I was also wrong when I wrote there were no allegations of doping against Contador.
--pws
Contador on cusp of greatness
Perhaps Alberto Contador is just too young and too green to realize precisely what he is on the cusp of achieving if he can drop Michael Rasmussen for good on the slopes of the Aubisque.
At just 24, he's already being hailed as cycling's next Lance Armstrong (or Miguel Indurain, in the Spanish press). Contador hopes to live up to the pedigree in Wednesday's decisive climbing stage culminating on the HC steeps of the Aubisque.
"I have nothing to lose," Contador said during Tuesday's rest day, the Tour's second.
"I will risk all to attack Rasmussen and try to win the Tour," he said.
...
Puerto Questions
As cycling faces renewed scrutiny, Contador had to face a few of his own tough questions during the one-hour press conference. When asked if the world can trust him, he smiled and said, "Yes, of course."
Contador also elaborated on why his name appeared last year on the infamous Puerto list. His name was among five Astana riders who were alleged to be linked to the Operación Puerto investigation last year in Spain.
Contador was among nine riders from five teams who were not allowed to start last year's Tour de France.
"I was on the wrong team at the wrong time. My name was on this infamous list, but one week later, the UCI had more time to examine the documents and I was taken off. My relation with Puerto was annulled," Contador said. "I was cleared of any link with the scandal."
Bruyneel said he checked out Contador's story before signing him to a contract, saying the Spaniard's situation was different than Ivan Basso's, who eventually confessed he was part of the Puerto doping ring despite insisting he wasn't for nearly one year.
"I have no reservations about Alberto," Bruyneel said. "The UCI admitted they made a mistake by including Alberto in this case. It's a whole other story for Alberto."
Contador hopes to put his own ending to the story on Wednesday.
Last note on this for today. :)
At least Levi sounds like he values integrity and teamwork above self-interest.
--pwsLeipheimer ready to sacrifice podium shot to help Contadorexcerpt from http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/news/articles/12918.0.html
By Andrew Hood, VeloNews European correspondentThis report filed July 24, 2007Levi Leipheimer is closer than ever to realizing his lifetime goal of reaching the Tour de France podium, but the Discovery Channel captain said Tuesday he's prepared to sacrifice those dreams to help Spanish climbing sensation Alberto Contador win the maillot jaune.
With Contador and race leader Michael Rasmussen expected to duke it out for the yellow jersey in Wednesday's decisive climbing stage across the Pyrénées, Leipheimer said he will put the team's interests ahead of his own.
"If there's a chance to win the Tour with Alberto, we have to make some sacrifices," Leipheimer said during Tuesday's rest day.
Those sacrifices will be Leipheimer's ambitions of becoming only the fifth American in Tour history to finish among the top-three in Paris.
The 33-year-old American finds himself in a contradictory position as the Tour surges toward Wednesday's climactic final battleground on the Aubisque.
Leipheimer is poised fourth overall at 5:25 back of race leader Michael Rasmussen, but his 24-year-old teammate is slotted in second at just 2:23 back.
With Contador's superior climbing legs, Discovery Channel knows its best bet to win the Tour for an eighth time as a team lies with Contador.
That means Leipheimer might have to relegate his personal ambitions for the team's larger interests, depending on how the tactics play out on the beyond-category steeps of the 16.6km climb.
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