Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[ILovecycling]

Re:

Is it now confirmed that Kreuziger will be riding the Tour? That would be a great news even if his preparation has not been the best for it.

He confirmed he will ride Tour , also he may ride RdS but he is not sure.

 

[Randy rex]

Majka could do the same thing as Kreuziger did in 2013 Tour if Contador is not at his top.

 

[Dedelou]

i hope Majka and Kreuziger can do what is needed to give Contador enough support in the critical moments and free him of having to "soften" up the competition so he can do what he is famous for: win the race

 

[SeriousSam]

Re: Re:

Majka in topshape climbs only a half level below Nibali and Quintana.

Que? Majka is a good climber when in form. Around the Pinot level. We saw just how far off Nibali's climbing that is last year. Insurmountably far.

I bet Valverde outclimbs Majka this Tour.

 

[Randy rex]

Re: Re:

Majka in topshape climbs only a half level below Nibali and Quintana.

Que? Majka is a good climber when in form. Around the Pinot level. We saw just how far off Nibali's climbing that is last year. Insurmountably far.

I bet Valverde outclimbs Majka this Tour.

Majka is still young and he could improve a lot whereas Valverde and Nibali seem to have reached their best level, so we can't be sure he will be beaten by those riders.

 

[SeriousSam]

I'm not sure he will be beaten by Valverde, but it is more likely to occur than not in my opinion. Would bet on it.

We can be very sure he will be beaten by Nibali, or do you think we also cannot be sure he will be outclimbed by Quintana, Froome and Contador? Out of those, Nibali and Froome have shown the strongest climbing in recent years.

 

[Netserk]

Re:

I'm not sure he will be beaten by Valverde, but it is more likely to occur than not in my opinion. Would bet on it.

We can be very sure he will be beaten by Nibali, or do you think we also cannot be sure he will be outclimbed by Quintana, Froome and Contador? Out of those, Nibali and Froome have shown the strongest climbing in recent years.

http://www.climbing-records.com/2014/12/the-2014-subiendo-como-una-moto-awards.html

"After being hold by another rider for a period of two years, the title of the best climber in the world comes back on the shoulders of the Spanish champion, Alberto Contador. Even if he crashed out of the Tour de France while supposedly, being in his best form ever, he still managed to return and reach at the end of the second week of La Vuelta a Espana, the same climbing level as in his dominating years."

 

[Randy rex]

Re:

I'm not sure he will be beaten by Valverde, but it is more likely to occur than not in my opinion. Would bet on it.

We can be very sure he will be beaten by Nibali, or do you think we also cannot be sure he will be outclimbed by Quintana, Froome and Contador? Out of those, Nibali and Froome have shown the strongest climbing in recent years.

He should be beaten by all the top favorites but I think he will narrow the gap with them, he won't be that far behind.

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

Majka in topshape climbs only a half level below Nibali and Quintana.

Que? Majka is a good climber when in form. Around the Pinot level. We saw just how far off Nibali's climbing that is last year. Insurmountably far.

I bet Valverde outclimbs Majka this Tour.

I think you're under-rating Majka, and over-rating Nibali.

Last year Nibali came in s.t with Peraud at 2 MTF's, and dropped him two times. He only dropped Majka once on Hautacam, and just caught him at Chamrousse.

Imo there wasnt a very big difference, and Majka wasn't in top shape.

I know Majka wasn't a GC threat etc, and I'm not saying Nibali isn't a better climber right now than Majka, but the difference isn't so much as you've made it to be.

If Majka is high in the GC after TTT stage 9, then I think he'll hang on when there only 6-7 riders left.

 

[Miburo]

Potentially contador's team can be broken yea, that's true.

Majka at tour '14 and roman at tour '13 form. If they'll be at that form tinkoff will be with 3 in a group of 10. And Rogers/Kiser are more than decent too. You've sagan too, who can do something for contador similar to what he did for nibali in tour '12.

