Contador leaving Astana

[Oldman]

Alberto has been stringing Astana along all season for two reasons:

1) To get undying Team Support during the Tour.
2) To maximize his and fran's monetary paychecks.

Some forum members recognized this all season long. No big deal.
It is a business for most riders. Big Business for some riders.

Others felt he would stay with Astana lol.
Loyal Alberto. Thank you Team Alberto.
Tweet Tweet Bang Bang.

But after attacking Vino in one stage and attacking during "The Mechanical" in another stage - maybe Vino does not WANT Alberto on the team anymore.

It will be interesting to hear what Vino has to say about this....
"Alberto wants to spend more time with his family" maybe?

Do you practice saying some of these things out loud before posting? Look in the mirror and see if you can be convincing enough. It is big business, on that we agree. Your portrait of the rider is pretty creative.

 

[Belokki]

nothing will be too good for the schleklets unless you consider they should move their operation to a US team and become the next white hope to be tooted by the Versus gang.

become what???

last time I checked, Conti isn't black(spanish are white european), and we arent rascist, so keep your idiom to yourself...

 

[Polish]

I'd have bet dollars to donuts that Polish would spin this in a negative way, unfortunately I couldn't find anybody who would take the other side of that bet.

What part is negative?

Getting a big paycheck? That is part of the game, not negative.

Attacking Vino or Schleck? What is negative about that. Its racing lol.

The only negative comments I have read are Alberto's - complaining about race radios and ultimatums waa waa waa.

 

[peloton]

CAN YOU PLEASE STOP QUOTING POLISH??!! THANKS!

The ignore thing doesn't work if you quote him/her, so please don't do that.

 

[flicker]

Vino will be 37 next year, right? It's hard to imagine him competing successfully against the kids. That said, maybe if the big names stay away from the Giro again he can have a good showing there.

I feel badly for Vino. As others have said, he was certainly in service to Contador this TdF. Now I wonder what would have happened if he'd ridden the race for himself. At his age he doesn't have time for too many more "what if's".

vino is the wild joker, that is why he has been let out on a long leash by the peloton. If and when he becomes a GC contender he will not be allowed to hot dog it out in the open. Only a juiced Vino could do that at his age.

 

[kurtinsc]

CAN YOU PLEASE STOP QUOTING POLISH??!! THANKS!

The ignore thing doesn't work if you quote him/her, so please don't do that.

No offense, but by that definition you shouldn't quote anyone... because someone might have them on ignore.

 

[flicker]

Ya know I've been thinking about the whole situation with Contador leaving Astana... This leaving wasn't planned before nor during Le Tour... WHY? well because I read an interview from Oscar Pereiro and he said that Alberto and Astana's management really want him to stay with the team for another year cuz they were really happy with his performance...

I don't think that Contador is such a facker to lie to Oscar in that way... something else had to have happened between Contador and Astana in this and the last week of the tour... or maybe Riis' offer is so great that AC changed his desicion suddenly...

I'm quite nervous about this... something doesn't match here to me...

how can you trust C-Pistol with those treacherous eyes of his?

 

[hrotha]

From Astana's press release:

We have learned through a statement issued by his press service, that Alberto Contador no longer wishes to ride for the Astana team

I don't know what I find more amazing, Contador's not-exactly-classy move of telling the press first, or Astana's passive-aggressive response.

 

[outrage9]

if his climbing domestiques who dominated go with him and Fabian stays... that's scarry

I've been wondering for a while why a supposed GT team has all their GC eggs in Schleck baskets and no other climbers to support. Andy has done well with 6-7 rouleurs, be pretty amazing to see a more balanced team over there with Jens and Fabian supporting and a new "Spanish Armada"

 

[Publicus]

From Astana's press release:

I don't know what I find more amazing, Contador's not-exactly-classy move of telling the press first, or Astana's passive-aggressive response.

As others have said (or intimated), I think there is more to this story than we presently know. It was, to my mind, a forgone conclusion that he would stay with Astana just last week. I know a lot can change in a week, but something caused quite a rift to form very quickly.

 

[scribe]

Damn. My wife has already purchased an Astana kit for my birthday.

