NationStates Jolt Archive

Floyd Landis won the Paris-Nice today, holding onto a seven second lead in the final stage. He becomes only the second American to win the event and many are starting to take him seriously as a successor to Lance Armstrong.

He's young, strong and a great climber, as he demonstrated two years ago when he was Lance's teammate and drug the defending champ's ass over a brutal stage to help cement his sixth yellow jersey. Landis split off and joined Phonak last year, finishing 9th overall in the 2005 TDF.

I personally would like to see him on Phonak's Giro team. I'd like to see him do something Lance never did...

win the Giro d'Italia.

Whoa, I'm listening to Run like Hell by Pink Floyd, that's not an allusion to the song, is it?

And this guy does sound like a contendor, but the reason Lance never won the Giro was because he poured all of his concentration and training on the Tour de France, he probably, nay, he would've won it if he put the same determination in. No matter what anyone else says about Lance, I believe he is the model athlete, even though he's getting all overrated.

Whoa, I'm listening to Run like Hell by Pink Floyd, that's not an allusion to the song, is it?

And this guy does sound like a contendor, but the reason Lance never won the Giro was because he poured all of his concentration and training on the Tour de France, he probably, nay, he would've won it if he put the same determination in. No matter what anyone else says about Lance, I believe he is the model athlete, even though he's getting all overrated.The quote is what Lance supposedly told Floyd that stage of the 2004 TDF. Floyd had done all the work pulling Lance over some serious climbs and Lance thought he deserved the stage win for his effort. So he let Floyd go for it the last descent, telling him to "Run like you stole something Floyd". But second place Jan Ullrich had held on with Lance and Landis and gave chase, trying to get the stage bonus that would have closed the gap between him and Armstrong. Lance had to push and take the stage to keep Ullrich from getting it, even though he gave all the credit to Landis.

The world will never know if how Lance would do in the Giro because he never rode it or the Vuelta, the other two grand Tours. He didn't because to do so would have detracted from his efforts in the Tour, but it also means that his legacy is forever tainted in that respect. Other riders, like Jan Ullrich, ride both the Giro and the Tour in the same season and some even ride all three. Roberto Heras rode support for lance for a couple of Tours and then went on to front the US postal team later in the season in the Vuelta, winning it successive times in a run that ended last year with his testing positive for EPO's after his fourth win.

Cycling's a tough sport, and the governing body is the toughest on the planet. You test positive and they don't slap your wrist, wagg their finger and wink like they do in Major league sports in the US. They suspend your ass for two years. It's a potential career ender. Just ask Tyler Hamilton, the former time trial champions suspension is just now ending. He now has to prove himself all over again before he'll get the chance to lead a team.

Floyd Landis won the Paris-Nice today, holding onto a seven second lead in the final stage. He becomes only the second American to win the event and many are starting to take him seriously as a successor to Lance Armstrong.

He's young, strong and a great climber, as he demonstrated two years ago when he was Lance's teammate and drug the defending champ's ass over a brutal stage to help cement his sixth yellow jersey. Landis split off and joined Phonak last year, finishing 9th overall in the 2005 TDF.

I personally would like to see him on Phonak's Giro team. I'd like to see him do something Lance never did...

win the Giro d'Italia.
He doesn't stand a chance
Basso>all

He doesn't stand a chance
Basso>allIvan's past his prime.