Jalopnik 
Enter your username and password.
Detroit, 6:12 AM
Mon Nov 30
14 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip your editors:
tips@jalopnik.com
Editor-in-Chief:
Ray Wert | Email | AIM
Road Test Editor:
Wes Siler | Email
Weekend Editor:
Murilee Martin | Email
Associate Editor - Houston:
Matt Hardigree
Associate Editor - Detroit:
Ben Wojdyla
Editor-at-Large:
Mike Spinelli
Contributors:
Mark Arnold
John Krewson | Email
Andy Didorosi
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
07/29/09
Villeneuve will fill in for the Stig and the Stig will take over for Massa
so it is written, so it shall be done!
07/29/09
Contador couldn't have done it without his team. Without Contador, Astana could've backed Lance for the win.
Contador is the better rider, for sure. No doubt. Lance has a stronger will and determination. Who will win next year? It's gonna be interesting for sure. Atleast there is some drama back in the tour. It's been gone for a while.
07/28/09
07/28/09
07/28/09
07/28/09
07/29/09
Peter if Kimi can get 3rd Shumi can certainly drive at least as well as that.
You probably should also have mentioned Henry Surtees who died the week end before in a similar acident in a GP2 race
07/29/09
The Spaniards want to see Alonso,
Valencia want to keep attendance high and the GP in the future,
Renault have a race ban,
Massa is injured,
Schumi is comfortable with his retirement,
Ferrari have always wanted Alonso,
It's the weekend,
There's a new Ferrari road car,
Krewson is the new Jalopnik Deputy Editor,
And
Nascar's getting the ugliest Mustang ever.
See? The signs line up perfectly!
07/28/09
Nah. Michael looked at his face and decided he'd go to something more suited to his nature and his name.
07/28/09
A) That's what the reserve drivers are for.
B) Schumacher isn't going to want to race against his buddy Ross Brawn's team. Schumacher acknowledges that without Brawn's strategies he wouldn't have been nearly as successful as he was.
07/28/09
tl:dr Kimi is on a roll and make sure you keep making it work.
07/28/09
07/28/09
I think we're missing the obvious pick.
07/28/09
During the last GP they showed a video of him driving around (slowly) in his 908 Race Car in his home town in Catalunya and parking it in the service area of the local Peugeot dealer, a bit like a parade but on open roads.
07/28/09
07/28/09
I don't think that is entirely a fair comparison. Contador went on a solo attack despite team orders and put the team in a position where they had to live with him as team leader. Those close to cycling knows, whoever is in the lead and has a chance to win is the leader and the entire team works to see that person on the top podium step at the conclusion of the race.
Contador is young and impatient. He simply couldn't wait until later in the tour for Johan Bruyneel to give the green light. He charged off for his own personal glory out of pride, vanity and selfishness. And after that, the team could've just said "f you", instead they worked for him and saw him to the finish.
Now, instead acting like a gracious champion and thank the team (even if he doesn't feel like it) he is out there on the press circuit talking trash. This will not be taken lightly in the world of professional cycling and the effects will be glaring come next season. Contador is sowing his own demise.
In contrast, Schummi is a great champion who thanked everyone responsible for his success every chance he got.
Contador on the other hand, is just a douche and a half.
07/28/09
07/28/09
You guys have misread what I said. I never doubted Contador's ability to win over Lance. In professional cycling, when you have more than one strong contender on the team (this wasn't the first time), the team manager usually pick the man at a particular time to take charge. I can't say who Bruyneel would've picked, but being a professional and an expert in the sport, Bruyneel would not have picked Lance over Contador if the latter proved himself to be the better rider. After all, a win for Contador, is also a win for Bruyneel. Bruyneel would not back a loser solely on past history or friendship. My point is that Contador's solo attack forced Bruyneel and the rest of the team to stick to a certain script sooner than they had wanted. What other plans they had in mind, we will never know. Compare this to the year when LeMond (the often overlooked star who probably did more for American cycling than Lance) was told to slow down so his weaker, French teammate (Hinault) could win. That's one issue.
The main issue is Contador's behavior is far inferior to Schummacher as a team member and champion. In the case of the tour, it is not an individual sport. This is not your Sunday morning cycling club race. It's a team effort. It took a team to give Contador the title. Think of how the team decimated the field in the team time trial. He would've had a harder time if Astana had flunked that stage. The stunt he is pulling right now is not fit for a true champion of the Tour de France. But a nervous, insecure man who thinks it's all about him.
As for Lance being an asshole, well... we can all be assholes when we want to, but that's besides the point. I'm neither a hater or lover of Lance. What I've written is about Contador's character and worthiness as champion in comparison to Schumacher.
07/28/09
P.S. This typo ridden article provides some good points/insight regarding Contador.
http://tour-de-france.velonews.com/article/96116/where-will-contador-land
07/28/09
(swooning)
07/28/09
07/28/09
Contador is a climbing machine. Armstrong didn't have the the legs to keep up on one climb on one stage and then did everything he could to help his teammate win while standing on the podium himself. It is a fine balance and one he performed beautifully.
07/28/09
Not saying I don't enjoy watching the guy race, but like Jordan in the 45 or Favre in NY it just wouldn't be the same.