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[ConfusingJazz]

Lance finally took the lead:

Overall results
Pos Rider Nat Team Time Deficit
1. Lance Armstrong USA US Postal 67:13:43 67:13:43
2. Ivan Basso ITA Team CSC 67:15:08 +01:25
3. Andreas Klöden GER T-Mobile 67:17:05 +03:22
4. Francisco Mancebo ESP Illes Balears 67:19:22 +05:39
5. Jan Ullrich GER T-Mobile 67:20:37 +06:54
6. José Azevedo POR US Postal 67:21:17 +07:34
7. Georg Totschnig AUT Gerolsteiner 67:22:02 +08:19
8. Thomas Voeckler FRA Brioches La Boulangère 67:23:11 +09:28
9. Pietro Caucchioli ITA Alessio 67:23:53 +10:10
10. Levi Leipheimer USA Rabobank 67:24:41 +10:58

 

[AirBrian]

Yellow Jersey time for Lance -- he won Stage 15.

Top 10 overall after Stage 15:

01.  	Lance Armstrong 	 67h 13m 43s 	 
02.  	Ivan Basso         	 1:25 behind 	 
03.  	Andreas Kloden  	 3:22 	 
04.  	Francisco Mancebo 	 5:39 	 
05.  	Jan Ullrich 	         6:54 	 
06.  	Jose Azevedo 	         7:34 	 
07.  	Georg Totschnig 	 8:19 	 
08.  	Thomas Voeckler 	 9:28 	 
09.  	Pietro Caucchioli 	10:10 	 
10.  	Levi Leipheimer 	10:58

 

[shoplifter]

I KNEW I shouldn't have read the thread yet. Watching makes me want to start racing again, but I'm too fat and lazy these days. I used to do 250 miles a week in high school.

 

[Journeywalker]

Unfortunately for Voeckler, the winner of the Tour de France isn't the rider who wears the yellow jersey for the most days.

Lance looks to be in very good shape, but Basso is definitely at his peak and is matching Lance meter for meter.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

I got to see the finish on the Outdoor Life Network. Go Lance.

 

[Poody]

I heard lance will invite over 200+ of his closes friends when he crosses the finish line.

 

[Boogie9IGN]

When is the last day?

 

[Mustang]

Well, Lance dominates stage 16. Wins by just over a minute of 2nd place finisher Ullrich.

Basso gets beat pretty badly.

Its pretty much over now.

Go Lance!!!!!

 

[AndreasNystrom]

Im not a big fan of Armstrong, (i never cheer for the #1 guy), but im really impressed on what he have done so far!.

Today was just a show in how better he is then everyone else!.

What i didnt like was the stupid people who was trying to make life harder for him!.
Trying to push etc..
As*ho*es. I dont like bad losers!. Just give the man some credit!.

Ulrich was doing a very goot stage today aswell, even if he got beaten by a minute!.
Ulrich also got pushed, and looked like he was gonna fall to the ground for a while...

My favourite Voeckler got beaten today bigtime.. but he is still my champion

 

[shoplifter]

I honestly don't see how people can't at least respect Lance. After the cancer, coming back like that was quite a feat. Sure, he -wins-, but it's not like he's the Yankees of cycling. He legitimately busts his ass to be the best, and I find it hilarious that they changed the rules this year to 'hinder' him. I suppose that's the greatest complement one could get though.

All those who continually accuse him of using drugs are assholes and sour grapists.

edit: and yes it does seem like there are some overzealous fans this year. those people need a swift kick in the sack.

 

[Stuggernaut]

I can't believe how close the fans are allowed to get to the riders.

I'm thinking someone is going to take out a rider before long....

People on the net are Lance haters that bash him verbally...what about people standing on the side of the road? What do they do? Ouch.

 

[AirBrian]

I can't believe how close the fans are allowed to get to the riders.

I'm thinking someone is going to take out a rider before long....

People on the net are Lance haters that bash him verbally...what about people standing on the side of the road? What do they do? Ouch.

Do you ever watch rally racing? Now those fans are nuts -- they get dangerously close.

Anyhow, go Lance!

