Gracias Alberto Contador - thread.

[Grayguard]

Has this been posted?

Good one

A few of the spectators out there today deserved that

 

[Spine Concept]

Contador is the man. Period. I have gained so much respect for him in this tour. Imagine if he decided not to contest the tour. He has a new fan in me.

 

[Antianti]

It was amazing, and thoroughly deserved. Fans dressing up can be fun, but this year there's been so many attention-hungry idiots running and interfering. Well done and well swung!

 

[Grand Tourist]

Has this been posted?

I'll always remember the '11 edition of the T de F as the one when AC went on the rampage in the Alps & then after that I'll then I'll think about ***** going home with the MJ. His attack today was so audacious & he was close to pulling it off.

Just imagine what what he could gave done to this race without the full weight of hardcore Giro in his legs, the crashes, the knee & the CAS thing?

Great picture, sums him up.

 

[The Hitch]

Contador is the man. Period. I have gained so much respect for him in this tour. Imagine if he decided not to contest the tour. He has a new fan in me.

I always liked Contador because he is well a member of this thing of ours, but after he won all 3 i often cheered against him because he had won so much. I didnt want him to win Tour that year. I was happy when LLS won PN. Even last year i wanted to see Andrew break him. I wanted Evans to win Fleche. I wanted Valverde to win Paris Nice, Brajkovic Dauphine.

When he did the Giro this year though and i saw how much effort he put in, going for it as the TDF champion when many TDF champs before him ignore Il Giro, especially in recent years.
When I saw how well he handled himself, how he gave the stage to Tiralongo, how happy he was in that final tt, his celebrations down the final straight and on the podium.

As i watched Contador I became a fan.

Then when i saw his performance in this Tour, how he handed himself , how he handles DEFEAT.
How he handled his bad luck and his defeat off the bike. No anger, no tears, no impatience, instead saying after losing a 110km stage by 2km that he went for fun and enjoyed his day. No excuses either even though he was well within his right to bring them up.
How he handled defeat on the bike, attacking and attacking and attacking at every turn, owning descents even though he had never been seen as a great descender. Attacking a major mountain stage 15km in.

As i watched Contador at this Tour I became a fanboy.

I never support dominant athletes even in cycling. But Contador has somehow managed to win me over to the point where from now on i will cheer for him in every race even against underdogs. And im so glad because its so much less stressful and disapointing to support the riders that are a level above the rest.

 

[python]

a Gracious Champion with Panache=Contador.

if one is a fan of cycling and can not appreciate what bert did today, i’m afraid he/she would have to move to another sport

 

[prompt-brompt]

I always liked Contador because he is well a member of this thing of ours, but after he won all 3 i often cheered against him because he had won so much. I didnt want him to win Tour that year. I was happy when LLS won PN. Even last year i wanted to see Andrew break him. I wanted Evans to win Fleche. I wanted Valverde to win Paris Nice, Brajkovic Dauphine.

When he did the Giro this year though and i saw how much effort he put in, going for it as the TDF champion when many TDF champs before him ignore Il Giro, especially in recent years.
When I saw how well he handled himself, how he gave the stage to Tiralongo, how happy he was in that final tt, his celebrations down the final straight and on the podium.

As i watched Contador I became a fan.

Then when i saw his performance in this Tour, how he handed himself , how he handles DEFEAT.
How he handled his bad luck and his defeat off the bike. No anger, no tears, no impatience, instead saying after losing a 110km stage by 2km that he went for fun and enjoyed his day. No excuses either even though he was well within his right to bring them up.
How he handled defeat on the bike, attacking and attacking and attacking at every turn, owning descents even though he had never been seen as a great descender. Attacking a major mountain stage 15km in.

As i watched Contador at this Tour I became a fanboy.

