Contador's Rise
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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?
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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?
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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.
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.
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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?
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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
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
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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.
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that was a compliment
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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?
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I think the issue is he beat Cancellara....people don't beat Cancellara in a TT. It has nothing to do with lance.
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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?
all this having the yellow jersey ride to place domestiques on the podium is just more lance twitter BS .
ed rader
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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.
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"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.
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.
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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?
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?
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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
Richard
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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.
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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.
https://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
Last edited by Romans8:28; 07-23-09 at 12:06 PM.
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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.
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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.
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.
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