 

[bionic77]

I honestly don't see how people can't at least respect Lance. After the cancer, coming back like that was quite a feat. Sure, he -wins-, but it's not like he's the Yankees of cycling. He legitimately busts his ass to be the best, and I find it hilarious that they changed the rules this year to 'hinder' him. I suppose that's the greatest complement one could get though.

All those who continually accuse him of using drugs are assholes and sour grapists.

edit: and yes it does seem like there are some overzealous fans this year. those people need a swift kick in the sack.

I don't know if Lance takes drugs or not, but I don't have a lot of faith in the Olympics and events such as the Tour De France anymore. I almost think they all do drugs now, so in that way it is kind of a leveled playing field and the drug use almost evens itself out. Even though all these guys are tested there are so many ways around the testing that I just don't care anymore and I realize that the majority of them probably use some sort of drugs.

I still have a ton of respect for every one of those guys who finished the Tour de France, I can't imagine how tough it would be just to finish the event.

 

[CaptainABAB]

I doubt he takes drugs - he is a freak of nature....

32 -- Armstrong's resting heart rate. The average resting heart rate for a man is 70 beats per minute.

33 -- Percent larger that Armstong's heart is compared to the heart size of an average man.

85 -- Armstrong's VO2 Max rating, which measures the amount of oxygen the lungs can consume during exercise. An average healthy male might rate a 40.

4 -- Percent body fat Armstrong carries. Shaquille O'Neal has 16 percent.


http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?020715fa_fact1

"Armstrong was an outstanding young swimmer, and as an adolescent he began to enter triathlons. By 1987, when he was sixteen, he was also winning bicycle races. That year, he was invited to the Cooper Institute, in Dallas, which was one of the first centers to recognize the relationship between fitness and aerobic conditioning. Everyone uses oxygen to break down food into the components that provide energy; the more oxygen you are able to use, the more energy you will produce, and the faster you can run, ride, or swim. Armstrong was given a test called the VO2 Max, which is commonly used to assess an athlete's aerobic ability: it measures the maximum amount of oxygen the lungs can consume during exercise. His levels were the highest ever recorded at the clinic.

Chris Carmichael, who became his coach when Armstrong was still a teen-ager, told me that even then Armstrong was among the most remarkable athletes he had ever seen. Not only has his cardiovascular strength always been exceptional; his body seems specially constructed for cycling. His thigh bones are unusually long, for example, which permits him to apply just the right amount of torque to the pedals."

 

[bionic77]

I doubt he takes drugs - he is a freak of nature....

32 -- Armstrong's resting heart rate. The average resting heart rate for a man is 70 beats per minute.

33 -- Percent larger that Armstong's heart is compared to the heart size of an average man.

85 -- Armstrong's VO2 Max rating, which measures the amount of oxygen the lungs can consume during exercise. An average healthy male might rate a 40.

4 -- Percent body fat Armstrong carries. Shaquille O'Neal has 16 percent.


http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?020715fa_fact1

"Armstrong was an outstanding young swimmer, and as an adolescent he began to enter triathlons. By 1987, when he was sixteen, he was also winning bicycle races. That year, he was invited to the Cooper Institute, in Dallas, which was one of the first centers to recognize the relationship between fitness and aerobic conditioning. Everyone uses oxygen to break down food into the components that provide energy; the more oxygen you are able to use, the more energy you will produce, and the faster you can run, ride, or swim. Armstrong was given a test called the VO2 Max, which is commonly used to assess an athlete's aerobic ability: it measures the maximum amount of oxygen the lungs can consume during exercise. His levels were the highest ever recorded at the clinic.

Chris Carmichael, who became his coach when Armstrong was still a teen-ager, told me that even then Armstrong was among the most remarkable athletes he had ever seen. Not only has his cardiovascular strength always been exceptional; his body seems specially constructed for cycling. His thigh bones are unusually long, for example, which permits him to apply just the right amount of torque to the pedals."

I wasn't singling out Lance though, I said I think they ALL take drugs, which would include Lance by default. Just my cynicism of a lot of these sports though.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Lance got spit on today.

