Noval: ‘Contador is best rider in world’

by Charles Pelkey

Benjamín Noval will be there for Contador in July.

Benjamín Noval will be there for Contador in July.

Benjamín Noval is more motivated than ever to get back to the Tour de France and help teammate and friend Alberto Contador win a third maillot jaune.

The Spanish workhorse promises to be there for Contador come July and admits he is looking forward to regaining his position as the Spaniard’s top “bodyguard” in the peloton after being left off the Tour team with Astana in 2009.

“Just like a lot of fans, I believe that Astana didn’t work for Alberto during the last Tour. They were not united,” Noval told the Spanish sports daily MARCA. “In 2010, nevertheless, I am convinced that we are all going to be rowing in the same direction. We don’t have the stars like RadioShack does, but in the end, I believe we will be up to the job because all of us are clear on who is the leader, what the objective is and how our jobs are.”

Nicknamed “el toro,” the Bull was sidelined from this year’s Tour de France as part of the internal power struggle within the Astana team as it fractured between camps rallying around Contador and Lance Armstrong.

Just as Chris Horner was left behind in the USA because he was viewed as too much pro-Armstrong, Noval was kept home because he was seen as pro-Contador. At least that’s how team manager Johan Bruyneel explained it as he tried to find a balancing act on the divided Astana team in 2009.

For next season, Bruyneel and Armstrong are gone to RadioShack, along with much of the heart of the squad, leaving Contador to count on Noval more than ever.

Despite the frustration of watching the race from his home in northern Spain, Noval had nothing bad to say about Armstrong.

Noval rode on Discovery Channel during the final two of Armstrong’s seven consecutive Tour victories and even though Armstrong is now his rival, he said he hasn’t lost respect for the Texan.

“He will be one year older, yes, but this year, after three years away from cycling, he reached the podium, that’s something impressive and in 2010, he will have no other goal than to win the Tour,” Noval said. “I am sure that there is nothing else passing through his mind. I don’t doubt that he will improve even though I do not want to say he’s going to be on the same level as Contador.”

He said he doesn’t expect other RadioShack riders to have too many options as long as Armstrong is feeling confident about his chances.

“I cannot say anything bad about Lance Armstrong because I know as a cyclist I learned a lot from him, but now I owe Contador, who is the best rider in the world,” Noval said. “I am sure, as long as (Armstrong) believes he has possibilities to win, neither Klöden nor Leipheimer will have options, because Lance will not permit it. Before, when he was winning, there were big riders on the team, but the only leader was him.”

Noval said he enjoys a very close relationship with Contador, much closer than when he joined Discovery Channel as a largely unknown Spanish rider at the peak of Armstrong’s powers.

Noval will be a key component of the new-look Astana team, trying to rebuild following the exit of Armstrong and a dozen of the team’s best riders for RadioShack.

Astana, though backed by Kazakhs, is taking a distinct Spanish flavor for 2010.

Noval is joined by returning Astana riders Dani Navarro and Jesus Hernández, who will all take on a larger role within the team.

New Spanish riders include Oscar Pereiro, Josep Jufre and Davide de la Fuente.

In all, there are six Spanish riders who will do everything to help Contador win the Tour again.

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  • Ed
    It is pretty much universally accepted that Contador is currently the best rider in the world at the moment, but he is not the best rider he could be. When you go against the direction of the best director in the history of the sport, when you disregard opportunities to help teammates that have sacrificed themselves for you, especially when there can be no negative effect to your position in a race, you have a long way to go to reach your best. That fact makes Alberto's performances in the last four major stage races even more spectacular, and probably scary to his competition, knowing he has much room for improvement, even at the level he is now riding. I do wonder why I never see anyone accusing Contador of doping, even though his climbing performance rival that of the all time greats. There has not been a rider in the Tour perform like Alberto on a climb for the last 3 or 4 Tours that wasn't eventually found to be doping. I am not accusing Alberto of doping. I have become so sick of the Lance haters and all their unprovable theories, that I won't lower myself to that level. In closing, I agree that Contador is currently the best grand tour rider, but it would be crazy to think Lance, or another rider, cannot win the 2010 TdF. Lance will be more prepared than at any time in his life, he will be enjoying himself, he has Johan developing the strategies, and he has the will to win few athletes have ever had. I look for this to be the best Tour in years and Lance to be on the top step in Paris.
  • luisesteban
    Noval Contador need to wind 7 Tour to be the best in the World, we just 2 win , we can`t say he`s is the best we 2 win he doesn`t prove anything yet.
  • camilov
    Contador has now won 4 Grand Tours. Not only did he win the Vuelta A Espana and the Giro in the same year, but he won the Giro a week after he was in the Carribean sunbathing on the beach, He destroyed Armstrong in the time trials and in the mountains and by far has the strongest legs than anyone else at the moment. Also Contador has won two TDF's before Armstrong even won his first.
  • luisesteban
    My FRIEND in regard to you answer Tour Espana and Giro the Italy are a lot easy to win
    due to the lack of GOOD RIDERS, NO ONE`S go to like the vuelta espana he need to win
    over 7 TOUR THE FRANCE , LET SEE WHAT HAPPEN THIS COMMING YEAR.
     
    Luis Esteban
  • ratherbeonmybike
    you all want to talk about loyality and Lanca Armstrong. Look at what he did to Big George last year in the tour. Why did he send his eam to go chase him down, when he Knew that he would not be able to defend the Yellow Jersesy. Contador is the best rider in the world right now.
  • biketheroad
    It was not Astana but GARMIN who rode 100% at the end in stage 14 of the TDF, driving the pace and taking away Cappy's lead (by 5 seconds!) . Colombia's SD Rolf Aldag acknowledged the tactic.

