The official debate: Should Contador have waited for Schleck?

[Señor_Contador]

It's shít like today's that makes me appreciate Eddie Merckx even more. He care not one bit aside from winning: "What? You want me to go easy because the race ends in your town and your mother, father and girlfriend are there? Like hell I will!".

What? You fell off the mountail? Tough shít! You broke a leg? Better luck next time.

When did cycling become this *** sport in which everyone follows some internal verbal code of "honor" (never mind the stuff these guys shoot up before competition) and pure competition is out the window?

Andy lucked out. He should've never been in yellow. Friggin period!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

besides did schleck wait for contador when he had a mechanical which wasn't even contadors fault at the arenberg stage?? no they went full gas.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Don't know where the Maillot Juane tradition is officially recorded, dont think it is, it is one of these unwritten things within the peloton and the TdF.

If you want to ride the TdF and respects its traditions, one of them is not to attack the jersey when it has a mechanical, and i think that applies to all the peloton, whether these machanicals are punctures, broken seats and slipped chains etc... to blame AS for a slipped chain in 2010 is stupid. These guys ride precision equipment and they are not supposed to slip chains. Aint AS's fault. Blame SRAM (Red) or his mechanic.

AC has by this attack on the yellow declared he is not going to follow TdF tradition and that is a double edged sword.

meh. i think you are being dramatic.
the yellow jersey was fair game, and at the end of a day it is a race.

 

[Bala Verde]

This incident will excuse Andy from waiting when Contador drops his chain in the ITT!!!

 

[saganftw]

if you can't shift gears properly you don't even belong in the pro peloton. I don't know how to say in english but his behind gears were way too small so the chain was too loose because of that and when you bump against something the chain falls off. it's how own dumb mistake and he should be ashamed top his whole team

but contador didnt know droped chain was andys fault...he attacked anyway

 

[Ferminal]

Watch the replay. Conta looks right at Schleck, already off his bike, as he goes by. News flash #2-- they all have radios. Even if his eyes weren't working, his radio was. He attacked, and continued to do so, for twenty minutes with full intent.

Newsflash #3, read my other posts which agree with every point you've made in this post.

Although, I'm surprised he didn't get any gap to Sanchez if he was going full gas, should get smoked on the Tourmalet by Schleck if that's the case.

 

[ttrider]

Vino caught the attack no problem and with the pace AC was coming through the only Q left to answer was would Shleck be able to keep with his counter attack! Bull**** Shleck was the stronger rider at best he was equal

 

[Cervelo77]

When Andy attacked Contador was right in the middle of the group, on the inside, and was physically blocked from immediately responding by weaker riders like Lance Armstrong. Andy was at the back, watching, and timed it perfectly to leave Contador "boxed in" and having a big gap to close.

This sort of stuff is done all the time - Riis would have noticed where Contador was riding and told Andy on the radio.

In the same way that it's impossible to ALWAYS ensure you don't drop your chain, crash, get caught behind a crash, get a flat tyre and all the other reasons some of you want to make it a crime for a rival to capitalise on, it's also impossible to always ensure that you're not boxed in by riders who are unable to respond to attacks by your rivals and can't get out of your way when you want to give chase. Cancellara did this to Boonen really well in Paris-Roubaix.

This happens all the time, but whern it happens to YOU it's not that much less cu**ish than someone zooming off when your chain jams....

we can't neutralise everything.

Of course, the difference is you're not losing 35 seconds from being boxed in, but you're losing something like that whilst putting your chain back on. Attacking the MJ while he is in a ditch / flatted / mechanical is just low class.

 

[MKirilenko]

Well, I don't know what you were watching but Bertie had been gapped. Even Vino sat up when he saw Schleck have a problem.

The reason AC went full gas is because he is afraid of Schleck. There is no other reason.

If AC was all that, he certainly would have just tempo'd until Andy rejoined.

