To stop or not to stop?

Mr Contador has divided opinion. He has also apologised to his rival, Andy Schleck, for making a decisive and aggressive move at a moment when Schleck suffered mechanical failure and, arguably, had Alberto Contador on the ropes.

Now, what are the rules of fair play and gentlemanly sportsmanship here? Should Contador have stopped and waited for Schleck to sort out his chain? Or was it only fair that, given the fact that he had already stopped for Schleck in another stage earlier in the Tour, Contador exploited an opportunity to claw back the 31 seconds time difference between him and the Yellow Jersey? The two are huge rivals, but apparently have a good relationship.....

It’s a tough one really. I don’t know what I would have done in a similar position. The nice, “human” part of me would like to think that I would be kind, knowing that I would appreciate it if someone did the same to me if I was having problems. On the other hand, when you’re talking about potentially winning or losing an event as huge as the Tour de France, when sponsorship and team contracts ride (no pun intended) on your finishing position, is all fair in love and sport? In many ways, mechanical failure and your decisions to have certain parts (or not) on your bike are all part and parcel of racing and when things go wrong that’s just life. Schleck had apparently chosen to save himself 50g and not ride with a chain guard, which would have prevented the mishap from happening. Everyone is out for themselves and their results. Contador would have been lauded as the ultimate sportsman, as Jan Ulrich was when he waited for Lance Armstrong when he was knocked off by a wayward spectator, however that wouldn’t have been any consolation if he’d come second in the overall standings when the whole Tour is over and done with.

It brings to mind the rules of racing in rowing. We watched the start of the women’s single at Lucerne (whilst swimming in the Freibad) and Karsten stopped within a few strokes of the race commencing. Because the race had not yet reached 100m, all scullers were made to stop and the race was postponed until she had sorted out the problem (it looked like a rigger issue). Now, had this happened in the middle 1000m, I’m sure none of her competitors would have thought, “Oh look, poor Ekaterina has a problem, let’s stop and wait while she fiddles about”. Au contraire, you would grasp the opportunity and stick the knife in. We’ve all heard people at Henley saying that they would have no chance against the international or seeded crews, and that they can only hope their adversaries have an encounter with the booms, catch a crab or their footplates jump off. Aside from the written rules of the first hundred metres or so, it would take an awful lot to allow the opportunity of a win, however that may come to us, to pass us by.

Anyway, I’ve just spoken to my favourite German, who is in her home town having watched the amazing Chrissie Wellington smash her own world record yet again at the Roth Ironman Challenge. It bodes well for her World Championship bid in Hawaii in October later this year, and she is truly a huge inspiration to us all. And she’s a nice person! Go, Chrissie!!