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Contador, Bruyneel promise Astana will ride as one

Published: Jul. 3, 2009
The face of unity? Bruyneel and Contador say Astana is a team and will ride like one.
The face of unity? Bruyneel and Contador say Astana is a team and will ride like one.
Photo: Casey B. Gibson

Journalists and bloggers might be keen on planting the seeds of discontent within the Astana squad, but the team is refusing to buy into the storyline.

Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel and Alberto Contador promised Friday that the team will ride as a unit during the Tour de France with the singular goal of winning.

Both shot down notions that Astana will ride as a team divided, with loyalties split between seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and Contador, back to the Tour after missing out on a chance to defend his 2007 title last year.

“When we made selection of the team, we made it clear that the leader is Alberto. He’s wearing No. 21 – because of his last three big tours, he’s won them all,” Bruyneel said Friday. “There will be a lot of questions and attempts to divide the team, to create some polemics within the team. We will try to answer those questions. We will stay focused on the Tour, our biggest goal of the year, we are here as a team. We don’t have any rivals within the team, the rivals are the other teams.”

More than 200 journalists turned up to listen to what Contador had to say, but the Spanish climber refused to be goaded into polemics and said the presence of Armstrong simply fuels his motivation to win.

“Everyone expected him to be ready at the Tour; it just gives me extra motivation. I like the pressure, it gives me more motivation,” Contador said. “All the odds-makers are putting me as the maximum favorite, when the race is very hard and there is a strong field. Everyone is wrong just to look at me and Armstrong; there are others here who are very good.”

Armstrong, however, stayed away and did not attend the traditional pre-Tour press conference, preferring to let Contador and Bruyneel step into the spotlight.

Speculation that a potential Armstrong and Contador rift would split the Astana team has fueled headline in the weeks ahead of Armstrong’s highly anticipated return to the Tour.

Bruyneel insisted that Contador starts as the team leader, but said the road will decide who will be the Astana captain.

“I would say the biggest favorite for the race is Alberto. The rivalry thing is something the media has jumped on and tried to make it bigger,” he said. “Anything like that we have to block it out our minds, we are here to focus on the Tour. In this moment, Alberto is the leader.”

Contador will start with the team’s top number with 21, with Armstrong as 22, a decision Bruyneel said the team made to underscore Contador’s leadership role.

“That’s why he starts with No. 21. That’s a sign of how we value (Contador) and how we respect,” Bruyneel said. “Cycling is not so complicated. There’s too much focus on us and how we are going to try to decide who is going to win? That is not the question. We have to worry about beating all these other teams. The strongest rider always wins the Tour. The Tour is always won by the best rider, who’s strongest, who has the support of the team. I cannot imagine that will change.”

Who that strongest rider is on Astana remains to be seen.

Bruyneel admitted that he doesn’t know what to expect from Armstrong, who will race in his first Tour since winning the last of seven straight in 2005.

“I think we will have a good indication tomorrow in first time trial. We know that Alberto is good and he will be ready,” Bruyneel said. “With Lance, I honestly can say I don’t know what to expect. We don’t have the same references during this season like we did in the past. His preparation for this Tour was very different than what he traditionally did.”

Contador said he expects to do well in Saturday’s 15.5km opening time trial, but said he won’t take any unnecessary risks.

“Of course, tomorrow is a day when you can take some time on your rivals, so you have to take advantage of that, but you don’t have to take unnecessary risks,” Contador said. “For me, I don’t have to demonstrate anything to anybody.”

Surprisingly, most questions were for Bruyneel, not Contador, who sat patiently as the Belgian director handled most of the queries.

When asked how he’s changed from winning in 2007, Contador said he’s more confident than he was two years ago.

“The situation is completely different. When I came in 2007, I was a rider that was thinking about winning the white jersey. Now things are completely changed,” he said. “In 2007, I came with the factor of surprise. Now everyone knows what I am capable of, but I stronger and more complete rider.”

Contador will need all that confidence ─ and the legs ─ if he wants to beat Armstrong and the rest of the Tour field.

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