Now thats a lot of hate.

 

[Agent Dormer]

Lance Armstrong is busting his ass in a race and people are spitting at him. That's fucking great. I hate assholes like that. You may hate the guy, but doing stuff that might hinder him in the race is stupid.

 

[Joe]

i watched a short show on espn last night about the accusations of lance taking performance enhancing drugs. i really hope its all false but they did talk about some stuff that made you think a little. he was also accused of taking a drug called EOP which increases the amount of oxygen you can bring in and hold.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

32 -- Armstrong's resting heart rate. The average resting heart rate for a man is 70 beats per minute.

85 -- Armstrong's VO2 Max rating, which measures the amount of oxygen the lungs can consume during exercise. An average healthy male might rate a 40.

====================

actually those numbers doesnt say very much.
My resting heartrate is around 42-45 today.
the vo2 max rating is usually the same for ppl like me who cycle alot or runs etc.

what Armstrong has is more then us!.
First of all, one of his biggest things is that he have us postal. They always
protect him from the wind, keeps the pace, etc until the last decent.
That does ALOT. If you have cycled in a group like that, you know you almost
cycle in vacuum compared to the other riders. Your hearrate might be around
110.. not using too much energy. While the riders infront of you could be around 170
in pulsrate, feeling his legs start to sore. But they have to get the restistance from
the wind.
Then we also have Armstrongs use of gears. He always uses the small ones,
having a big cadence. That makes you use less torque, and saves more energy again.

then much is also genetical. it depends on how your muscles attach to your body etc.
and you have to keep a good seating on the bike, to make the drag less. This have
armstrong done in a windtunnel!.

Armstrong isnt just good at one thing.. he is superb in all things in cycling, thats why
he wins.

its just a shame that someone spit on him.. Those people should get beaten up
by some gang.
A big problem is that lots of the spectators isnt really interested in cycling i guess.
They are more there for the atmosphere.. and they go crazy when the big stars get there.
I would never dream about running along with Armstrong, cause i know its disturbing for him. I would never stand in the middle of the way trying to catch him with my hands..

i think most lovers of this sport thinks the same.

it wasnt just Armstrong that had a bad time upwards. Ulrich aswell, and you could
see many of the riders annoyed more or less.

btw.. did you guys see the wheelie ? that was awesome.

 

[shoplifter]

I got a kick out of the chalk drawing just before the 1km to go reading "Rip their balls off Lance"

 

[Shinobi]

Watching a repeat of yesterday's run right now...Lance really is a freak. I'm not nearly naive enough to believe he couldn't be on drugs, but considering the nature of the sport I'd understand it completely. But I don't see the point of flat out accussing the guy without any proof. It's not unlike Marion Jones...sure her circumstances aren't all that great, and she's made some terrible personal judgements in that regard, but until you have proof you can't just accuse someone.

Personally I think they should just throw it all open anyway...juice yourself up till you burst if you wish. Can't say I care.

 

[Socreges]

MUCH respect for Armstrong here. Besides his awesome athleticism and return from cancer, he just seems like a great guy in interviews [cool cameo in Dodgeball, too].

In regards to Marion Jones, I think people have good reason to be suspicious. But anyone blankly stating that she has taken drugs should back off. Unlike her husband [and ex], she hasn't actually tested positive.

 

[MaddenNFL64]

Hah, I knew he was like Secretariat with that gigantic heart .

 

[AirBrian]

See...they're not all bad over there.

 

[Mustang]

Armstrong wins 3rd straight stage!!!!!

Kloden in second, Ullrich in 3rd and Basso in 4th.

US Postal was down by over 7 minutes at one point in the stage but made a fierce charge in the last quarter of the race.

Absolutely amazing.

He now has a 4+ minute lead.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Christ, Lance is not just running them down, he goes back, getting off his bike, and then pummeling them with a tire iron. This is just pure and utter ownage at the moment.

 

[Wolfy]

Ullrich in 3rd

 

[shoplifter]

http://www.drummerworld.com/drum7/larsulrich.jpg

No, the cool one.

