Contador blasts LA

[Azdak6]

Contador was honest - he more than anyone would be able to appreciate Lance's achievements on the bike and also be able to comment on Lance the man.

You don't elaborate how you came to this conclusion, so I can only assume you mean because they were on the same team during the race.

By that logic, then, one cannot dismiss the negative comments of Armstrong, Leipheimer, Horner, etc toward Contador. After all, more than anyone, they would be able to comment on Contador the man.

 

[franciep10]

Excellent info franciep!!! Thanks...any idea how Klodi feels about AC? The other teammates? Was everyone in the LA camp? Why is everyone so afraid of the guy?

well kloden was nuetral, and the only people who he talked to was haimar and sergio. Everybody except hiamar and sergio. My guess would be , because he is lance, and yes to publicus question.

 

[Publicus]

You don't elaborate how you came to this conclusion, so I can only assume you mean because they were on the same team during the race.

By that logic, then, one cannot dismiss the negative comments of Armstrong, Leipheimer, Horner, etc toward Contador. After all, more than anyone, they would be able to comment on Contador the man.

To be honest Levi has been critical of one of Contador's moves from afar, but in general has been a pretty decent teammate since he rode with AC before Lance and Horner appeared on the scene. He twittered congratulations to Alberto, which I haven't seen from Lance or Horner (but I don't follow Horner so he very well could have).

But you make a fair point.

 

[Cobber]

+1
Couldn't of said it better myself.
You don't have to like LA but AC's comments show no respect to someone who has shown respect to him and helped him win the tdf. No matter how good you are, even LA wouldn't have one tdf without a strong team. AC should at least respect the helpers who guided to win this tdf.

I disagree... I think AC showed a considerable amount of restraint in his comments, especially given some of the crap that Armstrong pulled at this years TdF (getting rid of AC's ride to the Annecy ITT start etc.). He essentially said this

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.

If this doesn't show restraint, I don't know what does. Imagine what LA would have done if AC got rid of his ride to the ITT start in Annecy!

 

[Otto123]

May I sum it up..."Shut up Lance! You lost, move on!"

 

[thehog]

May I sum it up..."Shut up Lance! You lost, move on!"

I don't think that is a fair comment. Lance won 7 Tours, he's a legend and thus deserves more respect. He should have the car ahead of Contador who has only won 4 Grand Tours not 7.

Just imagine if Greg LeMond was coming back at age 39 and it was 1999 then Lance would have respected that and moved aside to let Greg lead the team.

 

[titotito]

I just hope all the drama and clinicals don't force him to retire.[/QUOTE]

Or the ongoing investigation into his blood doping.

 

[titotito]

+1

Death to the super-domestique! Let the best riders fight each other. No more Tour wins based on buying out your competition.

I couldn't agree more! For me, there was always a little luster taken off of Armstrong's Tour wins because he always had a couple people who should have been his rivals carrying his water bottles instead.

 

[scribe]

Now Kloden said is was OK to attack because Kloden was in the 'red', yet Contador was 'surprised' that Kloden could not follow his acceleration during that ascent. None of this is adding up. I don't care much about the results as they are in the history books. But Contador's stories of events seem to take more than one conclusion.

 

[Publicus]

Now Kloden said is was OK to attack because Kloden was in the 'red', yet Contador was 'surprised' that Kloden could not follow his acceleration during that ascent. None of this is adding up. I don't care much about the results as they are in the history books. But Contador's stories of events seem to take more than one conclusion.

It makes sense if AC thought, as he said, that he could drop one or both of the Schlecks with the move and figured Kloden would mark both or the one that was dropped since he had all day. When they both followed, but Kloden was dropped, he shut down the attack.

All seems fairly consistent with what I saw and what I've heard from AC and now from AK.

 

[franciep10]

Now Kloden said is was OK to attack because Kloden was in the 'red', yet Contador was 'surprised' that Kloden could not follow his acceleration during that ascent. None of this is adding up. I don't care much about the results as they are in the history books. But Contador's stories of events seem to take more than one conclusion.

Because JB told him that the shlecks are coming back and kloden is with them, then when he looked arond he just saw andy and frank.

 

[Otto123]

Really??? So just because someone has accomplished more than me on a bike, that means I can't attack him or beat him simply because I need to respect him? I can admire the accomplishments someone has achieved, but when we are both entered into a race...it's just that, a race!

This whole respect thing goes both ways for "Mr." Armstrong. Yes he won 7 TDF's, but that is all of the grand tours he has won. Contador has won 4 grand tours and all three grand tours to boot. Armstrong trained solely for the TDF. How can you compare him, "Mr." I deserve respect, to the likes of Merckx for example when Merckx used to ride all the grand tours? Let's not forget, the teams that LA has been on have paid out huge sums of money to formulate a team, a barrier if you will, around LA to win the TDF. I'd like to go back in time and see if LA would win 7 TDF's with a team like Lotto with which Evans has had to ride with for the past few years?

 

[Anonymous]

lost thread?

wasn't this about ac "DISING" LA's personality while acknowledging his athletic achievements....?

Looked to me like Alberto could have been quoting Kristin or Sheryl. LA doesn't do relationships well.

