Lance's performane in the Dauphine-Libere has been very impressive with him finishing 4 th in a race that He said in advance He did not intend to win. He was behind schedule earlier but now He seems primed for a great performance in the Tour. I have seen him at from -140 to + 100. Pinnacle had him at + 106 I believe but presently the prop is not available. I believe even Money is a bargain and I expect him to win easily with Basso and Ullrich again his main competition. Ullrich looks to be in far better condition than last year as Armstrong actually was a easy winner last year.
He will do it IMO He is the greatest cylist ever and He will not want to go out with a loss. He was really awesome last year and I think + 100 is actually a steal for a person that has won 6 straight and won as easily as He did last year. Did you watch him in the steep mountain stages last year ? He simply blew by everyone leaving Ullrich gasping ! I actually think Basso is the only one that has any chance and He's 6/1Dante said:
Perhaps Merckx is the best ever but " Without a shred of doubt " might be a little too strong IMO Lance not only holds the record for the most Tour De France victories with 6 but He won the 6 all in succession. I feel confident He will extend the record to 7. Please note that I have also thought that nobody could have beaten Merckx in his prime but We will never know for sure ?Dr Rubberfunk said:
From things I have heard from cycling experts, Lance is not even close to being 1 of the top ranked cyclists of all time. They mention his achievements are solely from the Tour de France. This is the greatest race but if you only race and win 1 race a year, you cant be mentioned as one of the best. They point out the race sets up perfect for him.
They used Wimbledon as an example....If Sampras only won Wimbledon every year, would he be considered one of the greatest?
Like I said, just what I heard on espn radio.
They used Wimbledon as an example....If Sampras only won Wimbledon every year, would he be considered one of the greatest?
Like I said, just what I heard on espn radio.
kermit16 said:
I hear what you're saying. In terms of Le Tour, Lance is one of the best. His training schedule is insane. He is certainly one hell of a talented individual and has also been destined for greatness since leaving triathlons.
IMO Armstrong will win the 2005 edition but will only take control in the last 1/3 of the race overtaking Ullrich, who will be the leader from the 2nd week.
Kermit my point re "Without a shred of doubt" was that - realising one can't compare history - Merckx frequently took control of Le Tour and brutalised the field. Lance has done that to a lesser degree, and Indurain (I only ride for Le Tour) even less. Armstrong doesn't/hasn't needed to chase down breaks and bring riders back to the peleton, etc as Merckx had to, due to team strength difference. (Although I realise he has done this before). Don't get me wrong, I have huge respect for Armstrong. It's the old apples, apples, oranges scenario.
Luck with your bet(s). Should be a fantastic edition.
I think the + 110 I have already secured is a great bet but I will also be looking for a mistake midway thru the race. However the race opens with a short Time trial on Saturday in which I expect Lance to excell at so I choose to take the plus Money offered now and add to my risk later if odds improve. I know that in past races there were oppurtunities to get far better odds later in race but I believe that those informed and knowledgeable betters will not allow Lance's odds to rise unless He is in real trouble. In that case, I will probably not want to step up my risk either ! I am not sure if some of the Posters here have read about some of Lance's medical advantages that have almost nothing to do with Cycling. He has a heart that is 1/3 larger than the average person and his resting heartrate is 32 beats a minute but the study says He can increase it to over 200 beats a minutes during steep climbs which enables his heart to pump oxygen rich blood to his body.Dr Rubberfunk said:
