The following quote was taken from Velo News, “Just like he did at Arcalis and Verbier, Contador is riding his own race.”
So, will anything change between now and Sunday? Certainly I would like to see Lance get on the podium, however there is a part of me now chearing for the Schleck brothers to knock off Contador and put him in his place.
It’s amazing to me how ignorant American cycling fans are as well as American media is.
When Armstrong was winning, who the fuck was he riding for? Himself.
Now that Contador is leading, who the fuck is he riding for? Himself.
Yet, Armstrong was never criminalized for it, Contador is.
Contador is riding to win the TOUR!! For god’s sake!! He will ride to win!! What is so god damn difficult about that to understand?
You Americans crack me up.
What you idiot fans want for him to do? Sit on the side of the road and let the race pass him by?
The man is on his way to winning the Tour De France, why is that so complicated to understand?
You poeple need to stop relying on Phil,Paul,Craig and Bob as your source for all things cycling.
Yes,
He is riding for himself since his DS and some riders on his team quit on him.
The implication from the velonews article (and others and observations) has nothing to do with whether he is trying to win - of course he is. It is more that he not a “team player” and acts on his own, even against his director sportiff’s recs. I’m no Lance groupie, but he was and had a very strong team each year he won as he was a strong “team” player (often paying out “Lance money” as well since he knows the team helps him win).
+1
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as did contador in each of his grand tour wins. What is different about this Tour? Armstrong.
Contador is the leader of the race…he doesn’t need to be a teammate as much as he needs teammates. Unfortuantely he hasn’t gotten that and has been lef ton his own. As the leader of the tour should he sit by armstrong all day? Should he not try to seperate himself from his closest contenders? Would Armstrong, while in yellow, have stayed by Hincapies side during the climbs?
American logic is definitely flawed.
“American logic”?
Why do you keep spouting this nonsense? Because Lance is an American? Issues?
“he doesn’t need to be a teammate” - right … Why do you think he gets the reactions from cycling “fans” (not just American fans) that he does?
Unfortuantely he hasn’t gotten that and has been lef ton his own.
Show one instance where AC has been left alone that wasn’t of his own doing in this tour.
As the leader of the tour should he sit by armstrong all day? Should he not try to seperate himself from his closest contenders? Would Armstrong, while in yellow, have stayed by Hincapies side during the climbs?
So…you’re saying his attack was intended to distance himself further from Armstrong? If that was the case, then he truly is a dumbass. Your Armstrong/Hincapie analogy is flawed…“apples to oranges”.
American logic is definitely flawed.
I guess that means you think of yourself as American…not that there’s anything wrong with that 
Read the quotes from Bruyneel. Astana could have had an achievement that no other team has had- get 3 guys on the podium. Contador- did an attack on the last climb- that ONLY shed his last ALLY/teammate that was with him in the race at that point. It cracked Kloeden he rode the last 20 Km solo and lost 2 minutes b/c of it. Contador should be called Contadope as he didn’t gain any benefit from this and didn’t distance himself anymore from his competitors and the Schlecks just continued to power up the climb. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize the Schlecks would go ALL out up the remaining climb and then to the finish to gain time on ALL other dropped rivals. If he was truly riding for himself- he would have pulled on the descent to gain even more time. Bottom line- Contador has a huge engine and a very small brain. This is not an american thing. Lance Armstrong wrote on his twitter- if Kloeden loses the podium to a Schleck by less than 2 minutes- he knows where he lost it. Lance has very much been the team player. He stated he should have gone with the acceleration of Schleck today- but didn’t react quick enough- and he didn’t want to attack until the last climb became very steep- so he could distance himself from Wiggins- versus attack on a less steep grade and potentially bring up Wiggins. Lance is playing the total team player- to the extreme.
It is more that he not a “team player”
You guys crack me up with this line.
In what way do you recommend Contador be a better teammate? Aside from what he needs to do as the leader of the Tour De France? What shalll he be doing instead of what he is doing?
what has he done that Armstrong hasn’t?
Your (apparently non-American) jumps in reasoning leave something to be desired.
“American logic”?
Why do you keep spouting this nonsense? Because Lance is an American? Issues?
That’s because he’s Tricky Dick…not sure how tricky he is but he’s definitely a dick.
Well, if it’s on Lance’s twitter, then it must be true.
The implication from the velonews article (and others and observations) has nothing to do with whether he is trying to win - of course he is. It is more that he not a “team player” and acts on his own, even against his director sportiff’s recs. I’m no Lance groupie, but he was and had a very strong team each year he won as he was a strong “team” player (often paying out “Lance money” as well since he knows the team helps him win).
