The official debate: Should Contador have waited for Schleck?

[Ferminal]

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!

Thanks for the 38th edition of your diatribe on the matter.

 

[Bala Verde]

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.

I never trusted Shram!

 

[nia O'Malley]

As much as I cheer for Andy, that's racing for you - it's unfair. Be a man and deal with it, Le Tour does not revolve around Andy Schlecks' needs.


Of course if anything happens to Contador or Menchov now, they know they are up the creek, as there will be no quarter given whatsoever.

It's going to be a great few days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[richwagmn]

I tend to agree with Sherwen here. I think it's entirely inappropriate to attack the MJ during a mechanical.

Agree. My opinion of AC has taken a big hit today. Unless there's something else we don't know.

 

[VeloCity]

Well, if AS offers to give back the time he was saved by Cancellara's actions in St 2 and the time he gained by taking advantage of the misfortune of some of the other favorites and the MJ Chavanel in St 3, then I'll feel some empathy for him, cause without those advantages for AS, AC would most likely have been in yellow a long time ago and be ahead of AS by minutes already.

 

[Anonymous]

Falling because of a supporter is something else than not knowing how to shift.

WTF?? Do you ride? It was the FRONT chainring. Looks like he shifted to the big ring and the chain was thrown off. That's adjustment/mechanic at fault...

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

OMG he did his pistol shot~!

Yes, he did. He shot the booing audience.

What a tool.
________
M ENGINE

 

[cyclestationgiuseppe]

Tomorrow Jens Voigt puts Contador, Menchov and Sanchez in a ditch, then waits for them so he can pull them back and just when they get back on Andy attacks.

 

[Paco_P]

Contador was responding to an attack at a crucial moment in the race. He was going all out. Schleck is supposed to know how to ride a bike - it's a bike race.

 

[MKirilenko]

Plus Schleck lost the MJ on descent, not on mechanical. "Lets wait for Andy, coz he cant descent" Look how easily Vino cought him

 

[131313]

I cannot believe how many of you people keep saying Schleck had a "mechanical." Give me a break! He dropped his chain. His fault. Are you seriously saying AC is at fault because he wouldn't wait for AS to learn how to shift properly?

Strangely, that's exactly what people are saying. It seems really weird to me. I've done a lot of bike races, and I've never seen this happen, ever. "Oh, so and so doesn't know how to shift his bike, let's wait for him".

 

[sartoris]

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!

AS has already had his share of being waited for. Tha day after his time loss he didn't wait for anyone, did he??

 

[theyoungest]

And now all we have to do is wait for Armstrong's tweet. My guess is he'll declare his complete and unconditional love for Contador. Or not?

 

[Ferminal]

Plus Schleck lost the MJ on descent, not on mechanical.

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

 

[sartoris]

Plus Schleck lost the MJ on descent, not on mechanical.

That's true. AS was nervous and paying for his efforts catching everyone before the summit.

 

[Rooboy]

Contador put at least another 15 seconds on Shrek in the descent. I think Shrek would have had :30 seconds on Contador by the peak AND had AC in the red zone.

That's kind of my point. They actually gained 27 seconds on the descent. Even if Schleck had gone clear by 30 seconds at the top he would have lost any gains on the descent. Yes Alberto may have been put in to the red but most likely would have regrouped with Sanchez, Mencov etc.

It just did not seem a smart place to attack unless it was for pure psychological value.

 

[BroDeal]

Arrr. The pirate code be a harsh mistress. And it don't say nothin' about dropped chains.

 

[Parrot23]

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...

True. Not quite so one-sided as folks make out.

 

[ttrider]

Hazards on cobbles is part of the race! then so is bolting from small to big ring at full whack with no tension in chain, rider error as if he had bonked for me, ulrich waited for armstrong when a fan stopped him SHIFTING GEAR IS A PART OF RACING shleck ****ed it up!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

AC was NOT in yellow on the cobbles. Which is the end of the discussion

so if Contador had a mechanical Schleck shouldn't have waited?? what a load of bs. this is sports. and bad luck doesn't just happen real winners don't have it.

 

[MKirilenko]

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

Thats all hypothetical, he had a mechanical, he lost some time, but not yet MJ, and than gave away the MJ with weak downhill performance

 

[Anonymous]

Contador didnt attack, he was just catching Schleck on high speed, and as Andy almost stopped he jest flew right near him. Tour de France is not a charity, if u have a mechanical, its ur problem. Its actually fair of Contador he didnt mount a full attack, he just stayed toghether with Menchov and Sanchez, turning his head constantly in look for catching Schleck

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

 

[TyrellDirt]

Oh please!! Racing is racing.

1) In this years Ronde, if Cancelara got a flat, should Boonen have waited for him?
2) Andy started the attack, at first Contador was just trying to catch up to him.
He didn't look back until 30 sec. later. Should he have waited the full minute for Schleck to catch up to him. (20 sec fix chain/30 sec. catch up to Contador.)
3) Menchov and Sanchez CERTAINLY weren't waiting.
4) Schleck is a whiner. "Wahhh, One stage of cobblestones is too hard, even though I have the master of cobbles to guide me. Wahhh!!"
5) As far as I know, this whole waiting to attack thing only counts during a lull in the racing. i.e. long flat stage. You shouldn't attack when the big boys are taking a leak or has a flat. In the heat of battle in the Pyrennes(sp) does not count as a lull in the fight.
ESPECIALLY since it was Schleck who was attacking!!
6) This whole thing really is a Lance rule. And he just used it to psyche himself up to hate his riding enemies. But of course, he believed it was fair to use steroids.....
But I didn't just say that.

 

[Sophistic]

I'm absolutely no fan of Contador but hell no he should not have waited and in the end its just divine justice for his time loss at the crash and puncture orgy at stage 3.

 

[IndyJoe]

RobbieHunter: "From a person who rides in the peleton..Contador should have waited,had he waited everybody would have waited..my opinion this was not cool!"