[spookyload]

Apparently he isn't happy with Bert. Though he didn't call him a spoiled brat in the article...I think he was inferring him.

"Despite Sastre being outside of Tour contention, Contador attempted to prevent him attacking the peloton when Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel – Euskadi) had a nasty fall yesterday. The setup of Sastre’s move was already in progress at the time of the accident with Ignatas Konovalovas already dropping out of the lead group to pace the former winner, so he remained committed to the attack."

“I think we’re turning cycling into a sport for spoilt brats and that is what happens in these kinds of circumstances,” he said.

 

[Alaska Mike]

Attacking a disabled yellow jersey and attacking a disabled contender are two different things.

Contador was being trying to mend some fences with the fans by doing something that wasn't appropriate.

 

[Salsa_Lover]

Attacking a disabled yellow jersey and attacking a disabled contender are two different things.

Contador was being trying to mend some fences with the fans by doing something that wasn't appropriate.

why are they different ? please explain

 

[Alaska Mike]

Well, stopping for everyone in the GC top 20 would have made for a very long Tour this time around. At last count there were 171 riders in the race, 170 of whom aren't wearing the jersey. The wearer should be afforded some respect.

Taking the jersey because of a mechanical, psycho fan, or... well that's just different than if you took it for being the better/stronger/smarter rider. At least in my mind it is. While luck plays a role here, I still want the best rider to win.

 

[den bakker]

Well, stopping for everyone in the GC top 20

he was on the podium at the time (well still is as of today).

 

[Coolhand]

Sastre's the prat here. Ran his mouth last year, and his team had to make him apologize.

This year he does nothing but get dropped when it matters, as usual.

He had already tried going up the road and was easily brought back. Once Astana sat up on hearing of the crash (possible caused by a team car- all the more reason to wait) he attacked again explicitly knowing why Astana wasn't pulling.

Of course in the end, he got nothing but dropped later when it mattered (wonder if that why he took his earpiece out- so his DS couldn't yell at him anymore for his stupid attack).

Conty was absolutely right to hold the group back, and not to sprint at the top- he clearly has learned from the past. Tip of the cap to him. :thumbsup:

 

[ArkRider]

Apparently he isn't happy with Bert. Though he didn't call him a spoiled brat in the article...I think he was inferring him.

"Despite Sastre being outside of Tour contention, Contador attempted to prevent him attacking the peloton when Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel – Euskadi) had a nasty fall yesterday. The setup of Sastre’s move was already in progress at the time of the accident with Ignatas Konovalovas already dropping out of the lead group to pace the former winner, so he remained committed to the attack."

“I think we’re turning cycling into a sport for spoilt brats and that is what happens in these kinds of circumstances,” he said.

Another take would be that Contador wasn't the one crying that nobody waited for him when he had problems. So the spoiled brat comment may not have been made directly at him. More likely directed towards riders in general calling for the "fair play" wait.

 

[jptaylorsg]

I don't think Contador was wrong in either instance, but Sastre is hardly the only rider who mentioned that there was an awful lot of talking about waiting on fallen/disabled riders in this tour, and that maybe it should be shelved. He just said it more explicitly than some others.

As for spoilt brats, I'm sure he's just talking about the general attitude in the peleton that seems to have infused this race.

 

[JohnHenry]

I don't think Contador was wrong in either instance, but Sastre is hardly the only rider who mentioned that there was an awful lot of talking about waiting on fallen/disabled riders in this tour, and that maybe it should be shelved. He just said it more explicitly than some others.

As for spoilt brats, I'm sure he's just talking about the general attitude in the peleton that seems to have infused this race.

agree.

 

[gh1]

Sastre is just unhappy to see his career end. Heck, any of us would be sad to see it all gone. He should have listened to someone, his attack was stupid and only accomplished getting his named mentioned on the broadcast but not in a positive light. Its actually a bit sad.

 

[jptaylorsg]

Sastre is just unhappy to see his career end. Heck, any of us would be sad to see it all gone. He should have listened to someone, his attack was stupid and only accomplished getting his named mentioned on the broadcast but not in a positive light. Its actually a bit sad.

I don't know. I doubt it was necessarily his intention, but his attack did get him a lot of TV time, which his sponsor probably appreciated. Considering his GC hopes were basically moot, I don't see where he lost anything. He probably gained by getting solo TV time as opposed to riding all day in the peleton and then doing the climb in a group of riders.