He was gapped, coz Andy caught him sleeping, like it happened on a stage (dont remember the #) when Purito won. AC didnt bonk, Vino went, coz he saw Alberto not reacting in time, its what teammates do, rather than organize a neutral finish.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

but contador didnt know droped chain was andys fault...he attacked anyway

oh so in this case next time we should wait for every rider because god knows maybe it was a mechnical that wasn't the riders fault so we should wait. it wouldn't havce happened if any wasn't such a chickenpants with his surplassing around the mountain. the guy is pathetic and so is the tactic of riis

 

[rapidcarbon]

new maillot jaune for contador

This topic needs a poll.

 

[tifosa]

Game on!

NO.

Schleck had a mechanical, and isn't as great a descender as he thought he was.

Just before the mechanical, Contador had already launched his attack.

Stage 15 of the f>cking Tour is no time to pull a Cance and attempt to neutralize the race. Maybe if Saxo had another rider up there with Schleck, their guy might still be in yellow.

TBut, that's not what happened. No more of this cat and mouse bullsh!t, it's game on.

May the best equipped mentally and physically (and the best bikes and mechanics) prevail.

P.S. GO MENCHOV!

 

[hrotha]

It's amazing that people are going out of their way to justify Contador.

 

[Parrot23]

The reason AC went full gas is because he is afraid of Schleck. There is no other reason.

Schleck does look stronger in mountains.

Bruyneel is right that Contador is weaker than last year (I hope that's not a reflection of medical program shifts). Bertie was asleep or boxed it, so it was a good attack by Andy.

Still, Schleck is leaving things awfully late and it was him who dropped the chain (not an accident). And per Ekimov, Saxo's tactic today were not good (just like Astana's yesterday). Not great all round.

 

[MKirilenko]

It's amazing that people are going out of their way to justify Contador.

Yawn. Same can be told about judgimental pr*cks

 

[Paco_P]

Whoever thinks AC is scared has no idea. AC is bored waiting for AS to do something aggressive so he can kick AS's rear. AC is more worried about Menchov.

AC knew what had happened, at least within 30 seconds. He doesn't care. Two days ago he took a stage win away from Vino (Rodriguez got it) just to win 10 seconds. He doesn't care. He has the Lance Armstrong mentality - I'm a bigger a'hole than you - catch me it you can. The only great biking champion who wasn't a complete a'hole was Indurain.

 

[ttrider]

Not going out of our way to justify just laughing at delusional AS fans who think he can attack on a cobbled stage but not on a mountain!

 

[funnytanlines]

i think it was a bad move by ac. tough call to make though in the midst of battle, so to speak. but to tell the truth, i would have respected andy a lot more if afterwards he didn't lay on the "my stomach is full of anger" crap and just said something like "that's racing, i'll try to make it up tomorrow". seriously the schlecks are whiners, not taking responsibility for cobbles and dropped chains. htfu andy.

 

[ak-zaaf]

It's amazing that people are going out of their way to justify Contador.

And why is that amazing?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

It's amazing that people are going out of their way to justify Contador.

i don't think justification is necessary.

he definitely knew what he did, but it doesn't matter. what happened is apart of cycling, had the roles been reversed AS would have pushed on also.
same happened to cadel evans last vuelta, it happens.

 

[sheenyp]

Maybe everybody should have waited for Rasmussen when he crashed all those times in the final TT in 2005 (or whatever year it was)

 

[ilillillli]

my point exactly. but it's way easier to trash AC who is such a lame climber and would have lost 7-9mins on that climb...

sorry, i just went back and read your original post. i think we're completely on the same page here. that "track stand" stunt on Ax-3 yesterday isn't the move of a guy who wins the tour de france. i can see why andy and frank would want to leave for the new luxenborg outfit next year. sorry, but perpetual marking isn't going to win the tour. you know why? because stuff like losing a chain CAN and DOES happen. i love andy, and maybe this is the wakeup call he and saxo neede: ATTACK!

 

[dobergeron]

Contador no class?

Not too sure about Contador, but if he wins TdF, I hope for him and his fans (I'm not one of them) that it's by more than 32 seconds...

 

[MKirilenko]

Yea, lets go even further with the ridiculous "lets wait for X coz he Y". They should have waited for Evans back in the day, struggling with a broken elbow...

 

[BroDeal]

new maillot jaune for contador

This topic needs a poll.

Here is the "chicken" sucker punching Schleck, who seems to have gained a bit of weight.