Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Ah Contador you're so bad!!!

How dare you to save energy for the tour???

The fans need a win!!!

2 months later "he lost the tour cause he went way too hard in the giro, stupid berto..."

well said.
i thought getting the pink is considered "a win"... or i guess i'm must be living in different planet then.. coz' stage win is consider a important win as opposed of getting the pink .

Are you stupid?
No one is saying he should win a stage instead of the pink jersey. The fans just want to see him go for the stage win for once in this **** race instead of him just following wheels.

ouch.. that's harsh No need for name calling LaFlo. I'm always respected to you. Sure fan wants to see him winning stage. But get real too. Did we see any opportunity for him to do so without going all out? His team is never around him. Or maybe even, does he even have the form to go all out and drop all astana, Landa and Aru? Astana always with number and Landa isn't a cake walk, Aru was showing some improvement. Plus the tour is looming in the horizon. Right now he is riding with his smart brain not with his ego. That's what I'm trying to say. For me, objective one. Done (barring any accident). Next objective please... If he can win the stage along the way.. "bonus". If the opportunity is there and he just wheelsucks.. then sure, I would just as disappointed as everyone.

Edit: see the post above me about contador comment of the stage win. he is looking 4 opportunity.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Master illusionist:

“The team was good today, and I kept an eye on my closest rival, Mikel Landa. You have to take a tactical decision in the end: Landa and Aru could have taken turns to attack all the way up the final climb. Obviously, I'd like to win a stage, but it is hard. The final group is always small and I don't have teammates with me because they work hard earlier in the stage, so the result today is perfect for me”, says Alberto Contador and adds:

“Anyway, if you ask anyone what they would prefer, a stage win or the Maglia Rosa, they'll say the Maglia Rosa, so I'm very, very happy because I got through another very hard day. The final climb was tough, and Aru was strong and took a great stage win. He's now 2nd in the GC, and I wish him a great future. Tomorrow the stage is really nice, with a very hard climb, perhaps harder than the climbs today. My job will be to withstand the attacks, and it might even be a day, where I will attack, you never know”

Yeah he better attack or I will hunt him down

 

[Jelantik]

this should go up there as the jedi mind trick..
Landa's comment:

Contador and Landa crested the summit together in 6th and 7th place on the stage, 1:18 down on Aru. On Thursday, Landa was restrained in his response to Contador’s decision to attack after he had crashed on the approach to the final climb. On crossing the line at Cervinia, however, he complained to a group of Spanish reporters that Contador had been “trying to create chaos in our team and a war between Fabio and me.”

In the mixed zone, meanwhile, Contador heaped praise upon Aru, who leapfrogs Landa in the overall standings and now lies second overall, 4:37 off the maglia rosa. “Congratulations to Fabio, he was the strongest,” Contador said. “He’s not the future – he’s already the present. I like the way he rides.”

this is priceless if it does happen.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-content-to-mark-landa-on-the-road-to-cervinia

 

[No_Balls]

I feel sorry for Landa a little. The mental battle is getting to him and like L'equipe he sees conspiracies everywhere. He stepped up against the guy who outpsyched Armstrong and now he feel the full effects of this.

Yeah he better attack or I will hunt him down

But this is a battle he cant win

 

[LaFlorecita]

Hey guys I saw this cool pic a while ago but it was quite dark and low quality (was a bettini picture with a watermark on it so the low quality was because it was a preview) I found a higher quality pic today and adjusted the brightness and contrast a bit. Hope (some of) you like it I think it looks really cool with the pink jersey and pink roses

 

[IamIronMan]

Re:

One big attack from him tomorrow would be ideal. I think that would get rid off at least Aru.

If he is playing the waiting game, he is risking that Landa and Aru will play cat and mouse with him.

Agree with this. Best possible tactic is to have at least one TS guy in any break that forms, and be there just in case, but then have Contador attack to drop Aru. If he just tries to sit on, they will keep doing little digs until one of them can get separation. And if that happens on Finestre, it could be a problem with so far to go. Attacking is not only good for the fans, it's good for him.

 

[Red Rick]

Yeah, all 8 Tinkoff guys still riding in yellow and blue should try to get into the break, Tinkoff will never have to pull on the flat or uphill, would be nice to see a big, strong breakaway with Tinkoff guy's in it

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Ah Contador you're so bad!!!

