would you have trusted Lance, Johan et al?

[slow-twitch]

I am not an AC fan but I do not think I could have trusted Lance, Johan, Popo and Levi to back me 100%.
I can imagine he took off on his own, because he felt the team was much more loyal to Lance.
What do you think?

 

[anubisza]

I am not an AC fan but I do not think I could have trusted Lance, Johan, Popo and Levi to back me 100%.
I can imagine he took off on his own, because he felt the team was much more loyal to Lance.
What do you think?

Yea I don't think you're wrong. He had to be a bit selfish because he knew that LA wanted to win, despite what he was saying, and JB would support him to do that in whatever way he could.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

I think AC blew it months before the Tour. Like it or not there is a lot of politics in life, and pro cycling is no exception.

Lance likes to have his bony a$$ kissed (who doesn't?), but AC refused to do it. He turned out to be strong enough to win anyway, but he could have done it with better team support if he had stepped up to being a true leader (which includes a$$ kissing from time to time, when appropriate - and when the 7-time Tour champ ego-maniac shows up, that's one of those times).

 

[pmcg76]

I think most of us have known since Lance announced his comeback, there was going to be an inevitable clash between Lance & Contador. We all wanted Contador to leave Astana but they wouldnt let him. We said Bruyneel would favour Lance, he has. We have predicted this for almost a year and it has happened exactly as we thought. This has been discussed on many threads since March and most of us agreed all along, Astana would backstab Alberto and they have.

The vastly superior Tour winner is being crucified for making a mistake that affected nobody other than Kloeden who suddenly has become the most popular cyclist in the US. If you cannot beat them on the bike, might as well do it through the media or twitter or whatever. People should not be criticising the UNDOUBTED TOUR WINNER, Lance fans see the bullying of Bassons & Simeoni as minor affairs but both were far worse than what happened to AK this Tour.

 

[Oldman]

I think most of us have known since Lance announced his comeback, there was going to be an inevitable clash between Lance & Contador. We all wanted Contador to leave Astana but they wouldnt let him. We said Bruyneel would favour Lance, he has. We have predicted this for almost a year and it has happened exactly as we thought. This has been discussed on many threads since March and most of us agreed all along, Astana would backstab Alberto and they have.

The vastly superior Tour winner is being crucified for making a mistake that affected nobody other than Kloeden who suddenly has become the most popular cyclist in the US. If you cannot beat them on the bike, might as well do it through the media or twitter or whatever. People should not be criticising the UNDOUBTED TOUR WINNER, Lance fans see the bullying of Bassons & Simeoni as minor affairs but both were far worse than what happened to AK this Tour.

Mostly agree but I think JB still was playing all the angles. He kept Lance (his new/old Boss) happy and still won the Tour. Contador's single escapade was a needless display of bravado but otherwise he rode the team race. I still think the Kloden "dropping" was not intentional as he followed up by sucking wheel to the finish; as he should. He's not there to protect third place, especially that early in the Tour. His riding behavior was pretty much above reproach. It's what any of the Forum readers would have done in his place.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

You pull no punches pmcg76, and you are right, we did discuss this months ago, and it came almost completely true.

The one thing I don't get is Lance and some of his supporters saying that Contador wouldn't have won the Tour without his team. I don't see that. I don't recall them doing anything really for him during any crunch time. It was Lance who followed wheels almost the entire race, while AC was often out front, dictating the race and the pace. It even seemed like he was frequently held back. Even if you take away the TTT, Contador still wins.

Contador's threats next year won't come from Armstrong, at all. They'll come from Basso, Schleck, and if they let him ride and he gets support, Rasmussen.

 

[Publicus]

I think AC blew it months before the Tour. Like it or not there is a lot of politics in life, and pro cycling is no exception.

Lance likes to have his bony a$$ kissed (who doesn't?), but AC refused to do it. He turned out to be strong enough to win anyway, but he could have done it with better team support if he had stepped up to being a true leader (which includes a$$ kissing from time to time, when appropriate - and when the 7-time Tour champ ego-maniac shows up, that's one of those times).

Let me see if I follow your logic. AC blew it because he refused to kiss Lance's a$$. And he wasn't a true leader because he didn't kiss Lance's a$$. And this isn't offered as a sarcastic response? You actually believe this?

 

[Darrylc]

You pull no punches pmcg76, and you are right, we did discuss this months ago, and it came almost completely true.

The one thing I don't get is Lance and some of his supporters saying that Contador wouldn't have won the Tour without his team. I don't see that. I don't recall them doing anything really for him during any crunch time. It was Lance who followed wheels almost the entire race, while AC was often out front, dictating the race and the pace. It even seemed like he was frequently held back. Even if you take away the TTT, Contador still wins.

Contador's threats next year won't come from Armstrong, at all. They'll come from Basso, Schleck, and if they let him ride and he gets support, Rasmussen.

Ramussen, really!! I must admit that i have heard many times that AC only won his 1st tour by default, which is crap, he was the best rider in 2007 as he was not on drugs. Back to topic, no i would not have trusted any of them and AC was right in not trusting them either.
I honestly believe that we have nowhere seen the best yet from Contador, he could have acheived a lot more if he were not on Astana.