Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Netserk]

Re:

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Surely you also want to experience someone winning back-to-back Tours for the first time as well?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Surely you also want to experience someone winning back-to-back Tours for the first time as well?

For the first time Contador was in astana in '09 and '10, remember

 

[SeriousSam]

Perhaps he was referring to the notion of winning richer than "on the road".

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Re: Re:

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Surely you also want to experience someone winning back-to-back Tours for the first time as well?

Well, that we have witnessed many times I'll be rooting for AC as well!

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

Bad news. AC will focus on recovery this last ten days. Surely, this means he will explode in weight.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-contador-recons-pyrenean-summit-finishes

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Martinelli is that you?

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

Bad news. AC will focus on recovery this last ten days. Surely, this means he will explode in weight.

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Martinelli is that you?

The guy prepared this for 10 months, you really think he's gonna mess up his weight? Especially after the disaster of 2013.

I'm of the opinion that contador would only do this if he really thinks he can win it. I don't think he started the giro at 100% cause he knew he could win at 90%.

He could reach his peak at the tour, seems very unlikely though but it's possible and that's what i think the plan was.

Besides do you know anything of training regimes? And how do you know contador is telling the truth? Contador is known to lie about his preparation. Remember the vuelta 2014 where he so called for the first time finally did a decent training 10 days before the veulta. Don't tell me you actually believed that?

The tour will quickly give us answers. I think we should be able to tell how good he is on the mur already.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Of course he won't gain any weight, he's a professional.

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

So. No pictures about his chin at the start line then

Guys i was a bit sarcastic.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

Bad news. AC will focus on recovery this last ten days. Surely, this means he will explode in weight.

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Martinelli is that you?

The guy prepared this for 10 months, you really think he's gonna mess up his weight? Especially after the disaster of 2013.

I'm of the opinion that contador would only do this if he really thinks he can win it. I don't think he started the giro at 100% cause he knew he could win at 90%.

He could reach his peak at the tour, seems very unlikely though but it's possible and that's what i think the plan was.

Besides do you know anything of training regimes? And how do you know contador is telling the truth? Contador is known to lie about his preparation. Remember the vuelta 2014 where he so called for the first time finally did a decent training 10 days before the veulta. Don't tell me you actually believed that?

The tour will quickly give us answers. I think we should be able to tell how good he is on the mur already.

One month, 2 weaks strong training, the best training of all the riders of the starlist, and with 8 days of le Tour, so very good.

Contador need to rest, that is obvious, the work is done, similar for the rest of the contenders, nobody is going to train hard the last week, but for other ones who didnt race il Giro national will be important, as Nibali, so maybe this weak for them there are some long and hard training: Dauphiné, rest a little, training and reccon, one day hard, rest the previous day of nationals, , and last week soft training, except maybe one day train the TTT.

 

[SeriousSam]

Actually, Nibali surely does train hard (and did last year), or how else is he going to go from being dropped like a stone by everyone to TTing up Hautacam more than a minute quicker than everyone else?

 

[Red Rick]

Actually, Nibali surely does train hard (and did last year), or how else is he going to go from being dropped like a stone by everyone to TTing up Hautacam more than a minute quicker than everyone else?

The rest watching each other and not going all out.


Recovering doesn't mean gaining weight, it means not putting more stress on the body, so the body can use its energy to repair all microtears in the muscles, etc. I think this means he wants to improve during the Tour, so essentially going for a second 'peak' in 3 months time. Don't know how he wanted to do it in 2011, but then he came of a better shape and recovering and trying to improve in the last week wasn't a choice.

Do think that there's a difference in being fatigued and being in shape. They don't seem to cancel each other out. Every rider feels the fatigue in the 3rd week of a GT (I think, never ridden one, don't shoot me for it), yet still riders try to peak then.

 

[The_Cheech]

Actually, Nibali surely does train hard (and did last year), or how else is he going to go from being dropped like a stone by everyone to TTing up Hautacam more than a minute quicker than everyone else?

The rest watching each other and not going all out.


Recovering doesn't mean gaining weight, it means not putting more stress on the body, so the body can use its energy to repair all microtears in the muscles, etc. I think this means he wants to improve during the Tour, so essentially going for a second 'peak' in 3 months time. Don't know how he wanted to do it in 2011, but then he came of a better shape and recovering and trying to improve in the last week wasn't a choice.

Do think that there's a difference in being fatigued and being in shape. They don't seem to cancel each other out. Every rider feels the fatigue in the 3rd week of a GT (I think, never ridden one, don't shoot me for it), yet still riders try to peak then.

Exactly! I, for the life of me, cannot understand how some are speculating that certain riders are going to crumble on the third week.

 

[Jelantik]

Re: Re:

Bad news. AC will focus on recovery this last ten days. Surely, this means he will explode in weight.

I have come to realise that I actually want AC to win this tour as much as I want Niali to win, cause I want to have experienced someone doing the double

Martinelli is that you?

The guy prepared this for 10 months, you really think he's gonna mess up his weight? Especially after the disaster of 2013.

I'm of the opinion that contador would only do this if he really thinks he can win it. I don't think he started the giro at 100% cause he knew he could win at 90%.

He could reach his peak at the tour, seems very unlikely though but it's possible and that's what i think the plan was.

Besides do you know anything of training regimes? And how do you know contador is telling the truth? Contador is known to lie about his preparation. Remember the vuelta 2014 where he so called for the first time finally did a decent training 10 days before the veulta. Don't tell me you actually believed that?

