Lance Armstrong on the argument that the 2025 Tour de France route doesn't favor Tadej Pogacar: "It's the Tour and 99 times out of 100 the best one wins"
CyclingFriday, 01 November 2024 at 09:59
Lance Armstrong has analyzed in his podcast 'The Move' the route of the Tour de France 2025. The American, who won the Grande Boucle 7 times and then lost it for doping, is very clear that the route created by ASO is not at all against Tadej Pogacar.
The former US Postal rider explains that when the Tour route is announced there are always comments that it is designed so that the big favorite doesn't win, and that's what has happened again with the 2025 Tour. He thinks that this is never true, that the great cyclists adapt and that barring a miracle, the strongest always wins:
"I've read some comments about ASO or the Tour, which are the same thing, claiming they are trying to test Pogagar with the route. We've heard that every year, after a few Tour's look at this design goes against such a Pogacar or against Armstrong. None of that crap matters," he argues. "I always joked that if they ever decided to do 22 criteriums around Paris we'd have to figure out how to win. There can't be anything against, if you're Pogacar you have to study how to do it, that conversation is meaningless, the best cyclists are prepared for the routes. It's the Tour and 99 times out of 100 the best wins."
The route features less high mountain than the more modern Tour routes, but in reality the World Champion has shown no weakness this season and no terrain where his main rivals were above him, rendering the argument almost unviable. .Johan Bruyneel, Lance Armstrong's former sports director and a regular contributor to The Move, described the 2025 route as "traditional":
"I think the main novelty of the 2025 Tour de France is the return to a traditional route. in the first week it's not hard, the first mountain stage doesn't come until the 12th, that's too late and that's going back to the old days."
On the discussion of whether Vingegaard or Pogacar is better suited, Bruyneel is clear: "The best rider with the best team always wins the Tour de France without bad luck". He continues: "In terms of elevation gain, it's more or less the same as this year's. I like the design. I like the design".
George Hincapie, a former colleague of the two at US Postal, speaks of safety as a factor to be taken into account because of the change in the type of course: "In recent years there has been a fight for the overall from the first days, now there is not, which will make the race safer in the early stages, with the riders thinking about getting to the finish line".
Read also
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
May 12, 11:09
0
Popular news
Latest comments
- They have a serious problem getting Del Toro out of the pink jersey. He can win it!
DareDevil25-05-2025 - They should have waited in my view. Poor sportsmanship.Mart25-05-2025
- Would love to see him pull it off. Seems like a thoroughly decent guy.mobk24-05-2025
- Shame that, lads a natural, he'll have his time!
leedorney24-05-2025 - Whaaa? What’s the problem with mvdp? He’s just as classyCrashjames24-05-2025
- WvA says it right as always, great guy better then MvdP anyhow 👍leedorney24-05-2025
- I just finished watching his post stage interview, the more I see of him the more I like him, he showed empathy towards Ayuso which is a sign he has great character. I know he can climb, I don't know if he can climb like the rest of the gc challengers but I'm pulling for him!awp24-05-2025
- He won every jersey in the 2023 Tour de l'Avenir. He won stage 6, a HC finish 23.2Km @ an average of 7.4%. He was 3rd in the stage 7 mountain time trial. If he gets the okay, I think he might be able to win this race.awp24-05-2025
- Yes, Remco may not have won as many Gt's but he is a much more well rounded cyclist than Froome was at his best. I'm also not disrespecting Froome, he is a legend but he won only one type of race.awp24-05-2025
- And there it is, hopefully Isaac del Toro can win the whole thing at 21.awp24-05-2025
You seriously still believe he had cancer? Why do you think he fought so hard to avoid having his cancer records subpoenaed? There were a number of obvious reasons to suspect his cancer story aside from his well earned reputation as a liar.
Look at his iconic poster in the hospital ward. Notice how bald he is and then look at the list of side effects for the miracle cancer drug he supposedly used.
Funny how hair loss isn't one. In fact, it's listed as not being a side effect!
What's up with that? He didn't undergo 30 rounds of radiation treatment that would leave him bald as he presented himself to the media. Quite the opposite, his treatment was hailed because it spared him of the radiation hell that is cancer treatment.
His treatment is well documented to have consisted of surgery to remove a cancerous testicle and four rounds of cisplatin, according to the oft told story of the LA miracle.
Another red flag is his admitted frequent use of HGH in his 'come back'.
Consider that as it's name implies, HGH promotes growth of everything in a human, including dormant or lingering cancer cells which most people have, particularly cancer survivors. It's unlikely he'd take let alone survive the risk an actual cancer survivor would face with regular injections off such a drug.
Cancer didn't change his ability, cancer drugs did. Especially EPO. The popularity and demand for the drug that Lance fueled resulted in countless cancer and kidney patients unable to fill prescriptions and were left facing the fate of single digit rbc and dropping with out the hope this drug promised.
Legitimately sick people died because Lance and his crew were partying it up like frat boys in Ibeza high on the medicine intended for dying patients just to win a bicycle race. That's absolutely unconscionable.
Wake up. A hero and champion of cancer patients don't kill cancer patients with such greed. They also don't dishonor cancer charities or research which he did much to the level he brought to the tour.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/cisplatin-intravenous-route/description/drg-20062953