Contador: I Will Never Admire Lance Armstrong

MADRID — Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong are sniping again after a fragile truce during the Tour de France.

Contador, who secured his second Tour win on Sunday in Paris, said he had no admiration for the American as a person and tensions between the two had a negative effect on the Astana team. Armstrong, the seven-time champion who finished third in his first Tour since 2005, responded that Contador should "drop this drivel."

"My relationship with Lance Armstrong is zero," Contador said late Monday in his hometown of Pinto outside Madrid. "He's a great rider and he did a great Tour. Another thing is on a personal level, where I have never admired him and never will."

Armstrong, who had criticized Contador as being inexperienced earlier this year, responded with his own salvo on Twitter.

"Hey pistolero, there is no 'I' in 'team'. what did I say in March? Lots to learn. Restated," Armstrong wrote.

The "pistolero" remark stems from Contador's habit of celebrating victories by shooting an imaginary pistol.

"Seeing these comments from AC (Alberto Contador). If I were him I'd drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o them, he doesn't win," Armstrong added. "A champion is also measured on how much he respect his teammates and opponents."

Contador and Armstrong entered this year's Tour jousting for position as the Astana team leader – an unusual situation in cycling, where team's normally have a clear No. 1 rider who is supported by the rest of the squad.

While Armstrong briefly held a slight edge over the Spaniard in the first week, Contador proved too strong in the mountains and was able to pull away for a decisive edge in the Alps.

On a couple of occasions, Armstrong questioned Contador's tactics during the race, saying they went against the good of the team.

"It was a tense situation," said Contador, who also won the race in 2007. "We didn't have fluid communication despite the fact that we were the two main riders on the team. And this meant the rest of the cyclists and the technical staff also felt a bit of tension."

Armstrong is launching his own U.S.-based team for next year, while Contador's future with Astana remains uncertain.

"Wherever I go I will look for a teammate who is with me 100 percent," Contador said.

Comments

[blindjester]

08:48 PM on 07/31/2009

skippypicasso
"I'm sorry I can't waste my time explaining cycling to you. You've obviously only been interested in it since 1999."

I give you credit for generally giving riders their due.

But I accuse you of withholding it in one particular case.

I don't care who anybody roots for. But I like to see fans of the sport being fair in their assessments, regardless of their preferences.

That's what real fans do.

[skippypicasso]

01:38 PM on 08/10/2009

Just to follow up: I'm fair in my assessments. I know the history of cycling and where Lance fits in. He's a great TdF rider. He's a great marketer, and he has lots of devoted fans. That's awesome. But I like cycling and Lance likes Lance enough, he doesn't need me.

[GhiaccioPronto]

06:29 PM on 07/31/2009

The Tour 2009 contiues apace. Astarloza tested + for EPO from june. This will give stage 16 to Sandy Casar

[blindjester]

08:13 PM on 07/29/2009

skippypicasso:
"Stop making excuses for him. He went into the Tour on a team with Contador to find out who was the strongest, and it turned out to be Contador."

I guess it was a one on one race.

I wonder why all those other riders showed up.... Maybe they didn't get the memo......

[skippypicasso]

08:17 PM on 07/30/2009

That's most certainly not what I meant, but you obviously didn't read any of the cycling press prior to the tour.

[blindjester]

11:26 PM on 07/30/2009

You want there to be a winner and a loser. Contador: winner! Armstrong: loser!

Very black and white.

And misleading.

Most of the world could see that (along with AS) they both ended up on the podium.

Even the much-lauded cycling press will have noticed!

[GhiaccioPronto]

02:34 PM on 07/29/2009

looks like lance lost the Andy war.

In an interview published today by the Italian daily "La Gazzetta dello Sport," the second place in the last Tour de France yesterday denied reports that he received an offer from the team Lance Armstrong will be with next year, RadioShack.

"I have not heard it. I have a contract with the Saxo Bank until the end of 2010, and there I stay," said Schleck.

"There is no possibility that this is done. I have not had any contact with (Johan) Bruyneel. It's just a strategy to counter next years loss" said Giovanni Lombardi, the personal agent the two brothers.

"Andy has seen clearly all that Alberto Contador has lived through in the Tour this year and nobody can imagine that he will go into this with all the ambitions he has for next year," said Lombardi.

[StephenJK]

03:15 AM on 07/29/2009

Oh, poor little immature Contador. Just can't come out of the Shadow of Lance. Not even winning twice in convincing fashion would be enough. Not even Lance telling the press that even in his prime he's not sure if he would have won going against Contador would be enough. I have a bad feeling about Contador. I think he's a "Snapped" candidate. Watch for a gun-wielding psychopath at next years tour if Lance wins.

[lmoufette]

01:49 AM on 07/29/2009

What a thrilling TdF it was this year, with the last day on Mont Ventoux. Their fireworks made it even better!

[Yveslacoste]

11:40 PM on 07/28/2009

I'm American I am not a fan of Lance Armstrong at all!!!! He is arrogant and makes the dumbest comments. Me no likie.

[roshni]

10:33 PM on 07/28/2009

I don't like Lance either. Not after he made comments about his ex-girlfriend's "biological clock." Contador said he was a good rider but not a good person. He is entitled to his opinion and I agree.

[Disclaimer]

10:03 PM on 07/28/2009

I thought it was a bit out of line when Contador was whining about Levi Leipheimer finishing so close in the Giro as if he had no right to try for second. His latest whine only confirms he has no class. Instead of letting his win do the talking, he feels he has to trash talk Lance. All things considered, Contador has some maturing to do.

