Why do people hate Lance?

[Christopher]

That is easy for you to say sat at home watching the TdF but at the time they all did the best they could How could Ullrich of applied his self more. There are not many riders out there that could do what he has done. As for falling off they all fall off even Lance! In the end the best one wins.

Ullrich tended to gain weight, sometimes a lot, over the winter & perhaps could have been fitter at the start of the Tour. Also, it was suggested by Velo Magazine at the time that Ullrich could have tucked up a bit more to be faster in the time trials. I don't think Lance was a better rider than Jan was but he had more focus and determination.

 

[Smeggers]

He's doing this in a couple of weeks....

http://www.leadvilletrail100.com/merchant.ihtml?id=1425&step=2

I wonder if they have any dope testing?

 

[yenrod]

Frustuck:

Its totally filled by actors, which better, Corry any day ! - Yenrod

Don't understand why you've got this as your sig.line...

 

[spandex]

+1 and so well put

I think he is also disliked for being an American (a Texan at that ) in what is largely viewed as a European (Franco/Italian) sport.
He won "their" race too often.

Because he only trained for - and won - the TdF, he is criticised for not doing the other Tours. He says it shows the respect he has for the TdF. They say he is not a real champion.

His recovery from cancer is amazing ... and maybe leads to questions about 'masking' any alleged drug use ... but he himself paid for lots of extra drug testing and never showed up 'non-negative'.

An riddle inside a conundrum, wrapped in an enigma ... or something like that

I could not say it better my self

 

[Christopher]

Argh! Rumbled by Yenners! Sig sorted...

 

[spandex]

Ullrich tended to gain weight, sometimes a lot, over the winter & perhaps could have been fitter at the start of the Tour. Also, it was suggested by Velo Magazine at the time that Ullrich could have tucked up a bit more to be faster in the time trials. I don't think Lance was a better rider than Jan was but he had more focus and determination.

So if Ullrich was not ready for the TdF by being over weight (for the TdF) and was not fit for it He did his best but Lance was better. Lance is a better rider then Ullrich (on paper!). I could be a better if at Work, Home life, Riding, With the kids, all the over sports Im into..................... IF I was more focused and determinaton But I just do the best I can at the time and if thats not good enough so be it but I have done the best I can!.

 

[Tetedelacourse]

aye, focus and determination are part of what makes a good rider. Ergo, all else being equal, Armstrong was a better rider.

Those things manifest themselves differently in different people though. I still maintain, like with Cav, that it's not a pre-requisite of success to be a git.

 

[yello]

I don't hate him... I just doubt I'd like him!

But since he retired, I don't give him much thought anyway.

 

[zimzum42]

One has to respect what he did, and it's impossible to say he wasn't a great bike rider, but none of that detracts from the fact that he was a bit of a knob-end

 

[spandex]

Come on zimzum a bit of a knob end? NA


The hole Knob maybe

 

[Chuffy]

I think he is also disliked for being an American (a Texan at that ) in what is largely viewed as a European (Franco/Italian) sport.
He won "their" race too often.

Sorry, but that is a lazy and tired old line which has been trotted out one time too many. I had no axe to grind when I started watching the TdF regarding the nation of the rider who won, I came to my conclusions about him based on what I saw, heard and read.

Because he only trained for - and won - the TdF, he is criticised for not doing the other Tours. He says it shows the respect he has for the TdF. They say he is not a real champion.

They would point at other great Tour riders (Merckx being the one most frequently cited) who won many other races, many other Grand Tours and still won the TdF many times. Placing Lance in any 'greatest rider' context is almost impossible because he didn't ride as many other races as the others, he's just not comparable and not in a good way.

His recovery from cancer is amazing ... and maybe leads to questions about 'masking' any alleged drug use ... but he himself paid for lots of extra drug testing and never showed up 'non-negative'.

Hmm, interesting point. I wonder, if you were being naughty, wouldn't you want to conduct your own testing to see what did and didn't show up? Just a thought...

An riddle inside a conundrum, wrapped in an enigma ... or something like that

Er no. Not really. What you and his other apologists seem to ignore is that people who dislike him still recognise what a good rider he was. We just have less rosy tinted glasses regarding how good he was.

Ultimately he is disliked because he is deeply unlikeable. Churn out all the usual excuses (he's from Texas, he won too often, you haterz r all jelous etc) if it makes you feel better, but the bottom line is that he's a nasty git.

 

[girofan]

What interests me is that all his major opponents have been found to be druggies, yet Lance still beat them in the Tour. How come? They were major talents without drugs. Surely with a little heip from EPO and the like they were better? But he still won! Perhaps his help was more beneficial!!!
And then we come to his chasing down Simeoni, just because he had the balls to stand up to LA. A stand-up guy, (as long as he gets his way).

 

[Tim Bennet.]

A then there are his lieutenants: Everyone of them was touted as being a fully paid up member of the squeaky clean club, but somehow they all seem to have had a change of heart after leaving LA's influence and resorted to a major drug habit.

Or did they?

 

[girofan]

they all seem to have had a change of heart after leaving LA's influence and resorted to a major drug habit.

Or did they?

It's the Bruyneel Effect.

 

[Disgruntled Goat]

Anyone mentioned Michele Ferrari yet?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michele_Ferrari#Athletes_associated_with_Michele_Ferrari


And because he raced in nothing but the Tour De France which led to people thinking that was the only race there was.

That he dominated for 7 years and it was sooooooooo boring.

And Lance he also started that unfortunate trend of people wearing yellow wristbands without having a clue why ("It's for cancer innit?") and pretending that they are Mother Theresa in the process (all for the £1 - 50p off eBay.)