Professional Cycling For the Fans - Contador is a class act

Despite all the flack that the English-speaking media is giving him, Contador is a great champion. He is also a great sportsman and showed it today.

Watching Alberto match up with the Schleck boys in the coming years will be interesting for sure.

He may or may not be. Its easy to be a sportsman when the race is in the bag. I tend to look how they react when its not and well, lets face it this tour he has had some questionable moves.

Not taking a thing away from him and his abilities, hes the best on the planet right now, no question.

He may or may not be. Its easy to be a sportsman when the race is in the bag. I tend to look how they react when its not and well, lets face it this tour he has had some questionable moves.

Not taking a thing away from him and his abilities, hes the best on the planet right now, no question.

i agree. contador could have easily taken today's stage. his only competition was andy schleck who spent his bullets attacking.

ed rader

Contador acted as "patron" of the peleton today for the first time - just another step in his growth as a great champion.

If Contador took off and tried to win the stage today, everyone would have let him go. Many people were picking Contador to win the stage; even some Astana teammates (see Levi's blog).

Instead, he spent the whole day pulling Armstrong up to Andy or countering Andy's moves to let Armstrong catch back up. Without Contador's help, Armstrong could easily have lost his podium spot.

The only problem with you logic is he wasn't fighting Andy for third place.

LA did well for himself today, but AC held back just to make everything was square. I wish he would have flown the coup and won the stage. He will regret that.

Maybe he is going to Radioshack afterall.

Richard


If Contador took off and tried to win the stage today, everyone would have let him go. Many people were picking Contador to win the stage; even some Astana teammates (see Levi's blog).

Instead, he spent the whole day pulling Armstrong up to Andy or countering Andy's moves to let Armstrong catch back up. Without Contador's help, Armstrong could easily have lost his podium spot.

If someone would tell him that the pistol shot salute is cheesy to the point of being painful to watch.

Apperantly gifting stage 18 to the Schlecks after they did all the work dropping KlOden. Yeah, magnanimous.

Yes, he can ride, but I'm not much of a fan.

Give the kid a break for pete's sake. He is trying to win a race not run a day care center. He discussed the attack with Kloden, so I doubt Kloden has any problems with what he did. I am sure he feels badly about dropping Kloden, and putting more time on Lance, but this is a race not a no drop group ride.

Richard


If someone would tell him that the pistol shot salute is cheesy to the point of being painful to watch.

Apperantly gifting stage 18 to the Schlecks after they did all the work dropping KlOden. Yeah, magnanimous.

Yes, he can ride, but I'm not much of a fan.

Give the kid a break for pete's sake. He is trying to win a race not run a day care center. He discussed the attack with Kloden, so I doubt Kloden has any problems with what he did. I am sure he feels badly about dropping Kloden, and putting more time on Lance, but this is a race not a no drop group ride.

Richard

The best reply yet. Good job!

It'll fall on deaf ears though.

Contador acted as "patron" of the peleton today for the first time - just another step in his growth as a great champion.

contador will have four GT wins at age 26. he was on his way to being a great champion waaaay sooner than you want to give him credit for :thumb:.

ed rader

The only problem with you logic is he wasn't fighting Andy for third place.

LA did well for himself today, but AC held back just to make everything was square. I wish he would have flown the coup and won the stage. He will regret that.

Maybe he is going to Radioshack afterall.

Richard

i suspect you are right. lance regretted gifting ventoux to pantani.

"no gifts".

i guess that only applies to giving, not receiving.

what a boring, politically correct stage.

ed rader

I think the problem with some people and Contador is they want him to micro manage every kilometer of a race like Lance did. I don't think that is how AC operates. He wants to race. Here is a stroy I am stealing from running back John Riggins. I think his high school or college coach told him this to motivate him. The response from Riggins is AC like to me.

Coach says John if you want to win you have to be like player A. Player A always gets plenty of rest while player B is out partying and having a good time. Player A always eats properly while player B is eating pizza and drinking beer. Player A trains properly and understands the entire field. Player B is hitting on girls. Then during the race at the finish line player A stretches to nose player B at this line. Riggins replies that player B sure is talented.

