What's your opinion about Lance Armstrong's chances of winning his sixth Tour de France in a row? This is a record of accomplishment in sports that is nearly superhuman, and we really don't hear all that much about it here in the States. Live TV coverage is limited to some cable channel that my cable service doesn't carry.
Lance fell yesterday and is over 9 minutes behind the leader, but is still confident that he can win the race. There is quite a long way to go before they enter Paris, and I wouldn't bet against him at this point.
I'll go with Lance Armstrong, too, quite frankly because he's the only cyclist that I know. The only other cyclist I know is Indurain but I assume he is either way past his prime or not even in the Tour de France. I obviously don't know squat about cycling. So how big is this event overseas anyway?
I catch some of it in the mornings when I get home from work. We get it on OLN---Outdoor Life Network I think. He is pretty amazing. I guess his resting heart rate is like 32. Freak.
I've been following it - sure, he's 9 minutes behind the leaders, but none of the guys in front of him are climbers. That's what Lance does - climbs mountains on a bike at a pace that destroys the competition. The sprinters will finish 10-15 minutes behind the best climbers, depending on the conditions and course, etc.
How popular is this? In France, in 1987 (the last time a Frenchman won it), they estimate that 1/3 of the population of France had seen the race go by in person at some point during the month. That's a pretty wild thought. Cycling in general is very popular in Europe - France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, especially.
Indurain has retired. Armstrong's main competitors are now Ulrich, from Germany, Tyler Hamilton (U.S.), and a Spaniard whose name escapes me. The climbing starts in tomorrow's 140-odd mile stage. For example, Le Puy Mary is a 3-mile climb with steep grade - 107 miles into the stage. If Lance or anyone else is going to make a statement, it might happen here.
And then, two days later, they enter the Pyrenees with a 130-mile stage with two category 1 (the hardest) climbs of 7.5 miles each - one that ends the stage. Eek.
I'm just a casual observer of the Tour de France but I recognize Armstrong's feat of 5 victories in a row as a major athletic accomplishment. From what I understand, his strength has always been in the mountains. I guess the next few "mountain" days will determine his chances for six in a row.
Anyone who can ride one of those bikes for more than 15 minutes without the seat going up their rear end (personal experience everytime I try to ride my wife's bike :eek: ) has my respect.
Last edited by leaguegolf : July 13th, 2004 at 08:46 PM.
I'm just a casual observer of the Tour de France but I recognize Armstrong's feat of 5 victories in a row as a major athletic accomplishment. From what I understand, his strength has always been in the mountains. I guess the next few "mountain" days will determine his chances for six in a row.
Anyone who can ride one of those bikes for more than 15 minutes without the seat going up their rear end (personal experience everytime I try to ride my wife's bike :eek: ) has my respect.
Heh, well, since I won't get it for my golf (at least for a while), I'll claim it for my cycling... Probably the most athletic thing I did was a solo bike tour through California, up and down the Sierras about four times, across Tuolomne Pass twice, and then across to SF and down the coast.
The feats that Lance - ****, any pro cyclist - can do on a bike are pretty amazing. The funny part is that I remember when he first came up as a pro, back in the early 90s. He won the U.S. road championship, and then a stage of the Tour. He was good, but cocky, and you had a feeling he wasn't going to live up to his potential. Then the Big C hit, and really seemed to change him. Don't know if it's sad or good that it took something like that to shake him up, but, hey, we get to watch some great athletic performances.
Don't forget, too, that an important part of his success is his team. The pack of riders in the Tour is well over 100 - each team has 8 members or so, I think. They will "protect" him - watch for crashes around him, help him stay in contact with other riders who threaten to take the lead, sacrifice themselves by riding as hard as they can so he can draft them and be in position to win the race or stage. They'll even give up their gear for him in order to get on the bike more quickly - after Lance's crash earlier this week, his rear wheel was a mess, and one of his teammates gave him his wheel, staying behind to let the equipment car catch up while Lance got back in the race quickly. The non-star riders in cycling teams are called "domestiques" - kind of like household help. Not the most glamorous job, but, hey, you're cycling for a living.
Last edited by stlcard_25 : November 13th, 2005 at 05:55 PM.
BrassEagle,
I know nothing about the race, and it amazes me how anyone can keep track of who's in what position and how many minutes behind, etc... But it is definitely LARGE in Europe, and to people in the States who cover cycling.
Armstrong, from what I read, is a cardio-physiological freak (in the nicest sense). Is that what gives him the stamina and strength to climb the mountains? Awesome achievements.
I'm a former USCF bicycle racer who used to compete against Lance, when he was still a teenager her ein the Dallas TX area. While I haven't raced since 1998 when I had a serious accident (I still ride for fun/fitness), I still follow the sport closely.
IMO - no-one can challenge Lance unless he's sick, or has a major accident. Frankly, he's at the top of his game, but none of the other challengers have the power and physical abilities of LA. It may be closer and tighter this year,b ut I still think LA will take his 6th, and potentially a 7th straight next year.
That is........if Sheryl Crow will stop distracting him!
I'm a former USCF bicycle racer who used to compete against Lance, when he was still a teenager her ein the Dallas TX area. While I haven't raced since 1998 when I had a serious accident (I still ride for fun/fitness), I still follow the sport closely.
IMO - no-one can challenge Lance unless he's sick, or has a major accident. Frankly, he's at the top of his game, but none of the other challengers have the power and physical abilities of LA. It may be closer and tighter this year,b ut I still think LA will take his 6th, and potentially a 7th straight next year.
That is........if Sheryl Crow will stop distracting him!
Wow. I bow to you for having raced against Lance! Something to tell your grandkids.... Did you ever bump him in a sprint?!
As far as keeping track of things, nowadays most of the riders are wired - remember that one of Lance's sponsors is Motorola. So, you have folks keeping tabs of where all the riders who are threats are, etc. That's why I say, it's a huge team endeavor, in a lot of ways that those of us on the sidelines don't think about sometimes.
That being said, Lance still has to do all the climbing and riding himself. I saw him on Charlie Rose once - he did mention that his capacity for oxygen intake in the blood is freakishly high, something like the top one or two percent. So, that's what helps him train and ride at a high level. As far as climbing, though, a lot of that is technique and enduring pain, and being able to recover and do it again the next day if you have to.
July 10th, 2004, 07:02 AM
Shortcuts...like "As the Crow flies!" 
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