Indurain better climber than Armstrong?!

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Here you find the best times for the climb of Alpe d Huez:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpe_d'Huez

37'36'' Armstrong 2004 (Time Trial)
38'05'' Armstrong 2001
38'10'' Indurain 1995

As you can read in the link the distance for indurains time was 700 m longer. If you assume a average speed for those 700 m of 50 km/h you have the following virtual armstrong-times:

38'26'' Armstrong 2004 (Time Trial)
38'55'' Armstrong 2001

So Armstrong could not even beat the Indurain-Time in a time trial (Indurain had Madeleine and Croix the Fer in his legs). Indurains weight was about 79 kg and Armstrongs weight 71 kg ... The weight of Armstrongs bike was about 1 - 2 kg less than indurains ...

And Pantani 1995: He rode the climb 1'36'' faster than Armstrong in Time Trial!

Some data of the world championships in Columbia 1995:

Date: 8th of october 1995 (!!!)
Length: 265,5 km (15 x 17,7 km)
Height Meters Total: 4.725 (!!!)
Lowest point of the race: 2.540 m (!!!)
Highest point of the race: 2.850 m (!!!)
Riders, who finished the race: 20 :eek:

1st Olano (ESP, Indurain allowed him to attack and controlled Pantani)
2nd Indurain (ESP)
3rd Pantani (ITA)

So, who says that Indurain was not a very good clymber?

I think the key part of cycling is tying it all together, and doing it consistantly. It's one thing to be the best at one skill. It's a whole other thing when you are at or near the top in many things and can do it consistancy.

Wearing the yellow jersy at the end is usually the difference in the two.

I think the key part of cycling is tying it all together, and doing it consistantly. It's one thing to be the best at one skill. It's a whole other thing when you are at or near the top in many things and can do it consistancy.

Wearing the yellow jersy at the end is usually the difference in the two.
Cycling is not only TDF. It is - not only - also Giro, world championships and olympic games.

Cycling is not only TDF. It is - not only - also Giro, world championships and olympic games.
It would have been great to see them race against each other in their prime.

lw

And Pantani 1995: He rode the climb 1'36'' faster than Armstrong in Time Trial!


Yeah, but Pantani was a doper.

Yeah, but Pantani was a doper.And Armstrong and Indurain were no dopers ...http://www.websmileys.com/sm/angels/ices_angel_g.gif


http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/028.gif http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/028.gif http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/028.gif

For your information:

Indurain and Armstrong were tested positive (Armstrong 1999). Pantani was never tested positive. But im am sure he doped as Armstrong and Indurain.

And Armstrong and Indurain were no dopers ...http://www.websmileys.com/sm/angels/ices_angel_g.gif


http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/028.gif http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/028.gif http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/028.gif

For your information:

Indurain and Armstrong were tested positive (Armstrong 1999). Pantani was never tested positive. But im am sure he doped as Armstrong and Indurain.
Sorry to correct you but neither Indurain or Armstrong have ever failed a doping test. Pantani was tested in the 1999 Giro with only a couple of days to go and whilst leading on GC and his blood test failed the haematocrit level and he was disqualified from the race.

It would have been great to see them race against each other in their prime.

lw
They did race together and Indurain slayed Armstrong and everyone else for that matter. He was a machine of a cyclist. This is the man who thought nothing of winning the Giro over 3 weeks in May and then the Tour in July, TWICE!!

Arsmtrong did famuosly beat Indurain in the World's denying him a hat trick that year (griwo, tour, worlds) If it hadn't been for the filthy weather I have every confidence Mig would have won.

If Indurain hadn't spent too many years sacrificing himself for others as a super domestique he would have won a lot, lot more. Maybe not so many spring classics because he did hate that cold Belgian weather.