Armstrong coming back for the 2009 TdF

[shooter560]

Rock On, best thing that could have happened, like him or not, he was never proven to take anything illegal, I therefore conclude that without any proof he was the best cyclist with a strong team at the TdF for 7 years. If he does the 09 TdF and could win it then I for one will be watching the final stage from the roadside.

 

[yello]

My gut reaction is one of extreme disappointment. Leaving aside the fact that I think the man's a fool, I do genuinely believe there is a new generation of riders now and LA does not belong. The king is dead etc.

I predict that there'll be words and tears before next July (no shoot sherlock - sorry yenners!). I'm hoping it'll be a new team, I hope he doesn't join Astana (is it part of some perverse power play?? that'd be fun)... but who knows... Garmin/Chipotle/Slipstream maybe?? (And Miller to Team GB!!)

As I say, I can't help but feel this is a bad thing; for LA, for the TdF, for cycling.

 

[mondobongo]

Jags go and read a history book and get some perspective on what he achieved, he can not be compared to Hinault, Merckx and Anquetil. As forbeing able to climb better than Merckx I think not baby puppy.

This is not a good thing for the sport, it has the ability to turn the Tour and the other races he wants to enter into a Circus.

I sincerely hope that ASO have the balls to tell him that he can't enter as I am sure that they can deal with a little bit of pressure from Sarkozy. I think he is half expecting a problem as why bring up that he will appeal to Sarkozy if refused entry otherwise.

 

[papercorn2000]

he is the greatest cyclist of all time ,im glad to have seen him win all 7 tours the man is unbeatable in the tour will he win another ,put your house on it .the great eddie wouldent lace la's boots in the tour armstrong can do it all mercks could never climb as armstrong could.

Go read about the 1969 TDF.
And while you are at it try to get a handle on grammar.

 

[John the Monkey]

Apropos of the greatest rider discussion, still Merckx for me personally.

So Armstrong has 7 tours? How many of those did he win all the classifications in? How many grand tours and classics did he manage? Feh.

What crossed my mind (after hearing the announcement reported on the Today programme (first story on the sports report, good god!)) was what existing team would let him ride the way he used to with US Postal/Discovery (i.e. with everyone else essentially domestiques to his team leader) ? I can't imagine any existing teams where he could ride the way he used to and not put noses seriously out of joint. Is he hoping to build a team out of signings from the fallout of sponsors leaving the sport (Barloworld, Credit Agricole, Gerolsteiner) I wonder?

 

[Smeggers]

jeez - its true.

that was a surprise.

 

[John the Monkey]

...I can see the 09 tour more than making up for the lack of excitement (excluding Cav's wins) in the 08 tour.

FFS, what were you watching?

Did you have your telly tuned to Cadel exclusively, or something?

 

[chris42]

Well, there go Cadel Evans' chances then...

LOL
what a great comment!

 

[mr_hippo]

he is the greatest cyclist of all time ,im glad to have seen him win all 7 tours the man is unbeatable in the tour will he win another ,put your house on it .the great eddie wouldent lace la's boots in the tour armstrong can do it all mercks could never climb as armstrong could.

How are you measuring 'greatness'? If you want to assign points - 5 points for France/Spain/Italy/Worlds and 3 for other major races; you will see that Merckx has 148 points and Armstrong has 49.
So Merckx could never climb? Merck won the KOM jersey in the TdF twice and in the Giro once. He also won points jerseys in France (3) and Italy (2). Apart from 7 maillot jaunes, how many other jerseys did Armstrong win?

 

[John the Monkey]

It's clear reading the comments on the blogs about this that a lot of people simply switched their tellies off in 2005, and haven't followed the sport since.

Incisive commentary along the lines of Armstrong being needed to clean up the sport (in these dark days of doping, wtf?!?!?), and to provide interest (in the year of one of the closest tours ever, with Cav and the Schlecks to watch?!?!?!) makes me wonder what the hell sport these people have been watching, as it doesn't seem to have been the 2008 cycling season.

 

[Smeggers]

You have to remember that Lance's celebrity status transcends the actual sport of cycling.

It can only be good for the sport IMO.

 

[Paulus]

The cynical side of me says that the profile of bike racing has diminished since LA retired, and his "return" could be a big marketing ploy to get the intrest back up?

 

[Smeggers]

The cynical side of me says that the profile of bike racing has diminished since LA retired, and his "return" could be a big marketing ploy to get the intrest back up?

For exactly the same reason Mr Beckham went to America.

 

[maurice]

FFS, what were you watching?

Did you have your telly tuned to Cadel exclusively, or something?

You thought 08 was exciting?

Fair enough, be sure to be standing in front of a chair when the world watching paint dry championships are on later.

 

[John the Monkey]

You thought 08 was exciting?

Fair enough, be sure to be standing in front of a chair when the world watching paint dry championships are on later.

Err - the Schlecks? Sastre's attack up Alpe D'Huez? Evans desperately trying to hang on as attack after attack came at him on the earlier mountain stages? The closest Tour since LeMond/Fignon, effectively decided in the final time trial? Again, what channel were you watching?