The tour will quickly give us answers. I think we should be able to tell how good he is on the mur already.

quite intriguing isn't it? we all keep guessing and throwing all kinds of theory. Logically we thought he would spend his last 10 days training normally... well i guess not. He is doing a recovery with light training.. ugh whaa? either he is quite good of making people scratching their head, or he is actually doing what he said.. and even makes people pulling their hair now . To be quiet honest, I don't know what kind of shape he is going to be at TDF. Last year, we are all so sure .. since we are seeing him firing all cylinder all season. This year.. a lot more guessing than a sure thing...

 

[murali]

i have grown to trust Bertie when he enters a race.

 

[Dedelou]

Re:

i have grown to trust Bertie when he enters a race.

Unless somebody is way out of shape, training hard the last week before a major race such as a grand tour does not add to your fitness level only contributes to increase the payload on the body from 3 weeks to 4 weeks. I am sure all the contenders and their top assistants ease up a good week before the racing start.

 

[webbie146]

Re: Re:

i have grown to trust Bertie when he enters a race.

Unless somebody is way out of shape, training hard the last week before a major race such as a grand tour does not add to your fitness level only contributes to increase the payload on the body from 3 weeks to 4 weeks. I am sure all the contenders and their top assistants ease up a good week before the racing start.

I agree, it's totally normal and beneficial to taper before a GT. Normally a rider would taper anywhere from 4/8 days most of the time. Increasing that to around 10 days is totally fine given he has the giro in his legs. Tapering will allow u to start the race fresher without losing any form.

 

[Matteo.]

I'm back (@Jack_89)

I have had the same story of Linkinito and I was cut off for a long time, but I have not stopped to read. But now, i'm ready fort the double

Yep, this is me, I'm just using a secondary account because CyclingNews doesn't want to bring back my old account on their new forums. Despite asking for the password mail a billion times, I never recieved it. Well, whatever.

 

[ILovecycling]

I'm back (@Jack_89)

I have had the same story of Linkinito and I was cut off for a long time, but I have not stopped to read. But now, i'm ready fort the double

Yep, this is me, I'm just using a secondary account because CyclingNews doesn't want to bring back my old account on their new forums. Despite asking for the password mail a billion times, I never recieved it. Well, whatever.

welcome back mate, CN staff sucks , now we are gonna enjoy the Tour, what are your predictions?

 

[Jelantik]

Does anyone know where Contador now? is he still in altitude or back in his home town (I remembered he said he will stay in altitude for a month). Just saw his tweet, looks like he's not going to gain any weight (like anyone worries). with diet of half of watermellon..

 

[Forunculo]

Does anyone know where Contador now? is he still in altitude or back in his home town (I remembered he said he will stay in altitude for a month). Just saw his tweet, looks like he's not going to gain any weight (like anyone worries). with diet of half of watermellon..

I think he is in Livigno

 

[LaFlorecita]

Does anyone know where Contador now? is he still in altitude or back in his home town (I remembered he said he will stay in altitude for a month). Just saw his tweet, looks like he's not going to gain any weight (like anyone worries). with diet of half of watermellon..

I think he is in Livigno

He's in Lugano I think

 

[contador977]

At the Route du Sud, what was Contador doing during his stage win? It seems he tried once to drop Quintana on the climb but his attacks were short lived once he saw Quintana cover it. Not sure what to make of this. Quintana looked really easy on that climb and without a gritty decent Im not convinced Contador could have covered an attack by Quintana. Last year Contador was hell bent on dropping Quintana early in the year. If I use Mortirolo as a reference and that TT at the Giro....some of his other performances look like mini bluffs. Possibly Contador does not have the willl to empty his reserves for smaller wins other than the Double. Gonna be an interesting Tour.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

At the Route du Sud, what was Contador doing during his stage win? It seems he tried once to drop Quintana on the climb but his attacks were short lived once he saw Quintana cover it. Not sure what to make of this. Quintana looked really easy on that climb and without a gritty decent Im not convinced Contador could have covered an attack by Quintana. Last year Contador was hell bent on dropping Quintana early in the year. If I use Mortirolo as a reference and that TT at the Giro....some of his other performances look like mini bluffs.

He just tested Quintana. He put in some little digs, and each time Quintana responded so he didn't push on. He didn't have to drop Quintana.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

At the Route du Sud, what was Contador doing during his stage win? It seems he tried once to drop Quintana on the climb but his attacks were short lived once he saw Quintana cover it. Not sure what to make of this. Quintana looked really easy on that climb and without a gritty decent Im not convinced Contador could have covered an attack by Quintana. Last year Contador was hell bent on dropping Quintana early in the year. If I use Mortirolo as a reference and that TT at the Giro....some of his other performances look like mini bluffs. Possibly Contador does not have the willl to empty his reserves for smaller wins other than the Double. Gonna be an interesting Tour.

Contador looked to be going pretty easy on the climb as well. The attacks he did were very short lived. After a little attack he then settled into a pretty easy pace. Neither of them looked tired or fatigued. You can't compare last year with this year. This year he is going for the double; it's only natural that he'll be racing differently. I agree, it'll be an interesting Tour.

 

[Singer01]

Does anyone know where Contador now? is he still in altitude or back in his home town (I remembered he said he will stay in altitude for a month). Just saw his tweet, looks like he's not going to gain any weight (like anyone worries). with diet of half of watermellon..

I think he is in Livigno

He's in Lugano I think

instead of saying 'i think he is in XYZ' why not just say, 'i have absolutely no idea where he is', which is what you really mean.