Armstrong: Contador is "nervous"

[Susan Westemeyer]

Lance Armstrong knows what Contador's problem is: he is too nervous! In an interivew on L'Equipe he again said that Contador still had a lot to learn, and „with much respect, he is too nervous! He is too strong to be nervous!“

Is Contador nervous, and why? He certainly didn't have the strongest team at Paris-Nice to support him.

Or is he lacking self-confidence for some other reason? Like not knowing whether he will be captain at the Tour?

Armstrong also said that he wants to ride a good Giro but doesn't plan to peak until the TdF.

 

[lookkg386]

And with that Lance continues to chip away at Contador...this team could be a wreck in July...

 

[Johnny]

Contador is Nervous

I love this. So begins the more overt portion of Lance's psychological campaign against Contador. Of course Bert is nervous. Like him or not, Lance is a rare competitor with an amazing mind. He will wage war and win. Good times. I enjoy watching Contador climb, and though I am not fond of Lance off the bike, I prefer watching warriors on the bike. Bert is too nice...for now.

 

[Bartoli]

They'll ride together next week in Spain, that should resolve some issues. What i don't get is why Armstrong is constantly talking about Contador. First that bs about some learning he needs to do, he won 3 grand tours, what's he talking about? And now this about him being nervous. It's almost like he is trying to make AC nervous.

 

[Publicus]

Armstrong-Contador

I can't wait for Contador to crush his *** when they race together. Big fan of Lance, but his comments about Contador are getting to be ridiculous. Alberto, this is a game designed to get in your head, don't sweat the small stuff. Lance is just insecure about not being team leader automatically. Work your pedals in Castilla y Leon and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Alberto Contador knows what Armstrong's problem is: he is too cantankerous! In an interivew that I just made up, he again said that Armstrong is really old and kind of an ***, and "with much respect, he is too cantankerous!"

 

[tifosa]

Sheesh, I'd be nervous too having a D.S. joined at the hip with Armstrong, and riding on a team where who rides for whom is open to debate every day - even on race day. Contador, when are you going to wise up? Armstrong is using you as a tool.

 

[pradel]

I love this. So begins the more overt portion of Lance's psychological campaign against Contador. Of course Bert is nervous. Like him or not, Lance is a rare competitor with an amazing mind. He will wage war and win. Good times. I enjoy watching Contador climb, and though I am not fond of Lance off the bike, I prefer watching warriors on the bike. Bert is too nice...for now.

Johnny,

don't forget in the first place there were journalists from L'Equipe asking questions.
I also like watching Alberto climb. BTW I have seen him in real last Friday on his way up to the Montagne de Lure.

Theo

 

[tiggertoo]

If anyone had made comments about Armstrong similar to those he is making about Contador, he would have sh*t all over them. The man's ego knows no bounds.

 

[astokes]

Since Mr Armstrong chooses to overlook the obvious, I'll point it out for him.

Unlike LA's Tour run from '99 to '05, what Contador failed to receive at Paris-Nice was the benefit of 7 blue and yellow clad Astana team mates doing all of the work for him until the last 10K. If "Mellow Johnnie" had been in AC's position, that is, isolated with 40K to go, I don't see him faring any better.

To say that his criticism is misplaced is putting it lightly. That, along with Bruyneel apparently beginning to show signs of "taking sides" in this little intra-squad drama, is probably causing AC to start daydreaming of taking the leadership reins for another outfit next year.

This is so 1986 all over again. Hinault (LA) vows to "help" the understudy, Lemond (AC). And we all remember how that turned out.

 

[Benedict XVI]

Can't believe LA being such an hypocritic ***! First, he admits Contador just bonked ("happens to all of us"), and then we see this load of crap about him being nervous and ****...
LA's just dropped low in my eyes..didn't expect that from him.

 

[zosocane]

I was a big Lance fan -- until I read this garbage in L'Equipe. First, WHY IN THE WORLD is he speaking to L'Equipe after the headline "The Armstrong Lie" after he retired at the end of the 2005 TdF??? Smart, Lance. Really smart.

Second, WHY IN THE WORLD take a jab at your own teammate in the press??? His OWN TEAMMATE!!! Shut your mouth and keep it inside the team. But he can't help himself.

 

[Tom Morris]

TWhat i don't get is why Armstrong is constantly talking about Contador.

It is really not that hard to understand. Armstrong is a media w-h-o-r-e (Can you believe this site censors that word. You have to be kidding me!). He will say anything to get himself in the press. This is a guy who carries around a Blackberry set to alert him whenever he is mentioned in the press. He alerts the media who he is dating. He is perfectly willing to badmouth teammates if it will get him a little attention. It has nothing to do with phycological games.

