Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

but we are talking about significant GC time, maybe i'm wrong, i don't remember that happened

I didn't say he'll take back that time in a descent, I was just replying to your question about why people regard Contador as a better descender/bike handler.

 

[Guybrush]

Re: Re:

but we are talking about significant GC time, maybe i'm wrong, i don't remember that happened

I didn't say he'll take back that time in a descent, I was just replying to your question about why people regard Contador as a better descender/bike handler.

Point taken

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Yeah, **** happens, he is in **** form right now if that's what you mean.

No, it isn't.

About the grimacing, last year, in one of the earlier stages, he was also grimacing like a beast trying to get to the front and following Toso. I believe it's widely accepted that he was in good shape last year.

 

[Metabolol]

Some of you are reading way too much into facial expressions.

 

[Electress]

Golly, such a lot of doom-mechants even today, when the potential for disaster was high, and indeed, apparently averted without us knowing about it, since AC had a dodgy wheel.

I am more optimistic that we'll see him settle in and get much more into his race rhythm now. These first few days must have been particularly tense, and hardly the most gentle start, coming in with relatively few racing days since the Giro. Although there are always more hurdles to come, I think some of the tension will dissipate now. He has seen how strong his team is, and how well they are working together. The 'two objectives' situation could have been an absolute nightmare.

All in all, a massive sigh of relief from me today, so whilst it's not been 'the perfect start', he's sitting in a much better situation than I feared he might have.

Let's face it, if someone had offered you, at the start of the race, being over a minute up on two of his main rivals and only 36 secs down on the other, would you have taken it? I would.

 

[Jelantik]

Well today, we all see that Froome is not as bad in the cobble like people expected. But the lucky one is Contador. Looks like he was riding the last 25km with broken wheel (again another mechanical. He didn't seem to have a good luck with cobble. It's either broken spoke, mud on the cog, now broken wheel). On hindsight, he isn't loosing any time .. that's a relive. TS boys did great job in taking a good care of him through out the stage. Great team work. Now, Contador must think other way to gain time on Froome. Froome so far has been excellent in all front, except wet descent (since we haven't been in high mountain yet).

Right now, Froome is more and more looking like he is the strongest. Managing second on the climb that didn't suit him and riding cobble better than everyone expected. By now, he probably knows that his searing tempo is enough (for now) to possibly shelf off the rest of the fab 4. Nibali was impressive on the cobble. He is a fearless guy and seems to be the most comfortable. Quintana? ow boy.. but he did great hanging on dear life ..

 

[Jelantik]

Re:

He said he had good legs today. And he said yesterday he had "muy buenas sencasiones" but he doesn't know why his legs didn't respond in the final

Lying as usual. Hopefully he'll improve with the next 3 flat stages, Mur de Bretagne will bring a lot of info as to what will happen on la pierre saint martin. If he does bad again, Ax 3 domaines scenario is waiting next monday.

I guess we will see, if it's just lack of racing rhythm or a clearly his form is... it is what it is. He got until sunday to settle in and rest before the first mountain. I hope to see some improvement.

 

[Electress]

Now, Contador must think other way to gain time on Froome. Froome so far has been excellent in all front, except wet descent (since we haven't been in high mountain yet).

I've always thought this race would be won by guile and guts, and I still think so.

 

[arvc40]

Re:

Some of you are reading way too much into facial expressions.

Indeed.... He always looks pained and often when he wins

 

[ILovecycling]

Re:

Now, Contador must think other way to gain time on Froome. Froome so far has been excellent in all front, except wet descent (since we haven't been in high mountain yet).

I've always thought this race would be won by guile and guts, and I still think so.

Very well said, even before the race I doubt he would have been the best in the mountains but he is Alberto Contador so we know whats coming if he in at least decent form



Folks, also dont forget that we are only by the half of the dangerous stages!

 

[Matteo.]

Re: Re:

He said he had good legs today. And he said yesterday he had "muy buenas sencasiones" but he doesn't know why his legs didn't respond in the final

Lying as usual. Hopefully he'll improve with the next 3 flat stages, Mur de Bretagne will bring a lot of info as to what will happen on la pierre saint martin. If he does bad again, Ax 3 domaines scenario is waiting next monday.

But Berto did look good yesterday, he even tried to go with Purito, past Froome, but just blew up. Sh** happens And today he looked good too, of course he suffered, it's not his terrain, but he looked strong and as comfortable as we can expect him to be.

I'm not fully agree. On the penultimate cote , when Majka was leading , i saw Berto too behind and his face wasn't good. I think he was already suffering

 

[Jelantik]

anyone who catches AC grimmicing on the cobble... you aren't delusional..

 

[May0maniac]

anyone who catches AC grimmicing on the cobble... you aren't delusional..

