photo by: eugene
Breaking news: Lance has officially confirmed he will start the 2009 Tour de France! After months of doubt and rumors Lance today made official what many may have suspected from the seven time former champion. This post will be updated with more details as soon as possible.
Viva Lance!!
photo by: alex_lee2001
With their first Astana training camp together starting today in Spain’s Canary Islands Contador had some interesting words regarding the team leader position and his teammate Lance Armstrong.
“If we both stick to our schedules, there won’t be a problem1”
It’s a curiously worded statement since neither riders official schedules have been announced yet. Contador has stated many times though his main objective for this season is the Tour De France and as of now it’s the one race that’s noticeably missing from Armstrong’s rumored schedule. So in other words Alberto seems to be saying “If Lance decides to race the Tour there will be a problem”. Is Contador ruling out the possibility that Lance could even ride the Tour as a supporting man for team Astana without causing problems?
Alberto did sprinkle in some lines of praise throughout the interview saying “I’m convinced he (Lance) will strengthen the team” and “For me, it’s a pleasure to be in the same team as a man whom I have always admired.1”. “Be in the same team” though also strikes me as an odd way to phrase it (though this could be just a language translation issue), instead of something like “ride alongside”, “work together in mountains”, or “challenge myself against the best rider in Tour history”.
Astana training camp runs through December 8th in Spain and I’ll keep you posted with any news as hopefully reports of Armstrong’s racing condition will also to be reported.
photo by: dangiles73
In a article just posted over on the Guardian1 they bring up a new challenge in Lance’s unlikely comeback, violent fans. Anyone who’s watched a major cycling race, especially one with a mountain finish along narrow roads knows how close cycling fans get to the action and how intense they can be. Still it’s rare for fans to cross the line from intense to intentionally aggressive. In fact many more fans seem to get tangled with their own heroes by getting overzealous in their encouragement. It’s not unheard of though and Lance recounted one of the most famous examples of fan aggression in the Guardian interview:
photo by: _Wildberry_
“Eddie Merckx would have won six Tours if he hadn’t been punched. It happens to the best of us. Eddie broke a rib, fell over and was out of the race. I try not to think about that stuff.”1
Merckx was punched by an angry french fan during stage 14 of the ‘75 Tour and went on to loose the race and retire two years later.
Anger with french cycling fans is nothing new to Armstrong though. French fans have certainly had there chances during Lance’s seven years of tour domination and from what I could find there hasn’t been anything more serious than verbal abuse and profane chalk displays on the road.
“There’re some aggressive, angry emotions [in France]. If you believe what you read my personal safety could be in jeopardy. Cycling is a sport of the open road and spectators are lining that road. I try to believe that people, even if they don’t like me, will let the race unfold.1”
It’s definitely not a world wide concern as Australian Stuart O’Grady has said that Aussie fans are ecstatic to have Armstrong back and watch him in the Tour Down Under this January. I expect this will turn out to be non-issue in the comeback and while disgruntled French (and other) fans may be more vocal I’d expect they will continue to respect the event by not interfering directly with the competition.
photo by: richardmasoner
Recent news in Italy from the Gazzetta dello Sport and reported by the Associated Press1 are claiming that Lance and his manager Johan Bruyneel will meet with Tour de France organizers before he makes a decision on whether he will ride in 2009. It’s a question that’s been a mystery every since he announced his comeback. Apparently the two sides had tried to set up a meeting shortly after the event announcing the 2009 Tour route2, but that meeting never materialized. It’s still unclear when this reported meeting will take place but it seems the result could be a huge factor in determining his status for the 2009 Tour.
photo by: joshgray
Could Lance’s comeback be more than a one year deal? Returning to professional cycling after three years off at age 37 was surprising enough, so few people have discussed the possibility that his comeback would be anything more than a one year encore. But a recent quote from Lance suggests that he hasn’t ruled out racing in 2010!