 

[selig]

Todays stage was a good example why Armstrong is so unpopular here. It wasn't necessary to steal Klöden's first TdF victory, but Lance did it. When you're in yellow and your lead isn't in danger - like today - you usually don't go for the stage victory. It's some kind of codex.
On the other hand everyone wants to win the stage, no matter how often you've already won the TdF. And as this might be Armstrong's last tour, he wants to show how he can rip their balls off D) again and again.

Don't take it too seriously, the real fans accept it and respect Armstrong. Hell, the drunken idiots up there even called Jens Voigt a "Judas" yesterday, because he had to help Basso catching Ullrich the day before. WTF?!

 

[Pug]

Armstrong has proved over the last 6 tours that he is probably the greatest Tour De France Rider ever. The problem for Lance though is will never be bracketed with Merckx or Hinualt, as in Europe you must ride the classics and the Giro and Spanish tours to be considered the all round rider. Armstrong set his goal on the tour and no one can touch him, it fantastic to see him riding in the mountains so fluid and controlled. And as The Delardos say (great scottish band) "all good cycilists take drugs" and such rumours shouldn't detract from a fantastic athelete.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

i had another tehory.. i guess he doesnt have his balls left? (cause of the cancer)
btw sorry if someone thinks im rude in my language
anyway.. could there be something with that?

If you eat when you practice, or race, then you can feel your legs getting heavy.
This is cause your stomach takes away energy and oxygen from your legs etc
for digesting the food.

probably not

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Todays stage was a good example why Armstrong is so unpopular here. It wasn't necessary to steal Klöden's first TdF victory, but Lance did it. When you're in yellow and your lead isn't in danger - like today - you usually don't go for the stage victory. It's some kind of codex.
On the other hand everyone wants to win the stage, no matter how often you've already won the TdF. And as this might be Armstrong's last tour, he wants to show how he can rip their balls off D) again and again.

Don't take it too seriously, the real fans accept it and respect Armstrong. Hell, the drunken idiots up there even called Jens Voigt a "Judas" yesterday, because he had to help Basso catching Ullrich the day before. WTF?!

But I thought he generally did that, allow people to take a stage out of respect. Hell, he did it for Basso, supposedly, a few stages ago, when he made his move up the standings. Basso was 1, Lance was 2, even though they were right with each other. I kinda feel like people who don't like him have other reasons.

 

[MASB]

Christ, Lance is not just running them down, he goes back, getting off his bike, and then pummeling them with a tire iron. This is just pure and utter ownage at the moment.

lol. That's ownage on a grand scale. Glad for Armstrong, feel a little sorry for Ullrich.

Armstrong has proved over the last 6 tours that he is probably the greatest Tour De France Rider ever. The problem for Lance though is will never be bracketed with Merckx or Hinualt, as in Europe you must ride the classics and the Giro and Spanish tours to be considered the all round rider. Armstrong set his goal on the tour and no one can touch him, it fantastic to see him riding in the mountains so fluid and controlled. And as The Delardos say (great scottish band) "all good cycilists take drugs" and such rumours shouldn't detract from a fantastic athelete.

Has Armstrong rode/won on the equivalent tours in Spain and Italy? I assume not from what you're saying.

 

[CaptainABAB]

Todays stage was a good example why Armstrong is so unpopular here. It wasn't necessary to steal Klöden's first TdF victory, but Lance did it. When you're in yellow and your lead isn't in danger - like today - you usually don't go for the stage victory. It's some kind of codex.

Basso is only 4 minutes behind with 2 days to go. That isn't that big of a lead, especially if something went wrong in the next 2 days, like an accident. Maybe you disagree, but I'd rather have the 20 second bonus just in case.

-----

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5488823/
Armstrong won't play Santa Claus at Tour

Armstrong said another five times Tour champion, Bernard Hinault, had congratulated him for the lack of generosity shown to his rivals on the 204.5-km 17th stage.

“When I went to the podium, Hinault met me at the top of the steps and said: ‘Perfect. No gifts,” Armstrong said.

Frenchman Hinault, another merciless boss of the bunch, won 28 stages on the Tour.

