Armstrong, Ullrich and Hamilton interviewed

What a race!

Tonight Danish television succeeded in getting Ullrich, Hamilton and
Armstrong to share their opinions about the already legendary crash on Luz
Ardiden.
- Ullrich was calm and smiling - for him it was natural to hold his speed,
as the yellow jersey crashed. He congratulated wholehearted Armstrong to a
beauteful victory today. He looked good - smiling and relaxed.
- Hamilton explained, that he felt it necessary to hold back the (few)
riders in the front group, who didn't understand, what is a golden rule in
the TdF for situations like this. - He was to tired he almost cried.
- Armstrong was mild and relaxed. He didn't take the final victory for
granted, but it was obvious, that he was quite confident. For him is was no
question, that the front group of course would wait for the yellow jersey -
or any other favourite - if they crashed. He was glad, smiling and
relieved - and had a clear and bright look in his eyes.

I think this is the greatest TdF in many years.
In my opinion Armstrong is one of the true great champions in the Tour
history - equal to legends like Coppi and Merckx.

I realise by now, that my personal favourite Paolo Bettini is not likely to
win the Tour - on the other hand: he is only 1.42.53 behind!
Go Paolo Go!

Thomas

Thomas Lund wrote:
I realise by now, that my personal favourite Paolo Bettini is not likely to
win the Tour - on the other hand: he is only 1.42.53 behind!
Go Paolo Go!


I'd take 3:1 odds that he wins a stage, though. Virenque is taken care of,
Rogers is too far back..... Paolo's been resting in the mountains, and
now's his time.

Tomorrow, I view him as a favorite for the win.

Dan

Daniel Connelly wrote:

Thomas Lund wrote:
I realise by now, that my personal favourite Paolo Bettini is not likely to
win the Tour - on the other hand: he is only 1.42.53 behind!
Go Paolo Go!


I'd take 3:1 odds that he wins a stage, though. Virenque is taken care of,
Rogers is too far back..... Paolo's been resting in the mountains, and
now's his time.

Tomorrow, I view him as a favorite for the win.

Dan

What? The road sign on the training rida? ;-)

"Daniel Connelly" wrote in message
...


Thomas Lund wrote:
I realise by now, that my personal favourite Paolo Bettini is not likely
to
win the Tour - on the other hand: he is only 1.42.53 behind!
Go Paolo Go!


I'd take 3:1 odds that he wins a stage, though. Virenque is taken care
of,
Rogers is too far back..... Paolo's been resting in the mountains, and
now's his time.


He hasn't been resting - yesterday he slaved and groveled for Virenque in
the break.


Tomorrow, I view him as a favorite for the win.


Bettini is the Energizer Bunny - what spirit. He's got a good a chance as
anyone.

Daniel Connelly wrote:

Thomas Lund wrote:
I realise by now, that my personal favourite Paolo Bettini is not likely to
win the Tour - on the other hand: he is only 1.42.53 behind!
Go Paolo Go!


I'd take 3:1 odds that he wins a stage, though. Virenque is taken care of,
Rogers is too far back..... Paolo's been resting in the mountains, and
now's his time.

Tomorrow, I view him as a favorite for the win.

Even though it's a rest day?

Bob Schwartz

Thomas from DK- I think this is the greatest TdF in many years.
In my opinion Armstrong is one of the true great champions in the Tour
history - equal to legends like Coppi and Merckx.
BRBR

Altho a great race and a really great rider, Lance has won something like 75
races, compared to Eddy's 535...and don't know about Fausto.

hardly equal in terms of palmares to Fausto and certainly not Eddy...


Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

Thomas from DK- I think this is the greatest TdF in many years.
In my opinion Armstrong is one of the true great champions in the Tour
history - equal to legends like Coppi and Merckx.
BRBR

Altho a great race and a really great rider, Lance has won something like 75
races, compared to Eddy's 535...and don't know about Fausto.

hardly equal in terms of palmares to Fausto and certainly not Eddy...

It sounds like the issue was limited to the Tour.

I get so tired of how such and such rider from the past is so much better
than those today because the modern guys don't have the same Palmares. Face
facts, its a different sport today. The Giro is an actual race and not just
a warm up for "The Tour". With so much more money on the line things are
more competitive. I wonder just how well Eddy, and mind you I think he was
"The King of Cycling", would do if you somehow pulled him out of his 3rd
tour or so and dropped him into this one. I'm sure that with modern
training he would still have what it takes, but I doubt if he would win. In
most sports the field has gotten deeper and it gets more and more difficult
to rise above.

Tim McTeague

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" wrote in message

Altho a great race and a really great rider, Lance has won something like
75
races, compared to Eddy's 535...and don't know about Fausto.

hardly equal in terms of palmares to Fausto and certainly not Eddy...


Peter Chisholm

In article ,
says...
I get so tired of how such and such rider from the past is so much better
than those today because the modern guys don't have the same Palmares. Face
facts, its a different sport today. The Giro is an actual race and not just
a warm up for "The Tour". With so much more money on the line things are
more competitive. I wonder just how well Eddy, and mind you I think he was
"The King of Cycling", would do if you somehow pulled him out of his 3rd
tour or so and dropped him into this one. I'm sure that with modern
training he would still have what it takes, but I doubt if he would win. In
most sports the field has gotten deeper and it gets more and more difficult
to rise above.

The only sensible comparison is asking what Eddy would be like if he was
born only 30 years ago and had broken into the sport in the modern era
with today's training, equipment, team organization, sponsorships and
prize money.

However, it's meaningless because anyone can advance an argument about
why it would be this way or that way, and no-one knows.

Rick

"Benjamin Werner" wrote in message
...

Benjo Maso made an amazing post on the french-speaking newsgroup the
other day. Coppi won the stage the first time the Tour arrived at
alpe d'Huez and Benjo compared his climbing time with the ones of this
year. Of course Coppi was slower than Lance, Mayo and the likes, but
only for a few minutes. And that was fifty years ago, with the bicycle
of the time and the road pavement of the time. Not to speak of
training methods and race conditions.

Maybye Benjo still has the figures ?

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...rlin.de&rnum=1