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Armstrong comments on Contador feud; "It was deliberate" - link in text.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling...dor-is-real-deal-armstrong-20091202-k6dq.html

LANCE ARMSTRONG has revealed that he deliberately created conflicts during his seven-year reign as the Tour de France champion to sharpen his competitive edge, but the 38-year-old Texan is adamant that his fallout with this year's Spanish winner Alberto Contador is for real.

In an exclusive interview.... "text parsed"

Armstrong, who this year raced after a 3½-year retirement, will relish the scenario. His best wins from 1999 to 2005 came when engaged in bitter conflict. And as he tells Sport&Style: ''We would create those things. But I am a different person than I was 10 years ago.''

But when pressed on his rift with Contador, he says: ''We are not making it up. It's there.''

Contador later told media in Madrid that his relationship with Armstrong was ''non-existent'' and, ''even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will''.

Armstrong's terse response on his Twitter read: ''Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I would drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o [without] them, he doesn't win.''

Armstrong's view has not changed since: ''It's no secret we are not friends,'' he says. ''It was just typical. Young guy, tons of success, never faltered. I called his PR guy and said, 'I don't want to tell you what to do, but I don't think that's such a good thing to say. That's stupid.'''

Although, Armstrong does concede that their rivalry will be terrific for cycling, and especially the Tour.

''It will make for an epic build-up, an epic Tour. Those key stages will be epic,'' he says.

And while he might not like Contador, he admires his physical and mental prowess, saying: ''He is strong physically, but he is possibly even stronger mentally. He ain't easy to disintegrate.'' For Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer in 1996 before winning his record seven Tours, fighting against the odds has been a part of life since he was a child.

''I got into a few fights. There was only one time when I really got my *** kicked,'' he recalls of his mid-teen years. ''I had gotten into a fight with another guy. I kicked his *** pretty good, or he gave up. [His friends] then came out and f---ing kicked the s--- out of me. But that wasn't one of those events that shaped [me]. No, my epiphany was being sick. That was like: 'Winning, losing, winning, dying … listen.'''
 
thehog said:
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling...dor-is-real-deal-armstrong-20091202-k6dq.html

LANCE ARMSTRONG has revealed that he deliberately created conflicts during his seven-year reign as the Tour de France champion to sharpen his competitive edge, but the 38-year-old Texan is adamant that his fallout with this year's Spanish winner Alberto Contador is for real.

In an exclusive interview.... "text parsed"

Armstrong, who this year raced after a 3½-year retirement, will relish the scenario. His best wins from 1999 to 2005 came when engaged in bitter conflict. And as he tells Sport&Style: ''We would create those things. But I am a different person than I was 10 years ago.''

But when pressed on his rift with Contador, he says: ''We are not making it up. It's there.''

Contador later told media in Madrid that his relationship with Armstrong was ''non-existent'' and, ''even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will''.

Armstrong's terse response on his Twitter read: ''Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I would drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o [without] them, he doesn't win.''

Armstrong's view has not changed since: ''It's no secret we are not friends,'' he says. ''It was just typical. Young guy, tons of success, never faltered. I called his PR guy and said, 'I don't want to tell you what to do, but I don't think that's such a good thing to say. That's stupid.'''

Although, Armstrong does concede that their rivalry will be terrific for cycling, and especially the Tour.

''It will make for an epic build-up, an epic Tour. Those key stages will be epic,'' he says.

And while he might not like Contador, he admires his physical and mental prowess, saying: ''He is strong physically, but he is possibly even stronger mentally. He ain't easy to disintegrate.'' For Armstrong, who overcame testicular cancer in 1996 before winning his record seven Tours, fighting against the odds has been a part of life since he was a child.

''I got into a few fights. There was only one time when I really got my *** kicked,'' he recalls of his mid-teen years. ''I had gotten into a fight with another guy. I kicked his *** pretty good, or he gave up. [His friends] then came out and f---ing kicked the s--- out of me. But that wasn't one of those events that shaped [me]. No, my epiphany was being sick. That was like: 'Winning, losing, winning, dying … listen.'''


Is any of this news?

So now LA says he is at his best when he creates bitter conflict with his peers and rivals to maintain his competitive edge. Is this his way of explaining/excusing his and JBs belligerence toward anyone anywhere who didn´t tow their line or follow their lead by blacklisting, firings and worse?

And was it really a different LA who undermined AC at all times during the 09 Tour, even trashing him on twitter throughout the race, announcing his own new team in the middle of the race, not joining the existing team that babysat him onto the podium at the victory party?

