Breaking news: "Armstrong Brushes Aside Contador Taunt"

[Deagol]

but, what could be a "pistolero" without his "pistola?

he would still be 2 time TDF champ. Not to mention those "other two tours" that we don't here anywhere near as much about.....

 

[Deagol]

Contador's pistol shot salute is probably the most successful troll attempt in modern day history.

As long as it ****es off Lance and his followers, he will never stop

Probably true...
I bet winning the TDF ****es LA off more, though ....

Remeber Paolo Bettini made a shotgun gesture when winning worlds (in Stutgart, I think). Maybe that was the one that started it all?

totaly off the subject: I'm pulling for Schleck this year. That would be cool if he did a sling-shot gesture when/if he ever won a stage

 

[zapata]

Remeber Paolo Bettini made a shotgun gesture when winning worlds (in Stutgart, I think). Maybe that was the one that started it all?

totaly off the subject: I'm pulling for Schleck this year. That would be cool if he did a sling-shot gesture when/if he ever won a stage

I think I remember Flecha doing a gesture like a bow and arrow, some years ago? that was probably some sort of pun, "flecha" meaning "arrow" in spanish. (also, further off subject, I'd like to see someone making a "bludgeon"-gesture..someone like cancellara or boasson hagen might be appropriate.)

 

[Angliru]

I think I remember Flecha doing a gesture like a bow and arrow, some years ago? that was probably some sort of pun, "flecha" meaning "arrow" in spanish. (also, further off subject, I'd like to see someone making a "bludgeon"-gesture..someone like cancellara or boasson hagen might be appropriate.)

That is my favorite all time victory gesture. I've been a Flecha fan ever since.

 

[zapata]

That is my favorite all time victory gesture. I've been a Flecha fan ever since.

Me too! Strange that these things should matter, but have been following him since that victory.

 

[Angliru]

Me too! Strange that these things should matter, but have been following him since that victory.

It also opened my eyes up to how rare he is among Spanish riders. One who excells in the toughest one day races in the sport. Although he has yet to win a classic he has consistently shown that he is in the elite riders in that category. I keep crossing my fingers that he breaks through and wins Paris-Roubaix and/or Tour of Flanders. Loved your 5 moments for 2010.

 

[zapata]

It also opened my eyes up to how rare he is among Spanish riders. One who excells in the toughest one day races in the sport. Although he has yet to win a classic he has consistently shown that he is in the elite riders in that category. I keep crossing my fingers that he breaks through and wins Paris-Roubaix and/or Tour of Flanders. Loved your 5 moments for 2010.

agree on all counts! is it april yet?

 

[Arnout]

I don't know the genesis of it, but I recall that it is a personal communication to someone. So as long as that person is around and able to receive the message, he'll probably keep sending it.

This is true, he said this in a Spanish paper some months ago. Nothing to do with Armstrong.

 

[moi123]

This is true, he said this in a Spanish paper some months ago. Nothing to do with Armstrong.

It's for Macarena!
And ofcourse for all his loved ones, too.

 

[Anonymous]

+1

Alberto likes to play Armstrong on as well. Lance gets more attention though when he says something.
Do you think that Lance sees some same characterristics and personality traits of Alberto in himself?

I don't think lance would see personality traits of himself in AC, but he is clearly threatened by AC physical prowess.

I don't think AC has the ego of Lance, or at least that's all I can gather, but certainly AC has the motivation to do well, and I think he is playing the media game better than Lance right now. Lance seems scared, AC seems calm and calculated in his responses

I don't think anyone has called AC a sweetie or suggested that he hasn't gotten digs into LA. At least as it relates to these comments, LA greatly over-reacted to what was being said, which as Carbon Cranks post demonstrates above, takes considerable effort to transform from the acknowledgment of Lance's role in AC's popularity into some sort of attack on Lance.

He's a straight shooter, who chooses his words relatively carefully.

I agree no-one has directly said it, but sometimes it seems that people here think Lance is the only one playing the media mind games. Like you said, AC is a straight shooter and not only chooses his words very carefully, but very precisely.

I agree Lance over-reacted to what was being said, and I believe that AC said those words knowing that the ego-driven Lance would respond that way. I'm certainly not suggesting AC's comment was an attack at all, just a side comment that he knew would filter through to Lance and annoy him.

That's why I said i think AC is smarter than what he is given credit for. I think he is a step ahead of Lance of the bike, and a step ahead on the mind games 6 months out from the Tour. Credit to him.

Perhaps my original post looked like I was saying AC was a bad guy for this, but that was not intended. I was praising AC for his media tactic in my original post.

 

[Publicus]

I don't think lance would see personality traits of himself in AC, but he is clearly threatened by AC physical prowess.

