Armstrong: Contador feud affected team
Eurosport - Sat, 29 Aug 20:09:00 2009
Lance Armstrong has lifted the lid on the internal tension in the Astana team during the Tour de France, centring on his rivalry with Alberto Contador.
In an exclusive interview with Eurosport, seven-times Tour winner Armstrong revealed the extent of the rift, which affected the entire team during the three-week race.
The American said: "I think there was certainly a real tension. It was not only tension between myself and (Contador). I mean other people were involved in the tensions and there were quiet dinner tables more than once.
"It's not anything that's I've ever experienced before but we did our job, and it ended up being OK."
Contador, the eventual race-winner, went into the Tour as de facto team leader, but was unhappy at Armstrong's apparent refusal to defer to him, and his determination to challenge for the yellow jersey.
The Spaniard proved too strong for the 37-year-old Armstrong, who finished third on the podium, with Andy Schleck splitting the two Astana riders.
After the race, Contador said his relationship with Armstrong was "zero" and added: "The days in the hotel were harder than those on the road."
However, Armstrong pointed out that conflict did not affect the team's results, with the German Andreas Kloden making it three Astana riders in the top six.
Going in everybody thought that it was an impossible recipe, an impossible combination but in fact it wasn't: if things would have been a little bit different, I think that there is a strong possibility that we could have 3 riders in the top 3!
Hopes of an Astana one-two-three faded on stage 17, when Kloden was dropped by a Contador attack - a move for which sporting director Johan Bruyneel criticised the Spaniard.
Armstrong credited his long-time team boss Bruyneel, who will leave Astana with the American at the end of the year to join the newly-formed Radio Shack team.
"I think that the main issue is that Bruyneel is smart, that Bruyneel knows how to manage the team, the tactics and conserve the energy that we need to, but also blow apart the race," Armstrong said.
Although he is creeping closer to 40, he is clear about his main objective for 2010: "My goal is to win the Tour.
"I will go in confident but also I will go in knowing realistically that (Contador) is very good. But I think in the same time there are two things: number one I will be better next year than I was this year because of the season under my belt, the Giro, the Tour, all of the training, all of the others races will help me next year.
"And there are other things that can improve for the next year if we look at the training side of things; we looked at technical aspects with the bike, the position and other aspects. All of those things can improve.
"I don't know if I will be good enough to beat Alberto but I'll try."
Watch the entire Lance Armstrong interview on British Eurosport at 18:00 UK time on Saturday, August 29.
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Comment 17 - 36 of 36
the FISH, pay more attention to what i wrote. I referred the LA from the early 2000's, the best LA. Of course, LA wasn't in the same condition in all his 7 victories. It´s different to be 28 or 34 years old, like he was in 2005. It's normal that LA recognizes AC could have beaten him in 2005 for example, as he wasn't already at his top.
Simply, young LA would beat AC.
Wonder where will AC at mid 30's, not to mention late 30's..
vitor_bg_cruz - interesting, cuz even LA said AC would have beaten him three of his seven years.
sooo...ummmm.....yeah......might wanna dial that down a tad :)
cheers derbytrading..............the book will be out on the shelves no doubt pre TDF 2010 :)
LA frontal as ever! Sir Lance is an intelligent guy, very direct and of course a great cyclist. That's why he has so many fans.
AC fans, AC is at the top of his game. He had and has the obligation to beat the "old" LA whose greatest years are gonne. Still he was 3rd is TdF whuch is a great achievement. Believe me, the LA from early 2000's would kick AC's arse.
ALL THE WAY WITH LA!!
JT, I like that. Funny stuff.
