Posted on 07/27/2009 2:50:12 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA
(CNN) -- Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has launched a stinging attack on Astana teammate Lance Armstrong after returning as a hero to his native town of Pinto near Madrid.
Lance Armstrong (right) looks on after Alberto Contador is handed the Tour de France trophy in Paris.
Contador told a news conference that relations between the two riders were tense throughout the race, making the atmosphere very difficult for the team as a whole.
Although not giving specific reasons why, Contador admitted the situation has affected his relationship with the American.
"My relationship with Lance Armstrong is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will," the 26-year-old Spaniard admitted.
"It was a delicate situation, very tense, the two riders who had most weight on the team did not have an easy relationship and that puts the rest of the technical staff and the riders in an uncomfortable position," he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Alberto Who?
“gringo” ;)
Well that makes next years interesting...Lance will have a team built solely for him. Can’t wait!
He has a promising career in the obama administration should he want it.
What a worthless twerp! No class at all.
Contador better be on his toes next year. With Lance’s new team, things’ll be a little different...
Sounds like it will be a LOT different:
After all but conceding victory last Tuesday — “Alberto’s too super” — he added this: “Next year, different story.”
When Astana’s Johan Bruyneel and some of the Tour’s peerless riders (I’m hoping Hincapie and Leipheimer are among them) take a hike to Lance’s new Radio Shack team, let’s see who’s left to help Alberto next year.
I’m not going to defend this guy, but I’m not entirely convinced Armstrong not at least a little bit of prima donna. Now, I don’t believe he ever doped, and I admire his triumph over and comeback from cancer, but let’s remember, he’s a thoroughbred leftist. And, he’s the worst kind. He won’t take a directly liberal stance, but he sends signals in a very covert way about where his political loyalties lay.
I honestly don’t see it that way. Contador beat Armstrong fair and square. He can say whatever he wants. For people - like the Spanish - who grew up dreaming of winning the Giro and the Vuelta it’s not uncommon for them to have never admired Armstrong. The fact of the matter is the Texan created a huge amount of bad will with both the Spanish and the Italians by training year-round for the Tour de France and ignoring those countries great touring races. Contador is not uncommon in feeling slighted by Armstrong in that. Plus, he has two more Tour de France wins than Armstrong had at his age and just beat him heads up. To the VICTOR go the spoils.
What’s up, Berto? Did Lance’s ancestors kill your relatives at San Jacinto or something?
Exactly, red in blue. Also note that Contador enjoys hunting when he’s not beating Armstrong in races. Could you imagine Armstrong ever saying that?
Hey Alberto, get back to us when you win the next five Tours...in a row. ‘Til then, shut your pie hole about your lack of respect for Armstrong.
This will just fire up Lance even more. If he can avoid injury, maybe there’s a better shot at him winning.
Remember, he broke his collarbone in March.
He’s got more Giro and Vuelta wins than Armstrong and two more TdF victories than Lance had at his age. I’d say the chances are good he could eclipse Armstrong.
In Spanish: patán.
Lance was in the tour?
Lance lost?
Actually, how do you say wuss in spanish.
It takes a Man to give respect to your competitor.
It takes a wimp to act like a petulant child.
didn't make me a fan with that move.
Contador puts out pretty good hype to build up a long term rivalry with Armstrong. It will get the interest going for their next matchup. I like the way he takes it to Armstrong...sounds like a warrior to me. This is good for the sport!
Like I said...let’s see if he wins six in a row.
Johan Bruyneel picked Contador to build a team around - Then Lance decides to come out of retirement and will only ride on Bruyneel’s team. Hmmm. Contadore beats Lance by more than 5 min. Hmmm. Contadoe wins two of the last three TDF’s - having not been invited last year because his teamate doped. Hmmm. Who deserves the respect here and who hasn’t given any?
I am a big TDF follower. Contador is a very strong rider. He showed it this year. The psychological warefare between he and Armstrong was as intense as the riding. His comments are just the fallout.
In Alberto’s defense, he was slated to be the Alpha dog for his team prior to Lance joining. So there was a power struggle right off the bat. Eventually Contador showed he was the stronger rider, and Lance gracefully praised him and promised to be his wingman for the good of the team.
But...Lance continued to get under his skin. His post-ride Tweets were often used to raise questions about Alberto’s strategy and loyalty to the team. The day Contador essentially sealed the deal, Lance upstaged him by announcing that he was forming his own team next year.