I suppose the new improved LA was evident because he chummed it up with the peloton youth and x-rivals.....now that he needed friends in his old age.

He may say he is a different person than he was 10 yrs ago, but from here it sure looks a whole lot like business as usual.
 
Mar 18, 2009
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If the 2010 Tour is "Epic" it'll be because of Andy Schleck and Contador fighting it out in the few mountain stages that matter. All Lance has now is twitter and the press--for some reason he thinks he can PR his way onto the podium.
 
A

Anonymous

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Wallace said:
If the 2010 Tour is "Epic" it'll be because of Andy Schleck and Contador fighting it out in the few mountain stages that matter. All Lance has now is twitter and the press--for some reason he thinks he can PR his way onto the podium.

i thought only epicly rapha were epic... :(
 
A Publicus Exclusive

This is an epic thread about an epic situation that's relevance to this year is so unepic. What will be truly epic is watching the realization on Lance's face that he is Ulrich to Contador's Armstrong. Epic I say. Epic.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Publicus said:
This is an epic thread about an epic situation that's relevance to this year is so unepic. What will be truly epic is watching the realization on Lance's face that he is Ulrich to Contador's Armstrong. Epic I say. Epic.

Epic take. The epic build up will be immediately followed by an epic beat-down.
 

flicker

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Shot his wad

Lance will be embarassed by Contador in the TdF next year. Lance needs to hang up his cleats and get a real job.

He needs to quit twittering around.
 

Polish

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ex-bruyneel rider syndrome

Alpe d'Huez said:
...unless he's completely doped to the gills.

Who do you mean by "he" - AC or LA?

LA can beat AC if AC is "completely doped to the gills" and caught - is that what you mean?
 

Polish

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Lance Speaks his Mind like his very good friend and confidant Eddy Merckx.
"No gifts" says Eddy...."No Free Wheels" says Lance.


Lance does not Mince his Words, neither does wenkerbuddy Hinault.
"Toi Sucer" says Bernard...."You Suck" says Lance.
 

ravens

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Tags are gone ??

flicker said:
Lance will be embarassed by Contador in the TdF next year. Lance needs to hang up his cleats and get a real job.

He needs to quit twittering around.


FIRST: Doubt Lance-a-saurus will be epicly embarrassed so much by AC or AS as he will be by the likes of vandevelde, wiggins, menchov, rasmussen (if allowed to race) Evans, Valverde or any other top 10 GC guy I skipped.

He may also get embarrassed by a few 'shack teammates if they were allowed to finish before him.

He needs Floyd back. He could probably put the beat down on him.

QUESTION What happened to thread tags?
 
Oct 6, 2009
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I appreciate Lance's accomplishments at the TDF over the years. However, it is time for the young riders to push him aside.
I was surprised at his podium finish this past year, but I really don't expect that from him again. If anyone is going to make the podium from Radio Shack, I would pick Levi.

There is not going to be anything special with Lance at the TDF in 2010, unless you consider his age and still being relatively competitive.
 
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While I expect A. Schleck and Contador to beat Lance handily... where does the belief that Lance will get worse from this past year come from?

We all know the team will sacrifice for him... because that's what he demands from a team. And we know many of those guys are pretty strong riders. I don't see any reason he wouldn't be in the mix for 3rd again next year.
 
kurtinsc said:
where does the belief that Lance will get worse from this past year come from?

Because he's old and getting older. "Time waits for no man."

Edit: Poulidor was still competitive at 40 though not as good as he was when younger. I don't think even WonderLance is immune to the effects of time and he certainly didn't look to me to be anything close to the Lance of 2002 in 2009.
 
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This thread is just AC fans bashing Armstrong, like most LA or AC related threads here are. Just a reality check, LA still came third last year after 3½ years off, breaking collarbone and doing the Giro. As for next year, even he is one year older than last year, it really doesn't make a difference, 38 or 39, it's just the same. He will only be stronger next year, not weaker.
 
wattage said:
This thread is just AC fans bashing Armstrong, like most LA or AC related threads here are. Just a reality check, LA still came third last year after 3½ years off, breaking collarbone and doing the Giro. As for next year, even he is one year older than last year, it really doesn't make a difference, 38 or 39, it's just the same. He will only be stronger next year, not weaker.

What a cute post by another silly fanboy. Good luck on your club ride this weekend and welcome to cycling my noobish friend.