 

[zipptrek]

I think if they waited for Samy, they should have waited for LA too when he crashed.
I thought he deserved more respect than that as a 7 time tour winner and he is a strong supporter of waiting for fallen riders. IE Ulrich

 

[gh1]

I think if they waited for Samy, they should have waited for LA too when he crashed.
I thought he deserved more respect than that as a 7 time tour winner and he is a strong supporter of waiting for fallen riders. IE Ulrich

Oh please, can we just move on about LA? The guy wasnt going to do squat this year, let it go. I though this thread was about the tour and not another poor LA thread. So freaking tired of that.

 

[Salsa_Lover]

LA who ?

 

[LesDiablesRouges]

Sastre is just unhappy to see his career end. Heck, any of us would be sad to see it all gone. He should have listened to someone, his attack was stupid and only accomplished getting his named mentioned on the broadcast but not in a positive light. Its actually a bit sad.

C'mon now you seriously believe his attack was stupid simply becasue it failed? He's the only who showed any guts outside of the early breakway guys, injured guys on that stage and Sanchez.

The tour has become boring in terms of the GC because the tactics are always the same. Neutralize the peleton and increase the pace on the last climb by using your climbing mules to set a tempo to blow up the field and then try to outclimb those who don't blow out. Repeat ad nauseum

Contador yet again was in the wrong ...

 

[jptaylorsg]

Contador yet again was in the wrong ...

While your other points may or may not be correct, this one is a bit off the mark. Contador slowed HIS team. Astana was driving the peleton, and he was waving to the Astana riders to slow up a bit. I didn't see him try to tackle Sastre, and the other teams were within their rights to take the pacemaking and drive the peleton if they had wanted to. It's not like he took a police car and started driving in a crossways pattern in front of the whole bike race.

 

[bas]

Attacking a disabled yellow jersey and attacking a disabled contender are two different things.

Contador was being trying to mend some fences with the fans by doing something that wasn't appropriate.

attacking another spaniard is very bad.

a luxemburger or italian is OK

 

[Alaska Mike]

A couple of things about slowing the peloton to wait in this year's Tour.

The instance where Fabian slowed for all of the fallen riders was a classy move IMHO, because that stage was a complete junk show- and very early in the Tour.

Not slowing for Contador on the cobbles? Well, he wasn't in yellow at the time and wasn't having an obvious mechanical issue. Given his reputed lack of skills on the cobbles, him losing time in the Vino group to a group driven by a classics winner, well that was expected. Not waiting for Lance on the same stage? Again, no yellow jersey so no break in the action. Everyone knew that there would be a big split on that day, prepared for it, and rode it as best they could. Unlike the junk show stage, the hazards were known.

As for the rest, I really only think not attacking during nature breaks and during obvious yellow jersey mechanical issues are justified. Bonking and other failures of the body are just part of the Tour.

The whole issue with Contador sitting up on the Toumalet was just smart politics. Essentially wheel sucking your way up the mountain (there were a couple attacks there by AC) and then stealing the stage may be smart racing, but it wouldn't win any fans. Alberto had to hear the boos on the podium when he took the jersey, so he must have been hyper-sensitive to how his actions were perceived once he was in yellow.

 

[ultimobici]

A couple of things about slowing the peloton to wait in this year's Tour.

The instance where Fabian slowed for all of the fallen riders was a classy move IMHO, because that stage was a complete junk show- and very early in the Tour.

Not slowing for Contador on the cobbles? Well, he wasn't in yellow at the time and wasn't having an obvious mechanical issue. Given his reputed lack of skills on the cobbles, him losing time in the Vino group to a group driven by a classics winner, well that was expected. Not waiting for Lance on the same stage? Again, no yellow jersey so no break in the action. Everyone knew that there would be a big split on that day, prepared for it, and rode it as best they could. Unlike the junk show stage, the hazards were known.

As for the rest, I really only think not attacking during nature breaks and during obvious yellow jersey mechanical issues are justified. Bonking and other failures of the body are just part of the Tour.

The whole issue with Contador sitting up on the Toumalet was just smart politics. Essentially wheel sucking your way up the mountain (there were a couple attacks there by AC) and then stealing the stage may be smart racing, but it wouldn't win any fans. Alberto had to hear the boos on the podium when he took the jersey, so he must have been hyper-sensitive to how his actions were perceived once he was in yellow.

Why is Chavanel not worthy of being waited for? Seem to remember him wearing Yellow on the cobbles and flatting twice. No one applied the "gentleman's agreement" then and no one bleated about it afterwards either. It's a race FFS. As long as a rider doesn't attack because of a mechanical affecting the Yellow Jersey or a direct rival it's all good.

 

[Salsa_Lover]

But Andy didn't had a "mechanical" it was operator's error, the better bike handlers could go on. he not.