Armstrong on the attack - this time on the flat!!!!

uberwolf

This is a really strange move, never seen this from such a secure yellow jersey before. One possible motivation is that he is up the re with someone who accused him of doping so perhaps he is going to show him a thing or two.???

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Peloton 01:10

Armstrong, Simeoni
Flecha, Joly, Fofonov
Garcia-Acosta, Mercado, Lotz


38 km All updates Latest live-update
38 km Armstrong and Simeoni bridge up to the leaders.
36 km Filippo Simeoni tries to escape, but he is joined by... Lance Armstrong. Simeoni has, as some of you may know, accused Armstrong for using doping.
35 km At the summit of the category-4 climb, the leaders have less than 30 seconds on the peloton.
30 km The riders are at the foot of today's first climb (category-4).
23 km Phonak leads the peloton.
21 km Jalabert and Scholz are back in the peloton. They both had a puncture.
20 km US Postal leads the peloton.
16 km Jalabert and Scholz are having trouble keeping up with the lead group.
12 km Eight riders are trying to escape from the peloton.
10 km The peloton is all together.
8 km But they are soon caught by the peloton.
6 km A trio with Voigt, Brochard and Etxebarria tries to escape.
5 km The peloton is all together.
1 km The riders have started racing in stage 18.
0 km Welcome to our live coverage.

Pherekydes

I think he wanted to prevent Simeoni from winning the stage. He certainly has the most ruthless streak since the Badger.

SweetBirdOfTruth

Simeoni has never accused Armstrong of doping. Simeoni has provided evidence against Michele Ferrari, accusing him of providing EPO. Armstrong - because of his connections with Ferrari - accused Simeoni of lying.

I'm in two minds about Armstrong. On the one hand I love him for that vicoty into Limoges in 95 and for the general class he showed in last year's Tour. But on the other hand, the man is a ****. But many of the best riders were ****. Look at Hinault. And Armstrong's move yesterday was reminiscent of similar moves by Hinault - when Hinault decided that a stage was to be ridden at a training pace, then it was, and any rider who broke ranks was chased down by Hinault himself and told to behave.

However, the difference with yesterday is that Armstrong's behaviour was all about the differences of opinion about drugs within the sport. And what is worse about it is that all the other riders in the peloton seem to support Armstrong in this. and not a whistle-blower like Simeoni. To my mind, as long as the riders think and act like they did yesterday, cycling will never resolve the issues it has with doping.

For more on the Armstrong/Simeoni issue, see http://www.loopdiloop.com/folderol/2004/07/cycling-filippo-simeoni-vs-lance.asp

da_deadman

not all the riders agreed with Armstrong, some of them including Paolo Bettini, are supporting Simeoni. The Italain cycling federation are also supporting Simeoni.

I was delighted that Simeoni had the audacity to attack so early on the final stage and interrupted the photo shoots for Armstrong and his team sipping their champagne. But it was disgraceful when the US Postal led peleton reeled him in that Ekimov felt the need to spit at his bike and give him an 'unfriendly' hand gesture.

Simeoni never brought Lance into this affair, he just testified that Ferrari supplied EPO. It was Lance who publicly called Simeoni a liar.

This is not the behaviour of a man that some people look to as the patron of the peleton, a title Lance should never be given in my opinion.

uberwolf

I have to say that I agree with you lads. Not a proud moment :dunno: Also his supporting' Millar - I haven't seen the context of his 'support' yet but it's a strange thing for the newly crowned campionissimo to do.

Trojan

The more I read about it the less I'm impressed with LA.

Simeoni was picked up by the italian cops today for questioning about the incident, and importantly, they have said that they may question Armstrong about "intimidating a witness" - sweeet!

I hope they do him for that one, he has no comeback for this pathetic bullying of the small guy.

da_deadman

I really hope that the Italian cops do bring him in for questioning about intimidating a witness. He is treating Simeoni terribly. It is guys like Simeoni who are needed in cycling, and every sport, to try and give the public faith back in the athletes that they are clean. I would have really liked Simeoni to win a stage, and apparently when he attacked on the final stage there was a huge cheer in the press room, according to a report I read from procycling.

