Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[No_Balls]

And here is the interview. Very intresting indeed:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/giro-ditalia-countdown-7-indurain-on-doing-the-giro-tour-double-double

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

He's certainly playing down expectations - his last tweets emphasize how tired he is...

I was exhausted last week watching Landa and Aru drop Contador on back-to-back stages (I was actually cold sweating on my cheap couch, fearing that Contador would lose the Giro).

And I'm actually depressed thinking about July, as Froome hunches the shoulders and Nibali accelerates and Quintana follows both while Contador grits his teeth and tailguns behind Tom Boonen. I need to lie down now....

I so hope not. Let's not get depressed before we need to eh?

Though I know what you mean about the Giro. I was a wreck during that Giro. If his lead hadn't been so big by the mountains, I would have been all over the place!

Just saw a quite horrible image of Froome's knee in the Poel's thread. No one should be that thin. It's ghastly.

Romain Bardet, Pierre Rolland , JC Peraud,, are just as skinny....don;t see any comments about these guys

Very simple; they aren't as tall! It doesn't look as odd. Rolland is one inch shorter so he is close. Still that one inch makes a difference.

And since no one posted a picture of Bardet or Rolland, I was hardly going to comment, was I? I agree Bardet looks almost child-like because he's tiny-weeny. (Every time I see him smile I actually worry whether he's getting enough calcium for his teeth, for some reason!)

Whilst I love cycling, this pursuit of extreme skinniness is not something I'm comfortable with. Porte had that lollipop head thing this Giro which I find disturbing. My memory of Hinault et al. was never that they looked so skeletal* and Riis in that picture above looks pretty normal.

*(Please, I do remember The Chicken picture and don't want to see it again so no posting that as an example of why I'm wrong and it was always thus).

 

[rhubroma]

Re: Re:

These guys are paid to race, they are paid to ride for glory. I can't believe that 5 weeks isn't enough time to recover from a GT. There used to be a week to 10 days less, when the double was done. Lemond, who finished the Giro third (crashing) and 4th (supporting Hinault), says he always felt great come the Tour with the Giro in his legs.

I'm more and more convinced Contador can win the Tour, while the Route du Sud should reignite the enginee just in time. We will also see how Quintana is I believe.

nahh, that was a lot different cycling , but we cant discuss it here

They extended the time because of the "new cycling" for guys to think they can do it. Point is a rider today has more time to recover than before. It's doable.

Source? Results?

Maybe it is doable when a rider is superior to his rivals in recovery, which Alberto might be or might not be.Hard to say, but you cant be sure at all.

Look it up!

It takes an exceptional rider to win the double. Everyone that has was. I believe AC is just such an exceptional rider. Doesn't mean he will win, though I'm more and more convinced he can as I have said.

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

That awkard moment when the summary is even worse then the previous post.

The general gist is this: When Contador pulls out of the Tour after losing 20 mins on the first mountain stage, it's not because he's tired from the Giro, but because that's just where his form is these days.

Basically this pointless discussion "he will win - he will not win" is simply a continuation of the "Landa was the best climber" narrative which they upheld even though pretty much everyone agreed on that. Although it should be said that, as i said before the Giro his approach to the double, in the race, will probably be different and more in tune with Indurains advice: "spend your energy at the right time and in the right place". Therefore we didnt saw a Contador attacking everything and everytime in the later stages of the Giro. It is likely we'll see a rather conservative approach in France as well with a different ambition then impress on Sky-fans and haters going uphill. I'd say experience and tactical nouse is clearly in his favour over the others. Two key factors often forgotten and overlooked.

Still they will continue like this until the race and (i say "if") if he should win it the gates will open for another discussion with ambition to downplay his victory and how he was not the best racer because he didnt win in a sprint. Some people makes a habit of being wrong all the time but at least they dont feel ashamed and continue to the post like the predicitions before the Giro never happened. One can admire such confidence.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

That awkard moment when the summary is even worse then the previous post.

The general gist is this: When Contador pulls out of the Tour after losing 20 mins on the first mountain stage, it's not because he's tired from the Giro, but because that's just where his form is these days.

