Tour de France 2009 - Guaranteed doping free thread

[drghfx]

I'm curious how you guys think the whole scenario should have played out.
How would Astana have decided who was going to win if Lance was incapable of showing any superiority and AC wasn't allowed to.
Wouldn't that have pretty much handed the win to someone else?

But he was allowed to go... and when he did, he flew. It's just not always the smartest thing to do, and it's not always what's in the best interests of the team he's a part of (for the next few months, anyway).

jono

My suspicion is that he didn't trust the Manager and Armstrong. I think he thought (rightly or wrongly) that if given the opportunity they would plot to get Armstrong in the yellow jersey and not him. He wanted to build enough of a lead that they couldn't do that.

Personally it seems to me the Manager screwed up by putting Armstrong on the team. It was Contador's team and then they brought Armstrong onboard. Reliaistically I don't think anyone thought Lance was gong on Astana to do anything but win the TDF. Realistically I don't think anyone thought that Contador would embrace Armstrong coming on the team and I'm sure everyone thought there would be an impact on the team dynamics with two alpha males and both with friends on the team. BTW I would say the same if Armstrong was first on the team and they decided to bring on Contador. It was just a bad decision IMHO.

[DeltaTrev]

So lets see, Astana, which was run by Bruyneel, with help from Lance captures 1st, 3rd, and 6th, while losing a team member that had a great chance for a podium (Levi), possibly one of the most dominant team overall showing ever....and people still want to bash Lance.

....and slamming Lance for announcing a new team for next year during the Tour....isn't that very savvy marketing ???...and its a business, so isn't that what you are supposed to do ???.....especially as everyone knows that the left overs of Astana will be run by Vino next year (and won't be invited to any of the Grand Tours).

Lets see what Contadors new team looks like next year, hope he does better than Sastre

..........lots of sour grapes from people that just wanted Lance to fail.....and cannot stand to see him succeed

[drghfx]

....and slamming Lance for announcing a new team for next year during the Tour....isn't that very savvy marketing ???...and its a business, so isn't that what you are supposed to do ???.....especially as everyone knows that the left overs of Astana will be run by Vino next year (and won't be invited to any of the Grand Tours).

I don't know how cycling works but, in major North American sports, the time during their playoffs, which is their highest profile moment, anyone else announcing anything like a free agent signing, is an absolute faux pas and is highly criticized. That's because marketing of the sport, in general, is more important than the individual teams. I have to admit I was quite surprised they took the Tour to annouce this, but maybe cycling works differently than NA sports.

[trixiee]

....and slamming Lance for announcing a new team for next year during the Tour....isn't that very savvy marketing ???...and its a business, so isn't that what you are supposed to do ???.....especially as everyone knows that the left overs of Astana will be run by Vino next year (and won't be invited to any of the Grand Tours).

I don't know how cycling works but, in major North American sports, the time during their playoffs, which is their highest profile moment, anyone else announcing anything like a free agent signing, is an absolute faux pas and is highly criticized. That's because marketing of the sport, in general, is more important than the individual teams. I have to admit I was quite surprised they took the Tour to annouce this, but maybe cycling works differently than NA sports.

In my opinion, globally, European Cycling is way bigger than hockey, and the interest is growing in North America, so all of the "Soap Opera" is prety much scripted to keep people interested in the sport.

[DeltaTrev]

....and slamming Lance for announcing a new team for next year during the Tour....isn't that very savvy marketing ???...and its a business, so isn't that what you are supposed to do ???.....especially as everyone knows that the left overs of Astana will be run by Vino next year (and won't be invited to any of the Grand Tours).

I don't know how cycling works but, in major North American sports, the time during their playoffs, which is their highest profile moment, anyone else announcing anything like a free agent signing, is an absolute faux pas and is highly criticized. That's because marketing of the sport, in general, is more important than the individual teams. I have to admit I was quite surprised they took the Tour to annouce this, but maybe cycling works differently than NA sports.

"Le Tour" is just one race (the biggest, but just one), in a full year. In bike racing the "team" is more important than one rider (even Lance, or Cavandish), as the top riders are only in top form for a short while, but sponsors want results all year......and that is what seperates Bruyneel from the rest, he only needs to win the tour to have a full year.
Sports teams/etc in NA really do work totally differently than almost the rest of the world....but NA in general only follows bike racing during the Tour, so its like watching a 7 game Stanley cup final series, and not seeing any other hockey at any other level all year, what chance would you have of understanding Don Cherry ????

[seuss]

what chance would you have of understanding Don Cherry ????

does anyone actually understand him?

[drghfx]

I was just listening to Pardon The Interruption on TSN and they said that Armstrong, instead of celebrating the end of the Tour with his Astana teammates, went and celebrated with members of his next year's Radio Shack team. Wilbon (sp?) said if a basketball player did this he would be ripped as not being a team player.

...Ah... a little bit more detail from Velo News. Maybe Contador had a little bit of cause for dumping on Lance.

http://velonews.com/article/96014/armst ... g-contador

Armstrong skips party honoring Contador
By Agence France Presse
Published: Jul. 26, 2009
Lance Armstrong admitted on Sunday that he did not join his teammates in celebrating Alberto Contador's Tour de France triumph on Saturday night, preferring instead to go for drinks with the backers of his future outfit, Team RadioShack.

"To be honest, I went out for dinner with the RadioShack guys and I had a few extra glasses of wine than I would have normally done," said Armstrong.

The 37-year-old Armstrong finished third overall after Sunday's 21st and final stage, nearly five and a half minutes behind Contador, who took the yellow jersey on stage 15 to Verbiers and kept it all the way to Paris.

