Contador blasts LA

[Anonymous]

Of course the Schlecks were smiling. Not only did AC help them gain a time advantage he also gave them the stage. It doesnt get any better than that in cycling. Poor AC. He'll understand his mistake one day.

Not sure if Publicus will get it though...

 

[lanceismyhero]

Lance looks like he has a hot metal rod shoved up his ***. Anyway, thanks for posting those great photos.

 

[Bagster]

This year's 3rd place for LA was his successful coming out of retirement bid.He's clapped out. What does pique my curiosity is why LA chose to go to Astana. They had their team leader in place. No other team had a spot for him?

I agree! Three years off and only coming third! What a clapped out loser. poor old Wiggo, Frank, Carlos, Cadel etc etc etc. They must be feeling like REAL losers.

 

[psychlist]

They are both going to be on different teams next year and hopefully competing again at the tdf. If I was a cynical person I would venture to guess that they are both having us on playing up the rivalry in order to build interest in the rematch.

I am pretty sure that Contador will be riding for a Spanish team next year though.

 

[Anonymous]

You have to accept that Publicus is in the 0.0001% that disagree with you. Everyone else from Eddie Merckx down to your granny agrees it was a stupid thing to do. By the way you will possibly find that the rest of the 0.0001% post on here too.

I know, I know, I know...

 

[amsterdamned]

Not sure if Publicus will get it though...

he will cause he's right

 

[psychlist]

Or a beard. This does remind me of taladaga nights. sasha cohen(borat) being the gay spanish type and will ferrel being the straight macho american. of course lance is not easygoing or likeable like the will ferral character.(sorry for the spelling)

Ha ha, I swear the real Borat posted a bit earlier in this thread.

 

[usedtobefast]

Lance looks like he has a hot metal rod shoved up his ***. Anyway, thanks for posting those great photos.

and people said this tour was boring.

 

[Publicus]

The results of AC's attack speak for themselves. The Schlecks gained time on both Kloden and LA. Some people say its cause AC is young and inexperienced. I dont buy that. He has 4 GT wins.
I think it was simply AC not wanting to listen to JB and follow orders. In professional sports you dont do that. In any sport, if you disobey the coaches orders, you get pulled out of the game.

I think he felt he had to prove himself to JB and LA.

They already had time on Armstrong (remember, he's tactical blunder on the slopes of the Col de Romme allowed Frank to bridge up to his brother who was isolated with Contador and Kloden). As for Kloden, he bonked. It happens. Ask Contador.

 

[Anonymous]

Around and around we go. You are arguing about things that could have happened, but didn't. I'm arguing that his decision was reasonable under the circumstances. He had gotten away on 2 different occasions. Spoke to Kloden about it in advance. Move didn't work and had the unexpected consequence that Kloden popped off the back. For you that is evidence of something malicious on his part. I view it as a part of racing.

Touche then.

 

[frizzlefry]

This presumes that JB was working for AC's benefit. What if AC was just fed up with LA's manipulation of the team? When it came to the mountains it looked to me like AC only had Paulhino.

Please answer me this question: was Kloden supporting AC, or just Armstrong? Every time I saw Kloden it looked like he was supporting only LA. So why would AC care if he dropped Kloden? For the team title? I doubt it...

Yea Kloden was supporting LA when AC had a flat and Kloden stopped with him.
Kloden was suporting LA but was riding with AC on the climb.

 

[Publicus]

Not sure if Publicus will get it though...

I got it Scott. Contador put time into Wiggins, which is what he wanted to do . . . distance his biggest threat in the ITT. That was the goal going into the stage and it looks like it worked to perfection. What you don't get it is that Kloden and Armstrong's podium positions were IRRELEVANT to that goal. And it is clear that I can't help you understand that.

But do me a favor, come back here next year after the Tour and we can talk about all the things that Lance does to maximize Levi and Kloden's chances at podium. I predict it will be a very short conversation.

 

[Bagster]

Now to be fair to Andy Schleck, I think it i quite obvious to everyone that he was holding back on mont ventoux and he could have left every but contador behind if he didnt want to get franck on the podium, therefore he probably would have stuck more time in armstrong(infact I dont think albertos attacks stopped armstrong finishing ahead of schleck :S) and klodi, and he still would have been 2nd. Infact I am quite sure that klodi would still have been pretty far away from Schleck by the end, with or with out contadors attacks, which weren´t unreasonable attempts ...

