Year 2009: Lance Armstrong is back !!!

[chris-ccc]

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Year 2009: Lance Armstrong is back !!!

It is a big surprise that Lance Armstrong is back to compete in the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia, in January 2009.

Here is an article from the Los Angeles Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spor...armstrong.html

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[ants]

He is going to have a comeback in Tour De France. These are his warm ups events.

[ctjcad]

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/foru...ad.php?t=60252

*kwun and i (and the rest of the Californians) will be waiting for his presence & arrival, next month..

[george@chongwei]

make sure u take some pics, chris..
dont ya forget

[chris-ccc]

He is going to have a comeback in Tour De France. These are his warm ups events.

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Even as a warm-up event, an estimated 138,000 fans jam-packed (in Adelaide, Australia) to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.

Here is an article from Adelaide, The Advertiser: click here
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[ctjcad]

..i meant in the Amgen Tour of California!!
Almost like last yr, the weather was overcast for much of the weekend in Southern California with a threat of rain coming down. But mother nature for some reason cooperated for the last 2 days of this week long event. An event which just started not too long ago and recently saw its interest grow, ironically, after Lance Armstrong "retired" from professional bicycle race.
But it was none other than the amazing Levi Leiphemer, who took the overall title for the 3rd straight year, in the first ever finish in Escondido.
And almost like last year, i am still amazed @ how physically and most importantly mentally tough they were, going literally 800 miles in a 1 week span!!
And yes, with this yr's success, the organizer is already looking fw to next yr's edition, as this yr, they estimated around 2 million Californians turned out for the event!(they estimated around 100,000+ people gathered for the last stage).

On that note, Lance and Levi and co. are not finish as they will prepare for the upcoming Giro d'Italia, in May, before the long awaited return of Lance in the Tour de France, in July.

Here are some snapshots which i took of the 2009 Amgen's Tour of California (sorry, didn't have the best seat in the house)

With the way Levi has been demolishing the field, might as well hand him the title next yr...

The many angles of the race



Team Astana (overall Winning team as they also cashed in $10,000)



Floyd Landis, the first Tour of California winner and used to be the 2006 Tour de France winner

Look who's back!!

Can you find Lance??



Vincenzo Nibali, of Italy



George Hincapie (used to be Armstrong's teammate during Tour de France)

Robert Gesink, winner of Best Young Rider (demolidor might heard of him??)


Misc.



Frank Schleck, of Luxembourg being interviewed after his stage victory & Hincapie congratulating him

This 2 devices record those "photo finish" images (Oldhand is probably familiar with them)

Boom arm & main camera (HDTV), used to capture the over-the-head thrilling finish sprint. Cameraman also has 2 monitors..

And last but not least..

[chris-ccc]

Here are some snapshots which i took of the 2009 Amgen's Tour of California (sorry, didn't have the best seat in the house)

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ctjcad ... Great photos !!!. They are better than some of your Badminton photos.
Did kwun come along to take some photos too?
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[ctjcad]

..he probably could've made it if he didn't go up to Lake Tahoe, last weekend. Or, if he would've skipped work on Tuesday (one of the stages was in the San Jose area that day; first few days were in Northern California).

[taneepak]

Lance Armstrong may be trouble in the latest doping incident. When confronted unexpectedly by a French doping expert for testing, Armstrong and his manager played a delaying game which allowed Armstrong to be out of sight of the doping expert for 20 minutes to shower. The expert warned both Armstrong and his manager that the cyclist is violating the 'not-to-be-out-of-sight' rule and is violating anti-doping protocol. Still, Armstrong's manager refused. Only when the doping expert threatened to bring in the French police did Armstrong presented himself for the testing. His hair, urine and blood were tested and found to be negative.
It is well known in cycling that 20 minutes is enough time to get rid of any drugs from the body system-a practice common to cycling.
The French Anti-Doping Agency is said to be preparing to punish Armstrong for this violation.
I don't fully understand why Armstrong did not offer himself for testing right away, which can in one stroke dispel all the old suspicions about his involvement in doping if the tests prove negative? To intentionally stay away and be out of sight for 20 minutes by using his manager as the delaying ploy now raises more suspicion? What is there to hide if there is nothing to hide?

[Fidget]

Hopefully he wasn't hiding anything during that shower (except smelly sweat) .

Even if he had been a doper in the past, it is inconceivable that Armstrong would bother to come back to the sport, under incredible scrutiny, and risk his place in history by doping.

Personally I think it would have been better for the sport if he just stayed in retirement.

[taneepak]

Armstrong probably did not fully comprehend the implications of the new anti-doping 'whereabouts' rule that came into effect Jan 2009. The new rule now targets the athlete when he least expects it even when he is on holiday.
Soccer realized the new threat of this 'whereabouts' anti-doping ruling that came into effect this year and has been against it. FIFA has now compromised with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) that the 'whereabouts' rule will apply to certain selected groups of soccer players.

[drifit]

Year 2009: Lance Armstrong is back !!!

C,
you remind me of this.
i need to go check out whether the model i want, is here or not.....

[chris-ccc]

C,
you remind me of this.
i need to go check out whether the model i want, is here or not.....

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Wow ... Expensive taste you have.

Don't know if you are still riding your bicycle. But if you are, and you are wearing that pair of Livestrong glasses, I am sure everyone will be looking and/or watching you as you go cycling by.
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[drifit]

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Wow ... Expensive taste you have.

Don't know if you are still riding your bicycle. But if you are, and you are wearing that pair of Livestrong glasses, I am sure everyone will be looking and/or watching you as you go cycling by.
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actually not the most exensive eyewear in the world. check out the "porsche design"..... i go
i love oakley technology and design. most of my eyewear are oakley.

[Fidget]

... most of my eyewear are oakley.

"Most of my eyewear"? How many eyes do you have?

As far as Lance is concerned, if he's gonna be in the TdF, I hope that he does win. If for no other reason than to show that old guys aren't all used up.

[chris-ccc]

"Most of my eyewear"? How many eyes do you have?

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It should also include me, myself and I.
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[drifit]

that is a tricky question.
let me ask other people. playing badminton, use one hand, how many racket own?