Contador vs. Armstrong

The month of July was glorious thanks to Lance returning to the Tour de France and the exceptional coverage provided by Versus TV. Their Race Tracker was spot on for giving me everything I could want out of the race. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

One of the interesting dramas that played out both on the road and in the press was the tension between Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador. (This Yahoo Sports article sums it up if you don’t know what I’m talking about.) I know that there were two big egos at play and this rivalry/tension/whatever-you-want-to-call-it, but was it nothing more than that? There was something in the back of my head telling me that there was more.

Everything I heard, or read from Lance during the Tour that seemed negative towards Contador, including his post-Tour Tweets, centered around teamwork. Even on the podium, when Astana won the overall team victory, you can see Lance is surrounded by the team, whereas Contador is off on the end.

Then I got the e-mail newsletter from Livestrong.com that provided the “other shoe” that I was looking for. From Chris Carmichael’s wrap-up:

He may not have the same leadership style as Armstrong, but for the moment he has the strength to win anyway. If there’s an improvement for Contador to make, it’s in his ability to marshal the efforts of his teammates and create an environment within his team that breeds unity and loyalty.

So their conflict did center around teamwork. Sure there were too many cooks in the kitchen, but Armstrong played the supportive role of a teammate when Contador needed it, which shows that this wasn’t all about Lance. Contador can’t say the same thing. A perfect example is Lance’s compliments of this year’s performance.

“Contador is that good, so I don’t see how I would have been higher than that, even in the other years,” said Armstrong, who won the Tour seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005 before retiring. “I think his performance this year would have beaten my performances in ’01 and ’04 and ’05.”

Of course I don’t see this rivalry as a bad thing. Quite the opposite. I think the 2010 Tour de France is going to be epic! Lance will be riding with his new team Team Radio Shack and the powerhouse juggernaut support team that he’s built up over the last decade. Contador’s future is not so clear.

As of this writing, it’s unclear which team he will be riding for. I believe he still has a year on his contract with Astana, but it’s expected that most of the team will go with Lance. So even if he stays with Astana, it would be in name only. Couple that with the fact that both of his Tour wins have come under the supervision of Johan Bruyneel and, at least according to Wikipedia, “Contador dropped out of school at the age of 15 and has very little education” and I see Contador’s assets getting more and more diminished.

However it plays out, I can’t wait for it to play out at the 2010 Tour de France. An epic rivalry at an epic sporting event, with epic coverage courtesy of Versus means nothing but “Epic win” in my book any day. I get giddy with excitement just thinking about it!

919 days ago • bicycling • Tags: armstrong, cycling, tour de france

A Good Example Of Why I Read Martin Dugard

Mike Rohde turned me onto Martin Dugard last year when he was blogging for the Tour de France. It was one of the highlights of following “Le Tour” tour and lucky for me, Dugard found the blogging experience a positive one and decided to continue blogging on his own once the tour was complete. So for the past year or so, I’ve greatly enjoyed his blog at http://www.martindugard.com/.

The chief reason that I’ve enjoyed reading Dugard’s blog is his writing style. It’s almost effortless and yet it inspires me to push harder and do better. Granted, I haven’t put my butt in the saddle yet as a result of reading his pity prose, but it has bolstered me to do better in work and in the general sense of my day.

Last week Martin had an article that particularly inspired me. It’s entitled “Boston – Roubaix” and I encourage you to take a moment to read it — it’s a good one.

Enjoy!

1748 days ago • bicycling

2006 Jack & Back

11th Annual Jack Daniel's Bike to Jack & Back This weekend, I am going to ride in the 11th Annual Jack Daniel’s “Bike to Jack & Back”. It’s a 150 mile bike ride to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis.

Luckily, I’m not doing this alone. I am on a team called “KC Cruisers” and we’re riding for Kathleen Cullen, a friend who works for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, who was diagnosed with MS about 13 years ago. She’s unable to ride, so we’re riding on her behalf and I need your help.

Obviously the purpose of the ride is to raise money, so I’m asking everyone who reads my blog to make a small donation. Believe it or not, even a small $5 donation is a big help and is greatly appreciated. The only catch, is that it has to be done this week. All you have to do is go to this link and select the “Sponsor Me” image on the right side of the page. From there you can make your pledge online without having to create an account or do anything fancy. What’s nice, is that you can also post a message that will appear on my sponsorship site.

