0:39 Seconds - The 900 lb Gorilla in the Room

[cfblakeman]

Sooo,

Contador "wins" the Tour de France by 0:39 seconds, the exact amount of time he took out of Schleck by riding off in Stage 15 when Schleck's chain unshipped.

Interesting that the commentators completely ignored that today. Will they ignore it tomorrow? Do they have some kind of contract with TDF that keeps them from talking about such obviously controversial things?

A man's character is revealed in those moments when he has no time to think about his actions.

Contador is the winner, but he is no champion.

 

[john gault]

I want to be done with the TDF, never watch it again...and then something like this happens and now I can't wait for next year.

 

[pearl-drum-man]

I noticed the time gap as well. Since Schleck has pretty much diffused the situation, I don't think it will get much play. I am sure it will heavily motivate him for next year, especially with his strong performance in today's TT.

Makes for great "armchair racing" fodder though.

 

[tonyzackery]

AC's just played everybody - but me, of course. Quite obvious to the astute few, he and his DS had the time gap at the end of his TT planned in order to provide more drama for next year's TdF, more ammo for the conspiracy theorists, and more material for the "why didn't you wait for me???" crowd...

Congrats AC!

 

[swampy1970]

Sooo,

Contador "wins" the Tour de France by 0:39 seconds, the exact amount of time he took out of Schleck by riding off in Stage 15 when Schleck's chain unshipped.

Interesting that the commentators completely ignored that today. Will they ignore it tomorrow? Do they have some kind of contract with TDF that keeps them from talking about such obviously controversial things?

A man's character is revealed in those moments when he has no time to think about his actions.

Contador is the winner, but he is no champion.

Everyone forgot the fact that Schleck was sitting in the bushes on stage 2 and should have lost minutes if it wasnt for that abortion of a riders strike...

He was have lost minutes, not a few poxy seconds.

Next year they'll likely have 2 time trials again which isnt going to suit him. It looked like contador had a bad day today rather than schleck having a good one.

Maybe next year he'll run the standard pulley wheels on the rear mech.

 

[baker3]

Everyone forgot the fact that Schleck was sitting in the bushes on stage 2 and should have lost minutes if it wasnt for that abortion of a riders strike...

He was have lost minutes, not a few poxy seconds.

No not everyone! give people some credit man, not everyone has blinkers on.

 

[pearl-drum-man]

Everyone forgot the fact that Schleck was sitting in the bushes on stage 2 and should have lost minutes if it wasnt for that abortion of a riders strike...

He was have lost minutes, not a few poxy seconds.

True, and Contador no doubt lost some time on the cobbles with the spoke issue, which underlies that ultimately this debate is going to be highly circumstantial and pointless because once we all start hypothesizing then where does it end?

Next year they'll likely have 2 time trials again which isnt going to suit him. It looked like contador had a bad day today rather than schleck having a good one.

Contador may well have had an off day, though it did appear Schleck rode better than expected. It seemed all of the riders had higher times in the last quarter of the field so I think the wind factor was real.

Maybe next year he'll run the standard pulley wheels on the rear mech.

 

[roadhouse]

Sooo,

Contador "wins" the Tour de France by 0:39 seconds, the exact amount of time he took out of Schleck by riding off in Stage 15 when Schleck's chain unshipped.

Interesting that the commentators completely ignored that today. Will they ignore it tomorrow? Do they have some kind of contract with TDF that keeps them from talking about such obviously controversial things?

A man's character is revealed in those moments when he has no time to think about his actions.

Contador is the winner, but he is no champion.

CBS just recapped the Tour in an hour long special, starting pretty much the minute the Tour actually finished, and those commentators mentioned the 39 second final gap stemming from the mechanical, without taking sides i should say, but outside of that you can't help but applaud the cyclists on the podium, respecting each other none the less and just happy to have been a part of it all and encouraged by one another.

although i agree with you, Contador did not ride let alone act like a true champion, as much as my own personal ignorance and blind as well as justified despise of the man and his actions shook me to my very core this time around, cycling is still a classy sport...even with him in it.

 

[knonfs]

Interesting that the commentators completely ignored that today. Will they ignore it tomorrow? Do they have some kind of contract with TDF that keeps them from talking about such obviously controversial things?

Ohhh, you mean just like how they ignored the whole Astana backstabbing incident in 2009?

0:39 means that AC would've still won TDF, even if there was no mechanical issue...

 

[knonfs]

cycling is still a classy sport...even with him in it.

Always has...

Even in:

1986 with Hinault
2009 with Lance Armstrong

 

[limerickman]

Andy's 25.
Alberto's 27.

This could be the next great TDF rivalry.

 

[cfblakeman]

Ohhh, you mean just like how they ignored the whole Astana backstabbing incident in 2009?

You mean when Contador road away from his whole team early in the race in 2009 when they were all supposed to ride together and they had to have a team meeting the next day to get guys to even want to ride with him?

Or do you mean when he road away from Kloden later in the race in 2009 when he didn't need to and cost Astana a 1, 2, 3 podium at the end?

Everybody makes a mistake once in a while, but when you see well-established patterns the old saying goes "When people show you who they are, believe them."

Contador won, but he is no champion.

 

[knonfs]

You mean when Contador road away from his whole team early in the race in 2009 when they were all supposed to ride together and they had to have a team meeting the next day to get guys to even want to ride with him?

Or do you mean when he road away from Kloden later in the race in 2009 when he didn't need to and cost Astana a 1, 2, 3 podium at the end?

Everybody makes a mistake once in a while, but when you see well-established patterns the old saying goes "When people show you who they are, believe them."

Contador won, but he is no champion.

Thats how you see it, and you are entitled to your opinion. What I remember is a litle bit different. I remember Contador been the captain, when LA comes in as a "helper"; things quickly turned sour when the team was "physically supporting" AC but "mentally supporting" LA.

LA's display during the first couple of stages clearly shows his true intentions. Once things were said, the team did split up. You don't have to agree with me, but there is no denying that 2009 Astana Team had LA's back, and not AC (the captain).

Need prove? Just look at 2010 Radio Shack roster.

 

[genedan]

You mean when Contador road away from his whole team early in the race in 2009 when they were all supposed to ride together and they had to have a team meeting the next day to get guys to even want to ride with him?

Or do you mean when he road away from Kloden later in the race in 2009 when he didn't need to and cost Astana a 1, 2, 3 podium at the end?

When there's a dispute between leadership on a team, and you want leadership, you can't just say "I am the leader," you have to show it. Contador did that by beating all the main contenders on the first mountain stage. If you want to be the leader - you don't take orders from your team - they take orders from you. You have to put the hammer down.

Contador had a legitimate reason for attacking on stage 17 - to distance Wiggins. Wiggins was a very good time trialist and was a threat in the event that Contador didn't have a good day in the TT. It didn't really matter anyway since Kloden finished 5th overall - 2 places short of the podium. Wiggins, who finished after Kloden on stage 17, overtook him in the TT.