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Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

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Re: Re:

The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

One of the best? I think he can say that already, whether or not you are a fan, there aren't many with his GT palmares.

But there's no doubt the double will add lustre.

And yes, I think he's sincere about retiring. The article in rouleur - assuming it's accurate - made it very clear he'd had enough.
 
Jul 29, 2012
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Re:

SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

Worst year? You mean the best year right? And i'm saying this with absolute certainty for 2 reasons.

1.His legacy will benefit way more from it beating a stacked tour field.

2.It'll be way easier to win a tour vs 4,5 top guys than only 1 guy. Way easier.
 
May 12, 2015
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Re: Re:

Miburo said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

Worst year? You mean the best year right? And i'm saying this with absolute certainty for 2 reasons.

1.His legacy will benefit way more from it beating a stacked tour field.

2.It'll be way easier to win a tour vs 4,5 top guys than only 1 guy. Way easier.

You know what? I think so too.

He seems to thrive when the competition is tough and the parcourse is bestial. Giro 2011 comes to mind. Having 4 or 5 guys fighting for position, hence making the stages hard, only benefits him because he's one of a few cyclists that actually gets better toward the end of the GT. Or, at least, does not tire out at the same rate.
 
Jul 1, 2013
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Re: Re:

The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Yeah, no way could he say he's one of the best at the mo.
 
Jun 9, 2010
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Re: Re:

Miburo said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

Worst year? You mean the best year right? And i'm saying this with absolute certainty for 2 reasons.

1.His legacy will benefit way more from it beating a stacked tour field.

2.It'll be way easier to win a tour vs 4,5 top guys than only 1 guy. Way easier.

I think there is a 3rd and easier option:
3. Is easier to win a tour vs 0 guys (like Nibali last year), way easier.
 
Re: Re:

arvc40 said:
The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Yeah, no way could he say he's one of the best at the mo.

And no way just a double would do that. Only a triple comes in question after skipping Dauphine.

"One of the best" of course.
 
Mar 16, 2015
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Re: Re:

The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Giro+Tour+Vuelta? Never happened, it's nearly impossible. If he manages to do that he'd be even better than Eddy Merckx. However I'm quite sure no one in moder cycling can pass such a challenge. Giro+Tour is already a terrible task, his legs are going on strike if he asks them to ride a third GT :D
 
Jul 29, 2012
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Re: Re:

Mozart92 said:
The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Giro+Tour+Vuelta? Never happened, it's nearly impossible. If he manages to do that he'd be even better than Eddy Merckx. However I'm quite sure no one in moder cycling can pass such a challenge. Giro+Tour is already a terrible task, his legs are going on strike if he asks them to ride a third GT :D

No way he'll be better than merckx then. Merckx is way too much.

But if he does the double he can make a claim for top5 riders of all time.
 
Re: Re:

Miburo said:
Mozart92 said:
The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Giro+Tour+Vuelta? Never happened, it's nearly impossible. If he manages to do that he'd be even better than Eddy Merckx. However I'm quite sure no one in moder cycling can pass such a challenge. Giro+Tour is already a terrible task, his legs are going on strike if he asks them to ride a third GT :D

No way he'll be better than merckx then. Merckx is way too much.

But if he does the double he can make a claim for top5 riders of all time.

Sorry to have to voice my disent, not over Contador not being better than Merckx (which is a futile analogy), but the simple idea that he, Eddie, "is way too much." The concept that any athlete is too hallowed to be "touched" is a bizzare "culture" in this sport, which smacks a bit of provincialism and the type of nostalgia that doesn't want to confront the present reality.

Merckx was simply the best of his era, in an era that still permitted a complete rider who could win on practically every terrain. Yet that era is long since in the past and today it is simply not possible (or at least so unlikely as to be "impossible") for a Grand Tour winner to win races like the Tour of Flanders (for example). In Merckx era they raced so much that nobody could reach the super peaks of form that the science of training and selective appointments have made possible today.

It made me laugh, therefore, when I read a journalist recently ask Merckx if he were racing today would he have won as much, or more?! The obvious answer is he would necessarily have won much, much less, because he'd have to prepare for and target select races and thus race far less, or else he'd get crushed. Then you have to consider that cycling in Merckx's day was basically a Continental sport, whereas today it is global. The field today has thus a wider (geographical) range of talent, for which just to become a pro is much harder than it was in the 60's and 70's, the money is also tighter and the expenses to run a team way more costly. For this reason the pros today have to perform at such a high level in all the races being run that it is truly exasperating. In fact for this reason they race less number of races, but have to be in better shape in the ones the do. A big champion of today for this reason couldn't dream of lining up at the start and winning all the races Merckx did, because it is simply not humanly possible, even if that human is Eddy Merckx.

It's fair to ask, were Eddie racing today, would he be the same overpowering talent that he was in the late 60's and 70's given all this? No way. He'd no doubt be very, very good, but he'd be hard pressed to dominate those who will be going for Yellow in July this year. Beat them, perhaps, but only with great difficulty. And there's no way that he's a more explosive climber than a super Contador.
 
