Reply #4: A loss in a great battle might actually enhance his legacy. [View All]

[HuckleB]

It has for other great cycling champions, anyway.

He peaked perfectly last year, and benefitted from great health, and that won't be easy to repeat. Plus, his competition proved weaker than possibly imaginable, as some of the better cyclists were out with illness and injuries, and others peaked too early, something they're likely to learn from. This could be an incredibly close battle this year, especially with the Tour's layout.

Any way you look at it, he must compete in the Tour, in my opinion. The Tour is his one great accomplishment, and he has to defend that to the end. Even if he does race and win a few Classics now, he'll never be compared to those who went full out all year. There's just no way to do that, as those riders went full out all year for the entirety of their careers, and their palmares show it.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Besides all that, I think that Lance thought he could focus on other races, but, in the end, I suspect he has learned that the Tour is his great motivation. Oh, and he must race the Tour this year or next as part of his contract with Discovery, so it makes more sense to do it earlier and give himself a better chance at winning, IMHO.