Richard

I think the problem with some people and Contador is they want him to micro manage every kilometer of a race like Lance did. I don't think that is how AC operates. He wants to race. Here is a stroy I am stealing from running back John Riggins. I think his high school or college coach told him this to motivate him. The response from Riggins is AC like to me.

Coach says John if you want to win you have to be like player A. Player A always gets plenty of rest while player B is out partying and having a good time. Player A always eats properly while player B is eating pizza and drinking beer. Player A trains properly and understands the entire field. Player B is hitting on girls. Then during the race at the finish line player A stretches to nose player B at this line. Riggins replies that player B sure is talented.

Richard

have we seen any celebrating from team astana? do they mob alberto like columbia does cav after a stage win? hell no. many of the astana guys will be getting their checks signed by lance next year. even horner has badmouthed contador.

i've never seen a situation where the yellow jersey was so maligned by his own team.

contador should have fired the pistol today atop ventoux.

ed rader

Contador was great today. You can't keep firing bullets day after day durng a GT. You also have to play the team game. He deserves this victory and I congratulate him. Far and away the best rider.

have we seen any celebrating from team astana? do they mob alberto like columbia does cav after a stage win? hell no. many of the astana guys will be getting their checks signed by lance next year. even horner has badmouthed contador.

i've never seen a situation where the yellow jersey was so maligned by his own team.

contador should have fired the pistol today atop ventoux.

ed rader

Yes.

Lance should have sucked it up and threw all of his support behind AC. That would have been true team leadership. They had the yellow jersey, the most dominant rider in the race, but they were bent because AC wasn't following their "team" tactics. Tactics that weren't the best strategy for AC to dominate the race. Contador should have had well over a 5 minute lead going into the ITT. But he'd been reigned in on the pyrenees.

i suspect you are right. lance regretted gifting ventoux to pantani.

"no gifts".

i guess that only applies to giving, not receiving.

what a boring, politically correct stage.

ed rader

That was a whole different ballgame. Did Armstrong have a team mate to protect that year from slipping off the podium?

Yes.

Lance should have sucked it up and threw all of his support behind AC. That would have been true team leadership. They had the yellow jersey, the most dominant rider in the race, but they were bent because AC wasn't following their "team" tactics. Tactics that weren't the best strategy for AC to dominate the race. Contador should have had well over a 5 minute lead going into the ITT. But he'd been reigned in on the pyrenees.

His team did a heck of a lot more to support him day after day than it did to hold him back.

i suspect you are right. lance regretted gifting ventoux to pantani.

"no gifts".

i guess that only applies to giving, not receiving.

what a boring, politically correct stage.

ed rader

Unfortunately, I'm at work so I've only been able to follow the race on the Velonews feed, rather than actually watching it on Versus, but it appears that Contador did a good job towards getting the maximum possible finish for Astana, him in first, Lance in third.

So what's the problem with that? I always thought that's how cycling teams were supposed to operate?

And it certainly wasn't boring. If I could find lines of type on a screen exciting, the stage wasn't boring.

Unfortunately, I'm at work so I've only been able to follow the race on the Velonews feed, rather than actually watching it on Versus, but it appears that Contador did a good job towards getting the maximum possible finish for Astana, him in first, Lance in third.

So what's the problem with that? I always thought that's how cycling teams were supposed to operate?

And it certainly wasn't boring. If I could find lines of type on a screen exciting, the stage wasn't boring.

Because Ed hates Armstrong. It is all about Contador.

I think if Contador was from Texas this thread would not even exist.

When LeMond is crying about you and throwing accusations, you know you're a great champion.

Unfortunately, I'm at work so I've only been able to follow the race on the Velonews feed, rather than actually watching it on Versus, but it appears that Contador did a good job towards getting the maximum possible finish for Astana, him in first, Lance in third.

So what's the problem with that? I always thought that's how cycling teams were supposed to operate?

