2014 Tirreno Adriatico, Stage 5: Amatrice - Guardiagrele: 192 km

[LaFlorecita]

Cancellara, Boonen, Gilbert, Cunego, Chavanel, Stybar, Vanmarcke, Rodriguez, Evans, etc


"Regularly"? Contador?

You clearly don't understand the difference between long-range attacks in classics and long-range attacks in stage races.

 

[rhubroma]

Obviously a big, tantalizing question that comes from today is - what does Contador's form mean for a showdown with Froome in France? Definitely Contador did a great ride today, but to me it's more reminiscent of Fuente De than it is of him torching everyone on Verbier in 2009. He used every part of the course after his attack to gain time (although he lost a bit at the end, naturally) - got the gap on the mountain, enough to stick until the downhill, and then gained quite a bit of time on the downhill. If it were a MTF at the top of Lanciano, he would have gained 40 seconds on Nairo Quintana, a bit more on the group behind. That's impressive, but it's not quite Froome at Ax-3 last year.

In one sense, it's a bit facile to say "Contador > Quintana and by the end of the Tour last year (and maybe for the whole Tour had he not been Valverde-help-bait) Quintana > Froome" and dream about how with Contador's killer instinct/willingness to attack, he can find the right times to put time into Froome and overcome him in the Tour. Obviously it's more complicated than that. But Contador last year wouldn't have been able to drop everyone so convincingly, even with the time gaps at the end of the climb, I'm convinced. So transposing that onto an Ax-3 redux, I feel like his gap wouldn't be the gaping 1:40 or whatever it was. He might be able to hang. But it doesn't seem like enough. That said, there are lots of stages, cobbles, etc, so who knows. But if I had to guess straight up, I think Froomey will still drop him.

These are unequal comparisons. The big question is whether or not, had Froome been in the race, as he was supposed to, would he have gotten dropped by Contador on Lanciano? Evidently Catalunya will provide some clues.

If Alberto gets better as the season progresses, then I don't see how Froome will drop him at the Tour.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Contador has always been good at short ITTs and I bet he wins or comes close, but he will still lose 1-2 minutes to Dawg in the tour ITT.

Nah, Contador was beaten to pulp in the TT last year here. Lost 15s to Froome. I like to see he can do better again.

 

[EvansIsTheBest]

Class ride from Contador Impressive depth from AG2R to have three riders in the top 10 here when they already have Betancur, Bardet and Vuillermoz looking very strong in France. They are going to have a great team for the TDF.

 

[del1962]

Class ride from Contador Impressive depth from AG2R to have three riders in the top 10 here when they already have Betancur, Bardet and Vuillermoz looking very strong in France. They are going to have a great team for the TDF.

Can you get them to change their kit, especially the brown pants

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Cavendish 29mins Lol!

 

[will10]

Cavendish 29mins Lol!

No point wasting more energy than you need to.

 

[del1962]

No point wasting more energy than you need to.

What was the cut off time?

 

[burning]

You clearly don't understand the difference between long-range attacks in classics and long-range attacks in stage races.

I definitely dont think that Evans, Gilbert or Purito did long range attacks at any race

 

[Carols]

While this may on paper have looked like Fuente De, Contador looked much more at ease today than he has since his comeback. He wasn't grimacing like in 2012 and 2013, he didn't look uncomformatable on the bike. Even on Fuente De he looked like **** much of the way, he didn't today at any time. He looked ilke Contador pre 2012.

This...he was riding in the zone. Effortlessly and poetic; at one with the bike. The last time I saw that was Giro 2011.

 

[Kwibus]

Can you get them to change their kit, especially the brown pants

No way! Keep it the way it is.
They are unique, loving it.

Impressive Ag2r so far. Looking at how invisible they were about 2-4 years ago and how good they are doing now. Really nice.

 

[Kwibus]

At first I was glad Froome didn't had to withdraw from this T-A since I expected him to dominate the race, but looking at Contador today it would've been quite interesting to see what would've happened if he did race the T-A.

Oh well. too bad.

 

[rhubroma]

At first I was glad Froome didn't had to withdraw from this T-A since I expected him to dominate the race, but looking at Contador today it would've been quite interesting to see what would've happened if he did race the T-A.

Oh well. too bad.

I'm beginning to wonder if all of this was to spare Froome early humiliation?

 

[fantomas]

This...he was riding in the zone. Effortlessly and poetic; at one with the bike. The last time I saw that was Giro 2011.

Exactly, Carols. One thing is what he did today, but if he had looked like he did on the Fuente De stage, I wouldn't have had any hopes of him being anything but miles away from Froome. I think the only really valuable lesson learnt today was from his looks, not from him pulling off a spectacular attack.

 

[rhubroma]

This...he was riding in the zone. Effortlessly and poetic; at one with the bike. The last time I saw that was Giro 2011.

I almost know the feeling, when you push on the pedals and there's always gas in the tank. You feel that little bit of electricity, that adrenaline, which tells you you can even go harder. Though its enough that you don't have to.

 

[manafana]

No way! Keep it the way it is.
They are unique, loving it.

Impressive Ag2r so far. Looking at how invisible they were about 2-4 years ago and how good they are doing now. Really nice.

agreed ag2r kit is fine , stands out from the crowd too

 

[will10]

It's probably the only race I've ever wished Froome had ridden in. Could've been fun.

 

[podunavac]

A stage for anthology.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the season that already looks very different from the last one.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

agreed ag2r kit is fine , stands out from the crowd too

Yep, solid design. Sure not many buys brown, but thats not what this is about:

From stage 4.

@will10, agree one dominant player isn't good. Two stages to go, all dead from a GC perspective.

 

[kingjr]

I liked the old one from pre-2009 more :S

 

[Tournesol]

Crikey....Contador is an exciting rider,even if your a Sky fan,Froome/Porte fan whatever,those guys don't have AC's pizazz,guy just generates interesting conversation.Terrific to watch even if he's in decline.

 

[trevim]

I was specially impressed to see Contador pulling so strong in the valley. Now I hope the team remains focused to guarantee the final win.

 

[The Hitch]

35km from the line of which about 20 were downhill? We'll see in the years to come.

Of course 20 were downhill. Could you create a realistic European stage race profile where a gc rider attacks more than 20k out where a significant portion of the distance isn't downhill?

 

[kingjr]

Of course 20 were downhill. Could you create a realistic European stage race profile where a gc rider attacks more than 20k out where a significant portion of the distance isn't downhill?

Probably not. Your point is?

 

[JRanton]

He's back then. Wow.

Sky heading back to Nice to regroup ahead of Catalunya but not even the alien would have lived with Contador today.