    Jonathan Vaughters explained that his Garmin riders were given the order to protect Brad Wiggens' standing but a later report added that a Garmin sponsor was riding in the Team Car and demanded they race harder!

    Astana, who lead all day, had backed off and that's when Garmin attacked.
  • alexandr hermann
    Loyalty? In professional sports, the loyalty of an athlete must be in the organization paying his salary. Forget about the flag. It's just a job. It's not a war.
  • fishstix
    did Lance, not wait on your sorry ass in the ttt a couple of years ago where is your loyality at. contodor wouldn't wait on his mom where he could make that dumbass shooting motioni front of crowd that cool you will be Vino's bitch this year he will wait on you but it will be to beat the hell out of you as soon as you cross the line. it's easy to forget when things are going well this year won't go so well for you. You're barely a pro rider let's what Vino has instore for you.
  • jonp1
    Loyalty and Lance hmmmmm - As the best stage racer in the peloton surely LA's first loyalty was to Contador? Yet by stage 3, in the crosswinds we see Lance wind up his lieutenants to put time in to AC. Set the mark really didnt it? And we see AC's response to the summit at Arcalis - simply powered away from an old racer who is his time was the pre-eminent TdF maillot jaunne. Oh and as to whom is the better stage racer? AC in a blink - he's won the Giro, Vuelta and the Tour
  • Giovanni
    I'm with you, cantador is the best. Lance is socks.
  • velodromer
    I know the article is more about Nozal than Contador, but I'm curious if anyone else besides me is highly suspicious of Contador. There are two things that bug me. The first is a general observation about dopers in the Tour: they tend not to be the highly enthusiastic, emotional winners. Watch the videos of them winning stages and you see a subdued finish line celebrations - Contador is much the same way. The second thing is that Contador doesn't have the build of world-destroying TT rider - compare him to Cancellara or Armstrong, and he doesn't look like he should be pulling off rides like he did in the Tour last year.

    And probably the thing that bugs me most is the fact that I'm suspicious. I hate the fact that I can't look at someone like Contador and applaud him. The guy hasn't done anything to me. But it seems like the old saying, "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is" keeps applying to cycling. I'm tired of being disappointed by great wins that turn out to be the result of one rider having a better doctor than the others.

    Okay, I'm done venting and sounding like a conspiracy theory lunatic.
  • smirkov
    Winning 7 TDF in a row, doesn't sound suspicious? Most of the top ten riders in the past 10 TDF got caught as dopers.

    I still love to watch it anyway.
  • LuciferSam
    Attention, dopers! Make sure your performance-enhancers regimen builds your legs like those of a race horse, and when your cheating ways net you a victory, celebrate like it's the end of the world. That would prove beyond certainty that you are "clean," damn the needles sticking out from your thighs...
  • dubrdr9
    I am with you, Velodromer. I do not trust Contador because he is solely a protoge (product) of Manolo Saiz. Word has it Conti squealed with names and that's why he mysteriously and quickly was dropped from Puerto proceedings. He is quite self-centered to the point of appearing childish in his emotional Latin ways. I believe the primary reason that LA, Bruyneel and the boyz were bagging on him was his lack of respect for team protocol and respect (read: nukes fellow team mate's (Kloden) chance of a stage podium finish for having to "prove" something to...).
    Vino will burst his bubble whenever possible. Too much cheery, fuzzy optimism right now as the Spaniards line up with the Kazhaks - you talkin' power struggle - LOL!
  • biketheroad
    Technically, AC's court letter "clearing him" DOES NOT say he didn't participated in Fuentes' doping program;

    " (Alberto Contador, and 4 others).....received a legal document signed by Manuel Sánchez Martín, secretary for the Spanish court heading up the “Operación Puerto” investigation, stating, “there are not any type of charges against them nor have there been adopted any type of legal action against them.”

    At that time the only Spanish Law remotely connected to performance-doping of athletes regarded endangering the public health. Spanish courts held that law had not been violated.

    This says NOTHING as to whether or not those "chemically enhanced athletes" then entered other countries and competed with an unfair advantage which the host country prohibits. This, I think, is Italy's gripe against Spain.
  • theswordsman
    I think part of the Kazakh/Astana deal is that two Kazakhs will be on the Tour team. I guess they might not enforce that next year - Vino will go if he's allowed, but they already have nine riders they're considering to go with Contador.
    Horner was training very hard with Lance and Levi, and he thought it was preparation for the Tour. When he was left off the team because of the divide, he asked Bruyneel to let him ride for another team. That didn't happen.
    This team is going to be fun to watch. They're not expected to pile up lots of victories and dominate the calendar. You've got Vino and twelve Kazakhs doing their thing. And then you've got a group of guys totally devoted to help Contador win the Tour. In the longer article, Noval said he'd volunteer to ride Flanders & Paris-Roubaix to learn cobbles, and go out with the guys to memorize routes. By July these guys will be brothers and giant-killers
  • erw
    At the time, I recall Horner was left off the Tour team because the team owners wanted a greater Kazakh presence, with Dmitriy Muravyev.
  • garywhite
    Benjamin is a better man than most. I recall when he couldn't stay with Discovery during the TTT and when he arrived at the finish, he was emotionally broken and one Lance Armstrong was waiting on him at the finish line assuring him of his value to the team.
  • Interesting comment about Horner. I thought he was left off the Tour team because he was injured!
  • khristopher
    Funny!, no he was not hurt, just his pride.
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