This article sounds like an attempt at revisionist history. Admittedly, my knowledge of the allegations are all third-hand, but didn't Lance strand Alberto by taking the last team car and intercept a water bottle intended for Alberto? Lance doesn't address those alleged events and the interviewer doesn't ask?! This is Lance trying to talk like a gracious grand champion because his legs cannot do the talking, and his ego can't admit that he's no longer the best.
it seems everyone is just talking about LA and AC but in all honesty Bruyneel should have been more professional and could have handled the situation better irrespective of his relationship with LA at the end of the day a teams attitude is reflected by it's leader and it's leader was bruyneel............this is the kind of stuff you see on a kids football team where the dad will favour his son because it's his son and not what is best for the team...............i'm new to cycling and this was my first TDF and leading up to and during the race it was clear that Astana was going to have internal probs at the end of the day LA has achieved phenominal goals but there comes a time when you need to realise that the young guys are going to be snapping at your heels and maybe there comes a time when you need to accept who is the better team leader for the race you'll be competing in I think he probably forgets what he was like as a 26 yr old up and coming cyclist who was hungry for victory. I admire LA for his personal and cycling achievements but perhaps he should write another book with the title "it's about lance" as opposed to "it's not about the bike"
I don't see any sour grapes there. I'm not a big LA fan, but he didn't throw Contador under a bus and admitted to the tension in the team. Hats off to Mr. Armstrong. He's not faking the team player stuff any more while still being positive about the team results.
was this article even necessary?? there is nothing in there that anyone following the tour didn't know... thanks for wasting my time Vincent...
The picture in the article says it all.
Some of the problems these people have!
Sour grapes for the American LA. Cannot he keep his mouth shut for once?! And Can Somebody Please tell him is OVER.
Could someone please post a list of all the occasions during the tour that the 'team' helped Contador win.
Good to see wendy.kay25 putting forward a valid arguement as usual!!! lol
Armstrong acted like a child who couldn’t get his way. Despite all of the evidence suggesting Astana should throw their weight behind Contador, he incessantly pursued his own agenda. By the time of conceding to Alberto’s superiority, the team already had fractures.
Created and inflamed by one man‘s ego, the infighting was utterly pointless. I have no great problem with Armstrong, but he really did show himself up.
Lance only talks.
Contador just rides.
Yes Contador is amazing in the mountains, but I think a lot depends on what teammates he has with him next year (whether Astana or not) to support him. If Levi or Klodden goes to R.Shack he might struggle.. yes he’s great in the mountains but not sure how well he’ll go when GC riders, especially from the same team, attack him from a long way out over a few true mountain stages with several hard climbs.. This year he had the team to help him deal with any of these type scenarios, next year am not sure how strong his team will be..
Anyway whatever happens if there are some good mountain stages it should be a great race… and may the best man and team win.. and although not a LA fan am I do admire his desire to at least wanting to challenge the best in AC…
My wildcard for big tour success next year is V.Nibali … this guy can climb with the best, TT and descend well
SURELY LANCE IS TO BLAME HIMSELF AS HE KNEW THAT CONTADOR WAS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM HAVING ONE A TOUR DE FRANCE AND NOT BEEN ABLE TO COMPETE THE FOLLOWING YEAR, THEREFORE WOULD NEED TO WIN AGAIN MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, SURPRISE LANCE STILL CHOSE TO RIDE IN HIS TEAM. I LIKE THE TEXAN BUT HIS CHOICE OF TEAM WAS POOR AND NOT FROM A PROFESSIONAL OF HIS KIND.
IS CONTADOR REALLY CLEAN? HIS PERFORMANCE DID NOT LOOKED STRANGE TO ME, KNOWING THAT HE WILL FIGHT ARMSTRONG BUT WHO KNOWS?
Ie lance don`t want tension he should try losing the mind games within the team I think he should retire @ the end of the season I would not like to see him becom e another Chris moreaa (slowley fading back into the peleton) the peleton has moved on since discovery,racing is more open and the better for it
There is not much difference between Armstrong and Contador, they are both taking drugs (which is nothing special because everybody takes it), the only difference is that Contador is just a very stupid man (1. that finish when Frank won, and he was acting like he wanted to win in last meters, 2. when he dropped off Kloeden).
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