I don't think AC has the ego of Lance, or at least that's all I can gather, but certainly AC has the motivation to do well, and I think he is playing the media game better than Lance right now. Lance seems scared, AC seems calm and calculated in his responses



I agree no-one has directly said it, but sometimes it seems that people here think Lance is the only one playing the media mind games. Like you said, AC is a straight shooter and not only chooses his words very carefully, but very precisely.

I agree Lance over-reacted to what was being said, and I believe that AC said those words knowing that the ego-driven Lance would respond that way. I'm certainly not suggesting AC's comment was an attack at all, just a side comment that he knew would filter through to Lance and annoy him.

That's why I said i think AC is smarter than what he is given credit for. I think he is a step ahead of Lance of the bike, and a step ahead on the mind games 6 months out from the Tour. Credit to him.

Perhaps my original post looked like I was saying AC was a bad guy for this, but that was not intended. I was praising AC for his media tactic in my original post.

I agreed with most of your assessment except for the piece that implied myself and others were viewing this situation with rose-colored glasses.

 

[Anonymous]

It's for Macarena!
And ofcourse for all his loved ones, too.

Yeah, I read this somewhere in the past seven months. I think it started during the Giro d'Italia, and was a signal for his long-time (10 years) girlfriend Macarena. He's done it ever since. LA was retired and it had nothing do do with him.

I think it was one of the interview questions submitted via twitter or Face Book that asked Alberto when he was going to marry Macarena. He kind of dodged that one.

 

[ecoovert]

ecoovert

If I were going to be 39 racing against Contador in the TDF I might feel intimidated also. However I don't know what is going through Lance's mind any more than you do. If I were Lance I would be happy with a mere 7 tour wins. Many retire by the Lance's age and he is still in contention, that's not at all bad. I would be happy with placing 3rd in one out of 8 tours having won the rest. Say what you will Lance is a superb athlete in my book. I would say the same about Contador but I can't put contador at Lance's level until he has won 7 tours. It's hard for me to say anything negative about Lance or Contadore as both are amazing athletes. Sure there is some rivalry between the two but that's only to be expected. I look forward to the excitment both of these athletes will bring to this years TDF.

This is precisely what I mean when I say AC is a straight shooter. He openly acknowledges that part of his popularity, especially in the last year, is due to him beating Lance Armstrong and that the fans were in HIS corner last year. And the impact it has apparently had on Armstrong is absolutely priceless. He's scrambling to diminish AC's popularity; to insist, against all evidence to the contrary, that he was a good teammate at the Tour de France; and frankly the fact that he is even addressing this in such a manner underscores how much this so-called showdown is really only a figment in Lance's imagination.

I can honestly say, in the short time that I've followed professional cycling (since 2003), this is the first time that I've noticed that Lance is mentally intimidated by another rider. He's downright afraid. Sure he's masking it with a lot of false bravado, but it's as clear as the nose on his face. He reeks of fear. And I'm sure not only can Alberto sense it, but so can JB, his teammates and other members of the peloton.

All of this because Alberto acknowledged that his popularity stems, in part, from his success against Lance during the 2009 Tour de France and that the fans/crowds were in his corner at the Tour. Amazing.

 

[Anonymous]

"Armstrong, Bruyneel Respomd To Contador"

Robert Vaughan of the Sydney Morning Herald has another round, seemingly put together with sound bites. Bruyneel and Armstrong have to get their stories straight, and Lance keeps contradicting himself.

Bruyneel

"(Last year) was a clear example of a team working as a team, no matter whom they had to work for," Bruyneel said on Saturday.

"I'm a bit frustrated by the comments that he didn't have any help.

"That was absolutely not the case."

Bruyneel said reports of tension within the team during the Tour were exaggerated, but even Armstrong has mentioned them in a new book.

"The tension ... was a lot less than everyone thinks," Bruyneel said.

"It was sometimes stressful, intense, but not nearly close to what has been written or said.

Armstrong

"Mentally he's almost unbreakable - there were times in the Tour last summer that you saw that he had to be fractured mentally, because of things that were done in the race and the perception among the people, the fans and the peloton," Armstrong said.

"He never (cracked), he was always very, very tough - he's a strong-minded young man."

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/armstrong-bruyneel-respond-to-contador-20100116-mdcd.html

1. I've read pretty much every interview Contador did that's hit Google News in the past seven months (there really aren't many), and never saw him say that he didn't have help. One of his former teammates said that during the Tour, Alberto went from room to room in the hotel each night thanking guys personally. The other thing only existed on twitter, from what I could see.

2. If things weren't bad, like Bruyneel said, then why on Earth would Armstrong say Alberto was fractured mentally, and expect that a weaker man would have broken?

