Bruyneel says Contador may be unbeatable in 2010
- Wednesday, 20 January 2010
- 6 Comments
Tour de France 2009, stage 18
Spanish sports daily MARCA has reported that Lance Armstrong's long-standing sports director Johan Bruyneel believes that Alberto Contador may be unbeatable in the 2010 Tour de France.
"If Alberto's got the same condition in 2010 as he had in 2009, I don't know how to beat him," Bruyneel is quoted as saying in MARCA.
Before jumping ship with Armstrong to create the new US-based RadioShack team for 2010, Bruyneel was directeur sportif at Contador's Astana squad.
"He's got very few weak points and has shown that he's the best in the world. He's won the last four Grand Tours he's raced and very few people can achieve that," said Bruyneel.
MARCA reports that Bruyneel even believes that Contador could beat Armstrong's register of seven Tours, "although it would be very difficult".
"To win seven lots of different factors have to come into play, but there's no doubt that Contador is on the way."
He also denied that this year's Tour will be a straight duel between Armstrong and Contador, saying "there are lots of riders with serious options, such as Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, Ivan Basso and Alejandro Valverde." (Curiously enough, he doesn't mention one Bradley Wiggins.)
Further down the line, Bruyneel has said that it is "very probable that I'll leave the sport when Lance does" - currently planned for the end of 2011. Afterwards, one option for Bruyneel would be setting up a cycling academy in the United States.
Related links
Contador receives UCI best rider trophy
Contador signs preliminary agreement with Astana
Alberto Contador: Rider Profile
Lance Armstrong: Rider Profile
Reader comments
Add your commentsJanuary 20 12:48
go away
I'd be delighted if Bruyneel went away when Armstrong retires. It would be like getting two for the price of one. Getting him out of the sport would be like excising a parasitical growth.
January 20 15:15
stuartbriggs.co.uk
Its good that Brad wasnt mentioned-keeps pressure off him and open to even more surprises this year...
January 20 15:19
grumpy
i agree with go away. bitchy schoolgirls don't belong in professional cycling.
January 20 19:07
ozziePhil
bw will flop this year. i think he was lucky last year, as he was not being watched. will not happen again.
don't get me wrong though, he's a great rider with his belgian & ozzie roots, prolly the pommy side that lets him down.
January 20 20:36
eks
Armstrong wins number 8. Contador is being set up just as the rest are. When was the last time Armstrong was told he couldn't do something and went out and did it ? Al im saying is look out, he is motivated.
January 21 19:23
ironman
You team has to work for you to win the Tour. The other teams have to respect you - When Lance was included on the break last year that left Contador behind - it was an inside tip from those that repsected Lance and wanted him along. You can get an entire peloton against you win no matter what.