Beautiful words from Per Bausager on Facebook. It's in Danish, so I'm providing a translation.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214203044135815&set=a.1074525629130.13660.1405860387&type=3
"ADIOS PISTOLERO
Contador is a story about a talent who became a campione, about a campione who became a campionissimo, about a campionissimo who became a legend who became an icon before hanging up the bike.
So, why did Contador reach this status, among spectators and both active and retired bike racers? First of all it’s about panache. No bike racer in recent times, and very few throughout history, have so unequivocally been an exponent of this approach to bike racing. His answer, when recently asked by Bicisport how he feels about modern cycling, was very characteristic. ”I hate watt racing,” he said. To Contador cycling isn’t about computer calculations, but panache, imagination, bravery, and glory. Things that, combined, are what made the greatest cycling poets’ pens overflow – not with blue ink, but with red lifeblood. That was back in the eras of Bartali, Coppi, Anquetil, Ocana, and Merckx. And things that for more than one hundred years have made millions flock from near and far to remote and desolate mountains to get a short glimpse of their heroes.
A result is in itself only of interest to historians and accountants. In it self sterile, like watts and radios are by nature. This is also the reason why there will most likely never be written a beautiful text about Froom – despite the indisputable fact that he is a great athlete. He is a man who never himself alone takes the bull by the horns, but always – until the final 5 kilometers – drafts, spending as much energy as a Daihatsu Charade, while others create greatness by burning hay like a Ferrari Testarossa, winning no hearts – though winning bike races. Bringing joy to only sponsors and the banker. Sadly, now we can look forward to more of that, and lovers of true and classic bike racing will have to find consolation in one-day races, where ”accountant racing” is not as shamelessly rewarded.
The other day I had a long talk with Riis (Bjarne, ed.) about Contador, and among other things I asked him what he considered Contador’s biggest weakness. ”That he won’t listen,” The Eagle replied. Not wanting to listen will no doubt cost you in some areas, but it’s also part of Contador’s greatness. Most of his greatest performances came from efforts likely no sports director would have ever encouraged.
Yesterday’s stage (Angliru, ed.) was a grand example of Contador’s bravery and ambitious way of racing. The peloton knew he was willing to almost die to take the win on Angliru, and they were expecting him to attack relatively early on he ascent. Instead he chose to risk life and limb on the wet descent and already be on the attack at the foot of Angliry. A very, very risky strategy when you want to win, and you know there are 6 Sky riders 20 seconds behind you. But Contador wants to both win and go big. And then you have to act the part. Reading the comments in the international cycling media, it was a day that moved many and will go down in the history of cycling.
Contador’s endless series of bad luck, starting with the ill-fated leg fracture in 2014, have undoubtedly cost him a lot of results, but his always blazing morale – against all odds – has at the same time made him much more popular than he was, back when everything went his way. And lately he has often said that he was determined to do great things and things of beauty, because it wasn’t until now he realized, how much that meant to his fans and to the spectators.
And he most certainly has accomplished things of beauty. And I will humbly thank him for the many great and emotional moments his presence in the peloton have given me.
This afternoon I will walk the 2 kilomtres to the finish line here in Madrid and say to him: Adios Pistolero."
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