# Armstrong = special treatment..



## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

Why the H do they let Armstrong wear a yellow vest.. Why doesn't he have to wear his teams full kit like everyone else.. Are they going to let him wear yellow in the tour? I think that's just BS.. Make him a special Astana kit, but don't let him wear yellow all the time.. I just think that's total BS.. The commentators can't even tell if it's the race leader or him..


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

likely because it's his come back on home soil. Overseas I highly doubt he will be able to.


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## husonfirst (Jul 15, 2006)

I was wondering the same thing myself.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

they're a lot more casual about vests and jackets. it bugs me - they have team-kit-matching everything from socks to underwear, but they can't wear jackets so you can at least tell what team a rider's on?


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Mosovich said:


> Why the H do they let Armstrong wear a yellow vest.. Why doesn't he have to wear his teams full kit like everyone else.. Are they going to let him wear yellow in the tour? I think that's just BS.. Make him a special Astana kit, but don't let him wear yellow all the time.. I just think that's total BS.. The commentators can't even tell if it's the race leader or him..


Special treatment? I don't know of a rule that says you can't wear yellow. If he is not wearing the official team kit, he can be fined. Is he being fined?


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## doctor855 (Dec 27, 2008)

Mosovich said:


> Why the H do they let Armstrong wear a yellow vest.. Why doesn't he have to wear his teams full kit like everyone else.. Are they going to let him wear yellow in the tour? I think that's just BS.. Make him a special Astana kit, but don't let him wear yellow all the time.. I just think that's total BS.. The commentators can't even tell if it's the race leader or him..


i'd imagine since he is racing for free astana isn't too worried about it and also would imagine that if you win 7 TdF's you do get a bit of special treatment.


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## funktekk (Jul 29, 2006)

The yellow rule is only for races where the leaders jersey is yellow. At the Giro you can wear all the yellow you want, but I wouldn't try pulling on pink. 

As far as I know the leaders jersey at TOC is gold


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## Mersault (Jan 3, 2005)

they made a comment about that. Basically in that weather, they put on whatever they can to stay warm.


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## pedal2tahoe (Nov 10, 2006)

Doesn't bother me as long as he does it in America. Borderline disrespectful if in Europe IMHO.
What bothered me more was the "Johnny's Bike Shop" hat he wore today under his helmet/ promoting his bike shop.


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## kb1dqh (Oct 28, 2007)

Relax. It really bothers you that he wore a Mellow Jonny's hat? It's a LBS... press is good.


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## Doctor Who (Feb 22, 2005)

The race organizers will let him do anything he wants. Ya know why? Because for the first time in a couple of years, people other than cyclists are paying attention to the Tour of California.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Why is it not OK for Lance to promote his own bike shop?


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## Magsdad (Jun 29, 2005)

Doctor Who said:


> The race organizers will let him do anything he wants? Ya know why? Because for the first time in a couple of years, people other than cyclists are paying attention to the Tour of California.


Ding! We have a winner.


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## jupiterrn (Sep 22, 2006)

I like his shop....I'd promote the heck out of it if I were him.

He is a noob anyway. I mean he is wearing a MTB helmet.....what a fred


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

The yellow vest is no big deal. Correct me please if I am wrong, but the only time I know of that being an issue was in the TDF when the race organizers were grasping for a reason to get rid of Cipollini, but I don't think that anybody in America really cares about that kind of thing. If I had a bike shop I would wear my hat on TV. Who cares? Those things only seem to become issues when the "offender" is a person that some people don't personally like anyway, like Armstrong or Cipo.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*I wonder if*



mohair_chair said:


> Special treatment? I don't know of a rule that says you can't wear yellow. If he is not wearing the official team kit, he can be fined. Is he being fined?


He is. I haven't read the official USAC comminiques on the thing, but, the fines aren't that high.

I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't something like, he made an arrangements to pay the fines to a "charitable cause" or something.

I HAVE seen riders fined for wearing black coats and stuff...


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## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

FWIW, there plenty of other guys in the field wearing yellow rain jackets. I didn't see as many today but in stage 1 there were many.


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

Yes, they are obviously more relaxed when it comes to outer-wear to protect them from the elements. Half of the teams had solid color jackets and you couldn't tell who was who.

If I was Mellow Johnny's, I'd have my name plastered all over the Astana jersey. If I had an LBS, I'd promote the crap out of it.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Argentius said:


> He is. I haven't read the official USAC comminiques on the thing, but, the fines aren't that high.
> 
> I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't something like, he made an arrangements to pay the fines to a "charitable cause" or something.
> 
> I HAVE seen riders fined for wearing black coats and stuff...


I think it's 250 Swiss francs per day, which is about $215.

The TDF used to have a rule (they probably still do) that you had to wear the race-issued rain capes, which are see through. I guess it was so your sponsors got their TV time in the rain. But as far as I know, that's the only race that has that rule.


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## fast ferd (Jan 30, 2009)

Folks, this is California, for crying out loud. Riders can wear big afros and sequined pink tights. Anything goes here!

The first thing I thought upon seeing that Mellow Johnny's cap was that I wanted one...


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

because he is the cure for cancer.


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## Joemero (Jul 19, 2008)

What's up with the visor he's wearing on his helmet anyway?