I never support dominant athletes even in cycling. But Contador has somehow managed to win me over to the point where from now on i will cheer for him in every race even against underdogs. And im so glad because its so much less stressful and disapointing to support the riders that are a level above the rest.

same here, it's a habit of mine to root for the underdog but not now

 

[Captain_Obvious]

It makes me very happy to read all the love for Bertie. Well deserved. What a champ.

 

[rides like a girl]

I am amazed at his heart this Tour. I have been a fan for quite a long time and he cemented in my mind today why I cheer for him.

No matter the odds, he tried, he tried, he tried again.

I am just amazed at his GC standing considering all the things that went wrong during the Tour, the CAS stuff and a tough Giro course in his legs. He is a good time trial away form 4th place. If Frank messes it up, who knows. How can that happen when the guys he is racing against, didn't do the Giro and didn't have the knee issues.

I agree with other posts, he is the best of this generation!

Whoever wins this year, better hope AC doesn't enter next year if they want to repeat their win. If he is there, they have no shot.

 

[sartoris]

I always liked Contador because he is well a member of this thing of ours, but after he won all 3 i often cheered against him because he had won so much. I didnt want him to win Tour that year. I was happy when LLS won PN. Even last year i wanted to see Andrew break him. I wanted Evans to win Fleche. I wanted Valverde to win Paris Nice, Brajkovic Dauphine.

When he did the Giro this year though and i saw how much effort he put in, going for it as the TDF champion when many TDF champs before him ignore Il Giro, especially in recent years.
When I saw how well he handled himself, how he gave the stage to Tiralongo, how happy he was in that final tt, his celebrations down the final straight and on the podium.

As i watched Contador I became a fan.

Then when i saw his performance in this Tour, how he handed himself , how he handles DEFEAT.
How he handled his bad luck and his defeat off the bike. No anger, no tears, no impatience, instead saying after losing a 110km stage by 2km that he went for fun and enjoyed his day. No excuses either even though he was well within his right to bring them up.
How he handled defeat on the bike, attacking and attacking and attacking at every turn, owning descents even though he had never been seen as a great descender. Attacking a major mountain stage 15km in.

As i watched Contador at this Tour I became a fanboy.

I never support dominant athletes even in cycling. But Contador has somehow managed to win me over to the point where from now on i will cheer for him in every race even against underdogs. And im so glad because its so much less stressful and disapointing to support the riders that are a level above the rest.

Great and sobering post, HITCH. Cheers!

 

[davestoller]

Not a fan, but he totally redeemed himself the way he rode today and conducted himself throughout the race.
Chapeau.

He's ten times the rider and person compared to Andy S.

 

[zastomito]

Not a fan but I admire him for the way he handles defeat. That is a sign of a true champion.

 

[wheels of fire]

Few facts from my point of view;

Contador dig "too much" at Giro just to strenghten his hand against the court. After the Etna show, he didnt have to spend that much energy to win the tour.

CA Sorensen was pretty good at Dauphine but it was "his limit" and he eventually faded away at Tour climbs. On the other hand Szmyd rode Giro this year but not on his physical limits due to his health problems, he must have suffered a lot though. He rode only one hard stage at front. So he recovered much better and did a very good TDF. At 2010 Szymd rode Giro as well but at an very high level and we hardly saw him helping Basso at 2010 Tour. Recovery!?

So even though this years Giro was really hard, Contador won it easily. But he spent unnecessary energy doing it. A few more hard stages on a tour like Giro effects your recovery and it actually did. I dont think that its about knee problems at all. Himself had admitted that "he was not on the level he wants" by the same time he announced that he will ride TDF. Had he did the active rest! thing after Etna, he would have been at a considerably higher physical condition.

From another point of view, with Giro contenders being no match for Contador, this year was indeed a year at which Contador and only Contador could have won both tours had he raced little bit "smart" and saved his energy and didnt have to deal with doping issue which ate his mind "until" the Tour.

This year was also the year that Contador has had his best form of his career. You can say the climbing times increased but it did for whole peloton (obviously cleaner racing!!!) so what we should check is the "relative" strength of rides and his Giro show tells us that he was at "top" of his career. Personally, I dont expect him to be at that level "each year".

A big opportunity missed for history books by means of doing the double.

Second important fact about TDF is, this year Cadel Evans and Andy S came pretty fit and well prepared. I dont remember Cadel climbing at the same level with Schleck brothers and Andy riding impressive against the wind and finally having the right mental approach. Probably Contador would have won 2010 or 2009 TDF with the form he has now.

Thanks for riding like a true champion at TDF...

 

[dbrmuz]

As The Hitch stated,the way AC has handled defeat shows he has more class than a lot had given him credit for.If he hadn't won his first two Tours under Johan,and had handled winning with as much class (as opposed to the threats to sue those who implied his performances may have been artificially enhanced-wonder who taught him that tactic) AC would be THE most popular cyclist by a long way.

 

[veganrob]

Alberto...A warrior with so much class. Their are very few in the peloton to match his heart and humility.

 

[Spine Concept]

I always liked Contador because he is well a member of this thing of ours, but after he won all 3 i often cheered against him because he had won so much. I didnt want him to win Tour that year. I was happy when LLS won PN. Even last year i wanted to see Andrew break him. I wanted Evans to win Fleche. I wanted Valverde to win Paris Nice, Brajkovic Dauphine.

When he did the Giro this year though and i saw how much effort he put in, going for it as the TDF champion when many TDF champs before him ignore Il Giro, especially in recent years.
When I saw how well he handled himself, how he gave the stage to Tiralongo, how happy he was in that final tt, his celebrations down the final straight and on the podium.

As i watched Contador I became a fan.

Then when i saw his performance in this Tour, how he handed himself , how he handles DEFEAT.
How he handled his bad luck and his defeat off the bike. No anger, no tears, no impatience, instead saying after losing a 110km stage by 2km that he went for fun and enjoyed his day. No excuses either even though he was well within his right to bring them up.
How he handled defeat on the bike, attacking and attacking and attacking at every turn, owning descents even though he had never been seen as a great descender. Attacking a major mountain stage 15km in.

As i watched Contador at this Tour I became a fanboy.

I never support dominant athletes even in cycling. But Contador has somehow managed to win me over to the point where from now on i will cheer for him in every race even against underdogs. And im so glad because its so much less stressful and disapointing to support the riders that are a level above the rest.

I couldn't have said it better myself Hitch, completely agree. Contador has officially won me over. I used to dislike him as well because of his dominance. However, he proved that winning is not effortless, not even for him. It takes hard work and knowing how to suffer. Talent alone does not make you a champion. Even though it might appear otherwise I believe no one suffers like Contador can, he is human like his rivals after all. I think it was Sastre who said it best ''once you learn to suffer, the rest is easy, just push the pedals''. Contador has harnessed this ability like no other. Having that tough Giro in his legs he also had the bad luck of losing unnecessary time to his rivals and crashing a couple of times. It seemed like nothing was going his way in the first week. However, he displayed some sheer mental strength and the resilient nature of a true champion. Never yielding to his misfortunes but using every opportunity to try and make up the lost time whilst never uttering a complaint. If that weren't enough he has had to endure the press and the public going on about his alleged prohibited substance involvement. Superlatives come up short when describing his performance in this tour and every other GT he has contested in hindsight. He is all heart and always humble. What more can you ask for in a pro athlete and role model. A new-found idol for me. On that note, ''muchas gracias Alberto, eres un crack en todo sentido!''.

 

[Carols]

Ever gracious and humble in victory and defeat, Alberto the warrior!
Gracias, el campeon!!!

 

[Nederick]

Nice one Hitch. I respected his abilities previously and started to admire his personal qualities when dealing with the whole Astana rubbish in '09. But like some other posters, wouldn't have said I was a fan. But this race seeing how he has handled himself and how he has raced has won me over. I look forward to many more years of watching him race his bike the way I love to watch a bike being raced. He's definitely reignited my interest which took a huge knock over the last decade and a bit. Thanks AC

 

[Nederick]

Nice one Hitch. I respected his abilities previously and started to admire his personal qualities when dealing with the whole Astana rubbish in '09. But like some other posters, wouldn't have said I was a fan. But this race seeing how he has handled himself and how he has raced has won me over. I look forward to many more years of watching him race his bike the way I love to watch a bike being raced. He's definitely reignited my interest which took a huge knock over the last decade and a bit. Thanks Alberto

 

[AussieGoddess]

Yep Hitch said it all

I also became a huge fan during the Giro. His poise, sportsmanship and graciousness won me over big time - and his words and actions during this tour have not changed that.

thank you Alberto. You are a true champion

 

[gregod]

I dislike Contador's sportsmanship, sense of ethics, and arrogance. What a sketchy past the guy has.

i understand why you say "sketchy past", but i've never seen any evidence of the rest. in spite of being no fan of the guy, i think he handled himself extremely well when faced with a lesser talented american succeeding in taking his team away from him, as well as other situations.



this is the first time i've seen him get angry. he'll be wearing the red number tomorrow.

 

[I Watch Cycling In July]

That was something special that Bert did. He rode in spectacular defiance of the fear of failure.............from the moment he committed to doing the 2011 TDF, until the top of the alp.

Thanks man, that was amazing to see.

 

[MKirilenko]

Well said Hitch.

Also, did my ears deceive me or Frenchies did NOT booo him, while he got he's red number for most aggressive? He earned Italians respect, who knows maybe even French noticed what a caliber of a champion he is.



And ps. I cant see those qualities that Hitch mentioned in Andy really. Apparently even Basso decided to excuse himself with the Etna crash.
I guess there are Champions and champs... (if u know what I mean)

 

[Granville57]

He rides to win!

When Alberto Contador was booed by some at the team presentation, I found that to be appalling and disgraceful. At the time I thought (but did not post), The best thing for Alberto would be to lose some time due to either a mechanical or other non-threatening delay, and then slowly claw his way back, stage by stage, winning hearts and minds in the process. A great comeback from certain defeat would go a long way in converting some of the haters.

I was shocked when the opportunity presented itself on the very first stage of this year's Tour. I thought it was to be his destiny. But fate had other things in store for Contador. Watching him forge on, when so many had written him off, was truly remarkable.

And to further one point made by Hitch:
It’s easy to look good when you’re on top—you get showered with praise, reporters hang on your every word, every gesture is met with gleeful anticipation. But true character shines through when you’re down. With many top athletes, we usually have to wait many years to see how they handle defeat, and it is rarely pleasant. But even with his ultimate goal seemigly out of reach, Contador continues to carry himself with class and dignity.

I would've loved for him to have won on Alpe d'Huez. Watching the race unfold, I really thought he was going to win the stage, win those hearts and minds, and stamp his name in the history books with an epic triumph. So close. So very close. It would've been beautiful to see Contador and Sanchez cross the line together, brothers in arms. Alberto for the stage, Samu for the Polka Dots. So close. So very close.

But he cemented a powerful and lasting image with his grit and determination throughout the day, and was gracious in defeat—a trait too rarely seen these days. As I have always maintained: He rides to win! He proved that on Alpe d'Huez and left no doubt that he has a champion's heart.

In the long run, I believe that having Contador NOT win the TdF this year is good for the sport. Rivalries can only be true if victories are traded between the combatants. Dominance is just that and nothing more, in the end. How exciting will the next round be? And how exciting was this year's Tour because Alberto Contador Velasco was a part of it?

One more thing I can feel good about: This race isn't over yet.

And since, for some reason, my signature doesn't always appear when I intend it to, I'll add it here...

Soundtrack for the 2011 season

 

[Anonymous]

May his greatness continue to entertain us