So it has been tit for tat. Lance said yesterday that Contador would have beaten him in his prime. BS. I believe that is more psychological warefare.
It will be quite a showdown next year. For Lance to roll in after 4 years and finish third is very impressive. Though he couldn’t keep up with the much younger Contador on the Alps climbs, he rode stride for stride with him for the Tour’s last mountain stage, sending a message that he will be ready for 2010. And he mended a lot of fences with other riders this year with his display as a devoted teammate. The French still hate him, but they can go choke on their snails.
Next year’s Tour will be very exciting.
That's the Old Country. More genteel, lol! In tex-mex we'd probably call him a pendejo.
I too heard he had an affair. I'm not sure if Crow was the other woman, but he did clearly date her at some time, along with a bevy of other Hollywood and New York starlets and socialites.
Johan Bruyneel picked Contador to build a team around - Then Lance decides to come out of retirement and will only ride on Bruyneel’s team.
Please, name ONE TIME when Armstrong EVER respected a competitor? And “acting like a petulant child” is exactly what he did on half of this tour when it was obvious that Contador was a stronger climber and competitor than him. Armstrong used to chant to opposing riders “who’s gonna be my bitch today?” when he passed them. He left his wife and then told Crow that he wanted to break off their engagement because she wanted kids and he didn’t. He then turned around and got his 20-something new girlfriend pregnant. A GREAT cyclist, but a class-act, Armstrong never was. And no, I don’t believe the doping rumors, so don’t accuse me of advocating that by pointing out his flaws.
If this situation were reversed, of course, Armstrong would be “racist”.
A word of advice to Contador - “Don’t focus the redeye on Lance too long or too close. Some other young hot rider may just get past you.”
Contador could very well eclipse Armstrong's record for wins; he's that good.
The rivalry will be between Contador and Andy Schleck.
Two out of the last three is very good and not to be scoffed at...but get back to me when he's six for six if he wants to stand on this disrespect of Armstrong thing.
>>I too heard he had an affair. I’m not sure if Crow was the other woman, but he did clearly date her at some time, along with a bevy of other Hollywood and New York starlets and socialites.<<
Apparently one is enough...
Read this story about how basically the entire team was against Contador going into the tour and then put his win in perspective: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/31834286/ns/sports-tour_de_france/
And, yes, the selection of support riders was ENTIRELY the work of Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel.
Lance and Contador never went against each other - so Lance did not match him stride for stride. Contador was covering Schleck - that is all. Contador covered every move Schleck made and never fell back - not once. Contador could have rode away from Schleck if he wanted to - but there was no reason to do that.
Lance couldn't cover Schleck. Next year will be no different. Nobody can climb with Contador.
Pero yo se lo que significa pendejo.
Sounds like the gentleman has challenged his rival. Lance has a new team next year.
He does take synthetic testosterone to replace what he has lost, which to some will always ba an asterisk...
Maricón indicates he is gay.
Times when Lance respected his competitors:
1. Waiting on Jan Ulrich when he went over the rail and off the road.
2. Hugging Mark Cavendish after one of Cav’s stage wins.
3. Having Cavendish and Hincapie in one of his videos and showing them all props.
4. Riding tactically in support of Contador in all respects once Contator was obviously the stronger rider even though Contador was regularly disobeying Bruyneel.
5. Freely crediting Schleck and Contador as the stronger, faster riders.
You can criticize him for his family life if you want, but not respecting competitors doesn’t seem like a valid charge.
Yes, he CAN. But he also has an opportunity to promote good sportsmanship and personal humility instead. So which choice does he make? Vanity and self-congratulation? Or magnanimity and self-effacement, maybe even gratitude to the Creator who endowed him with such phenomenal gifts?
LOL, I suspected you would. A little bit cruder connotation, perhaps, but I think it fits - it’s the first word that came to my mind, at least! ;-)
Right now, nobody can climb with Contador. He is awesome.
Lance circa 2004 would have been up to the challenge, though. I don’t think 2010 Lance will be.
Torch has been passed.
Armstrong never once respected Contador. The attempt to take over his team was blatant. Yeah, he might’ve done all those things listed before for OTHER riders, but never for Contador. Armstrong’s return was an attempt to take Astana away from Contador. Contador was right to see it as that and responded accordingly. Armstrong’s lukewarm congratulation to Contador and hearty congratulation to Schleck was proof positive of that. If someone was trying to take your team from you you’d feel the same way. Armstrong only raced in support after it was obvious that Contador could outclimb him.
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