Why Alberto Contador is Cycling's One True Champion

[Irondan]

Re:

So Contador is some kind of Robin Hood now?

Huh?

Who said Contador is "some kind of Robin Hood"?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Of course he is a true champion. No doubt in my mind.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Of course he is a true champion. No doubt in my mind.

I don't think anybody doubt that you think Contador is a true champion!

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Re:

champion doper....one of the very best

however OP stretches credibility...... with 'cycling's one true champion'

Mark L

Your really treading the water with the type of posts you have made in this thread. I realize he's not your "true champion" but really the way in which you respond is telling.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Re:

i appreciate i could be a little more mature...just sitting back and let

the fans have their fun....but this is the clinic

Mark L

True very True.

I would not recommend any Fan of any cyclist or cycling team to visit and participate in the Clinic.
This Clinic area is for those Fans and some former Fans who have seen pro cycling as it really is. Sort-a like the enlightenment.

 

[blackcat]

(I could come over all Blackcat and quote "muscular Christianity - Sir David, Sir Bradley, even Cookson OBE", the Empire's version of the the "Lance cancer shield" - but instead I will just respond with "Sir Jimmy Saville".)

ur welcome to invoke blackcat and muscular christianity and empire crew.

 

[blackcat]

Re: Re:

i appreciate i could be a little more mature...just sitting back and let

the fans have their fun....but this is the clinic

Mark L

True very True.

I would not recommend any Fan of any cyclist or cycling team to visit and participate in the Clinic.
This Clinic area is for those Fans and some former Fans who have seen pro cycling as it really is. Sort-a like the enlightenment.

its great for the laffs and drollery.

I like Helmut Roole's take.

imagine if at 16 when you get serious and believe in sport, heroes, rules, ethics, sportsmanship, someone just blows the delusions and tells you Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny aint real. Its all fiction.

You gotta laff, otherwise you be heartbroken

 

[Walkman]

LOL, threads these days.

The fact that you have to post it in the clinic makes it kind of hilarious.

"..kept his head down and followed orders.."

Is this a joke? Two of his first two GT:s were won because Levi was held on a leash. Give Levi free rein and he probably wins the 2007 Tour and the 2008 Vuelta would have been pretty darn close as well.

Moving on. He was caught because he cheated. You think his test was the only one tested in that specific lab?

And acted like a Champ during the process?

He threatened to quit the sport if he was convicted (like some special rule was to be applied to him). He and his camp started a wichhunt on Spanish farmers despite that the existing data on the subject at hand (number of Clenbuterol cases) rather convincingly showed how few tests actually were positive and how small the likelihood of that being the case were. They also concoct a story about a recipe which according to them was a key piece of evidence to show his innocence... (like the recipe would state: "3 grams of Clenbuterol").

And why do you drag Armstrong and his protection from the UCI into this? Contador was being protected as well, we only got to hear about the positive test after it leaked from german journalists.

Then there is much to add to the story. His involvement in Operation Puerto. The fact that none wanted to hire him after his 2007 TdF victory (I wonder why..). He only got a team when Bruyneel took over Astana. Then you have the 2009 Astana medical waste story. But that was just Lance right?

And even if some here don't want to realize it, Contador benefitted greatly from the fact that he is Spanish. Him escaping a conviction in the Operation Puerto was due to his nationality and the (corrupt) Spanish authorities. Almost every GT top rider was taken out during the years before Contador hit the scene in 2007. He didn't dethrone anyone as someone once said here, simply because, there was none left to dethrone.

Ullrich, Basso, Vino, Hamilton, Mancebo, Landis, Heras.

Al of them caught, giving another cheater his chance at being top dog. Never in the history of the sport has so many top riders been caught in such a short time span. Contador was gifted a golden opportunity. The doping program of Lance Armstrong, the protection from the Spanish authorities together with a decimated competition.

The chosen one? I doubt it. He had protection and a program like no other. Now where have I heard that before?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Why would the Spanish authorities protect a rider who at that point was nothing more than a promising stage racer but not their biggest stars?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Great post, Walkman. I've tried to avoid this thread as much as possible due to the name of the thread, but that was a really solid contribution. Cycling's one true champion? Rather just a doper, a very good one, among dopers.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

Why would the Spanish authorities protect a rider who at that point was nothing more than a promising stage racer but not their biggest stars?

IIRC they tried to protect Valverde (at the time seen as the biggest Spanish star, probably), and he was only banned because the Italian authorities got a blood sample to compare.

 

[Walkman]

Re: Re:

Why would the Spanish authorities protect a rider who at that point was nothing more than a promising stage racer but not their biggest stars?

