Contador blasts LA

[scribe]

.. makes no sense. watch the stage again.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_4P9Cz-q1GMoMLy2h9PGBlMsO9w

 

[LaBici]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_4P9Cz-q1GMoMLy2h9PGBlMsO9w

thats here say. watch the video.

 

[Anonymous]

Bruyneel and lance made sure that he had no friends from the beginning. Stop the hypocrisy. Thats not news

How silly of me. Of course Bruyneel wanted to nullify Atana's best chance to win. Gee I'm glad you set me straight. Would have missed that one.

 

[scribe]

thats here say. watch the video.

You don't believe the french rider who was blocked out by Contador?

 

[jamfra67]

Next year LA and AC will be on different teams. Will AC win. Has great chnace to repeat, unless Schlecks give him a run for his money. I hope AC goes to Riis's team. then we'll see about the tactics game.

not a good idea to be on the same team. We need an interesting battle and fireworks. This can only happen with the top contenders on different teams

 

[LaBici]

I'm disappointed by Contador's comments today. Unnecessary and not a particularly classy thing to do.

However we don't know exactly what has been going on in the background. So I won't judge him too harshly until we know the full Astana story over the past few weeks....

I think that Contador had to finally have his piece after all the games that LA was playing in his interviews. I never once heard LA give an unqualified congratulatory comment about AC. Not once. But this doesn't his excuse his comments. He should have kept quite. But the same applies to Mr Armstrong. He made too many un-respectful comments about AC. Unbecoming of a man who has won the TDF 7 times. Did he _really_ think he was the Chosen One for #8. Champions have to learn to let the next generation bask in the glory.

 

[Anonymous]

You really think contador on the schlecks will make that same mistake? Even if they do you really think Lance will be able to follow Contador and Andy in the mountains? Two young athletes still getting stronger against a former champion with his better days over are you dreaming? Lance will need an army of babysitters to drag him up those climbs. Remember he is getting older and won't recover quickly as before. You really think the other riders are so dumb that they are not aware of those facts.

Umm, how long do you suppose Contador and the Schlecks have been racing their bikes? Most of their lives would be my guess. That's alot of races. To make those mistakes equals a lack of awareness or fatigue or both. So yes, they will continue to make those errors and it will hurt them for sure.

 

[LugHugger]

2 things.

First, I notice you don't argue any of the other, more important points than the missing of the wind shift, which was more Lances experience than the others blunder.

Second, you seem to be going completely against accepted grand tour theory that says no rider no matter how strong can win the grand tours without proper support. Is that your claim? If so, it's extraordinary and I'd ask for the extraordinary proof to go along with it.

I give LA kudos for reading the race situation and positioning himself correctly. I do wonder what, if any, advice Bruyneel was giving the rest of the team to enable 3 of his GC contenders let the break go. My post does make clear that, imo, the other 'blunders' were Contador giving LA/JB the bird and taking control of the race.

Secondly, having watched every stage in it's entirety and observed Contador (not his 'team mates') covering every move by his GC rivals in the last week and then ride them off his wheel to finish with over 4 minutes in hand is evidence enough of his clear dominance achieved almost single-handedly.

 

[LaBici]

You don't believe the french rider who was blocked out by Contador?

nope. "When the split happened I was riding up to the front with a team-mate and then I ended up in no man's land," AC said.

 

[scribe]

I think that Contador had to finally have his piece after all the games that LA was playing in his interviews. I never once heard LA give an unqualified congratulatory comment about AC. Not once. But this doesn't his excuse his comments. He should have kept quite. But the same applies to Mr Armstrong. He made too many un-respectful comments about AC. Unbecoming of a man who has won the TDF 7 times. Did he _really_ think he was the Chosen One for #8. Champions have to learn to let the next generation bask in the glory.

This quote below has been reported widely now while Contador's complaints have hit the air......

The 37-year-old Armstrong, a seven-time Tour champion, says even at his peak from 1999 through 2005 he might have lost to his Spanish teammate.

Says Armstrong of the 26-year-old Contador: "I think his performance this year would have beaten my performances in '01, and '04 and '05."

 

[Anonymous]

quote them and let us make our own opinion about intent.

I'm not your slave or research assistant, if you didn't read or hear them when they happened, I guess you will have to go dig them up yourself.

Edit: However, since the "He has a lot to learn" twit, Mr Armstrong has clearly been demeaning. To suggest the words "I am not going to comment" do not convey the intent of the words he would say if he were being specific is disingenuous.

 

[Anonymous]

You my friend don't know much about Contador.

1. He LOVES to attack into headwinds because it disrupts the rhythm and creates an opportunity for him to exploit his weight-to-power ratio, especially where the slopes aren't that steep. So he put in a counter-attack on Andy Schleck and Cadel Evans, gaining 21 seconds on them. The fact that he gained a similar amount of time (or more) on the rest of his team mates, is immaterial. He was the leader of the team and best chance at yellow. I'm sure you didn't express this same concern when Lance attacked at any point in time on any stage during his 7 year reign.

