TDF Stage 15 - Monday, July 19 2010, Pamiers - Bagnères-de-Luchon, 187 km

[Anonymous]

Contadoosh deseves to get booooooooed as he puts on the MJ.

No one derseves the MJ due to a mechanical .....period!

Yeah, actually they do.

The race is on bicycles, they are mechanical objects. They are part of the race.

If the race is in part determined by the mechanics of the team, or by a rider being ham fisted - that's just part of it.

Anyone remember David Millar's chain falling off in the prologue? Mechanicals happen when mechanical devices are at the centre of the event.

 

[frizzlefry]

AC pulling out the Sammy Sosa in interview with Andreu.

 

[lilyprotector]

omg, in addition to being a cheat, ac is a COMPLETE LIAR! he's saying he had no idea what happened with schleck. that is a total load.

 

[Ramira]

To be honest I can sorta understand his decision in the heat of the race, but the casual way he seemed to go about it after the finish acting like he won the yellow because he was actually better then AS (with the pistolero shot etc) really shows poor manners to me. Here's hoping AS will win the next 5 tours .

And if what people are saying is true about the interview that only makes it worse, no way in hell he didn't know what happened AS was about 10 yards ahead of him when his gear got stuck AC 100% saw that.

 

[Publicus]

Absolutely NOTHING prevented Astana from being at the front when the cobbles started. NOTHING. They chose to follow Andy and suffered the consequences.

Stage 3 is no defense of Contador. I've been a Contador supporter, but what he did today is totally lame.

Then there is no complaining here. Andy put in his attack, AC was responding and then Andy had a freak mechanical. No one forced Andy to attack when he did. Or to attempt to shift when he did. And AC didn't have to try and respond and close down the attack. But he did.

Look, I'm not trying to be cute, but I don't understand what the problem is here. If Andy had gotten away and then had the mechanical up the road, would that be problematic as well? Is it because he had the mechanical in mid-attack? Or is it simply that the MJ automatically gets a timeout when when he has a mechanical during that hot part of the race? Trying to sort out when is it ok to keep riding or when is it best to sit down and wait?

And why no venom for Sanchez and Menchov? Why is it all focused on AC (reminds me of the Giro with Vino taking the brunt of Strade Bianchi stage when the Milram riders pushed the pace)?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Listening now to Stephen Roche and Rob Hayles.
Difficult decision. Going back over history.
Tough luck but a race situation.
They feel sorry for him, but chain off is part of pro racing.

That's about it, from them.

 

[Anonymous]

Nothing but excuses and denial from an exposed AC Fanboy.

Whatever dude. If you need to tell yourself that, go ahead I guess.

 

[hfer07]

Apart from the incident & the controversy behind it-you know what? I'm glad it happened! Why? from now on it won't be that watching-each-other-bvllSh!t If Andy really wants it back-then make sure he gets his bike tuned up real good & then put some massive attacks on Contador, so we the public can finally watch a "race for the yellow"

 

[frizzlefry]

Whatever dude. If you need to tell yourself that, go ahead I guess.

LMFAO,,

 

[hoolaparara]

Specialized may have to reshoot the commercial with the two of them.

I can just see it
Contador: I remember I passed you when you kicked your chain off

Schleck: I did not it was my stupid bi.. errr

 

[red_flanders]

I've lost a lot of respect for Contador today. He should have waited. Forget Menchov and Sanchez--this is and always was between Schleck and Contador.

That said, those who are proclaiming that Andy is the strongest rider in the race, that somehow he was burying Contador--you're wrong. That has not yet been revealed. Contador was down a few riders in the group when AS attacked, and was bridging easily and rapidly when the mechanical went down.

I look for a huge battle on the Tourmalet. I don't know who will win. One thing for certain, it's not clear who the strongest is.

What Contador did today was poor, poor form. Forget stage 2 and 3, that was week one stuff. It doesn't matter. You don't attack the yellow jersey on a mountain pass in week 3 when there's a mechanical. His yellow is an embarrassment today.

The Tourmalet will decide the race. The only way for partial redemption for Contador is if he wins on that climb. His victory will still be tainted though.

 

[lostintime]

Yeah ... right on .... Suddenly AC speaks no English on Versus! I guess that happens when you're on the hot seat.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Yeah you might want to actually watch it before defending AC.

He has said about 15 thimes that he did.

TROLL

 

[balkou]

I hope the coverage starts early tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if they try and send Cancellara and a few others from the start to try and have someone to pull AS to the finish if he can drop AC. Not saying it will work, Astana won't just let them get away but it would make for some spectacle.

