Alberto Contador wins Tour de France

Definitely team director Bruyneel and Armstrong-buddy Leipheimer (who was 4th before sidelined with broken wrist) would go with Armstrong. Probably Kloeden too, as Armstrong looks for a successor for the team's future. He'd also court the Schleck brothers.

Kazakh Vinokourov should go to Kazakh team Astana, but Astana would have difficulty recruiting prized riders due to all the financial troubles this year. Riders would be reluctant joining a team when there's uncertainty when/if they'll be paid on time.

"Joke sport"

Har!

Everyone knows the Tour de France is just a contest of who can cheat the system best and get away with it. Joke sport.

Thats why i wrote "model"...but finally, it doesnt change anything...some got busted some not but everybody cheated (even Contador).

Only Popovych, Klöden, Rast and Zubeldia should go with Armstrong.

Everyone else wants to leave because Vinkourov is back.

TeruSensei

But it has no money left and all the major players are jumping ship, so don't get used to seeing Astana around the major races for much longer.

Last news :

Asana is not dead ...is right now trying to keep Contador in the team until 2012 with, as a "model" teammate, Vinokourov who has just purged his two years ban from the 2007 Tour de France.

northlondon

Contador may be a great rider, but any team who employs him will end up with a selfish ego who is not a team player.

Hotbox08

As well as every rider on Team Astana. That team has a whole bunch of egos on it.

And the worst one is of course Armstrong an aging and finished cyclist !

Nessie, Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, which is where the team's bankrollers are.

But it has no money left and all the major players are jumping ship, so don't get used to seeing Astana around the major races for much longer.

What the heck is an Astana?

Lance Armstong did tip his hat to Contador:

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/tdf2009/news/story?id=4356850

[quote] "I'm realistic, I did everything I could," Armstrong said before the final stage. "For me, and even more for my kids, it's probably a healthy thing for them to see, because they saw their dad that never lost, and the kids in their class [say] 'your dad never loses,' so it's good for them to see dad get third and still be cool with that and still be happy."

By the end of the race, Armstrong, who admitted his form wasn't the best, was talking less of squabbling within Astana and more about Contador's greatness as a rider." [/quote]

Armstrong was satisfied where he finished this year and admitted that Contador was strongest in this Tour. They just have separate ambitions.

Being 37 years old finishing on the podium is a great accomplishment - nobody that old has done that in 33 years. Plus, doing that after 3 years off competitive cycling with only 9 months preparation (excluding time lost due to a broken shoulder bone). Many young pros with years preparation couldn't even do that. Ironically, Armstrong has become beloved by the French people for actually struggling this time.

Contador attacked for the first time in the Pyrenees, and Armstrong did not chase, partly because he's not as strong and partly because etiquette says you do not chase an attacking teammate and thus let the tag-along peloton catch up. That's fine, as Contador wants to gain time and win the Tour. But in the Alps, against team tactics, when Contador unnecessarily attacked when he's already the yellow jersey in the lead group with Kloeden and Armstrong helping him, all Contador did was drop Kloeden and a bit off Armstrong when they all could've worked together for a possible podium sweep (in effect, Contador didn't reward Kloeden any favors when Kloeden was doing the hard work to help him). That doesn't garner loyalty among lieutenants; they may not work as hard for him in the future.

Anyways, it'll be interesting next year. Astana by far has the best team this year. Next year, Armstrong will own his team and his choice of lieutenants. We'll see where Contador ends up. And will the Schleck brothers take the next level?

Northlondon whats the "3 years out of competition" got to do with an aging star trying to make a comeback? Tour of California, Tour Down Under weren't competitions? You should stop making personal comments about posters who disagree with you, correctly in spudmans case. Armstrong was a great champion racer in his day but the sun is going down and when you are on a team and another rider has the lead and attacks to expand that lead a class athlete would suck it up.Lance spat the dummy and came off as a sore loser. As to Lance winning seven tours, that's all he concentrated on for those seven years, that and chasing skirt.

LA needs to stop sounding like Cadel Evans and just tip his cap to a younger and better rider. Coulda woulda shoulda is so unbecoming.Armstrong

I cannot believe that anyone with half an idea about sport would diss Lance Armstrong after all he has achieved in life. Contador will never win as many Tours as Armstrong, even with his selfish 'me only' attitude.

should've left with dignity but now his legacy is tarnished

37 years old. Out of competition for 3 years. Finished 3rd in this years Tour. His legacy is tarnished ? You haven't got a clue about cycling have you ?

Northlondon: no way can you suggest that LA was beaten due to AC disregarding team tactics. LA needs to stop sounding like Cadel Evans and just tip his cap to a younger and better rider. Coulda woulda shoulda is so unbecoming.Armstrong is now packing up his toys and going home to build his own team. Yeah and if he still gets beaten what excuse will he use? I'm old? He is, should've left with dignity but now his legacy is tarnished by pouting about others. AC will win the tour a couple more times.

Armostrong is so jealous of Contador but times change and now there is somebody better than him, and the king of cycling is Contador. The Kotooshu of cycling!

Lance Armstrong is 37 years old. Contador is 26. Armstrong still gave him a race for his money, despite being out of competitive racing for 3 years and 11 years older. Contador is not in the same class as Lance Armstrong and if Armstrong continues his race fitness and doesn't have to put up with Contador's selfish team attitude, then he will get even closer to him next year.

Armostrong is so jealous of Contador but times change and now there is somebody better than him, and the king of cycling is Contador. The Kotooshu of cycling!

Badsey, the US Postal/Discovery Channel vibe will well and truly be back as Lance Armstrong marshalls his cronies next year under the banner of Team RadioShack.

This is a sport that really shows well on HDTV. The scenery was beautiful, but I miss the US Postal "Team" and spirit.

Contador may be a great rider, but any team who employs him will end up with a selfish ego who is not a team player.

As well as every rider on Team Astana. That team has a whole bunch of egos on it.

“In the key stages of this Tour, I found myself feeling more at ease than I did in 2007. But in situations outside of racing, I didn’t feel so comfortable,” Contador told Spanish broadcaster TVE.

That's because you (Contador) repeatedly defied team strategy and planning and just rode for yourself. Contador may be a great rider, but any team who employs him will end up with a selfish ego who is not a team player.

Cavendish set his own record: no rider has ever won six Tour stages in a sprint. But Thor Hushovd of Norway beat the 24-year-old Briton for the green jersey given to the Tour’s best Tour sprinter.

How can a sprinter win 6 stages of the Tour de France (there are only 10 stages with a chance of a sprint finish), beating the eventual winner of the Green Jersey every single time except once when the Columbia team got it wrong and were not in the sprint, and not win the sprinters jersey ? And how can a guy (Hushovd) win only 1 stage (coming 2nd to Cavendish 3 times and absolutely demolished by Cavendish on the Champs DeLyses) and be called the best sprinter at the Tour de France ! The points system is a complete joke. Hushovd is the best intermediate points stealer and the Green Jersey should be renamed the best points stealer jersey, not the best sprinter. Cavendish was by far the greatest sprinter in the 2009 Tour de France and it is a travesty that a sprinter wins 6 stages of the Tour de France and does not go home with a jersey just because of the rubbish points system.

Absolutely thrilling finish to the race, Mark Cavendish is the fastest man in the world, no doubt.

And congratulations to the two Japanese cyclists who completed the Tour, the first Japanese riders ever to finish. Beppu really gave it his all in the last few kilometres, he wasn't far off a dramatic win, but eventually the big guns reeled him in and the sprinters exploded off the blocks.