“I’ve given gifts in the Tour before and I’ve never been paid back. The Tour is too special to me. It means more than any other race,” Armstrong said.

In 2000, Armstrong let Italian Marco Pantani win a stage at Mont Ventoux and later regretted it as he has yet to triumph on the most infamous climb in cycling.



---------

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5491450/

Last year, Armstrong beat Jan Ullrich in the Tour by little more than a minute. This year, he’s taking no chances. He’s simply blowing everyone away, powering past as if they were a church group out for a bike tour of the French countryside, making no apologies.

Kloeden had never won a stage before and thought this was his first. Normally, a race leader will let a Kloeden win — it’s a courtesy of the sport.

But a couple of German fans had spit on Armstrong a day earlier (an act of boorishness that the New York Post answered with a front-page headline that screamed: “Sour Krauts” ’ hey, the Post invented boorishness) and there have been a fair number of signs along the way held aloft, urging someone — anyone — to beat him. Armstrong has, after all, repeatedly denied a great German rider, the perennial runner-up Ullrich, a Tour win. And Armstrong badly wants this record sixth straight win. As he did two days earlier, when he won another stage in a sprint to the line, he edged Kloeden out at the finish line.

Before Armstrong, Belgian Eddie Merckx, a five-time winner, had been considered the greatest rider ever. Merckx didn’t care about courtesy, and was so implacable in riding down anyone and everyone, he earned the nickname “The Cannibal.”

Thursday in Europe, the media was endowing Armstrong with that nickname. And the German papers weren’t amused.

“Lance certainly won’t generate any sympathy,” one German publication reported. “The Man in Yellow knows no mercy.” The yellow, as all Americans now know, is the color of the jersey worn by the race leader.

 

[Pochacco]

If I were a racer, I wouldn't want to be "given" a stage win anyway...
And, as pointed out, Lance needs the seconds. Sure he's way ahead, but it can never hurt...last year, Lance struggled on the last time trial and Ullrich really caught up to him.

Anyway, Lance rules.
The TDF rules.

There's really nothing like it..

 

[shoplifter]

Maybe if Ulrich trained more in the off-season he'd win. His lack of discipline during that period has more or less condemned him to never be what he truly could have been.

There are some great pics of him with beer guts floating around.

 

[Boogie9IGN]

F the hate, Lance still owns them all

 

[Shinobi]

Christ, Lance is not just running them down, he goes back, getting off his bike, and then pummeling them with a tire iron. This is just pure and utter ownage at the moment.

Yep...I think once he came back from that nine minute deficit in a couple of days, the writing was on the wall. It's going to be an absolute slaughter now. Rather impressive considering how close it was last year.

 

[AirBrian]

   1.  	Lance Armstrong 	78h 20m 28s 	 
2.  	Ivan Basso 	         4:09 behind 	 
3.  	Andreas Kloden  	 5:11 	 
4.  	Jan Ullrich 	         8:08 	 
5.  	Jose Azevedo 	        10:41 	 
6.  	Francisco Mancebo 	11:45 	 
7.  	Georg Totschnig 	12:56 	 
8.  	Carlos Sastre    	15:14 	 
9.  	Levi Leipheimer 	16:25 	 
10.  	Pietro Caucchioli 	16:33

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Maybe if Ulrich trained more in the off-season he'd win. His lack of discipline during that period has more or less condemned him to never be what he truly could have been.

There are some great pics of him with beer guts floating around.

Show/find them.

 

[shoplifter]

Show/find them.

http://www.team.malarenergi.se/probike/pics98/ullrich.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/517970.html

http://bikebloggers.billhobbs.com/003775.html



Now, it could be that he just tried to 'bulk up' but word is that he just doesn't train very hard in the off season. Sure he can lose 20 pounds in two or three weeks prior to the tour, but we all know that its going to play hell on your body.

I don't dislike the guy, but if this stuff is true he may have beaten Lance a few times instead or standing below him on the podium.

 

[ConfusingJazz]

Don't fuck with Lance!

A word of the wise, if you insult Lance, he will attempt to destroy your career. He is a badass that can bitch slap you in a race if he wants.