“I don’t want to rule out a second year, but I don’t want to guarantee it either,” Armstrong told the newspaper. “My performance will determine a lot of it. 1”
Could Lance be leaving the door open should he not win the 2009 Tour so he can go out on top in 2010? Or could he be leaving it open in case he does win and wants to add onto his record number of titles? Maybe he would try to capture the other two grand tour titles (Giro d’Italia & Vuelta de Espana)?
Lance also shed some light on whether or not he would race in the 2009 Tour de France:
“I’m definitely coming back to racing, and I recognize the Tour is the marquee event,” Armstrong told the Austin American-Statesman. “Chances are more likely than not that I’ll [ride in the Tour de France]. 1”
“More likely than not” would imply that Johan Bruyneel’s recent statement2 about a start being 50-50 is at least one percentage point off!
photo by: richdrogpa
Commenting after the 2009 Tour de France unveiling, Astana team manager and longtime Armstrong friend Johan Bruyneel was qouted saying there’s a “50-50″ chance Lance would start the 2009 Tour. Bruyneel added:
“For him, the goal of a comeback is not linked to an obsession to win an eighth Tour 1”
Bruyneel also chimed in on the 2009 course and whether it was favorable for Lance:
“There’s always a whole lot of comments on the course, it’s good for this guy or it’s good for that guy, ultimately it doesn’t matter,” Bruyneel said. “Ultimately the guy who wins the Tour — and I think any stage race — is the guy who is the best prepared and has the best support team, and is the most consistent. It’s as simple as that. 1”
When Lance first announced his comeback he specifically mentioned his goal of winning an eighth tour, but questions regarding his physical shape, the Tour organizers, French crowds, and surrounding the team leader position on Astana have prompted some to question whether he will indeed start the 09 Tour.
Many people including myself have a very hard time believing that Lance won’t start the tour. It’s the most prestigious cycling race in the world and the ultimate stage to bring awareness to the fight against cancer. Lance is clearly committed to the comeback and his training, and for him to come up short of winning the 2009 Tour would be surprising, but to not even start seems nearly impossible!
photo from: Tour de France Official Website
Tour organizers unveiled the route for the 2009 Tour de France 1 on Wednesday. The course has lots of surprises including a 15k time trial intro stage in Monaco, the return of the team time trial, and a massive climb up Mount Ventoux in the penultimate stage.
The route seems well fitted for Lance and his initial reactions to the course confirm that he seems to very satisfied with the setup.
“From its start in Monte Carlo with a 15k time trial, to the reinstatement of the team time trial, to stages in my old hometown of Girona all the way to another visit to my old friend the Ventoux, I could not have hoped for a different Tour. 2”
Lance also spoke highly of the committee which have shown somewhat reserved enthusiasm for the return of such a dominant man in cycling history:
“While there has been a fair bit of tension and numerous disagreements with the Tour and its organizers, I am well aware that there is new leadership at ASO and I look forward to upcoming conversations and to a mutually beneficial future together,” Armstrong said.
“Whether it’s promoting the Livestrong global cancer campaign or making the biggest bike race in the world the gem that it deserves to be, I look forward to next year. 3”
The new attitude is part of a new Lance, a man who seems much less bothered by what reporters say about him and much more concerned with the bigger picture and his fight against cancer.
“I mean, these daily or weekly [phone conferences]? Everyone’s invited. From the bitterest of rivals I’ve ever had in the pressroom: Get on call. If you’ve got a question, ask it.… They’ll realize that I’m not messing around…The constituency that I represent is now cancer survivors. 4”
Lance has come to terms that there are some people who just don’t like him or won’t ever stop suspecting him for doping.
““the people like who they like and don’t like who they don’t like. They make up their own mind. The papers loved to write that I was the most hated athlete in France, but I’m the guy who rides through that kind of shit. They don’t sit on the bike with me and so, you know, out of 100 people, did you have 10 people throwin’ shit at you, yellin’, ‘Dopé, dopé’? Yeah. But you had 90 goin’, ‘Allez Lance! Allez Lance!’ I can do the math on that. My approval rating is 90 percent. Fuckin’ A. I like that. 4”
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