And it certainly wasn't boring. If I could find lines of type on a screen exciting, the stage wasn't boring.

how would winning the stage affect the third podium spot? armstrong was racing for third and he was clearly stronger than wiggins or frank schleck. wiggins was barely hanging on and armstrong easily handled frank schleck.

since when has a stage win on a finish like ventoux been a bad thing for the yellow jersey on the penultimate stage of the tour de france?

only in 2009.......

like you said, you haven't seen the race yet........................

ed rader

Because Ed hates Armstrong. It is all about Contador.

no, i dislike armstrong who talks out of both sides of his mouth and has used this TDF to serve his own purposes. i don't hate the guy.

ed rader

That was a whole different ballgame. Did Armstrong have a team mate to protect that year from slipping off the podium?

you probably don't know anything about that race i'm sure.

ed rader

The best reply yet. Good job!

It'll fall on deaf ears though.

If by deaf, I assum you mean fans wanting AC to grow up and understand what it is to be a good teamate in good and tough times...

AC was awesome and truly the best rider in this tour. I actually applauded his moves to help LA today but that still does not negate his one man act that could have helped a 1,2,3 and not just a 1,3. I think everybody would have liked to have seen how much he could have won by today as he was holding back. Nobody is expecting him to sacrifice himself, just to show what it is to be a teamate on more than one stage.

Okay LA haters...here's your chance

i don't hate the guy.

Could have fooled me....

has used this TDF to serve his own purposes

"Own purposes"..like increased ratings, increased sales of bike supplies, increased exposure to the sport and sponsors, continued live HD coverage of a sport most Americans wouldn't watch...

Seems like some people can't see the forest through their hate

Contador is a low class individual period. If given the chance and he tried he would throw Lance under the bus, he showed that earlier this week. Better ratings etc. sure but when and if they get caught and hopefully there dopping will be caught it may kill the sport in the US. Be carful what you wish for you may get it.

If Contador was a class act, then Astana would probably have taken the podium this year, but Contador was about himself and not the team and so they only take 1 & 3

you probably don't know anything about that race i'm sure.

ed rader

What??? Clue me in on what I missed?

Contador is a low class individual period. If given the chance and he tried he would throw Lance under the bus, he showed that earlier this week. Better ratings etc. sure but when and if they get caught and hopefully there dopping will be caught it may kill the sport in the US. Be carful what you wish for you may get it.

:lol: what a 99er.

no, i dislike armstrong who talks out of both sides of his mouth and has used this TDF to serve his own purposes. i don't hate the guy.

ed rader

Rolls eyes.

you probably don't know anything about that race i'm sure.

ed rader

correct.

If Contador was a class act, then Astana would probably have taken the podium this year, but Contador was about himself and not the team and so they only take 1 & 3

I don't think Kloden takes third.

That was a whole different ballgame. Did Armstrong have a team mate to protect that year from slipping off the podium?

Armstrong raced to win. I don't ever recall a situation where he cared one way or another if he had another teammate on the podium with him. Same goes for Pantani, Ullrich, Indurain, Riis, Merckx...

What??? Clue me in on what I missed?

i don't have the time or the patience. i've got to head to monterey shortly. i'm shooting a wedding for our friend and it's my wife's birthday. she's two years older than lance .... i may have to trade her in for a younger model :D.

ed rader

Armstrong raced to win. I don't ever recall a situation where he cared one way or another if he had another teammate on the podium with him. Same goes for Pantani, Ullrich, Indurain, Riis, Merckx...

So when did he have a teammate close to the podium that he screwed over? Please enlighten me.

If Contador was a class act, then Astana would probably have taken the podium this year, but Contador was about himself and not the team and so they only take 1 & 3

If anything, today showed what a PITA it is to try to get a teammate on the podium who doesn't have the legs for it.

"Own purposes"..like increased ratings, increased sales of bike supplies, increased exposure to the sport and sponsors, continued live HD coverage of a sport most Americans wouldn't watch...

Seems like some people can't see the forest through their hate

you forgot "love of the sport" and "cancer awareness" :innocent:.

ed rader

So when did he have a teammate close to the podium that he screwed over? Please enlighten me.

Its not that he screwed anyone over, just that it doesn't work that way. The team rides for the leader, the leader's only job is to win. The rest of the guys have some slack to do well if they have anything left, but its upside-down to think that's the leader's responsibility.

