Will Lance quit?

Slider2699 said:

"Callistus Valerius" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've heard Lance say that if he can't win the tdf, that he would quit. If it becomes evident in
the next couple of stages, that Lance can't win,

will

Quoted message said:

he quit?

The man doesn't have any quit in him. Geez, he overcame CANCER, and you think he'll quit a bike
race if he gets behind? Get a clue.

He *could* think about the Vuelta. But I believe you're right.

Jonathan v.d. Sluis said:

If Armstrong is counting on Ullrich to have a bad day, he's making a big mistake.

Ullrich is allegedly having a bad day. (Waiting for the proof on the first climb however)

Keith said:

Corey Green said:

Have to agree with you there. He already proved he could gain time on Ullrich in the mountains -
tomorrow through Tuesday we should see more of the same.

Yeah but that was when he gained time on him in ITT's too (2000 and
2001). While that doesn't mean it will be reversed this year, it certainly shouldn't be inferred
from 2000/2001 that the same will happen this year. In the Alpe d'Huez, Ullrich was
recovering fom a nasty stomach problem

Looks like maybe more of the same today.

Isidor Gunsberg said:

Unlike Merckx, Armstrong only races flat out on just a few stages. A time trial is definitely
one of them.

He needs to win a stage in the Pyrenees, since otherwise he faces the prospect of winning
the TDF, yet without winning a single stage.

According to letour.com:

2003 not ranked o Wore the yellow jersey o 1 stage victory : Stage 4 : JOINVILLE - SAINT-DIZIER

(the TTT)

warren said:

Quoted message said:

"Fred Marx" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

the OLN video from the end of the evening coverage sure didn't look good as they compared LA
to JU.. Lance looked spent and Jan looked like he'd had a good workout...

That's what winning looks like.

-WG

I love the smell of bike lube in the morning...

David Ryan <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Isidor Gunsberg said:

Unlike Merckx, Armstrong only races flat out on just a few stages. A time trial is definitely
one of them.

He needs to win a stage in the Pyrenees, since otherwise he faces the prospect of winning
the TDF, yet without winning a single stage.

According to letour.com:

2003 not ranked o Wore the yellow jersey o 1 stage victory : Stage 4 : JOINVILLE - SAINT-DIZIER

(the TTT)

Thanks for sharing. I thought that it was rather obvious, and hence, could be left unwritten,
that a win in a Team Time Trial (TTT) stage does not accrue much glory to the Individual
racer. Wins in Individual Time Trials (ITTs) have the greatest prestige, followed by wins in
the major mountain stages, followed by wins in the more glamorous of the sprint (flat) stages.
The key is that while one's team can provide assistance (except in the ITTs), a stage win
manifests a significant level of achievement by the rider who must ultimately make a
substantial individual effort.

Of course, it is expected that on newsgroups one will encounter some nitpicking by the
occasional pedant, although I'm not inclined to stoop to such pedantry myself.

So congratulations: Technically, you are correct.

Isidor Gunsberg said:

Wins in Individual Time Trials (ITTs) have the greatest prestige, followed by wins in the major
mountain stages, followed by wins in the more glamorous of the sprint (flat) stages.

I disagree. For me, wins with the greatest prestige are those in mountain stages with mountain top
finishes where the winner has the fastest climb of the day.

"David Ryan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Ullrich is allegedly having a bad day.

Listening to Virenque on France 2 after the race Ulrich had to stop with a bad case of the runs. His
shorts were put straight into a plastic bag at the end of the stage. Pretty sure sign of dehydration
(well not so pretty)... A demain Dan

"Isidor Gunsberg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

David Ryan <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Isidor Gunsberg said:

Unlike Merckx, Armstrong only races flat out on just a few stages. A time trial is
definitely one of them.

He needs to win a stage in the Pyrenees, since otherwise he faces the prospect of
winning the TDF, yet without winning a single stage.

According to letour.com:

2003 not ranked o Wore the yellow jersey o 1 stage victory : Stage 4 : JOINVILLE - SAINT-DIZIER

(the TTT)

Thanks for sharing. I thought that it was rather obvious, and hence, could be left unwritten,
that a win in a Team Time Trial (TTT) stage does not accrue much glory to the Individual racer.
Wins in Individual Time Trials (ITTs) have the greatest prestige, followed by wins in the major
mountain stages, followed by wins in the more glamorous of the sprint (flat) stages. The key is
that while one's team can provide assistance (except in the ITTs), a stage win manifests a
significant level of achievement by the rider who must ultimately make a substantial individual
effort.

