TdG ITT Spoiler

[Keith A]

Lance only gets 9th being almost two minutes behind Floyd Landis. Here's the top six...
1 Floyd Landis (Phonak) 39'58"09
2 Dave Zabriskie (CSC) 40'17"06
3 Chris Baldwin (navigators) 40.20.03
4 Bobby Julich 40'26"00
5 Nathan O'Neill (Navigators) 40'41"09
6 Brian Vanborg (CSC) 41'46"10
7
8
9 Lance Armstrong (Discovery) 41'44"87

[bikedadjc]

I saw a picture of floyd on the cycling news page, and to me, he looks skinnier than i ever saw him. As for Lance, maybe the decline is beginning.............but who knows for sure :)

[Keith A]

CyclingNews reported that Landis's time was only 6 seconds slower than LA's time last year on the exact same course. The biggest difference is that they competed in the rain today. So will Landi's be the GC man for Phonac at the TdF?

[Climb01742]

let me check my calender...right, it's april 21st...not july. :D

[Keith A]

Sir Climb, your calendar is correct. But in the interviews I saw/read with LA it appeared that he wouldn't mind winning the TdG again. And if he is true to his form, then I would suspect that he did more than just hang out at the Crow's nest to try and make this a reality.

[alembical]

hum....
Cyclingnews is reporting

1 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak 39'58"09
2 Dave Zabriskie (USA) CSC 40'17"06
3 Chris Baldwin (USA) Navigators 40.20.03
4 Bobby Julich (USA) CSC 40'26"00
5 Nathan O'Neill (Aus) Navigators 40'41"09
6 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery 40'58"

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=results/georgia053

Even with no Lance, 5 out of top 6 are US riders. That could say something about the future of US Cycling......

Alembical

Edited to Add: Sorry...I guess the only change was that Danielson moved up to the 6th position after your post.

[Keith A]

The results I posted was from their "Live Coverage", so this data was not yet confirmed. They did mention that Danielson had the time you listed, but for some reason he wasn't in their initial results.

[Climb01742]

i read that normally lance begins serious training in oct. this year it was in january. so being behind a bit in april isn't surprising. may and june will tell the tale. for one last time, i think he'll pay the necessary price. interestingly, i think his retirement may also give jan more incentive than ever to do all he can to beat lance this year. would winning the tour next year, without lance, be as sweet as this year with lance?

[Keith A]

And Ullrich confirms what you believe -- here's his comments from CyclingNews...

1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) says that he is looking forward to meeting Lance Armstrong for the final time at this year's Tour de France, after Armstrong announced his retirement from professional cycling on July 24. "Lance will be more motivated than ever because it is his last Tour," said Ullrich. "But his decision means an additional incentive for me. I have always said that winning the Tour against Lance is worth more. I will do all I can to beat him in his last appearance."

[Sandy]

That is precisely why I entered the Tour THIS year. I will deal with Jan in years to come.

So Supersonic Spaceship Speedy Serotta Sandy

[Sandy]

As you said, it may not mean anything. But if Lance Armstrong had won by 2 minutes, that would have said a lot.

Not finished my TT yet,

The Snail

[Tom]

I wonder if Jan is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. If he does beat Armstrong this year, everybody will say he couldn't beat Armstrong in his prime. If he doesn't, everybody will say he couldn't beat Armstrong ever.

[musgravecycles]

I wonder if Jan is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. If he does beat Armstrong this year, everybody will say he couldn't beat Armstrong in his prime. If he doesn't, everybody will say he couldn't beat Armstrong ever.

I think you hit the nail right on the head...

[93legendti]

I think it was raining during the TT. Pretty silly of Lance to risk descending in the rain and crashing on the TdG, when the TdF is his big goal.

"Much of the race was marred by on-and-off rain that was heavy at times both at the start and finish. The only riders to completely escape the wet conditions were those that headed out early (race start was 11 a.m.).

VeloNews talked to Jittery Joe's-Kalahari rider Evan Elken, who crashed during his trip around the twisty course that included the 2km climb up Mount Alto.

"I went down on the descent of the climb," he said. "I have about 130 pounds in my tires, man I had to slow down so much in the corners and the descent into town. Even the one I crashed on I was taking it easy and I just washed right out. It was dry at the start, but it started raining on me while I was out there. 110 would have been better. Just let off the brakes in the apex of a corner and it just washed straight out on me. Just landed on my butt, but it cost me about a minute."

http://www.velonews.com/race/dom/articles/7907.0.html

[700 x 23c]

Anyone see all of yesterdays results or the GC up until the start of today? Can't find it.

