The official debate: Should Contador have waited for Schleck?

[LevDavidovich]

I'm not sure yet but did AS flub up his gear change to the big ring? Its kind of splitting hairs but I see this as different from a puncture.

 

[The Hitch]

Own mistake of Schleck. I mean, its a bike race, you're supposed to know how to handle your bike.

Schleck was lucky in the third stage, took profit from the fourth stage and made a mistake in the, what, 16th stage or something. **** happens.

Nothing wrong with riding for Contador, Menchov and Sanchez (the latter two looked very strong on the climb and will be much stronger TT'ers than Schleck). Its bike racing.

I mean, in Formula 1 if someone gets a puncture or a mechanical or something the others don't stop racing either. That's racing, nothing more, nothing less.

Motor racing is all about luck anyway. And the drivers dont have to put themselves through excrutiating pain to get back to the front. Andy Schleck did.

 

[David Suro]

Contador's tactics on the day made me miss the days of Lance waiting for Ullrich after he rode off a cliff and Ullrich et.al. waiting for Lance when he was pulled down by a kid.

I guess you could say, "That's racing. Too bad."

Contador had the chance to be a sportsman of the highest calibre. He chose to be a ruthless competitor. Maybe each characteristic is to be respected, but only one could be truly admired.

Here's hoping Andy turns it into motivation and races the next two days like a man posessed.

 

[dlwssonic]

Contador is not worthy to be a winner!

after seeing him do such a horrendous thing it reminds me of the WWE. i think he has lost a lot of peoples respect including mine.

 

[Anonymous]

Well Bertie just showed his class. He better hope nothing unfortunate happens to him.

He would do well to remember that karma is a bitch.

Never been a real Schleck fan until now. The Tourmalet should be fun.

 

[patrick767]

Maybe just ride tempo and keep the group the same until Andy Rejoined.

That would have been the classy move. They don't have to slow way down or anything. Just don't attack. Contador chose to attack hard instead.

 

[scribe]

Exactly. People booing the yellow jersey on the podium: classless.

Pistol shot podium antics when you beat the strongest rider who has a mechanical is beyond classless.

 

[ericthesportsman6]

Theres like thirty threads on this crap already

 

[The Hitch]

Contador does the pistol shot again and looks very happy in yellow. He sees nothing wrong with what happened.

 

[Old&slow]

I have to agree and love that he got booed at the jersey presentation.

Closest comparison is 2003 when Armstrong attacked fell and the peleton waited. It was Contador doing the work when Schleck stopped. He really is desperate to win.

 

[VeloCity]

Stage 15 with the four top riders together is a completely different situation.

I still don't see how it's a "completely different situation" between this and stage 3 - do you wait for the MJ after a mechanical/crash or don't you? It can't be subjective.

 

[Straßenrennen]

For the reasons I stated already there is no comparison between stage 3 and this one. That early in the race you think anyone is going to wait because a possible opponent for the GC crashes? Meanwhile many other GC contenders, spread out in various small groups as they were when all the problems hit on the cobbles, may keep going. It would never work. There's no feasible way for the many contenders at that stage of the race to come to an agreement.

Stage 15 with the four top riders together is a completely different situation.

Well we'll just to have to agree to disagree I think. This is why i love sport, so many emotions, opinions and factors that change. Understand your veiw, its just not aligned with mine. But will say i am very sorry than andy took such a mechanical, but should definatly ensure the next 3 days of racing are filled with fire and brimestone.

Respectfully Straßenrennen.

 

[scribe]

That would have been the classy move. They don't have to slow way down or anything. Just don't attack. Contador chose to attack hard instead.

Peloton should hold their position and hold a reasonable cadence until the yellow rejoins.

Contador was out of his saddle attacking.

 

[xmoonx]

And what would you have AC do when he got to AS? Slam on his brakes help AS put his chain back on then give him a running push start???????? FFS Berto was already responding to the attack

No! Slow the tempo. Not get out of the saddle and attack. Knowingly attacking the MJ, with a mechanical(assuming they knew) is totally cheap, and always has been.

 

[Jan the Man]

There was a significant gap that was going to gain quickly. That was THE moment of the stage. A move by the yellow jersey. Do you understand the yellow jersey was attacking successfully, had a mechanical, and Contador took the yellow from him based on the mechanical?

I watched the stage same as you...what makes you think that the attack by Andy was going to be successful?...Not saying it wasn't going to be, just saying from my point of view I saw Contador responding.

It was very unlucky for Andy and I too would be angry if I was in his position. I think it would have been excellent sportsmanship for Contador to wait but having said that lets be honest the stage was neutralised for Schleck after his problems on stage 2 and he was more than happy to attack the maillot jaune over the cobbles. If many posters were in Contador's shoes I wonder how many would have waited; I guess far less than the prercentage willing to diss AC at the moment.

Still Contador is no big Jan when it comes to humility.

 

[The Hitch]

Damn, wanted to see what schleck said to alberto while going to collect the white jersey.

Lets see how schleck will react on the podium.

 

[erader]

too bad cancellara wasn't in the lead group. he could have neutralized the race for andy again .

erader

 

[Arnout]

Motor racing is all about luck anyway. And the drivers dont have to put themselves through excrutiating pain to get back to the front. Andy Schleck did.

That's not the point. The point is losing time (or losing points in F1) because of bad luck. That happens. Andy Schleck didn't even have bad luck, but didn't know how to shift. You see it nearly every climb in the beginning, some guys having problems because they shifted to abruptly. Exactly the same happened to Schleck.

By the way, Contador said he didn't know what caused Andy's problems and decided to give it a go.

 

[Ferminal]

It's racing.

Not the most sporting gesture by Alberto, but this is in the final 2 km of a big climb just after the afterburners had been turned on, not the bottom of the climb or a 3rd category hill.

Sure we can think less of AC, but it's not as bad as some people are making it out to be.

 

[roundabout]

I guess that puts the "gentleman" facade in perspective. When the battle gets tough Contador is no different from the rest.

 

[mango_tarbash]

I was quite neutral with regards Contador, but after today's nasty little back-stab I know which side of the fence I'm on - and it ain't his.

 

[sethelliottmeyer]

I don't agree with comparisons to Armstrong/Ullrich/Hamilton on Luz Ardiden in 2003 as that was a crash. Dropping your chain is a total amateur move. Not a mechanical.

I do agree, however, that the pistol shot on the podium was inappropriate. In fact, the pistol shot anytime is inappropriate. But that's another story.

 

[Joe23god]

At the end of the day it's a race. A competition and there is nothing to say contador has to wait! They are all payed to do a job and contador as a favourite did his!

It's schlecks problem and he has to deal with that and try again another day

 

[dlwssonic]

I have to agree and love that he got booed at the jersey presentation.

Closest comparison is 2003 when Armstrong attacked fell and the peleton waited. It was Contador doing the work when Schleck stopped. He really is desperate to win.

ya i dont even understand why. he could have won even with the 31 seconds lead and he would not lose time at the tourmalet or he might just lose a little. i think if contador had a mechanical schleck would not stop but not go attack!

 

[scribe]

too bad cancellara wasn't in the lead group. he could have neutralized the race for andy again .

erader

several guys neutralized that stage, as half the peloton was down and badly injured.