How dare you to save energy for the tour???

The fans need a win!!!

2 months later "he lost the tour cause he went way too hard in the giro, stupid berto..."

well said.
i thought getting the pink is considered "a win"... or i guess i'm must be living in different planet then.. coz' stage win is consider a important win as opposed of getting the pink .

Are you stupid?
No one is saying he should win a stage instead of the pink jersey. The fans just want to see him go for the stage win for once in this **** race instead of him just following wheels.

What race are you watching LaFlo? When is the last time you saw a GT rider with a lead of 4+ minutes attack 40+km out and drop the entire peloton and go alone? Yikes Woman cut the man a break!

So he followed wheels today, get over it It is the Smart thing to do right now.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

Ah Contador you're so bad!!!

How dare you to save energy for the tour???

The fans need a win!!!

2 months later "he lost the tour cause he went way too hard in the giro, stupid berto..."

well said.
i thought getting the pink is considered "a win"... or i guess i'm must be living in different planet then.. coz' stage win is consider a important win as opposed of getting the pink .

Are you stupid?
No one is saying he should win a stage instead of the pink jersey. The fans just want to see him go for the stage win for once in this **** race instead of him just following wheels.

What race are you watching LaFlo? When is the last time you saw a GT rider with a lead of 4+ minutes attack 40+km out and drop the entire peloton and go alone? Yikes Woman cut the man a break!

So he followed wheels today, get over it It is the Smart thing to do right now.

But stage win would be nice .With measured effort of course, one strong attack on Landa ;-)

 

[ILovecycling]

Hey guys I saw this cool pic a while ago but it was quite dark and low quality (was a bettini picture with a watermark on it so the low quality was because it was a preview) I found a higher quality pic today and adjusted the brightness and contrast a bit. Hope (some of) you like it I think it looks really cool with the pink jersey and pink roses

very nice ...will be my new twitter background, if I can handle the tech

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Ah Contador you're so bad!!!

How dare you to save energy for the tour???

The fans need a win!!!

2 months later "he lost the tour cause he went way too hard in the giro, stupid berto..."

well said.
i thought getting the pink is considered "a win"... or i guess i'm must be living in different planet then.. coz' stage win is consider a important win as opposed of getting the pink .

Are you stupid?
No one is saying he should win a stage instead of the pink jersey. The fans just want to see him go for the stage win for once in this **** race instead of him just following wheels.

ouch.. that's harsh No need for name calling LaFlo. I'm always respected to you

Edit: see the post above me about contador comment of the stage win. he is looking 4 opportunity.

Indeed, totally Uncalled for LaFlo. Jelantik has never been anything but a gentleman, and there is absolutely no reason to speak to him like that.

Just because Alberto rides his own race instead of the one You want him to doesn't warrant treating other people shabbily.

 

[peloton]

Brought a tear to my eye.
Today, in Lugano.

https://instagram.com/p/3NAJYhIG3z/

Good times

Hopefully there won't be no crashes, bonks or bad legs tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Couldn't care less if he wins a stage or not, if he has pink in Milan!

 

[Electress]

Brought a tear to my eye.
Today, in Lugano.

https://instagram.com/p/3NAJYhIG3z/

Good times

Hopefully there won't be no crashes, bonks or bad legs tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
Couldn't care less if he wins a stage or not, if he has pink in Milan!

I'm with you. I just want him to finish tomorrow comfortably. He has nothing at all to prove. Let the lesser mortals get into a flurry about stage wins and the like, because at this point, it is just a cherry on the top.

I agree I'll feel a whole lot better knowing that there are some Tinkoff guys up front.

I confess I find it amusing that he has clearly got into Landa's head. I guess he didn't enjoy having Alberto lurking on his wheel all the while watching his second place tick away. Must be irritating. Be interesting to see what they do tomorrow - I guess it depends how Aru is feeling and whether he struggles a bit more from today and from the bigger climbs.

Surely though Astana must feel some of their efforts today - they pretty much pulled the whole way. Or am I living in fairy land…?

 

[contador977]

Re: Re:

With the Tour in mind...ya none of this really matters.

