13:06 TYLER HAMILTON ABANDONS THE TOUR DE FRANCE!!! In the feed zone, the American has called it quits, disappearing into a team Phonak van...
who would of though!!
who would of though!!
Holy Crap....TDF surprise...
- Thread starter Acadian
- Start date
13:09 After gritting through the vast majority of last year's race with a cracked collarbone, the 33-year-old Hamilton, it appears, has finally found his pain threshold. Wracked with hurt after a Stage 6 crash in Angers, France last Friday, the American has tossed the towel.
13:12 A crash and the death of his dog (which he considered "like a son to me"), Tyler Hamilton -- abandoning the race just minutes ago -- has had a black Tour de France. After getting dropped off the back in yesterday's stage to La Mongie, here's what Hamilton had to say: "I have no excuses, I had no legs. Since my crash on stage six to Angers last Friday I've had pain in my back and climbing makes it worse because I have to sit down. I felt empty. What's most disappointing is that I let my team down."
I wanted him to win this year too.
I'm not suprised, he looked pretty bad yesterday .. Ullrich looked even worse today, maybe he'll abandon?
Well it's kind of like me trying to keep up with Acadians post count. You fight the good fight but eventually you just gotta face the cold hard truth...... 
you could see that he just wasn't in it yesterday. Hopefully he can come back strong next year.
Skookum said:Well it's kind of like me trying to keep up with Acadians post count. You fight the good fight but eventually you just gotta face the cold hard truth......
major bummer. seems like it's been a rough tour this year. lets hope lance can keep himself out of trouble
I wanted to see him at least podium. He'll be 34 next years tour, I doubt he will ever be a contender again.bigevilgrape said:
Damn - I feel for Tyler - I was rooting for him after what he did last year with his broken collarbone. His fall must have been a hard one eh? And his back must have been friggin killin him.
I have to say back pain is different than a collarbone. The collarbone just plain kills but having back pain from personnal experience it just robs you of all the power in your legs and is none stop especially while climbing. His collarbone as with all breaks shouldn;t hurt as much as long as it isnt moved. I'm sure it was hurting him an incredible amount last year but i don;t think it was constant pain like his back is.
Man, its only the 3rd day (I think) in the mountains and it almost looks like Lance is the sole contender...I think Jan is pretty much toast.
Jan, thou a fatty pre-season is a haus. I doubt he'll drop out, but who the hell knows with this years tour?!?!?!
I disagree, Iban Basso is only 1:30ish behind and has been the only one to show sings of keeping up with Lance. Of course I think lance might be holding back to save up for the Alps.xbluethunderx said:
Oh yeah, I also think Jan will make up a good chunk of time in the Alps. Not enough for first, but perhaps enough to podium.
Basso will lose a lot of time in the TT
Basso will get destroyed in the TT. Jan isn't gonna have much chance at all...Maybe a podium, I dunno. It would be nice to see Basso do really well. He's gonna be a really strong rider, will probably win the tour coming up in the next few years.
do you really think he'll come back?bigevilgrape said:
I'm not sure. I think he dropped out because he wasn't feeling and was depressed about his dog. Some people get close to their animals and they get depressed when they die. A guy who can be competitive in the tour with a broken collar bone shouldn't just disappear from the tour.
The real surprise is Voelker, what a stud that kid is eh? Best showing in the tour for a frenchman in years.
Basso is the only real threat now. Daaaaayyyyuuum, he looks strong.
Basso is the only real threat now. Daaaaayyyyuuum, he looks strong.
I agree with the others that he will most likely loose a fair bit of time on the time trial, but he is kicken some can.
I think its gonna be Lance and Basso...xbluethunderx said:
Everyone else looks whipped.
In his diary entry, Tyler said it wasn't so much the pain as it was the simple fact that he couldn't produce any power. I think that if it had simply been pain he would have ridden right on thru it like he did last year.
http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/diaries/articles/6609.0.html
What about Iban Mayo? I really thought that took some guts to get back on the bike after being so throughly trashed (for whatever reason) and tough it out to the finish. That's props to him and his teamates for seeing him thru it. And the fans as well for still supporting him. I hope he does recover and is able to be competitive in the Alps. Either way I think that (as Etxebarria said) he will have learned a lesson about suffering which should make him better for next year.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004/tour04/?id=features/euskaltel_victory
Eventhough this year isn't over I'm thinking about the possibilities for next year (and after that) already... Basso, Mayo, and Voelker all gunning to knock the old man off..... could be fun.
http://www.velonews.com/tour2004/diaries/articles/6609.0.html
What about Iban Mayo? I really thought that took some guts to get back on the bike after being so throughly trashed (for whatever reason) and tough it out to the finish. That's props to him and his teamates for seeing him thru it. And the fans as well for still supporting him. I hope he does recover and is able to be competitive in the Alps. Either way I think that (as Etxebarria said) he will have learned a lesson about suffering which should make him better for next year.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2004/tour04/?id=features/euskaltel_victory
Eventhough this year isn't over I'm thinking about the possibilities for next year (and after that) already... Basso, Mayo, and Voelker all gunning to knock the old man off..... could be fun.
I agree. I'm a fan of Euskatel. Ya gotta dig a team in the tour that is essentially a national team (no other teams made up of men from just one country) that is made up of men without a country to call their own.
I want to see them do well.......but not better than Lance.
I want to see them do well.......but not better than Lance.
I could see Jan clawing his way back up to 3rd, but Basso would have to have a couple of real bad days to give up 2nd (or maybe even 1st).
..and that's it for Iban Mayo
too bad
too bad
I think Iban peaked way to early at the Dauphine. I think he will be back next year and maybe win. This is only Mayos 3rd tour so he really has no experience when compaired to Lance who i believe is on his 11th tour his first 5 he couldnt; even finish. So you have to give all these guys props. Thats the only reason I think Lance is always saying ullrich is the man because he has experience but Lance still has done more tours.