what utter crap!

[Tumbleweed]

I am no expert in the tactics of cycling. I do however understand sponsorship and who pays the bills.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

What baffles me in all of this is that there is no doubt AC is the strongest by far and will' date=' baring an accident or mechanical in the last three stages, win this Tour. And this has been pretty obvious from stage 15 up to Verbier.

Then surely from a team/ sponsors/ Managers/ team members point of view it only makes sense for the team to look at securing 2nd and 3rd place in the GC, which was certainly on the cards.

I can only conclude that if there is a non team player in Astana, it must be AC who with his attack which left Kloden out of contention for a podium in <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris, showed us he is only interested in his victory and nothing else.

If I had 4 million Euro I would certainly think twice before signing Mr. Contador onto my team.

 

Just my 2c worth.

 [/quote']

 

ok, imagine this?you're signed by johan bruyneel cos he tell you he sees the same drive in you as he does in lance. you work your ass off. you become the man who has won all three grand tours in the shortest time. you are looking forward to reclaiming the title you were denied defending because of someone else getting caught for doping. then, all of a sudden you're told that you are no longer #1 on your team.

 

This no. 1 argument is way over done, I honestly believe it depends on the situation and the form the rider has at the particular event. Astana had 3 maybe even 4 possible contenders, when one showed his superiority then he becomes no. 1. Look at Wiggins /Vander Velde who?s the number 1? <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Had LA dropped AC on the climb to Verbier and showed consistently that he was the stronger then surely it would make sense for the team to get him to <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris in first place. And with a team like Astana 2^nd and 3^rd must have always been on the cards.

i don't think it is overdone. the conflicting messages and everchanging position on what armstrong and contador's roles were to be in the run-up and then during the tour is exactly the reason for my first post here: that lance cannot claim kudos for "agreeing" to help the spaniard. the team works for one man; that's the way lance and johan, then alberto and johan always rolled.

[Rob22]

Lance is the best ever TdF ride, this cannot even be questioned. This year Contador is very strong and will be a worthy winner. But Lance never attacked Contador once in the last 3 weeks. I really hope he gets onto the podium.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

[owen62]

Lance is the best ever TdF ride' date=' this cannot even be questioned. This year Contador is very strong and will be a worthy winner. But Lance never attacked Contador once in the last 3 weeks. I really hope he gets onto the podium.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

[/quote']

Sanity returns at last!

[Tumbleweed]

[quote=SwissVan

 

Thats the problem' date= imagination is running wild like a rabid troll with no water under his bridge...

 

[/quote]

trolls don't care about the water. they're after the goats?come now, swissboy?you gotta agree that contador has some right to feel aggrieved.

 

Trolls also love Farmgate - did he not have an altercation with one?

 

ahhhh...this talk about trolls and bridges..makes me miss bustthesickness even more!

 

he's serving time in tjoekie for malicious damage to public property.

[SwissVan]

I am no expert in the tactics of cycling. I do however understand sponsorship and who pays the bills.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

What baffles me in all of this is that there is no doubt AC is the strongest by far and will' date=' baring an accident or mechanical in the last three stages, win this Tour. And this has been pretty obvious from stage 15 up to Verbier.

Then surely from a team/ sponsors/ Managers/ team members point of view it only makes sense for the team to look at securing 2nd and 3rd place in the GC, which was certainly on the cards.

I can only conclude that if there is a non team player in Astana, it must be AC who with his attack which left Kloden out of contention for a podium in <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris, showed us he is only interested in his victory and nothing else.

If I had 4 million Euro I would certainly think twice before signing Mr. Contador onto my team.

 

Just my 2c worth.

 [/quote']

 

ok, imagine this?

 

 

Thats the problem, imagination is running wild like a rabid troll with no water under his bridge...

 

trolls don't care about the water. they're after the goats?come now, swissboy?you gotta agree that contador has some right to feel aggrieved.

 

Swissboy?

 

I gotta explain everything to you...if there's no water then the goats can cross anywhere and dont need to use the trolls bridge...

 

Contador can complain about being the 2009 TDF winner and having LA and 8 others ride domestique for him and admit publicaly that AC is the strongest rider this year ??

 

I think not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HappyMartin]

"Fun riders follow Lance blindly"  I am a fun rider, sorry to be wasting the time all the serious winners on this thread, and I don't support LA blindly. I don't support him at all in fact. I am however not blind to his abilities.

 

Now all you serious riders not having any fun can get back to your serious discussion. I will be out having a fun ride as soon as work finishes.  