3. Why won't people see that this whole "verbal battle" would be the same if Armstrong was shipwrecked on an island along with a volleyball called Wilson, like Castaway? Lance is doing all the talking for both sides. Alberto has said he has no bad feelings, and maybe the rivalry exists in the press but not in real life.

 

[Publicus]

Robert Vaughan of the Sydney Morning Herald has another round, seemingly put together with sound bites. Bruyneel and Armstrong have to get their stories straight, and Lance keeps contradicting himself.

Bruyneel


Armstrong



http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/armstrong-bruyneel-respond-to-contador-20100116-mdcd.html

1. I've read pretty much every interview Contador did that's hit Google News in the past seven months (there really aren't many), and never saw him say that he didn't have help. One of his former teammates said that during the Tour, Alberto went from room to room in the hotel each night thanking guys personally. The other thing only existed on twitter, from what I could see.

2. If things weren't bad, like Bruyneel said, then why on Earth would Armstrong say Alberto was fractured mentally, and expect that a weaker man would have broken?

3. Why won't people see that this whole "verbal battle" would be the same if Armstrong was shipwrecked on an island along with a volleyball called Wilson, like Castaway? Lance is doing all the talking for both sides. Alberto has said he has no bad feelings, and maybe the rivalry exists in the press but not in real life.

This is about JB and LA trying to rehabilitate their image with the fans, particularly in the English speaking world. My guess is they know that AC isn't going to spend his time responding to or worrying about this crap, so their spin will eventually become reality--at least in the English speaking world. And for LA/JB that's largely all that matters.

Obviously, I'm generalizing here, but I think AC's approach is instructive. Shrug it off and move on with the work of the day. Everyone who rode for Astana at the TdF in 2009 knows the truth.

 

[hfer07]

Robert Vaughan of the Sydney Morning Herald has another round, seemingly put together with sound bites. Bruyneel and Armstrong have to get their stories straight, and Lance keeps contradicting himself.

Bruyneel


Armstrong



http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/armstrong-bruyneel-respond-to-contador-20100116-mdcd.html

1. I've read pretty much every interview Contador did that's hit Google News in the past seven months (there really aren't many), and never saw him say that he didn't have help. One of his former teammates said that during the Tour, Alberto went from room to room in the hotel each night thanking guys personally. The other thing only existed on twitter, from what I could see.

2. If things weren't bad, like Bruyneel said, then why on Earth would Armstrong say Alberto was fractured mentally, and expect that a weaker man would have broken?

3. Why won't people see that this whole "verbal battle" would be the same if Armstrong was shipwrecked on an island along with a volleyball called Wilson, like Castaway? Lance is doing all the talking for both sides. Alberto has said he has no bad feelings, and maybe the rivalry exists in the press but not in real life.

maybe you haven't seen this recent interview:
http://nos.nl/video/126911-studio-sport-document-lance-armstrong.html

 

[poupou]

If I were going to be 39 racing against Contador in the TDF I might feel intimidated also. However I don't know what is going through Lance's mind any more than you do. If I were Lance I would be happy with a mere 7 tour wins. Many retire by the Lance's age and he is still in contention, that's not at all bad. I would be happy with placing 3rd in one out of 8 tours having won the rest. Say what you will Lance is a superb athlete in my book. I would say the same about Contador but I can't put contador at Lance's level until he has won 7 tours.

No Lance rode 12 TDF...

His first TDF proved he would never be a TDF contender, but Dr. Ferrari gave him the magic potion.
Should we remember Moser's hour record accomplished with Coconi and Ferrari as blood booster!

 

[Publicus]

maybe you haven't seen this recent interview:
http://nos.nl/video/126911-studio-sport-document-lance-armstrong.html

I think what AC is saying is that this so-called rivalry/showdown is really only in Armstrong's head. AC is focused on winning and besting ALL of his rivals, not just Armstrong. He's just one of many individuals that stand in the way of him achieving his goal. Whereas, listening to Armstrong, you get the sense that he would consider himself victorious if he just finished ahead of AC, even if both were off podium. In short, nothing short of victory is AC's goal. Nothing short of beating AC is Armstrong's.

At least that's my opinion on the matter.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I think what AC is saying is that this so-called rivalry/showdown is really only in Armstrong's head. AC is focused on winning and besting ALL of his rivals, not just Armstrong. He's just one of many individuals that stand in the way of him achieving his goal. Whereas, listening to Armstrong, you get the sense that he would consider himself victorious if he just finished ahead of AC, even if both were off podium. In short, nothing short of victory is AC's goal. Nothing short of beating AC is Armstrong's.

At least that's my opinion on the matter.