IIRC they tried to protect Valverde (at the time seen as the biggest Spanish star, probably), and he was only banned because the Italian authorities got a blood sample to compare.

Indeed. Seeing as the Italians was able to get Valverde sanctioned, it would have been very easy for the Spanish anti doping agency to do the same, but the opted not to, i.e. they were protecting Valverde.

Do you never ask yourself why almost all the Spanish riders were acquitted? They never tested the blood bags and yet almost every Spanish riders were removed from the case, now how would they know that those riders were innocent if they never tested the bags and matched them to anything?

 

[Beech Mtn]

<snipped>

"..kept his head down and followed orders.."

Is this a joke? Two of his first two GT:s were won because Levi was held on a leash. Give Levi free rein and he probably wins the 2007 Tour and the 2008 Vuelta would have been pretty darn close as well.

That was back in the glory days, when the folks in charge understood how to pick a winner

Can you imagine Levi as the marketing icon for the sport, trying to sell cycling to the world? (Well, we see it now with Dawg, although he is a little more dynamic than Levi ever dreamed about being.) Anyway, Lance wasn't going to allow himself to be replaced by any other American. Plus the Chicken factor.

Poor old Bert. Stuck behind Chicken and Levi as "winner" of his first Tour.

Between the doping, and the motors, and the pre-announced testing, and the silent bans, and the targeted testing, there's a lot of potential for rigging in this sport. Plus arranging routes more favorable to certain riders. Plus the help from motos, cars, race juries, etc. We might as well choose someone who can represent the brand well.

This is about money. It used to be about being a dynamic and popular public figure who could attract a bunch of fans and attention when winning races (bringing more sponsors, media coverage, and cash to the sport). These days it looks like it's just straight cash (of the brown envelope variety).

 

[movingtarget]

If Contador is not a doper why is this posted in the Clinic unless you knew what the standard reaction was going to be. Maybe you should start a Fantasy section. Armstrong claimed he did not dope when he came back. I am not sure if anyone believes that but with the years off the pro scene and his age at that time he could be telling the truth. He never looked likely to win that Tour and it was obvious he was not the same rider. But knowing how competitive Armstrong was even his last Tour was unlikely to be ridden clean. Also if you look at the teams Contador rode in, none of them had great records as far as doping went.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

If Contador is not a doper why is this posted in the Clinic unless you knew what the standard reaction was going to be. Maybe you should start a Fantasy section. Armstrong claimed he did not dope when he came back. I am not sure if anyone believes that but with the years off the pro scene and his age at that time he could be telling the truth. He never looked likely to win that Tour and it was obvious he was not the same rider. But knowing how competitive Armstrong was even his last Tour was unlikely to be ridden clean. Also if you look at the teams Contador rode in, none of them had great records as far as doping went.

To which post is this a reply? If it is a reply to the OP, I am pretty sure Maxiton knows Contador was/is a doper.
Maxiton argues that he is a true champion regardless of any doping, amazing, I know.

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

If Contador is not a doper why is this posted in the Clinic unless you knew what the standard reaction was going to be. Maybe you should start a Fantasy section. Armstrong claimed he did not dope when he came back. I am not sure if anyone believes that but with the years off the pro scene and his age at that time he could be telling the truth. He never looked likely to win that Tour and it was obvious he was not the same rider. But knowing how competitive Armstrong was even his last Tour was unlikely to be ridden clean. Also if you look at the teams Contador rode in, none of them had great records as far as doping went.

To which post is this a reply? If it is a reply to the OP, I am pretty sure Maxiton knows Contador was/is a doper.
Maxiton argues that he is a true champion regardless of any doping, amazing, I know.

Okay then it's a celebration of a champion doper. I guess the same could be said for the Russian Athletics Team that has been banned from the Olympics as many were gold medalists. Nice guys dope, I don't think anyone denies that but calling them true champions sticks in the throat a bit. The doping battle is being lost or the authorities see it as too big a problem or they don't want to allocate the resources to fixing it or all three but I guess it is still possible to enjoy sport even when the performances are highly suspect a lot of the time, up to point. Or if it bugs people that much they just stop watching and in a way I think they are the smart ones. Even fans that love their sport don't like to find out they have been deceived especially by sportsmen and women they admire.

 

[dacooley]

the implicated conclusion is paradoxial: bertie is a true champ and he really is while sky are dopers and crooks driven by the uci. but at the same time fans are eager to close their eyes on any doping, to forgive any doping, to tolerate any amount of doping just to a) ultimately to see AC in yellow in paris b) to see sky get defeated. that's illogical, fanboyish and quite funny.

 

[bikenrrd]

Withdrawing from his national championships due to "health reasons" implies that he is still glowing from his pre-Tour preparation routine (and would fail a test). Should be interesting to watch the Tour, then!

