Wheelgate rumbles on

iainf72

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/2901/ ... cling+News)

redddraggon

Well I reckon he did buy the wheels:

redddraggon

Actually he DID buy the wheels! Looking carefully at that picture, that is a Lightweight disk!

According to carbonsports the only riders to be sponsored by them were:

CarbonSportsGmbH wrote:

Aside from
- TEAM Milram (starting from 2009)
- Team UNIBET (in 2007)
- Erik Zabel
- Philippe Pozzato (until 2008)
- Jan Ullrich
- Patrik Sinkewitz

there were NO riders who not had to pay for their wheels.

dennisn

To be honest I'm sure Spain is a whole lot more cycling crazy than the good ole' USA,
but would mention that I have seen no evidence of this issue appearing on any sportscast
or in any newspaper over here. Velonews excepted. It seems almost soap opera type stuff. Or a bad conspiracy theory. Or AC / LA hype(i.e. pro wrestling). Or a slow, very slow, news day.

iainf72

A Bonty wheel on a Spesh? Obviously personal wheels with some cunning stickers.

gabriel959

The Marca story is clearer and from the horse's mouth but is in Spanish.

http://marcawas5.recoletos.es/blogs/Controlador?opcion=9&codPost=5129

blazing_saddles

From the CN thread on this.

Google Translation of part of the Marca story:

It happened the day before the start of the Tour, Astana mechanics when they rode bicycles that they would be used in the time trial in Monaco. At one point, the mechanical counter realized that there were two different rear disc wheels to rest. He thought they were, as might seem logical, Alberto and Lance, but Trek's mechanic said no, they were for Armstrong, but not to worry because they were like the rest and only changed the labeling. Without wanting to discuss, the Spanish mechanic took a scale and weighed the wheels of one and the other, showing his partner the mistake that had since the new weighing about 150 grams lighter than the others. "One for Lance and another to Albert, "he said, to which the other replied:" I have to check with Armstrong. "

Seeing that there was something fishy, the mechanical counter told him not to worry. And, after talking with Albert, he decided that it was not worth getting angry so soon, had not started the Tour, but to commission another game like that he would pay for out of pocket, as it were (on the street with a value of 5,000 euros). A few hours later, just before dinner, came the two wheels that Contador had requested. With time running out gave Pastic, special glue tube, and after dinner put them to dry up during the night. The next morning, the day of the start of the Tour, Contador mechanic handed over the two wheels 'Lightweight', that is the mark of them, the mechanic for Trek to decorate with the labeling of 'Bontrager' and representative of both colors. And so Contador and Lance ran on equal terms. The Spanish, of course, was 22 seconds better than the American in the 15.5 km of travel.

A curious and very knowledgeable they could add that, while the corridors of Astana, Contador included, had at their disposal during the Tour Leightweight wheels 240, Armstrong had prepared for the revolutionary new model 190 with ceramic bearings, approximately 15% lighter and 30% more rigid thanks to the carbon-braided and nonlinear-employed. Only a true 'crazy' the material and the latest technical advances, such as mechanical counter, if not the best in the world will miss his little plot, so it rifan, could tell the difference.

markwalker

does any of this really matter?

:?

Wheelspinner

markwalker wrote:

does any of this really matter?

:?

Only to some very sad and dreary people apparently. My "care factor" about this is so far below zero it's unmeasurable.

Who gives a rat's ar$e whether any of the top level pros have to buy their wheels/bikes/helmets/energy bars/condoms???

They get paid shed loads of money to ride a freakin' bike. They can afford it. Duh!

To all those losers who think this particular piece of "news" is worth re-hashing over and over and over ad nauseum, please get a room together and deal with it.

Rant over.

micron

The only way it matters is if you care that Armstrong called Contador a liar and had some very unflattering things to say about Marca. Good job AC isn't a litigious type like Oldboy as he'd have a clearcut case for libel. Don't know about that Marca journalist though

lucybears

Wheelspinner wrote:

markwalker wrote:

does any of this really matter?

:?

Only to some very sad and dreary people apparently. My "care factor" about this is so far below zero it's unmeasurable.

Who gives a rat's ar$e whether any of the top level pros have to buy their wheels/bikes/helmets/energy bars/condoms???

They get paid shed loads of money to ride a freakin' bike. They can afford it. Duh!

To all those losers who think this particular piece of "news" is worth re-hashing over and over and over ad nauseum, please get a room together and deal with it.

Rant over.

yet, not only did you bother to read this topic, you actually replied to it