The official debate: Should Contador have waited for Schleck?

[lucdevroye]

A gentleman he isn't

Contador missed a tremendous opportunity to gain eternal respect. If he
had dismounted next to Andy, that image would have made him a hero
in the way that both Armstrong and Ulrich gained respect by waiting for
each other in two Tours several years ago.

But he did not. In fact, he was pulling his group on several occasions.
If he wins the Tour, it will make him a small champion,
with a lower case "c".

For me, Andy Schleck has won the Tour in my heart. [But Cadel Evans as well,
riding with a broken elbow.] It does not matter what happens from here on.
I have seen the true colours of Contador, Menchov and Sanchez.

 

[DenisMenchov]

GO ANDY!
And get some Campagnolo equipment instead of this modern BS.
A couple years back David Millar was strongist man in breakaway but 500m before the finish broke the shimano chain.People will never learn!
Oh,i'm gonna laugh so hard when El bull****erro punctures!
Tour is realy interesting now.Go Andy

Was that in the Giro 2008 when he threw his bike down the cliff??

 

[hfer07]

Bertie says "I'm sorry"......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdOJLuePexs

PS: I've been following the tour for 22 years & this year is the #1 on Whining, b!tching, complaining, and all those ridiculous things that ruin the tough core of cycling...

 

[jayfro72]

2010 will be remembered as the year the sport changed from having honor in wins to winning at any costs.

And Alberto Contador will forever be remembered in infamy as the guy who tore up the "unwritten rules".

From now on, it's win at any costs.

How much does EPO cost?

 

[bobs nob]

A stunning amount of guys keep referencing stage 3 as an indicator of comparable racing. Race the pave with those standards argued for today's stage, and my grandmother could win Paris-Roubaix. There would be no race, as the hazard is paramount.

Funny how it's always 'diferent' whenever 'your guy' or team or whatever' gets the advantage in sports.

This really is a tempest in a teapot. This is getting more like unrequited Lance fans proselytizing to keep the AC hatred fires burning. It's fun to watch. But so aren't trainwrecks and fat chicks on mopeds.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Contador missed a tremendous opportunity to gain eternal respect. If he
had dismounted next to Andy, that image would have made him a hero
in the way that both Armstrong and Ulrich gained respect by waiting for
each other in two Tours several years ago.

But he did not. In fact, he was pulling his group on several occasions.
If he wins the Tour, it will make him a small champion,
with a lower case "c".

For me, Andy Schleck has won the Tour in my heart. [But Cadel Evans as well,
riding with a broken elbow.] It does not matter what happens from here on.
I have seen the true colours of Contador, Menchov and Sanchez.

Denis was never upfront in that group, not because of Andy though.

 

[Dedelou]

Obviously Andy would've held on to the group if he hit the summit with them.

where is is that Obvious he would have been at the top with them even if he knew how to shift and didn't screw his chances. There is nothing "obvious" here

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Anyone ????

Ok - yes, the riders have earpieces, but what would that do?

You can actually see Vino talking in to his after AC has gone by - he is probably telling the DS (& team) AS has slipped his gear.

But it was after that when AS dismounted.
The information would have been slow in coming through - and a good DS would be telling you to go full gas, irrespective of what happened.
It is up to the rider then to decide - and I think once AC realised that Andy had to dismount he should have cooled his jets.

 

[benpounder]

I'm not buying Contador's explanation. I have a hard time believing he did not see something was wrong with Andy's bike.

I've seen too many riders attempt to get some seperation only to realize that the effort put them over the red-line. And when this happens, they tend to drop their head. Contador had maybe 5 seconds to see and evaluate what was going on. The video shows Contador's head down at the time of the chain drop, so that is even less time for a correct assement.

The point being, Contador may have known what happened, but I think it more plausible that he was just reacting to what looked like momentary weakness. Those that assert Contador knew exactly what just happened are those with a conclusion in search of supporting evidence.

 

[scribe]

Funny how it's always 'diferent' whenever 'your guy' or team or whatever' gets the advantage in sports.

This really is a tempest in a teapot. This is getting more like unrequited Lance fans proselytizing to keep the AC hatred fires burning. It's fun to watch. But so aren't trainwrecks and fat chicks on mopeds.

Uh no. This is an effort to use Armstrong to distract away from the obvious. Let's let Armstrong go. He is not really in this race anymore.

 

[bobs nob]

It only got through first because my computer had a mechanical. You took advantage.

He's right. So this thread really isn't yours, and I'll never let you forget it. Ohhhhh the shaaame....

(And by mechanical, 2wheels really mean he types very slowly.)

 

[nowhereman]

The disscusion that you ppl have here is stupid... there is alot of childish post and comments... ppl who see the video and is still keeping and idiotic opinion... you ppl don't want to see the truth...

Well I have my truth you have your truth... whatever... the history at the end will be the same... AC is going to kill Andy in La Col du Tourmalet and then in the TT... 39 seconds??? pffff don't make me laugh... you ppl say that AS is stronger cuz he is the only one who has attacked... but we still have not seen an ALL IN attack from AC... we are going to see that attack in Le Tourmalet so just sit and wait to see how AC is going to gap BIG TIME AS in the Tourmalet and then in the TT...

Here is a little video from El Pistolero giving his look about what happened today...

I'm not too happy about how El Pistolero got La Maillot Jaune but He hasn't lost my respect and admiration... this is racing and should be merciless... should be an unwritten rule called:

NO GIFTS NOT MATTER WHAT!