 

[Baggins27]

I don't think young Alberto is going to be over the moon on reading this..... have the mind games for the Tdf begun?

 

[checked]

Armstrong is if not the most popular, he is one of the most popular cyclists today. Every word he says will be reported by the media. Hope everything is ok w/ my fav team, Astana.

 

[2wheels]

couldn't you just see it coming?

One glance at the team Astana sent to Paris-Nice tells it all: Bruyneel is saving the good horses for Lance to use, wherever and whenever he wants them-- and this isn't the first time Bruyneel has done this. I seem to remember Hincapie riding for GC in big races, but Bruyneel giving him a very weak supporting cast. Guys like Contador and Horner are too classy to be with a team like Astana; hope they wind up elsewhere.

 

[Tom Morris]

Guys like Contador and Horner are too classy to be with a team like Astana; hope they wind up elsewhere.

At this stage in his career Horner is glad he has a job in Europe. He is not going anywhere, especially after he spent nearly his whole career being ostracized by the "cool kids." You think it was an accident that a rider dominating the U.S. domestic scene never got hired by U.S. Postal while american neo pros with were?

 

[Baggins27]

I think it's a bit early to say that Astana are favouring Lance.

And to be fair to Lance himself, he did also say Contador was the best rider around didn't he?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Hope one can't get banned for posting another site's satirical take of this whole issue.

In which case, I'd be nervous!

 

[jayjaynng]

Lance's legacy

I had understood and hoped that Lance would concentrate on riding and winning the Gyro for the first time for himself, and then help Alberto to win the Tour de France. This would add to his legacy and show that he can be an unselfish team rider who can give as good as he takes, as he did in California. But maybe he's just keeping the other riders guessing as to what his true Gyro plans are. Or just maybe he's doing a mind game on L'Equipe. They deserve it!

In any case, it's going to be a fascinating cycling season, the crowds will double, the TV coverage will triple, and TV sponsors will return because people are again paying attention to cycling. All due to Lance.

 

[tiegsvl]

Armstrong vs Contador

Seems to me it would be better for LA to keep his thoughts and comments to himself. If I were Contador I wouldn't want to hear what he said! I think Alberto is fully aware of what he did/didn't do in Paris-Nice and doesn't need a teammate making comments. Come on JB - step in here!

 

[tbulger]

I'll take nervous over narcissistic

Stating that Contador is nervous in the context of this years Paris-Nice would seem to imply that he (Alberto) should have relied on his team more instead of being nervous and using up energy to gain so much time, and win stage 6?
To me it looked more like Alberto was the only one on Astana that had any capacity to ride this race.

Where was his team?

BTW -- "Narcissism describes the trait of excessive self-love, based on self-image or ego. Applied to a social group, it is sometimes used to denote elitism or an indifference to the plight of others."

If this does not describe Lordstrong then I'll eat my sweaty cycling cap

 

[Angliru]

Alberto Contador knows what Armstrong's problem is: he is too cantankerous! In an interivew that I just made up, he again said that Armstrong is really old and kind of an ***, and "with much respect, he is too cantankerous!"

Mr. Tibbs, you just made my day. Your post brought tears to my eyes! Quite funny!

 

[homewrecker]

Future scandal is looming...

Doesn't anyone question Contador's meteoric rise to time trialing greatness? I will lay out a prediction that he will be involved in some drug connection soon...another tainted Tour de France connection. I just don't see this 140 lb guy being able to crank like that naturally.

On the Lance/Contador front, I see a Fignon/Lemond repeat at the Tour. Whether your a Lance or a Contador fan, I think it will be pretty exciting to watch - alot better than the sleepfest we had at last year's Tour.

 

[Angliru]

I think it's a bit early to say that Astana are favouring Lance.

And to be fair to Lance himself, he did also say Contador was the best rider around didn't he?

I'm sure all the above was typed in between loud belches from guzzling a pitcher of the Armstrong kool-aid.

Armstrong said the same thing about Ullrich before surgically dismantling him for 7 years straight. He said that Pantani was the world's greatest climber just before chasing him down as if attached to a race moto on one of Pantani's many attacks. This before gapping Pantani significantly on the beginning of Mount Ventoux, only to have Pantani valiantly bridge back up to Armstrong, along with Armstrong drop everyone and nip him at the line for the summit win. Oh, he felt the need to let the press know that he let the greatest climber in the world, or "sh*t starter" as he called him, win the stage.

Mind games aplenty. That kool-aid is tainted.