I like the way he waited 'til after the race, and after armstrong had helped him win the tour until he lashed out, also he was obviously nervous that Armstrong was going to win the tour before the race started, and that's why he hates him. Hopefully next year when armstronf has his new team he will have good backing (hopefully leipheimer) and then he might win it.

Also does anybody know if there's been any fall outs/tension between Bruyneel and contador?

I think it is probably the fact that Armstrong didn't help him win the tour that has angered AC. The Astana team were working primarily for Armstrong throughout the tour. As for next year Armstrong hasn't really got a chance

Well there was always going to be a tense situation surely. Didn't everyone know this? Armstrong was there to win and Contador wasn't going to get in his way. Unfortunately he did cos LA wasn't up to it, simple as that.

I am still not sure why he has come back from 'retirement' anyway. Probably the whole 'Radioshack team' thing presumably.

I reckon armstrong has a good shot at next years tour, then he has a strong, well funded team backing him, and no dispute over who's the team leader i think he might be able to win. If you think about it he has come third when he wasn't actually the teams leader.

And Andyxm he actually did support contador in the mountains when he helped chuck off wiggins.

I cant be bothered to get into a lengthy debate but in my opinion everything LA did in the tour was to benefit himself. AC reacted likewise but he had the ammo to pull it off. Lets be honest Contador didn't need Armstrong to "chuck off" Wiggo.

"My relationship with Lance is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will,"

This is truly unworthy of a champion. AC doesn't need to say this even if he thinks it. He may be the champion on the bike but he is certainly no champion off it.

BTW - andyxm, cycling is a team sport - without Lance and Andreas Kloden, Contador would have had to do a lot more work to contain the Schleck brothers. he may still have won it but it wouldn't have been anywhere near as easy. Ask Cadel about doing it alone...

Check out the Trek website to see video of Contador in 2008 saying how much he admires the great champion Armstrong and welcomes him on the team.

Of course there is going to be tension between two great champions on the same team. But was it Armstrong who attacked in the Pyrannees to open a lead over Armstrong when the team agreed to stick together? Was it Armstrong who attacked without reason and dropped his own team mate, Kloden? No, this was all Contador.

Of course LA wanted to win (that's who he is, what do you expect?). But when it was clear he wouldn't, he praised AC and faithfully played the domestique. He served his team, protected the team's leaders in the GC and did his best to finish on the podium. You can't ask for more than that.

I'd agree with John (post above), I think LA comes out of this better than Contador. Not so much because of the tension between LA and AC but because AC dropped Kloden when there was no need to. Kloden did a huge amount of work for Astana and AC repayed that very badly. Say what you like about LA (and many do) but he's a team player, as long as he heads the team of course :)

All LA is about what is good for LA, maybe he should have stayed retired. anybody who wants to defend him should listen to the final itv 4 tour podcast. he is more than two faced, and probably rather better at playing the media than AC..

but good for alberto C

LA hasn't made any secret of the fact that he doesn't get on with AC, but at least he has had the good grace to publically acknowledge AC's talent, even going so far as to say AC was better than he ever was. Conversely, AC's comments come across as petty and unnecessary. They rather diminish him as TdF champ in my eyes, which is a shame.

Yes, Lance Armstrong always obeys teamorders. Mainly because he is the one who gives the orders.

Let's face it: Contador was screwed bigtime. Whenever he had the chance to extend his lead he was told to keep his legs still so that Lance wouldn't trail too far behind.

To tell your best man to keep his legs still is odd, to say the least. Probably unique in the annals of the Tour de France.

So Bruyneel and Armstrong made up a cock and bull story. Contador was "no teamplayer". Contandor had "no tactictal brain". Contador was "harming the team's interest."

Both Armstrong and Bruyneel were lying through their teeth.

Can I prove that? Yes I can.

Remember the 7th stage to Andorra when Contador overtook Armstrong with a breakaway?

Bruyneel and Armstrong were furious. Contador had not stuck to the gameplan, they said. He was tactically inept and selfish. By his breakaway he had run the risk that Astana had to defend the yellow jersey and it was far too early for that.

