Contador about to leave the tour?

[Dedelou]

If I were Andy I wouldn't ride in total defense of the lead. I'd attack to get more of a cushion, but considering his AC's fatigue and knee pain (which may not be as bad as he's letting on), his TT may not be all that stellar.

Did i miss the part of the interview where he "was letting on how bad the knee was" ? I only heard him say that he was resting and icing and would testing "himself" on the big mountains on thursday. Anybody heard more ? let me know where

 

[Dedelou]

+1
.............................

+2 yes I love this transformation

 

[gregod]

the no needle policy is for injections of substances. acupuncture doesn't do that.

actually, it doesn't do anything.

 

[Dedelou]

I very much doubt if any reputable polling company carried out a survey. The French were booing him as a doper. The Italians were booing him too, possibly as a doper, possibly over Crostis, possibly over some combination of the two, possibly over something else. Who knows. Who cares. The point is that anti-Contador sentiment is demonstrably not the province of anglophones. And for that matter, there are plenty of anglophones who like him.

How do you know the nationality of the people who "booed? I watched many TDF on dozens of different locations and I am always amazed how many different nationalities you can find along the french roads in July. Try to climb alpes d'huez and stop to see who is camped on the road side..if you can't find 27 euro groups going up , you have not looked hard, and at the top you will be pleased to see how many americans are there waiting. Like you said, some people like some racers and other hates them each for their own reasons some of them totally visceral. Although I see that in forums, people find it easy to be prejudiced.

 

[montagna lunga]

I don't imagine he could hide the fact that his knee was hurting him. It was evident saturday and sunday's crash made it worse. I don't hear him speaking about quitting before "he test himself " in the Pyrenees. AC is a very proud man. i can see fighting on Thursday. He has never being dropped yet in the high mountain on any tour. So Thursday even if he doesn't plan on attacking i expect that " testing himself " will means keeping up with Andy and the other top climbers

I'll give you AC is proud....not sure I'd go so far as to call him a proud man, however. Here's a shot of reality: you've never trashed your knee and continued riding, have you?

 

[max_powers]

the thrill is gone. It's not happening this year.

that stage 4 victory salute for 2nd place says it all for me. doomed

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

actually, is doesn't do anything.

...for rheumatoid arthritis. Which Contador doesn't appear to have.

 

[Dermie]

Contador will pull out cos he will not want the loss of face by losing, he will not fight on like other GC contenders have done & race on into 10th place with a duff knee. When he realises that he's not going to win he will pull out, ego's grown too big now, this along with all the bad karma from his doping accusations & the bad week of racing he has just had, he's as good as gone.
Pull your money out of the betting ring now.

 

[Swabian Lass]

He's not going to drop out. I'm not convinced how bad it is. He's hurt his knee sure, but I have a feeling that come the high mountains it won't worry him that much.

 

[gregod]

...for rheumatoid arthritis. Which Contador doesn't appear to have.

he does have inflammation. rheumatoid arthritis is a form of inflammation. do you really want me to go through and post all of the double blind studies that have showed over and over again that acupuncture does not do anything?

 

[thirteen]

he does have inflammation. rheumatoid arthritis is a form of inflammation. do you really want me to go through and post all of the double blind studies that have showed over and over again that acupuncture does not do anything?

and how many of us do you want to come forward to say that acupuncture actually helped them with knee pain and inflammation?

i'll start -- me.

(much better and less damaging in the long run than a cortisone shot.)

 

[GJB123]

Doesn't anybody find it strange that they are so open about a possible injury? Remember last year when Evans said nothing, not even to his teammates, about the elbow injury? The line of riders hiding injuries is much longer than those coming out openly and suggesting they are going to abondon any time shortly. Why would he want to invite hard racing and further attacks when all he should really want is to follow easily in the wheels to let his knee heal?

And foremost, let's not forget that he has a DS who knowd the Schlecks better than anyone and knows how to psych them out and get under their skin.

Nope, there is something very strange going on the "Kingdom of Denmark".

Regards
GJ

 

[Barrus]

Doesn't anybody find it strange that they are so open about a possible injury? Remember last year when Evans said nothing, not even to his teammates, about the elbow injury? The line of riders hiding injuries is much longer than those coming out openly and suggesting they are going to abondon any time shortly. Why would he want to invite hard racing and further attacks when all he should really want is to follow easily in the wheels to let his knee heal?

And foremost, let's not forget that he has a DS who knowd the Schlecks better than anyone and knows how to psych them out and get under their skin.

Nope, there is sonething very strange going on the "Kingdom of Denmark".

Regards
GJ

Would you perhaps even say that something is rotten in the state of Denmark?

Sorry, I'll shut up now

 

[spalco]

Nope, there is sonething very strange going on the "Kingdom of Denmark".

Who knows, might be sandbagging, might be pre-emptive making excuses in case he fails.

All questions will be answered soon.

 

[Spaniard]

Doesn't anybody find it strange that they are so open about a possible injury? Remember last year when Evans said nothing, not even to his teammates, about the elbow injury? The line of riders hiding injuries is much longer than those coming out openly and suggesting they are going to abondon any time shortly. Why would he want to invite hard racing and further attacks when all he should really want is to follow easily in the wheels to let his knee heal?

And foremost, let's not forget that he has a DS who knowd the Schlecks better than anyone and knows how to psych them out and get under their skin.

Nope, there is sonething very strange going on the "Kingdom of Denmark".

Regards
GJ

I must say that the knee stuff has been overhyped among the anglo media, in the spanish media I just saw he was worried about his knee and that he wanted to try in the Pyrenees, but they never talked about a posible withdraw.

