The official debate: Should Contador have waited for Schleck?

[racer1192]

The fact that people would expect him to wait is ridiculous. Why not put the favorites on trainers and just compare the results? They race on the road not indoors, and that can change things. To drop a chain in this day and age just shows poor bike prep or no mechanical sympathy whatsoever.

 

[2wheels]

Contador attacked to bridge the gap...

News flash-- the only guy ahead of Contador was Vino, and a bunch of nobodys up the road. He didn't need to close any gap! This was out-and-out low-class opportunism by Contador. Ditto with Sanchez on the descent-- Menchov was right there with him, so the only reason for SS to bomb it was to try and help himself and Contador to time at Schleck's expense.

 

[scribe]

lol why you keep on calling him shrek

I like it better than horseface.

 

[Ferminal]

Looks like his drive train jammed. The images show his wheel jumped up, as if it blocked suddenly.

Any news on what happened in reality?

Vino was right there, I'm sure he will be able to paint a clear picture

 

[dgodave]

Andy:
"I would not have raced like that. My stomach is full of anger. I will take my revenge."
.
.
Yoda:
"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
.

 

[xmoonx]

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

Nope there is NO written rule that says you have to wait. It's the unwritten rule steeped in 100+ years of tradition that capitalizing on the MJ because of a mishap (mechanical/crash) is totally NOT done.

 

[MKirilenko]

Contador was not in yellow on a cobbles stage. PLUS. Hazards on cobbles is part of the race.

But Chavanel was. Hazard of mechanical is a part of the WHOLE race, not only cobbles. Hypocrites

 

[luckyboy]

Chavanel is not a GC contender. There was no threat of the strongest rider in yellow losing the tour, as he doesn't realistically consider himself the strongest rider.

I thought the rule was not to attack the maillot jaune when he's down/mechanical. Doesn't matter if he's a GC contender or not.

 

[Ferminal]

News flash-- the only guy ahead of Contador was Vino, and a bunch of nobodys up the road. He didn't need to close any gap! This was out-and-out low-class opportunism by Contador. Ditto with Sanchez on the descent-- Menchov was right there with him, so the only reason for SS to bomb it was to try and help himself and Contador to time at Schleck's expense.

The "huge omg dropped" gap to Schleck buddy, not anyone else... Contador had to go 100% to catch up, he's not going to instantly switch off.

 

[IlCobraFan]

Deserved yellow for Contador. It's a part of bike racing.

Contador also had to follow Menchov and Sanchez who clearly didn't waited too.

Did Andy Schleck wait on all the GC favorites who had puncture/crash on stage 3?

No he continued 100% with Cancellara.

 

[dlwssonic]

we will see what the true story is when they get an interview with contador

 

[BroDeal]

Looks like his drive train jammed. The images show his wheel jumped up, as if it blocked suddenly.

Any news on what happened in reality?

He should have been using Campy.

His chain is in the middle of the cassette, so he did not run off the end into the spokes. He should have been in his little ring, so he did not drop it while shifting from the big to the little ring as is common. I don't know how the chain suddenly comes off on its own.

 

[sartoris]

AC was caught anawares in the middle of the pack when AS attacked. AC didn't see any of AC chain troubles, according to AC's emphatic words.

Guys, AS was given one chance. Two would be ridiculous. AC wouldn't have given it even if he had notices AS's mechanical problem.

If you watch the footage, AS attacks from behind the pack, Vino pursues and, just after the image changes, you can see AC attacking.

Then all hell broke loose. Sanchez and Menchov didn't suck AC's wheel either.

I know Schleck and his followers must be mad but, hey, that's the game, folks. No one waited for AC the day of the pavés when he had a flat tyre at the end of the stage and lost 13'.

 

[scribe]

I thought the rule was not to attack the maillot jaune when he's down/mechanical. Doesn't matter if he's a GC contender or not.

It's about not beating the strongest rider in a 3 week race because of a single mechanical moment. That's the point of the unwritten code.

 

[hfer07]

Like the 1-minute gift when AS took advantage of AC's misfortune in St 3?

and add to Andy's misfortune the "controlled peloton" on Stage 2... He needs to be remembered that he could have been out of contention since that stage had Cancellara haven't "bvllsh!tted the peloton to stop racing...

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

While he stood at the roadside trying to get his bike sorted out, Contador blasted past him with Sanchez and Menchov on his wheel. For the first time in the stage, the Spaniard had abandoned the game of cat and mouse with Schleck, and in the least appealing of manners.

from the report.

Kick a man when he's down = coward

Why not just kick a baby or a puppy!

 

[Pookie]

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.

+1,000,000 Contador was already responding and coming up fast. I didn't want to see the jersey change this way, but you need to be realistic. Menchov and Sanchez are too much of a threat. Schleck responded on the road like a champion BTW. Tomorrow should be great!

 

[sartoris]

we will see what the true story is when they get an interview with contador

Here ya go!

http://www.marca.com/2010/07/19/ciclismo/tour_francia/1279552771.html

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Now total BS from Contador in the interview. He didn't know Schleck had a mechanical. Guess he just thought he stopped for a cigar. No doubt later on he'll be giving the "my radio wasn't working" nonsense

 

[clydesdale]

As a Schleck fan, I'm not really upset with Contador, it's a race and I think if you are competitive at all, you have to take advantage of stuff like that. Dropping a chain happens.

In hockey, if a goalie loses his goal stick, the opposing team sure doesn't stop to give it back, they try to score (and often do). I'll grant you it's not a perfect analogy but it's how I look at it.

Kinda sucks for everyone but you still have to take advantage. The whole thing is gonna be moot anyways, I figure, as AC will put about 2 or 3 minutes into him at the time trial.

 

[scribe]

AC was caught anawares in the middle of the pack when AS attacked. AC didn't see any of AC chain troubles, according to AC's emphatic words.

Guys, AS was given one chance. Two would be ridiculous. AC wouldn't have given it even if he had notices AS's mechanical problem.

If you watch the footage, AS attacks from behind the pack, Vino pursues and, just after the image changes, you can see AC attacking.

Then all hell broke loose. Sanchez and Menchov didn't suck AC's wheel either.

I know Schleck and his followers must be mad but, hey, that's the game, folks. No one waited for AC the day of the pavés when he had a flat tyre at the end of the stage and lost 13'.

That's for sure. Ask Vino about it.

 

[dlwssonic]

this race is now not about how good a rider is but how good the bike is. its like f1 now

 

[Paco_P]

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

That's why Armstrong won 7 times.

 

[MKirilenko]

It's about not beating the strongest rider in a 3 week race because of a single mechanical moment. That's the point of the unwritten code.

Ur just making up rules that suit you. It was stage 3, very beginning, Chavanel was in yellow, u have no right to assume that he wont be a factor in GC.

 

[Señor_Contador]

I don't know what people are complaining about:

1. It's not like Alberto, during post-race interviews, said that he only found out that AS had a mechanical problem when he was almost at the top;

2. It's not like Andy has been given freebies during this Tour. Anyone remember Cancellara forcing the entire peloton to stop?

3. Why didn't Andy stop when Alberto had a mechanical problem during the cobbles stage?

All this talk about code of ethics or honor... bull$hit! You're there to win!

If we were to be completely fair Andy would be 25 minutes behind right now because of the time he would've really lost had Cancellara not hijacked the peloton.

Guess what? He's not. Deal with it.