# Lance Armstrong Skin & Bones



## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

Lance is really looking a lot skinnier this year compared to last year. Barring any crashes or injuries, he will put the hurt on a lot of cyclist in the TDF.


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## harlond (May 30, 2005)

I know this isn't podium girls, but worthless without pics.


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## Red Sox Junkie (Sep 15, 2005)

I wouldn't hit that, but I still want to see the pics. He didn't look that skinny (or fat) for the TDS last month.


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## 97G8tr (Jul 31, 2007)

fab4 said:


> Lance is really looking a lot skinnier this year compared to last year. Barring any crashes or injuries, he will put the hurt on a lot of cyclist in the TDF.


I completely agree. He looks rail thin. I mentioned this to my wife when we were watching the look back on Versus. You can see his arms and shoulders are more muscular in 2004. The mountain stages are going to be interesting. Saw an interview and said he is at 74kg but there is no way he is over 72kg. His shoulders are bony and his upper arms are the smallest I've seen them pre-Tour. Look at the picture from 2004 below and his shoulders in that pic vs. the outside magazine cover. Or are my eyes deceiving me??









vs.


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## 88 rex (Mar 18, 2008)

He looks old and emaciated in that pic.


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## troutmd (Sep 7, 2007)

He's go that "Death on a cracker" fitness for TDF.


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## cotocalicyclist (Feb 18, 2006)

I am not sure he is any lighter this year than when he was on his winning streak, but I will bet anything he is a good 2-3 kilos lighter than he was for the start of last year's tour. 

I was watching footage from the 2009 tour last night and he just looked heavy. He was doing a lot of weight training during his retirement and built up a significant amount of upper body muscle. It looks like he has finally been able to get rid of this. The big question now is can he generate the same power as he did in previous years. I am guessing he is close since he recently talked about coming close to his record time up the Madone near Nice. Lance also sounds a lot more positive about his fitness than last year and he is someone who knows his body well and what it takes to win the Tour.

A lot of people are talking about how he is barely going to make the top 5 this year. Obviously Contador is strong, but Armstrong has made a career out of proving people wrong. I give him a 45% chance of winning, Contador a 45% chance and 10% that someone else takes it (assuming Lance and Contador stay rubber side down). The best part is that there is a 100% chance that this is going to be a good tour to watch!


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## 97G8tr (Jul 31, 2007)

troutmd said:


> He's go that "Death on a cracker" fitness for TDF.


Yep. I just don't get how their body can sustain itself when they get so thin so early on. Obviously he's done this a couple times before, but I think he must be in uncharted territory with his power/weight ratio. You get too light, your power is certainly going to go away when you loose muscle. (duh).

It will make for some high drama this year.


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

He looks ill.


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## ru1-2cycle (Jan 7, 2006)

*"The look..."*



97G8tr said:


> I completely agree. He looks rail thin. I mentioned this to my wife when we were watching the look back on Versus. You can see his arms and shoulders are more muscular in 2004. The mountain stages are going to be interesting. Saw an interview and said he is at 74kg but there is no way he is over 72kg. His shoulders are bony and his upper arms are the smallest I've seen them pre-Tour. Look at the picture from 2004 below and his shoulders in that pic vs. the outside magazine cover. Or are my eyes deceiving me??
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lance has the look of a gifted and seasoned road warrior ready to open a big can of wupas on his competition...Contador should be worried... .


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## erol/frost (May 30, 2004)

He does look skinny and slightly old in that pic.

Also, he mentions on his Twitter that they (doping-control) drew six tubes of blood from him the other day. Isn`t that a pretty significant amount to drain from him so near the start of the Tour? As far as i know the human body can`t reproduce such a large quantity of blood over so few days. Anyone know more? 

Now that i think of it the tubes could be pretty small so maybe it is a non-issue?


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## AdamM (Jul 9, 2008)

As you age power drops off, so he probably figures his best option is to lose weight to get his watts per kg into a range that's able to mix it up with the top climbers.


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## bwbmick (Jan 14, 2006)

skinny pic.


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## malanb (Oct 26, 2009)

baah, lance is old history, ZZZ.. put hurt LOL...


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## b31den (Aug 23, 2008)

The vials are pretty small. At most 5-10mL each. Some of them might have even just been capillary tubes (for determining Hb, etc) which take only a few drops. Doesn't make any significant difference.


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## rockstar2083 (Aug 30, 2005)

he's hoping to get Ashley back by following the Olsen twin diet program.


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

bwbmick said:


> skinny pic.


Is that Ulrich in white?


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## redlizard (Jul 26, 2007)

MikeBiker said:


> Is that Ulrich in white?