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## b24fsb (Dec 21, 2006)

jupiterrn said:


> I like his shop....I'd promote the heck out of it if I were him.
> 
> He is a noob anyway. I mean he is wearing a MTB helmet.....what a fred



just shows how little you do know about helments, if you look closely he is wearing a custom live strong painted ionos with a MTB visor attached to it. that why its good to be lance:thumbsup:


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## Farmer Tan (Jan 25, 2009)

Just the other day someone was whining cause he would wear Livestrong gear while practicing--when no one sees it--and not in the actual race. Now he's wearing it in the race and people are whining about that. 

Between this and people complaining about the coverage, I wonder if anybody is getting enjoyment out of watching this. 

The Indian girl was on again today. Who's going to complain about that?

I hope tomorrow he wears all yellow and with a big Mellow Johnny's logo on his chest. That would ruffle some feathers.


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## slucke (Nov 11, 2005)

Joemero said:


> What's up with the visor he's wearing on his helmet anyway?


It helps keep the rain out of your eyes. I've been doing it in PacNorWest for a while. Maybe I won't get laughed at on the group rides now.


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## cheddarlove (Oct 17, 2005)

Farmer Tan said:


> Just the other day someone was whining cause he would wear Livestrong gear while practicing--when no one sees it--and not in the actual race. Now he's wearing it in the race and people are whining about that.
> 
> Between this and people complaining about the coverage, I wonder if anybody is getting enjoyment out of watching this.
> 
> ...



I'm enjoying it and apparently so are you.
The L.A. haters are enjoying because they can rag about the L.A. fan club and how they are blind to the truth and the L.A. fan club can rag about the haters and how they too are blind to the truth. Those of us in the middle think we are better than either!  
Each thinks they are better than the other. 
In March I'm going to Austin to see my dad and I plan on spending some money getting a hat at Mellow Johnnie's! He fights cancer and promotes cycling. Including commuting. 
How cool is that? He does more than I do.


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## Farmer Tan (Jan 25, 2009)

Yup, enjoying it very much.

Even with rain on the camera lens.


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

You're worried about a yellow vest? Really? C'mon.


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## roadie92 (Jan 21, 2008)

Well the way I look at it Is if Astana, or any of the team sponsors don't have a problem with him wearing the livestrong vest than I am fine with it. But if I was one of the sponsors I would not be too happy about it.


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## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

*I'm not a LA hater..*

I'm just saying that the race leader should be the only one to wear yellow.. (the jersey looks yellow to me, not gold).. If I was race leader, I wouldn't want someone wearing my same color... That's what my gripe is.. Mancebo should've been given a yellow rain cape.. LA could wear a white cape with livestrong on it..


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## peter1 (Apr 10, 2002)

roadie92 said:


> Well the way I look at it Is if Astana, or any of the team sponsors don't have a problem with him wearing the livestrong vest than I am fine with it. But if I was one of the sponsors I would not be too happy about it.


If I were a sponsor and Lance Armstrong wanted to be on my team, he could wear purple thong and tube socks. I suspect the people's republic of Kazakhstan is over the moon right about now.


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## bikesarethenewblack (Dec 30, 2008)

Was it just me or was Borat not in the race today? I swore I saw him in an astana kit, or maybe it was rock kit.


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## wiz525 (Dec 31, 2007)

There's a lot more than just LA in yellow rain gear. By the aerial shots, it looks like there are about 20 guys in yellow jackets.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2009)

I'm on the fence about the Livestrong...I mean Astana kit but what about the World Champ stripes on the sleave? I thought once you won the Worlds you're able to wear the stripes for life.


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## bauerb (Jan 18, 2006)

i think a better question is: why does no one seem to having matching team kit rain jackets? whats up with black, yellow, red, grey? these are teams that prob have correct-color underwear, but they have to buy their rain jackets at the local LBS ?


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## MTBRoad (Oct 25, 2005)

I'm sure their rain jackets are of hi-tech materials such as Gore-tex. They're not riding in plastic bag rain coats like poor bastards like me have to. Do you know what it would cost to have a mult-colored matching coat made of Gore-tex or some other hi-tech material. Plus there is no way to put logos on the material and if you sew patches or something on you compromise the performance of the garment. I think this is why you see standard solid colored rain gear.


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## RkFast (Dec 11, 2004)

Most pro-sports leagues give their biggest superstars a little leeway. Sometimes a lot of leeway. 

A defending player used to LOOK at Michael Jordan and get whistled for it. Tom Glavine used to get balls a good foot off the plate called as strikes.


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## T-Doc (Apr 4, 2002)

I think it was his banana hammock thong bibs in Astana colors....with a yellow cape and a mellow johnny hat.


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## bigmig19 (Jun 27, 2008)

I agree with masovich. Personally I like LA as a cyclist but it seems like common freakin sense to say that yellow is the one color they would prefer you _not _wear. People like me are at home and when I cant see people's faces, you tend to look for yella to find the leader. Is that so hard? Just dont wear the leaders jersey colors! For the record I was somewhat annoid by S. Duval last year because they tricked me on more than one stage. Come to think of it, isnt that the *reason they invented the yellow*, to find the leader at the TDF many moons ago? Makes sense to me.


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