Has Lance's return been good for the tour?

[maurice]

Question as per the thread title.

Has his return made this year's tour better/ more entertaining for you? No difference, or made it worse than previous tours?

 

[Noodley]

I suppose the answer depends on one's past experience of cycling.

If one 'believed' Him before and 'believes' Him now....maybe.

If one knows that the Tour transcends individuals...no.

 

[Crackle]

I'm torn. On the one hand I like the extra intrigue dimension, on the other I now realize things have moved on. Watching him is like trying to resurrect your favourite summer instead of enjoying this summer.

 

[Chuffy]

Wot Noodley said.

 

[Skip Madness]

I think it's good he is riding, since the sporting aspect is exciting. He is also a huge personality, which obviously divides followers but does make for a watchable soap opera. I find it virtually impossible to believe he would stake his entire reputation on making a comeback if he was planning to use PEDs, and I am keen to see how a 38-year-old riding clean does against much younger riders, especially given the suspicion that has clouded his past.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It has added a bit of soap opera with the Astana internal rivalry, but otherwise it hasn't made a huge difference to me. But he whole Tour is more interesting this year (so far) and Lance is certainly part of that.

 

[asterix]

Not from a cycling perspective.

 

[Paul_L]

It's just one dimension of a generally exciting Tour this year.

Others for me are;

the Brits - Cav's sprinting, Millar's breakaways, Bradders TT, and now Bradders climbing.
the route - Whoever on the TdF committe, said "tell you what, the day before Champs Elysses, let's pop up the Ventoux" is a genius. Takes the GC right to he wire.

 

[stumpy]

it's defiantly added something to it. Weather it's better/more media coverage, more intrigue with the whole Astana thing or at least another main contender for the GC. Whatever it is I think it's made the tour better this year, Plus just count how many threads there are about him on this site!!! He’s a definite talking point and if nothing else it's taken up enough of the media's time to stop them going on about drugs all the time. Love him or loath him you have to admit that he's good for the sport!!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

it's defiantly added something to it. Weather it's better

Lance might be a god to some but even he can't make the sun shine!

 

[yello]

A tricky question to answer.

Certainly this tour has started with a great deal more added interest than before; not just Astana but the performances of Wiggins and Cavendish. There is more media interest in the tour at the moment, and a lot of that interest is centred on Armstrong and Astana. Whether than makes it good for the tour is difficult to say - I guess the money men would say so.

On balance, I said no though. The tour is huge, the biggest big top circus there is. Armstrong is one of the attractions, a bigger attraction than most of the other attractions I'll give you but he's still under the same big top.

One day (who knows when ) Armstrong WILL retire and disappear from the scene... and become a part of the tour's tradition. There have been plenty of big figure riders and there'll be plenty more. Vive la tour!

 

[Paul_L]

another media angle on it. Lance is gaining the tour masses more press coverage with him in it. There's no doubting that.

If that means Cav and Wiggins get some more press coverage in the UK than they otherwise would, and gain some more popularity for British cycling then that's got to be a good thing no?

 

[yenrod]

I'm torn. On the one hand I like the extra intrigue dimension, on the other I now realize things have moved on. Watching him is like trying to resurrect your favourite summer instead of enjoying this summer.

True, Cracks!

 

[yello]

I've just decided to change my response; Armstrong's return isn't good or bad for the tour, it's simply part of it. There's good and/or bad depending on your perspective.

 

[yenrod]

Though saying that Cavendish is getting the same adoration as LA yet MC can't quite tongue liggett & sherwens groove like LA can, it appears ! however many stages he wins !!!