# Contador to Garmin?!?!?!?!?!?!



## Rosicky (Mar 30, 2005)

There were rumours in Germany last week that Contador would switch to Garmin should Astana stop.At that time everybody thought it was just a rumour but now I read this:

http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/2009/06/23/lances-team-in-turmoil/


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## bmxhacksaw (Mar 26, 2008)

This Tour is going to be anything but boring.


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## loudog (Jul 22, 2008)

agreed. it will be quite the soap opera.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

Key phrase:



> but was at the same time also quietly talking with Garmin-Slipstream about switching teams *should Astana default on his contract*.


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## 3rensho (Aug 26, 2003)

Too bad Astana made good. It'd make for an epic battle and great viewing. Still hoping for some fireworks anyway. La Vie Claire revisited. I believe in this scenario it'd be LA that'd go down and have Contador forced to wait for him. I know, radios make this sort of impossible but perhaps on one of the two 'wire-less' stages............


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## JSummers (Nov 21, 2008)

hide and watch, we will see who the water boy is going to be


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## JayZee (Sep 3, 2008)

It makes you wonder whether both Contador and LA were hoping that the Kazakhs didn't come up with the money. It would have been great to see Contador go to Garmin. The battle with Astana would be awesome. Garmin could really use someone like him, no offense to CVV who I really like, but is not in the same league with Contador (in my opinion). Garmin needs to do something to get the hype cranking again.


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## SlowBikeRacer (Nov 7, 2005)

1/2 an Astana Team is still better then a full Garmin Team...

Just wait till Vino comes back.


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

The minute they ask Conti to come back to the car for bottles will be the minute he quits.


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## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

This may come as a shocker but he was shopping himself to more than Garmin...


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## masterken911 (Jun 17, 2009)

contador should go to liquidgas with basso and parazotti as his super-domestiques:thumbsup:


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Personally, I think the Tour will go off without a hitch for Astana or Contador, and all this pseudo-drama is much ado about nothing.


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## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

Let the DRAMA & PSEUDO-DRAMA begin!!!


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## shirt (Nov 13, 2001)

What's the difference?


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## KenS (Jan 28, 2004)

Contador should have been shopping with Saxobank. Think about the Schleck brothers and that trio operating in the high mountains.


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## CabDoctor (Jun 11, 2005)

Contador should have gone to Rock Racing


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

Contador to Caisse d'Epargne is the only move that would make sense. They have lots of quality riders but no GC chief (sorry Valv and Pierero). Of course there is the ethnic angle too.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

mohair_chair said:


> Personally, I think the Tour will go off without a hitch for Astana or Contador, and all this pseudo-drama is much ado about nothing.


But we're bored!


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

geez what a non-story. can't blame the guy for keeping his options open, given that it looked like his paycheck might stop showing up.


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## Nick29 (Aug 3, 2008)

mohair_chair said:


> Personally, I think the Tour will go off without a hitch for Astana or Contador, and all this pseudo-drama is much ado about nothing.


I think the same thing. Bruyneel is a very good manager, and it just doesn't make sense that he would allow all this public drama. There's got to be more (or less?) to the story than it seems.


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## giovanni sartori (Feb 5, 2004)

Cycling Weekly posted a bit about the Contador to Garmin link and claimed there isn't any truth to the rumour that they were in talks but when Teo chimes in I have to wonder...


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

mohair_chair said:


> Personally, I think the Tour will go off without a hitch for Astana or Contador, and all this pseudo-drama is much ado about nothing.


I agree completely. This is likely nothing more than planned "leaks" to hype the tour. It all presupposes that we are dumb enough to believe that Bruyneel doesn't know how to put a team together to win a TDF. I'm guessing that they will want the other teams to believe in this rife right up till stage 11 or so. Expect some great acting early!


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## WeakMite (Feb 20, 2005)

mohair_chair said:


> Personally, I think the Tour will go off without a hitch for Astana or Contador, and all this pseudo-drama is much ado about nothing.


Yep... stages 6 and 7 are uphill finishes. By the end of the first week Astana will likely be all sorted out.


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## Tugboat (Jul 17, 2006)

When I saw the Astana line-up for the Tour my first thought was "too many chiefs... not enough indians".


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Tugboat said:


> When I saw the Astana line-up for the Tour my first thought was "too many chiefs... not enough indians".


. 

Klöden and Leipheimer are lieutenants. Lance is the protected rider and Alberto is the leader. That's a lot of good domestiques right there. 


As far as the story goes, I think Astana are really playing the media. With so much drama going on, if it's true, someone's gonna get a stern f bomb for making so much noise. Planned drama? Could very well be.


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## TiBike (Aug 2, 2004)

*My thoughts exactly...*



SwiftSolo said:


> I agree completely. This is likely nothing more than planned "leaks" to hype the tour. It all presupposes that we are dumb enough to believe that Bruyneel doesn't know how to put a team together to win a TDF. I'm guessing that they will want the other teams to believe in this rife right up till stage 11 or so. Expect some great acting early!


 - Bruyneel (sp?) knows a little about running a grand tour team
- Armstrong is 38. What? He's trying start captaining a grand tour team for the next how many years??? He's got an ego but he's not dumb.
- Armstrong has hinted at wanting to own a pro tour team
- Armstrong is the world's greatest media bluffer
- Contador is young and knows he's good. And he knows he has years ahead of him.

I dunno. This is just good pre-Tour hype. And I kinda like it.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

There was truth to the story, the bikes were shipped and deals were worked out, but once Astana came through it was all moot.


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## PJay (May 28, 2004)

*either bruyneel or LA could have floated Astana outofpocket*

i had little doubt about astana staying together - either bruyneel or LA could have carried the finances out of their own pocket through july. they were just raising media attention to get the sponsors to pony up the money as promised.


