Who else is disappointed Contador's stuck on Astana?

donrhummy

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=15946

Contador: "we could wind up in the middle of December without knowing what team I’ll ride for in 2010, and I don’t want that,” said Contador, who counts offers from three teams - Caisse d’Eparge, Garmin and Quick Step - ready to pay him up to four million euros per year in the event he breaks with Astana.

“I want to settle it all as soon as possible, I don’t want to get worked up any more, so I’ll probably take next year as a year of transition in Astana, and after that we’ll see.”

I was surprised and impressed by some of the things he's (apparently) been able to push for:

* wants the team to organize an internal anti-doping system—promise received
* wishes to add to his contract a series of clauses by which he will be freed in the event a positive is produced in his team or in case of a scandal or some other circumstance, like administrative problems, that would deprive them of an invitation to the Tour.

frenchfighter

I really hope he gets out but if he stays then at least he wont be riding a Trek anymore . Astana will be on Looks I think, although I thought Merckx was also a possibility.

I guess there is a possibility of him changing half way through the year...

The whole situation is pretty ridiculous.

Although he has these clauses which are good and there are a few new good riders, it really is too weak of a grand tour team that the best stage racer in the world deserves.

Tom Butcher

And all the better for that - we've seen too often in the last decade that the best rider plus a dominant team equals less than exciting racing.

frenchfighter

There is a difference between dominance and 5th, 6th, 10th best, isn't there?

Neither would I like an all dominating team, but neither would I like him to be on a C grade team.

FJS

C grade team? huh?
With the way Vinokourov has been riding, plus De la Fuente, Tiralongo, Gasparotto, Stangelj, Iglinsky and Grivko, that's a cracking GT team. Whether it has the depth to do well all year round, and whether Vino and the Kazachs will ride for Bertie is another matter. But a C grade team? no.

timoid.

I'd kind of like Vino's team to stuff the Shack. Still think it needs a little more firepower though.

secretsqirrel

FJS wrote:

C grade team? huh?
With the way Vinokourov has been riding, plus De la Fuente, Tiralongo, Gasparotto, Stangelj, Iglinsky and Grivko, that's a cracking GT team. Whether it has the depth to do well all year round, and whether Vino and the Kazachs will ride for Bertie is another matter. But a C grade team? no.

The Kazakhs will ride for Bertie because Vino will ask them to. If AC is there for one more year only, they should make the best of it.

I'm with Timoid re 'stuffing the Shack', there must be a few scores to settle there?

bikerZA

He's likely to win the Tour in 2010 (if Astana get an invite, that is) regardless of which squad he's on. Astana may not be perfect, and they're not going to be a USPS/Discovery clone any longer, but they're still going to be a damn good team with a professional setup and some excellent riders.

dennisn

SecretSqirrel wrote:

FJS wrote:

C grade team? huh?
With the way Vinokourov has been riding, plus De la Fuente, Tiralongo, Gasparotto, Stangelj, Iglinsky and Grivko, that's a cracking GT team. Whether it has the depth to do well all year round, and whether Vino and the Kazachs will ride for Bertie is another matter. But a C grade team? no.

The Kazakhs will ride for Bertie because Vino will ask them to. If AC is there for one more year only, they should make the best of it.

I'm with Timoid re 'stuffing the Shack', there must be a few scores to settle there?

Serious question - REALLY. How long do you guys plan on carrying this "grudge" against
anything Lance related? Seriously, to what end does all this lead you? Why get so worked up about it? I'm really, really curious as to WHY you would let some sports figure
(good or bad) become a major focus in your lives? I couldn't be more fascinated, yet never get an answer to this, one of my most asked questions. I guess I could see it if you felt that he / she was a good person, but obviously that's not the case. It's like pro wrestling, I guess, you love the bad guy or love to hate him? I suppose there are more than a few people in this world that I despise but they were / are "threats to society"(for lack of a better short description), not someone who's "crimes" are winning sporting events, unproven doping, and riding a Trek. Whoa, did I just say "unproven"? That's bound to cause a stir.

jerry3571

Could be a great Tour as Bruyneel hasn't lost a Tour in years. He has a stranglehold on the Tour which is unrivaled. If Contador gets the Jersey too early then he would be open for attacks by Radioshack. Maybe Contador would have to keep Armstrong in the Yellow Jersey so Radioshack do most of the work and then try to get the Jersey off him before Paris. If Contador gets the Jersey too early then his Team could suffer.
It's all good though unless Vino and his band of men start geting sloppy about the anti doping and end up in the sh@t again.
Bruyneel keeps a clean nose, no slip ups and no problems. Astana is a new entity and Vino has dropped the ball before.
If all goes well then the Tour should be a good watch.
-Jerry

SpaceJunk

Don't forget Andy Schleck in all this. It's not just a 2 horse race between tranquil AC and 39 yo Lance.

