"Gobsmackingly Brilliant" rides of 2000Lance Armstrong----
Jon Brooks ---- Armstrong's Tour de France. He put it all together, Margaret Brown ---- Lance Armstrong's TT ride during Stage 19 of the Tour. He may have
won by "only" 25 seconds over Jan Ullrich but he did it in
Jan's backyard and in front of a gigantic pro-Ullrich audience. Armstrong's
speed of nearly 54kph over the 58.5km route was mind-bending to comprehend.
Lastly, Lance's superb ride also ensured he didn't leave the TdF as
a winner without a stage win. Jon Lested ---- Armstrong on Hautacam Tom Nagle ---- Armstrong at Hautacam. John Hessian ---- Lance Armstrong's ride up Hautacam has to be the ride of the year.
Every key rider was there, and no one, NO ONE, could hang on to Lance.
The Hautacam stage decided this years Tour and all competitors new this
afterwards (and before). Lance demonstrated his superior athletic ability
at this years tour on this stage. It will be a long time before we see
a performance of this calibre in the Tour or any other bicycling race.
Chris P ---- Armstrong Jack Rector ---- The US Postal team's France campaign. From taking Hamilton to the top
of Ventoux and the top of the GC in the Dauphine to Armstrong's power
moves on Hautacam, US Postal was impressive in 2000. Finishing with
all 9 riders in Paris says something about the character of the team,
not just about its leader. Chris Strout ---- Armstrong up the Hautacam. Without a doubt, THE RIDE. One man against
the mountain, alone and the suspense of the ride was would he or would
he not catch the breakaway rider ahead. R. Baker ---- Armstrong - Classy, clean, and unbeatable!!! Brandon Gilhooly ---- "Lance Armstrong has taken nine whole minutes off the leader,
and it will be more like nine and a half minutes by the end." Phil
Liggett on Hautacam. For me, Lance takes the best ride of the year.
He won the Tour de France in just under 30 minutes of riding. Ken Gordon ---- Lance Armstrong in the Tour: so much pressure, so much weight on his
shoulders, so much unjust criticism. And yet winning in a very impressive
way. Whatever juridical procedures the French are preparing, Armstrong
is a real champion! Maarten Treep ---- Lance Armstrong on Hautacam! Why waste your time with these obscure
rides and riders? Lance destroyed all the premier climbers and stage
racers so thoroughly that it ended the race right there. And it was
not just any old race. Taylor Bartels ---- Lance Armstrong - Life. Why say any more? Nick ---- Second, being from the States, Armstrong's ride up Hautacam was simply
astounding. I was unable to see it live, but watching it I was reminded
of the year Indurain did the same sort of ride. He lost to Leblanc that
stage, but he ended the Tour. Seeing Lance power up the climb I could
see him carving his name into the legend of the Tour. People will talk
about that ride the way they talk about Chiapucchi's ride over five
passes to win the stage. The ride of Lemond in the final TT of 89. The
devastating rides of Merckx. If you have ever struggled up a steep grade,
even as a kid, you have a benchmark by which to measure his super human
effort. Adam Nemmers ---- Well for the usual suspects Lance without a doubt, with great contributions
from USPS in the tour. Allan ---- Armstrong - no explanation needed. Marty Power ---- Armstrong certainly had it on Hautacam, not to mention Mt. Ventoux.
On Hautacam he destroyed, on Ventoux he toyed. Scott Worden ---- Lance Armstrong at Hautacam. Wim Ponsaert ---- I think that the 2000 season had two performances that stand as the
best: 1) Lance Armstrong on the Hautecam Stage of the Tour. Both performances share a common characteristic that makes them outstanding:
A heavily marked favourite bests a very strong field and wins the day.
1) Lance destroyed the opposition basically single-handed, as he was
alone for 20K prior to his big move on Hautecam, whereas Ullrich had
help from a team-mate (Kloden) and a pseudo-team-mate (Vinokurov). José Maria Jimenez 3.28 These figures are the approximate times lost to Armstrong on the 13K
of Hautecam based upon the relative starting positions and the finish
data. Scott Goldstein ---- Tour de France: Of course, Lance's win is the first, but not for the
feat itself, but rather for the reason that he is truly a leader now,
and is fulfilling his lifelong purpose in other areas as well. His team-mates
speak of him with reverence for a reason. Myself, I appreciate the effort
given by his team-mates for Lance that goes beyond mere professionalism.
That he did that, and came up with the goods another year in the hardest
event on the calendar, says it all. Regis Chapman ---- Armstrong up the Hautacam. Jose M Peña ---- Lance Armstrong on Hautacam. The best ride by the best rider in the
best race. David R Wooten, Jr ---- Armstrong's climb to Hautacam Dave Hunt ---- Armstrong, Hautacam, TdF. ---- Lance at The Tour overall, especially Hautacam Sam Nainoa ---- Saving his Tour on the Joux Plane: Lance Armstrong. ---- Armstong - The Champion, the Tour. Mark Windsor ---- TDF Stage. 10-Hautacam: Armstrong. Legendary ride. T Sexton ---- Armstrong on the Hautacam - Gobsmackingly Brilliant, just as he was
last year and they were all there to be blown off his wheel this time.
No excuses. Ryan Clark ---- Without any doubt, Lance at Hautacam! Ken Kontowicz ---- |