 

[hrotha]

Re:

Withdrawing from his national championships due to "health reasons" implies that he is still glowing from his pre-Tour preparation routine (and would fail a test). Should be interesting to watch the Tour, then!

No, it implies he cannot be bothered with this race but doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

If Contador is not a doper why is this posted in the Clinic unless you knew what the standard reaction was going to be. Maybe you should start a Fantasy section. Armstrong claimed he did not dope when he came back. I am not sure if anyone believes that but with the years off the pro scene and his age at that time he could be telling the truth. He never looked likely to win that Tour and it was obvious he was not the same rider. But knowing how competitive Armstrong was even his last Tour was unlikely to be ridden clean. Also if you look at the teams Contador rode in, none of them had great records as far as doping went.

To which post is this a reply? If it is a reply to the OP, I am pretty sure Maxiton knows Contador was/is a doper.
Maxiton argues that he is a true champion regardless of any doping, amazing, I know.

Okay then it's a celebration of a champion doper. I guess the same could be said for the Russian Athletics Team that has been banned from the Olympics as many were gold medalists. Nice guys dope, I don't think anyone denies that but calling them true champions sticks in the throat a bit. The doping battle is being lost or the authorities see it as too big a problem or they don't want to allocate the resources to fixing it or all three but I guess it is still possible to enjoy sport even when the performances are highly suspect a lot of the time, up to point. Or if it bugs people that much they just stop watching and in a way I think they are the smart ones. Even fans that love their sport don't like to find out they have been deceived especially by sportsmen and women they admire.

Agree with this post. Calling someone "cycling's one true champion" when you have no idea how their body might respond to dope definitely sticks in my throat. Yes we can celebrate a champion doper but really the OP should tone down the love a bit. I most admire Contador for his fearless riding style - even when he was obviously not quite at his best e.g. 2011 TdF. I am sure most if not all GC riders dope but they don't all throw caution to the wind on the road as AC has done and he can be admired for that since that is what road racing is all about - taking risks. But "Cycling's one true champion"? I think not.

 

[veganrob]

Re: Re:

If Contador is not a doper why is this posted in the Clinic unless you knew what the standard reaction was going to be. Maybe you should start a Fantasy section. Armstrong claimed he did not dope when he came back. I am not sure if anyone believes that but with the years off the pro scene and his age at that time he could be telling the truth. He never looked likely to win that Tour and it was obvious he was not the same rider. But knowing how competitive Armstrong was even his last Tour was unlikely to be ridden clean. Also if you look at the teams Contador rode in, none of them had great records as far as doping went.

To which post is this a reply? If it is a reply to the OP, I am pretty sure Maxiton knows Contador was/is a doper.
Maxiton argues that he is a true champion regardless of any doping, amazing, I know.

Okay then it's a celebration of a champion doper. I guess the same could be said for the Russian Athletics Team that has been banned from the Olympics as many were gold medalists. Nice guys dope, I don't think anyone denies that but calling them true champions sticks in the throat a bit. The doping battle is being lost or the authorities see it as too big a problem or they don't want to allocate the resources to fixing it or all three but I guess it is still possible to enjoy sport even when the performances are highly suspect a lot of the time, up to point. Or if it bugs people that much they just stop watching and in a way I think they are the smart ones. Even fans that love their sport don't like to find out they have been deceived especially by sportsmen and women they admire.

Agree with this post. Calling someone "cycling's one true champion" when you have no idea how their body might respond to dope definitely sticks in my throat. Yes we can celebrate a champion doper but really the OP should tone down the love a bit. I most admire Contador for his fearless riding style - even when he was obviously not quite at his best e.g. 2011 TdF. I am sure most if not all GC riders dope but they don't all throw caution to the wind on the road as AC has done and he can be admired for that since that is what road racing is all about - taking risks. But "Cycling's one true champion"? I think not.

Who is then in your opinion?

 

[bikenrrd]

Re: Re:

Who is then in your opinion?

There isn't one. Some riders are better in some years than others. The compulsion to declare one rider to be "the best of all time" is rather infantile. Riders palmares speak for themselves.

 

[Big Doopie]

no less was to be expected from a serial unapologetic doper.

 

[yaco]

Gotta think Contador was uniucky with his Clenbutarol finding, in light of many recent cases. where athletes have been exonerated or received short suspensions. That's lfe.

 

[PPAR-delta]

Does anyone wonder if Contador's form (or lack thereof) in this year's tour is in anyway related to his teammates (André Cardoso) positive for EPO? Maybe a shot fired across the bow by the UCI, letting Trek know they are not allowed to be on the secret sauce in this year's tour? Payback for something that someone at Trek did?