Le Tour

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-10-2010, 06:21 PM

Interesting that the world biggest annual sporting event is happening at the same time as the world biggest quadrennial sporting event.

Can Armstrong break the Tour record to become the oldest winner?

I don't think so. I'd love to see it happen but it won't. Alberto Contador is the most complete cyclist I've seen since Greg LeMond and he's 11 years younger than Armstrong. I think Contador may eclipse Armstrong by becoming the first rider to win all 3 grand tours in the same year. He probably would have done it in 2008 had his team not been kicked out of the tour for doping the year before.

**charver** · 07-10-2010, 06:46 PM

If only they could still do that drug injecting and blood swapping thing then Lance may still have had a chance.

Should be interesting tomorrow/today* though.

*time vortex shit and that, you know.

**USFREEDOM911** · 07-10-2010, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople

Interesting that the world biggest annual sporting event is happening at the same time as the world biggest quadrennial sporting event.

Can Armstrong break the Tour record to become the oldest winner?

I don't think so. I'd love to see it happen but it won't. Alberto Contador is the most complete cyclist I've seen since Greg LeMond and he's 11 years younger than Armstrong. I think Contador may eclipse Armstrong by becoming the first rider to win all 3 grand tours in the same year. He probably would have done it in 2008 had his team not been kicked out of the tour for doping the year before.

If Armstrong does pull this off; we can probably expect the French to riot and cause much disruption.
We'll probably have to send the Germans in, to get them all to surrender and stop their nonsense.

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-10-2010, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by charver

If only they could still do that drug injecting and blood swapping thing then Lance may still have had a chance.

Should be interesting tomorrow/today* though.

*time vortex shit and that, you know.

I hear ya. Armstrong's credibility on the doping issue is wearing thin. He's been involved with far to many people who have been busted for PED's. Then again, that's more a reflection on pro-cycling as a whole then on Armstrong. I try not to forget that even Merkx was busted for taking PED's.

Here in the US LeMond was getting beat up pretty bad by the press for having "sour grapes" about Armstrong's success. Looks like LeMond's been right all this time. Particularly after Landis finally admitted to doping.

It will be interesting to see how the WADA investigation will turn out. The same Federal investigator who busted BALCO is in charge of the investigation and Landis has made some very alarming accusation and considering what happened to Marion Jones he has all the incentive in the world to tell the truth. It will be interesting to see how this investigation works out.

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-10-2010, 10:02 PM

Originally Posted by USFREEDOM911

If Armstrong does pull this off; we can probably expect the French to riot and cause much disruption.
We'll probably have to send the Germans in, to get them all to surrender and stop their nonsense.

Ya know that used to be a very real concern about the Tour. Eddy Merkx probably would have won 7 tours but one year he was "disinvited" by the tour because of French sentiment against his domination of the event and another year he lost when on a mountain ascent a French fan jumped out onto the road and rabbit punched him in the kidney. Amazingly Merkx went on to win that stage but had to withdraw cause he was bleeding from his kidney due to the punch.

**USFREEDOM911** · 07-10-2010, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople

Ya know that used to be a very real concern about the Tour. Eddy Merkx probably would have won 7 tours but one year he was "disinvited" by the tour because of French sentiment against his domination of the event and another year he lost when on a mountain ascent a French fan jumped out onto the road and rabbit punched him in the kidney. Amazingly Merkx went on to win that stage but had to withdraw cause he was bleeding from his kidney due to the punch.

Leave it to the French, to literally "stab" someone in the back.

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-10-2010, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by USFREEDOM911

Leave it to the French, to literally "stab" someone in the back.

What I find interesting is the impact LeMond and Hinault had on the event. Kinda like what Bird and Magic had on the NBA. Prior to LeMond the Tour was a huge sporting event in Europe but didn't have a whole lot of publicity outside of Europe. LeMonds rivalry with Hinault was great drama and LeMonds winning the event popularised the event outside of Europe.

I think prior to LeMond the average pro racer made about $25,000 USD per year. LeMond became the first million dollar athelete in the Peloton and salaries for European racers went up considerably for some odd reason, LeMond was resented for this.

**USFREEDOM911** · 07-10-2010, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople

What I find interesting is the impact LeMond and Hinault had on the event. Kinda like what Bird and Magic had on the NBA. Prior to LeMond the Tour was a huge sporting event in Europe but didn't have a whole lot of publicity outside of Europe. LeMonds rivalry with Hinault was great drama and LeMonds winning the event popularised the event outside of Europe.

I think prior to LeMond the average pro racer made about $25,000 USD per year. LeMond became the first million dollar athelete in the Peloton and salaries for European racers went up considerably for some odd reason, LeMond was resented for this.

I don't follow bike races or who the participants are.
I just found it funny that an American won it 7 times, back to back.

The French just need to be brought down to earth, occasionally.

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-11-2010, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by USFREEDOM911

I don't follow bike races or who the participants are.
I just found it funny that an American won it 7 times, back to back.

The French just need to be brought down to earth, occasionally.

Why is that funny? The French are very egalitarian about sport. No Frenchman has won the tour since Hinault in 85 and Hinault was certainly a better cyclist then Armstrong.

**Minister of Truth** · 07-11-2010, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople

Why is that funny? The French are very egalitarian about sport. No Frenchman has won the tour since Hinault in 85 and Hinault was certainly a better cyclist then Armstrong.

About which sport? Certainly when it comes to football, I don't know if committing handballs and headbutting people counts as egalitarian...

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-11-2010, 10:35 AM

You should probably google the word "egalitarian" and then come back and say something relevant.

BTW, Isn't it a rather passe redneck thing to dislike the French just because they are French? Have ever even known any French?

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-11-2010, 10:38 AM

Armstrong's shot at winning another tour is over for this year. He clipped a pedal going past a round-a-bout and did a cartwheel onto the pavement at about 20 mph right before a Cat 1 climb. He finished over 10 minutes behind the leaders after being involved in 3 crashes today. Man talk about bad luck.

**USFREEDOM911** · 07-11-2010, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople

Why is that funny? The French are very egalitarian about sport. No Frenchman has won the tour since Hinault in 85 and Hinault was certainly a better cyclist then Armstrong.

Which to me adds even more amusement.
It is my opinion and maybe the opinion of others, that the French try to appear oh-so sophisticated; but the minute something gets their panties in a knot, they get brought down to reallity, which needs to happen more often.
In my opinion.

**Minister of Truth** · 07-11-2010, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by Mott the Hoople

You should probably google the word "egalitarian" and then come back and say something relevant.

BTW, Isn't it a rather passe redneck thing to dislike the French just because they are French? Have ever even known any French?

I couldn't really see why you used the word to begin with. You mean, they are open to outsiders coming in and playing in their sporting events, I guess...

All of the American colonists were taught to hate the French. It was a longstanding tradition long before we were a country. Were the puritans rednecks?

**Mott the Hoople** · 07-12-2010, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by USFREEDOM911

Which to me adds even more amusement.
It is my opinion and maybe the opinion of others, that the French try to appear oh-so sophisticated; but the minute something gets their panties in a knot, they get brought down to reallity, which needs to happen more often.
In my opinion.

Ever been to New York City? I know people who go on vacation there because you can be a total asshole for a week and nobody notices or cares cause nearly everyone is an asshole there.

To paraphrase The Boss. "There are Saints and Assholes on every city block." The French are no different.