ElJamoquio

Rabobank's had a climber contending for the GC, if I recall correctly, just two years ago... and they weren't the strongest team...

patentcad

Contador was sounding more conciliatory today. I don't think Lance will have the snot to BE the team leader at the Tour. I think Contador will clearly be the stronger rider, and that Lance would wind up riding support for him. If I were advising Alberto, that's what I'd tell him. I'll be astonished if Lance can be on the podium, let alone the top 5 or 10. But then Lance has had an astonishing career.

I'm convinced this is a one year deal, and that the following year Lance will be retired again. I'm sure Lance is doing this for the L.A. Foundation and the publicity, not because he is really convinced he'll win the 2009 Tour de France. If Contador plays his cards right and it unfolds the way I suspect it will, he may come out way ahead with this situation by staying put.

But the plot has thickened. The Tour de France organizers would be completely, utterly, irretrievably insane to not welcome this publicity/TV ratings tornado into the Tour de France next summer. They're stupid, but they're not THAT stupid.

Dubbayoo

I think Lance is willing to share leadership until such time as he believes he can win. If he's on the podium at Dauphine you can count on him singing a different tune. I definitely see LA getting top 5 simply because there are so few real contenders in a clean race (clean as in nobody getting caught) - Evans, Contador, Kohl, Levi, Sastre. On the second tier you've got Schleck, VdV, Menchov and Valve...all of whom get toasted by LA even at 95%.

patentcad

I think you're dreaming. This is 37 year old Lance, three years - and next year four - from his last year as the best Tour contender. We'll see. If he can carry that form into the 2009 Tour de France, it will be the most astonishing thing I've ever seen in pro bike racing. After Lance's 7 Tour victories I mean.

Dubbayoo

On New Years we wager a case of the winner's favorite beer/cola on it? I say top 5 if he starts.

patentcad

If you win I'll get you a pony.

Dubbayoo

ooh! Can I get a Shetland? I live in an apt and this place isn't big enough for two Clydesdales.

Crash716

although maybe not the strongest Rider on Astana he is almost guaranteed to be the Smartest. Do you have to be the strongest rider to be a Team leader? He is much more of a natural leader both on and off the road than just about any current rider in the Peleton.

HigherGround

They would need a Flemish rider for that.

HigherGround

Nice...

It will be interesting to see how the Tour route is designed for next year, and whether it favors climbers or time trialists.

BHBiker

Somethings got to give.....too many alpha male at Astana theres bound to be knives flying in Bruyneel's kitchen...excting!

Its a good thing Kloden decided to be part of the superdomestique furniture.....blahhh!

daytonian

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?...p08/sep24news2
nobody is talking about this guy probably because his conditioning isn't known and he wants it that way. I think many have forgotten how good (he was thinking about doping) he was in 06' Extraterrestrial Giro. If he comes back strong and the Liqui's can race, he will podium.

wfrogge

Basso has been training non-stop since his ban. Expect him to be a major player next year in the Giro

daytonian

looks like Giro this year but no tour until 2010. Weird.
Lance's off 3 yrs shaggin skanks and is hitting the TDF like a group ride.

jmilez03

Basso + Contador = unstoppable. They should go as a packaged deal to one team. How nuts would that be?

botto 

training isn't the same as racing.

gsteinb

yeah cause Contador would be more comfortable sharing leadership with Basso than Armstrong.

Skewer

Agreed. And it is in Astana's interest, Trek's interest and the LA Foundation's interest to keep Contador happy and on the team in case Lance doesn't look like he is capable of winning it. A Contador win combined with a Lance support role would still bring a lot of publicity and money to the three interests above. So look for Lance to give plenty of lip service to the shared leadership concept now and to the fact that Contador is currently the best Grand Tour racer in the world, but look for Armstrong to be ruthless in taking sole command of the team at a later date if Armstrong gets a whiff of a scenario where he could actually win. If Lance does start to believe and look like he can win, it will still be to his and Bruyneel's advantage to have Contador on their team where they have more hope of controlling him than they would have were Contador on another team.

If I was Contador right now, I wouldn't trust anything Bruyneel and Armstrong tell me, and would look for and review scenarios that would allow me to go to work for another good team as the undisputed leader. All just my humble, Thursday morning off the cuff speculation that could be completely wrong.

Dubbayoo

Well, T-Mobile had three leaders with Ullrich, Kloden, Vino and look how tha.......ohh never mind.

go1dens4

Disagree with everything about how bad lance will be and how good contador is. Racing has changed a lot in the pro tour since lance has left we had years of kids like Contador thinking they have the experience to be the leader of a team no matter what. Lance in my opinion has a great chance of podium if not winning the tour, just compare the VO2 max testing on both athletes. Lance has not been sitting around on the couch maybe not cycling as often but he did get in a few marathons at sub 3 hour pace which isn’t bad for a cyclist yet anyone. Contador should not have the right to lead any team after his cocky statements to the press about Armstrong and Levi, I use to like him but things have changed there

gsteinb

likeability is not a prereq for leading a team. Pcad thinks I'm an arsehole, but at least I'm his arsehole.

kukusz

Agreed, but for what it's worth:

"Basso – who will turn 31 in November – has already ridden 30,000km in 2007 through October.

According to his manager, ex-pro Giovanni Lombardi, Basso has often re-enacted the intensity of real-life conditions during weeklong virtual stage races replete with climbs and time trials to simulate real race speeds and recovery. "

blue_nose

More reaction from Contador:

https://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cyclin...ory?id=3610229

"If I am not happy I will change teams," the 25-year-old Spaniard said. "The team has said it has complete confidence in me, but this is a particular situation and I will have to see what happens in the coming weeks to then decide what is best for my future. Four weeks from now the situation could be completely different."