Lance Armstrong drops out of Paris-Nice

[HuckleB]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/mar05/mar10news

"Lance Armstrong will not take the start of the fourth stage of Paris-Nice, as the cold, snowy weather and fatigue from jetlag has caught up with him. Discovery Channel press spokesman Jogi Muller told Cyclingnews on Wednesday evening that Armstrong will return to his home base in Girona tomorrow and will re-evaluate his race program based on how he feels.

Armstrong had a lacklustre start to his European season and was lying in 62nd place after today's stage. In comparison, he last raced Paris-Nice in 1999, when he finished 61st overall. But that year marked the first of his record six Tour de France wins."

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But let's give three cheers for Americans Guido Trenti and Fred Rodriguez, who finished 2nd and 3rd in today's stage.
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/7668.0.html

[joeybee12]

1. Yeah, good for them!

Do you think Lance should or shouldn't try the Tour de France this year?

[HuckleB]

2. Sure, he should go for it.

He's got nearly four months to get up to form. Last year, he got his butt kicked in the Dauphiné Libéré, just weeks before the Tour began, and look what happened come July.

[joeybee12]

3. I was just thinking that he should just rest on his laurels...losing one

might--and I do mean might--tarnish his legacy. Also, no one is ever gonna beat that record of 6. But, as you say, he's got time, and from what I've seen last year, no one was even close to catching him--could be the same way this eyar.

[HuckleB]

4. A loss in a great battle might actually enhance his legacy.

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.

[jakefrep]

5. Lance will have the last laugh in July.

Paris-Nice is an important race, but not the caliber of the TdF.

And if you're into palmares, check this out...

http://www.onlybike.com/

[HuckleB]

6. Likely he will.

But I suspect the race will resemble 2003 more than 2004. And that would be good for cycling.

[HuckleB]

7. Update: Julich looks to take Paris-Nice GC on last climb tomorrow.

Only 20 seconds out, American Bobby Julich looks to leave sprinters behind on the hills in the last stage:
http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/7673.0.html

[HuckleB]

8. Armstrong questionable for Flanders

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/7683.0.html

Also, here's an interview with Armstrong during last week's Paris-Nice:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/mar05/mar15news2