TdF presentation: Contador booed!

Here's me with raised eyebrows!  What is happening to cycling? At the TdF presentation in the mock Roman amphitheatre, Saxo Bank and Contador were booed by the crowd.

Cycling Weekly did a nice report of the theatricals by the other teams, then commented that "Contador's arrival was greeted with boos, jeers and whistles, although they just about stopped short of giving him the thumbs down and sending in the lions."

Yahoo's report, via Reuters, says "A recent survey by radio Alouette FM showed that 63 per cent of French people polled were against Contador's participation in the Tour." and comments that OGL got the loudest cheers (other than for local riders, of course) which indicates that the French public are going to be taking his side in the Tour.

Sky Sports tried to play it down, concentrating instead on quoting Contador and his "I am not a doper" statements.  They made the point that Contador is allowed to race, according to the rules.

Bjarne Riis (right, looking sinister with a teddy bear) made a few defensive statements about the situation, including;
 
"Alberto was cleared by the system, and has the right to ride." which is true. 

He agreed with all of us, that "Everybody would love to have had a solution a while ago, before the Tour, but that hasn't happened." Sub-text: Blame the UCI/WADA for stringing it out for so long.  

Finally, he makes the perfectly valid point  "If you don't agree that Alberto is riding, you should question the system and not so much us or him."

All of which is true.

My view? I personally don't want Contador to ride the TdF precisely because of the booing. I like cycling, I like the gentlemanly aspects of it, I don't want it brought into disrepute by people booing and throwing tomatoes at riders.

But if he didn't ride, and OGL won, forever afterwards people would say "ah, he only won because Conti wasn't riding." which would be infuriating for him, and for us.

So on balance, I have to grit my teeth and want him to ride - oh, and what was it? to see Andy kick his bony little butt, for sure. As Andy says. (the "for sure" bit,  I don't think Andy has ever referred to Contador's bony little butt. Well, not in any interviews that I have seen, at least.)

Contador, meanwhile, is playing the "oh, I'm very tired after the Giro, the route doesn't suit me, lots of stress from being booed etc" card, thus paving the way to make a future failure understandable, and a future success even more outstanding.

Andy, however, is not hiding: in Velonews he says  "I have no excuses. Everything around me is 100%. It's now up to me."  

Side issue: I am so pleased to hear OGL say that he is going to give 100% - not 110% as some misguided people do. You can't have more than 100 per cents! I hate that expression! Sorry!

So now we just have to wait, with bated breath. And a nice picture:



I'm also doing my bit to support the boys: here are my work t-shirts, now with the added L-T  logo on the back.

 A-ha-ha neighing!  Well, I think it's funny. I'll let you know if anyone ever stops me in the local supermarket and says "Hey! You're a Leopard Trek fan, aren't you?"