Armstrong had been in contention to wear the yellow jersey early on, having been in the general classification's top five since the third stage, but was made to work for his third place in the final days after late challenges from Garmin's Bradley Wiggins and Saxo Bank's Fränk Schleck.

Contador and runner-up Andy Schleck proved strongest in the mountains, and Armstrong said he had no complaints.

"I came here to do my best and I came across some guys who were clearly better than me," he said. "I don't have any regrets. I got put out a couple of times, but considering my age and recent racing, it's not a bad performance overall."

Next year he hopes to return to the Tour with his new team. But for now, Armstrong said, he’s ready for a break.

"I am ready to go home. It's been a long three weeks as usual," he said. "It's stressful and there are a lot of commitments outside of riding the bike race.

"I am ready to go on vacation for sure."

[La]

I was just listening to Pardon The Interruption on TSN and they said that Armstrong, instead of celebrating the end of the Tour with his Astana teammates, went and celebrated with members of his next year's Radio Shack team. Wilbon (sp?) said if a basketball player did this he would be ripped as not being a team player.

...Ah... a little bit more detail from Velo News. Maybe Contador had a little bit of cause for dumping on Lance.

I think it's a bit of a chicken-egg thing. Lance was pissed at AC for blowing the team's chances of sweeping the podium, so of course he wouldn't be interested in celebrating his victory. On the flip side, AC was likely pissed at LA/Bruyneel, which is why he took the "screw you" attitude and rode for himself instead of in the best interest of his team.

[runningman]

Contador's comment that "he never had respect for Lance and he never will", IMHO would be no different than a guy like Crosby coming in, playing with Lemieux and saying the same thing. That comment really has me puzzled.

As far as going to the celebration party, if there was that much animosity between the two of them, why would he go? Even in other sports, there's always groups that hang out, and players that get along well and others you can hardly keep in the same dressing room. No big deal, thats the way it is in competitive sports.

Teams aren't in a pink cloud where everyone loves each other regardless of personalities.

[jonovision_man]

"To be honest, I went out for dinner with the RadioShack guys and I had a few extra glasses of wine than I would have normally done," said Armstrong.

Don't drink and Twitter.

jono

[DeltaTrev]

"To be honest, I went out for dinner with the RadioShack guys and I had a few extra glasses of wine than I would have normally done," said Armstrong.

Don't drink and Twitter.

jono

Lets be honnest...get drunk with your friends, including some of your team-mates, and TV guys or go to the offical "Astana" function hosted by the Kazach goverment, that has already told you that "Vino" will run the team next year, not Bruyneel.......and that Contador has to be at.

I'd drink so much wine, I couldn't twitter

[HCcD]

McQuaid: No doping positives at '09 Tour

By VeloNews.com
Published: Aug. 24, 2009

UCI president Pat McQuaid told Reuters on Sunday that there were no positive tests at this year’s Tour de France.

Based on controls taken so far, McQuaid said he is optimistic about the future of the sport.

"At this point in time I haven't heard of any positive tests at this year's Tour de France or that we're checking samples to confirm positives,” McQuaid told Reuters’ Stephen Farrand. "It's looking like the Tour de France will not have any positive tests for a number of years.”

McQuaid spoke to reporters Sunday during the final stage of the Tour of Ireland.

McQuaid said the introduction of the biological passport during the 2008 season has helped tighten the noose on would-be cheaters.

Despite a string of high-profile doping cases going into the 2009 season, McQuaid said he believes the sport has turned the corner on the doping issue.

"It's been a difficult moment for cycling because of the doping scandals but I think we're coming out of it and going into a good period," McQuaid said. “I think that's a big step forward for cycling."

The Tour, however, is still confronting a doping case with Basque rider Mikel Astarloza (Euskaltel-Euskadi), who tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO in an out-of-competition test taken just days before the start of the 2009 Tour.

Astarloza went on to win a stage in the Alps, only to have the results of the positive test disclosed in August.

Astarloza denies charges that he was taking EPO.

In another case not linked to the Tour, Giro d’Italia runner-up Danilo Di Luca tested positive for EPO. He’s since been fired by his LPR team.






http://www.velonews.com/article/97080/mcquaid-no-doping-positives-at--09-tour

[La]

Um, Andy... wasn't this supposed to be the doping free thread??? You should post this in the other thread.

[HCcD]

Um, Andy... wasn't this supposed to be the doping free thread??? You should post this in the other thread.

Umm, this is the correct thread ..... confirming that there was No Positive
Drug Tests this year on the Tour ... the stuff about the positive stuff was before the Tour started

McQuaid: No doping positives at '09 Tour

[La]

Um, Andy... wasn't this supposed to be the doping free thread??? You should post this in the other thread.

Umm, this is the correct thread ..... confirming that there was No Positive
Drug Tests this year on the Tour ... the stuff about the positive stuff was before the Tour started

McQuaid: No doping positives at '09 Tour

The discussion of whether people doped, didn't dope, or just didn't get caught (the natural progression from your post) belongs in the other thread.

[HCcD]

Um, Andy... wasn't this supposed to be the doping free thread??? You should post this in the other thread.

Umm, this is the correct thread ..... confirming that there was No Positive
Drug Tests this year on the Tour ... the stuff about the positive stuff was before the Tour started

McQuaid: No doping positives at '09 Tour

The discussion of whether people doped, didn't dope, or just didn't get caught (the natural progression from your post) belongs in the other thread.

Boy, am I a dope .. :wall: My head hurts now, trying to figure out what you just said ... Perhaps, if I have a few drinks or some advil/tylenol/motrin, it may sound clearer to my headache ....

[La]

Thanks, Andy.