You and Publicus should be able to get a few rides in. I don't think he can actually switch teams until September.

 

[Publicus]

You and Publicus should be able to get a few rides in. I don't think he can actually switch teams until September.

Funny stuff Scribbles. I don't actually own Astana or any other team kit. Or any AC paraphernalia of any kind. Just like the kid's racing style and that's really as far as it goes.

I'll let you get back to spinning things out of whole cloth. Enjoy!

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

You and Publicus should be able to get a few rides in. I don't think he can actually switch teams until September.

Kits must be worn until the end of the year. It's probably tough to remember all those details when you watch 3 weeks of cycling a year.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

As others have said (or intimated), I think there is more to this story than we presently know. It was, to my mind, a forgone conclusion that he would stay with Astana just last week. I know a lot can change in a week, but something caused quite a rift to form very quickly.

Maybe there was something at the end that did un-sealed the deal. But, after the big rest day announcement (and Fran being dissed for incompetence), I did wonder if AC was responding to management "enthusiasm" for his re-signing and needed to buy time without disrupting the good team atmosphere they had going.

Obviously Astana's obligations to it's Kazakh sponsors must always be included in the teams objectives. Whether those could be balanced with Contador's in the long term, without disrupting the sponsorship, is a question he had to take seriously.

Bummer for Vino; I hope they get Menchov. As an aside, I don't buy the "we heard from the press agent" posturing from Astana overlords at all.

 

[scribe]

Kits must be worn until the end of the year. It's probably tough to remember all those details when you watch 3 weeks of cycling a year.

Great. Make a stray comment to one of the resident trolls, and he starts following me around everywhere like a smelly dingleberry. Be patient, I am trying to get you some fresh lance-lover meat in here, past forum moderations, so that you don't have to resort to picking on us 'ambivalent characters' who don't toe the forum line.

Regarding whether someone would want to wear Contador's Astana kit, they are welcome to until the end of the year, but the new team announcements come out in Sept.

 

[richwagmn]

Kits must be worn until the end of the year. It's probably tough to remember all those details when you watch 3 weeks of cycling a year.

Someone steal your cat?

 

[Publicus]

Great. Make a stray comment to one of the resident trolls, and he starts following me around everywhere like a smelly dingleberry. Be patient, I am trying to get you some fresh lance-lover meat in here, past forum moderations, so that you don't have to resort to picking on us 'ambivalent characters' who don't toe the forum line.

Regarding whether someone would want to wear Contador's Astana kit, they are welcome to until the end of the year, but the new team announcements come out in Sept.

There is nothing ambivalent about you Scribbles. Nothing at all.

 

[scribe]

There is nothing ambivalent about you Scribbles. Nothing at all.

Coming from the guy that has nearly a quarter of the posts in the official Lance Armstrong thread, that is pretty remarkable.

 

[ferryman]

David Navarro is looking at a tasty contract next year.

 

[blaxland]

This is great news....fingers crossed this isn't just Contador or Astana seeking more publicity?.....Andy may aswell target the Giro instead of the Tdf from now on..

 

[Publicus]

Coming from the guy that has nearly a quarter of the posts in the official Lance Armstrong thread, that is pretty remarkable.

Oh Scribbles.

There is nothing remarkable about making an observation. Where, when and what I post about has nothing to do with the question of the veracity of your self-proclaimed ambivalence, or my ability to make an observation.

 

[scribe]

500 hundred posts about Lance Armstrong, Publicus? Really?

 

[jaylew]

I don't recall Publicus claiming to be ambivalent.

 

[scribe]

I don't recall Publicus claiming to be ambivalent.

That's a relief, I don't recall anyone calling him ambivalent.

 

[Publicus]

500 hundred posts about Lance Armstrong, Publicus? Really?

If you insist on using a red herring to distract from the original point can I at least get an order of fries and a diet come with it? Oh, and I like my red herring sautéd in a nice lemon-butter.

Scribbles I was expecting more from you. Perhaps going forward you should keep my name out of your comments unless it is in response to a post of mine? Is that fair enough or do you want to keep up your passive-aggressive sniping?