Contador blasts LA

[Publicus]

yea but I had to have it now!

LOL. Makes total sense now.

 

[Racer_X]

What it will really tell us is how dominant AC will be with a team that supports him. Bruyneel sowed the seeds of discontent as soon as he signed Armstrong and continued to foster it right through the end of the Tour. For Armstrong to spin himself as the consummate team player now is a joke.

Bingo. A consumate team player would be adult and professional enough to graciously congratulate the winner for an amazing tour. What'd Lance do? Skip off to another party instead of attending the Astana party for AC Saturday night, and then basically snub him on the podium on Sunday. Real classy.

As long as things all roll according to Lance's plan, there's nothing wrong. But heaven forbid someone decides they don't want to alter their career goals to suit Lance's whims... Thank god AC had enough of a talent surplus to overcome the situation and roll right over Lance instead of bending to his will. Historically most people in that situation end up living quietly in his shadow or being forced to move on to a lesser team. Lance's way or the highway.

I love seeing bully tactics fail. AC won despite a team that mostly hung him out to dry. Hopefully he resists the urge to stoop to Lance's level; I'd hate to see him become a petty twittering ***** throwing rocks in the press. There's a lot he can learn from Lance - a lot of things NOT to do, anyway.

 

[Carboncrank]

Yeah because they were all working for the leader of the team. If you'd said to Lance and the Hog at the start of any Tour from 99-05, you can have a podium sweep or another guy on it too they'd say no cos it will take away attention from the main goal winning, anyway as Lance said 2nd place is 1st loser.

That would have been before Johan got bored with just winning the TDF. I'm serious, he has said that winning alone isn't enough any more. Doing the rare or unheard of thing is what he wants, like winning with a former champion who's old and out of the sport for 4 years, or when that wasn't possible, and he and Lance probably knew after stage 1 that it wasn't, the sweep the podium. The team was good enough, he had the tactics in hand, then Alberto went rogue because he was scared of Lance. Because he felt threatened and insecure. So he disrespected his team, his DS who developed him and the rules of the sport.

Lances third place is clean as a whistle.

 

[hfer07]

LOL -just priceless

 

[Publicus]

That would have been before Johan got bored with just winning the TDF. I'm serious, he has said that winning alone isn't enough any more. Doing the rare or unheard of thing is what he wants, like winning with a former champion who's old and out of the sport for 4 years, or when that wasn't possible, and he and Lance probably knew after stage 1 that it wasn't, the sweep the podium. The team was good enough, he had the tactics in hand, then Alberto went rogue because he was scared of Lance. Because he felt threatened and insecure. So he disrespected his team, his DS who developed him and the rules of the sport.

Lances third place is clean as a whistle.

Do you have a link for that statement? I've only seen the opposite: which is you go for the yellow, if you can get podium great, but you never race for 2 or 3rd. And if you think the podium sweep was the strategy, ask yourself this: why did Lance let Frank bridge up to Andy, Contador and Kloden on Stage 17? If he's paying attention, Frank is stuck back with him and Wiggins until 1 KM from the top of the Colombiere. That was a bigger factor in the 3 podium spot theory that Kloden getting dropped.

I bet he doesn't employ that strategy next year.

Wait: alberto is scared of a guy who was 2KM down the mountain? A guy he beat in the first ITT, dropped like a bad habit on Verbier? He was SCARED? The only one operating out of fear is Lance Armstrong. Couldn't win it on the road, so he lobbied for it in the press. AC scared...LOL

 

[Azdak6]

Anyone have an 'actual' link to that comment by Johan on Twitter? Because I went to Johan's twitter page and I'm not seeing that. Nor did I see it on Lance's page when I googled up Lance's twitter.

The quote was actually made by @terrywawest. It is posted on his twitter page and was sent to Bruyneel.