[Haitiana4Obama]

09:36 PM on 07/28/2009

Contador sounds like an arrogant man, especially given Lance's glowing interview with Dr. Gupta in which he clearly stated the best man has won, and that he was not upset by the err upset.

[rigormrtis]

09:46 PM on 07/28/2009

Lance has a public image to maintain.

He got his a** handed to him, despite his best efforts.

[blindjester]

09:49 PM on 07/28/2009

Yes, he only beat 177 other riders.

I wonder if he's ashamed....

[gratonite]

06:59 PM on 07/28/2009

Back to cycling though....too bad about Levi. That would've really added a whole new layer to the race...and maybe helped calm some of this other nonsense down....he's pretty mellow and he was right there at the top with those guys until his crash. All of this makes next year something to look forward to...gotta love it.

[AddyGmom]

07:16 PM on 07/28/2009

Yeh. That was a bummer for Levi.

I thought George Hincapie got shafted on 'his' stage. I don't understand all the nuances in that stage that caused his loss . Did Astana contribute to it?

[gratonite]

07:30 PM on 07/28/2009

I think Garmin-Slipstream was the cause of that. From what I read, they have a rivalry going with George's team Columbia...and maybe some sort of sponsorship conflicts are brewing...

I think Astana reacted to the Garmin attack is all...seems to me most of the riders were surprised by the Garmin move. I still don't quite get why they did it, and they aren't really talking--don't want to be the bad guys who screwed George over...and after all their success together, it's doubtful Lance would wanna kill that moment for George. But there is so much maneuvering and etiquette and strategy going on all the time, it's hard to be sure...

[PepeLepew]

07:34 PM on 07/28/2009

They should have let George have the yellow. Bush league. Total bush league.

[atoonce]

06:56 PM on 07/28/2009

I think this article says a lot about how Armstrong relied on his team for all of his victories, something we probably never heard enough about.

[breakthisnews]

11:18 PM on 07/28/2009

Grab one of his books from the library! He discusses at length how he won all of his tours with his team! He has never hidden this. You just need to understand how cycling works. Needless to say, not just any old athlete can win the Tour - even with the help of your team. His oxygen usage is out of this world! Great read - highly recommend.

[Okieborn]

06:34 PM on 07/28/2009

Lance Armstrong is no hero !!
He left his very ILL wife to go womanizing !!
Not a real nice human being !!!

[csmcmillion]

06:45 PM on 07/28/2009

Yeah, but at least he waited until Sheryl Crow got cancer before he dumped her.

[PepeLepew]

08:03 PM on 07/28/2009

You know, I've never read ANY quote from Sheryl disparaging Lance. Whatever happened happened between the two of them. Let it go.

[blindjester]

08:07 PM on 07/28/2009

Womanizing?

Sounds like a bootlegger.

In a speakeasy.

Not sure his personal life is relevant to cycling, but whatever.

[Irockcollinwood]

06:29 PM on 07/28/2009

i never respected him... "hey, now that I'm famous I'm gonna divorce my wife and get with Sheryl Crow..... sorry about you cancer Sheryl, but I'm gonna have to dump you now..... with one are you Mary-Kate or Ashley, it don't matter.... you're old enough right?"

[gratonite]

06:32 PM on 07/28/2009

Wrong thread...please move your gossip chat to the entertainment section. This article is about cycling.

[csmcmillion]

06:45 PM on 07/28/2009

Correct - about how LA cycles through sick women.

[hopefull2008]

11:14 PM on 07/28/2009

You make a good point .. so what's the deal with the P.E.D's ? Is it ok the talk about that ? .. aah ok .. I know , there was an issue with the b sample , right. ? deny,deny,deny ...

[IamPhenom]

06:10 PM on 07/28/2009

I will admit I know almost nothing about competitive cycling, but from the little I know, it sounds like an odd sport. I don't understand how a "team sport" can have only one individual winner wearing the yellow jersey. Doesn't that, by definition, make it an individual competition?

I also don't understand, if a rider is capable of winning the yellow jersey as an individual, he would have to fall in line with the rest of his team, and draft for whoever his team picks as the team leader. Do they expect that rider to hold back just so he can support his team? And forego all the glory and prize money of the yellow jersey? Why even compete if you are going to have to hold back and just ride with your team?

I don't blame Armstrong or Contador in this situation. They are both great individual athletes. The problem seems to be with their team (sponsors and management), which chose two front-runners. They picked two highly competitive athletes, then expected them not to compete with each other? How does a team pick TWO team leaders? That only works in a sport without individual winners. It seemed dysfunctional from the very beginning.

[rigormrtis]

07:11 PM on 07/28/2009

Football is a team sport, but you have some guy's who's job it is to block for others.

[gratonite]

07:13 PM on 07/28/2009

For someone who knows "almost nothing" you actually have a lot of insight into it and ask the right questions. It's complicated, but it is both a team and individual sport and does lend itself to drama, especially on a top-heavy team like Astana...lots of great top riders all on the same team. In answer to these questions:

"Do they expect that rider to hold back just so he can support his team? And forego all the glory and prize money of the yellow jersey?"

the answer is yes. And in answer to this one:

"Why even compete if you are going to have to hold back and just ride with your team?" I think the answer is because it's a team as well, and riding a bike for a living in damn cool, and you grow your reputation as a team rider by doing so, and probably for some other reasons I don't know.