[Keith A]

General classification after stage 2

1 Robert Hunter (RSA) Phonak Hearing Systems 10.34.11
2 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Gerolsteiner
3 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Prodir - Saunier Duval 10.34.15
4 Benjamin Brooks (Aus) Jelly Belly - Pool Gel
5 Lance Armstrong (USA) Discovery Channel 10.34.17
6 Michele Maccanti (Ita) Team L.P.R.
7 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Team L.P.R. 10.34.19
8 Aurélien Clerc (Swi) Phonak Hearing Systems 10.34.20
9 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Team L.P.R.
10 Bobby Julich (USA) Team CSC 10.34.21
11 David Canada Gracia (Spa) Prodir - Saunier Duval
12 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Gerolsteiner
13 Geoff Kabush (Can) Jittery Joe's - Kalahari
14 Glen Mitchell (NZl) Kodak Gallery - Sierra Nevada
15 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Navigators Insurance
16 Elia Aggiano (Ita) Team L.P.R.
17 Mark Walters (Can) Navigators Insurance
18 Tom Danielson (USA) Discovery Channel
19 Floyd Landis (USA) Phonak Hearing Systems
20 José Azevedo (Por) Discovery Channel
21 Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) Discovery Channel
22 Alessandro Maserati (Ita) Team L.P.R.
23 Saul Raisin (USA) Credit Agricole
24 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Prodir - Saunier Duval
25 Cesar Augusto Grajales (Col) Navigators Insurance

Check here (http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=results/georgia052) at CyclingNews for all the details including the stage results.

[Len J]

to listen to these pre Tour explanations/opinions about what lance's performance or non performance means.

The funny thing is, the explanations always seem to reflect the posters innate opinion about Lance's chances. The truth is no one (except maybe Lance, and he sure can't be believed) really knows if Lance's performance today was because of:

1.) Being behind in his training
2.) Rain
3.) He's really lost it
4.) Not caring as much
5.) Sandbagging his competition.

Any and all of the above (as well as others) would possibly explain his performance. (Remember all the opinions when he lost the Ventoux TT last year to Mayo?)

It's fun to speculate, but let's remember all of it is speculation.

IMO, He's behind in his training, it was raining, he has lost a little bit, and he has to push himself more now than he ever did to train.......but what do I know? In 10 years, he will write a book and we will all find out that he slept last night on a nerve in his hip and got a hip inflammation that was aggrevated by the rain, so he decided to take it easy.

It really is going to be an interesting tour.....with more strong young riders, Jan's comments, Lance's age and knowing it's his last and the general unpredictibility of the Tour itself.

Can't wait myself.

Enough rambling, now back to work for me.

Len

[Keith A]

Just got in a report from a friend that was at the TdG today. She reported that Floyd had better weather than Lance.

Her reason that Lance lost to Floyd..."it was pouring rain when Lance started and continued the entire way!!" She continues, "Landis was lucky that he had a dry start. I was right by the start ramp and saw 4 riders slip and almost crash right off the ramp. Right after the start they had to make a right hand turn and then 400 meters or so another left turn. All of the first few turns were filled with water. I couldn't believe that more did not slip."

[Climb01742]

cyclingnews has some interesting quotes from lance and johan:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=results/georgia053

[Keith A]

And how about Ekimov...at age 39, he placed 8th just ahead of LA with a time 1.21 off of Floyd's. I wonder how on those youngin's feel about an old man spakin' them?

[Sandy]

I guess that he will do well next year in the 40 and over age category.

Ageless One

[bcm119]

I think Johan's most telling words were "His basic condition is pretty good but he hasn't done any specific training yet..." I would speculate that Lance is trying carefully not to overtrain in his "old age", and is waiting until a few months before July to begin specific training. At this point he is probably just coming off alot of miles, with little intensity under his belt. I think the older you get as a pro, the less intensity it takes for you to come into form, although that peak form is slightly less each year in your 30s.

[93legendti]

here are some pics:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=georgia053/JD05tdgstg313
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=georgia053/JD05tdgstg313
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=georgia053/gallery-georgia053

[Onno]

The photos of Armstrong in the TT are a little odd. They show the huge hump in the back (again). He looks compressed and, to my eyes, uncomfortable. Also fat. How does he get that hump, anyway? I thought the idea was to get a flat back, not just for aerodynamics, but also just for the health of your back.

I'm sure they know what they're doing. I probably look odder on my bike. Anybody watch the TT on TV? How fit does LA look?

Onno

[93legendti]

The photos of Armstrong in the TT are a little odd. They show the huge hump in the back (again). He looks compressed and, to my eyes, uncomfortable. Also fat....How fit does LA look?

Onno

Yeah, he's a pig. George is the only rider in the peloton who is fatter.


http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2005/apr05/georgia05/?id=georgia053/DSC_1563

[coylifut]

he's always rode with that hump, but he's usually not that thick. I remember back in the day, Lemond would go from off the back to off the front in short order. At this point, Lance is only competing with him self. Probably a bit hard for him to get motivated for a small American stage race.

We have now entered the silly season. All Lance needs is Manolo Saiz to start popping off at the mouth. He's largely motivated by anger.