Lance - a lack of respect.

[Andrew G]

Nothing to do with drugs, I'll let Marco and Dombo carry on about that somewhere else. Personally anything of that nature is incidental as I don't like him anyway. One of the reasons is his attitude, this has come to the fore in recent stages in the mountains.

For years Lance demanded undivided loyalty and for people, like Levi, to flog themselves to a standstill for him. Since Lance lost his time this year, when the mountains have loomed at the end of a stage he has sat up and spun in, he isn't at his limit he's just not bothering to push himself harder and sitting there smiling to the camera. I think it shows a complete lack of respect to the team and especially Levi who is the now assumed team leader and best chance of a decent position in GC in Paris. I don't think Levi would trouble the podium at all but he may do better and stand more of a chance of getting as high as possible if Lance did the decent thing and having slipped back on GC now worked for Levi as the new team leader. Such arrogance that it would be beneath him is pathetic and it would serve him a damn site better if he paid back a fraction of the work someone did for him for years, especially as he's supposed to be his friend.

[Dan_K]

Totally agree with you Andrew.

All I can think is that he's losing as much time as possible so that the others let him go on the Tourmalet but as you say, it is a lack of respect for Levi.
Lance could go all out at the lower sections of the climbs, blow out and then spin up as casual as he likes.

He's turning himself into some sort of clown at the moment.

[Robbie Dread]

O God well said guys,he's becomming a little bit of a ferk

[Dombo]

It pains me to admit it but I agree. Lack of respect to his fans too. Poor way to ride his last Tour

[Elliot M]

Ferk? Not familiar with that one...

[Andrew G]

Concatenation of f***ing jerk? Forum filter friendly, like fugly.

[Roy Green]

Might make a good bookie punt as to who finishes furthest up respective ratings, Tiger (in Brit. Open) or Armstrong, on final GC. My money's on Tiger, though he's similarly an arrogant git.

[Paul H]

Not sure there is much loyalty in pro cycling. Levi, Kloden etc are paid to work for Armstrong. Brunel does not consider Levi has the "engine" to be a contender so I am not sure there is anything Lance could do for him and he is certianly is not obliged to.

There are plently of other riders who lose time on purpose so lets hope he tries for a stage win,

[Mike I]

I thought this was going to be about black socks, although Wiggins has a few things to learn in that department too .

Threat or no threat, I don't see Contador letting LA go on the Tourmalet, not after last year.

Edit: I'm sure Paul and Phil will manage to put a positive spin on any perceived bad behaviour on LA's part, so all's well.

[Andrew G]

Great doing over by Barredo, shame he couldn't hang on at the end but nice one Fedrigo .

[DavidKennett]

[quote="Mike I"]I don't see Contador letting LA go on the Tourmalet, not after last year.

[Mike I]

ITV4's commentary was, as ever, legendary - so engrossed in LA that they completely missed Fedrigo's move. Oh dear!

[Mike I]

From today's Grauniad:

[quote]Elsewhere today, the old protocols did withstand one frontal challenge. On Lance Armstrong's last day as a Tour de France rider, the American's obsession with his own interests brought the race close to farce. As the riders left Longjumeau, the commissaires noticed that he and the other eight members of his RadioShack team were wearing black jerseys emblazoned with the yellow logo of Livestrong, the organisation that covers both Armstrong's cancer foundation and, increasingly, his own commercial activities. A change of colours is against the Tour's rules, and they were forced to stop, replace the jerseys with their regular red shirts, and reaffix their race numbers, held on with safety pins, before being allowed to continue on their way to collect the team prize. "The idea was to talk about the significance and magnitude of the fight against the disease," Armstrong said, "but the commissaires didn't see it that way. In the end I suppose what happened probably brought more attention."

[Sylv]

What I'd like to know is, why is Lance's jersey always loose round the arm?

[Jon H]

What I'd like to know is, why didn't the commissaires make the Radioshack team do the stage in their vests and pants when they all turned up wearing the wrong kit.