I don´t see what the big deal is about this half attack, well I think do :S

I agree there is no big deal. Peronally I think AC made a dumb move on that day, but so what, riders all make mistakes and it didn't affect the outcome from his perspective or the teams perspective, so why overanalyse it.

In terms of Ventoux. It was obvious that AC and Andy could have ridden away from the others had they wanted to. For various reasons they didn't which I'm sure made at least Garate a happy man and good on him for a great ride. In terms of the rest, clearly Armstrong was the strongest up the climb at the end of the day by the simple fact that he rode Frank and Wiggo of his wheel, which in my experience of racing tends to indicate that he was riding better than the guys behind Does this mean LA is a better climber than Frank? On the day he was, on another day the situation may be reversed. Unfortunately, with racing you don't get reruns you just get to suck it up and move on.

Just wish some on here would.

 

[Publicus]

Yea Kloden was supporting LA when AC had a flat and Kloden stopped with him.
Kloden was suporting LA but was riding with AC on the climb.

That's what I saw. AK wasn't riding FOR AC, he was just tagging along. Hell, it looked more like Contador was riding for AC since he covered all of the attacks.

 

[knewcleardaze]

I agree! Three years off and only coming third! What a clapped out loser. poor old Wiggo, Frank, Carlos, Cadel etc etc etc. They must be feeling like REAL losers.

That was his successful return to the spotlight. He's done.

The peloton will race throughout the year leading up to the Tdf. LA will prepare exclusively for the Tour. Which is good for him. That's what he was. The world's greatest Tdf rider. Was it Hinault that said if Eddy Merckx only raced in the Tour, he'd have won 15 of them?

 

[lanceismyhero]

They are both going to be on different teams next year and hopefully competing again at the tdf. If I was a cynical person I would venture to guess that they are both having us on playing up the rivalry in order to build interest in the rematch.

I am pretty sure that Contador will be riding for a Spanish team next year though.

yeah, you have to wonder if it is acting because the expression is so intense and so open for everyone to see. you would think they would have their emotions under control with the entire world viewing them. also, most of lances twitter comments were amazingly childish for someone supposedly so charming and politically astute. Lance cant be this dumb and immature?

 

[Ninety5rpm]

1. Twitter after Contador bonked during Paris Nice.
2. The lack of smarts comment (don't have the exact words) after Stage 3.
3. He would have beaten him in at least 4 (how Lance excluded 2003 when he barely won is beyond me)
4. Not going to the team dinner to celebrate on Saturday? Yeah that's a real teammate.
5. Only allowing champagne celebrations after Stage 3 and the TTT, but not after Verbier or Annency? Yeah, true teammate indeed.

AC looks perfectly fine--his comment was fair enough (respect the accomplishments on the road, don't admire the man personally--I'm sure Lance feels the same way about Hinault and LeMond). Lance overreacted yet again.

How would you react if someone wrote this about you: "it is another thing on a personal level, where I have never had great admiration for him and I never will."

Lance may feel the same way about Hinault and LeMond, but I don't think he has ever said anything like that about them or anyone else. That's the difference.

This comment was totally unnecessary and was simply pure personal attack. I have no idea what was really going on behind the scenes, but if this is about not getting champagne on some evening, please.

 

[LargusMeans]

Arthur John Wilcockson from Boulder, CO/

Bio Sportswriter and author of LANCE: The Making of the World's Greatest Champion.

Think his loyalties are well established. His twithead ramblings.

"Without the respect & sympathy of the peloton, not even a brilliant climber like Contador will be able to continue winning grand tours."

"Maybe Contador, the winner of 4 grand tours, thinks he has the right to make rash comments about LA. But he'll lose the peloton's sympathy."

Wow, full on media spin goes to work making AC look like he was in the wrong by winning the TdF 2009.

Asshats.

 

[jamfra67]

Many people though that this year. You too maybe? lol

People will underestimate him again next year. He will have 2 solid years of training by then. No injuries, even more comfortable on the bike in races.
He will come back stronger. And if he gets his timing right the way he used to he won't be using the first 2 weeks to ramp up his fittness as he did this year.

Older means you get your fitness back slower. He has a full year.
Be Afraid.