Apparently both lying gentlemen had forgotten that only three days earlier, in the team time trial, Astana had driven like demons to get one of the lying gentlemen the yellow jersey.

That is how liars and hypocrites are exposed to those who pay attention: by their bad memory.

Why are Lance's eyes yellow?

For the last three weeks I have had to listened to and bite my tongue when my American mates talk complete crap about how Lance is going to "whop-Contador's-ass" and other such drivel. My favourite was, Quote: "when they attack Contador Lance will just head off" (as if nobody would attack the LA too!).

Although the Astana team worked for AC I can't actually remember LA doing anything useful for Contador. In fact my overriding memories of the race are of LA trying to mess with AC's head and undermine him in the hope that he'd blow it.

Armstrong is a cracking rider Tour rider, to come back after 3 years and get on the podium is a superb result but frankly I can't imagine he'd be there if Contador hadn't been taking all the flak for him (and from him).

If AC hadn't been the strongest rider in the race, Lance would have had to cope with the Schlecks going on the rampage. How much time would he have lost if Contador hadn't been better than them - they would have ridden like banshees to get the yellow jersey.

It was only the realisation that AC was able to ride away that made Andy/Fränk content to put a little more time in to LA/Wiggo. Dragging AC to the finish line was not going to help them win the tour and if they carried on attacking they might have cracked and lost even more time to Contador. Bruyneel/AC were content to give them stage 17 because it slowed down the rate of Klöden/armstrong's losses.

AC's tactical error dropping Klöden aside (well AK did say he could go with the attack...) and considering LA was stabbing him in the back AC was effectivley paving the way for Armstrong to get on the third step. All Lance had to do was look after No. 1 and AC did the hard stuff up front for him.

Imagine next year - if this year's main protagonists are healthy and riding, even if LA is riding superbly he'll have to contend with the Schleck machine and Contador (not to mention a possibly on-form Menchov, Evans and Saestre, maybe even Wiggins).

Do you think AC or the Schlecks will ride steadily? Think they won't take it in turns to grill LA, will he have a team mate in front who's taking the pressure and allowing him to do his own thing? Will he have a someone telling them to ease-off?

We'll see...

If LA is such a "team" man, why didn't he celebrate AC's and the "teams" victory? Smacks of arrogance and throwing his toys out of the cot from him, his demeanor on the podium showed he is not a gracious looser but no doubt LA will be taking his share of the winners prize money as the team does. No one says you have to like your team mate and the best rider was the winner and thats how it should be. As dominant as LA was for 7 years, it will be hard to see him breaking the stranglehold that AC and the Schleks will have for the next few years.

true

LA didnt attend the team celebration. AC comments came after that. LA was disrespectful as usual. if he is not the centre of attention.....................

I wish he would explain his comments in more detail, but perhaps it is best to just let it go.

I thought it was very bad form that Lance announced he woulld be riding in a newly established team next tour mid-race. He should have waited till it was over.

I also think that the media have been pretty disgraceful giving so much more coverage to Lance during, but especially after, the race. I would love to hear more from Contador and Cavendish etc without Lance even coming up.

Hmmm

Very interesting stuff......I think its the journalists that are poking the stick in the hornets nest.

Still, Mr Contador has a point.......Mr Armstrong is a truelly great bike rider, but to be a great champion, you must also be a good human being, you should have the respect of your peers and people should aspire to be like you. You should be gracious to your fellow competitors in defeat.... a bit of gamesmanship is fine but everyone should be able to smile and shake hands at the end.

Bruyneel has a bit to answer for here...... quite a poor team dynamic...

Armstrong did Zip, Nada, Rien, NOTHING to assist AC, he rode for himself and no one else.

If any comments diminished anyone, it was LAs "I've got 7 yellow jerseys at home" any time he was asked how he felt about not winning.

Bruyneel knew exactly what he was doing when he "parachuted" Armstrong into the team. He may be a great DS but he needs some people skills.

