Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Miburo]

Nah. Just mind games from Martinelli speaking the language of Contador. Any DS bossing the strongest team throwing in the towel before we´ve even reached any serious mountains yet should be fired on spot.

But i´ll give him that it will be very hard if they are massacred on Saturday.

I agree. Martinelli is just playing mind games here.

You'd think so but astana hasn't used their team at all. The way they race it looks they gave up.

 

[Publicus]

Nah. Just mind games from Martinelli speaking the language of Contador. Any DS bossing the strongest team throwing in the towel before we´ve even reached any serious mountains yet should be fired on spot.

But i´ll give him that it will be very hard if they are massacred on Saturday.

I agree. Martinelli is just playing mind games here.

With who? Alberto already has the guys measure, he won't dismiss him though, he's to race savvy for that.

Perhaps he hopes that it will cause Contador to relax/stop viewing Aru as a threat to the maglia rosa. It seems very defeatist and frankly completely unsupportive of Aru and the team. Even if he really believes this, I wouldnt say it. Aru is ONLY 17" down and as literally every stage has demonstrated so far anything can and will happen in this race.

 

[No_Balls]

How does it benefit Contador saying he gladly offers 10-15 watts for the sake of "comfort" in a monster TT? False sense of security or a signal that he feels so good he can do that? These words from Martinelli does not have to be necessary aimed at AC (he´s to battle-hardened and experienced for that) but against TS in the same order of having their guards down. He is speaking what Aru should so that the focus is on Aru while they yet have Landa as a card to play out. Is he to be revealed as their main hope later when the focus was on Fabio?

He has to try everything since they haven´t been successful on the road this far and a shrink in the Astana-armour has been exploited.

Makes a lot more sense then plain and simply stating its over for his boys before it even has begun.

 

[The Hitch]

Nah. Just mind games from Martinelli speaking the language of Contador. Any DS bossing the strongest team throwing in the towel before we´ve even reached any serious mountains yet should be fired on spot.

But i´ll give him that it will be very hard if they are massacred on Saturday.

I agree. Martinelli is just playing mind games here.

With who? Alberto already has the guys measure, he won't dismiss him though, he's to race savvy for that.

Perhaps he hopes that it will cause Contador to relax/stop viewing Aru as a threat to the maglia rosa.

Damn, if only Andy Schleck had thought of this in 2010. He could have said "I'm not a threat to Contador" and then Contador would have just stopped viewing him as a threat (cos that's how it works innit) and he would have won the Tour.

Ok, I'm taking the piss a little bit, but the point is there is no way in a million years Contador or any gc contender is going to stop taking an opponent seriously because of what they say.

In 2011 Contador was 5 minutes down and injured with 1 mountain stage to go and 2 seconds after he launched an attack every single yellow jersey contender was glued to his wheel.

There is absolutely no reason for any gc contender to stop taking another one seriously. It doesn't hurt them to be vigilant.

Besides Martineli and Contador worked together, won gts together and know eachother. Contador won't fall for any Martineli trick and Martineli will know Contador won't fall for some crap like this.

Imo martineli is being genuine. Last time Contador did the Giro Martineli announced that in his eyes Contador was already a more accomplished gt champion than Lance. He rates him very highly and he truly believes that Aru can't come close to him, so he says it.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Tbh i don't think Contador have a chance to win this ITT.. but he will definitely be in top8, maybe even top5. It really depends on riders like Zakarin, Boaro, Kangert etc, if they'll go full gas or just roll trough.

It's 44 KM flat, around 8-9 KM hills at low %, and then descent.

44 KM flat, a lot of riders will put time into him, and then hills are also in TT position, not steep climbs where he'll ride like a climb. The descents are technical ones, but i don't think he'll risk anything there to gain maybe 5-10 seconds.

It's a power TT. But the interesting thing is, that Porte really had trouble following his teammates wheel the other day when they were trying to get him back to the peleton. So maybe Contador could beat him.

with the last 3 days racing in miserable weather, plus the ITT is on the 14th days (= 2 weeks of tired racing leg) plus the first 9 days of the race was really full on (nothing like the typical the 1st week of any GT start), anything at this point is possible. On paper yes, but the x factor up until today will play crucial role how everyone will perform tomorrow, including Porte and Uran. Some one else other than GC contender will win it tomorrow

 

[staubsauger]

Maybe Martinelli simply wants to squeeze Contador out, because he wants so save Pantani's legacy? Astana succeeds with it until now. There's no way Contador isn't too fatigued to challenge for the Tour as they keep on racing that hard!

 

[ILovecycling]

was Alberto injured or something?

 

[Miburo]

was Alberto injured or something?

Nope he looked fine, he was even leading the group and he was very active after the crash.