That is my take too.
He clearly rates Schleckette as a greater threat and probably a few others, before the aging ex-champ.
Consequently, he wants to avoid wasting time and effort, getting sucked into pointless mind games with any individual.
Meanwhile, Armstrong is unable to accept the fact that he is no longer the biggest fish in the pond and is therefore only out to hook Contador.
Berto has no intention of taking the bait.
I expect this will lead to increasing frustration, as the ego struggles to come to terms with his relative insignificance.

 

[Señor_Contador]

[...]I expect this will lead to increasing frustration, as the ego struggles to come to terms with his relative insignificance.

That is cold.

 

[Señor_Contador]

One of the things that make me wander about Lance is how he reacts to criticism on the doping issue. Take Paul Kimmage and when he asked LA what it was that he admired in "these dopers" (referring to Landis and Millar). This was a clear personal question on Kimmage's part, to which LA responded as if it was an attack on cycling and his cancer-fighting crusade per se.

 

[bianchigirl]

I would have no doubt putting Contador at least on a level with Armstrong at this point in his career seeing as he has won 4 GTs (including the Vuelta & Giro double) at an age where LA was still being caught for 6 minutes in a TT by Indurain. Fact is, pre-EPO the great GT winners showed early that they had the chops to win, just like Contador and absolutely unlike Armstrong, the perfect 'champion' of the super enhanced era.

As for Bruyneel, he clearly couldn't manage the situation at Astana, had never been closely involved in Contador's big GT wins and was doing everything to help his old pal win. The fact that Contador had to ignore Bruyneel's orders to win the race speaks volumes for Contador's instinctive tactical nous - and volumes for Bruyneel's lack of imagination as a DS and lack of skill as a man manager. So it suits everyone to spin the situation. Fascinating to watch as the propaganda war is, it's also somewhat pathetic - they really need to let it go and try grace and maturity for a change instead of childish boorishness

 

[Bike Boy]

I would have no doubt putting Contador at least on a level with Armstrong at this point in his career seeing as he has won 4 GTs (including the Vuelta & Giro double) at an age where LA was still being caught for 6 minutes in a TT by Indurain. Fact is, pre-EPO the great GT winners showed early that they had the chops to win, just like Contador and absolutely unlike Armstrong, the perfect 'champion' of the super enhanced era.

As for Bruyneel, he clearly couldn't manage the situation at Astana, had never been closely involved in Contador's big GT wins and was doing everything to help his old pal win. The fact that Contador had to ignore Bruyneel's orders to win the race speaks volumes for Contador's instinctive tactical nous - and volumes for Bruyneel's lack of imagination as a DS and lack of skill as a man manager. So it suits everyone to spin the situation. Fascinating to watch as the propaganda war is, it's also somewhat pathetic - they really need to let it go and try grace and maturity for a change instead of childish boorishness

I probably agree with you more than one would think, considering that I'm a fan of Armstrong.
But on one count we stand pretty far from each other. The fact that you are so reluctant to give credit to JB, for guiding the team toward tour victory is hard to believe.

A tour victory alone is impressive. Considering the circumstances he was dealing with, I think it's fair to say he did a good job.

Stealing 8 riders from Astana does not serve his credibility, but that's beside my point.

 

[Angliru]

I probably agree with you more than one would think, considering that I'm a fan of Armstrong.
But on one count we stand pretty far from each other. The fact that you are so reluctant to give credit to JB, for guiding the team toward tour victory is hard to believe.

A tour victory alone is impressive. Considering the circumstances he was dealing with, I think it's fair to say he did a good job.

Stealing 8 riders from Astana does not serve his credibility, but that's beside my point.

Are you missing that the Bruyneel strategy was essentially flawed? It is apparent to all but those that simply didn't want to see it, that getting Armstrong the Tour win was the #1 priority. Had Contador toed the line and rode as if he had been lobotimized, Andy Schleck would be the one celebrating as the 2009 Tour victor.

Your statement "A tour victory alone is impressive. Considering the circumstances he was dealing with, I think its fair to say he did a good job", would be perfect if you were talking about Contador and not Bruyneel. He won in spite of a flawed strategy that was meant to cripple him and benefit Armstrong.

 

[Bike Boy]

Had Contador toed the line and rode as if he had been lobotimized, Andy Schleck would be the one celebrating as the 2009 Tour victor.

This is obviosly a matter of differens in opinions.
Fair enough, but I think the tactic Bruynell planned worked very well considering that Astana ended up with two riders on the podium.
The point you state above is not interily true. Contador would still have won the race, although with less distance to Andy Schleck.

Lance is a big ego. Can you imaging what the outcome would have been had JB cut him off?
I don't think that would have been very pretty. JB did manage to avoid a meltdown. to control two opposing egos is not an easy task.