Did they really play the wrong national anthem? Od dear! The whole of Spain will be pretty upset by that! As for Contador v. Armstrong - who cares? It's old hat now. He won't be on Armstrong's team next year. A shame, because as we know, most tours are really won by teams, not individuals, so Contador may find it harder without such a strong team behind him - many of whom were podium contenders in their own right, despite which, they all worked for him to get that win.

.armstrong will never win another tour even a athlete such as him have to bow down to mother nature . armstrong comes across as a bit of a bully and i am glad alberto kicked his butt . i get the feeling armstrong thinks he has a god given right for everybody to capitulate to him and he struts around the tour looking like he owns the place . and finally he says he regrets giving pantani the victory on the ventoux well he should have thought about that at the time rather than taking the pee out of the pirate i bet marco was glad to see alberto win this year

LOL - what team did Contador have this year??!?!?! Will that be Levi and Armstrong? Hope Contador can join CdE or Garmin and give the LA team a good walloping.

No no Alberto!!! You keep those little feelings in your head. What Lance achieved as a rider deserves all the respect and admiration in the world. That cannot be questioned. What Lance has achieved through Livestrong deserves much much more respect than anything he ever achieved on a bike. AC's comments are way out of order, no matter how victimised he feels at his treatment by Team Lance at the Tour or how Lance rubs him up... Lance has earned his respect.

Contador's comments are uncalled for. He could have kept it under his hat, everyone knows that the intra-team relationships were inevitably going to be strained.

I dont like the pair of them they are both as bad as each other. Both are surrounded by drug cheat teams.

Out of the 2005 tour only 5 riders out of the top 20 in GC have had no drug smears against them or since been positive tested.

Contador finished +1m:18sec behind Cancellara in the Olympic TT yet can finish 1 sc behind him in the 1st tt and took 1st place fom him in the last tt of the tour. Thats why Cancellara was reported as beeing so upset at losing the last tt. All the riders know who abuse drugs, but they dont go about shouting the odd's.

Greg Lemond knows the score, it a physical impossability. Just look at the picture of Contador & Cancellara on this site taken on the last tt of this years tour. No matter how economic Contador is he can not make up for Cancellara build. Common sence must prevail.

Lance had to set up his own team because he's been proven this year to be unemployable any other way, no doubt he will take most of Astarna/descovery/us postal / trek with him. Vinicorov will have no team to come back to after his 2 year ban.

Cant see contador in a Saxo Bank, Columbia, Garmin, Rabobank jersey. Can you?

Brunyeel is the real revelation here. The most successful tour manager of all time, throwing his toys out of the pram because the yellow jersey, HIS RIDER! didnt ride to protect second or third place in the tour as he was being attacked by his two main rivals. "He should have let the Schlecks go". Think seriously about what he is saying here. Quite incredible and totally unprecedented. He is totally untrustworthy, sneaky and false. His embarrassing attempt at pr allowing the tv cameras onto the team bus for his inspirational team talk was painful to watch. Hardly the stuff of dreams. Armstrong will come out of it all unscathed as usual due to his intelligence and experience and Contador still has a lot to learn, ahem as a great man once twittered.

You think it was difficult this year AC ? Wait till next year when you and Lance are on different teams and he has another year of riding in his system. Then it will be difficult for you !!!

I actually think both of them should have shut up and not said a word.

AC won and proved he was better than Armstrong and has made himself look very petty slinging mud after the event. 'Yaaah booo I won' almost. And Armstrong not wrapping up his time with Astana in a professional manner after the Tour, standing there with a face like a slapped ass on the podium and a stream of constant drivel to the media about team dynamics and AC leading up to him publicly accepting defeat.

They are as bad as one another, and no doubt the press are stirring it up to wring one last story out of this year, but why say anything at all either of them? There is a fine line between competitiveness and petty behaviour and I'd say both have very willingly stepped into pettiness.

Contador and Armstrong relatioship is non-existent because of one very simple reason: Contador doesn't speak a word of English and Armstrong doesn't speak a word of Spanish.

As for AC lashing out, I wish he hadn't.

AC= dick move

LA= the truths hard to swallow, he's a winner, and that mentality never leaves you.AC was the better rider, and i don't think he (LA) really thought the difference would be so stark. Made for interesting watching though.