Two cyclists just made my day!

[ny biker]

Well Bruyneel is already on record as saying that Contador is the leader in the TdF this year, and Levi would be second if for some reason Contador falters. And Lance is on record saying that he does not expect the team to support him over a stronger rider just because he's won it 7 times. So maybe Contador does have issues.

During the Giro, the guys at Universal Sports mentioned that Contador has plenty of other offers and would probably leave the team if the Astana sponsorship ended, because all the riders' contracts would have to be renegotiated under those circumstances.

Anyway. I just hope Chris Horner gets to race the Tour.

===
Interesting - just read this in cyclingnews.com re: rumors about Contador and his entourage going to Garmin:

Armstrong commented on the story on Monday. "Just read this [the article]," he wrote on Twitter. "JL [US writer Joe Lindsey, who broke the story - ed.] may not be far off on this (for once). I'm choosing to ignore and remove myself from drama. TdF – hard enough."

[SadieKate]

Anyway. I just hope Chris Horner gets to race the Tour.

Final 9 announced today and Chris not among them. Big pblblblblblblblbl to Astana.

[jobob]

Get out.

[SadieKate]

If you want to see the final 9, you have to sit through over overly dramatic and slow video. Give me a break. I've been slowly losing respect for Bruyneel over the years. The hype he pulls just drives me crazy.

http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/

[redrhodie]

If you want to see the final 9, you have to sit through over overly dramatic and slow video. Give me a break. I've been slowly losing respect for Bruyneel over the years. The hype he pulls just drives me crazy.

http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/

I made it through about 5 seconds of that! Are they racing bikes, or landing on Normandy?

[SadieKate]

Oh that's perfect! Someone on bikejournal just said my comment about the video was sour grapes, and I responded about the media making sports into a life/death drama, that athletes are not heroes unless they save someone's life.

You should post that. It's going to make me laugh all day.

[katluvr]

All I know is it gives me something to look forward to. I mean I tape the TdF and then put the bike trainer inside, infront of the TV and I pedal away. Even the kinda boring flat stages help me to ride. It passes the time. And there is always fast forward!
Said that so little bike racing is actually telecast that we have to gooble up every little piece!
I think/hope it will be interesting. And who knows....it may be someone we least expect. I always find that fun! But yes, it will be nice to watch Lance ride the TdF one more time. He is what got many of us "hooked".

[ny biker]

Seriously, it was what, 5 minutes long?

I figured Horner was out since he mentioned on twitter last night that he had left Colorado and gone back home instead of staying to train with Lance and Levi. I guess the broken leg did him in.

[ilima]

Final 9 announced today and Chris not among them. Big pblblblblblblblbl to Astana.

No Rubiera, who postponed retirement to ride for Lance, either.

Of course there's the obligatory Kazakh, probably taking Horner's or Rubiera's or Brajkovic's "spot."