Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Carols]

Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

You also remember what happened the next day

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

Nothing is a given, but bonking isn't choking. Choking is losing your nerve like Wiggins in the Giro in 2013 for example.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

You also remember what happened the next day

Yes, Paris-Nice 2009 and 2010 are etched in my memories as the halcyon days when the race was one of the highlights of the season, not the rubbish it's turned into recently.

Paris-Nice 2010 was also around about the last time Peter Sagan was remotely likable, but let's not dwell on that.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

We can't have that. Astana 1-2-3 is a bit too much.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

Astana 1-2-3 is a bit too much.

does Landa even that good in ITT? I know Cataldo isn't bad. Aru is bad ITT. Uran is still not far behind from the podium.

 

[Jelantik]

boy what a day today. I haven't gotten a chance to read the forum all morning, and when I open it.. oh my Porte? docked 2 minutes? That's just diving from bad to worse now.

so today's lesson for Richie: "never tweet everything!!".

As for contador, he looks good now. Finally he admited he injured his knee, no wonder stage 8 his pedalling wasn't that smooth. Rest day come at the right time for him. He looks well and smooth on the bike today. Now with Porte 3 minutes, I'm hoping he is still going to show us his pedal to the metal fire works. If he wins w/o a convincing show, this forum will keep talking about contador wins due to Porte misfortune to the naseum.. like andy's chain gate. (I'm so done with that). So yes, I want to see Contador full on combat w/ or w/o 3 minutes on Richie.

 

[Rollthedice]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

Astana 1-2-3 is a bit too much.

does Landa even that good in ITT? I know Cataldo isn't bad. Aru is bad ITT. Uran is still not far behind from the podium.

It was more a joke, Landa is a disaster in ITT, expect him to loose at least 5 minutes to the first. But I wouldn't be too sure that Aru is that bad. Astana is full of surprises this Giro.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Porte lost time, not due to a mechanical, but due to a bad support by his team. there were two people in the rear while porte was going back. i have no idea why one of them didnt give their bike to him. in such a big team, if they cant help team leader by lending bike, i dont know wht sort of DS sky has.
.

Maybe the private RV for Richie finally had some effect on team chemistry . His team mate just don't care (since they are still sleep deprived from sleeping in the hotel ) that he was in the need of support. Talking about sky marginal gain!. Nice help by orica, they's are doing an audition to make Richie join them next year

 

[rm7]

As a Contador fan i still want to think that the gap is only 22 seconds. But you have to add the mechanic because SKY should have done better, and he shouldn't have lost 47 seconds. More around 15-20 maybe. But another thing is, that Porte actually looked really weak in the chase, couldn't hold the wheel of his teammates and didn't even take a pull.

The moral winner in the end will be Contador if he manages to take time on Porte. But if Porte take more than 22 seconds in the ITT and Contador can't drop him in the mountains, then people will question the win.

Contador really needs to ride a strong ITT and make a statement in the mountains to show everybody if he is the strongest in this race. I think he knows that. Just try to drop him once, so we all can see it for ourselves.

 

[LeindersGains]

Re:

As a Contador fan i still want to think that the gap is only 22 seconds. But you have to add the mechanic because SKY should have done better, and he shouldn't have lost 47 seconds. More around 15-20 maybe. But another thing is, that Porte actually looked really weak in the chase, couldn't hold the wheel of his teammates and didn't even take a pull.

The moral winner in the end will be Contador if he manages to take time on Porte. But if Porte take more than 22 seconds in the ITT and Contador can't drop him in the mountains, then people will question the win.

Contador really needs to ride a strong ITT and make a statement in the mountains to show everybody if he is the strongest in this race. I think he knows that. Just try to drop him once, so we all can see it for ourselves.

But isn't that the same as saying that we'll never know if Contador would have gained time on stage 8 or 9 (or even in the upcoming stages) because of his bad shoulder? A Contador with a handicap against the rest.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Does anyone think there may be an Astana /Tinkoff alliance formed to distance Porte before the ITT? They've done so to get rid of Rigo, and I can see it would benefit both to remove another contender if possible.