You can’t compare Lance in the past to Contador now. It’s a completely different dynamic. Lances’ teammates during his run were all 100% disposable. Lance was a strong “team player” if by team player you mean someone who made the entire team work for him at the exclusion of everything else. Contador is being asked to do something which Lance was never asked to do - help out teammates in the GC rating.
Contador has been a perfect teammate up until essentially the last 2km of the three most serious climbs. There, as the best climber in the world, he pressed his advantage. And takes heat for not towing Kloden and Armstrong along with him. He’s being asked to reduce his chance at yellow in order to help teammates in the GC. Lance would kick guys off the team if they even suggested things like that to him back in the day - it’s all about yellow, and nothing else matters.
The hypocrisy is laughable. It used to be “all about winning” and no one cared who came in 3rd or 4th in GC. Now suddenly 3rd place is the be-all end-all and the yellow jersey is supposed to help protect 3rd place rather than secure yellow.
This is all hype created by the media. The object of the game is to win the bike race and Astana which has 3 of the top five and after the time trial will probably be the top three riding onto Ventoux. When the Schlecks went up the road (Contador)the yellow jersey had top go with the move to mark. The second placed rider on the team could not match the initial acceleration of the move and at that point he needed to isolate Wiggins from the lead group. This is tactics that are bike racing and the strategy used in many different tours. It has nothing to do with personalities or who is riding for their owwn motives. Saxxo attacked to ditch Wiggins because they are proven climbers but unsure of their tt skills. So the strategy is to expose Wiggins and get a time cushion for the Time Trial. Armstrong and Kloden are better time trialers than the Schlecks and could afford to give a bit of time up they had a cushion going in and should get their spots back in the TT.
The prize payouts for the tour and stages go to the entire team and it is divided by the whole team and staff. The object here is to maximize the payout and a sweep would certainly do that. These moves would not really be dramatic news except that the Astana team has two tour winners including the guy who won it seven times.
People in the US and particularly triathletes really do not realize the total commitment to team objectives. We are speculating the objectives but it really is apparent that the Astana plan is calculated like Johan always is prone to be. I mean the guy has directed 11 grand tour wins before this tour and his strategy usually works.
I would not be so sure that Contador would not be on a Johan/ Lance squadnext year. It was clear going in that Contador was the stronger rider and was the teams #1 choice. While Lance was in Colorado in June, Alberto was doing the Lance recon in the mountains. I mean winning a race in Nevada City is like a baseball player going to minor league rehab game before coming back to the majors. While the media is fussing about a rift the Astana team is poised to make history and sweep the podium. La vie Claire had 1-2 and 4 in 1986 but this team is going for the sweep and may have had the top 4 if Levi would not have gotten hurt. Astana has destroyed Sastre and Evans and now only need to get rid of the Schlecks.
The goal of Astana is to win the Tour. they have the opportunity to do that.
Contador is leading the Tour, what is wrong with that? Why is it so difficult to cheer for the man?
I believe that the majority of you “fans” are American and find it difficult to cheer for anyone other than Lance.
again, Contador is the leader, he needs teammates. In what way shall contador be a better teammate? Fetch bottles? Sit on the roadside? What shall he do? Since the majority believe he has done somehting wrong, tell us what you thinkhe should do to be right.
I have read a bunch of criticism, but no solutions.
I believe it is some sort of american patriotic bullshit that won’t allow you to cheer for the success of contador but instead wine about his assumed worng doing towards your boy armstrong.
That doesn’t make sense. If Contador had pulled on the descent, then he would be helping the Schlecks put more distance on his teammates than they already had (with Wiggins already dropped, I don’t think there was too much to worry about there). Dropping Kloden looked more like an unfortunate mistake in an attempt to shed a Schleck.
It’s amazing to me how ignorant American cycling fans are as well as American media is.
When Armstrong was winning, who the fuck was he riding for? Himself.
Now that Contador is leading, who the fuck is he riding for? Himself.
Yet, Armstrong was never criminalized for it, Contador is.
Contador is riding to win the TOUR!! For god’s sake!! He will ride to win!! What is so god damn difficult about that to understand?
You Americans crack me up.
Heres the thing. Of course he is riding for himself. But the result of today is he didn’t gain a second on the Schlecks. Actually exposed his lack of strength by not being able to ride away from them, boosting their confidence. At the same time, if he would have followed orders, Astana could have been 1-2-3. Instead, he has 2 teammates that got pushed off the podium and are less motivated to help him.
Listen, I have no argument with who has the bigger ego, cause it is probably a wash. Just commenting on this years tour with this years partipants, Contador would have served himself better if he would have stuck to the plan.