Tom Butcher

dennisn wrote:

Serious question - REALLY. How long do you guys plan on carrying this "grudge" against
anything Lance related? Seriously, to what end does all this lead you? Why get so worked up about it? I'm really, really curious as to WHY you would let some sports figure
(good or bad) become a major focus in your lives?

It's not that - some of us were bought Tandy computers when we were kids when we really wanted Atari games consoles and have never forgiven.

dennisn

Tom Butcher wrote:

dennisn wrote:

Serious question - REALLY. How long do you guys plan on carrying this "grudge" against
anything Lance related? Seriously, to what end does all this lead you? Why get so worked up about it? I'm really, really curious as to WHY you would let some sports figure
(good or bad) become a major focus in your lives?

It's not that - some of us were bought Tandy computers when we were kids when we really wanted Atari games consoles and have never forgiven.

I'll buy that.

edhornby

SpaceJunk wrote:

Don't forget Andy Schleck in all this. It's not just a 2 horse race between tranquil AC and 39 yo Lance.

And Wiggo who will be focused on the TdF as opposed to doing a full season this year, which has effectively been a great big conditioner for 2010

I don't think Contador will be too worried about the Shack, he'll keep a very close eye on Lance and the rest will either fall off (leipheimer) or be forced into covering for Lance (everybody else)

symo

dennisn wrote:

SecretSqirrel wrote:

FJS wrote:

C grade team? huh?
With the way Vinokourov has been riding, plus De la Fuente, Tiralongo, Gasparotto, Stangelj, Iglinsky and Grivko, that's a cracking GT team. Whether it has the depth to do well all year round, and whether Vino and the Kazachs will ride for Bertie is another matter. But a C grade team? no.

The Kazakhs will ride for Bertie because Vino will ask them to. If AC is there for one more year only, they should make the best of it.

I'm with Timoid re 'stuffing the Shack', there must be a few scores to settle there?

Serious question - REALLY. How long do you guys plan on carrying this "grudge" against
anything Lance related? Seriously, to what end does all this lead you? Why get so worked up about it? I'm really, really curious as to WHY you would let some sports figure
(good or bad) become a major focus in your lives? I couldn't be more fascinated, yet never get an answer to this, one of my most asked questions. I guess I could see it if you felt that he / she was a good person, but obviously that's not the case. It's like pro wrestling, I guess, you love the bad guy or love to hate him? I suppose there are more than a few people in this world that I despise but they were / are "threats to society"(for lack of a better short description), not someone who's "crimes" are winning sporting events, unproven doping, and riding a Trek. Whoa, did I just say "unproven"? That's bound to cause a stir.

I'll stop thinking ill of Armstrong when he drops his grudge against Simeoni. Oh and Lemond.

teagar

All he's doing is making sure he makes it to the Tour.

He knows if Astana stay doping free and Vino doesn't ride the Tour, Astana will be invited. If they don't, he can jump ship and ride the Tour with another team.

moray_gub

symo wrote:

dennisn wrote:

[
I'll stop thinking ill of Armstrong when he drops his grudge against Simeoni. Oh and Lemond.

As far as Lemond goes id say its GL that needs to mellow a bit the guy is a major obsessive about LA, much like a few forum regulars .

blazing_saddles

Quite an interesting thread.
Lets not turn it into another one on LA.

Astana have the potential to ride a strong tour, with their given roster.
Plus FJS's riders, there are the established Spanish support.

The hardest task may well be to mold them into a united unit.
If they can achieve this, then there is no reason why we cannot have a repeat of the Contador versus the Schlecks, duel in the mountains.
Add a dash of Liquigas class to the dish and it is a far more appetising prospect, than this year's tasteless fare.

nick hanson

Moray Gub wrote:

symo wrote:

dennisn wrote:

[
I'll stop thinking ill of Armstrong when he drops his grudge against Simeoni. Oh and Lemond.

As far as Lemond goes id say its GL that needs to mellow a bit the guy is a major obsessive about LA, much like a few forum regulars .