It will be interesting to see how Porte responds - if he's got the mental toughness of Contador (well, no, that is probably asking too much, but at least can not panic / over-react or crack up etc.)

No there is no alliance between Tinkoff and Astana. So far they only fought eachother to the max.

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Still remember all that Schleck chaingate. What a piece of crap. He attacked Contador and dropped his chain for his own fault. So what it supposed to do Contador? Stop and wait for Schleck. Like Carlos Sastre said at that time, that was a crying boys thing.

Well if anyone is a crying boy then it's Andy

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

As a Contador fan i still want to think that the gap is only 22 seconds. But you have to add the mechanic because SKY should have done better, and he shouldn't have lost 47 seconds. More around 15-20 maybe. But another thing is, that Porte actually looked really weak in the chase, couldn't hold the wheel of his teammates and didn't even take a pull.

The moral winner in the end will be Contador if he manages to take time on Porte. But if Porte take more than 22 seconds in the ITT and Contador can't drop him in the mountains, then people will question the win.

Contador really needs to ride a strong ITT and make a statement in the mountains to show everybody if he is the strongest in this race. I think he knows that. Just try to drop him once, so we all can see it for ourselves.

But isn't that the same as saying that we'll never know if Contador would have gained time on stage 8 or 9 (or even in the upcoming stages) because of his bad shoulder? A Contador with a handicap against the rest.

I guess you're right, we'll never be sure how good he could be without the shoulder injury. But it should(!) be fine by the 3rd week, and then we'll really see who's the strongest. With or without anything (crash, mech etc) we'll see whos the strongest in the 3rd week regardless of the GC.

Good form Contador with small injury vs Peak Aru and Porte.

Contador at his peak wouldn't have problems with either of them, but the question is how strong he is compared to the others in THIS race.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

What about Porte winning Volta Catalunya because Valverde was cut in the crash of that descent? Isnt it the same? The Volta had Valverdes name as the winner, he was the stronger. So dont complain too much, this is racing.

Contador could have won the double in 2011 without bad luck.

He could have won the tour in 2014 without bad luck.

That's the sport, i don't hear porte whining? Cause maybe he knows that's cycling.

That's life, grow up skyboys.

Im not so sure, Evans and Schlecks were pretty good,but yeah,the ijnury and hard giro route...

 

[movingtarget]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

Nothing is a given, but bonking isn't choking. Choking is losing your nerve like Wiggins in the Giro in 2013 for example.

Wiggins was ill. It had nothing to do with choking.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ultWwXzhmq8

6 years ago when he bonked?

Could still happen. It's never a given, he's lost out big time before.

Nothing is a given, but bonking isn't choking. Choking is losing your nerve like Wiggins in the Giro in 2013 for example.

Wiggins was ill. It had nothing to do with choking.

He couldn't go downhill in the rain before he got 'ill'. He lost his nerve and even admitted it.....

 

[movingtarget]

Yes that was one stage but it was the illness that hampered his overall performance. I suppose Contador never had a bad stage ?

 

[Carols]

Re:

Yes that was one stage but it was the illness that hampered his overall performance. I suppose Contador never had a bad stage ?

Of course he has: he's bonked, he's cramped, he just didn't have the legs. But he has nerves of steel and I've never seen him choke.

 

[Red Rick]

He just can't help himself

 

[LaFlorecita]

He got countered pretty easily, but at least he tried I hope he doesn't lose the jersey tomorrow

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

He got countered pretty easily, but at least he tried I hope he doesn't lose the jersey tomorrow

Not by Aru though

 

[indianfanboy]

Aru was on his wheel and tried to follow but he didnt have Contador's acceleration....Contador just issuing a warning to Aru that he is recovered

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

He got countered pretty easily, but at least he tried I hope he doesn't lose the jersey tomorrow

Not by Aru though

He was watching the other way