1951 days ago • bicycling

I Need Your Donation Today

11th Annual Jack Daniel's Bike to Jack & Back Tomorrow, Holly and I are going to ride our bikes in the 11th Annual Jack Daniel’s “Bike to Jack & Back”. It’s a 150 mile bike ride to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. I am on a team called “Katie’s Cruisers” and we’re riding for Kathleen Cullen, a friend who works for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, who was diagnosed with MS about 12 years ago. She’s unable to ride, so we’re riding on her behalf and I need your help.

Obviously the purpose of the ride is to raise money, so I’m asking everyone who reads my blog to make a small donation. Believe it or not, even a small $5 donation is a big help and is greatly appreciated. The only catch, is that it has to be done today. All you have to do is go to this link and select the “Sponsor Me” image on the right side of the page. From there you can make your pledge online without having to create an account or do anything fancy. What’s nice, is that you can also post a message that will appear on my sponsorship site.

I know that with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, there’s a been a great deal of charity fund-raising that has probably left most of us feeling tapped out. I know that I feel that way personally, but I would encourage you, if at all possible to make a donation that you feel you can afford. $5 really can make a difference and every little bit helps. Thank you.

2318 days ago • bicycling

I’m Off To BRAT!

I know that I haven’t written in awhile, but September has been a very busy month. In addition to work and new projects, I’ve been preparing for the Jack Daniels’ MS 150 “Jack & Back” and in a few minutes, I’ll be heading out for the 2006 Bicycle Ride Around Tennessee (BRAT).

This is my second year riding BRAT and this year we will begin at Harrison Bay State Park in Chattanooga and follow along the Cumberland Trail. This year’s ride will overnight at four State Parks and two rural towns. Riders can expect lots of fantastic scenery as they dart in and out of the beautiful Sequatchie Valley while following near the Cumberland Trail. Suffice to say this year’s ride is going to be H i L l Y.

I’ll be gone for a week, but I’m hopeful that I can post a few updates and, dare I say, maybe even a travelogue as I make my way around southeastern Tennessee. Until then, please feel free to make a pledge for my ride on the “Jack & Back” at this link and I’ll see you when I get back next weekend.

2331 days ago • bicycling

My 10-Mile Ride

A map showing where my home is in relationship to downtown Nashville. With Spring in full bloom here in Nashville, my passion for cycling can finally flourish. After doing a mini-tune up and finding all my gear, it was time to fine tune my body and knock off some of the cobwebs after a winter of being sedentary. So for my first few rides, I’ve turned to my default route – the 10-mile loop. With the past few routes that I’ve posted, such as the Duck River Rendezvous, I thought it might be fun to document some of everyday rides.

The 10-Mile loop is a ride a discovered after moving into our home a few years ago. I was looking for a loop that could give me a decent mileage and also provide a little challenge along the way. After riding and driving around one week, I stumbled upon this route and it’s been my go to route ever since. Being just at 10 miles, it’s easy to accomplish in an hour, but you’ll definitely get a workout along the way.

There are several steep hills along the route which offer a challenge for those looking for hills. The first climb is a fairly small, low grade that’s a little deceptive. It starts just after the school and continues around the corner of Blue Hole onto Pettus. It’s not a hard hill per se, but when your legs haven’t had a chance to warm up, it can be a bit of a bear. There’s also a couple of friendly dogs that sometimes give chase to help crank up your adrenaline at this point too.

Once you turn left onto Old Hickory, there’s a nice downhill to provide a pay off for your climb, but once at the bottom, there’s a slight grade all the way to a nice “pop” of a hill after the turn onto Clubertson. You definitely come out of the saddle for this small climb, but once on top, you’re greeted with a nice twisty descent that snakes down to Mill Creek.

This is one of the best parts of the route. The road hugs Mill Creek and in the mornings it’s not uncommon to find ducks and other small birds welcoming the morning with a brisk bath. There’s only one small “pop” of a hill on this road, so it makes for a nice leisurely ride all the way till you get to Nolensville road.

2488 days ago • bicycling

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