Contador's Rise
 

I'm not too familiar with what young Contador has gone through to reach his current heights, other than his Wiki entry. Did any of you veteran cycling fans know of him before his win in 2007? Was he a prodigy climber young or something? How did he step up from climber to all-round star?

yes.

He was a prodigy climber who has greatly improved his all around riding.

He sort of backed into the 2007 TdF title at a very young age in a year with no true peleton patron and the rasmussen doping controversy, but he stamped the law down last year in the Giro and Vuelta and has clearly elevated himself to one of the true greats the past two offseasons.

someone drug test this kid...

He was hired by the right DS. Bruyneel was very conscious of him before his hired him for the 07 season. Unfortunately, Bruyneel has not been able to bring up his IQ or tactics.

Don't worry they will.

For some reason if someone other than Lance wins it must be drugs. He is just better drugs or not. He is even much better than I thought. Lance should reconsider his plans. Today was his day to prove he still has it, and he failed.

Richard

Yea that is killing his performace.

Richard

some people will say anything.....
his IQ and tactics hasnt hurt his GC standing I see...

LOL........

AC not only had to beat the other TDF teams, but he also had to beat (most of) Astana...

From where I sit, he has outsmarted all of them at their own game.

that was a compliment

It's a team sport with team goals as well. Look at Bruyneels interview on Velonews. Who does Contador work for. Well shortly it will be Vino & he'll be wishing Bruyneel was still there. Think it is smart to ignore your bosses advice? How long do you stay employed? They also had a goal of putting as many riders on the podium as possible, did they not?

I think the issue is he beat Cancellara....people don't beat Cancellara in a TT. It has nothing to do with lance.

Even I know this, so I'll say it:

incorrect.

what bruyneel tried to do was hamstring the tour champion and place armstorng as team captain. if lance had taken yellow on arcalis bruyneel's machinations could have very well cost astana the yellow jersey.

all this having the yellow jersey ride to place domestiques on the podium is just more lance twitter BS :thumb:.

ed rader

As well as his background. He was initially linked to Operation Puerto. However, he's Spanish & not a single Spanish rider has been banned with the exception of Valverde & only in Italy.

vu, that makes you sound like a fu :roflmao2:!

ed rader

"He (Contador) has worked very hard, earning the right to represent our team as the leader this July."
Buryneel on 6/26/09

YEAH RIGHT...........

Can anyone show me where the "team" actually acted in the best interest of Contador and treated him as a true leader?

Dropping in him in a wind split peloton and actually putting riders in front to drive up a time gap?

Keeping him “throttled” from attacking rivals on mountain top finishes under the guise of hurting his team?

The only time the teams interests aligned with “supporting” Contador was when they coincided with supporting Lance. The TTT was important to LA, driving/controlling the peloton was important to LA, etc.

It was obvious to me that from the beginning, it was JB and LA plan to get Lance into yellow ASAP AHEAD of Contador. If they had been successful in doing that, Lance would have been anointed “temporary” leader (just pretending) and use it as further justification to throttle Contador. The longer Lance stayed in yellow the more it would have become impossible for AC to attack without being heavily, heavily criticized. AC knew this and took matters into his own hands.

Blah blah blah.

AC did his talking in the mountains and the TT's. What more do you want him to do?

If wants to gloat at this point about winning despite his team, then he should go ahead and do so. If he chooses to be less obnoxious about it, then so be it. Good on him either way.

BTW, does anyone know if he's going to defend his Vuelta title this year?

Also keep in mind this year's course was meant to keep the time gaps close. If it were a tougher course in that reagrd AC would have a 10 minute lead probably.

Richard

I think you (and JB) are using the term "leader" interchangeably with "best rider". In this case, I don't think the same. Lance and AC each thought they were both the leader and best rider, and both were mistaken. I have seen plenty to demonstrate AC is the best rider, but none of his actions seem to indicate he is the team leader.

No............ leader means (and meant) leader:

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug...=afp&type=lgns

It wasn't until the eve of the TDF when the "strongest/best" rider talk started, which oddly enough was supposed to be settled after the first TT, then the mountains, etc, etc

I seriously doubt that JB/LA even consider it settled now, after all there are still three stages

Uhh... WHAT? :twitchy: Are you watching the same race as the rest of us!?


With two exceptions Alberto has been following Bruyneel's instructions closely. The first exception gained him a few seconds that he didn't need, and the second cost his teammate dearly - and the team a probably podium spot. I guarantee you that he regrets the second. It was obvious at the time!

Tactics aside, under Johan he learned how to TT and to TTT. Without the time he gained in those two disciplines he might not have sniffed yellow at all.

I absolutely agree, except that if you read his quotes carefully, LA always said that AC is the "best rider". Of course he also said that he (Lance) is (or was) riding "to win", but that doesn't contradict his opinion of AC.

There a plenty of parallel situations. Jens Voigt, for instance, is referred to as the Saxobank "team leader", even though he may be the 3rd (or even 4th) best rider on the team.

What most of the people here seem unable to grasp is that a team leader - by definition - is not out only for himself.

You'll be a pretty dumb boss if you wont support the best rider on the planet....

You mean beyond all the days he takes a stage, wears the yellow jersey, or is selected for "random testing" at least one day out of three while in competition?