Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, and the Power of Conscience

Published on 21. Jul, 2010 by admin in Lifestyle

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photo credit: Arjan Almekinders
What type of rider will Contador turn out to be?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock and you’re a sports fan, you know that on Monday in the Tour de France, Alberto Contador assumed the yellow jersey after Andy Schleck had a mechanical where his chain fell off his derailleur. Even though Contador was behind Schleck and quite possibly saw the mechanical, he still chose to attack as did the other competitors. The net result is that Andy Schleck is now eight seconds behind Contador in second place.

One of the unique things about the Tour de France and the sport of cycling–when compared to many other modern day sports–is the prelevance of what people call chivalry or a code of conduct. In this case, typically the wearer of the yellow jersey is afforded a great deal of more respect and consideration than the average cyclist. When, for example, the leader has a mechanical issue, the competition will often not attack: it’s simply better to take victory as achieved with strength and their fitness, not by virtue of a mechanical issue.

There was most certainly some unhappy fans at the end of the day when Contador put on his yellow jersey. Contador brushed them aside at the time, but later on Monday night he published a video to YouTube where he apologized for his actions. And this leads to my point today: the power of conscience.

Whether you are a professional athlete or simply someone who enjoys sport, you’ve probably had an opportunity in whatever race or event you participated in to take a shortcut or get a head start on someone. Not through sheer athleticism, but by finding an easier way. The split-second choices you make in that situation both define and reveal your character.

Whether or not Contador saw the chain, he could see that Andy Schleck had trouble. There were plenty of chances over the last 20k to hear what had happened…but he still didn’t ease up. The fact that he made the video later on Monday night tells me that regardless of what he knew at the time, Contador now knows what he did wasn’t right.

In today’s age of social media, it’s very easy to apologize. But I don’t think it really has the same effect as taking an action to fix what’s been done. When you’ve said something damaging in person or done something wrong, it’s very easy to get on Twitter and Youtube and set up a message saying hey, I’m sorry for what I did. But if you really fix what you’ve done, the most important thing to do is to take action.

Actions speak louder than words. Your actions caused the issue. Your actions can fix it.

So, here is my proposed solution, assuming Contador and Schleck ride into the final time trial still in first and second place, respectively. When Contador is on the starting block, I say that he sits there for an additional 39 seconds. At the end of those 39 seconds, he begins riding.

I think that would be a huge demonstration of his commitment to making things right and to racing clean. More importantly it would really show personal growth, as a lot of people have doubted Contador’s emotional ability to handle the leadership of being the greatest cyclist in the world.

Like you, I’ll be curious to see what happens over the next few days of riding. I do believe that my proposed Start House Solution will be, perhaps, the most single powerful signal that Contador could send to the cycling world and to Andy Schleck that he made the wrong decision on Monday, that he knows he made the wrong decision, and that he’s going to race the race as it stood before the incident.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments below!

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Rfplevy

I'm with Wes. It's not as if Contador tampered with Schleck's bike. Each rider and his team is responsible for maintenance, same as in auto racing. If your vehicle malfunctions, tough.

Bill McKinney

The problem with this solution is that the psychological advantage of going into the final TT in yellow is huge! By taking the jersey in the Pyrenees he robbed Andy of the distinct possibility of going into that TT with a much better chance of winning. They say the yellow jersey "gives you wings", and without it, Schleck is definitely the weaker TTer. With it, who knows. Too late to turn back the clock...if AC wins it, it's always an asterisk in my book.

Mike Davis

I agree with Mike H on this one, it was a riding error on Andy's part with how and when he shifted (while he was attempting to get away!) and not a mechanical issue. However, given what most people already think about AC other than in Spain, if he wants a legacy in the sport that doesn't start and end with this event he ought to give the time back before the TT and go take the yellow jersey on the road in the TT which I don't think he will have any problem doing. Maybe a special one day reinstatement of Renshaw for a stage?

Ck1013242

I think this speaks volumes about YOU! Proud to be related...

Mike Hedman

P, sorry bro, can't go with you on this. If the chain BROKE, then yeah, it's mechanical. But dropping a chain on an incline is 9 times out of 10 operator error, not mechanical. It's pretty hard to see if Andy was shifting at that moment, but I'd bet he was - and I would assume so if I were racing against him.
That being said, I would NEVER hold my breath thinking that maybe Contador has a conscience...ask Vino (or the Astana riders from last year).

Patrick McCrann

Mike -

I hear you on the distinction of a "true" mechanical; but to assume that Andy Schleck, who's got more miles on a bike than most humans, doesn't know how to shift is also a bit of a big assumption. Just sayin'.

My larger point is this: the victory won't sit well if it was a technical issue vs a true knock-down, drag-out battle where the best man (not bike) won.

To bring the point home, if you won your AG at a local ultra b/c runners 1-2-3 all had massive shoelace failures, do you consider yourself the best runner in your 'hood and tell the world...or do you put an asterisk next to your story when you tell it? The debate isn't if you should have won, after all you were first...but how you handle it.

Corinna Meissner

I like your comment very much. I think you are right about apologizing is very simple today but I don't think Contador will act. He saw that Andy had a problem but he is a coward. He fears to loose and so he will do everything to get every second till the end. But I think, both Andy and Contador should read your comment. Maybe it will open their eyes.

Asmodeusrazor

its one big competition he need not apolazise to andy as he would not wait for Contador

Wes

This is all just silly. I realize that European nations are primarily socialist countries, and they certainly have their own definitions of "competition", but this is a race for God's sake. I'm trying to remember if Chrissy Wellington at the Ironman Championships jumped out into the road and screamed at all the women passing her while she fixed her flat tire, "THAT'S NOT FAIR!". No, of course not. It's not Contador's fault that Schleck doesn't know how to change his gears going up hill. These things happen. Get over it.

Patrick McCrann

Wes, thanks for sharing. In my mind it's more about how the Tour has been won / raced in years past, and the respect the others have shown both for the Yellow Jersey itself and the wearer of that jersey. I don't know about you, but if I had trained all year, for many years, to compete with the best in the world, and I won because my top competition had an equipment failure that I took advantage of...that wouldn't be a win in my book.

Wes

I take the contrarian approach because it's human nature to complicate things. It's a race, unless you are wearing the yellow jersey and you have an equipment failure. Then its ride along. We'll sing Kumbaya :-)

Michael Bowen

I like that idea, Pat. Personally, I'd like to see the jersey relinquished before the last stage in the Pyrenees. Let Alberto earn it back in the time trial if he can (everyone says he's a better TT rider than Andy, and the prologue showed as much). I guess there's no good way to "punch the rewind button" on this one, short of the "start house 39-second wait."

Patrick McCrann

He is the better TT rider, so really has little to fear over the 39 seconds to Schleck. Will be interesting to see how things play out!

Jitsurnr

Agree 100% If Contador is truly sorry for what he did, prove it.

Penlynwilson

I agree fully. I think your idea would be a great way for Contador to prove, if he wins, that he won it outright and not through a mechanical.

Nice post.