Posted on 07/23/2005 11:51:40 PM PDT by lowbuck
Paris may have missed out on the Olympics, but the City of Love was last night preparing to celebrate a pair of monumental sporting occurrences in the form of Lance Armstrong's seventh Tour de France victory and the end of the Texan's glorious career.
As predicted, Armstrong yesterday won the Tour's final time trial for the sixth time in seven years and in doing so ensured that he would not become the first rider since Greg Lemond in 1990 to win the Tour without bagging a single stage win. On a tricky, 55.5km circuit around St-Etienne, Armstrong prevailed by 23 seconds over Jan Ullrich and by almost two minutes over Ivan Basso, who entered the stage as his closest challenger in the overall rankings. With today's final stage from Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris and the Champs Elysées a mere lap of honour which will double as a retirement party, Armstrong will tonight be toasting his seventh straight victory by a margin of more than four minutes over Basso.
Ullrich yesterday booked the prized third berth on the final podium at the expense of Michael Rasmussen. In third place yesterday, Rasmussen was forced to stop four times by a catalogue of falls and mechanical problems en route a 77th place finish in St-Etienne. This translated into a nose-dive from third to seventh in the standings.
Armstrong, meanwhile, admitted last night that he was within touching distance of his "dream" of retiring with his undefeated Tour record since 1999 and the aura of immortality which goes with it intact. In other words, unlike the quartet of five-time winners he emulated in 2003 and then surpassed a year later, the American will be bowing out on his own terms. Not only does this set him apart from sporting greats like Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan, it also explains why Armstrong is ruling out an encore.
Armstrong will also be quietly delighted that he is leaving a tantalising question: "How long could he have gone on winning?" Some, like the 33-year-old's Discovery Channel sports director Dirk Demol, suspect that, by retiring, the American is denying himself a realistic chance of winning eight or even nine Tours. Christian Prudhomme, who will direct the first Tour of the post-Armstrong era next year, agrees. "Nothing that I've seen in this race indicates to me that he couldn't have won again in 2006. Granted, this year he hasn't been as despotic as usual, and perhaps Basso has made him hurt in the mountains, but how much time has Armstrong lost?"
According to one hypothesis, the seasons Armstrong lost to cancer spared him two years of cycling-induced wear and tear. This, say some coaches, gives him a "virtual" age of 31 or 32 and up to two years of peak performance still to exploit.
Not everyone is convinced, however. Professor Edward Coyle, who conducted regular physiological tests on Armstrong between 1991 and 1999, stated in a recent article in the Journal of Applied Physiology that neither surgery nor chemotherapy had any effect on Armstrong's physical capacities after his recovery.
A fellow cancer survivor, Patrick Lefévère, the manager of the Quick-Step team, added yesterday: "What's to say that the chemotherapy didn't age him by another five years or more? It's all speculation. Where cancer has played a role in Armstrong's success is perhaps in raising his pain threshold way above other riders."
Armstrong deflected the question, saying: "Next year could have been the year when others made the big step up and I went the other way. I might have lost by five minutes." The answer was characteristic of Armstrong's demeanour over the past three weeks, which has alternated moments of demob happiness with signs of mental fatigue. Whereas previously he has riled against the media or the rivals which he termed "chumps" last year, he has been most animated this year grumbling about the long journeys to hotels between stages. With nothing or no-one to raise his heckles this time around, it seems that Armstrong is finally happy to lay down his arms.
The legacy the American will leave behind is, of course, the subject of intense debate this weekend. Riders and team-managers invariably talk about his professionalism and obsession with the Tour. Referring to Armstrong's habit of using every race prior to the Tour as training, and skipping every race after it, the Liberty Seguros team manager Manolo Saiz remarked yesterday that Armstrong had given "a lot to the Tour, but not much to cycling". Others regret that, as a scandal-blighted sport's emblematic figure, he has failed to play a more active role in combating doping.
But so huge is the Armstrong phenomenon that some believe it has bypassed cycling completely. One area where his contribution will not be forgotten is in the cancer community. Chris Brewer, diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and now a senior figure in the Lance Armstrong Foundation charity, said: "I think that Lance's legacy will be far greater in the cancer community than in cycling. The day when Lance stood on the podium on the Champs Elysées in 1999 changed everything for cancer survivors. He gave and still gives hope to millions."
Only if a recurrence befalls him. If he's clear of cancer, Lance will transcend the world of sports. He will be a part of the public spectrum for years to come because of his foundation.
People who don't view cycling as other mainstram sports may not yet understand how big he is about to become. For all intents and purposes he will be another Michael or Tiger. He will take home a half million for winning the tour, and untold millions in future advertising endorsements.
Not to mention that he's likely to be heavily involved in training up the next team... and his cancer foundation...
and hopefully NOT as a political lapdog for Kerry. (I can't believe they gave Kerry face time today.)
What about announcer for future tours? That's a possibility. He's very tactful with words when he wants to be.
He divides his winning up among is Discovery (previously Postal) teammates. He makes over $10 million/year currently by endorsements alone.
He is soon to become a brand name in biking. He is going nowhere.
He will take home a half million for winning the tour...
It's traditional that the winner of the Tour de France gives his portion of the prize money to his teammates, so he banks nothing from the Tour win itself. You're right, though, about the endorsement deals and the like.
Won't take that long. It's terminally boring now.
Ping!
Isn't it obvious that this guy is juiced?
The smartest guy in the US Postal Service is whoever decided Armstrong was worth spending money on in order to sponsor him. Every time Armstrong wins another Tour de France the USPS logo is prominently emblazoned on his shirt. It's an advertising coup most companies can only dream about.
Are you thinking drugs? Lance is the most drug-tested athelete in sports. He has never tested positive.
It may appear so on the surface but, you may not know that he is probably the the most scientifically trained cyclist in history. It is well documented that he is blessed from the start with an incredidible physiology. Beyond that, every detail of his training is meticulously managed with one goal in mind: Winning the TdF.
The basic method of periodization or training up to a specific event is not new or unique. You can't peak all year so you train for peaks at specific races. What is different is the obsession with which LA has followed it with regards to the Tour. Another method which is not so common among his opponents is, riding the route, especially the climbs, over and over again during the off season. These methods don't require drugs, only singel mindedness and grit.
The only valid debate as far as I'm concerned is: How would he have faired if he raced a full season like Merckx or Coppi? In the old days, a champion was expected to appear, compete and win throughout the season not just the major tours. My opinion? He is a remarkable athelete that could have competed head to head with any of the greats.
Was last year. The team is now sponsored by the Discovery Channel.
I just know that he is giving a co-worker great joy and hope for her own cancer survival. If I knew how to ZOT you, I would.
You got it. I can't wait for this to end. Nobody in this country gives a crap about cycling. Thankfully just like soccer after the world cup it will go away soon!
No, but I believe you are homosexual. Of course I am saying that without any evidence, just as you made your silly ass statement.
As Lance puts it to France , I dance .
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