I don't think you can overstate how impressive Armstrongs return is, and that is why he is garnering so much attention. To come back to the absolute pinnacle of the sport (2nd in TdF in final few days FFS) after 3 1/2 years out of the sport, at an age where everyone else has retired, is a first.
Yup, that's been my impression of Lance this Tour. I didn't want him to come back - I wanted him to retire gracefully and stay retired, and I thought he would struggle to keep up on the mountains, but he has proved me totally wrong. I've been hugely impressed.
Contador and Andy Schleck showed that they're younger and stronger but who else gave Lance any real competition? Wiggo made a heroic effort but Lance used his experience to keep him at arm's length (although had Wiggo been a wee bit more canny at the end of stage 3...). Kloeden and Frank Schleck just weren't quite good enough either.
And what happened to Cadel Evans? Carlos Sastre? Denis Menchov? Christian Vande Velde?
I've never really regarded him as arrogant, although he's clearly not a humble man, but that is part of his winning armoury.
Yeah, any top pro sportsman in any sport needs a touch of that. Let's not forget that the likes of Merckx and Hinault weren't exactly shrinking violets.
I think LA will be strong again next year but he'll need to get a very strong team around him and use all his tactical genius to have a chance of winning - he won't only be competing against Contador and Schleck, there are the likes of Brice Feillu, Nibali and Tony Martin who proved themselves strong future prospects this year. Plus I reckon Wiggo's experience this year will make him even stronger next year - and he may even get a stronger team behind him next year.
d.