Contador Signs Deal with Specialized, Will Likely Remain At Astana
by gavia on Nov 16, 2009 12:11 PM EST
in News
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Gazzetta dello Sport reports today that Alberto Contador will remain with Team Astana for the coming season. The Spanish two-time Tour winner also signed a deal with Specialized. The American company will furnish bikes for Contador and pay him 700,000 euro for the privilege. Contador signed the deal in Madrid at the main offices of the Specalized importer in Spain, and the contract runs one year with an option to renew. Gazzetta suggests that a deal between Astana and Specialized, who also provides bikes to Quick Step and Saxo Bank, is in the works, but is not yet complete. It is possible that Contador and his team-mates could ride different equipment during the coming season, if Astana and Specialized do not come to terms.
On Friday, the UCI is expected to confirm the pro tour license for Astana. According to Gazzetta, Contador is already thinking of future seasons, and though the Italian paper does not name its sources, Gazzetta appears quite convinced that it is a done deal between Contador and Astana. To buy out his existing contract, Contador would need to pay Astana 2 million euros, a requirement reportedly not changed by the team's license status. Gazzetta also dusts off the Ivan Basso to Astana rumor and suggests that Contador is planning to bring the Italian to the team in 2011. There is reportedly a close friendship between the riders (who knew?), and their representatives have already been in contact about a possible transfer.
But all that is for the future. At last we may have come to the end of the ridiculously drawn-out negotiations over Contador's future. He will ride for Astana on Specialized bikes. The end?
— Source, Gazzetta dello Sport.
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i'll withhold belief until after the uci renews astana's pro tour license
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
by umwolverine on Nov 16, 2009 12:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
regarding the likely to stay with astana bit...
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
by umwolverine on Nov 16, 2009 12:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Eh..
I think Gazzetta’s right about that bit being pretty dialed.
But I’m vastly amused by the Basso rumor.
by gavia on Nov 16, 2009 12:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Adding...
Even if the pro tour license is denied, Contador still has to find 2 mil euros to end his contract. His buy-out clause is not changed by the pro tour status.
by gavia on Nov 16, 2009 12:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Which he wouldn't do
since Astana are likely to be in the Tour anyway.
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris... on Nov 16, 2009 1:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
maybe, if they're still around...
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
by umwolverine on Nov 16, 2009 1:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Well
if they were denied PT status, wouldn’t they get Pro-Conti instead?
Sounds like a moot point, if the article is to be believed.
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris... on Nov 16, 2009 2:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
don't believe anything until it's writ in blood
"Wizard's first rule. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true." -- Terry Goodkind
by umwolverine on Nov 16, 2009 5:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Wow, you're fast.
Not as fast as Eddy Merckx. Well I don’t know if I should trust this source But I like the picture of Eddy though. It says two years, and nothing about bikeys, Stay tuned, but it is getting settled though isn’t it.
"Drawing on my fine command of language I said nothing."- Groucho
by Mark Frank on Nov 16, 2009 12:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Yeah
The Merckx thing was around the press last week. Could be right, but really, how would he know?
by gavia on Nov 16, 2009 12:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hah - He' a time traveler.
You’ve seen Superman fly around the world so fast that he changed the rotation. So you’d be foolish to think he couldn’t do it too.
"Drawing on my fine command of language I said nothing."- Groucho
by Mark Frank on Nov 16, 2009 12:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I can think of one connection between Basso and Contador
by Davide Don of Rio on Nov 16, 2009 12:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
AC's website
The Accountant’s website is using language suggesting Astana for next year is a done deal, and only waiting until UCI Pro Tour decision to formally announce. See http://www.albertocontadornotebook.info/. For example: “Alberto signs with Specialized, who will pay part of his salary at Astana” and “…Astana, the team with which Contador will fulfill his remaining year of commitment….”
Bike to work. Work to eat. Eat to Live. Live to bike.
by whidbey on Nov 16, 2009 3:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
The article that you're referring to at the Alberto Contador Notebook
was by Carlos Arribas of El Pais. It’s his own reporting, not a press release from Contador’s office. Arribas has gravitas as a journalist, he’s one of the best writers in Spain reporting on cycling and, especially, Contador.
He broke the news about the Specialized signing early Saturday, many hours before other publications, and we were glad to be able to offer the translation in the wee hours Saturday morning, US time. It has been quite curious that there’s been such a lag between El Pais’s story and Gazzetta, etc.
The language is quite definite-sounding, isn’t it, and the reporting seems credible.
Alberto’s official site is quiet. No surprise—I think they’re rather busy!
Thanks for reading the Alberto Contador Notebook.
by Steno on Nov 16, 2009 10:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Thank God he doesn't do it for the money..
