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A Bit of Tour de France Drama
Posted by Scott on 17th July, 2009 | 23 comments
Photo: Charles Platiau/Reuter
If you follow the Tour de France like I do, you’ll know that there is some team rivalry going on between Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. Both have a chance at winning the Tour, and both are on the same team, Astana. Generally, a team designates a leader, then the whole team sacrifices themselves in order to shield the leader from the wind and help the leader win the overall race. Early on, team director Johan Bruyneel designated Contador as the team leader, but quickly flip flopped on that, and has since refused to reaffirm that designation. Instead, he has deferred his decision to a later time, when it becomes apparent as to whomever is the strongest (Contador, Armstrong or possibly, Tour of California winner Levi Leipheimer). Bruyneel has made many statements to this effect and one article states:
“In a Monday press conference, Contador indirectly blamed Astana manager Johan Bruyneel for creating the tension, saying: ‘If my situation within the team were clear, there would not be any controversy over my relationship with Lance.’ Bruyneel accorded the team leader’s ‘1′ jersey to the 26-year-old Spaniard but has repeatedly refused to declare him the undisputed leader of the team.”
Yet, when Linda Robertson of the Miami Herald decided to do a piece about Armstrong’s ego selfishly battling it out with Contador for #1 despite Contador being designated the “leader”, she apparently totally missed these nuances and statements that Bruyneel has been making on Versus TV and to various reporters for weeks now. Even now, there is no clear team leader for Astana, but when they hit the Alps, it will become very clear.
Robertson writes, “There is the tactical maneuvering on the road, which we can see, and the tactical maneuvering in Armstrong’s head, which we can only ponder. Alberto Contador, the favorite, must not lose the mind games, or he will lose the Tour as well. But this year he [Armstrong] is in an unusual, awkward position. He is supposed to do what his teammates did for him: Sacrifice himself. Spaniard Contador, 26, is the presumed leader of the talented Astana team, but with a whisper of a lead over Armstrong and with two other teammates in contention, the pecking order remains open.”
Bullshit. Armstrong is not Contador’s bitch — yet, anyway. And 2 seconds lead certainly doesn’t make Contador any kind of “favorite”. I called Robertson out on this, but her reply was that, “Contador was designated the leader by Bruyneel in an official statement released by Astana.” And, “Check your facts.”
I did check my facts, Linda. Every Tour de France fan who has been listening to Bruyneel for weeks now, saying that it’s anybody’s race, and saying that Contador attacked Armstrong in Stage 7 as a rogue move, not part of a team plan, knows the facts — that the verbal statements, team tensions, and nuances, clearly contradict the team’s initial stance on Contador. Let’s not bash Armstrong for doing what he’s supposed to be doing. His ego has nothing to do with anything here. He’s a bike racer, following his team director’s guidance. I’m more confident that he will back Contador if ordered to do so, than that Contador will back him.
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That is pretty cool that you called her out on that article. She obviously doesn’t follow or understand the TdF or Pro Cycling.
Just be another journalist assigned to take the strory. I suppose it pays the bills but its rather misleading.
Maybe she should go work for http://www.lequipe.fr since they really embrace Lance (read successful American cyclist) bashing
Im following this year Tour De France, and i’m enjoying it.
Well since im new fan of “Le Tour”, the way i see it, Yaroslav Popovych is doing a great team game at Astana, he is holding Armstrong’s back, i see he is always there…
Contador might be in a great form, maybe even better than Armstrong but i see that now he looks like has been left alone frome the team, so maybe the order for the atack at stage 7 didn’t come from the team manager, he acted alone…
I hope Armstrong wins, however there are even others that have good posibilities not only him and Contador, Andy Schleck has good posibilities too. Now with the Alps we’ll see
Yeah it’s a great tour this year. Not too exciting so far really, but better than in years past, and I think the alps are going to be very interesting to watch.
Looks like it’s Contador’s team now. I honestly don’t like the kid. I have a hard time believing he learned how to transition from a pure climber to one of the best time trialists in the world in a year.
But I digress…
It’s now time for Team Saxo Bank and other riders put pressure on Astana and see if they can crack Contador. It’ll be interesting to see if Astana, especially Kloden and Armstrong, will pull for Contador when the time comes.
I don’t follow biking but it was still a good post
Well I guess the Tour is over now, but this drama did add some excitement to the event this year. Personally I’ve never been a fan of Lance as he has always been so egotistical. It sounds like the team manager as mostly at fault for not choosing a team leader for everyone else to back. Then again, who knows what influence Lance had in that decision. With the kind of person he is, I don’t think he would come back just to help someone else win. He is in it all for himself.
Not bad for an old man coming out of three years in retirement. Lance Armstrong will be back with his own team next year, and believe you me, it will be between him and Contador till the bitter end.
Yeah it’s going down next year.
I was there at the Astana team bus in Paris — Lance did not look happy. He’s not used to anything but #1. I think he did great but he didn’t quite have the edge in the past. In interviews, he said that when attacked by riders, he’d match the attack and then re-attack in the past, but he said he can’t do that anymore so he needs to rethink his strategy and seize opportunities whenever he can. I think he’ll re-strategize for next year and come back stronger as well.
it is really nice Bit of Tour de France Drama..keep it up…..
These are complicated personal issues between the two of them. As far as Armstrong have won the race 7 times I could support Contador but really if they both had chance to win they both should try. I know that there is specific politics in each team but having two bikers of that class will always cause trouble. They both can win so let them try and better will win (and did already).
I’m glad that Lance didn’t win. He showed lack of teamwork by going after personal glory instead of sacrificing for the team to win. He has too much ego to be second fiddle on a team. It will be interesting to see how he does next year. Personally I hope Lance loses so that he loses a bit of the chip on his shoulder.
Did you ever consider that it takes an aggressive edge, an ego, a passion, to win at all? Do you ever see shy, nice, humble people winning big? Not often. It’s his very intense drive and edge that has helped push him to win the world’s hardest race over 2,000 miles against the best of the best riders. And oh yeah, after beating metastasized cancer. Give the guy a break and the respect he deserves.
The Tour de France is usually 95% about Drama… the rest cycling.
Sadly but true. A few years ago i watch every tour de france but nowadays there is only drama and not sport.
Cheers,
Volksphone!
Actually people love hungry for real sports and hungry to see real sports spirit but it was become past in tour-de-france. Due to such drama whole charm of tour-de-france killed badly.
To much drama for me…I like sports, but not over done drama over sports.
I don’t follow biking but it was still a good post
Good article. Can I use it on my blog?
Due to such drama whole charm of tour-de-france killed badly.
Due to such drama whole charm of tour-de-france killed badl
thanks so much. great work!
great job.
thanks for all