TdF: Astana, and Lance, welcome at 2009 race
 

I bet you see Armstrong still strong during the TT but struggle in the mountains. I don't think his age will hurt him as much as the lay off does. Joop Zoetemelk rode until he was forty and won the worlds when he was 38. I really think a cyclist can stay strong into his forties they just choose not to pursue any longer because it's to hard. He will have to thin down again but he wouldn't be doing this if he felt like he couldn't do well.

So if he doesn't lose power (i.e. goo ITT time) why will he lose climbing ability? recovery time? No more EPO? Too much weight? Do you think his famous high cadence style helps or hurts his comeback?

I have nothing to base this on then my own experience but in a ITT you elevate you heart to a high level and keep it there but you don't red line it. In the mountains you elevate it while climbing but at some point you've got to go beyond that red line and I think this is where age comes in. The heart just can't handle it like it used to. Also the body just doesn't recover like it use to. A lot of these 45 year old cyclist can hang and even beat the younger guys for one day but put then up against each other day and day and the younger guy will win. You just don't recover like you once did.

I saw something go by on the bottom of my screen tonight about LeMond confronting Lance during a press conference today. Anybody hear anything about it?

Found it:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/gameon/200...-confront.html

See my thread about lemond not lttign go. Sheesh.

It's a little bizarre that he would be there.

That makes sense. I certainly get recovery time goes up from my own experience. I was wondering if his high cadence style keeps him at the edge but not over more often than somebody like Ullrich in the mountaijns? MAybe it will help him do well.

Did somebody say something? I thought I heard somebody mumbling.

WHat, am I in a dog house or something?