So, in summary,

Go Simeoni!

Boo Armstrong!

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Trojan

Originally posted by daveirl

This one - http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/jul04/jul26news2

You really think USP had a change of heart and stopped doping when Lance joined?

Prentice Steffen, a team doctor with the US Postal team in 1997, has alleged that he was sacked by the team that year for refusing to supply drugs to some of the riders.

Dr. Steffen left the team before Lance Armstrong arrived in 1998. He explained that "at that time, we were a small team with average ambitions. Everyone was clean. But one day, Marty Jemison and Tyler Hamilton came to ask me whether I could supply them with illegal products. I got the impression that they were speaking for everyone and that they had come to test the waters...To get to the top level, the team leaders were convinced that only doping would allow the team to obtain good results. From there, I understood that the whole mentality was changing."

I read Tylers latest diary online somewhere today (can't find it now). In it, he says that this incident didn't happen, and swears upon the life of his wife and grave of his dog (need to read his diaries to get context). I'm not so sure about TH, he seems a genuinely nice guy, but maybe it's a good act.

SweetBirdOfTruth

Originally posted by uberwolf
I have to say that I agree with you lads. Not a proud moment :dunno: Also his supporting' Millar - I haven't seen the context of his 'support' yet but it's a strange thing for the newly crowned campionissimo to do.

armstrong's - and other riders' - support of millar is sending a very clear signal. millar has been careful to implicate as few other people as possible in his testimony. others, like simeoni and gaumont and manzano - have named names, millar wants to keep it as tight as possible. that's why armstrong - and the other riders - are supporting it. because he's protecting the peloton.

Trojan

http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/diaries/articles/6685.0.html

Many thanks to everyone who has written, called, emailed and stopped us to extend their condolences regarding Tugboat. Being home in Girona has forced reality to set in a little sooner than it would have. We sure do miss him around the house. But every day we get a little less sad, and a little more grateful for the time we shared with him. He was a great dog.

Regarding Prentice
And finally, as if July wasn't a tough enough month for me personally, I just want to make something clear.

I arrived home from Paris on Monday afternoon to read the story on the Internet some of you have referenced in the guest book on my website. A former part-time team physician has made derogatory public statements about my former U.S. Postal teammates and me. This is not the first time this man has done this. (reference: Gorski incensed about drug allegations against Postal team).

It has always been my policy to try to take the high road and keep some thoughts to myself. But I also realize there are a lot of young cyclists who follow my career, so it is on their behalf that I will finally respond.

The claim that I, along with another teammate, approached a team doctor and asked him questions about doping products back in 1996 is absolutely false. I swear on my wife's life and the grave of my dog that I never asked that man about anything of the sort. If you know anything about me, you know this is as emphatic as I can be. I'm truly saddened to have to respond publicly to such an accusation.

Thanks for reading.

Pherekydes

He swears on the grave of his dog?!

uberwolf

If you've read any interviews with him you'd know his dog!!! he brought him everywhere, he slept with him last year during the tour to keep his mind off the pain of the broken collarbone and he even joined in the motorpacing when his wife drove in front of him. He died only a month ago so he's still grieving for him as well. A little odd amybe but I'd understand it from Tyler Hamilton TBH

Pherekydes

uberwolf wrote:

... he slept with him last year during the tour...

It gets more and more bizarre. Didn't the French Police raid his room?

Only kiddin'. But gimme Lance anyday...

Trojan

Dog dying was the last straw for TH this tour - it just took his heart out of it. I know he was seriously injured, but I think he might have powered through it had he not been grieving. As I mentioned before, you need to read more of his diaries to understand the context.

As for LA: his chasing down of Simeoni and statement afterwards that "I was protecting the interest of the peloton" speak volumes to me. He is a nasty piece of work, slamming on the little guy who is obviously drug free and struggling to even finish stages.

To me that statement reads: "I was protecting the the peloton from someone who's going to blow the whistle on us".