A short 15 minute effort to win a stage will not ruin his chances for the Tour... it's completely irrelevant when compared to the weight of an entire Grand Tour.
And if he does not win the Tour? He will end the season with a Giro win in which he could not even beat a very mediocre field uphill... that leaves a very bad taste for him and for the fans.
If he does not win a stage everyone will say Landa and even Hesjedal were better climbers.

I disagree. The best display of climbing in this Giro was Contador on the Mortirolo.

I think he will attack tomorrow on the Finestre and win the stage.

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

With the Tour in mind...ya none of this really matters.

A short 15 minute effort to win a stage will not ruin his chances for the Tour... it's completely irrelevant when compared to the weight of an entire Grand Tour.
And if he does not win the Tour? He will end the season with a Giro win in which he could not even beat a very mediocre field uphill... that leaves a very bad taste for him and for the fans.
If he does not win a stage everyone will say Landa and even Hesjedal were better climbers.

I disagree. The best display of climbing in this Giro was Contador on the Mortirolo.

I think he will attack tomorrow on the Finestre and win the stage.

I must say, that what he did on Mortirolo totally removes any *necessity* for a stage win, IMO.

 

[BlurryVII]

My goodness

I just watched the stage, and Contador absolutely destroyed Landa psychologically, letting everyone go but him. And never chasing saying "hey mate, if you wanna stay on the podium, YOU gotta chase these guys".
Everytime AC was looking at him when someone attacked, "Just go ahead", holy ***.

Landa attacked hard twice and Contador looked so smooth on his wheel, and people say Landa is the best climber, are you really kidding Yeah, when Contador is focused on Aru or starts a climb a minute behind, sure. But today, he just ruined him mentally on equal ground.

Which explains why Landa was pissed at the end of the stage, losing his 2nd place and saying "Contador wants to create war between Aru & me, if he's upset it's worse for him" hahah, already losing his nerves.

 

[Electress]

My goodness

I just watched the stage, and Contador absolutely destroyed Landa psychologically, letting everyone go but him. And never chasing saying "hey mate, if you wanna stay on the podium, YOU gotta chase these guys".
Everytime AC was looking at him when someone attacked, "Just go ahead", holy ****.

Landa attacked hard twice and Contador looked so smooth on his wheel, and people say Landa is the best climber, are you really kidding Yeah, when Contador is focused on Aru or starts a climb a minute behind, sure. But today, he just ruined him mentally on equal ground.

Which explains why Landa was pissed at the end of the stage, losing his 2nd place and saying "Contador wants to create war between Aru & me, if he's upset it's worse for him" hahah, already losing his nerves.

And Contador heaping praise on Aru, saying he was the strongest…bet that stung if Landa is feeling frustrated. Contador is excellent at not saying anything outright, smiling and being diplomatic and yet making his point.

 

[Carols]

LOL he has Landa tied up in knots . Whichever one he chooses to follow the other cannot hurt him for 4+ minutes without an incident. So let them have their minor awards.

40 year from now people will remember 3 things about this race. 1) Alberto Contador won in a landslide. 2) He was left behind while in the Pink Jersey by a mechanical, the strongest team went to the front and tried to destroy him. He rode the Mortirolo like the champion he is and caught them before the top. That ride will be Remembered! 3) He attacked and dropped the entire peloton while holding a 4+ minute lead from over 40km gaining over a minute on all his rivals.

Everything else will be just footnotes in cycling history folks.

 

[Carols]

Some here may not like LeMond much, but let me tell you he was one extremely talented bike rider. If he hadn't been shot his palmares would have ranked right up there with the very, very best. It's darned impressive as it stands!

His take on the double:

“If anybody can do the double, he can. He’s got so much experience. He’s an impressive rider and is arguably the most consistent Grand Tour rider, probably ever. We’d have to go back to Merckx’s reign to make a comparison and he doesn’t seem to be fading yet.

“I think he can do the Giro-Tour double. Having the energy for it is more psychological than anything, so he’ll be good. I think in 10 days time he’ll have recovered and be fine. It’s about maintaining that hunger. I felt I was physically able to do another Tour de France five days later, racing gets you in good shape. Peaking is mainly psychological.”

Go Alberto!!!

 

[BlurryVII]

Re:

LOL he has Landa tied up in knots . Whichever one he chooses to follow the other cannot hurt him for 4+ minutes without an incident. So let them have their minor awards.

