FanNation - The Republic of Sport

People that could beat him -

Sastre
Evans
Contador
Leipheimer
Menchov

Contador and Leipheimer will be on his team. Sastre won't be as good next year with his good team, so I would say his real competitors will be Evans and Menchov.

You forgot Frank and Andy Schleck

none of the guys mentioned can even hold a candle to armstrong, except maybe contador. The others just lack that extra gear (or gears) to keep up with him. hands down, if armstrong is racing the tour next year, baring a bad crash of course, will win. he's in a totally different class.

Greg LeMond just got served another heaping bowl of sour grapes! He's been moaning and crying like a jealous school girl ever since Lance took over pro cycling. I love it and I hope he wins another Tour de France.

I almost forgot to mention, the Russians have a new rider who is decribed as a real beast. I think his name is Vladnorka or something like that and there is speculation that he is actually a black bear.

i don't like him coming back he went out in style it should stay that way.you know some, the europeans despisse him especially the french they gonna try to embarass him or set him up with some doping allegation to tarnish his image.but again we don't know his financial situation a lot pro athletes 2-3 years in to retirement they go broke

Bottom Line. If he was not in top physical shape, he would not be back.
Hell win.

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 04:51 PM ET  09.10 by Jibber

You forgot Frank and Andy Schleck

Frank and Andy Schleck can't time trial

QUOTE(#6):

Originally posted 01:09 AM ET  09.11 by issa

but again we don't know his financial situation a lot pro athletes 2-3 years in to retirement they go broke

He said he will not take any salary or bonuses to come back, But I'm sure some of his other endorsements and personal sponsors will make it worth his while.

Lance is the man and people will always find something to hate on him about.

As a long-time freelance cycling journalist, the biggest issues I see with Armstrong's comeback are threefold:

First, even if Astana does welcome Armstrong into the fold -- which it increasingly looks is bound to happen -- there runs the possibility of having too many generals and not enough grunts. Leipheimer is still hungry for his first Tour victory, and Contador is anxious to prove that his win wasn't only as a result of Rasmussen's ouster in 2007. Armstrong carries a certain cachet to his name, but despite this reality the Astana team already has proven winners who are younger than the more seasoned Armstrong.

Second, Armstrong couldn't even win the Leadville 100 this year against Dave Wiens. Granted, mountain biking requires vastly different skills than road racing; however, the fact that a RETIRED racer can beat Armstrong on any terrain sends up red flags. The risk of tarnishing one of the greatest legacies in all of sports is a real dilemma with which Armstrong must come to grips if he is to make this comeback.

And thirdly, should he join Astana and come back to the sport, the sticky issue of Amaury Sport Organization still looms on the horizon. Never really enamored with the brash Texan, ASO has also proven to hold Astana in a skeptical light. Disallowed from participation in the 2007 Tour due to the indiscretions of its previous incarnation, Astana could easily miss out again on a bid -- especially with the polarizing force that is Lance on their roster...


So good luck, Lance... you've got a bumpy road ahead...

@11: Astana will certainly have a lot of generals including Kloden as well, and no doubt Lance will have to show them in races leading up to the Tour that he deserves their suport. Even Bruyneel said the leader will be decided on the road.

Regarding finishing 2nd at Leadville, it was Lance's first race in a long time with just a few weeks of serious training. I also have a feeling he let 6 time champion Weins win the race out of respect on not wanting to take away a payday from he that I'm sure he depends on.

I think even though the Tour has a rocky releationship with Lance, bottom line is that the attention he brings to the race means more money in their pockets. If he dose a tranparent anti doping program and passes all the tests there shouldn't be any problems

To refute your claims, SodaPop:

First, Lance would not be coming back to race again if he thought even for one second that he would have to be working in the Tour de France for another rider... even if that rider is also a former winner himself. The problem with Lance has always been that he races an abbreviated schedule and has trained so reclusively that even most of the members of his team roster hardly know the man. Bruyneel can say what he wants, but if Armstrong is accepted back into the fold he is inevitably going to carry more clout than might be good considering three other guys on the team are also former Tour podium finishers.


As for Leadville, here's the quote that Armstrong told VeloNews reporter Steve Frothingham after the Leadville race (as found on page 33 of Vol. 37/No. 16 [25 Aug 2008]), "I told him, 'you gotta go man, I can't go anymore.' He said, 'come on' and I said, 'no, I'm done, you go.'" Don't forget, Wiens was an elite mountain biker, the peak of his career coming around the same time as the peak for money and sponsorship within the sport. He isn't hurting for dollars, and to assert that Lance ALLOWED him to win @ Leadville as a monetary favor both belies a naivety about and an insulting tone toward both Armstrong AND Wiens. Wiens won fair and square...

