June 14, 2004
Dear Teacher -
I enjoy your cycling insights on DL.� How about some thoughts on�Lance as he gets ready for the Tour, and faces some dragons, such as losing 2' to Mayo on Mont Ventoux during the Dauphine?
Student Mark Featherman, PA
�
Noble Student Mark -
i allowed your question to simmer in my thighmind during my 4-hour road ride this morning along the Pacific Coast Highway and up the 13 kilometers of Latigo Canyon. Do not worry about Mt. Ventoux...the baldness of the mountain triggers Lance�s subconscious about cancer. Lance will have no problem in fitness if his teammates can control the chaos at the Tour. anything can happen of course. Lance came into the Dauphine with well-trained legs and lungs. he will decompress, recover slightly before the Tour...use the first two weeks to develop the snap in his legs and then, well, come the Alpe d�Huez TT...Lance will be on the podium. he will, however, suffer a bit of an injury in his back due to the unconventional setup on his d�Huez bike. even this, however will not deter Mr. Armstrong from Numero Seis. you can look forward to the Euscatel Euscate team to attack like banshee�s in their Basque homeland but the fragility and overtrained physiques of both Ivan Mayo�s and American Tyler Hamilton will keep them right where they deserve; behind Lance. Watch for Heras�s team to make a strategic blunder in the third week and enjoy watch the fastest sprinter in the world, Alessandro Pettachi, nab another three stage wins to bookend his amazing nine stage wins in the Giro.
keep the rubber side down and lift your inside foot when cornering,
coach ilg
United States Cycling Federation Elite Coach
click here for a training shot of Coach Ilg on Sudamani (his road bike). Photo by Wayne Williams
ilgcycljeg.JPG
