This whole Forum has been more entertaining than the actual Tour. There is two clear views on everything related to the Tour, the average cycling fans view and the view with Lance shades on.
The attacks on Contador are easy to figure, Contador has whipped Lance big time, there is no argument on that, so those with Lance shades on need to belittle Contador in whatever way they can to feed the jealousy.
Contador is 26, he was won 4 GTs ad likely many more, I dont think I have ever heard mentioned once that Contador also came back from serious illness to continue his career as a pro-cyclist. How many 3 week fans are aware of that fact.
Contador doesnt have the PR machine of Lance and his crew so he always comes out looking the bad guy when he is just doing what he wanted to do, win the Tour. If Lance had not come back, there would only ever have been one leader at the Tour this year, Contador. Kloeden would have been a deluxe domestique and Levi plan B. Only when Lance entered the picture was the 4 leaders idea mooted just so to eliminate the idea of Contador being undisputed no 1 over Lance.
Even in 1997 Bjarne Riis was official team leader of Telekom with Jan Ullrich given a free role in the case Riis wasnt up to it which he wasnt. Only then, did Ullrich become team leader. Astana should have done the same. AC no 1 with Lance, Levi in free roles and Kloeden as deluxe domestique.
What was Astanas no 1 aim, entering the Tour, TO WIN IT, everything else is secondary. They are gonna win the Tour with Contador as predicted. With the benefit of hindsight, even if Kloeden had stayed with the lead group yesterday, he still wouldnt have overhauled Andy Schleck. Only Lance or Kloeden will be on the podium, not both. Too bad for Astana, we all knew they would dominate and they have.
It has been a circus from beginning which is why I have not watched the Tour until Lance had faded from the picture and everything is not about him anymore even though a lot of it still is about him. I never at any time want to see any one team dominate the Tour and I didnt want to see it this year, why would anybody want any team to go 1-2-3 and I bet if Lance was not on Astana, nobody and I mean nobody would want to see Astana finish 1-2-3 with or without Lance..
Its not about Astana, the Tour, AC or anythings, it is and always has been about Lance which sucks.