Nope, Father Time.  

.


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## troutmd (Sep 7, 2007)

MikeBiker said:


> Is that Ulrich in white?


I was thinking Bruyneel


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## grrrah (Jul 22, 2005)

Just wait until he gets on the TT bike, then he will look fat again.


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## tbgtbg (Mar 13, 2009)

From Yahoo news:
"The 38-year-old Armstrong said Thursday he is in a better shape than he was last year when he capped his return to competition with a third-place finish in cycling's showcase event following a 3 1/2-year retirement."

Looks OK in this recent pic...


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## WAZCO (Sep 16, 2004)

albert owen said:


> He looks ill.


Don't know if you're being sarcastic but i agree in regards to cover pict. Maybe too skining to win now? He's all about power to weight ratio and he looks out of range in his philosphy. Thought?


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## The Moontrane (Nov 28, 2005)

AdamM said:


> As you age power drops off, so he probably figures his best option is to lose weight to get his watts per kg into a range that's able to mix it up with the top climbers.


Absolutely. If he’s down 5% in power, he can maintain his power/weight ratio by dropping in weight 5%.


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## mangotreat0808 (Sep 4, 2006)

*He's actually looking OK (see latest at Rotterdam)*

All the best to the guy..he's an old warrior, and knows how to do battle on a bike. I hope he, or anyone else don't crash, I heard there's a couple of downhill finishes on the mountain stages. Them 38ish bones with little muscle support could potentially fracture on a fall !

p.s. Was looking at the Rotterdam welcome ceremony pictures, LA doesn't look that bad at all, all trim, tanned and ready to rock and roll. The guy next to him, I believe that's RS prodigy, JB Junior is the one who looks 'small' compared to LA.


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## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

The photo on Outside mag is heavily doctored to make him look older. The photo shopped in the "38 BFD" on his shirt too.


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## JohnHemlock (Jul 15, 2006)

WAZCO said:


> Don't know if you're being sarcastic but i agree in regards to cover pict. Maybe too skining to win now? He's all about power to weight ratio and he looks out of range in his philosphy. Thought?


I think he is right where he wants to be. He had all that useless muscle he'd gained from weight training and marathoning and model screwing, they couldn't get it stripped off him in time for 2009.


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

Contador? When he grows up.


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## mangotreat0808 (Sep 4, 2006)

*The latest at Rotterdam says he's not skinny..*

Here's the pic with LA actually looking good (not skinny)..


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

mangotreat0808 said:


> All the best to the guy..he's an old warrior, and knows how to do battle on a bike. I hope he, or anyone else don't crash, I heard there's a couple of downhill finishes on the mountain stages. Them 38ish bones with little muscle support could potentially fracture on a fall !
> 
> p.s. Was looking at the Rotterdam welcome ceremony pictures, LA doesn't look that bad at all, all trim, tanned and ready to rock and roll. The guy next to him, I believe that's RS prodigy, JB Junior is the one who looks 'small' compared to LA.


Here's the photo from last year - pretty skinny too.


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## Rex Hunter (Apr 7, 2010)

I think he will be better than last year, but the problem is the other guys have moved on as well so it's a moving target.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)




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## WAZCO (Sep 16, 2004)

Is this another Watson photo?


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

16 mins for the rebuttal including annotated photo, the fans sure are quick at this time of year!


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## mendo (Apr 18, 2007)

WAZCO said:


> Is this another Watson photo?


I believe the stomach bulge indicates he's inhaling as deeply as possible. Yes, you do see this on other athletes. Probably not one to many Amstel Lights.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

mendo said:


> I believe the stomach bulge indicates he's inhaling as deeply as possible. Yes, you do see this on other athletes. Probably not one to many Amstel Lights.


obviously not much deep breathing taking place by these cat5/century riders! :


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## WAZCO (Sep 16, 2004)

mendo said:


> I believe the stomach bulge indicates he's inhaling as deeply as possible..


I would like to think you mean exhaling cause if he's inhaling god know what he's going to look like exhaling. I don't believe this appearance has much to do with inhaling/exhaling figuration rather then having very muscular abs. I've seen climbers w/out there shirts and not anywhere near as define as LA is. Isn't there somewhere saying that using their torso is also an advantage or beneficial for cyclist?


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## ghost6 (Sep 4, 2009)

AdamM said:


> As you age power drops off, so he probably figures his best option is to lose weight to get his watts per kg into a range that's able to mix it up with the top climbers.


