*SPOILER* Contador vs Kloden
This is Contador's version of whhat happened:
“On the climb, when I was speaking with Andreas. I said I am going to attack,” Contador said after the stage. “He said, ‘if you want, attack.’ I thought it was going to be a mano-a-mano with Andy Schleck and I. Then I saw that Andreas was struggling and I wasn’t distancing the Schlecks, this is the big regret I have from the day.
“It was a tactic we thought about before the stage, to attack to distance the Schlecks,” Contador added. “I spoke with (Bruyneel), he told me to attack if I wanted, I attacked and I saw that the brothers were strong, I saw that Andreas stayed back, I was constantly looking back to see if he was coming back but he suffered a bonk behind and he couldn’t regain the wheel – for that I am pretty sad about it.”
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Comments
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FFS can you imagine Hinault or Merckx worrying about whether a water carrier could keep up?___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
It's my understanding that Klodi & Bertie have a lot of mutual respect. I would be surprised if anything has changed between them.
Kloden usually fades a little towards the end of a high mountain stage when his work is done. He probably wanted to save a little for the TT, as this is a better oportunity for him to take time off Schleck Bros.0 -
Now we're off the flats Astana are doing most of the work at the front of the peloton, to be fair.bipedal wrote:TTT excepted, the lad's winning it practically on his own in the face of constant sniping from the team twitterers...
Chief Twit should get the Brown Jersey (the Maillot Merde) when they get to Paris, and a big spoon marked Chief Sh*t-Stirrer. His interview and online outbursts have been remarkably undignified for someone who is supposed to have such 'respect' among his peers (either that or he knows some seriously ugly, depraved or criminal facts about Phil Liggett and ITV/Versus viewers are paying the price. The latter and his sidekick are taking sycophancy to previously uncharted depths). If he was on my team I'd call in the psychiatrists to look for a diagnosis. A team players he is not.
I read it as AC was quoted - that he would attack and see where it got him. It didn't get him where he hoped so he decided to hang fire and save his legs a little. Plan A didn't quite work. It may not be that simple but I don't believe the 'alternative' view, which could easily snowball into something like the "Garmin is the evil" stuff that apparently got waaay out of hand after stage 14.Aspire not to have more, but to be more.0 -
bipedal wrote:calvjones wrote:FFS can you imagine Hinault or Merckx worrying about whether a water carrier could keep up?
quite! TTT excepted, the lad's winning it practically on his own in the face of constant sniping from the team twitterers...
On his own? what a joke. one of the best teams ever assemble. controling race after race, bullseye planted squarely on their back. Lance, Klodi, and Levi riding the opponents into the ground. protected riding Lances wheel much of the time. 7 time winner riding for you like he has, and again today?
Lance will be free to fly on Mont-Ventoux.
Johann is bored with just winning. He now has outlandish goals. If it can't be Lance he was setting up a sweet and AC may have screwed that up today.
Astana could not have possibly made this any easier for Alberto.0 -
Contador's legs went for a short while after his little acceleration from the Schlecks - standing, cadence dropped horribly, legs flayling from side to side. Not convinced that he was waiting for Kloden - rather, he simply didn't have the legs to drop Andy or Frank - the climbing was brutal, Bertie had a go near the end, and failed - the Schlecks matched him.
/rant over - picked a thread at random to put this in
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Lance will be free to fly on Mont-Ventoux.
Its expected that Frank Schleck will fall behind LA after today's ITT.
If that occurs, Saxo Bank will spend all their resources ensuring they get two guys on the final podium.
Sure LA will be down on GC and he wont pose a threat to Alberto, but he won't be "free to fly".
He will get a working over by Saxo Bank. He will have his work cut out.
And who knows - Alberto may even give them some assistance (by accident of course since he still has so much to learn about racing ) 0 -
jackhammer111 wrote:bipedal wrote:calvjones wrote:FFS can you imagine Hinault or Merckx worrying about whether a water carrier could keep up?
quite! TTT excepted, the lad's winning it practically on his own in the face of constant sniping from the team twitterers...
On his own? what a joke. one of the best teams ever assemble. controling race after race, bullseye planted squarely on their back. Lance, Klodi, and Levi riding the opponents into the ground. protected riding Lances wheel much of the time. 7 time winner riding for you like he has, and again today?
Lance will be free to fly on Mont-Ventoux.
Johann is bored with just winning. He now has outlandish goals. If it can't be Lance he was setting up a sweet and AC may have screwed that up today.
Astana could not have possibly made this any easier for Alberto.
Jackhammer, there are a couple of things you need to remember:
1. The method that astana are using in 09 is the very same one that LA used for his wins. Remember the 'Blue Train', the 'Disco Boys'. They even hired riders who could've potentially posed a threat to LA - Heras. So please don't try and play down Contador's win.
2. LA didn't start the TdF as a domestique. He became one. Why? Well to use the phrase that LA, Bruyneel and Alberto repeatedly stated "the road decided who was leader'.0 -
Could you imagine someone asking the Boss to explain why he dropped a team mate back when he won his 7 Tours. Why should Alberto have to justify why his trying to win? Im sure Klodi's a big boy and can see the big picture, love to see what the odds would be on Contador going to Armstrongs team next year slim to none you would think.Take care of the luxuries and the necessites will take care of themselves.0
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if you watch the replay. 5 mins before alberto went. he signaled to kloden with his hand that he was going to make a move and kloden shook his head as if to say.. "nah your crazy" -
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Spoiler?
I'll tell you one thing that's spoiling the Tour de France for me and that's the incessant bickering within Astana. I don't mind a bit of tension but sadly this is getting excessive.0