Contador did not underestimate him and will not. I assure you AC will kick his *** worse than this year. Why? Because he has the incentive to do it. Who is afraid AC? Man are you from a different world. He also has Andy Schleck to worry about. Older also means you take longer to recover.With that in mind the attacks this year will be childs play to next years. Lance Can no longer dictate the pace in the peleton. The New World Order is upon us. Get with the program.

 

[klodifan]

...
Nobody at Astana other than the Lance stooges have criticised Contador, dont hear the Kazakh sponsors saying AC should have waited on Kloeden.

Either Kloeden or Lance could have finished on the podium, not both as A.Schleck was 2nd best in the Tour.

Kloeden has not criticised AC at any time for his actions so cannot be too bothered even though he was clearly angry with his final TT, he wasnt strong enough to be on the peloton.

AC has not criticised anyone at Astana other than Lance/Lance has not criticised anyone at Astana other than AC.

Perhaps AC made a mistake in attacking but who remembers Lance bonking and almost losing the Tour in 2000 or once riding too strongly for his team in the TTT dropping them. He made mistakes also and it would have been far more costly for his them team-mates financially if he didnt win.

...

Klodi doesn't talk to the press. So the premise that he is okay with the outcome of that stage because we haven't heard complaints from him is faulty.

And to Publicus who has accused Andreas of not working for AC... I couldn't disagree more. Kloden is a great teammate and a class act. Any team would be fortunate to have him on their roster. I just hope all the drama and clinicals don't force him to retire.

 

[fulcrum]

You just don't get it. Let's say Contador bonks or crashes or has a mechanical?

Damn, did this dude just come out from under a rock? We've discussed these points ad nauseam. What is a bonked Kloden going to do for a crashed Contador... Go Dr. Mengele on him and fix the collarbone? What if it has a mechanical... Contador is going to need a wheel, so the time is lost no matter what, he could get one from Kloden or from race organization. If he gets it from Kloden, then Kloden is without the wheel, so Contador is still on his own. Kloden couldn't work for shit anyway so it wouldn't have been a great aid downhill.

Maybe he should have waited for a full Formula 1 team uphill, so they can change both wheels in under 6 seconds in case he has a flat. And a trained ER group too, just in case...

 

[lanceismyhero]

How would you react if someone wrote this about you: "it is another thing on a personal level, where I have never had great admiration for him and I never will."

Lance may feel the same way about Hinault and LeMond, but I don't think he has ever said anything like that about them or anyone else. That's the difference.

This comment was totally unnecessary and was simply pure personal attack. I have no idea what was really going on behind the scenes, but if this is about not getting champagne on some evening, please.

errr, Contadors comment was made after all the harassing comments by Lance during the tour. They were using contador as a punching bag. Contador deserved more respect and Lance should have done more to accommodate him given lance has advantages like more friends, speaks english, etc. Lance simply is not a very bright guy.

 

[dgodave]

True.

there is no "i" in "team"

there is no "us" either.

You know, most of the letters are missing from "team". Not sure what to make of it.
.

 

[fulcrum]

The results of AC's attack speak for themselves. The Schlecks gained time on both Kloden and LA. Some people say its cause AC is young and inexperienced. I dont buy that. He has 4 GT wins.
I think it was simply AC not wanting to listen to JB and follow orders. In professional sports you dont do that. In any sport, if you disobey the coaches orders, you get pulled out of the game.

I think he felt he had to prove himself to JB and LA.

I think he wanted to distance Kloden (regardless of all the apologies afterwards). It was a brilliant move. Took everybody in his team out of contention.

 

[Publicus]

Klodi doesn't talk to the press. So the premise that he is okay with the outcome of that stage because we haven't heard complaints from him is faulty.

And to Publicus who has accused Andreas of not working for AC... I couldn't disagree more. Kloden is a great teammate and a class act. Any team would be fortunate to have him on their roster. I just hope all the drama and clinicals don't force him to retire.

I think Kloden is a terrific teammate and I agree any team would be fortunate to have him. That doesn't change the fact that on Stage 17 he wasn't working for Contador on the Col de Romme or Colombiere. I figured he was trying to make sure he was there in case Contador needed him but he didn't have it that day. It happens.

But no disrespect was intended toward Kloden.