The crash causing lad meets Contador

frenchfighter
frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
edited July 2011 in Pro race
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has met, and forgiven, the young fan who caused a crash in the first stage of the race and left the Spaniard with a significant deficit.

At first reported to be a woman the fan, as it turned out, was a rugby-loving teenager from Les Herbiers called Theo.

After a first peloton had passed on the road to Mont des Alouettes the 13-year-old poked his head out to look up the road at the peloton.

Seconds later Kazakhstan's Maxim Iglinsky collided with the teenager, sending him into the ditch. While he suffered cuts and stings from nettles, the subsequent split in the peloton left Contador frantically chasing his rivals but finishing 1min 14sec behind most.

It was the worst possible start to the race for Spain's three-time champion, who has since crashed another three times.

Contador finally got to meet the teenager who may have derailed his bid for a fourth yellow jersey in a meeting organised Monday by French sports daily L'Equipe.

After an ironic "Gracias hombre! (Thanks man!)" to Theo, Contador warned of getting too close to the peloton when speeds can easily reach 60km/h.

"The important thing is to pay attention to the peloton next time you're on the road," Contador said in L'Equipe.

"We ride fast and it's dangerous. I would rather you enjoyed seeing the riders go past."

Theo, who endured a few sleepless nights after reliving the incident on television, admitted: "It was the first time that we saw the Tour go past. But after that happened my Mum was really ashamed.

"My parents, brothers and friends haven't stopped making fun of me since.

"The thing is, I'm not even a cycling fan. I play rugby at Les Herbiers. It's my Dad and uncle who are big fans.

"But of course, I had heard of Contador."
Contador is the Greatest

Comments

  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Actually feel quite sorry for him. It was a stupid thing to do, but then 13 year old kids do stupid things. Poor kid's never going to hear the end of it now. For his sake, let's hope Contador either wins, or loses by more than 1:14
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Yeah people can still win. Lance Armstrong won the tour after he and Iban mayo were brought down on Luz Ardien by a fan with a yellow pennant or flag. True champs will still win after these circumstances. :wink:
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    1:14 is nothing. Contador can make that back in one day of he rides well.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    1:14 is nothing. Contador can make that back in one day of he rides well.

    He won't though.
    _
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I hope FF gets my ironic post.
  • graeme_s-2
    graeme_s-2 Posts: 3,382
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    The Mad Rapper wrote:
    1:14 is nothing. Contador can make that back in one day of he rides well.

    He won't though.

    I don't think he will either. I just feel sorry for the kid if he loses by less than 1:14 in a year when he's not looking his usual dominating self anyway.
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    Graeme_S wrote:
    Actually feel quite sorry for him. It was a stupid thing to do, but then 13 year old kids do stupid things. Poor kid's never going to hear the end of it now. For his sake, let's hope Contador either wins, or loses by more than 1:14

    Got to feel really sorry for the kid - he'll be taking an absolute pasting at school, not least for being universally described as a woman!
  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,409
    Seeing how the french in that part of the world seem to dislike AC, he's probably a hero! :roll:

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