His "figuring" must be working. He managed to beat a peloton full of buff 20-somethings at the TdS. Gee, I wonder what all of those guys are thinking. The skinny old man stuck it to them.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

ghost6 said:


> His "figuring" must be working. He managed to beat a peloton full of buff 20-somethings at the TdS. Gee, I wonder what all of those guys are thinking. The skinny old man stuck it to them.


after 9 stages of racing some guy called jacob fuglsang who most cycling fans have never heard of was only 3 seconds behind 'Him' on the final GC result. i think this is all you need to know about how seriously the top end pros take the tour de suisse.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

AdamM said:


> As you age power drops off, so he probably figures his best option is to lose weight to get his watts per kg into a range that's able to mix it up with the top climbers.


I also agree and think of it this way as well.

I'm not saying LA's poised to win this Tour, but I do think he's really going to throw himself hard into it as his last. I wouldn't be surprised if he's trickling upon a very stupid-delicate diet to keep that weight. Even without his larger back and ribcage, he's far from being an endomorph in general.


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## heathb (Nov 1, 2008)

The stomach bulge is a good example of belly breathing using the diaphram. Most people only use about 1/2 to 2/3rds of their lungs. If you breath all the way down to the bottom of your stomach you'll get a lot more air with half the effort. Ask a person that plays a wind instrument or a trained singer to demonstrate this technique, if you watch them you'll see their shoulders are totally still, they don't move their chest, all the movement is in the stomach when they take deep breaths. 

And Lance honestly is looking a little too thin. If we go back to the 2003 TDF he was looking really thin that year and he didn't have anything to attack with. It's a tough call as you get older becuase honestly it's a lot easier to dump weight then it is to gain power. I think he's going to get dropped pretty bad this year, but who knows.


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## ghost6 (Sep 4, 2009)

alexb618 said:


> after 9 stages of racing some guy called jacob fuglsang who most cycling fans have never heard of was only 3 seconds behind 'Him' on the final GC result. i think this is all you need to know about how seriously the top end pros take the tour de suisse.


Of course, LA and Frank Schleck were the only two riders taking it seriously. Everyone else there was goofing off and taking it easy. Yep. Figures the old skinny guy would almost win a race like that. If he gets to the podium for this TdF, it'll be from doping, a fluke, or everyone else decided that the race wasn't that big a deal so they stopped trying half-way through. After all, one or more of these reasons must've occurred last year b/c old man got 3rd at TdF. How did he beat all those young studs?


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

funny thread - it's a day before the Tour. Every GC rider is at their leanest for the season. Of course they're skinny and under 5%. Brad Wiggins:

"My Tour weight is 73kg. During the Giro d'Italia in May I was 75kg, and those extra two kilos when I'm climbing mountains equate to two or three minutes an hour, so I know I wouldn't finish at the top with the leaders, but the Tour is the bigger picture. At 73kg, with just under four per cent body fat, by the end of the Tour I'm getting ill."


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## zphogan (Jan 27, 2007)

Straight up, Armstrong is gonna win this thing.


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## rydbyk (Feb 17, 2010)

zphogan said:


> Straight up, Armstrong is gonna win this thing.



Hope so.:thumbsup: It is going to be extreme one way or the other. Either looking for victory during entire race OR drop out in early stages....just my prediction/feeling.


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## Red Sox Junkie (Sep 15, 2005)

The Moontrane said:


> Absolutely. If he’s down 5% in power, he can maintain his power/weight ratio by dropping in weight 5%.


It's not that easy. Assuming he weight is 150, to lose 5% he would have to drop 7.5 lbs. At his composition, he would have to lose significant muscle mass to drop 7.5 lbs. He would not be able to drop weight without also dropping power. It is a fine balance.


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## Red Sox Junkie (Sep 15, 2005)

rydbyk said:


> Hope so.:thumbsup: It is going to be extreme one way or the other. Either looking for victory during entire race OR drop out in early stages....just my prediction/feeling.


I have a feeling you are right, but I hope he doesn't go out like that.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Red Sox Junkie said:


> It's not that easy. Assuming he weight is 150, to lose 5% he would have to drop 7.5 lbs. At his composition, he would have to lose significant muscle mass to drop 7.5 lbs. He would not be able to drop weight without also dropping power. It is a fine balance.


IIRC, Lance is typically around 75 kilos. I have no idea what his % fat is at that weight.


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## dwgranda (Sep 8, 2009)

Has anyone verified this weight? I wonder if this is mental game with his competition because 165 seems heavy. And for him to mix it up with Contador and Schleck who actually look like they're in the 130-140 range? I bet he wasn't heavier than 155 in last year's tour.


