The most interesting part,for me, is to look at the Points race and KOM.
http://www.velonews.com/tour2006/results/articles/10372.0.html

This really is a whole different tour. Seeing Discovery so far back in the team standings...and Hincapie fading makes you think "It WAS all about Lance."
I'm happy to see Floyd in Yellow and Mac in Green but I would like to see Ras back in Polka dots.
Jdav...I think there has been little discussion about the tour because everyone else was on the Lance wagon and with him gone,they really don't give a rats a$$ about cycling. Being able to say "Lance this,Lance that" made them SEEM like bikies and helped them fit in. They're just wannabes.

I agree...i think the biggest problem for disco this year has been Johan refusing to name a leader. everyone on the team was used to riding for someone else which is quite different than riding for the podium. it takes a whole different mindset. i am just as shocked to see paolo struggle today as i am with George.

Now that discovery has no chance i guess i will turn to rooting for the USA...i would much rather see levi win it than Floyd but i think Floyd is the only american with a chance...

I disagree. It's the opposite. I think the Disco boys aren't riding as well because they don't have a powerful leader imposing his will on them. I think Lance's domination of the race was both an inspiration to the rest of the team as well as a factor of intimidation. Plus they all knew their jobs and when to do them.

A power vacume ...These guys are pros and are known to jump ship if someone offers them more money...like many people would if they got more money for the same job.
Lance used trickle down economics...if he won...he used some of his winnings to pay bonuses to his soldiers.
With no one winning and pulling down the big bucks, maybe there is no incentive. I just can't buy this "Lance is such a great guy I spread myself all over the alps for him" bit. We all know money is power.
Or MAYBE this is what this is all about..."PROVE you are the leader everyone says you are...then we'll follow."
Alot of the leaders are gone...new ones are coming up...but they have to earn it. No one is going to hand it to them.

Its interesting to see how poorly Team Discovery is doing without Lance. And just to further prove it really was all about Lance...I've been noticing that he is conveniently making the talk show rounds at this particular time of year. He was on Leno two or three nights ago and I also caught him doing an interview on ESPN yesterday. Its July, gotta get your Lance fix!

Personally, I'm routing for Floyd. The man is getting a total hip replacement later this year!! He may never come back to level that he is at now (though if he does, he'll be able to patent a logo and make beaucoup bucks off of it just like Lance!) Knowing the possible risk to his career, I thunk it took alot of courage for him to make the decision to have the surgery. I'd like to see him win just to be able to go now in one last blaze of glory.

I'm kind of sad that I read this thread! I started watching Stage 11 this morning, but then I had to go to class before I got to see the end. Now I know how its finished and it kind of ruined it! Oh well, OLN is showing it 2-3 times a day, so I'll catch the end later tonight. I hope it is exciting a finish as some of the other stages!

Sorry guys, I tried to say in the heading that I was going to be talking about everything including today's stage, my mistake for not being clearer.
Another thing that stood out to me to day was the fact that Floyd didn't have any Phonak teamates helping him in the front, but rather it has been the T-Mobile team controlling the front of the peleton for most of the race.
Could the fact that Floyd was on the cover of Outdoor magazine be helping his band wagon? I can say that after reading the article, and reading Lance Armstrong's war around the same time, I became a fan just because of ththe floyd-lance feud. I know it sounds quirky, but that's what made me jump on his bandwagon. That and he's hardened. Given his background, he's not the type of person that'll crack under pressure. He's not a Sally, which makes him the ideal person to fill the shoes of Lance.

Yeah, ever since 2004. He was essentially left off the squad during most of the spring races, then brought on for the tour. During the tour he did his duties for lance, but there were times that he pressed lance and in the lance dominated atomosphere of Postal/Discovery, it was taken negatively. After the 2004 season Phonak offered Landis about 4X what discovery was willing to pay, plus he would be the front man, so he took it.
If I remember from the book correctly, it was kinda Lance that took Floyd under his wing and molded him to his likeness, which would only explain why Floyd has shown flashes of a dominate rider such as Lance, and hence why they would have a begun to butt heads when Floyd began to outgrow his domestique responsibilities.
Anyhow, for me, like you, the fact that Lance and Floyd are somewhat at odds makes it more fun to root for him.

jdav, are you racing musselman? I'm staying in the area for the summer (staying in manlius and norwich) and will be racing on Sunday morning. Looks like it's really well organized so hopefully it makes for a good race and hopefully the predicted heat wave holds off...

yup as said no one knows who the leader of DSC is so they are not really racing as a team .. its more like every man for themselves.

I totally agree, but then again without the sensationalism of him riding in the tour, few outside the cycling realm are tuning in so I'm sure OLN is using is to try and keep some of the only-in-it-for-Lance fans interested.:D

jdav- Yup, I am doing the sprint distance Musselman this weekend- first triathlon! I'm a bit nervous! Are you coming out for it?

MavUNC- from people I know you have done the race before they have all commented that it is a well put together & organized race.

As a plus some students from my school (the chiropractic college) and probably one of the massages schools will be there offering complimentary treatment to the athletes. A prof of mine organizes our involvement with races throughout New York state is the former Villa Nova track coach, has been the team doctor at the Pan American Junior Games in Barbodos and all kinds of other stuff, likes to offer chiropractic treatment to athletes to facilitate recovery as well as help better integrate the neuromuscular system. So feel free to come get treated!

I was in the clinic on our campus today having some muscle work done to make sure my legs are loose for the race. I found out my treating intern is going up to Lake Placid Ironman next weekend to offer treatment to the athletes up there. Pretty cool! I wish I could go!!

OK, back to the regularly schedules discussion in this forum!

It was good to see some life from Team Disco. Now we will see if George and the rest of the guys can rally behind Popovych and help him to the podium.

MavUNC and Tri-Newbie, I'll be there this weekend doing the sprint. Since A Tri in the Buff was changed last minute to a Duathlon because of waves, this will be my first road triathlon. I'm looking forward to the bike, that route that goes out along the east side of the lake is a nice area.