It seems reasonable to conclude that Bruyneel was referring to it when he made his quote:

@terrywawest - I will borrow this one from you if you don't mind

I can't really explain why the different posts end up where they do. I am still learning the ways of the Force.

 

[Blake792008]

So now the Merckyx's don't know what they are talking about? LA has always been a prima-donna but at least he was coachable. Why is it that JB can't get away from the best Grand Tour rider fast enough?

Merckx Twitter comment says bout respecting team mates and opponents , Lance showed alot of respect for the riders of last years race didnt he , maybe they should be directed at Lance

 

[monreve19]

AC has won 1 ONE tour. He was awarded the other. One down, 6 to go.

Good luck, (fat chance)

MR

 

[boalio]

Couldn't win it on the road, so he lobbied for it in the press. AC scared...LOL

Or whined about it on twitter like a lil high school girl.

"Lance: OMG for realz, AC is totally not one of the cool kidz any more. Hog, Levi and me all think he talks funny. LOLZ."

 

[richwagmn]

That would have been before Johan got bored with just winning the TDF. I'm serious, he has said that winning alone isn't enough any more. Doing the rare or unheard of thing is what he wants, like winning with a former champion who's old and out of the sport for 4 years, or when that wasn't possible, and he and Lance probably knew after stage 1 that it wasn't, the sweep the podium. The team was good enough, he had the tactics in hand, then Alberto went rogue because he was scared of Lance. Because he felt threatened and insecure. So he disrespected his team, his DS who developed him and the rules of the sport.

Lances third place is clean as a whistle.

We'll never know, but I think AC was scared of LA getting the yellow jersey and being forced to support when LA when he KNEW he was stronger. He knows that games LA was playing and I'd have been concerned too.

Was he concerned about LA being stronger? I don't think so. He had LA every time it counted.

I too have read the quote where JB said he was getting bored. I can believe he'd want to try to win with LA though his hand was forced when AC asked to be let out of his contract last fall.

Give AC a break too. I read a quote where Stapleton said he Columbia was staying at the same hotel as Astana and you could just feel the tension.

AC knows you only have so many years to be at your best and he wasn't going to let this year pass without a win. He's motivated and as ambitious as hell. He gets better and LA gets worse. Pure physiology.

 

[Publicus]

AC has won 1 ONE tour. He was awarded the other. One down, 6 to go.

Good luck, (fat chance)

MR

Correction, he has won 2 TdF's, the Giro and Vuelta. Something Lance will never be able to say.

 

[richwagmn]

Merckx Twitter comment says bout respecting team mates and opponents , Lance showed alot of respect for the riders of last years race didnt he , maybe they should be directed at Lance

Doesn't Axel work for LA? Sounds like he has something to do with the Livestrong team? And who gives a damn about Axel anyway? Nothing more than a domestique who no one would know about if his last name wasn't Merckx.

 

[bikebooger72]

LA says AC should thank the team. What about Congratulating AC, Lance. Armstrong is such a cry baby. AC was already team leader when LA called his baby setter JB and wanted back on the team.

 

[richwagmn]

Correction, he has won 2 TdF's, the Giro and Vuelta. Something Lance will never be able to say.

Shhh, the other fella doesn't know there are other grand tours. He thinks the cycling season begins and ends in July.

 

[Racer_X]

LA says AC should thank the team. What about Congratulating AC, Lance. Armstrong is such a cry baby. AC was already team leader when LA called his baby setter JB and wanted back on the team.

Too busy wining and dining with the Radio Shack crew to celebrate at the Astana team dinner Saturday night. Lame. I only hope AC turns the rage into added motivation.

 

[Carboncrank]

I bet getting time on rivals when you can is ALWAYS a part of winning tours. I'll ALWAYS say that. If the move succeeds, no one is talking about Kloden going out the back. They are just talking about how amazing the move was and how dominating Contador was. Your objections are just predicated on the outcome, one that obviously wasn't foreseeable by either Kloden (who agreed with the decision) or Contador.