Basically this pointless discussion "he will win - he will not win" is simply a continuation of the "Landa was the best climber" narrative which they upheld even though pretty much everyone agreed on that. Although it should be said that, as i said before the Giro his approach to the double, in the race, will probably be different and more in tune with Indurains advice: "spend your energy at the right time and in the right place". Therefore we didnt saw a Contador attacking everything and everytime in the later stages of the Giro. It is likely we'll see a rather conservative approach in France as well with a different ambition then impress on Sky-fans and haters going uphill. I'd say experience and tactical nouse is clearly in his favour over the others. Two key factors often forgotten and overlooked.

Still they will continue like this until the race and (i say "if") if he should win it the gates will open for another discussion with ambition to downplay his victory and how he was not the best racer because he didnt win in a sprint. Some people makes a habit of being wrong all the time but at least they dont feel ashamed and continue to the post like the predicitions before the Giro never happened. One can admire such confidence.

We watched differents Giro, he attacked in a risky attack (he was luccky to find Hesjedal and a team mate) when Landa was at more than 4 minutes of him... it is that conservative or it is i am very afraid of that man and today I need to put time on him??.

And he was nex mountain stage just trying to keep his wheel, allowing Aru, and he could becouse was a crap of climb and Aru attacked just in the last climb, so he wanst anyone who worried Contador, and in the next al last mountain stage, Landa dropped him.

But yes, all that people that now argue that Contador was saving energy there if he is not one of the best in the Tour will say it was becouse Contador wasted too much energy on the Giro.

So, we watch another Giro.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador saving energy at the Giro, does not guarantee he will have enough energy left to win the Tour.

 

[BYOP88]

If AC doesnt win Le Tour Im not going to make any excuse He just couldnt get it and thats it... then I'd like for him to try Tour - Vuelta next year and with that form build up for Il Giro - Tour in 2017 and with that maybe retire

Nibali has a really good form and you could see it today, Dawg is still building up and Nairo we still dont know, Le Tour is going to be interesting... for AC Im not asking for 2009 form just a 2011 Giro form and I'll be happy

Tour-Vuelta-Giro-Tour is impossible. Indurain said he still felt the effects of his Giro-Tour double a year later. No way Contador can contest let alone win 4 GTs in a row.

I don't get your comment about Miguelon. He did a Giro-Tour double in 93 and another such double in 94. So, in effect, the great Miguel won back to back double and still won the Tour in 95. That doesn't sound to me like he was too tired of too many doubles.

Sorry for being pedantic, Big Mig's doubles were 1992 and 1993.

Contador saving energy at the Giro, does not guarantee he will have enough energy left to win the Tour.

You heard it first people, super fan #1 is doubting her hero. Don't let Contador see this thread

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador saving energy at the Giro, does not guarantee he will have enough energy left to win the Tour.

You heard it first people, super fan #1 is doubting her hero. Don't let Contador see this thread

It was a reply to Taxus' post, Bob

 

[Miburo]

Sorry fleur, i might be wrong about basso, he's doing tour du sud lol

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

That awkard moment when the summary is even worse then the previous post.

The general gist is this: When Contador pulls out of the Tour after losing 20 mins on the first mountain stage, it's not because he's tired from the Giro, but because that's just where his form is these days.

Basically this pointless discussion "he will win - he will not win" is simply a continuation of the "Landa was the best climber" narrative which they upheld even though pretty much everyone agreed on that. Although it should be said that, as i said before the Giro his approach to the double, in the race, will probably be different and more in tune with Indurains advice: "spend your energy at the right time and in the right place". Therefore we didnt saw a Contador attacking everything and everytime in the later stages of the Giro. It is likely we'll see a rather conservative approach in France as well with a different ambition then impress on Sky-fans and haters going uphill. I'd say experience and tactical nouse is clearly in his favour over the others. Two key factors often forgotten and overlooked.