 

[Brannon]

Seriously though, Armstrong can Micheal Jordan you right out of the race. In fact, after reading that, it looks just like an MJ situation; pithy small fry gets gutted of all pride and simpers back to the treeline.

Pedal on man, pedal on. And take no punches to the stomach

 

[Shinobi]

Heh, Lance defintely has a MJ-like aura to him. I don't see a problem with it...like Michael Wilbon says, you play to win the game.


Oh yeah, time trial is well underway...Lance I guess gets going in the next half hour or so.

 

[crisdecuba]

Lance just won the 19th stage:

1- 001 ARMSTRONG (USA, USP) 01:06:49.280
2- 011 ULLRICH (GER, TMO) 01:07:50.510 at 01' 01"
3- 017 KLÖDEN (GER, TMO) 01:08:16.520 at 01' 27"
4- 006 LANDIS (USA, USP) 01:09:14.740 at 02' 25"
5- 064 JULICH (USA, CSC) 01:09:37.290 at 02' 48"

This is his fifth solo stage win in this tour, and sixth if you count the team time trial.

At this point, there's not much that's going to stop him from becoming the only 6-time Tour de France winner... and if you think about it, is there really anything stopping him from doing it again next year? If anything, it's clear that he's as strong now as he ever was.

~Cris

 

[AirBrian]

Lance just won the 19th stage:

1- 001 ARMSTRONG (USA, USP) 01:06:49.280
2- 011 ULLRICH (GER, TMO) 01:07:50.510 at 01' 01"
3- 017 KLÖDEN (GER, TMO) 01:08:16.520 at 01' 27"
4- 006 LANDIS (USA, USP) 01:09:14.740 at 02' 25"
5- 064 JULICH (USA, CSC) 01:09:37.290 at 02' 48"

This is his fifth solo stage win in this tour, and sixth if you count the team time trial.

At this point, there's not much that's going to stop him from becoming the only 6-time Tour de France winner... and if you think about it, is there really anything stopping him from doing it again next year? If anything, it's clear that he's as strong now as he ever was.

~Cris

Nice! -- 6:38 minute lead going into the final stage.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

Sorry guys. I didnt thought Armstrong was on dope until today

He looks just way too strong to be just natural strength.
Im very curious on how they test the riders, and if its random, or if ALL riders are
tested each day etc.

Ulrich today was also wierd.. 1m25sec faster then the rest (except Armstrong).. etc.
but Ulrich have had some bad days, so its not so suspicious.

 

[bionic77]

Sorry guys. I didnt thought Armstrong was on dope until today

He looks just way too strong to be just natural strength.
Im very curious on how they test the riders, and if its random, or if ALL riders are
tested each day etc.

Ulrich today was also wierd.. 1m25sec faster then the rest (except Armstrong).. etc.
but Ulrich have had some bad days, so its not so suspicious.

Testing is a joke dude. There are so many labs out there that are making drugs that won't come up with current tests and even the drugs that do come up on the tests, the athletes and their handlers have it down to a science on how to avoid detection. Don't let it bother you though, so many athletes in so many sports use all sorts of drugs. If you are a fan of football don't be so naive as to think those guys aren't using some serious drugs. I don't really know what the solution is, maybe they should just make it legal to use approved drugs and let them all go wild as someone suggested in this thread.

 

[AndreasNystrom]

yeah, im pretty sure everyone uses drugs.. its a sad world

 

[crisdecuba]

I'm sorry, but perhaps you have some insider information that others don't... if so, please share with us.

Otherwise, I simply see this as skepticism. A couple of things to note:

"Looking at his average speeds going back three or four years, they were about the same as his speed today (49 kph)." -- Paul Sherwen - http://www.letour.com

So that gets rid of Lance looking "way too strong to be just natural strength." This stage fell in line with the last 3 or 4 times he did it.

Second, Lance is tested as much if not moreso than the rest of the competitors. Every single test has come up clean. Sure, we can go on about how "easy" it is to cheat these tests (if someone could explain in detail, I'd appreciate it), but doesn't the evidence point toward him being clean?

Is he simply "too good" for your tastes?

~Cris