Comments on: Contador, Astana at impasse in contract talks

By: Mennocyclist

Mennocyclist — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:42:00 +0000

You’re absolutely right.

By: Mennocyclist

Mennocyclist — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:41:00 +0000

My comments were narrowly focused on Contador, but I totally agree with you. I like to see the Yellow Jersey under pressure as well. Capitulation on the part of the other riders is not my cup of tea either.

By: FortitudineVincimus

FortitudineVincimus — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:07:06 +0000

Smith & Wesson are so enamored with the “pistol shot”, they want to start a new team with Contador

By: piktor

piktor — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:05:16 +0000

“Contador signed a two-year personal sponsorship agreement with Specialized last season. The American bike company is likely to take on a co-sponsorship of Bjarne Riis' Saxo Bank team and bring along Contador as the new leader.”- velonation, July 29.

By: piktor

piktor — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:31:42 +0000

Unzue is closing shop? I would still bet Contador will look for a Spanish outfit. He is one of Spain's top athletes.

By: MeloVelo

MeloVelo — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:33:52 +0000

Looks like riders are adopting a national team model.

By: jimsanta

jimsanta — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:31:43 +0000

Karen has made a great comment here! I'm sure Alberto feels some strong attachment for the riders who really exceeded all expectations in the way they came through for him in the mountains this year, but he knows that a great part of LA's seven year reign was the overall strength of the organization he built up around him. Alberto, on the other hand, had to learn to win after being stabbed in the back by both Johan and Lance last year. Still at the age LA was when he had only started his reign, Alberto owes it to himself to look for a team situation with the long term support and stability that will insure his future success, just as Lance had. And if he takes some of those heroic teammates with him, more power to him! And to anyone who disagrees with that, where were you with the same criticism when LA took practically the entire Astana team, director and all, with him to team radio shack?!? I don't remember seeing ANY criticism of Lance at that time!

By: professorvelo

professorvelo — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:27:58 +0000

one thing to consider (although utterly unsupported by fact or first-hand knowledge) is that almost everyone feels more comfortable amongst their countrymen. while AC has a strong team with astana, I'm sure he would feel more at ease with a spanish-speaking or western european team. he may be about winning, but another season of koy-bas and besh barmak?

By: FortitudineVincimus

FortitudineVincimus — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:07:06 +0000

Smith & Wesson are so enamored with the “pistol shot”, they want to start a new team with Contador

By: piktor

piktor — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:05:16 +0000

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:35:00 +0000

It’s Ecuador, (not “Equador”)
And Contador is from Pinto, (not Madrid)

Those points aside, I have spent a fair amount of time traveling this globe. And I have found one common theme both at home and abroad, be it language, food, music, sports, etc. – people are often attracted to what they are familiar with.

English speaking Television commentators Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen clearly favor the English speaking riders in the peleton. In my home town, the local Spanish speaking soccer and baseball fans tend to support the Spanish-speaking players in the MLS and MLB, (regardless of nationality). When I’ve traveled abroad I’ve found that English speaking people tend to gravitate towards the English speaking bars and restaurants. I could go on.

I don’t find it unreasonable at all to expect that many Spanish speaking Americans would likely support a Spanish speaking rider named Contador over English speaking riders named Leipheimer or Horner.

By: piktor

piktor — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:31:42 +0000

Unzue is closing shop? I would still bet Contador will look for a Spanish outfit. He is one of Spain's top athletes.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:18:00 +0000

It’s not [my] theory, it is simply a reality. This term is a widely accepted and understood in the US.

People from around the world participate on this forum, that is why I pointed out how the term is used in the US. I realize that it could be understood differently elsewhere.

Though you may not like the term, or you may disagree with it, your denial of the definition does not change the meaning.

By: MeloVelo

MeloVelo — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:33:52 +0000

Looks like riders are adopting a national team model.

By: jimsanta

jimsanta — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:31:43 +0000

By: professorvelo

professorvelo — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:27:58 +0000

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:09:00 +0000

Menocyclist– When I get the information that proves me wrong or changes my opinion I’m big enough to own up to the mistake. I agree that the race tends to be too conservative, though I look at it from a different view than you do. I would like to see the Non-yellow jersey GC contenders attacking the yellow jersey more instead of letting the yellow jersey dictate everything. In fact that is one of the things that made this years race more exciting for me it seemed not to matter who had the yellow jersey they were constantly under pressure.

By: TravisM

TravisM — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:55:00 +0000

+ 1

With Contador and Fabian on Saxo Bank, assuming they still have a strong team otherwise, they would have a good chance to win ALL of the following next year:

- A number of the Classics monuments (Roubaix, Flanders, etc…) (Fabian, Alberto in Liege)
- Tour de France (Alberto)
- World TT Championships (Fabian)
- TT Stages in Grand Tours (Fabian and Alberto)
- Mountain Stages in Grand Tours (Alberto)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:45:00 +0000

Yes, it’s also very anticlimactic to see someone win a stage race without winning a stage, even tough it was in good sportsmanship for Contador to let Andy win on the Tourmalet.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:40:00 +0000

I can see your point of view and it has merit. Also after talking with a friend of mine last night who pointed out that Lance and Johan did not make Alberto feel secure in his role as the leader of the team which made Alberto feel like he was racing against his teams as well as the other GC rivals.