Yesterday I heard Dani Navarro in the radio saying that Contador was a bit low of moral because of his crashes and injured knee but it seems that he had a little improvement by the end of the day.

By other hand I don't see Contador as a mind gamer, he is a transparent guy , he said that afer this Giro winning the Tour was going to be very difficult and that he is not in top form, he doesn't have nothing to show, has been a good year in results terms so if he loses that's not a big deal.

 

[Midnightfright]

I must say that the knee stuff has been overhyped among the anglo media, in the spanish media I just saw he was worried about his knee and that he wanted to try in the Pyrenees, but they never talked about a posible withdraw.

Yesterday I heard Dani Navarro in the radio saying that Contador was a bit low of moral because of his crashes and injured knee but it seems that he had a little improvement by the end of the day.

By other hand I don't see Contador as a mind gamer, he is a transparent guy , he said that afer this Giro winning the Tour was going to be very difficult and that he is not in top form, he doesn't have nothing to show, has been a good year in results terms so if he loses that's not a big deal.

To be fair I haven't noticed to much about the possibility of him pulling out on the " Anglo " media either just really on this forum.

 

[just some guy]

I must say that the knee stuff has been overhyped among the anglo media, in the spanish media I just saw he was worried about his knee and that he wanted to try in the Pyrenees, but they never talked about a posible withdraw.

Yesterday I heard Dani Navarro in the radio saying that Contador was a bit low of moral because of his crashes and injured knee but it seems that he had a little improvement by the end of the day.

By other hand I don't see Contador as a mind gamer, he is a transparent guy , he said that afer this Giro winning the Tour was going to be very difficult and that he is not in top form, he doesn't have nothing to show, has been a good year in results terms so if he loses that's not a big deal.

Maybe but Riis is and will use mind games he already stated he knows Andy and Fränk well and will use that to Saxo advantage

Be great to see a Lepoard train in stage 12 to see Contador hanging in hanging in the Andy and Fränd go for Contador to ride past them

 

[Midnightfright]

Maybe but Riis is and will use mind games he already stated he knows Andy and Fränk well and will use that to Saxo advantage

Be great to see a Lepoard train in stage 12 to see Contador hanging in hanging in the Andy and Fränd go for Contador to ride past them

There will/would/shall be a leopard train in stage 12 regardless of a contador injury or fatigue, infact I think there would be a leopard train even if Contador wasn't there. Even as a Schleck fan I would chuckle if he pulled the old Lance-a-roo just to watch this forum explode.

 

[just some guy]

There will/would/shall be a leopard train in stage 12 regardless of a contador injury or fatigue, infact I think there would be a leopard train even if Contador wasn't there. Even as a Schleck fan I would chuckle if he pulled the old Lance-a-roo just to watch this forum explode.

I agree with the train but maybe at 85% without Contador rather than red line each guy ie telekom - be great to see the forum explode

 

[Dermie]

Doesn't anybody find it strange that they are so open about a possible injury? Remember last year when Evans said nothing, not even to his teammates, about the elbow injury? The line of riders hiding injuries is much longer than those coming out openly and suggesting they are going to abondon any time shortly. Why would he want to invite hard racing and further attacks when all he should really want is to follow easily in the wheels to let his knee heal?

And foremost, let's not forget that he has a DS who knowd the Schlecks better than anyone and knows how to psych them out and get under their skin.

Nope, there is sonething very strange going on the "Kingdom of Denmark".

Regards
GJ

They are building it up so that when he drops out then we all know there is a good reason & not because he is a quitter when it gets a bit hard

 

[Cimber]

They are building it up so that when he drops out then we all know there is a good reason & not because he is a quitter when it gets a bit hard

And you seem to suggest the opposit?

If Contador does in fact quit it would be due to an injury or extreme fatigue. If there is something the guy is not; its a quitter.

 

[El Pistolero]

Andy will bonk on Plateau de Beille and Cuddles too

 

[Spaniard]

They are building it up so that when he drops out then we all know there is a good reason & not because he is a quitter when it gets a bit hard

I may be biased by my nationality but Contador loves cycling much more than many riders , I would say he is a rider from the "old school", he likes winning every races he enter , if he looses is because there are stronger contenders , everybody saw the insane giro and his crashes in this tour, of course his knee can get worst but, why an excuse?, Andy hasn't won a stage race yet, how many excuses does he need?

 

[Dermie]

And you seem to suggest the opposit?

If Contador does in fact quit it would be due to an injury or extreme fatigue. If there is something the guy is not; its a quitter.

That is what I am suggesting, now they are building up his injury so that when he quits then it will look like he has a reason.
Of course there may be another agenda!!!! He has 3 wins, enough to live on for the rest of his life & a clean slate for his sponsers & his team that has an owner with a tarnished record. If AC quits now with a good reason (injury) & does not get to win & then have the win taken away from him next month there will be a lot of people much happier, the ASO, Barny Riis, Saxo Bank et al.

 

[Parrulo]

That is what I am suggesting, now they are building up his injury so that when he quits then it will look like he has a reason.
Of course there may be another agenda!!!! He has 3 wins, enough to live on for the rest of his life & a clean slate for his sponsers & his team that has an owner with a tarnished record. If AC quits now with a good reason (injury) & does not get to win & then have the win taken away from him next month there will be a lot of people much happier, the ASO, Barny Riis, Saxo Bank et al.

i have never seen some1 so much in the known and so sure about stuff like you. you are sure contador drop out, you are sure evans will win. what are you not sure of?

btw will do the typical july move and vanish as soon as the real climbers drop evans?