Not every attack is the grand slam, but you'll never hit the grand slam unless you swing.

I disagree. Even if he soloed away to victory it would have been called amateurish. It was not needed. It expended energy that could have been needed in the tt or on Ventoux. I'm convinced that if he hadn't felt unnecissarily threatened and insecure by the presence of Lance on the team he'd have listened to Johan as he aways had. It was immature and unprofessional

A great example is how he trusted Johan to managed his lead in the 08 Giro. It dwindled to 4 seconds for stages 19 and 20 and nobody panicked. he then put time into his rivals in the final time trial. Ricco and Di Luca were going bonkers saying he was not deserving of the win if he wouldn't attack. He didn't. He won.

Nobody is saying the kid can't ride.

 

[cody_57]

Clever last question. Read this from Axel Merckyx's Twitter;

A champion is also measured on how much he respect his teammates and opponents. You can win a race on your own not a grand tour.

A rider better respect his team and his DS. Period.

JB may not want to deal with a loose cannon prima-donna. Ever thought of that?

Yes, respect for the team. So much so that you admit that you didn't party with the team to celebrate the team winning yellow, but instead drinking a little too much with the team you haven't joined yet???

 

[Publicus]

Doesn't Axel work for LA? Sounds like he has something to do with the Livestrong team? And who gives a damn about Axel anyway? Nothing more than a domestique who no one would know about if his last name wasn't Merckx.

I believe Axel is the DS for Trek-Livestrong.

 

[Carboncrank]

Doesn't Axel work for LA? Sounds like he has something to do with the Livestrong team? And who gives a damn about Axel anyway? Nothing more than a domestique who no one would know about if his last name wasn't Merckx.

Of course if he was saying bad things about Lance you'd think he was the best thing since sliced bread.

 

[richwagmn]

Of course if he was saying bad things about Lance you'd think he was the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm saying he has a conflict of interest and isn't an impartial observer and still assert we'd never know who he was if it wasn't for his dad.

 

[Publicus]

Of course if he was saying bad things about Lance you'd think he was the best thing since sliced bread.

Wouldn't know that until he did. The fact that he's reading Contador's statement as attacking the team, tells you how much objectivity he has on the subject since Contador didn't mention the team. He mentioned Lance.

 

[Anonymous]

Carnal Germ Snot

 

[fulcrum]

What it will really tell us is how dominant AC will be with a team that supports him. Bruyneel sowed the seeds of discontent as soon as he signed Armstrong and continued to foster it right through the end of the Tour. For Armstrong to spin himself as the consummate team player now is a joke.

+1

If Lance was so worried about Astana and maintaining cohesion, he wouldn't have parachuted into an already made team for his personal glory.

There is no Lance in Astana.

 

[usedtobefast]

Correction, he has won 2 TdF's, the Giro and Vuelta. Something Lance will never be able to say.

you have to admit if the
"chicken" didn't get bounced in 07, he would have won, not ac. he did "win",
but with asterisk,imo.

 

[eugkim]

A few thoughts.

I seem to remember a much friendlier relationship in 07 when Lance was coaching Contador from the Discovery Channel car for the final TT. Not sure if AC's statement about LA's personality stretches back that far, or since his return from retirement.

I doubt AC will receive much support from Astana, given LA's past history of holding grudges against anyone who crosses him eg. Simeoni, Lemond. That probably goes for the rest of the peleton, given Lance's unbelievable rebirth during the TdF. Looks like he's going to be a huge influence for a long time.

Both of them should keep their mouths shut. Just like in the NFL and MLB, keep all of the dirt in the family. While I found the whole soap opera with LA's coy hints and jabs entertaining, he should have taken the high road and remained a professional. Had AC kept his mouth shut, he'd look like the good guy. Now they both look petty.

It does make for an interesting 2010, as LA will pull out all the stops to keep Contador from winning. Maybe the Radioshack team will carry frame pumps.