Contador, why dont I like him?

adukeofkent

He is amazing, I will give you that. Why dont I like him then?

I think there is something about the underdog, sometimes even the 'baddies' that I find more appealing. I find myself admiring Evans and Vinoukarov (baddy who will be supporting Contador) more after the giro.

Discuss

Bakunin

Discuss that you don't like Contador -- why?

Determination

I admire Alberto's strength but I dont like his personality so much or maybe its just the way he comes across in the media :roll:
Ivan Basso really mpressed me with the courage and determination he showed in the Giro

fiftyacorns

its those adverts he does - they make me cringe

adukeofkent

I was hinting at the human condition rather than my own personal thoughts.
I think I dont like the fact that he seems machine like, with little personality.
I wait for replys saying that if this is what is required to be a winner then so be it!

Perhaps we should discuss the definition of being facetious

antfly

Isn`t Vinoukarov a proven and shameless cheat ?

adukeofkent

Yes he is a baddy

antfly

Oh. So when you say a baddy you really mean a drugs cheat?

RoadieBob

adukeofkent wrote:

He is amazing, I will give you that. Why dont I like him then?

I think there is something about the underdog, sometimes even the 'baddies' that I find more appealing. I find myself admiring Evans and Vinoukarov (baddy who will be supporting Contador) more after the giro.

Discuss

It sounds like you don't like him because he concentrates on winning and doesn't feel the need to smack talk, which are two of the things I like about him.

rjh299

I like Contador. Got to admire his talent and quality but wish he wouldn't do the pistol celebration. Could that be it?
Plus the English love an underdog

acidstrato

berties cool. end of

Homer J

He's a great bike rider, but cool he aint

dougzz

adukeofkent wrote:

Yes he is a baddy

At this very moment French Fighter is hunting you down for dissing his boyfriend..................

RichN95.

The reason you don't like Bertie is because he tends to win whatever he wants, whenever he wants, which makes those races a little predictable and dull. All sportsmen like this get their fair share of 'anti-fans' to coin a phrase. Plus liking the underdog is a typically British thing.

I don't want him to win either, just like after two Tour wins I didn't want Indurain or Armstrong to win either. But this doesn't mean I don't completely respect him. (Strangely his inate cheesiness I quite like). I used to want to see Petacchi and Cipo beaten too (although this somehow doesn't yet extend to Cav, probably due been starved of World Class British riders (outside TTs) since gotthetshirt2)

deejay

adukeofkent wrote:

I think I dont like the fact that he seems machine like, with little personality.

WTF
HE had to put up with all that shite in last years TDF from an outsider to the team.
Boss Hog is the one that invited this turd and then led the media to believe it was a double team leadership when in fact he was only a guest rider that paid his own expences. (hotels, equipment and minders plus maybe the UCI again)

Outstanding personality to not whinge and just stay cool and produce the goods he is paid for. (most unlike Evans/Vinokourov)
He is a throw back to the old days when riders won Paris-Nice and the TDF in the same year and I personally don't think he needs a win in the Dauphine (I could be wrong) but is here to asses his form quietly like last year. (something to remember how all he did was wheel suck Evans to distraction, beautiful)
I noted today that the Badger gave him a very warm embrace and the pleasure of seeing the younger man in fine form.

Marketing, he signs a contract to use his name and image with a product and the stupid advertising people do the rest. I should think he to cringes at the advert.

One other thing about his personality that in last years Paris-Nice when he took a hell of a beating and he still came out smiling and attacking the next day.
No problem, I am a Fan. (with fingers crossed regarding ped's as I've been sucked in before in the last 20 years, sorry but I think he is clean)

Tom Butcher

I wouldn't say I dislike Contador - but if he rides his best then it wont make for a great tour so to that extent I do hope someone can put one over on him or that he has a bad day or two.

If Contador was up against say an Armstrong or Indurain at their peak I'd probably back Contador - I'd love to have seen him up against the USP machine.

shinyhelmut

I like him cos he beats Armstrong, why would anyone need any more reason than that?

pedro118118

ShinyHelmut wrote:

I like him cos he beats Armstrong, why would anyone need any more reason than that?

Along with pretty-much every other rider.

For someone so good, I think Bertie does a decent job of keeping a lid on it. As with other riders who dominate, there is always an element of resentment.

The celebration is irritating though - can't deny that.

Gazzaputt

The Sidi advert is bloody awful.