The crash happened at 3.2km, jesus that will get fleur depressed

 

[LaFlorecita]

was Alberto injured or something?

Nope he looked fine, he was even leading the group and he was very active after the crash.

The crash happened at 3.2km, jesus that will get fleur depressed

Indeed.

 

[The Hitch]

I'm scared to be the one to say this, but Contador does seem to crash or be involved in crashes a lot these days, or at least losing time in them.

Last few gts.

2011 Tour - stage 1 loses all that time caught behind the crashes
- stage 4(?) hurts his knee when Karpets knocks him out.
2012 Vuelta -
2013 Tour - crashed before the race. People speculating on here in early stages that he is hurt and can't get good bike position
2014 Tour - Crashed out. Also really really week on the cobble stage
2014 Vuelta.
2015 Giro - Crashed twice already and still in 2nd week.

Also could maybe include cobbles stage 2010 when Andy of all people took time on him.

 

[Jelantik]

Boy.. today is supposed to be transition day.. then.. crash. Then again Contador is in it!!!.. What a bad luck. And it happens just 3.2 km? wow what a 200 m can do huh? At least today, he can go straight to the hotel and regroup for tomorrow. 19 seconds of Aru now.. weird. almost close with the team he lead from Aru before. Porte seems to be done! his morale has broken into pieces after his 2 minutes penalized. He must be thinking of TDF now.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

I'm scared to be the one to say this, but Contador does seem to crash or be involved in crashes a lot these days, or at least losing time in them.

Last few gts.

2011 Tour - stage 1 loses all that time caught behind the crashes
- stage 4(?) hurts his knee when Karpets knocks him out.
2012 Vuelta -
2013 Tour - crashed before the race. People speculating on here in early stages that he is hurt and can't get good bike position
2014 Tour - Crashed out. Also really really week on the cobble stage
2014 Vuelta.
2015 Giro - Crashed twice already and still in 2nd week.

Also could maybe include cobbles stage 2010 when Andy of all people took time on him.

It surely does look like he has to improve his positioning, it cant be only a bad luck.

 

[Miburo]

Hitch, contador didn't crash in that tour 2010 (cobbles). He avoided it by a sec. He was just hold up

 

[hrotha]

Looking forward to seeing what new and exciting injury he'll claim to have!

 

[The Hitch]

Re:

Hitch, contador didn't crash in that tour 2010 (cobbles). He avoided it by a sec. He was just hold up

I'm scared to be the one to say this, but Contador does seem to crash or be involved in crashes a lot these days, or at least losing time in them.

Looking forward to seeing what new and exciting injury he'll claim to have!

btw, if you feel like having a little forum spat with Contador fans, you should check out Robbie's ' latest postin the Bolt thread

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Looking forward to seeing what new and exciting injury he'll claim to have!

Contador should be nominated for an oscar. That face he had on the podium after stage 6. What an act.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I'm scared to be the one to say this, but Contador does seem to crash or be involved in crashes a lot these days, or at least losing time in them.

Last few gts.

2011 Tour - stage 1 loses all that time caught behind the crashes
- stage 4(?) hurts his knee when Karpets knocks him out.
2012 Vuelta -
2013 Tour - crashed before the race. People speculating on here in early stages that he is hurt and can't get good bike position
2014 Tour - Crashed out. Also really really week on the cobble stage
2014 Vuelta.
2015 Giro - Crashed twice already and still in 2nd week.

Also could maybe include cobbles stage 2010 when Andy of all people took time on him.

Yes, and he crashed like 5 times already this season. It's insane.

 

[Electress]

Just hope Contador isn't going to push too much in the rain tomorrow and fall. I can imagine he'll be pissed.

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

Looking forward to seeing what new and exciting injury he'll claim to have!

well you got the answer. He gave interview.. saying.. his shoulder hurts. And he will get ice so it won't swell..

 

[Metabolol]

Wtf is going on.

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Looking forward to seeing what new and exciting injury he'll claim to have!

well you got the answer. He gave interview.. saying.. his shoulder hurts. And he will get ice so it won't swell..

Yeah, but I think his dented record hurts more than his shoulder after that, TBH

 

[ILovecycling]

At least he felt on his left side (and not on shoulder).

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Looking forward to seeing what new and exciting injury he'll claim to have!

well you got the answer. He gave interview.. saying.. his shoulder hurts. And he will get ice so it won't swell..

Yeah, but I think his dented record hurts more than his shoulder after that, TBH

 

[sultanofhyd]

At least he felt on his left side (and not on shoulder).

He dislocated his left shoulder, not right.

 

[Metabolol]

Don't read too much into that statistic. I'm more worried about if he reinjured himself.