That's the drawback of Sunday's behaviour. He didn't try to win time yesterday, due to the mechanical he even lost time today, what opportunities are really left for him? Tomorrow with the Aubisque 60Km before the finish line he doesn't stand a chance. It's only on Thursday but it could be worse because everyone will wait for him.

 

[frizzlefry]

Yeah ... right on .... Suddenly AC speaks no English on Versus! I guess that happens when you're on the hot seat.

Just like Sammy Sosa in the Congressional hearings of MLB doping.

 

[indurain666]

Being on the back was AC's mistake, so Andy
But i don't know if it is easy to choose what to do in such a small frame of time especially when fatigued

Which is probably the case, we are watching this think on TV with comentators and four cameras...when you are racing you don't have all that information...

 

[Biological Entity]

Was Contador at the back because he didn't want to work in the group? If so does that in your opinion change the situation?
It is IMO different to attack a rider because he is poorly positioned than when he gets a mechanical. The other a rider can affect himself while a mechanical isn't usually dependent on what the rider does.

Yeah I don't think some of the guys here understand the sport. Positioning is different to continuing an attack when you see someone's chain has fallen off.

At the very least wouldn't AC's fanboys want to see him win completely fairly and not due to a mechanical?

 

[Bala Verde]

Riis will concur that bikes are part of the race.

Judo Throw!

 

[Ramira]

The Tourmalet will decide the race. The only way for partial redemption for Contador is if he wins on that climb. His victory will still be tainted though.

Imo Contador has to win by about a minute and 15 seconds or so to not have a tainted win as that's the max difference today could make. It will always be poor sportsmanship though even if he wins it outright

 

[Paco_P]

Not a two man race

Maybe this is a stupid point of view, but perhaps Contador does not think his only rival is Schleck. Sanchez and Menchov are both close in time, and Menchov in particular might be considered a threat to attack for real. Perhaps it is a mistake to think Contador thinks it is a two man race just because the media does.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Then there is no complaining here. Andy put in his attack, AC was responding and then Andy had a freak mechanical. No one forced Andy to attack when he did. Or to attempt to shift when he did. And AC didn't have to try and respond and close down the attack. But he did.

Look, I'm not trying to be cute, but I don't understand what the problem is here. If Andy had gotten away and then had the mechanical up the road, would that be problematic as well? Is it because he had the mechanical in mid-attack? Or is it simply that the MJ automatically gets a timeout when when he has a mechanical during that hot part of the race? Trying to sort out when is it ok to keep riding or when is it best to sit down and wait?

And why no venom for Sanchez and Menchov? Why is it all focused on AC (reminds me of the Giro with Vino taking the brunt of Strade Bianchi stage when the Milram riders pushed the pace)?

if you are in a race, and a racer rides straight into a ditch (NO MECH) what do you do? If he kicked his chain, then what is the diff?

 

[Ferminal]

Maybe this is a stupid point of view, but perhaps Contador does not think his only rival is Schleck. Sanchez and Menchov are both close in time, and Menchov in particular might be considered a threat to attack for real. Perhaps it is a mistake to think Contador thinks it is a two man race just because the media does.

Menchov and Sanchez were/are bigger rivals to Schleck than they are to Contador. In fact Menchov is a very real chance of getting second now.

 

[skidmark]

So he's a cry-baby, I should not be surprised.

BTW - my ignore list is getting full. Can someone control BPC please.

Hey, are you suggesting I'm BPC in any way? If so, perhaps a brief glimpse beside my name would show you that I've been posting since the forum started.

If you're not suggesting that then sorry, it was a confusing juxtaposition in your post. But I'm pretty clearly not a '5 identities a day' troll.

As far as being a cry baby, well he didn't quite cry (they were just welling up), so I wouldn't go that far. I guess if I was high in a GC and had that happen, I'd be pretty upset (a la Cadel last year), so I suppose I can have a little empathy for that situation.

 

[Anonymous]

Contador says in interview he thought Andy got dropped or blew or something. Says he had no idea Andy had a mechanical. And that either way this is part of racing.

What a moron and a liar.

 

[alberto.legstrong]

Maybe this is a stupid point of view, but perhaps Contador does not think his only rival is Schleck. Sanchez and Menchov are both close in time, and Menchov in particular might be considered a threat to attack for real. Perhaps it is a mistake to think Contador thinks it is a two man race just because the media does.

I agree. AC is not as cocky as Andy to think they are out totally.

Nice 1st post.