Contador blasts LA

[Anonymous]

the original source is from Radio Television Espanola RTVE on his press conference in Spain after his arrival.
Proper translation:
My relationship with Armstrong is none-but independent from his personality, he's a great champion, has won 7 tours and done a great job in this one, but on a personal level(referring to his personality) I haven't had a great admiration towards his, and never will, but again-as a rider-he's a great champion.
for Spanish speakers
http://www.rtve.es/deportes/20090727/contador-relacion-con-armstrong-nula/286686.shtml


but then again- what more can everybody expects from "LA's worshiping VELONEWS?

Yea, that is quite a difference than what was QUOTED by Velonews. Regardless of what he said, it was merely a reaction to the actions of Mr Armstrong, and it appears he held back a bit. I would have been a little more colorful, but that is no surprise.

 

[scribe]

That quotation has made in through all of the media outlets (American, European, NZ, etc). Seems like people are hearing different things.

 

[Cobber]

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador on Monday launched a stinging attack on teammate Lance Armstrong, saying relations between the two were tense throughout the race.

Proper translation:
My relationship with Armstrong is none-but independent from his personality, he's a great champion, has won 7 tours and done a great job in this one, but on a personal level(referring to his personality) I haven't had a great admiration towards his, and never will, but again-as a rider-he's a great champion.

Seems like the Velonews author was trying to make a big deal out of nothing. I have to say, given some of the stories that have emerged (eg. LA getting rid of AC's ride to the start of the ITT etc.), if this is all AC has to say I think he could have a successful career in international diplomacy after cycling, if he chooses. Armstrong, on the other hand.....

 

[Anonymous]

nice, and seemingly truthful comments...

Good for Contrador making this public...I too got sick of Armstrong via this race...what a baby...my gut tells me an idol does not make a decent person...Lance got his *** beat off...and he did great getting third...I have total respect for that...Lance whining about Contrador taking the Schleck's up the mountain when Wiggans were still there in contention...Armstrong would have done the same in his time...I can't wait to see him get his *** beat hard by Contrador next year...and that will happen...the hell with all you ball-washers for your idol...move on and get real...Come on...
oh, and by the way, Hincapie won't be there for the Radio beat...Armstrong screwed him over as well...
Go team radio shack...

 

[dadoorsron]

It's funny to read all these post and people saying how Johan, Lance, and Levi used twitter to bad mouth Contador. However, when asked in interviews the comments from twitter was the same on air comments. Contador didn't follow team orders. Plan and simple. To be honest I thought Contador would attack on Ventoux!

 

[williej]

hope so....

cause he's gonna need another career. he just won his last TDF. Messin' with the Boss....too funny. Lance will have more money and more drawing power than any other team entering the tour next year - by a susbstantial amount. He will have 2 goals - 1) Win # 8. 2) Take down AC. I'll guarantee he brings the horses to achieve at least one of those 2 goals. So long Alberto.....

 

[Oldman]

Seems like the Velonews author was trying to make a big deal out of nothing. I have to say, given some of the stories that have emerged (eg. LA getting rid of AC's ride to the start of the ITT etc.), if this is all AC has to say I think he could have a successful career in international diplomacy after cycling, if he chooses. Armstrong, on the other hand.....

Agree completely. Plus the press is picking the easy targets while they can still capture the public imagination. I loved the Lance interview from Oprah's favorite doctor, Sanjay Gupta. To Lance's credit he flatlined the interview. He could have mentioned Contador by name and acknowledged he got beat. That would be what a Patron and real champion should do.

 

[elapid]

Yea its funny how you guys on here paint a certain picture for LA but not for other riders that do the same thing when they run their mouths in the press. ie.. Cav, AC, Columbia/Garmin, etc....funny how that works out.

And you're not?

You obviously haven't been reading the other threads because many opinions of Cav, the Columbia-Garmin feud, etc are not that high either.

 

[Anonymous]

xxx

ack...sorry via spelling Contador....fingers flying a lil too quickly...