Of course, it is expected that on newsgroups one will encounter some nitpicking by the
occasional pedant, although I'm not inclined to stoop to such pedantry myself.

So congratulations: Technically, you are correct.

I actually agree that with regard to the pressure of the GC winner to win a stage, the TTT does not
really satisfy the desire to shoe oneself as the strongest rider.

I do not agree that an ITT is more important than a mountain stage. They are probably equally
prestigious.

"Ewoud Dronkert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Isidor Gunsberg said:

Wins in Individual Time Trials (ITTs) have the greatest prestige, followed by wins in the major
mountain stages, followed by wins in the more glamorous of the sprint (flat) stages.

I disagree. For me, wins with the greatest prestige are those in mountain stages with mountain top
finishes where the winner has the fastest climb of the day.

Absolutely. I would take it one step further and say that any winner of a mountain stage that sets a
record for the final climb along the way will not soon be forgotten.

In article said:

"Ewoud Dronkert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Isidor Gunsberg said:

Wins in Individual Time Trials (ITTs) have the greatest prestige, followed by wins in the
major mountain stages, followed by wins in the more glamorous of the sprint (flat) stages.

I disagree. For me, wins with the greatest prestige are those in mountain stages with mountain
top finishes where the winner has the fastest climb of the day.

Absolutely. I would take it one step further and say that any winner of a mountain stage that sets
a record for the final climb along the way will not soon be forgotten.

Nah, the wins where there was alot at stake are the most memorable. Today for example. I could care
less what time for the climb was.

-WG

"Nick Burns" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

"Isidor Gunsberg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

David Ryan <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Isidor Gunsberg wrote:
>
> Unlike Merckx, Armstrong only races flat out on just a few stages. A time trial is
> definitely one of them.
>
> He needs to win a stage in the Pyrenees, since otherwise he faces the prospect of
> winning the TDF, yet without winning a single stage.

According to letour.com:

2003 not ranked o Wore the yellow jersey o 1 stage victory : Stage 4 : JOINVILLE -
SAINT-DIZIER

(the TTT)

Thanks for sharing. I thought that it was rather obvious, and hence, could be left unwritten,
that a win in a Team Time Trial (TTT) stage does not accrue much glory to the Individual
racer. Wins in Individual Time Trials (ITTs) have the greatest prestige, followed by wins in
the major mountain stages, followed by wins in the more glamorous of the sprint (flat)
stages. The key is that while one's team can provide assistance (except in the ITTs), a stage
win manifests a significant level of achievement by the rider who must ultimately make a
substantial individual effort.

Of course, it is expected that on newsgroups one will encounter some nitpicking by the
occasional pedant, although I'm not inclined to stoop to such pedantry myself.

So congratulations: Technically, you are correct.

I actually agree that with regard to the pressure of the GC winner to win a stage, the TTT does
not really satisfy the desire to shoe oneself as the strongest rider.

I do not agree that an ITT is more important than a mountain stage. They are probably equally
prestigious.

The reason why I consider an Individual Time Trial stage win to be more prestigous is that in
the ITT, the winning rider and his main riders are almost always riding for a maximum result--to
ride as fast as possible.

Yet, it is often the case in Mountain stages that one of the top riders, vying for GC, will not
be so concerned about actually winning the stage. Theor main concern is to take time from their
main rivals. It was just a few years ago that Armstrong basically allowed Pantini to win the
stage at the Mt. Ventoux climb, by not sprinting at the end. One gets the sense that the
"Padroni" (in this case, Armstrong), might be inclined to dole out a few favors, by letting
other riders take the glory of the stage win. And Mt. Ventoux is one of the major 3-4 "legendary
" mountain stages.

Also, as one can see from the Pyrenees stages, a rider like Sastre or Simoni is allowed to break,
because they are not deemed to be a threat. Their attack is parried. Such a rider, who is not
really competing for a high place, can afford to burn all his energy on the one stage. Often, he
conserves energy in the prior stage by riding in a trailing grupetto. And the next stage, they
finish back in the pack. So, a rider may win a mountain stage, but yet end up losing 20-30
minutes to the GC leaders, over all three stages.