It happened the day before the start of the Tour, Astana mechanics when riding bikes that were to be used in the time trial in Monaco. He thought they were, as might seem logical, for Albert and for Lance, but the mechanic told him not to Trek, which were for Armstrong, but not to worry because they were like the rest and only changed the labeling.
Without wishing to discuss the Spanish mechanic took a scale and weighed the wheels of one and the other, showing his partner the mistake that had since the new weighing about 150 grams lighter than the others. "One for Lance and one for Alberto "he said, to which he replied:" I have to check with Armstrong. "
Seeing that there was something fishy, the mechanical counter told him not to worry. And, after talking to Albert, he decided that it was not worth getting angry so soon, had not started the Tour, but to commission another game like that he paid them from his pocket, as it were (on the street with a value of 5,000 euros). A few hours later, just before dinner, came the two wheels that Contador had requested. With time running out gave pastic, special glue tube, and after dinner put them to dry up during the night.
The next morning, the day of the start of the Tour, Contador mechanic handed over the two wheels 'Lightweight', that is the mark of the same, the mechanic for the Trek decorated with the signs of 'Bontrager' and representative of both colors. And Contador and Lance ran on equal terms. The Spanish, of course, was 22 seconds better than the American in the 15.5 km long.
A few days later, Armstrong returned to use this wheel in the team time trial, but not Albert, who by choice was the 'heavy'. However, in the final individual time trial, that of Annecy, the used the two, even Lance with another different design than the first day. The result was even more clear, as the Spanish, who won the stage, took 1:30 to American.
A curious and very knowledgeable they could add that, while the corridors of Astana, Contador included, had at their disposal during the Tour Leightweight wheels 240, Armstrong had prepared for the revolutionary new model 190 with ceramic bearings, approximately 15% lighter and 30% more rigid thanks to the twisted-carbon and non-linear-employed.
Only a true 'stooge' of the material and the latest technical advances, such as mechanical counter, which, if not the world's best in his field will be missing some, so it raffle, could tell the difference. Pero la destapó. But uncovered.
Contador, probably, would have won the Tour with the other wheels, but this story is not an invention of a frame or other Spanish media, nor is Alberto, its mechanics and its surroundings, perfect connoisseurs suffered because of the same but the sad reality, only a small part of it, of what happened in the 2009 Tour within the Astana team.
There was tension in Astana last year because Contador thought his poop did not stink and it caused friction with the old guard. If it wasn't for a technicality with chicken he would not have ever won before so it is not like he earned it by himself besides Levi let him win. He was jealous of Lance and could not take advantage of the wealth of knowledge that Lance and Levi brought to Astana. He wants to twitt about having to buy wheels and other such nonsense when he won. There is no I in team.
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