 

[Randy rex]

Will Jesus Hernandez be in the team for the Tour ? He is sometimes useless but he could also be primordial one day on the mountains like he was in 2012 Vuelta on Cuitu Negru, he was the last man with Valverde-Contador-Purito-Quintana.

 

[Miburo]

Nah jesus is pretty much useless, i can barely remember the stages he has been useful in, in the last 4 years. Sometimes he drops when there's 70 left, he can hang on but i almost never seen the guy truly ripping a field apart. Contador has enough climb dom. leave the guy home.

 

[Randy rex]

Re:

Nah jesus is pretty much useless, i can barely remember the stages he has been useful in, in the last 4 years. Sometimes he drops when there's 70 left, he can hang on but i almost never seen the guy truly ripping a field apart. Contador has enough climb dom. leave the guy home.

Contador wants some of his friends alongside him, like he did with Benjamin Noval before whereas it was clear that he could far better riders who stayed at home. So if Contador decides that he wants Jesus with him, he will be there.

 

[Miburo]

Contador should know better, and i think he will. Then again jesus was in the team last year...

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Majka in topshape climbs only a half level below Nibali and Quintana.

Que? Majka is a good climber when in form. Around the Pinot level. We saw just how far off Nibali's climbing that is last year. Insurmountably far.

I bet Valverde outclimbs Majka this Tour.

I think you're under-rating Majka, and over-rating Nibali.

Last year Nibali came in s.t with Peraud at 2 MTF's, and dropped him two times. He only dropped Majka once on Hautacam, and just caught him at Chamrousse.

Imo there wasnt a very big difference, and Majka wasn't in top shape.

I know Majka wasn't a GC threat etc, and I'm not saying Nibali isn't a better climber right now than Majka, but the difference isn't so much as you've made it to be.

Come tell me about it after Majka has won all 3 GTs.....

 

[Randy rex]

Yes and he DNF because of a crash in the first days of the race, he did the Vuelta too where he was with Alberto when there was 10 men remaining in the favorites group on Ancares.

 

[Carols]

I just want Alberto to have a good climbing team so he isn't isolated early and often, like in the Giro. Majka, Roman and Kieserlovski should be able to do the job. Yes Jesus is pretty useless and will be dropped in the TTT and on the climbs. I guess we'll see how much Alberto wants him around soon enough!

 

[rm7]

Re: Re:

Majka in topshape climbs only a half level below Nibali and Quintana.

Que? Majka is a good climber when in form. Around the Pinot level. We saw just how far off Nibali's climbing that is last year. Insurmountably far.

I bet Valverde outclimbs Majka this Tour.

I think you're under-rating Majka, and over-rating Nibali.

Last year Nibali came in s.t with Peraud at 2 MTF's, and dropped him two times. He only dropped Majka once on Hautacam, and just caught him at Chamrousse.

Imo there wasnt a very big difference, and Majka wasn't in top shape.

I know Majka wasn't a GC threat etc, and I'm not saying Nibali isn't a better climber right now than Majka, but the difference isn't so much as you've made it to be.

Come tell me about it after Majka has won all 3 GTs.....

What a lazy argument.

I'm trying to argue that Majka is at at a level where he'll loose around 30-45 seconds to Nibali at most per MTF, and your argument is.... that.

People in here generally likes to play the "Ohh, Nibali have won 3 GT's. Alberto Contador have won 7/9 GT's.", so he is still much better than the new young riders. Guess what, in a few years Majka will likely drop Nibali in every MTF.

 

[SeriousSam]

Nibali isn't that old. He's 30.

30-45 seconds per MTF is actually a lot.

I don't think Majka will ever climb as well as Nibali did last year.

I think it's you that overrated Majka and underrates Nibali, I mean, you say things like "Imo there wasnt a very big difference" when there was a very big difference between Nibali and everyone that remained in the race. He dropped them at will.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Majka in topshape climbs only a half level below Nibali and Quintana.