 

[scribe]

Because JB told him that the shlecks are coming back and kloden is with them, then when he looked arond he just saw andy and frank.

Link to that quote, please. I have not seen that one.

 

[scribe]

All seems fairly consistent with what I saw and what I've heard from AC and now from AK.

We've heard nothing from Kloden.

 

[pmcg76]

I don't think that is a fair comment. Lance won 7 Tours, he's a legend and thus deserves more respect. He should have the car ahead of Contador who has only won 4 Grand Tours not 7.

Just imagine if Greg LeMond was coming back at age 39 and it was 1999 then Lance would have respected that and moved aside to let Greg lead the team.

Clueless doesnt even begin to describe this comment. AC is 26 and has won 4 GTs, Lance had none, was not even a contender.

 

[scribe]

I am friends with the guy who used to walk the dog for the sister of one of the trainers on one of the other teams. And he says Alberto always pretended that he couldn't understand or hear information in his 2 way radio. Kloden was begging him to not drop him off the podium, and AC just sneered and steamed away.

 

[Carl0880]

well kloden was nuetral, and the only people who he talked to was haimar and sergio. Everybody except hiamar and sergio. My guess would be , because he is lance, and yes to publicus question.

THanks for the Info Francie. Anything you can tell us how soon we can expect to hear a decision on Alberto's future, which team? I am sure he has a lot to consider and especially after the emotion of the Tour, he is completely drained. What are your thoughts on his expectations, a well supported team?? A team contain a few spaniard??? THink he will want a team to allow him to bring aboard a few of "his guys"?

 

[Señor_Contador]

Where I'm from that is definitely not "blasting", it's called "being sincere".

There isn't A SINGLE WORD in that interview that could be described as "blasting".

Keep on.

 

[scribe]

Where I'm from that is definitely not "blasting", it's called "being sincere".

There isn't A SINGLE WORD in that interview that could be described as "blasting".

Keep on.

Yes. It is OK for a champion to question the character of his teammate right after the race.

 

[Jonathan]

We knew from the first TT that Armstrong was not in winning form. He's a TT specialist and should have been competing for the stage, if he wanted to win the Tour.

Other than that, he'd have made a fine 'road-captain', which is also a leader of sorts. Contador was right not to 'move aside'. It would have meant he had to deliberately slow down during the ITTs.

 

[Anonymous]

Ah yes.... all those years when Lance attacked solo (even in Yellow) he was screwing the pooch. Thanks man, glad you are implying Lance is a fool^^

And about that pie on your face? Don't worry man, it has been there for 45+ pages, noone noticed

That's it from you? Really?

Lance attacked solo? Generally when one attacks, umm, by definition, it's ummm, solo. Are you really going to argue AC's attack on stage 17 was tactically smart? Really?

Get your LA hating glasses off for a second and re-watch the end of that satge. The pie on my face tastes great, how 'bout yours?

 

[scribe]

Clueless doesnt even begin to describe this comment. AC is 26 and has won 4 GTs, Lance had none, was not even a contender.

He was recovering from cancer.

 

[scribe]

Oh boy. This has been fun boys, but it is off to the office for me!

 

[Psalmon]

Alberto has the right to spout off, but it would be better if he listens to the Danish National Anthem every training session for the next 8 years and makes his point years from now by holding up 10 fingers.

Here's what he had to put up with:
Pre tour: Follow the leader, who's the leader? AC: Thought I was, huh?
Stage 1: Beat all favorites and the story was still about LA
Stage 3: Team pulls for Lance in split, gains 41 seconds, Lance hailed as genius, rips Contador (btw Wiggins misses 3rd because of this, so it was smart by the team)
Stage 7: Made a relatively small point (in retrospect) by attacking, Alberto assailed as backstabber
Week 2 quiet save the constant chatter of who's the leader, twitters...
Verbier 15: Alberto wins big, and Lance shows he's 38 - Alberto accused of abnormal VAM, Watts, VO2Max, and lack of facial hair
Stage 16: First of two stages where Alberto is easily able to mark attacks, Lance is dropped, but his ability to bridge back is hailed as the second coming
Stage 17: Alberto makes a tactical error, and rightly hears about it (still hard on him though), But Lance has no right to Twitter about it, poor form
Stage 18: Alberto Crushes EVERYONE, rare for a Spanish climber, stupendous demonstration - Lance announces Radio Shack (good business, baaad form)
Stage 20: Alberto intelligently sits on Andy Schleck, had lost the break, no chance at the win, looking back on it, Alberto "paced" Lance once up to AS, but it's had to say he was "helping", probably we know not based on what we're hearing.
Paris: Lance acted the roll of turd on the podium, not even looking at AC. Then they play the wrong anthem, while everyone talks about Lance, and whispers about doping.

However you think about Lance (whom I happen to appreciate for what he's accomplished and for the advancement of American cyling) I think it's fair to say that the best bike racer in the world has been treated like garbage for the last month. I hope he wins 8, does the Giro, Tour, Vuelta TRIPLE, and wins a stage on the Alpe while riding a fixie. If we don't treat the sport's champions well, what's the point?