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## dwgranda (Sep 8, 2009)

I agree, I think all these guys take it seriously and try their best or near best unless they are working for someone else. Even when taking it seriously, the studs might not be in the right form or have that extra few percent of mental will that gets you to the top.



ghost6 said:


> Of course, LA and Frank Schleck were the only two riders taking it seriously. Everyone else there was goofing off and taking it easy. Yep. Figures the old skinny guy would almost win a race like that. If he gets to the podium for this TdF, it'll be from doping, a fluke, or everyone else decided that the race wasn't that big a deal so they stopped trying half-way through. After all, one or more of these reasons must've occurred last year b/c old man got 3rd at TdF. How did he beat all those young studs?


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## mootinator (Apr 4, 2003)

albert owen said:


> He looks ill.


wish I could look that ill. I would be gettin sick all over my club rides...know what I mean...that would be SICK!


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## biobanker (Jun 11, 2009)

No fricken way he wimps out and quits. He's not that guy. 

I think that he is way better prepared than last year and he is only one year older. 

I think that Contador is faster, but I think that AC has a greater chance of a dumb mistake costing him a lot of time a la stage 3 last year.

I wonder if we will see a LA vs AC Cadel like rolling fist fight? My money is on LA if ghat happens!!

I'm cheering for the Schleckers myself. Those goofy brothers make me smile.


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## ghost6 (Sep 4, 2009)

Armstrong Beat Fingerbang In Prologue


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## ru1-2cycle (Jan 7, 2006)

What about the ITT prologue? First serving appetizer of wupas for Contador...What did I tell you?


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Wow, you guys are all geniuses - you have the race figured after watching the prologue - amazing!


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## ru1-2cycle (Jan 7, 2006)

*Taste of war...*



AJL said:


> Wow, you guys are all geniuses - you have the race figured after watching the prologue - amazing!


No, but Lance has definitely shown the caliber of road warrior he can be, and just the prelude for an exciting war. Lance is almost 40, don't you have admiration and respect for that accomplishment? I certainly do. It certainly demonstrates his stock and character. Teams and cohesive team work win races, and I believe the Shack will not disappoint us.


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## ru1-2cycle (Jan 7, 2006)

Come and join the all you can eat wupass buffet courtesy of Radio Shack...More servings in the mountains!


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## The Cowboy Tiger (Jul 26, 2009)

AJL said:


> Wow, you guys are all geniuses - you have the race figured after watching the prologue - amazing!


People predicting an Armstrong win this early are definitely jumping the gun, but on the flipside Lance showed that he was in much better shape at this point than he was last year. Conti didn't especially given his semi-disappointing showing in the Dauphine'.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

AJL said:


> Wow, you guys are all geniuses - you have the race figured after watching the prologue - amazing!


Well, things to consider:

1. The GC contender that showed the best form in the prologue has for the most part gone on to win the Tour over the last....what...15 years or so?

2. Lance has a better team than Contador or the Shlecks as well as Evans.

3. Lance showed much better form than he did last year in the prologue, and better than most people expected....that much is for sure.

With that said...it's only the first 10 minutes of the Tour and anything can happen. But some points can be extrapolated from his performance today. Will they play out as history has shown or will this be the year that changes history? Who knows at this point, which is why they race the races


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## Kaleo (Jun 15, 2008)

I would just like to say that Lance is not going to let Contador just walk away with it... and that's what going to make this race historic, win or loose. Lance has left his mark, like him or not. He has millions of followers (I don't mean on twitter)... how many do you or any one else in cycling have?


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## cpark (Oct 13, 2004)

He looks thinner/fitter than last year.
He just looks better on the bike.
I still don't think he will win, but I wouldn't count him out.


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## Ride-Fly (Mar 27, 2002)

I am hoping and rooting for Lance, Levi, and Chris Horner to take the podium!  No matter what happens, it's gonna be a great race!


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

Lance does look good. I'd love to see the Shack work out two on the podium, but there's no way. The Schlecks, Basso, Contador, Evans, Menchov and maybe a darkhorse like CVV or Tony Martin will contend. I'd like to see some success from that young German on HTC. I also think LLSanchez will be strong. He's always great to watch.
I don't think, for a second, that since LA had a decent opener, that he'll just walk away from it. There will be a lot of intrigue for this year's tour. And for me, this tour is actually shaping up to be as interesting as the Giro, my favorite tour of all.


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## hawkman71 (Apr 20, 2010)

I admit it's hard to get to 'know' the different riders on tour, but I am first of all looking for LA to win it. I think it would be flat-out amazing. I enjoy Levi, the Schlecks (who had misfortune today), as well as Vandevelde (ditto), Kloden, and Thor...


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## dongkg (Jun 23, 2010)

I guess he has reasons for being skinny at all. But he looks better with little fats..


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