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Tour Down Under (Lance Comeback)

Edogawakikkoman

Maximum Pace
Jan 14, 2007
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Get the cobwebs dusted off,...it's time to start talking about the Lance comeback...

The race starts on the 18th.

All the big Aussie names will be riding. I'm hoping O'Grady can win.

All eyes will be on Lance though..

Seems like he is months ahead of schedule with his training...
 
I think this paragraph from the Cyclingnews article by Les Clarke, When Stars Align says it best:

Cooke cites this type of drawcard rider as being beneficial to the sport at a time when it could do with a stimulus. "Everyone's got their point of view on Lance, but I think at this time cycling needs him. It needs someone to draw attention back to the sport - there's the economic crisis, a doping crisis, and the sport seems to be dying a bit. "There are less teams and less money... I honestly believe the hype surrounding him is what we need to get sponsors excited again and I'm sure - we've had a few years in a row of cycling losing more teams than its gaining - other than the fact that there's not as much money in the world to kick it forward, it just needs that hype."

I couldn't agree more, lately the sport has been plagued with bad news. One only needs to look at the implosion of the sport in Germany. As Lance alluded to in another interview, the sport is an investment and when the investment appears bad, maybe it is time to move your money elsewhere.

James

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jan09/tdu09/?id=/features/2009/tour_down_under_jan09
 
Robbie McEwen (Katusha) has started his season on a high note, with the Australian sprinter winning the Tour Down Under's Cancer Council Classic. McEwen put in a brilliant finish on the upward slopping home straight to take a narrow victory over Willem Stroetinga (Milram).

Nice start to the season.
 
Its good to see Robbie pull out a beautiful win for his new team. I will be watching the Katusha team since they are riding Ridley's but also I like many of the riders on the team.

Lance played it safe, but as he said Crits are not his thing but he did enjoy getting back into the thick of it. I still think it will be interesting to see how his season progresses, how his testing program evolves, how he supports Cantador if it does come to that, man what a great year for cycling.

James
 
McEwen got stung by a camera on the arm in the last 150m today (cutting him) and still managed a 4th.
Stewie3rd
And good to see baden back in the limelight

1 André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road 3.45.27 (37.258 km/h)
2 Baden Cooke (Aus) UniSA
3 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
4 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Team Katusha
5 Jacopo Guanieri (Ita) Liquigas
6 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
7 Willem Stroetinga (Ned) Team Milram
8 Timothy Gudsell (NZl) Française des Jeux
9 Luca Barla (Ita) Team Milram
10 Andréa Grendene (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C
 
Yesterday's youtube clip Stage one/

Stage 2 results

1 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step 3.46.25 (38,424 km/h)
2 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
3 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale 0.02
4 Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
5 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - High Road 0.04
6 José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
7 Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C
8 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
9 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis
10 André Greipel (Ger) Team Columbia - High Road
 
Stage 3:

1 Graeme Brown (Rabobank) 3.15.35
2 Allan Davis (Quick Step)
3 Stuart O'Grady (Team Saxo Bank)
4 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Caisse d'Epargne)
5 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia - High Road)
6 Martin Elmiger (AG2R La Mondiale)
7 José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Caisse d'Epargne)
8 Alexandre Pichot (Bbox Bouygues Telecom)
9 Mauro Santambrogio (Lampre - N.G.C)
10 Mickaël Chérel (Française Des Jeux)
 
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