And finally, the Tour de France has been doing just fine post-Armstrong. With much more exciting action in recent years than the six- and seven-minute victories (save 2003) which defined the Armstrong era of the Tour de France. The issue isn't only transparency; ASO will be even more wary of Astana, which already had put an internal testing program in place BEFORE being snubbed by ASO from the 2007 Tour, due to their already-rampant skepticism of all things Lance. If they were willing to reject, this year, a healthy and willing defending champion for the first time in the race's history, what guarantees Armstrong a spot in the starting gate when the 2009 Tour starts with its prologue in Monaco?

QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 08:38 PM ET  09.12 by Bigalke

To refute your claims, SodaPop:First, Lance would not be coming back to race again if he thought even for one second that he would have to be working in the Tour de France for another rider...

I have no doubt Lance thinks he is going to come back and win. So you think Lance can just show up at the Tour de France with 100% support from his teammates if he doesn't show some form in races leading up to the Tour?

QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 08:38 PM ET  09.12 by Bigalke

And finally, the Tour de France has been doing just fine post-Armstrong. With much more exciting action in recent years than the six- and seven-minute victories (save 2003) which defined the Armstrong era of the Tour de France.

I guess we have been watching different races because the last Tour was was super boring except for Ricco's attacks and he ended up getting busted for doping. Sure 2006 stage 17 was great, but Landis got busted too. This last year the favorites just marked each other on the climbs. There have been some good moments in the past couple of years, but I'd say some of the battle between Ullrich and Armstrong and Basso were better.

QUOTE(#13):

Originally posted 08:38 PM ET  09.12 by Bigalke

Don't forget, Wiens was an elite mountain biker, the peak of his career coming around the same time as the peak for money and sponsorship within the sport. He isn't hurting for dollars

I'll concede your point. I've seen Dave Wiens race a number of times. Payday or not, This was Wein's sixth consecutive win, and I think Armstrong was aware of that. He certainly didn't need to try and beat Weins on his home race despite whatever quotes were made.

I think it's troubling that Contador, Leipheimer and Kloden, who have been very effective as a team, all of a sudden need to re-shift their focus due to Armstrong coming back. It's not fair to these riders and it shows poor sportsmanship. If Lance comes back to Astana, Contador should consider going to another team. Never in the history of cycling has a grand tour winner been forced to take a back seat like this. I could understand if Contador was an aging rider looking for a last great win like Sastre, but Contador is in the prime of his cycling career. He already won the Giro and it may take the Vuelta this year. Why have this guy sit out another one and possibly two years after already missing this year's Tour?

Unfair and poor sportsmanship? It's called competition and if it stirs things up and riders change teams then so be it. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out.

QUOTE(#17):

Originally posted 02:12 AM ET  09.13 by Berzin

If Lance comes back to Astana, Contador should consider going to another team. Never in the history of cycling has a grand tour winner been forced to take a back seat like this.

Roberto Herras won the Vuelta a number of times, and he worked for Armstrong at the Tour. Leipheimer has been happy to work for Contador because he has proven to be the world's best climber, and he has the confidence he will come throught. As Johan Bruyneel said, "the road will sort things out." If Lance can show in some of the lead up races to the Tour that he is as strong as before, I don't think there will be any issues.

QUOTE(#19):

Originally posted 01:11 PM ET  09.13 by SodaPop

Roberto Herras won the Vuelta a number of times, and he worked for
Armstrong at the Tour. Leipheimer has been happy to work for Contador
because he has proven to be the world's best climber, and he has the
confidence he will come throught. As Johan Bruyneel said, "the road
will sort things out." If Lance can show in some of the lead up races
to the Tour that he is as strong as before, I don't think there will be
any issues.

The difference here is that Heras was only a factor ONCE in the Tour de France -- and that came solely because he was always beside Lance. The big difference here is that Contador is ALREADY a Tour winner, and doesn't NEED Armstrong to help validate his career. Lance will only serve to hold him and the other leaders of this team back. His move, under the guise of spreading the news about cancer (and let's face it, Lance, EVERYONE already knows about your fight against cancer... so what more good can come in that fight from you pedaling around "Le Grande Boucle"?), really seems as self-serving as Favre's comeback...