quote:

Originally posted by jeronemango yea need someone to actually challenge armstrong, he does sit behind his team but so are the other riders, hes just to strong.. the ONCE rider was behind him and on his wheel then blew him away with that attack.. to easy for armstrong at the moment. need a rider like pantani, just a pure climber. u just got to wonder if armstrong is taking something... he was never this good before.. he couldnt climb for peanuts.

ummm, i forecast armstrong will win AGAIN next year. and quit with this "on something." geeez, he has been tested, they all have been tested, and you still can't give any credit to the best rider in the whole frickin world.

Armstrong was one of the best before cancer, and he is still one of the best after cancer. This guy is cleaner than a shirt that just came out of my washing machine......uh.....anyways....

Yes ONCE is a great team. They did afterall finish as the overall best team but I still say that US Postal is on the same level as them in the tour. Did you see how his team paces him and gets him to the front? I thought Herman was incrediable for USPS and he is gonna be a good good rider over the years.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

Indeed US Postal is a great team, capable of beating ONCE. But, if by some unfortunate accident, Armstrong cannot run or finish a competition, for who will the team work? Heras, maybe? I don't know if he can perform a great time trial... As for ONCE, they have the Galdeanos and Beloki capable of winning a competition by stages (and there's always space for a surprise... watch Azevedo ).

PS. Don't think that I love ONCE... but there's a portuguese in the team so...

PPS. I admire Armstrong for winning four Tours after a sucessful battle against cancer... and winning them with such a margin (this year was around 7:00)

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No, I'm not aplz.

You're right though. If something happened to Lance, there is nobody on the USPS team that is near his level. I consider everyone else to be his support staff. They work their asses off for this guy as a team but I don't think anyone else on that team is as strong an individual rider as Lance.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

Well... Heras has won a Vuelta, but I don't think that he can be a great choice for a competition winner if Armstrong says no...

Anyway, now it's time for the tour of my country... only 2 weeks, with not great names (Casero, Escartin and A.Osa can be the best that comes to Portugal this year), nor great stages (the only interests we got here are 2 good climbs, a team time trial and an individual one, and one long stage), but for a competition that some consider as a sort of preparation tour for the Vuelta, but it's gonna be enough to content a small country like Portugal.

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No, I'm not aplz.

Well I'm talking about the tour de France especially. It's not ordinary bike ride.

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"Laces out Dan!"-Ray Finkle

The Tour is all but an "ordinary bike ride"... but I was getting a little off the topic... after all, the Tour is done, the Vuelta is near, and there's some minor tours (like in here) so...

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No, I'm not aplz.