Today's stage (7/19)--spoilers of course

[SteelBlue]

Well, I guess that settles that. Contador is on a different plane from anyone else in cycling right now. I guess Astana has a an official leader.

[myboynoah]

Well, I guess that settles that. Contador is on a different plane from anyone else in cycling right now. I guess Astana has a an official leader.

Yep.

[Borg]

Well....that's what I have a question about. The post interview they asked LA..."Do you think you have any legit shot at winning now"? and stuff like that. Like it's a foregone conclusion that LA has already lost.

He's in freaking 2nd place??? #2...only 0:1:38 behind the #1 Contador?

There is a LOT of race left. A LOT can happen. Contador could go down. Break his wrist like Levi...whatever. I mean....when you've got 8 more stages (?) to go...and only down 1 and a half minute....to me....it's still "Game on!" time for LA.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I don't follow cycling too closely, but it seems remarkable to me that LA has done this well after coming out of retirement. I don't think he needs to win it all to make quite a statement.

[SteelBlue]

Well....that's what I have a question about. The post interview they asked LA..."Do you think you have any legit shot at winning now"? and stuff like that. Like it's a foregone conclusion that LA has already lost.

He's in freaking 2nd place??? #2...only 0:1:38 behind the #1 Contador?

There is a LOT of race left. A LOT can happen. Contador could go down. Break his wrist like Levi...whatever. I mean....when you've got 8 more stages (?) to go...and only down 1 and a half minute....to me....it's still "Game on!" time for LA.

1:38 is an eternity against a man who can climb like Contador. He pulled away from the best riders in the world like they were standing still. It's over my friend. Lance will work for him now. Yes, a crash could change things but that's about all that will change things. Lance knows this as well as anyone, and he says so here:

http://www.velonews.com/article/95457

[SteelBlue]

I don't follow cycling too closely, but it seems remarkable to me that LA has done this well after coming out of retirement. I don't think he needs to win it all to make quite a statement.

It's been a huge surprise for me. I think he's doing a ton to dispel the notion that he was a doper. He also says he plans to come back in 2010 and feels he can put in one more year at the elite level.

[Viking]

It's been a huge surprise for me. I think he's doing a ton to dispel the notion that he was a doper. He also says he plans to come back in 2010 and feels he can put in one more year at the elite level.

It's over. Was very sad to me to see Lance basically concede so much. Contador is the best man in the race.

[bluegoose]

That was a great stage. Watching how quickly Contador gapped the group was scary. I don't think lance conceded anything during the stage. I think he gave everything he had, but is just not in the shape he was hoping that he would be in.

I was impressed with how well Kloden rode. I was under the impression that he could have at least hung with the Sastre group and maybe even convered A. Schleck's attack, but held back to ride tempo and drag Lance along.

It'll be interesting to see how things shake out in the next several stages. They've really been pumping up Tuesday's mountain stage, but with the downhill finish I doubt much will happen in the CG. The ITT should be exciting, and Ventoux has the potential to be one of the epic stages in recent memory, with how well the top guys are riding right now.

[RC Vikings]

I'm amazed at the news reports or even the causal fan asking what's wrong with Lance and how come he's not winning. He's thirty seven years old and been out of racing for three years. I'm not sure what has been more remarkable today Tom Watson finishing second in the Open or LA riding so well in the tour. I still don't expect to see him on the podium in Paris but if he is even in the top five at the end I would still mark it down as one outstanding achievement.

[SteelBlue]

I'm amazed at the news reports or even the causal fan asking what's wrong with Lance and how come he's not winning. He's thirty seven years old and been out of racing for three years. I'm not sure what has been more remarkable today Tom Watson finishing second in the Open or LA riding so well in the tour. I still don't expect to see him on the podium in Paris but if he is even in the top five at the end I would still mark it down as one outstanding achievement.

Well you have to at least partly blame Lance and Astana for that. Lance has basically been saying he's there to win and Astana refused to make Contador the sole leader until today. I had a strong suspicion that when Contador attacked last week and Lance didn't follow that it was because he couldn't. But until today Lance has looked every bit like he could do it. It's been a fun surprise.

[RC Vikings]

I had a strong suspicion that when Contador attacked last week and Lance didn't follow that it was because he couldn't. But until today Lance has looked every bit like he could do it. It's been a fun surprise.

Does LA look bigger? My guess is he is 5 to 10 pounds heavier. If he does ride again next year I think you'll see a lighter faster Armstrong in the mountains.

[SteelBlue]

Does LA look bigger? My guess is he is 5 to 10 pounds heavier. If he does ride again next year I think you'll see a lighter faster Armstrong in the mountains.

Yeah, I think so. Wasn't it you who posted those pictures of his comeback training where he looked like a linebacker? He looks like a cyclist again but he's definitely more muscular up top than back in the day.

[Fiyero]

Borg, in addition to all that has been said already, there's only 5 stages left. Think of it as playing a game of 21 with Michael Jordan and he leads 16-12 and has the ball.

[Coach McGuirk]

Well....that's what I have a question about. The post interview they asked LA..."Do you think you have any legit shot at winning now"? and stuff like that. Like it's a foregone conclusion that LA has already lost.

He's in freaking 2nd place??? #2...only 0:1:38 behind the #1 Contador?

There is a LOT of race left. A LOT can happen. Contador could go down. Break his wrist like Levi...whatever. I mean....when you've got 8 more stages (?) to go...and only down 1 and a half minute....to me....it's still "Game on!" time for LA.

Lance knows. He was that guy that could get up, "dance on the pedals" and accelerate away from guys who had no more to give. He watched it happen to him yesterday, and knows that there is nothing he can do. 1:38 is like being down 2 touchdowns, and you can't get the ball back to try to score.

Contador will end up winning by a wider margin than he has now, maybe 4 minutes.

[myboynoah]

Borg, in addition to all that has been said already, there's only 5 stages left. Think of it as playing a game of 21 with Michael Jordan and he leads 16-12 and has the ball.

I scored 12 on Jordan?!?!?

BOOYAA!!!!!