Que? Majka is a good climber when in form. Around the Pinot level. We saw just how far off Nibali's climbing that is last year. Insurmountably far.

I bet Valverde outclimbs Majka this Tour.

I think you're under-rating Majka, and over-rating Nibali.

Last year Nibali came in s.t with Peraud at 2 MTF's, and dropped him two times. He only dropped Majka once on Hautacam, and just caught him at Chamrousse.

Imo there wasnt a very big difference, and Majka wasn't in top shape.

I know Majka wasn't a GC threat etc, and I'm not saying Nibali isn't a better climber right now than Majka, but the difference isn't so much as you've made it to be.

Come tell me about it after Majka has won all 3 GTs.....

What a lazy argument.

I'm trying to argue that Majka is at at a level where he'll loose around 30-45 seconds to Nibali at most per MTF, and your argument is.... that.

People in here generally likes to play the "Ohh, Nibali have won 3 GT's. Alberto Contador have won 7/9 GT's.", so he is still much better than the new young riders. Guess what, in a few years Majka will likely drop Nibali in every MTF.

Whatever. I'm not about to argue Majka vs Nibali in the Contador thread.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

What a lazy argument.

I'm trying to argue that Majka is at at a level where he'll loose around 30-45 seconds to Nibali at most per MTF, and your argument is.... that.

People in here generally likes to play the "Ohh, Nibali have won 3 GT's. Alberto Contador have won 7/9 GT's.", so he is still much better than the new young riders. Guess what, in a few years Majka will likely drop Nibali in every MTF.

I agree with you. Seems like a silly argument to me. You weren't arguing that Majka is on a similar level as a GT specialist, you said Majka, in top shape, can stay close to the top guys and be in the first group when this group is down to 6-8 riders.
Indeed, if Majka and Kreuziger and also Kiserlovski are in great shape, they will all be a great help for Alberto.

 

[Carols]

Basso is modeling the 'incomplete' Tour jersey for TCS. I hope he isn't on the team! Scary that he is being used as the model.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-shorts-tinkoff-saxos-tour-de-france-jersey-katusha-for-the-dauphin

 

[LaFlorecita]

Basso is modeling the 'incomplete' Tour jersey for TCS. I hope he isn't on the team! Scary that he is being used as the model.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-shorts-tinkoff-saxos-tour-de-france-jersey-katusha-for-the-dauphin

Hmm I hadn't even thought about it that way Tinkov did say many of the guys on the Giro team would ride the Tour: Mick, Roman.... Ivan??

 

[WheelofGear]

Basso is modeling the 'incomplete' Tour jersey for TCS. I hope he isn't on the team! Scary that he is being used as the model.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-shorts-tinkoff-saxos-tour-de-france-jersey-katusha-for-the-dauphin

Hmm I hadn't even thought about it that way Tinkov did say many of the guys on the Giro team would ride the Tour: Mick, Roman.... Ivan??

I've even heard something about that even Sagan was not sure not make the team. Same with Bodnar. They are destroying their hopes of a good TT, better ride on the cobbles and action in the crosswind for a team with fossils like Basso and Paulinho who can't even climb anymore.

 

[Rollthedice]

Basso is modeling the 'incomplete' Tour jersey for TCS. I hope he isn't on the team! Scary that he is being used as the model.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/news-shorts-tinkoff-saxos-tour-de-france-jersey-katusha-for-the-dauphin

Hmm I hadn't even thought about it that way Tinkov did say many of the guys on the Giro team would ride the Tour: Mick, Roman.... Ivan??

Maybe these guys trained like Contador, to peak in TdF. I mean Rogers was nowhere to be seen until Giro where he was briefly with his captain before disappearing in the back, Basso was known as Bertie's roommate and Kreu, apart from scaring everybody in stage 4 to La Spezia was a shadow of former self. (One of) the secrets to Astana's dominance was the fact that all the team trained to peak for the Giro. Nibali's team trained separately to peak for Le Tour.