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## tron (Jul 18, 2004)

PJay said:


> i had little doubt about astana staying together - either bruyneel or LA could have carried the finances out of their own pocket through july. they were just raising media attention to get the sponsors to pony up the money as promised.



That is assuming that Johan and Lance wanted the team to stay together. I got the feeling that they wanted it to splinter so that Lance could take over the protour status from Astana and let Contador go to another team. Still, the money came from this still unknown American company that has an interest in Kazakastan. Are thye going to say who?


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## cycleboyco (Oct 6, 2007)

*Vaughters comments on this*

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-downplays-contador-rumours 

Didn't confirm or deny, so that means confirms  

IMO, it would have leveled the playing field a bit as far as strength of teams.


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## ping771 (Apr 10, 2006)

It would have been awesome if Contador went to Garmin or Caisse. That would have been a real show. Now we have sorta the Hinault/Lemond rivalry. But for the all hype regarding Armstrong's comeback, I have a feeling that he won't win the Tour. Contador will probably win, barring some catastrophe. Contador is doing this year what Lance did in his seven year reign-train pretty much exclusively for the Tour.


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## CabDoctor (Jun 11, 2005)

This is Vaughters trying to get Armstrong back for stealing Taylor Phinney.


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## Wborgers (Oct 6, 2008)

I think Contador was lining up Spanish suppport with his super-domestique actions in the Dauphine- sorry this split is not going to heal itself- I think LA is rounding into form and all along has had only 1 objective- this could be VERY interesting as I could see Contador with a Spanish Armada versus LA and the Astana superteam- awesome!!!


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Wborgers said:


> I think Contador was lining up Spanish suppport with his super-domestique actions in the Dauphine- sorry this split is not going to heal itself- I think LA is rounding into form and all along has had only 1 objective- this could be VERY interesting as I could see Contador with a Spanish Armada versus LA and the Astana superteam- awesome!!!


Bruyneel would never allow that to happen.


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## Wborgers (Oct 6, 2008)

jd3 said:


> Bruyneel would never allow that to happen.


JD you may be right but it sure would make it interesting/ fun- maybe wishful thinking.- regardless there is a rift and most likely no Astana next year so situation is a bit fluid and considerably less downside than in a typical team situation.
Cheers,
Bill


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

I really can't fathom how Bruyneel is letting all this go out of hand and draw so much attention, other than it is their plan all along.

He's a master of team management so that's why I have big doubts.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

32and3cross said:


> There was truth to the story, the bikes were shipped and deals were worked out, but once Astana came through it was all moot.


Hmm??


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

cycleboyco said:


> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vaughters-downplays-contador-rumours
> 
> Didn't confirm or deny, so that means confirms
> 
> IMO, it would have leveled the playing field a bit as far as strength of teams.


Well, but Contador won't have a sufficient support cast in Garmin perhaps. CVV might not be happy to be a domestique again.


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## vandalbob (Dec 13, 2001)

*Good One*



CabDoctor said:


> Contador should have gone to Rock Racing


That is awesome.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

I think this is all interesting. But I think bruyneel is posturing to mimic what occurred with Sastre Schleck last year. Everyone worried about schleck and then Sastre wins the tour on Alp d Huez. It was like a sucker punch to the peleton, and the Director Sportifs. 
I don't think AC would go to Garmin. Not enough support. Casse D'epargne, absolutely. Two tour champs on one team, AC and OP. Tough line-up fa shizzle. 
I'm psyched for LaTour! 
I was brousing the stages and they sure didn't seem too hilly. It looks like three mountain stages? I must be missing something.


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## nachtjager (May 7, 2008)

contador should just admit he's a doper. hehe


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

jhamlin38 said:


> I think this is all interesting. But I think bruyneel is posturing to mimic what occurred with Sastre Schleck last year. Everyone worried about schleck and then Sastre wins the tour on Alp d Huez. It was like a sucker punch to the peleton, and the Director Sportifs.
> I don't think AC would go to Garmin. Not enough support. Casse D'epargne, absolutely. Two tour champs on one team, AC and OP. Tough line-up fa shizzle.
> I'm psyched for LaTour!
> I was brousing the stages and they sure didn't seem too hilly. It looks like three mountain stages? I must be missing something.


Yes but no way Pereiro can win a Tour again with his lack of power for Time Trials. 

He's just gonna be a climbing domestique - polka dot jersey rider IMO.


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## 32and3cross (Feb 28, 2005)

jhamlin38 said:


> I think this is all interesting. But I think bruyneel is posturing to mimic what occurred with Sastre Schleck last year. Everyone worried about schleck and then Sastre wins the tour on Alp d Huez. It was like a sucker punch to the peleton, and the Director Sportifs.
> I don't think AC would go to Garmin. Not enough support. Casse D'epargne, absolutely. Two tour champs on one team, AC and OP. Tough line-up fa shizzle.
> I'm psyched for LaTour!
> I was brousing the stages and they sure didn't seem too hilly. It looks like three mountain stages? I must be missing something.


I think your putting to much faith in the idea that what happened on CSC last year was worked out, in reality I think Sastre decided that he was going to go, and CSC were stuck not chasing.

Not sure that AC would choose Garmin first but he would have taken this deal had Astana not gotten their money worked out.


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## saird (Aug 19, 2008)

I heard Lemond was going to come out of retirement and ride for Garmin clean this time :idea:


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

Depending on what media you're looking at the whole Astana team is happy to work together to support the best rider. 

Lance's comment.. If Contador is the best then I'll be the worlds best super domestique! 


Either way this years tour is going to be a good one. With the last saturday on top of a monster climb the tour might be blown apart 5 hours from the finish..


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