For me I don't like the massive improvements he made in TT was more than exceptional. For me something doesn't add up. Being linked to Puerto gives some clarity. IMO.

Philip S

I've had a sneaking dislike of him since the 2007 TdF when, post-Rasmussen's expulsion, he had a lot of attention on him, he faced lots of Qs about doping, had a great opportunity to give a categorical anti-doping statement, and all he could come out with was the usual mealy-mouthed "I've never tested positive" stuff. Quite possibly, this was all under the influence of Bruyneel (that's rarely a good phrase), but it still left a bad taste. Although it's difficult to say how much of that was lost in translation or the media storm.

Then there's the bloody pistolero thing, and the fact that that's now his brand (how ridiculous are the finger-bang baseball caps?).

And finally, there'e the twiddly high-cadence attacks out of the saddle, which I have an irrational dislike of.

He seems like a nice guy though.

plowmar

Didn't he start as a TT specialist ?

pedro118118

I thought he'd been exonerated from any involvement in Puerto?
Seems your view is fuelled by significant gains made by Bertie in TTs.
Couldn't we adopt the same approach to Wiggo's climbing?

Moomaloid

Ultimate professional... I'm can't see why anyone should be knocking him at all.

Kléber

pedro118118 wrote:

I thought he'd been exonerated from any involvement in Puerto?

Several riders had blood bags with Fuentes and by and large, they've all been busted and banned. This is "smoking gun" evidence, with DNA etc.

But riders who had not stored blood, mainly the younger riders and the one day riders, were not necessarily clean. For example Fuentes had extensive notes on giving many riders programes of EPO, growth hormones, steroids and more.



Given the way Saiz run the team it is impossible for me, I stress for me, to imagine riders under his management were not on the programme.

No grudge here, fans have to forgive but it's something that's very hard to forget, as much as I want to enjoy Contador's exciting style, there are some massive unanswered questions out there.

frenchfighter

Gazzaputt wrote:

the massive improvements he made in TT.

He has always been good at TTing. Check his palmares, including his early years.

He has also always been a supreme climber. You can even check/read about his amateur years. He would drop everyone on the climbs.

andyp

He's ridden for ONCE, Discovery and Astana. That tells me all I need to know.

calvjones

frenchfighter wrote:

Gazzaputt wrote:

the massive improvements he made in TT.

He has also always been a supreme climber. You can even check/read about his amateur years. He would drop everyone on the climbs.

Yep, just like Ricco.

Bertie (and LLS) are great attacking riders, but they dodged the bullet that eventually got even Valverde. Until the Puerto stuff is adequately explained, its hard to be gung-ho in support

His climbing masterclass with Rasmussen with poor old Cadel churning along behind is something I could do with forgetting,

shinyhelmut

He certainly handled last year's tour with dignity which must have taken some doing under the circumstances but he does not make my shortlist of riders I believe to be clean so I won't be cheering for him come July.

yourpaceormine

Pros - anyone who stuffs the tedious texan has to be good; rides other stuff as well as le Tour and wins

Cons - the pistol thing! Puerto/Bruyneel connections: Puerto - why have some done the time, but others haven't? If he is implicated in that then it should have been investigated. Bruyneel - he's just creepy.

simonaspinall

Surely it's the fact that the British hate people who are successful.

Also, British love a bit of character and quirkiness - Contador is hardly a showman.

The same thing has happened in Snooker - Look at the boys of the 70s and 80s and now the drones of today.

Therefore the only solution is to make Contador wear a hat with a feather in and for him to wear the slogan 'Spanish Boys do it better' on his 'ar*e. Oh, and insist on necking the champers on winning, declaring all of his opponents are 'mere mortals who are mary queens that drink the blood of their dead', doing a flamenco rendition of the Civil War and carrying a small pink teddy called 'Muchkin van Contador the 3rd' on his handlebars to assist 'drafting'. And make everyone in the crowd bow down to him on crossing the line.

Contador may at some point have to abandon his career due to a scandal involving Munchkin's murky past and the time he spent with the Congolese.

rick_chasey

I've been told I have a very similar riding and pedalling style to Contador, both in and out of the saddle (including the shuffling in the saddle when TTing).

The difference is that when he's hurting, the world's best are about 1 minute behind, whearas I am usually 10 minutes behind the rest of the world.

Nevertheless, I feel I can associate with him on one level.