[SwissVan]

"Fun riders follow Lance blindly"  I am a fun rider' date=' sorry to be wasting the time all the serious winners on this thread, and I don't support LA blindly. I don't support him at all in fact. I am however not blind to his abilities.

Now all you serious riders not having any fun can get back to your serious discussion. I will be out having a fun ride as soon as work finishes.   [/quote']

 

You meant Serious Whiners didn't you

 

 

[White Eagle]

I am no expert in the tactics of cycling. I do however understand sponsorship and who pays the bills.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

What baffles me in all of this is that there is no doubt AC is the strongest by far and will' date=' baring an accident or mechanical in the last three stages, win this Tour. And this has been pretty obvious from stage 15 up to Verbier.

Then surely from a team/ sponsors/ Managers/ team members point of view it only makes sense for the team to look at securing 2nd and 3rd place in the GC, which was certainly on the cards.

I can only conclude that if there is a non team player in Astana, it must be AC who with his attack which left Kloden out of contention for a podium in <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris, showed us he is only interested in his victory and nothing else.

If I had 4 million Euro I would certainly think twice before signing Mr. Contador onto my team.

 

Just my 2c worth.

 [/quote']

 

ok, imagine this?you're signed by johan bruyneel cos he tell you he sees the same drive in you as he does in lance. you work your ass off. you become the man who has won all three grand tours in the shortest time. you are looking forward to reclaiming the title you were denied defending because of someone else getting caught for doping. then, all of a sudden you're told that you are no longer #1 on your team.

 

This no. 1 argument is way over done, I honestly believe it depends on the situation and the form the rider has at the particular event. Astana had 3 maybe even 4 possible contenders, when one showed his superiority then he becomes no. 1. Look at Wiggins /Vander Velde who?s the number 1? <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Had LA dropped AC on the climb to Verbier and showed consistently that he was the stronger then surely it would make sense for the team to get him to <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris in first place. And with a team like Astana 2^nd and 3^rd must have always been on the cards.

i don't think it is overdone. the conflicting messages and everchanging position on what armstrong and contador's roles were to be in the run-up and then during the tour is exactly the reason for my first post here: that lance cannot claim kudos for "agreeing" to help the spaniard. the team works for one man; that's the way lance and johan, then alberto and johan always rolled.

 

It was all just a smoke screen, Alberto was always no 1. They just did it so you guys in the media would keep it the headlines  

The teams objectives, I believe, were 1st  and then if possible 2nd and 3rd but that aint going to happen now because someone lost the plot.

[owen62]

"Fun riders follow Lance blindly"  I am a fun rider' date=' sorry to be wasting the time all the serious winners on this thread, and I don't support LA blindly. I don't support him at all in fact. I am however not blind to his abilities.

Now all you serious riders not having any fun can get back to your serious discussion. I will be out having a fun ride as soon as work finishes.   [/quote']

 

You meant Serious Whiners didn't you

 

 

Leave the heads-of-state alone SV

[Myra]

In my experience it is the ones with inferiority complexes who bash others

 

That is mighty superior of you.

 

Why can you guys not be reasonable and see things my way?

Read the whole thread first - the who in his experience said that only funriders follow lance blindly - I was responding to that!!

 

 

I was the one who said that, in my experience, it is usually funriders who follow Lance blindly.  I also, however, specificially said that I wasn't using the word 'funrider' in a derogatory sense and explained exactly what I meant.  It was the part in brackets.

Given that, I don't see how you can say that I was bashing anyone.  On the contrary it appears that you were bashing me without reading my post properly? 

Besides, I love funriders!  If I cycled I would be one! 

[Seawalker]

Lance has been vindicated when he said the '08 tour was a joke' date='[/quote'] Who gives Lance or anyone else for that matter, the right to say that any tour was a joke???? That smacks of soooo much arrogance!!!!

[Tumbleweed]

I am no expert in the tactics of cycling. I do however understand sponsorship and who pays the bills.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

What baffles me in all of this is that there is no doubt AC is the strongest by far and will' date=' baring an accident or mechanical in the last three stages, win this Tour. And this has been pretty obvious from stage 15 up to Verbier.

Then surely from a team/ sponsors/ Managers/ team members point of view it only makes sense for the team to look at securing 2nd and 3rd place in the GC, which was certainly on the cards.

I can only conclude that if there is a non team player in Astana, it must be AC who with his attack which left Kloden out of contention for a podium in <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris, showed us he is only interested in his victory and nothing else.

If I had 4 million Euro I would certainly think twice before signing Mr. Contador onto my team.

 

Just my 2c worth.