Good for Contrador making this public...I too got sick of Armstrong via this race...what a baby...my gut tells me an idol does not make a decent person...Lance got his *** beat off...and he did great getting third...I have total respect for that...Lance whining about Contrador taking the Schleck's up the mountain when Wiggans were still there in contention...Armstrong would have done the same in his time...I can't wait to see him get his *** beat hard by Contrador next year...and that will happen...the hell with all you ball-washers for your idol...move on and get real...Come on...
oh, and by the way, Hincapie won't be there for the Radio beat...Armstrong screwed him over as well...
Go team radio shack...

 

[Robert Merivel]

Don't worry kids, it will all get sorted out next year. Till then, enjoy what we have in the moment...great competition!

Competition is for the competent!

 

[Cobber]

Agree completely. Plus the press is picking the easy targets while they can still capture the public imagination. I loved the Lance interview from Oprah's favorite doctor, Sanjay Gupta. To Lance's credit he flatlined the interview. He could have mentioned Contador by name and acknowledged he got beat. That would be what a Patron and real champion should do.

You forgot to say that Gupta sits on the board on the LAF, which is kind of like being interviewed by your own mother..... Not to mention that Gupta has little credibility of his own, having being passed over by the Obama administration after he got in an arguement with Michael Moore over the accuracy of his movie, "Sicko". Turned out, Moore was right and Gupta didn't know what he was talking about, despite being CNNs medical expert. Hmmm.. an ignorant knowitall on CNN... ain't that a surprise!

 

[**Uru**]

If that were an attack, it is laughable. Contador has bit his tongue well in the media. I am certain that Contador and Lance could go on scathing rants about each other. Personally, I think Contador earned the right to lead Astana and was justified to be annoyed by Lance's attempt to take over the team.

 

[Anonymous]

armstrong and his ego...

Absolutely! Armstrong didn't come near Contador this year...different levels entirely...Armstrong on the podium yesterday was ugly...no class at all...like he had some odd chip on his shoulder via not being able to "strong arm" Contador into losing...poor big baby...like some lame pop song by his ex...no more sunshine eh? I have been a Armstrong supporter for a long time...was in Paris for his first win...but he has become a joke this year...not for how he rode or came back...he rode with honor via that third...but his damn attitude during the race has been pathetic...Lance, form that lame radioshack team and get your *** beat off next year! I can't wait...

 

[Anonymous]

armstrong gupta...

You forgot to say that Gupta sits on the board on the LAF, which is kind of like being interviewed by your own mother..... Not to mention that Gupta has little credibility of his own, having being passed over by the Obama administration after he got in an arguement with Michael Moore over the accuracy of his movie, "Sicko". Turned out, Moore was right and Gupta didn't know what he was talking about, despite being CNNs medical expert. Hmmm.. an ignorant knowitall on CNN... ain't that a surprise!

Actually, Gupta declined the job...just not enough money and there is so much more in being a media *****...abit like the strong-arm...

 

[LaBici]

All he says is that it was tense between the two. He never said a word all the way through the Tour, letting his legs do it for him.....unlike some.

Touche! Condator is the champion. He held his thoughts to himself as a professional should during the Tour. Now that it is over he can talk. Mr Armstrong did not hold back his ego during the tour and never paid AC the respect he deserved. Maybe there is more to this than we can see or know, but from the public statements that i have seen I favor AC's position.

 

[scribe]

If that were an attack, it is laughable. Contador has bit his tongue well in the media. I am certain that Contador and Lance could go on scathing rants about each other. Personally, I think Contador earned the right to lead Astana and was justified to be annoyed by Lance's attempt to take over the team.

Lance in yellow earlier in the race would have been very interesting to say the least. I don't think you could argue that AC deserved the team from the initial week results.

 

[scribe]

Touche! Condator is the champion. He held his thoughts to himself as a professional should during the Tour. Now that it is over he can talk. Mr Armstrong did not hold back his ego during the tour and never paid AC the respect he deserved. Maybe there is more to this than we can see or know, but from the public statements that i have seen I favor AC's position.