Still they will continue like this until the race and (i say "if") if he should win it the gates will open for another discussion with ambition to downplay his victory and how he was not the best racer because he didnt win in a sprint. Some people makes a habit of being wrong all the time but at least they dont feel ashamed and continue to the post like the predicitions before the Giro never happened. One can admire such confidence.

We watched differents Giro, he attacked in a risky attack (he was luccky to find Hesjedal and a team mate) when Landa was at more than 4 minutes of him... it is that conservative or it is i am very afraid of that man and today I need to put time on him??.

And he was nex mountain stage just trying to keep his wheel, allowing Aru, and he could becouse was a crap of climb and Aru attacked just in the last climb, so he wanst anyone who worried Contador, and in the next al last mountain stage, Landa dropped him.

But yes, all that people that now argue that Contador was saving energy there if he is not one of the best in the Tour will say it was becouse Contador wasted too much energy on the Giro.

So, we watch another Giro.

Spending and/or conserving energy is of course not something that could be pinpointed upon certain moments in the latter stage of the race but rather the accumulated effort over the entire race. What is clear is that the stagehunting Alberto was gone - doing multiple, explosive, attacks in one climb, which is good news for the energy departement. Likewise, it is at best wishful (or unecessary pessimism) thinking saying he cant win the Tour and point to what happened at Mortirolo and later. For a negative hater it is generally bad news when a calculating rider like Contador does these kinds of efforts because its weighted in the bigger picture which includes the Tour. I see that attack as reminiscent of Liege twenty years ago when Indurain attacked with 25 km to go due to a peloton in disarray in order to set himself up better for the following time trial, to Contador doing basically the same for better position in the mountains. The parallell with Mig is intresting because he that year had his "worst" time trialing year over his reign (barely 12 seconds to Riis and just under a minute the last) as Contador wasnt at his best but like a champ he once again adapted and looked ahead, using the terrain and bended the situations in his favour. The following stage he just followed wheel.

It is hardly "luck" when/if a strong rider like Ryder is catching up, or are allowed to catch up, and then start to cooperate with the race leader for his overall ambition. We are down to strategy for dummies levels here. Shape up!

I think he found himself in a momentarily bad patch having followed every wheel at Finisterre and then when Landa went mutant he was unable to cope. But having said that he didnt have to overdo himself either and could reap from what he had saw from the humongous 5:00 cushion he benefited from. I think he downhill and on Sestrieres just kept an eye on everything despite being able to go a bit better (what i think). But yes, people will say this and people will say that depending on the outcome. Not denying that.

Yes, we didnt saw the same Giro.

 

[Electress]

Taxus, I beg of you. No more Landa. You are making me want to quit the forum.

 

[Iker_Baqueiro]

If AC doesnt win Le Tour Im not going to make any excuse He just couldnt get it and thats it... then I'd like for him to try Tour - Vuelta next year and with that form build up for Il Giro - Tour in 2017 and with that maybe retire

Nibali has a really good form and you could see it today, Dawg is still building up and Nairo we still dont know, Le Tour is going to be interesting... for AC Im not asking for 2009 form just a 2011 Giro form and I'll be happy

Tour-Vuelta-Giro-Tour is impossible. Indurain said he still felt the effects of his Giro-Tour double a year later. No way Contador can contest let alone win 4 GTs in a row.

I don't get your comment about Miguelon. He did a Giro-Tour double in 93 and another such double in 94. So, in effect, the great Miguel won back to back double and still won the Tour in 95. That doesn't sound to me like he was too tired of too many doubles.

Sorry for being pedantic, Big Mig's doubles were 1992 and 1993.

Contador saving energy at the Giro, does not guarantee he will have enough energy left to win the Tour.

You heard it first people, super fan #1 is doubting her hero. Don't let Contador see this thread

No worries though. Thanks for the correction. Got my years offset by one.

 

[Ryaguas]

Re:

Landa went mutant? Landa was very well all thye giro as he has been always that he had continuity, no injuries and good heath.
Landa wanst allowed to attack, no more.

Contador has been a mutant almost all his career.



By the way, i get here to ask if contador is riding Route du sud. I ma surprised about.. he must not be tired.

