I have missed the last couple of days of TdF coverage but from bits I have read Armstrong seems to be doing little except frittering time and not giving support to members of his own team despite claiming he would? There seem to be quite a few comments on him 'disrespecting' the race. There seems almost no comment about him on the round up coverage or in the papers, its like he has fallen off the face of the earth.

A lot of the fans seem to be waiting for his 'big move' where he will take a dramatic stage win and go back to being the hero of the race. Anyone here think he will make a serious attempt?

I wonder if his sponsors are pressing for some kind of action or if they too are hoping his profile remains low?

hmmm, maybe his tank's just run out? He had to do a fair bit of fighting back on those first few days & his recovery probably isn't what it used to be. What about all the other riders you never ever here of 'disrespecting the tour' even though they're only just hanging in there. don't understand the comments that he's disrespecting it!

I just don't think he has it in him to do anything, he doesn't look to be in the shape he has been in the past, he looks to be carrying a couple of extra kilos.
He was involved in a couple of crashes because he was unable to keep himself at the front of the peloton and away from danger, something he was a master at when he was winning.
Its just a tour too many for him.

Why are poeple giving him so much stick? He could easily pack in but thats not Armstrong is it? He will go out on the TT I am sure.

What about Wiggo? Hes shit aint he? Doing **** all!

What about Wiggo? Hes shit aint he? Doing **** all!

To be fair, that's pretty much his own words from the press conference. Got to repsect his honesty.

"To be honest with you, I am f**ked, mate. It is as simple as that, I ain't going to lie to you,"

His performance this year is about par for a guy his age – given that with all the adverse publicity driven by Landis, he's most likely not receiving any 'assistance'?

I bet Wiggo wishes he was back home with the family – dream gone sour – or was it ever a realistic target?

Wiggo is giving it full gas though. Just doesn't seem to be getting him much in terms of results.

Anyway, I can only assume that the Armstrong situation is down to one of two things. Either he has no form at all so even if he was going for it, he'd still be nowhere but may look silly doing it. Or, more likely I reckon, he'll go for a solo on one of the stages coming up and he's taking it very easy to try and be in the best possible form when he does. His comments about not being gifted a stage seem to suggest that's what he's thinking too.

Now, the reasons for him having poor form even compared to last year could be much more interesting…

MartinGT – Member

Why are poeple giving him so much stick? He could easily pack in but thats not Armstrong is it? He will go out on the TT I am sure.

What about Wiggo? Hes shit aint he? Doing **** all!

One of them has won it a record 7 times, one of them came 4th once, guess which one is going to be talked about most.
I haven't heard many giving him a hard time just a fairly realistic analysis of a disappointing performance.

I respect Wiggins for being honest and for trying hard. I must admit I find it sad but satisfying to see Armstrong struggle as he has been so boastful about himself and so deeply nasty to other riders and people in the past. I too have wondered if he was getting less 'assistance' from things this year. It seems very improbable that someone could deteriorate so hugely in just a single year from ageing. If everyone deteriorated physically at that rate, we would all be dead by 45.

Radio Shack are 2nd in the team standings. Armstrong will be contributing to that.
Wiggins 18th overall – still pretty good for a brutally hot race. He just hasn't got that extra few percent to give this time.

A generous reading of the situation would be that he's just putting enough time between himself and the leaders so he can go for it on the Tourmalet without being chased down by Schleck and Contador? Although considering the bad blood between them, Contador will probably chase him down anyway.

No chance – it'll suit AC just fine if LA goes off on a break and no one chases because it's good TV to let him win.

Has Armstrong tarnished or enhanced his place in history by coming back from retirement this year and last? Personally I think going out at the top is kind of cool.

I always think it's a bit cowardly retiring whilst at the top. Like they can't stand to be beaten once they've got there. I have more respect for those who keep going and leave the sport when they know they're no longer good enough. It's also much more interesting from a spectator's point of view as it leaves no un-answered questions of how much more they could have achieved.

For me, Armstrong is on his farewell lap of France. I sincerely hope he enjoys it before the shit hits the fan back home.
Whatever enhancements he ever embraced, he was certainly not the only one by a long way. He was also a total traditionalist in his 'deny, deny, deny' attitude. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Wiggins is disarming in his honesty. He said yesterday that 'last year was a bit of a fluke'. I bet his manager enjoyed that one.

Interesting – I see it completely the other way. Hanging on too long when you have been the best for me is a sign of desperation and desire to relive past glories plus a fear of the unknown of new challenges.

LA has indicated an interest in having another crack at triathlon and might well do Hawaii next year according to the rumours. To be honest he will be ripped apart as a top pro now so will probably do it as an enthusiastic amateur like he did his marathons. If he had switched straight to it, there is every chance he could have gone big which would have been a hell of an accolade (to be "the best" in two different sports).

I guess there's a difference between hanging on too long to relive past glories and being beaten whilst still being competitive. As far as LA goes I think last year was maybe the latter, and this year the former. TBH I don't think LA should have retired in the first place, and think it was more down to politics that he did. Although this is ignoring any questions about his 'cleanliness' or otherwise.

I'm not quite sure why people are slagging Armstrong off so much just because he's not right at the top.

He's still 38th out of a field of 175 (still riding) in the hardest cycle race in the world.
Wiggins too – he's 18th.

Not great by their previous standards but hardly sh*t.

Its just a tour too many for him.

Says it best however he will be endearing himself to previous Lance haters in the French public if he finishes the Tour even if its 100th.

That will show a respect for the Tour.