2. The biggest tactical blunder on Stage 17 wasn't Contador's attack, but Lance's ineptitude. Frank Schleck was only able to get away from the group with Wiggins and Armstrong because Lance was slow pedaling and looking down at the ground. So slow that Wiggins almost ran into his wheel. Frank sees it and takes off. Lance looks up and does . . . NOTHING. So he was stuck back with Wiggins as result of his own blunder. Which if he doesn't make, Frank doesn't bridge back to Andy who is isolated up the rode with Kloden and Contador.

3. On Ventoux, I don't know how many times Armstrong bridged up to Contador and Andy. There was absolutely no reason for him to do so. None. He just needed to mark Frank and Bradley. He tried a similar stunt on Col de Romme, but Wiggins matched his acceleration and he shut it down.

4. Lance couldn't attack his teammates even if he wanted to. Kloden set pacing for him and Contador was always in front of him. Lance didn't have the top end to pull away from the best guys. So your point, while true, is meaningless under the circumstances.

I Disagree;

1. Power to weight works on the steep, not in a full headwind. The smart riders waited.

2. When Lance attacked he put minutes in his rivals NOT 21 seconds.

3. On Ventoux, Lance was marking Wiggins an FRANK Schleck, not Andy. Did Lance ever attack on Ventoux? No. He followed wheels because that's all he needed/could do.

 

[jamfra67]

How silly of me. Of course Bruyneel wanted to nullify Atana's best chance to win. Gee I'm glad you set me straight. Would have missed that one.

Because he knew he was leaving with Lance to form their own team and had more interest in Lance winning. They both shafted Astana during the tour instead of waiting at the end.

 

[mapei81]

Second, you seem to be going completely against accepted grand tour theory that says no rider no matter how strong can win the grand tours without proper support. Is that your claim? If so, it's extraordinary and I'd ask for the extraordinary proof to go along with it.

Lemond '89? Lemond '86?

 

[LaBici]

This quote below has been reported widely now while Contador's complaints have hit the air......

Like i said. I didn't think that Condator should NOT have made those comments. BUT he was venting after the many weeks that he was jacked-around by lance in the comments that i saw on Versus. Lance was not respectful plain and simple. nor supportive. And i stated that it would have been better for AC to say nothing.

Great that LA has now acknowledged the new King of the TdF! Better late than never.

 

[lagartija]

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!

had he done so LA would have been off the podium, i actually believe he was trying to be magnanomous and kept LA podium position in mind

 

[Anonymous]

Point taken and I agree with you The circumstances were different this year for sure. The Lance haters are out en masse and all I'm saying is this;

Who was the Horse's ***, Lance or Contador? Who attacked whom? Contador was the strongest without doubt. But in the end did Contador attack Lance & Kloeden & the best interests of Team Astana or not? But not for his insecurities would Astana not have swept the podium? Same guy would have won and everybody knew it. I don't think Contador has many friends on that team right now.

Ooh, ooh, I know this one....

 

[LaBici]

Because he knew he was leaving with Lance to form their own team and had more interest in Lance winning. They both shafted Astana during the tour instead of waiting at the end.

While JB has no love for astana i don't think he would jeopardize his record for coaching tdf winners.

 

[Anonymous]

Because he knew he was leaving with Lance to form their own team and had more interest in Lance winning. They both shafted Astana during the tour instead of waiting at the end.

Or could it be that Contador alienated himself from the team by his riding? You think Bruyneel was upset with Contador on stage 17 for what reason?

 

[LaBici]

had he done so LA would have been off the podium, i actually believe he was trying to be magnanomous and kept LA podium position in mind

of this there is _NO_ doubt_! AC wanted and waited for LA. No Doubt.

 

[LaBici]

Or could it be that Contador alienated himself from the team by his riding? You think Bruyneel was upset with Contador on stage 17 for what reason?

No JB didn't give his undivided attention to AC .The guy is young, he had to be handled differently .. LA could have taken care of his own ride.

 

[lagartija]

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

atually the no comment and ill bite my tongue comments are very dis-respectful, LA always implied wrong doing or lack of race sophistication on berto's part

 

[LaBici]

Lemond '89? Lemond '86?

Since the nineties one does need to have a good strong team or your toast. Generally Very difficult to win the TdF without a team.

 

[jamfra67]

Umm, how long do you suppose Contador and the Schlecks have been racing their bikes? Most of their lives would be my guess. That's alot of races. To make those mistakes equals a lack of awareness or fatigue or both. So yes, they will continue to make those errors and it will hurt them for sure.

Contador i beleive is 26yrs old and Andy 23. They are going to get stronger. My point is some one else might have a chance of taking advantage of their mistakes but surely it will not be Lance. They can only get better and learn. Lance had not won a single tour when he was AC's age. I wont predict how good AC will become ,but so far he is far ahead in peformance than when Lance was his age. Once they have the right people around them it will be fireworks in future tours. It's a New World Order in the peleton. It cannot be business as usual. We have some hungry youngsters in there not fogetting Nibaldi and wiggins. They will only get better.

 

[Anonymous]

atually the no comment and ill bite my tongue comments are very dis-respectful, LA always implied wrong doing or lack of race sophistication on berto's part

What was implied was what was going on. Since when is "no comment" dis-respectful?