CHxzrHoWEAEs5BP.jpg

on the right

CHxZjVMWwAENrJB.jpg

CHxU3HMWUAAbpPX.jpg

doesn't look like he gained any weight but I don't think he lost much either

still 2 weeks though :)
 
Re: Re:

Miburo said:
Mozart92 said:
The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Giro+Tour+Vuelta? Never happened, it's nearly impossible. If he manages to do that he'd be even better than Eddy Merckx. However I'm quite sure no one in moder cycling can pass such a challenge. Giro+Tour is already a terrible task, his legs are going on strike if he asks them to ride a third GT :D

No way he'll be better than merckx then. Merckx is way too much.

But if he does the double he can make a claim for top5 riders of all time.

Pantani 98 actually may have had a tiny chance for the triple if the Vuelta still would've been in April back in those days!

In one year it's impossible. Contador actually COULD do the triple over the winter (Vuelta, Giro, Tour). That's the only possible option for me. But even this is a huge task to ask for!
 
Jul 19, 2010
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well today he is very active at the front even speeding up with the sprint group... I hope that's a good sign of him getting a good recovery. But it's too early to tell, saturday we'll see how he is.
 
Feb 21, 2014
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Re: Re:

rhubroma said:
Miburo said:
Mozart92 said:
The_Cheech said:
SkyTears said:
i think Contador pick the worst year to attempt the double

i don't remember any TdF so stacked with top guys

He's been saying he needs a challenge for a while now.

When I read between the lines it all sounds as though he's got enough money in the bank and isn't turned on by a single GT, hence him taking on both, Giro + TdF.

I also think he is being genuine when he says that he wants to retire at the end of next year.

If he pulls it off (wins GdI + TdF) and then goes to the Vuelta, and wins it, then he can say that he is one of the best.

Giro+Tour+Vuelta? Never happened, it's nearly impossible. If he manages to do that he'd be even better than Eddy Merckx. However I'm quite sure no one in moder cycling can pass such a challenge. Giro+Tour is already a terrible task, his legs are going on strike if he asks them to ride a third GT :D

No way he'll be better than merckx then. Merckx is way too much.

But if he does the double he can make a claim for top5 riders of all time.

Sorry to have to voice my disent, not over Contador not being better than Merckx (which is a futile analogy), but the simple idea that he, Eddie, "is way too much." The concept that any athlete is too hallowed to be "touched" is a bizzare "culture" in this sport, which smacks a bit of provincialism and the type of nostalgia that doesn't want to confront the present reality.

Merckx was simply the best of his era, in an era that still permitted a complete rider who could win on practically every terrain. Yet that era is long since in the past and today it is simply not possible (or at least so unlikely as to be "impossible") for a Grand Tour winner to win races like the Tour of Flanders (for example). In Merckx era they raced so much that nobody could reach the super peaks of form that the science of training and selective appointments have made possible today.

It made me laugh, therefore, when I read a journalist recently ask Merckx if he were racing today would he have won as much, or more?! The obvious answer is he would necessarily have won much, much less, because he'd have to prepare for and target select races and thus race far less, or else he'd get crushed. Then you have to consider that cycling in Merckx's day was basically a Continental sport, whereas today it is global. The field today has thus a wider (geographical) range of talent, for which just to become a pro is much harder than it was in the 60's and 70's, the money is also tighter and the expenses to run a team way more costly. For this reason the pros today have to perform at such a high level in all the races being run that it is truly exasperating. In fact for this reason they race less number of races, but have to be in better shape in the ones the do. A big champion of today for this reason couldn't dream of lining up at the start and winning all the races Merckx did, because it is simply not humanly possible, even if that human is Eddy Merckx.

It's fair to ask, were Eddie racing today, would he be the same overpowering talent that he was in the late 60's and 70's given all this? No way. He'd no doubt be very, very good, but he'd be hard pressed to dominate those who will be going for Yellow in July this year. Beat them, perhaps, but only with great difficulty. And there's no way that he's a more explosive climber than a super Contador.

I agreed with all of what you said. Merckx would have a shot at today's 1 day races, by first racing less and focusing on it. But imo he wouldn't win a single GT. He really doesn't even remotely look like a climber to begin with. That made the cut in his era but not way he'd compete against modern super skinny explosive climbers who plan all season around a single objective and who are strong in TT as well for most.
 
Feb 21, 2014
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As of today, Contador looked really good, for those who didn't watch it he was basically all the time out of the saddle spinning it when the road went up and did a great sprint among punchers.

Looking good so far. Regarding the weight, I'm sure there's some high intensity training planned for the dozen days after RDS, he'll be at least a kilo lighter for the Tour, I feel like that's how it's planned.
 
Jul 11, 2009
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Re:

LaFlorecita said:
CHxzrHoWEAEs5BP.jpg

on the right

CHxZjVMWwAENrJB.jpg

CHxU3HMWUAAbpPX.jpg

doesn't look like he gained any weight but I don't think he lost much either

still 2 weeks though :)

Merckx was good, theres no doubt but as is said above in this era virtually none of what he can be done, the level and science is way to advanced.

He was good in his time but he wouldn't have been one of the greats today... look at his physic for starters, he'd be destroyed in the mountains today.
 
Feb 21, 2014
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Re: Re:

Electress said:
Kwibus said:
Ps electress your most welcome ofcourse.

La flo don't be afraid. :)

Well, I'm up for it ! :)

Can't wait for the highlights tonight. Sounds like Bertie looks okay. Sprinting (in the drops?) LOL!

Road kicked up towards the finish line, it was more of a puncheur finish, and AC did really good.