So when did he have a teammate close to the podium that he screwed over? Please enlighten me.

who did contador "screw over"? champions don't ride for their domestiques and lance in the day would have never tolerated the situation he created on astana this year .... and that is a huge understatement.

ed rader

Its not that he screwed anyone over, just that it doesn't work that way. The team rides for the leader, the leader's only job is to win. The rest of the guys have some slack to do well if they have anything left, but its upside-down to think that's the leader's responsibility.

i call it loser logic. that's how you lose races.

ed rader

i call it loser logic. that's how you lose races.

ed rader

Exactly...like the whole Kloden thing on Verbier. Kloden didn't have the legs to follow, but he was only there to begin with to help Contador if he could. In that case he couldn't, so his getting dropped should have been a non-issue to the leader.

The repetitive commentary on it by guys who should know better has been a little ridiculous.

how would winning the stage affect the third podium spot? armstrong was racing for third and he was clearly stronger than wiggins or frank schleck. wiggins was barely hanging on and armstrong easily handled frank schleck.
+1

Even from the first attack by Andy, it was clear that Frank didn't have the legs to drop Armstrong. Had Contador taken off after the first couple of failed attempts by the Schlecks to drop LA, he'd have taken another stage win, and a prestigious one at that, and LA would still be comfortably on the podium.

I think that if Lance were in Contador's pedals, he'd have gone for the stage win.

many of the astana guys will be getting their checks signed by lance next year.

Next year? How about this year? All the talk of Lance and Johan taking over the team with new sponsors they can secure with a 5 minute phone call and the blurring out of the jerseys at the giro is what finally got the sponsors to get that money in to the UCI and get the riders back pay on the way.

Contador is a low class individual period. If given the chance and he tried he would throw Lance under the bus, he showed that earlier this week. Better ratings etc. sure but when and if they get caught and hopefully there dopping will be caught it may kill the sport in the US. Be carful what you wish for you may get it.


haters always want to hate. ac is the best, get over it

Yes.

Lance should have sucked it up and threw all of his support behind AC. That would have been true team leadership. They had the yellow jersey, the most dominant rider in the race, but they were bent because AC wasn't following their "team" tactics. Tactics that weren't the best strategy for AC to dominate the race. Contador should have had well over a 5 minute lead going into the ITT. But he'd been reigned in on the pyrenees.

OK, but why do you think the team's strategy should have been for AC to dominate the race? The best thing for the team is to have one of your guys on top of the podium when the race is over. With Contador comfortably in yellow, Astana would have had an excellent insurance policy if Lance or Andreas was in 2nd. Look at how quickly Jens Voight's race ended...something like that can happen to anyone. If AC crashed out of the tour, he would have contributed to the race being won by another team.

Armstrong definitely supported Contador in this race. On two stages he did not follow attacks so as not to pull other GC contenders back to Contador. Some will argue that he didn't have the ability to follow the attacks but if you watched the race, it was clear that he had not cracked but was simply being a good teammate. Armstrong knew that Contador was the stronger rider and he supported him like he said he would. Basically the problem was that AC didn't agree with JB's plan so he did his own thing. That is not a good teammate.

I'll be honest. I don't like Contador... or should I say I didn't. He rode as a team player today and went way up on my list in terms of growth and respectability. No matter what team he's on next year, being a good team player this year shows he's realizing what he needs to do to progress as a champion. Hats off to Andy and Lance as well, because those three were riding an exceptional race in today's stage. I thought it was a n entertaining stage, and while most (erader comes to mind---get tivo and sleep in next time if you don't want to see it good or bad but stop being a whining jackass about it) might say it was boring, I thought it showcased the strengths and class of the main contenders. Good tour, though the course could have been better.

i don't have the time or the patience. i've got to head to monterey shortly. i'm shooting a wedding for our friend and it's my wife's birthday. she's two years older than lance .... i may have to trade her in for a younger model :D.

ed rader

Ya I won't badger you anymore. If I pop one more of your blood vessels we will read about you in the morning taking out the whole wedding party. Hopefully you are taking a camera and not a gun!:lol: