Tmobile just yanked the Zabel for 2nd place program and all team efforts will go to Jan. Not chasing breaks and trying to set someone to win the sprint into every city will give Jan a few more ponys when lance pulls the pin. This is good news as I don’t care who wins, I just like a good race.
now, if Vino can stay on his bike until the race…
btw in pro cycling there was a comment from Bernard Hinault re. Ullrich…
He said, it’s amazing that these guys didn’t take it. They must win they are stronger (than LA). But they must learn how to race…When I see Kloden and Ullrich together, it seems like Lemond and I were not so bad at getting along…
LOL…that summarizes it I guess!
when I read that “ullrich’s chances just got better”, I thought armstrong had pulled out. and so had vino, popov, basso, salvo, azevedo,…, botero, landis,…
Ullrich will beat Lance…no doubt.
Ullrich will beat Lance…no doubt.
Just like he has on the last 6 opportunities he has had…
Lance got lucky in some cases, was better prepared, had a better team pulling him around and had better “doctoring”…he can’t hide behind that for much longer.
he didn’t get 6 chances, but 4. (ok splitting hair, but just to be precise…)
<< was better prepared, had a better team pulling him around and had better “doctoring”…he can’t hide behind that for much longer. >>
Uh, yeah.
Now, he can only count on being better prepared (as always), and having a better team.
I’m sure he was real lucky when he had to go cyclocrossing down that corner, or when he got dragged down by a spectator. He’s all about luck.
And, correct me if I’m wrong, but Lance has never failed a drug test, ever. Whereas Jan…
Luck played a big part in the very instances you cite. In addition he’s never failed a drug test…correct…however, don’t let that lead you to think that he’s drug free.
Lance got lucky in some cases, was better prepared, had a better team pulling him around and had better “doctoring”…he can’t hide behind that for much longer.
C’mon dude! you get lucky once but (like Francois pointed out) four times!!!
and as we all know, never failing a test surely means the athlete is clean
.
<< and as we all know, never failing a test surely means the athlete is clean >>
I never said that. BUT - Jan HAS failed drug tests, Lance hasn’t.
So - therefore, we all assume that Lance is on drugs, but Jan isn’t. That makes sense.
Don’t be so short sighted. Jan failed a drug test on a recreational drug…not performance enhancing.
Jan has failed a drug test to ecstasy I believe…something not likely to make you faster in a bike race (you gotta admit that…)
Lance did fail a test in 1996 before cancer. he tested positive to beta chorionic gonadotrophin
I commented on this on another similar thread recently, that this has possibly always been a problem/challenge for T-Mobile. Are they riding for GC or setting up Zabel for a stage win? I suspect that at some level it’s good to have several Irons in the fire in the Grand Tours, but if you look at Postal/Discovery, it’s ALL about GC. The stage wins do come, but they are part of the strategy for the overall GC.
It has always amazed me through these long Tour streaks - in the past with Indurain and currently with Armstrong, that another team or possibly several teams working together can’t create some action during the race and go after the yellow jersey. I mean it’s not like people don’t know the strategy - it’s fairly straight forward. Kudos to Banesto and more recently Postal/Discovery, because they really have-done/do an amazing job. There are a great number of variables, many beyond the reach of the team/rider that owns the malliot jaune.
Fleck
zzzZZZZZZzzzzz…
OK - I’m totally mistaken.
Thanks for setting me straight. Lance is a lucky doper, and Jan RULES ;-p
Lance got lucky in some cases, was better prepared, had a better team pulling him around and had better “doctoring”…he can’t hide behind that for much longer.
He doesn’t have to hide behind it much longer. Just until July 25th.
“Jan has failed a drug test to ecstasy I believe…something not likely to make you faster in a bike race”
Yeah but it sure makes the ride more enjoyable.
Ullrich won’t even make the podium. I guess you are playing the odds. If you continue to predict Lance’s demise for 6 or 7 years you are hoping to be correct at least once. I think you have an excellent chance of being correct next year 
yeah, until you realize that
- you are not on the course
- there is noone around you
reminds me that one year, Bernard Thevenet crashed (supposedly) and when he got back on teh bike he was so out there (likely with drugs as he tested positive also a few times) that he actually went back in the race…against the ‘traffic’…going downhill when all the guys were climbing!