Should Contador Have Held Back for Schleck?

[Ted B]

Clearly Vino held up when Schleck popped his chain, but Contador went right off the front and pressed hard to the finish.

I feel this shows that Contador's confidence is lacking this year.

What do you think?

 

[PE10]

When they showed the replay, it looks as if Vino slowed up when Andy had the mechanical, but Contador went right by and commenced setting the pace on the front of his group. What do you guys think? Fair or foul.

 

[cfblakeman]

Only a coward would want to beat someone's chain. A champion wants to beat his competition.

Contador may be a winner, but he will never be a champion.

 

[PE10]

Wow,

I'd like to hear what Alberto has to say about what happened. I think he should have waited just as his teammate Vino did.

 

[K'Ching]

It was an unsporting act in my opinion. I think he felt he was going to be beaten, and exploiting Schlecks bad luck was his chance to win the tour this year.

I think it sucks for the race. Contador is now probably gonna win his 3rd tour, 2 of which where he was only the 2nd best.

 

[K'Ching]

The crowd reaction says it all. Contador was booed. You don't exploit another riders bad luck like that. He's gonna be hated by most cycling fans now, and deservedly so.

 

[Ted B]

I was surprised to hear the loud boos coming to Contador during the yellow jersey presentation. Contador looked a bit uncomfortable. Clearly this was not viewed favorably with the crowds!

 

[genedan]

Not the best sportsmanship from Contador. I still think he'll redeem himself in the final TT by taking enough time such that today's gain over Andy wouldn't have mattered.

 

[K'Ching]

I was surprised to hear the loud boos coming to Contador during the yellow jersey presentation. Contador looked a bit uncomfortable. Clearly this was not viewed favorably with the crowds!

I'm honestly not surprised. Attacking like that when your rival has mechanical problems is like taking a shot on goal when the keeper is down with an injury in football.

It deserves to be booed in my opinion.

 

[toleman]

Attacking on Schleck's mechanical problem shows Contador's fear of the man from Luxembourg.

Hell, even Vinokourov's instincts to hold up shows he has class. His first impulse was to hold up.

 

[Ted B]

I'm honestly not surprised. Attacking like that when your rival has mechanical problems is like taking a shot on goal when the keeper is down with an injury in football.

It deserves to be booed in my opinion.

I'm not disagreeing. I'm just a bit taken aback by the LOUD boos!

In contrast, Schleck took back the white jersey to a huge round of cheers.

This will be bittersweet for Contador, no doubt.

 

[K'Ching]

This will be bittersweet for Contador, no doubt.

Absolutely. His win in 2007 was a bit of a gift. In 2009 he was clearly the best, but now this year will be tainted by this incident, and he will not be considered a real champion once again.

It's a shame both for him and the race. It's very likely he could have still won the race, without riding unfairly today.

 

[PE10]

I share your lack of respect for Contador. I think when Andy dropped his chain, Contador dropped his cycling etiquette as well. This is a no no. Even the fans booing Alberto while on stage donning yellow knew that he just broke an almost century old unwritten rule that you don't attack the Yellow Jersey. Contador's a great rider don't get me wrong, but what hid did today was cowardly!

 

[El Angliru]

Disappointing to see Contador take advantage like that, but in fairness Schleck could have caused the mechanical himself by making a bad gear choice. Also Schleck chose against using the chain guard in order to infer a weight advantage.

Still, Contador doesn't deserve to win after that - lets just hope Andy can bounce back on the Tourmalet.

 

[jhuskey]

I merged these threads since they are all pretty much the same.

 

[cfblakeman]

True - he will always be known going forward for his cowardice, not his riding ability.

 

[swampy1970]

If Schleck had crashed then Contador would probably have waited.

Since this was a mechanical issue, especially one that should never have happened given that he's riding a $8,000+ bike is just tough sh1t. Maybe his mechanic should go back to working the local bike shops.

Got Chain?

IMHO, Contador was justified in taking advantage of the opportunity and heading off up the road.

 

[Ted B]

One unwritted rule I really like about the TdF and pro-cycling in general, when it boils down to the last battles between a few top contenders, is the sportsmanship that comes with demonstrating that one can beat his rivals head-to-head without capitalizing upon any external interference that may come to them in the heat of battle. It should be legs vs. legs, mind vs. mind. If nothing else, making it a real chess match benefits all the fans who watch the sport and make it what it is.

I realize Andy possibly made a bad gear change, but I'm not sure that exonerates Contador's decision to take time out of Andy while he was off the bike, whether it's a puncture, chain, crash (Ullrich/Armstrong) or otherwise. And while Contador's knee-jerk reaction may be viewed with varying opinions, I'm wondering if it isn't revealing something in Contador's true character that is emerging - something which I don't find very likable. I don't like to be too judgmental about one's character from my vantage point, but suddenly I'm finding that I'm liking Vino and not Contador...

 

[swampy1970]

One unwritted rule I really like about the TdF and pro-cycling in general, when it boils down to the last battles between a few top contenders, is the sportsmanship that comes with demonstrating that one can beat his rivals head-to-head without capitalizing upon any external interference that may come to them in the heat of battle. It should be legs vs. legs, mind vs. mind. If nothing else, making it a real chess match benefits all the fans who watch the sport and make it what it is.

I realize Andy possibly made a bad gear change, but I'm not sure that exonerates Contador's decision to take time out of Andy while he was off the bike, whether it's a puncture, chain, crash (Ullrich/Armstrong) or otherwise. And while Contador's knee-jerk reaction may be viewed with varying opinions, I'm wondering if it isn't revealing something in Contador's true character that is emerging - something which I don't find very likable. I don't like to be too judgmental about one's character from my vantage point, but suddenly I'm finding that I'm liking Vino and not Contador...

To exonerate means that he'd done something wrong...

If you look at Pro cycling a little more closely, more often than not there's dozens of occasions where advantage has been taken of situations brought about by "mechanical issues" such as bike failures, punctures etc and very few were people have sat up and waited. Some 'fun' examples of this - Laurent Fignon back in 1987 was going spuds out on a descent and had a 'mechanical issue'. He ended up launching his bike into a tree and he went down the side of the mountain. No one waited... he got back up and proceded to win the stage, which was the famous Roche nearly catches Delgado on the slopes of La Plagne stage. George Hincappie, Paris Roubaix. One snapped fork column and one face plant. Number of people that waited? Zero. Beloki - one rolled tub and one Mr Armstrong went cyclocross on us all. Number of riders that waited? Zero. One rider pulled himself and his bike over Beloki. Steve Bauer had been in the lead group more often than not in the World Championship road race over the course of his career. He should have been renamed "Mr Puncture" - didn't see too many people wait for him.

I think you should forget blissful notions about some halcyon ideal...

It also depends on who you are than the raport that you have with the rider who's having issues. I don't think that Contador and Schleck have the same history and raport that Armstrong and Ulrich had.

 

[pennstater]

I wish AC would have waited, but I don't think he had any obligation to do so. Also, didn't Saxo take advantage of other riders' misfortunes on stage 3 (cobbles) of this years race? They sure didn't wait when riders were caught out when brother Frank crashed; as I remember they pushed the pace to try and gain time on rivals.