It is good of course a race like that to re start competition rythm and start really strong on the Tour.
.

man give it a rest... Landa didnt win, even starting Il Giro as a leader He wasnt going to win... just deal with it...

 

[infeXio]

Re: Re:

Landa went mutant? Landa was very well all thye giro as he has been always that he had continuity, no injuries and good heath.
Landa wanst allowed to attack, no more.

Contador has been a mutant almost all his career.



By the way, i get here to ask if contador is riding Route du sud. I ma surprised about.. he must not be tired.

It is good of course a race like that to re start competition rythm and start really strong on the Tour.
.

man give it a rest... Landa didnt win, even starting Il Giro as a leader He wasnt going to win... just deal with it...

Don't you dare say anything remotely logical! He won't accept it!

 

[jens_attacks]

I havent seen ryaguas on the forumz since ages.
'Sup? Ready to witness the double?

 

[Ryaguas]

Re:

I havent seen ryaguas on the forumz since ages.
'Sup? Ready to witness the double?

Sup Jens? yeah went away from the forum for such a long time, was following the sport from the shadows, now is time to comeback to witness the double

BTW I want to give you massive props for your blog ! The legendary Jens_attacks blog as Little Flower said

 

[rm7]

Forgive me if this is a stupid/newbie question, but do anybody know how Contador intend to increase his form towards the Tour?

Obviously he is riding Route du Sud with 4 stages, but is he going to Tenerife or anything? And have he watched the Tour stages yet?

I hope he comes into the Tour in a shape, where he can improve towards the 3rd week. Like the Vuelta last year.

 

[Electress]

Re:

Forgive me if this is a stupid/newbie question, but do anybody know how Contador intend to increase his form towards the Tour?

Obviously he is riding Route du Sud with 4 stages, but is he going to Tenerife or anything? And have he watched the Tour stages yet?

I hope he comes into the Tour in a shape, where he can improve towards the 3rd week. Like the Vuelta last year.

I saw a headline in a Spanish newspaper which seemed to suggest he was on some kind of 'buddhist retreat' But I think it was really that he was resting up prior to training in LivIgno. I meant to read it but I forget and now I can't find it.

Isn't he going off for some altitude training block after the Route du Sud? Can't remember where I read that.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

I havent seen ryaguas on the forumz since ages.
'Sup? Ready to witness the double?

Sup Jens? yeah went away from the forum for such a long time, was following the sport from the shadows, now is time to comeback to witness the double

BTW I want to give you massive props for your blog ! The legendary Jens_attacks blog as Little Flower said

Jens as a blog? How come I missed that? (

My alltime favourite poster!

 

[infeXio]

Re: Re:

I havent seen ryaguas on the forumz since ages.
'Sup? Ready to witness the double?

Sup Jens? yeah went away from the forum for such a long time, was following the sport from the shadows, now is time to comeback to witness the double

BTW I want to give you massive props for your blog ! The legendary Jens_attacks blog as Little Flower said

Jens as a blog? How come I missed that? (

My alltime favourite poster!

http://www.climbing-records.com/

I assume it's that

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

I havent seen ryaguas on the forumz since ages.
'Sup? Ready to witness the double?

Sup Jens? yeah went away from the forum for such a long time, was following the sport from the shadows, now is time to comeback to witness the double

BTW I want to give you massive props for your blog ! The legendary Jens_attacks blog as Little Flower said

Jens as a blog? How come I missed that? (

My alltime favourite poster!

http://www.climbing-records.com/

I assume it's that

Ahh jensies climbing records site. After reading the earlier comments I expected something else.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Sorry fleur, i might be wrong about basso, he's doing tour du sud lol

Mick and Kreuziger too. They might bring almost their full Tour team

 

[LaFlorecita]

Froome looking beatable this Dauphiné. It's looking good for Berto

 

[BlurryVII]

hmm, the way Instauxti cracked today was interesting. Giro taking its toll on him.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

hmm, the way Instauxti cracked today was interesting. Giro taking its toll on him.

Oh dear god, here we go again