40 year from now people will remember 3 things about this race. 1) Alberto Contador won in a landslide. 2) He was left behind while in the Pink Jersey by a mechanical, the strongest team went to the front and tried to destroy him. He rode the Mortirolo like the champion he is and caught them before the top. That ride will be Remembered! 3) He attacked and dropped the entire peloton while holding a 4+ minute lead from over 40km gaining over a minute on all his rivals.

Everything else will be just footnotes in cycling history folks.

And his incredible TT will be remembered I think Like I said, one of the best of his career

 

[BlurryVII]

Contador is excellent at not saying anything outright, smiling and being diplomatic and yet making his point.

That's a very true statement, describes AC very well.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Re:

I must say, that what he did on Mortirolo totally removes any *necessity* for a stage win, IMO.

LOL he has Landa tied up in knots . Whichever one he chooses to follow the other cannot hurt him for 4+ minutes without an incident. So let them have their minor awards.

40 year from now people will remember 3 things about this race. 1) Alberto Contador won in a landslide. 2) He was left behind while in the Pink Jersey by a mechanical, the strongest team went to the front and tried to destroy him. He rode the Mortirolo like the champion he is and caught them before the top. That ride will be Remembered! 3) He attacked and dropped the entire peloton while holding a 4+ minute lead from over 40km gaining over a minute on all his rivals.

Everything else will be just footnotes in cycling history folks.

+1 to both of these posts. Well said. When you're doing the double and making history, stage wins are small potatoes.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

LOL he has Landa tied up in knots . Whichever one he chooses to follow the other cannot hurt him for 4+ minutes without an incident. So let them have their minor awards.

40 year from now people will remember 3 things about this race. 1) Alberto Contador won in a landslide. 2) He was left behind while in the Pink Jersey by a mechanical, the strongest team went to the front and tried to destroy him. He rode the Mortirolo like the champion he is and caught them before the top. That ride will be Remembered! 3) He attacked and dropped the entire peloton while holding a 4+ minute lead from over 40km gaining over a minute on all his rivals.

Everything else will be just footnotes in cycling history folks.

And his incredible TT will be remembered I think Like I said, one of the best of his career

Maybe...TTs aren't usually recalled decades on unless you're talking about Monsieur Chrono or Indurain.

 

[damian13ster]

Re: Re:

LOL he has Landa tied up in knots . Whichever one he chooses to follow the other cannot hurt him for 4+ minutes without an incident. So let them have their minor awards.

40 year from now people will remember 3 things about this race. 1) Alberto Contador won in a landslide. 2) He was left behind while in the Pink Jersey by a mechanical, the strongest team went to the front and tried to destroy him. He rode the Mortirolo like the champion he is and caught them before the top. That ride will be Remembered! 3) He attacked and dropped the entire peloton while holding a 4+ minute lead from over 40km gaining over a minute on all his rivals.

Everything else will be just footnotes in cycling history folks.

And his incredible TT will be remembered I think Like I said, one of the best of his career

Sureeeee... because people often remember the podium place on a single stage in Giro
Or chasing 40 seconds back on a climb 40km away from a finish after getting a puncture (and getting dropped on next climb by 40 seconds). But no worries, go live your fantasies, I am not going to try and crash this party

 

[Electress]

Some here may not like LeMond much, but let me tell you he was one extremely talented bike rider. If he hadn't been shot his palmares would have ranked right up there with the very, very best. It's darned impressive as it stands!

His take on the double:

“If anybody can do the double, he can. He’s got so much experience. He’s an impressive rider and is arguably the most consistent Grand Tour rider, probably ever. We’d have to go back to Merckx’s reign to make a comparison and he doesn’t seem to be fading yet.

“I think he can do the Giro-Tour double. Having the energy for it is more psychological than anything, so he’ll be good. I think in 10 days time he’ll have recovered and be fine. It’s about maintaining that hunger. I felt I was physically able to do another Tour de France five days later, racing gets you in good shape. Peaking is mainly psychological.”

Go Alberto!!!

Contador's mental strength is extraordinary. If I were racing him, I think that more than anything would intimidate me. IF the TdF turns out to be between more or less equals physically, it's got to work in his favour, because he's great tactically, and I think probably best able to exploit others battles to his advantage.

I honestly don't think 'maintaining that hunger' is going to be an issue at all...