Martinelli : Contador to be bigger than Armstrong and Merckx

moray_gub

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contado ... martinelli


ok maybe i could buy the LA angle at a push but the Cannibal.....

Just 2 Tour De France, 4 Giro D,Italia,7 Milan San Remo,3 Worlds, 3 Flanders,3 Roubaix,5 LBL and 2 Lombardy abd multiple GT stage wins to go......


An astonishing statement for a man with his experience to make also Bertie has a two year hiatus on the horizon.

rick_chasey

He could be bigger than Armstrong in terms of palmares.

I doubt his bank account will be.

inkyfingers

If your that good then your palmares will sell itself.

Forgetting about doping or bans fo a moment, Contador will make or break his own success. If he carries on winning GTs and stage races like he seems to be able to and can then add some hilly classic wins (which I believe he has the ability to do) then history will no doubt judge him as one of the greats.

LangerDan

Martinelli didn't say Bertie could be bigger than Armstrong - he said Contador already is.

From CQ Rankings

Armstrong career total = 14.732
Contador, career to date = 10,913


Or using the "cycling hall of fame" rankings as of 30 April 2011

Bertie = 6720
Indurain = 11420
Armstrong = 13930
Merckx = 24,760

Contador will probably catch and pass LA and indurain (assuming CAS don't rule against him). Catching Merckx? Merckx was a pro for 12 years, Bertie is already an 8-year veteran. At his current hit-rate, he'll need another 21 years to catch up.

Sometimes I worry for Bertie. Having that much smoke blown up your chuff cannot be healthy.

andyp

LangerDan wrote:

Sometimes I worry for Bertie. Having that much smoke blown up your chuff cannot be healthy.

Can you edit this please? I don't want to see this used as an excuse for the presence of clenbuterol at the CAS hearing.

Thanks.

mrushton

There is no way Bertie will ever equal Eddie's wins. All those monuments - not a chance. Don't forget the Eddie also won ALL 3 jersies (yellow,KOM and points) in his first TdF a feat I doubt will ever be repeated. Bertie also has to be World Champion which Lance won aged 21(?) and Eddie won as well (3 x)

Tusher

IIRC, Merckx would also have won the white jersey that year, but it hadn't been invented.

blazing_saddles

If he doesn't get CAStrated, Bertie will probably qualify to sit in Eddy's shadow, using Lance as a foot stool.
Not just yet, though.

Tusher

Beautiful analogy