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Riis confirms he is searching the market for riders to help Contador in the mountains. http://www.bt.dk/cykling/tungt-skyts-oenskes-riis-paa-bjerg-shopping (In Danish)
Roman Kreuziger was in training camp at Passo Tonale with the rest of the team during Tour de France, so he has indeed been training since:
Roman Kreuziger @Roman86_K · Jul 21
Rest day for us at #PassoDelTonale with @tinkoff_saxo boys...☔️☔️☔️Let´s go to section of #coretraining...
Riis says Contador maybe has best form since joining the team, and that his TT performance in Pais Vasco was maybe the best part of 2014 until now. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-this-is-the-best-contador-since-he-joined-the-team
If this is the truth, he didn't lie
“Before the Tour, I set my best-ever times in training at Navacerrada and Morquera. I’d never gone as well on my climbs before and for that reason I went to France with a lot of confidence,” Contador told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I was certain that I would...
Here is another great insight blog from Nicolas Roche.
http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-my-legs-were-burning-like-hell-but-i-didnt-care-today-was-the-day-i-could-make-a-difference-on-this-tour-29417279.html
You think Old Yellow got rabies instead of snail fever now?
Hopefully, Alberto will walk the walk and not just talk the talk in the 3rd week.
Vamos Alberto
Maybe Alberto wasn't present at the front, because he told Roche to be there:
From Nicolas Roche diary:
I was sitting in seventh or eight position, alongside my team leader Alberto Contador when, sensing the danger, he turned to me and told me to close the gap. I did maybe a 40-second sprint...
Maudiut is again reassuring that Contador is where he has to be before the tour.
Asked about Contadors underachieving spring:
“There is a good explanation. Alberto got sick during Tirreno-Adriatico and after the race he had a fever of 40 degrees in some days. He had only been on his bike...
velo-club.net seems sure about this being Saxo-Tinkoffs team for the tour.
http://www.velo-club.net/article?sid=72167
I'm not sure though. In the past, Bjarne has always waited until after Tour de Suisse before picking his nine riders for the tour
Slightly worse, I guess. Even though they won a little time against Saxo-Tinkoff in the Tirreno-Adriatico TTT without Wiggins, I don't think they will be able to do the same thing in the Tour TTT