Spoiler - If yesterday didn't do it....

HuckFinn

www.letour.fr says

He will regret it.

This move, motivated from reasons far from the race (and closely connected do the doping theme), will cost him dearly.

Reactions in European media are quite negative already.

jhuskey

Oh crap!Have you people been in a protected closet all your life. The tour as in all sports is about money. Lance will be back without question, the bigger the scndal, the bigger audience, besides my favorite rider is Mary Poppins she is so nice and polite to everyone and don't win S**T!

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HuckFinn

This move wasn't about money. It was about power.

It was about punishing a rider who said to a judge Ferrari adviced him to dope.

TrekDedicated

How will he regret it?

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HuckFinn

He will be remembered punishing a rider who accused Ferrari of advicing doping.

Many people will think he did it because he wanted this theme to be quieted.

Many people will think he did it because he was personally involved in this theme.

It has a bad smell.

eduardoSC

I just think there is much more here than meets the eye concerning Armstrong and Simeoni.

Armstrong surely understands that people will assume his move is to discourage further talk about doping, but something made him feel strongly enough to do what he did today. So if he's concerned about people's perception of his innocence in the doping matter, I have to believe his motive for that move today came from somewhere different.

Armstrong is already saying the peloton was thanking him when he returned, so maybe he made a statement to Simeoni that all of them agreed with. Armstrong also said there is much more to the story than the press is reporting. Maybe Simeoni is the one who is off-base here. Maybe Lance is way off - I honestly don't know. I like both of them, and feel bad for Simeoni when he said a couple of weeks ago he was approaching LA daily to try to talk, but being rebuffed.



anything Armstrong related in the Euro press this week is going to be negative, so I can't give much weight to the press' reaction. I agree what he did today can seem distasteful, even offensive, and hard to explain- but since I don't understand the reasons behind it I'm leaving the benefit of the doubt to Armstrong.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but this seemed like a very old school move..it's been a long time since someone has played the patron card like that, but from the things I've read over the years that kind of thing was once fairly common. In the 80's and especially the 90's, it's become more rare. The closest I can remember is the neutralization of the stage in the '95 tour, after Indurain declared a there would be no racing after Casartelli's death...and there was indeed no racing on his word alone.

RedSky

Most conspiracy theories, like yours, tend to smell badly as well.

HuckFinn

You are right about that neutralization. It was the last time - and it was clearly about the race itself.

No backroom agenda. Not by Indurain.

Today, it was about doping.

Very bad smell.

RedSky

Give us a break. We've seen entire tours practically gutted because of doping scandals. We've seen disgraced riders welcomed back to the field and venerated after admitting doping.

And yet, somehow, Lance Armstrong is going to have to worry what some people are saying about his "inappropriate" move against Simeoni?

Right... Just like we all blame Tiger Woods for that one time he gave his caddy a mean look.

eduardoSC

it goes without saying that all of this is speculation..but Armstrong felt strongly about something - strongly enough to make a startling statement, and using his position as the patron to make it.

it's just that we don't really know what it's all about. Doping related- I don't know. If you wanted to quiet the doping chatter, you wouldn't make a calculated move in front of the world that would make everyone think you're trying to hide something, would you? You wouldn't publicly admonish a rider whose involved in a lawsuit against you in order to draw attention away from the situation, because it has the opposite effect.

That's why I think Armstrong is trying to say something- we just don't know what it is.

HuckFinn

You see correctly that it has the opposite effect.

Armstrong did not see it.

gntlmn

Please be careful about the spelling on Fillipo Simeoni's name. The other rider is Alberto Simoni, who is also in this year's TdF, and he is not the one referred to in this thread, although some of you are spelling Simeoni's name as if he's Simoni.

davidbod

Clearly the Peloton agreed with what he did as otherwise they would have immediately chased him down as soon as he went for the break to the lead group. They let him sit off the front, make his point and then return without much reaction. If the Peloton was willing to do that it's pretty damning for Simeoni. I don't think this has anything to do with doping, it's obviously gotten very personel between the 2.

renoster

Lance's actions were an awesome display of absolute sporting domination.

However, while wearing the yellow jersey his actions seem to me to be inappropriate and arrogant, particularly given allegations that have been levelled against him. Why add fuel to the fire by taking actions that could be perceived to be the implementation of a code of silence.

Domina Vacanze's participation in the tour has been woeful and there was a potential bright spot for a team that has gone through a tough time this year. Even if Lance chooses to ignore that, why not send someone else forward to carry the message and draw less attention to the situation.

If you want to control the stage, go ahead and win it, otherwise, let others go ahead and do their jobs.

Then again, the tour needs a little spice in these final days when many things seem to be a foregone conclusion.