What do you fear most?
1. coup d’etat
2. putsch
by Frinking on Nov 16, 2009 3:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
What else would he do it for?
This is their job.
by Bruce Suomi on Nov 16, 2009 7:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm assuming you wouldn't sign a 700,000 Euro contract to have equipment supplied to you?
because I sure as fuck would in a heartbeat.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
by Phil H. on Nov 16, 2009 7:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Boy, when you're for something or someone, it's full support all the way.
Initially it’s “I love that Contador is different than all the rest.”
As more reality sets in it’s “Well I don’t blame him, I would too.”
Until that fateful day when you say enough is enough, “I used to love this guy but now…”.
This is not directed at any one person. Just a synopsis of the folly of fandom.
No horn, watch for finger.
by sminer on Nov 16, 2009 7:25 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'm waiting for more details.
He had a unheard of amount of influence in his negotiations. It could be interesting to see how it played out.
"Drawing on my fine command of language I said nothing."- Groucho
by Mark Frank on Nov 16, 2009 8:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Very interesting
Wonder if this is a big deal inside the sport
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris... on Nov 16, 2009 10:08 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Well personally(and I know whom you are directing that at includes me)
I never believed he was that different when it came to finances, because who wouldn’t want to earn the most money possible? I like his race style and find that different then most GC racers at the moment, and I still think he is more humble then many top athletes, including that one cycling guy. But again, cycling is all about twitter and he doesn’t tweet so BOOM! he is different.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
by Phil H. on Nov 16, 2009 9:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yea "Boom", he's not tweeting...yet.
I’m just waiting for that ‘humble pie’ many are talking about to spoil. Then what?
Then everyone will be left with just liking the way he races, which is all it should boil down to (and how good he looks in a suit and tie, of course).
No horn, watch for finger.
by sminer on Nov 16, 2009 9:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Then they will like him for just that
or maybe he turns into Lance or who knows what. But right now a lot of people like him and I’m sorry if that doesn’t fancy you.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
by Phil H. on Nov 16, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Lars
Isn’t much of a tweeter. Believe me, I have checked.
I hope people (including any riders stopping by) get that stuff like Lars worship is at least 50% cheek. He might kick a lot of ass, but for now it’s just fun to exaggerate.
"Harder! Better! Faster! Stronger!" Philippe Gilbert
by Chris... on Nov 16, 2009 10:18 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
Plus he has the coolest last name ever.
At least for a bike racer.
by dansel on Nov 16, 2009 10:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think he was talking about Contador, the Boom being in reference to Phil H just above.
by tedvdw on Nov 17, 2009 5:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You can put the red pen down now...
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
by Seahorse on Nov 17, 2009 5:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
tedvdw is correct
was making no reference to Lars, but he does have a coolio name.
No horn, watch for finger.
by sminer on Nov 17, 2009 4:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Has this ever happened?
I guy riding a brand and the rest of the team another bike? I mean If I were any other bike brand I wouldn’t sing with Astana just to see the star of the team riding another brand.
Weird. Is like Lewis Hamilton signing a personal contract to use a Ferrari engine on his Mclaren.
Your bike doesn't want to crash so relax and let it roll!!!
by perezbike on Nov 16, 2009 10:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Used to happen more often
Back when riders would ride custom bikes branded with a different name.
by dansel on Nov 16, 2009 10:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
OK... PdC Brains Trust, please help me out here
(incidentally, the ‘Brains Trust’ is every last one of you ;-) …)
Why would he sign the Specialised* deal? I’m looking at it from various angles, and I’m not seeing anything that makes sense. Surely it’s not actually about the money…? How could that amount of money be worth the possible issues which may arise? (unless, of course, we take it as given that he’s staying with Astana and has QS as a ‘fallback’, and therefore there will not be any ‘issues’… but even then, it’s not really making sense to me…).
.
* No, I’m not going to spell it with a ‘Z’. Sorry. Don’t care if that’s how the company spells it – it’s too much effort to train myself to type it that way ;-)
by Lou... on Nov 17, 2009 2:20 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'm not sure about the rest, but I think Astana has been a given for a while...
(I had to check a number of times for the spelling ‘mistake’).
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
by Seahorse on Nov 17, 2009 2:26 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
helmets and sunglasses
esp. the sunglasses.
by MavicMoto on Nov 17, 2009 6:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Money
They’re paying him freakin’ 700,000 euros to ride their bikes. That’s a silly amount just for an individual bike sponsorship. Like, unheard of. Frankly, at the elite level, one bike isn’t too different from the next.
Simple sponsorship deal – they’re paying, he rides and smiles.
by gavia on Nov 17, 2009 8:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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