Lance Armstrong told Alberto Contador he had a lot to learn on Tuesday, after the Tour de France winner spoke of the strained relationship that existed between the two team mates during the race.
At his victory celebrations on his return to Madrid on Monday, Contador said the days in the hotel with the American were tougher than those on the road, that the split affected the Astana team and that they had not given him their full support.
“Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I’d … Details
Well, well, there’s a sight you don’t see every day at the Tour de France: Lance Armstrong on the podium in Paris without—hold the presses—the race winner’s garish yellow jersey on his back.
Third. Not a result, in pure sporting terms, that ranks up there with the seven consecutive times he claimed the victor’s laurels on the crowd-lined Champs-Elysees, framed by the Arc de Triomphe in the background.
But how much more human.
Armstrong suffered on this Tour, the pain and effort etched into his craggy face. Like a wily fox, he used years of accumulated race smarts to compensate for what his 37-year-old body has lost in speed and resilience; a few seconds saved here, a few more clawed back there…Â Details
The race for supremacy in the 97th Tour de France started late Sunday afternoon at the ceremonial conclusion of the 96th Tour de France.Â
All it took to see this was to study Lance Armstrong’s body language as he stood stiffly, even uncomfortably, in an unfamiliar place, to the left of and slightly below his soon-to-be-former Astana teammate Alberto Contador, the man of the moment in the yellow jersey.Â
Armstrong was on the podium again – for the eighth time in 11 summers – but he wasn’t really there. Lost in thought, he almost forgot to …Â Details
Lance Armstrong can expect some help from Astana team mate Alberto Contador in Saturday’s penultimate Tour de France stage, as long as the Spaniard has already made sure of overall victory.
Contador will start the 167-km stage to Mont Ventoux with a lead of four minutes 11 seconds over Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck, with the third-placed American only 15 seconds ahead of Briton Bradley Wiggins.
Despite tensions in the camp since the Tour started in Monaco almost three weeks ago, Contador has offered to lend a hand to seven-times champion Armstrong during the 21.1-km ascent to the top of the hill.
“Tomorrow my objective will be to … Details