 [/quote']

 

ok, imagine this?you're signed by johan bruyneel cos he tell you he sees the same drive in you as he does in lance. you work your ass off. you become the man who has won all three grand tours in the shortest time. you are looking forward to reclaiming the title you were denied defending because of someone else getting caught for doping. then, all of a sudden you're told that you are no longer #1 on your team.

 

This no. 1 argument is way over done, I honestly believe it depends on the situation and the form the rider has at the particular event. Astana had 3 maybe even 4 possible contenders, when one showed his superiority then he becomes no. 1. Look at Wiggins /Vander Velde who?s the number 1? <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Had LA dropped AC on the climb to Verbier and showed consistently that he was the stronger then surely it would make sense for the team to get him to <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Paris in first place. And with a team like Astana 2^nd and 3^rd must have always been on the cards.

i don't think it is overdone. the conflicting messages and everchanging position on what armstrong and contador's roles were to be in the run-up and then during the tour is exactly the reason for my first post here: that lance cannot claim kudos for "agreeing" to help the spaniard. the team works for one man; that's the way lance and johan, then alberto and johan always rolled.

 

It was all just a smoke screen, Alberto was always no 1. They just did it so you guys in the media would keep it the headlines  

The teams objectives, I believe, were 1st  and then if possible 2nd and 3rd but that aint going to happen now because someone lost the plot.

 

mmmmmmm?i'd posted before about it being johan's next "big bluff", but now i'm not so sure. for sure the media lapped it up. nearly every story filed by the agencies was intro-ed on what lance did or didn't do that day. the body language between the two - in most of the photos i've seen - seemed to suggest there was no love lost.  

[NotSoBigBen]

Yip Holly - can only be the 'media' and those damn useless 'journo' types causing all the trouble not so

[owen62]

In my experience it is the ones with inferiority complexes who bash others

 

That is mighty superior of you.

 

Why can you guys not be reasonable and see things my way?

Read the whole thread first - the who in his experience said that only funriders follow lance blindly - I was responding to that!!

 

 

I was the one who said that' date=' in my experience, it is usually funriders who follow Lance blindly.  I also, however, specificially said that I wasn't using the word 'funrider' in a derogatory sense and explained exactly what I meant.  It was the part in brackets.

Given that, I don't see how you can say that I was bashing anyone.  On the contrary it appears that you were bashing me without reading my post properly? 

Besides, I love funriders!  If I cycled I would be one! 

[/quote']

Better get peddling then!

[Andrew Steer]

Just a few facts, from a nuetral - I don't particularly like either of these guys...

 

Astana team = split, why else would they drive the pace on flat stage to create a split dropping a team leader who was back by the team cars? And did you not read about Vino's press conference before the tour?

 

Astana has worked hard for their "leaders", pacing etc, but they have done nothing specific for Contador.

 

Lance did not play "the perfect team mate" when the Schlecks attacked and he got shelled leaving AC and AK up the road with the brothers... he even tried to jump from Wiggins but couldn't - he then sat Wiggins wheel for 15minutes resting before Wiggins was spent and he could drop him and chase after a blown Kloden. Nibali showed how not so super Lance actually was riding!

 

Lance is a legend - we all know who he is, what he has done so you can't really argue it. And to do what he is doing at this tour at his age is crazy...

 

Lemond is a chop with a chip on his shoulder.

 

AC is the best rider in this tour hands down.

 

Someone is doping

 

This tours be interesting to say the least!

 

Tommorow's gonna be massive!

 

 

[Myra]

"Fun riders follow Lance blindly"  I am a fun rider' date=' sorry to be wasting the time all the serious winners on this thread, and I don't support LA blindly. I don't support him at all in fact. I am however not blind to his abilities.

Now all you serious riders not having any fun can get back to your serious discussion. I will be out having a fun ride as soon as work finishes.   [/quote']

 

In my experience it is the ones with inferiority complexes who bash others

 

That is mighty superior of you.

 

Why can you guys not be reasonable and see things my way?

Read the whole thread first - the who in his experience said that only funriders follow lance blindly - I was responding to that!!

 

 

I was the one who said that' date=' in my experience, it is usually funriders who follow Lance blindly.  I also, however, specificially said that I wasn't using the word 'funrider' in a derogatory sense and explained exactly what I meant.  It was the part in brackets.

Given that, I don't see how you can say that I was bashing anyone.  On the contrary it appears that you were bashing me without reading my post properly? 

Besides, I love funriders!  If I cycled I would be one! 

[/quote']

 

See my response above.  Before taking issue with what I say, please at least look at all I say.  And if you want to quote me, please quote the whole section.  Thanks. 

Hope you have a lovely ride when your work finishes!