statements made up or miss construed sell papers and on air ratings. These people have no morals. Lance wouldn't make that statement. He too much of a stand up guy. Especially on hills.

Smitty

"Where's the actual quote, or is this just the author's interpretation?"

From the velonews.com stage report:

"It's pretty special for me to have been out there with him, and the past week we haven't spoken about the race, we've spoken about his mom. It was a pleasure for me to let him (Basso) win, and he deserved to win. He was super strong."

I agree with the poster above- announcing the stage win as a gift takes away much of the luster. You would have thought he learned this lesson with the Pantani episode.

Ken

Not much to argue there... Not a real classy thing to say.

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Steve Perkins

because the conservative american press does not suck? they only tell the truth and have the highest moral standards? like O'Reilly....
now that is funny!

Hmmm. Looking around the threads some more, I checked out the link to the Yahoo sport page, where Lance is quoted thusly:

"Ivan deserved to win the stage. He's a hell of a good guy and was super strong on the final climb," said Armstrong.

"He and I have been friends for a long time. Now off the bike we're working on his mum's situation to see if she can win the fight against cancer.

"It was special for me to be out there with him. In the last week we haven't talked about the race but talked about his mum. It was a pleasure for me that I didn't win."

So maybe there is a translation issue here. I sure hope so.

Ken

even more confusing - from another article on Yahoo (the 'Gauntlet' article from Reuters)

"Ivan was the strongest today. I didn't give it to him," said Armstrong, who won at La Mongie two years ago.

Guess we'll have to wait for the expanded coverage tonight to see the interview footage.

``It was a pleasure for me to let him win,'' Armstrong said. ``He was super strong.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/...rov=ap&type=lgns

I'm sure he's being misquoted somewhere....maybe he said all of the above.

This from USPS team page. Frankie Andreau's diary from today..............
http://www.uspsprocycling.com/.../2004tdf_fa_0716.htm
"Lance and Basso talked before the finish and it was agreed that Lance would let Basso win. Lance has said in the past that he wouldn’t give out gifts anymore. But Lance has won here before, so perhaps that changed his thoughts."

He let Basso win. they are friends, lance is helping his mom cope with cancer. check out velonews.com, full story there.

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