” I like this statement, “Contador just gained a great chance to win, but he lost the chance to win greatly.” “
Well stated. A champion respects his competition.
Lance showed this when he waited for Jan Ulrich, when he crashed . Contador is not, and in my opinion, will never be
that classy.
Responding to myself, but wanted to provide some historical
perpective to my Lance waits for Ullrich comment:
Jan Ullrich Crash 2001
http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2009/06/dramatic-cycling-crashes/
The Kaiser, oh how I miss him. It’s getting to be a long time ago now but I still remember when Jan Ullrich overshot the corner and went straight over the safety barriers on the descent of the Col du Peyresourde on Stage 13 of the 2001 TdF. Lance waited for Ullrich to get back on and traded pulls with him almost to the finish (before he put the hammer down and dropped him). It was the first act of the gentleman’s rule in cycling that I ever saw: Thou shalt not ride away from a rival when he is on the ground, stopping to relieve himself, or at other unsporting moments. I would have attacked him while he was down…
That's the difference between a leading rider and a champion.