Contador and/or Armstrong?

On September 23rd, VeloNews.com posted the following article:

“Contador hesitant to ride with Armstrong” at http://www.velonews.com/article/83526/contador-hesitant-to-ride-with-armstrong.

My response to this article:

Dear Velonews,

 

Your article on Contador’s reaction to the Armstrong comeback and his feelings towards Leipheimer confirmed a number of things, most of which is that an Armstrong return to Astana next year would not be a good thing. I hate to say it, because I am a fan of Armstrong, Contador and Leipheimer, but this is beginning to sound like La Vie Claire (1986) all over again.

 

I will say first and foremost that I have long been an Armstrong fan, and I enjoyed every bit of his dominant career.  I celebrated his success in a way that I reserve for only my absolute favorite athletes.  While I was disappointed when he retired, I knew that it was the right time, and he was truly leaving on top, with absolutely nothing left to prove to the cycling world.  He carved out a legacy that is comparable perhaps only to Eddy Merckx himself, and will remain not just a champion in the cycling world, but in mainstream sports as well.

 

When he left, like many fans, I spent time trying to find a new hero to embrace.  Obviously, the attempt to accept Landis fell flat, and while I still root for George Hincapie whenever I can, he never was able to fill Armstrong’s shoes.  I came to embrace Leipheimer as the latest American hope, and for the most part, he has filled in the role admirably.  While he has not won the Tour, he has proven himself to be a highly capable rider, perhaps the 2nd best in the world, and worthy of acclaim.

 

Alberto Contador is easy to root for, even from an American standpoint.  He is a champion, and by most standards, the best in the world at what he does.  He essentially has taken Armstrong’s place as leader of his team, and followed the same model (and management) to all three of his Grand Tour wins.  He is someone who I can root for, and am interested in seeing fulfill a legacy of his own over the next several years.  I was angry when he couldn’t defend his title, and I felt then, as I do now, that Sastre’s victory was only due to the absence of Astana.  The race would have been ridden differently, and while I praise Sastre for victory, it was hollow in nature, without the best field being present.

 

Re-enter Armstrong now, and the whole cycling world, as I know, has become skewed. This is complicated, because Armstrong will always be Armstrong, but time has now passed him by.  Much like when Michael Jordan returned to basketball with the Washington Wizards, the sport has changed.  There are new superstars, and as time has gone on, he was not the same athlete as he was in his heyday.  He earned his rings, and had nothing left to prove, while newer, younger stars were still searching for their career-defining moments. I feel as though this is now Contador’s (and Leipheimer’s) team, and as hard as it is for me to say it, Armstrong really doesn’t have a place in it any more. Obviously, he has nothing to benefit from coming back to try and win more minor races, unless he wanted to be a leader for the Giro or Vuelta, but having won all three Grand Tours, it is clear that winning the Tour now should be the annual goal of Alberto Contador. The best rider should always deserve to fight for the top prize, and I hope that he can do so on the best team.  He has a team that is the strongest in the stage races, and he has youth and strength on his side.  Bruyneel (and Astana) have a firm foundation to support him, while maintaining secondary options for lower placings, should he falter (Leipheimer & Kloeden). Armstrong returning complicates this by putting Bruyneel in a tough spot.  You don’t want to see Armstrong working on another team, but given that he probably only has a season or two left anyways, why disrupt a strong team chemistry, and pushing the best rider out the door.

 

While I was gratified by Contador’s initial remarks of being gracious towards Armstrong, I do understand his more recent confession that he doesn’t want to ride with him.  I feel like in all reality he has earned that right, the right to have a champion’s ego, and be able to ride for himself.  After all, he is the leader of the best team in the world, and shouldn’t have to sidestep for anyone. I just don’t see this whole comeback thing ending well for anyone.

 

I would like to address his remarks towards Leipheimer, though.  I feel like it may be selfish of Contador to imply that Leipheimer didn’t work for him.  I thought that Levi was clear in putting Contador above him and his personal ambitions.  The fact that the finishes were so close were indicative of his performances in the time trials, where Levi had tremendous form.  Contador took time out in the mountains, and Levi neither attacked him, nor led his competitors back up to him.  Levi clearly had tremendous form, and whether he was 46 seconds back, or 1 second back, I felt as if he did his job.  Had something happened to Contador, Astana still would have been in line to win. 

 

I do feel Contador’s frustration, and I only hope that this ends well.  American cycling is still alive and well, and even when Contador wins on Astana, I still feel as though it is a win for American, in that Bruyneel’s teams will continue to have the same look/feel as when they were Discovery/USPS…America’s team.

 

Maybe these views aren’t popular.  It is clear to me that Leipheimer will never win the Tour, but can continue to finish close behind his captain in the biggest races.  An ideal situation would be for Astana to support Contador for the Tour, and let Levi captain the Vuelta squad, while riding second fiddle in July.  In the mountains, Contador rules, while Levi rides for himself in the time trials.  Astana finishes with two riders highly placed.  Armstrong needs to either re-think his sporting ambitions, or find another team….Garmin Chipotle? Columbia?  I have low expectations for what he can truly achieve in a 38 year old comeback, and while I would celebrate success, very little would surprise me, either.

 

I hope that Bruyneel can manage perhaps the most difficult challenge of his career, and maintain superiority over the world of cycling without having a family crumble from within.