Lemond probably has good reason.
Armstrong let himself down BADLY,the way he conducted himself at the TDF this year,ie the way AC was basically ostracised,left without transport at key moments etc,etc
With there being no TTT next year,AC will hammer LA,whatever team he's in (& probably Schleck as well)

moray_gub

nick hanson wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

symo wrote:

dennisn wrote:

[
I'll stop thinking ill of Armstrong when he drops his grudge against Simeoni. Oh and Lemond.

As far as Lemond goes id say its GL that needs to mellow a bit the guy is a major obsessive about LA, much like a few forum regulars .

Lemond probably has good reason.
Armstrong let himself down BADLY,the way he conducted himself at the TDF this year,ie the way AC was basically ostracised,left without transport at key moments etc,etc
With there being no TTT next year,AC will hammer LA,whatever team he's in (& probably Schleck as well)

I see you are quite a happy to swallow the Contatdor anti Lance PR line there , there are two sides to every story so far i have only really heard one from a bleating Alberto Contatdor .As far as GL goes last time i heard him during the summer i couldnt help but think for the sake of his peace of mind he needs to move on and get a life , and it wasnt just me that thought that. As for AC he probably will beat LA but he should he is years younger for start and at the peak of his abilities. The one thing that i think could be his undoing is his fragility he needs loved and if he doesnt get it we get sideshows like we have had since July.

calvjones

Yep, he looked pretty fragile in that final Tour ITT.

andyp

His fragility was exposed for all to see by LA, JB and their twitter war during the Tour. Oh.

moray_gub

andyp wrote:

His fragility was exposed for all to see by LA, JB and their twitter war during the Tour. Oh.

A twitter war ? lol cant you come up with something better than that. I mean who gives a f*ck what is written in twitter. Twitter war

moray_gub

calvjones wrote:

Yep, he looked pretty fragile in that final Tour ITT.

If you are going to use that as an example he looked fragile in Paris Nice when lost it he had the race wrapped up. I think his public utterenaces since the Tour are indicative of a fragile individual who doesnt like it if folks arent dancing to his tune.

blazing_saddles

Moray Gub wrote:

calvjones wrote:

Yep, he looked pretty fragile in that final Tour ITT.

If you are going to use that as an example he looked fragile in Paris Nice when lost it he had the race wrapped up. I think his public utterenaces since the Tour are indicative of a fragile individual who doesnt like it if folks arent dancing to his tune.

Pot, kettle, black.

The Prodigy

Moray Gub wrote:

calvjones wrote:

Yep, he looked pretty fragile in that final Tour ITT.

If you are going to use that as an example he looked fragile in Paris Nice when lost it he had the race wrapped up. I think his public utterenaces since the Tour are indicative of a fragile individual who doesnt like it if folks arent dancing to his tune.

Not dancing to his tune!! I couldn't hear his tune during the tour, all I could hear was Lance, coming through that tour as by far and away the best rider, in a team where he was being shunned, was not what you would expect of a fragile individual.

calvjones

Moray Gub wrote:

calvjones wrote:

Yep, he looked pretty fragile in that final Tour ITT.

If you are going to use that as an example he looked fragile in Paris Nice when lost it he had the race wrapped up. I think his public utterenaces since the Tour are indicative of a fragile individual who doesnt like it if folks arent dancing to his tune.

Yeah, one day of fragility, 90 days of being a stage race badass at three [edit sorry - was it 4 on the trot he won?] consecutive GTs. I'd take that.

I think his comments since the Tour, rather than those of a whining prima donna, have been a pretty reasonable response from someone who was royally shafted by JB as soon as the LA cashcow hoved back in to view. But we can agree to differ I guess

donrhummy

Personally, I'd like Andy Schleck to win but I think until he leaves his brother, that won't happen. He spends too much effort helping/protecting Frank (who, yes is also a good rider) to really reach the top step.

moray_gub

The Prodigy wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

calvjones wrote:

Yep, he looked pretty fragile in that final Tour ITT.

, in a team where he was being shunned, was not what you would expect of a fragile individual.

It always amazes me who much folks are taken in by a sound bite here and there

moray_gub

calvjones wrote:

Moray Gub wrote:

I think his comments since the Tour, rather than those of a whining prima donna, have been a pretty reasonable response from someone who was royally shafted by JB as soon as the LA cashcow hoved back in to view. But we can agree to differ I guess

I think his comments since the tour havent done him any favours i think he is coming across as a whinning prima donna. When he sticks to racing i am a big fan of Bertie i backed him last year when he was the forum anti christ to most in here even FF.

blazing_saddles

Moray Gub wrote:

[

It always amazes me who much folks are taken in by a sound bite here and there

Yeah. Apparently, there's a good one in this months PC mag.