Beautiful!! I'm lovin' ya Man! I mean, say what you really mean! Long live Bernard Hinault's famous line. It is the Supreme Unwritten Rule!

 

[scribe]

Beautiful!! I'm lovin' ya Man! I mean, say what you really mean! Long live Bernard Hinault's famous line. It is the Supreme Unwritten Rule!

A gift is taking an advantage on a mechanical. Anyone can beat another guy who is off his bike.

 

[Dedelou]

So that's why AC drove his ass off. He was waiting...

if Contador , Menchov , Vino and Sanchez drives their assess off as you call it .. Andy comes home with the time of bottle and the like of basso and company. Wait. he has tomorrow to prove he can ride a bike. if he does , chapeau to him

 

[Dedelou]

+1. Totally without class.

agree.. throwing the chain is a sign of fear. I have seen it done rarely by real cyclist in a race but it was often done by nervous nellies.

 

[ozymandias]

Ok, serious question: how many of you knew what was going on with Andy when he shut down the attack?

I knew 4 seconds after the rear wheel jumped, because that's when Liggett/Sherwin said "Oh what's happened, his chain's off", before Contador passed Schleck.

 

[bobs nob]

Everyone except Andy.

I think I am going to have to make this back and forth from you to Publicus my new signature.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll have to look at it again when I get home because YT is blocked now. But if I were AC and I were back at the cars when AS attacked I would of course think it was lame. But, I would've also been ****ed at myself for being out of position. AC had Vino in the group, so why would he be at the back for any other reason than being out of position? He(I) should've been glued to AS's wheel. AS shouldn't have to wait until AC is on his wheel to attack.

I never called you sick, and I don't hate AC for attacking. I just wish he waited a little for AS as I think the time gap/jersey is cheapened a little. As I said before, an earned win is better than a gifted.

P.S. The little insult (bold) did not go unnoticed. I didn't say anything to provoke that, so why include it?

Honestly, I didn't intend it as an insult at all, just a point. Sorry if you took it that way.

 

[Big GMaC]

If Alberto has a puncture? Well, Vino will give him his bike.

That Alberto video pretty much sums up what the more rational people have been saying



Edit: Oh wow, some of the comments contain more bile than here, quick Pulic Strategies, to the YouTubemobile!

 

[luckyboy]

The information would have been slow in coming through - and a good DS would be telling you to go full gas, irrespective of what happened.
It is up to the rider then to decide - and I think once AC realised that Andy had to dismount he should have cooled his jets.

^^^^
Just to have something to refer to..
I don't think Samu and Denis would've stuck with him if AC kept attacking at full pace all the way to the summit. It's clear that AC wasn't going the same pace as he was when he responded to Andy. Plus, he looked back an awful lot.

Andy used up a lot of time trying to put that chain on.

I'm no AC or Andy fan btw.

 

[nowhereman]

A gift is taking an advantage on a mechanical. Anyone can beat another guy who is off his bike.

Cry me a river, dude. I'm lovin' the armchair whining!

 

[reubenr]

if Contador , Menchov , Vino and Sanchez drives their assess off as you call it .. Andy comes home with the time of bottle and the like of basso and company. Wait. he has tomorrow to prove he can ride a bike. if he does , chapeau to him

And while we are at it, "Cycling News" has a totally dedicated Radio Schack dinga donga, so what are we to make of that? They are neutral? Really! Here is the problem. Mr. Hearst, where are you now that we need you?

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah I've been a fan for "only" 11 years.

Not all of us are 40+ ok?

Hmmm....that is inteersting....you became a "fan" in 1999. A fan of what...excuse me, who?

 

[joe_papp]

Quite a lot of people on this forum, especially Joe Papp himself
Perhaps he'll come into this thread as well, although I doubt that

Be still, my children - for I have arrived.

Just kidding.

I don't begrudge anyone their opinion, but I know what I think. Schleck committed what Dim correctly described as a "driver error" and since it didn't result in his ending-up splayed out on the tarmac, play on!

Now if Saxo hadn't attacked the MJ on the cobbles when he had clear mechanical troubles on stage 3, I'd be more up for the argument that Contador was somehow unsporting. But the fact is that firstly, on stage 2, Saxo manhandled the bunch into a go-slow to allow both Schlecks to get back on. Not content with that, on stage 3 they launched a go-fast when they knew that contenders like Contador - and the MJ Chavanel - were suffering mechanical issues or being delayed by crashes on the cobbles.

I suspect that if they'd been descending and Andy had ridden himself into a guardrail, Contador probably would have soft-pedaled long enough to give Schleck a chance to get back on. But for reasons stated ad nauseam, that didn't happen. And I'm fine with it.

And much like Vino's attacking, the fact that this controversy is taking place at all makes the race more interesting and exciting to watch. I can't wait for tomorrow's stage.

LAST THOUGHT: Maybe AC didn't wait for Schleck because he thinks that Schleck is a conniver and he wouldn't wait for him if the same had happened, so why not put the knife in and twist it for good measure? Schleck would probably do the same to him, despite his claim to the contrary, since he DIDN'T WAIT FOR THE YELLOW JERSEY WHEN HE HAD TROUBLE ON THE COBBLES! lol.

 

[bobs nob]

Uh no. This is an effort to use Armstrong to distract away from the obvious. Let's let Armstrong go. He is not really in this race anymore.

Yes, but there are quite a few whose love for him makes them hate what he hates and he hates Alberto. Did I really need to spell that out for you?