I admire anyone who can keep getting on their bike when taking a beating

no-one on this forum (including me) will know what those guys go through

pop psycology from arm chair pundits is just symptomatic of the times

IMHO he is going to go for a long break for the toumalet summit finish, hence dropping like a stone on GC. Fitting end to a great tdf career.

(unless he's a doper, then or now)

glenh – Member

I'm not quite sure why people are slagging Armstrong off so much just because he's not right at the top.

He's still 38th out of a field of 175 (still riding) in the hardest cycle race in the world.
Wiggins too – he's 18th.

Not great by their previous standards but hardly sh*t.

No one is slagging him off ffs!

Armstrong seems to be doing little except frittering time and not giving support to members of his own team despite claiming he would?

Well I'm certainly not. I think it would be a fantastic end to a brilliant career if he could pull off a victory on the Tourmalet. It's a big ask though as a lot of riders will after the win on Thursday given the added 'romance' of the stage.

The likelihood of lala being in the first 10 of any stage remaining in the Tour this year is, well, about the same as Bradley getting on the podium on Sunday next week.
I'm more interesting in seeing whether Vinokourov relives 2007 and goes out ona big, ultimately suicidal, ride today.

38 and a third in the tour of Luxembourg and second in the tour of Switzerland only a month earlier loosing by 12 seconds to Schleck. Perhaps he just peeked too early because to me that it does not seem all that bad. Yes he is not doing that well but he has had a pretty tuff year and pretty hard tour. I don't think that I could do any better.

Taken too much on his plate this year then?

Maybe.
Perhaps as his body has aged his formula for peaking at the right time for the tour is a bit out.
He certainly looked on great form in the tour of Switzerland last month and as mentioned above, very nearly won, coming second by only 12 seconds.

He does look pretty cooked, rather than just deliberately letting things go so he can attack later but you never know maybe he will surprise me.

I don't like him but I think he retired at the right time, he had nothing left to prove and it's not exactly an easy life (you could also say he was nervous over testing…). Don't blame him for trying to make a comeback either, turns out he missed it more than he thought he would, don't think it will blight his record in sporting history though.

Sky should just turn Wiggo back into a prologue specialist and buy Contador for next year…

Sky should just turn Wiggo back into a prologue specialist and buy Contador for next year.

Yeah agreed – I'm sure Sky have already worked that one out.

They'll need to add Navarro too – brilliant performance this year – and a few other climbing super-domestiques.

There's a theory that Lance is letting the leaders get 30 mins on him so they'll let him get away for a death-or-glory breakaway. Can't see it myself. Suspect he's also got rather more on his mind at the moment.

From Lemonds era- everyone was knocking back the drugs right?

hora – I think you might want to consider how tasteless your last post was.

So, how come that in the late 90s lala was very publicly quoted as being a co-owner of Tailwind Sports that now lala can't actually remember when he ended up having a small share in the business? there's a lot of press in the US now about how even his media managers are unable to work out how to come to terms with his impending appearance before the federal investigators.

couple of things which have pissed me off about armstrong this year.

if he is so tired, why isn't he working for levi? he can give it big guns at the front for 2 / 3 km of each climb to give him the support he needs, then fall off. Levis done it for him often enough, but LA is just selfish to even consider it.

his attitude towards Contador continues to be disgusting, not a surprise, as anyone who challenges his ego is normally teated in this way.

horrible man

So, how come that in the late 90s lala was very publicly quoted as being a co-owner of Tailwind Sports that now lala can't actually remember when he ended up having a small share in the business?

Because the Federal investigation is targeting the people who might have defrauded the US government (in effect). That means the owners of the team (eg Tailwind). If Lance can show that he was 'just a rider' on the team then that could lead to a very different outcome for him…

Just came across this

"Back in our heyday, we never gave anything away. I don't want them saying, 'Let the old man have one.' That's not what this event is about. It's a hard sporting event. The best guy is supposed to win on a daily basis, on a three-week basis."

So is he trying to tell everyone he is so loved by the other riders they would do this? I wonder how well liked he is by the peleton?

He seems a very ruthless man, but curiously I have found in daily life that a lot of people seem to like and admire selfish ruthless personalities, even if they are the ones getting crushed by them in the process. People puzzle me. People seem to follow strong leaders almost like sheep, even if the path is idiotic, they follow.

In 98 I was so pleased when lala returned to cycling, then I read his book.

I'm not quite sure why people are slagging Armstrong off so much just because he's not right at the top.

He's still 38th out of a field of 175 (still riding) in the hardest cycle race in the world.
Wiggins too – he's 18th.

Not great by their previous standards but hardly sh*t.

+1
He's not where he was but his comeback has hardly been an embarrassment. He's had more than his share of bad luck this tour, although you could argue that luck follows form. If I were him I'd cruise round taking in the view and go for a stage if the opportunity presented itself and I was feeling good for it.

I would be less interested in his position/downfall if he had not spent so much time slagging off other people and bigging up himself over the last 18 months plus. The ego has landed. If he had been a decent human being I would be rooting for him now.

Wiggins is not doing great but deserves admiration – he does not openly trash other people or treat his colleagues like scum (as Contador got to experience).

Wish he wouldn't retire if he can come back next year even if its just to support the team in the top 30 riders as he's still a great rider.
I'm not expecting big things but I think he can still pull off podiums like in Lux etc. He's had some shoddy luck/crashes as has Cadel Evans.

I wouldn't talk down any rider in Le Tour-its not an easy thing to do and we're here behind a pc…LOL