To wait or not to wait
After Andy Schleck experienced a mechanical issue or possibly a user error in today’s stage of the Tour de France and Alberto Contador, Denis Menchov and Samuel Sánchez attacked him right then, it became a hotly discussed topic on twitter and various discussion boards. Even cycling announcers Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen were at odds about this topic and it appears everyone has an opinion about this matter. Most of the anger though seems to be directed specifically at Contador, as many thought he should have waited for his rival on the upper slopes of the Port de Balès. But is that a realistic expectation? What about Menchov and Sánchez, should they have waited too, or should Contador have let them go??
My initial feeling was that Contador should have waited, but the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that I would have had just more respect for him if he had actually waited. But I don’t blame him for racing and fighting for more time.
After all, it wasn’t Contador’s team mechanic who adjusted the drive train of Andy Schleck, and Contador also didn’t shift the gears of the yellow jersey clad Luxembourger. Contador also didn’t ask the Saxo Bank team to use up all their riders on the climb so that by the time Schleck got in trouble he wouldn’t have any more teammates around him.
Plus during the very tough cobblestone sectioned stage 3 from Wanze to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, Andy Schleck and his team did not wait for Contador or Armstrong either when those guys flatted.
In other sports athletes don’t pause the event for a competitor either if they stumbled and fell or experienced a mechanical issue of sorts. Just this past weekend at the Nautica NYC Triathlon Matty Reed first crashed on his way out of the water heading towards T1, and again when he ran his bike back into T2 after the bike segment. But apparently no competitors waited for the Toyota Cup series leader to come back up to them.
My issue though is with Contador’s politician like responses to reporters when asked about the incident. It is usually in congressional hearings where everyone’s responses are something like “I wasn’t aware of this happening,” “I did not know” or “I don’t recall.”
It would have been much more refreshing to hear “I feel bad for Andy, but unfortunately crap happens in a race.”
But we can now expect very exciting action and pedal strokes fueled by anger when the next stages commence. After the tough luck today Andy Schleck is now even more so the man who I would like to see win the Tour de France this year.
Plus version 2 of this Specialized "In It To Win It" commercial might have a few new interesting elements added to the mix.