Many times LA made 'no comment' when asked specifically about an obvious situation between the two.

 

[Publicus]

cause he's gonna need another career. he just won his last TDF. Messin' with the Boss....too funny. Lance will have more money and more drawing power than any other team entering the tour next year - by a susbstantial amount. He will have 2 goals - 1) Win # 8. 2) Take down AC. I'll guarantee he brings the horses to achieve at least one of those 2 goals. So long Alberto.....

If that's all it took, he would have won #8 this year and taken down AC at the same time. Seems his missing the physical talents to do so. Apparently next year he's going to find the stuff he had in 1999, 2000 since he acknowledged that he didn't think he could have beaten him in 2002-05.

 

[Publicus]

Many times LA made 'no comment' when asked specifically about an obvious situation between the two.

Without a great deal of body language suggesting just what he wanted to say. I watched the same Versus feed you did.

 

[Aguirre]

Many times LA made 'no comment' when asked specifically about an obvious situation between the two.

if Lance really bites his tongue during the race, he is definitely poissoned.
There are wittness that say that the dinner after Arcalis seemed like a funeral, and that Lance had red eyes of angry against the young boy.

Lance is so thorny to create his own team radio shack with the exclusive mission to fight and battle contador next year, even at the price of buying the Brothers for that task!!!!

he is hurted in his pride, as everybody saw it, what's that going to the podium wearing sunglasses and shacking hands as automats?????

 

[iceaxe]

Contador seems like a shy guy who was made uncomfortable by all the english speaking movie stars on the bus, etc. Sounds like LA made no attempt to accommodate Contador . In fact, it sounds like Armstrong and his friends bullied and humiiated Contador.

 

[Publicus]

Lance in yellow earlier in the race would have been very interesting to say the least. I don't think you could argue that AC deserved the team from the initial week results.

When would you say he deserved it? He had actually won multiple events/stages over the course of the season, and demonstrated unequivocally that he was physically stronger than Armstrong in the race against the clock. He had no injuries and had won the last 3 grand tours he started (in a two year span).

Nothing Lance did prior to or after the start of the Tour warranted the leadership of the team or even to be considered. No, not even winning 7 TdF's. He had been out of competition for almost 4 years. Had not won a major race he entered since he came out of retirement. Had broken his collarbone. And frankly looked like a shadow himself in the mountains.

If Contador didn't deserve the leadership at the start of the Tour, then NO ONE deserves to be designated leader prior to the start of the race. Ever.

 

[scribe]

Without a great deal of body language suggesting just what he wanted to say. I watched the same Versus feed you did.

I can understand why he would not want to lie. You can only make a no comment in those situations. The questions were otherwise rhetorical as the media made out of the situation what they wanted.

 

[scribe]

When would you say he deserved it? He had actually won multiple events/stages over the course of the season, and demonstrated unequivocally that he was physically stronger than Armstrong in the race against the clock. He had no injuries and had won the last 3 grand tours he started (in a two year span).

Nothing Lance did prior to or after the start of the Tour warranted the leadership of the team or even to be considered. No, not even winning 7 TdF's. He had been out of competition for almost 4 years. Had not won a major race he entered since he came out of retirement. Had broken his collarbone. And frankly looked like a shadow himself in the mountains.

If Contador didn't deserve the leadership at the start of the Tour, then NO ONE deserves to be designated leader prior to the start of the race. Ever.

Contador had won the tour previously, but not in dominating fashion. That was his only true item on his resume that should absolutely suggest he deserved the team. A returning 7 times champion with a history of peaking only for the tour cannot be denied.

 

[iceaxe]

I do believe that Armstrong did expect to win. He probably could have won in 2008. Contador is lucky that armstrong didnt hire a hit man to kill him. Armstrong was probably ready to lose to evans or sastre but not some punk kid like Contador.