He was also grimacing a lot yesterday when his team set a high pace, he's not at his best but I expect him to reach 2014 Vuelta form in the mountains.

 

[LaFlorecita]

He was also grimacing a lot yesterday when his team set a high pace, he's not at his best but I expect him to reach 2014 Vuelta form in the mountains.

Indeed, by the way, grimacing doesn't mean too much, just that he's pushing hard which I could have told you without seeing this face too.
Like I said last year at the TDF he was grimacing trying to stay in Toso's wheel. And at the Vuelta, he was grimacing too on the MTF's yet he won the race and won two stages, dropping Froome.

 

[Electress]

Re: Re:

Now, Contador must think other way to gain time on Froome. Froome so far has been excellent in all front, except wet descent (since we haven't been in high mountain yet).

I've always thought this race would be won by guile and guts, and I still think so.

Very well said, even before the race I doubt he would have been the best in the mountains but he is Alberto Contador so we know whats coming if he in at least decent form



Folks, also dont forget that we are only by the half of the dangerous stages!

Yes, but to my mind, this was the massive 'defensive' obstacle, where there was a huge chance of catastrophic losses. Whereas I am much more inclined to look on the next few stages as offering opportunities as much as pitfalls. Indeed, with Nairo and Nibali needing o make up time, there's a lot of people pretty keen to dish out pain to Sky and Froome to make up time, so that might also help to Berto. Esp. since he's not seemingly as dominant as they might have feared. I'm always a lot happier when I think Berto can work with an attacking mindset, even if he's as dogged as hell when his back's against the wall defending.

 

[ray j willings]

Bertie is definitely struggling. I hate to say it but yesterday Froome proved he his stronger in this race.
Unless Bertie gets some serious form I think he will be dropped in the mountains by Froome ,TJ, and Quintana etc.
He looks tired riding on the flat.
I really hope Bertie comes into form and it is early day's.

 

[Electress]

I only saw the highlights, not the whole race, so maybe I didn't see half what happened. But honestly, he looked ok to me. Given what some people had said before i watched, I expected him to look much worse, tbh. Sure, maybe positioning wasn't always great, but from what I saw, nor was Froome's. Chris Boardman also talked about Froome being isolated quite a bit and had questions about the whereabouts of the rest of the Skyteam. Whereas TS were great, Sags always on the ball. It's not as though Berto is some bruiser, and I think survival mode is also 'don't crash and get injured'. Not to mention God knows what sort of problem / balance/ride the broken rim was giving him.

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

Some of you are reading way too much into facial expressions.

Indeed.... He always looks pained and often when he wins

Nowadays he might always seem pained. People probably bring it up because he didn't always look this way. Think back to the 2009 Tour for example. Perfect poker face.

 

[BlurryVII]

I wouldn't mind him grimacing as much as he wants but providing he does well which was not the case yesterday. What's even more of an indicator is that he is repeating everywhere he has great sensations, AC in form would say something like "we have to wait for the mountains to see where I'm at on the long climbs."

That's what he was saying in last year's Vuelta and even Tour after Jenkin road stage. He just downplays his form. Plus here, his rivals know he's done the Giro, so If he was really in form he would use that to downplay his state and surprise everyone later.

But no he is just suspiciously saying everywhere he has amazing sensations which just doesn't match with what we're seeing.

 

[No_Balls]

Re:

I hate to say it but... FOR ONCE! Alberto has a monster team and he's not taking advantage of it.

I suspect he doesn't know how to.

He could've dome some real frigging damage with Sagan today. Peter is on monster mode.

Sagan unleashed wouldnt have been pretty since he probably would have destroyed his whole team. But i was before today of the belief AC were superior to the likes of Nairo/Froome on the cobbles why they could have made a little more organised effort to distance those with Sagan doing a more controlled push. But with Froome as a newly certified wobble on the cobble-rider and even Nairo doing the ride of his life that is what makes Contadors ride hard to put into perspective. Didnt saw him much to be honest either since Eurosport showed their stream from the helicopter the entire day more or less.

But they survived, did a hell of a job and with supposed equipment failure it could even be considered a strong ride.

 

[Singer01]

i think it says a lot about contador that looking like absolute dogshit, and with froome looks like the second coming of merckx, he is only 48 seconds down (less on froome), is 8th overall, and has major time on his other 2 main competitors.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I may get depressed if I continue reading this thread. C'mon guys

 

[ggusta]

Re: Re:

I hate to say it but... FOR ONCE! Alberto has a monster team and he's not taking advantage of it.

I suspect he doesn't know how to.

He could've dome some real frigging damage with Sagan today. Peter is on monster mode.

Sagan unleashed wouldnt have been pretty since he probably would have destroyed his whole team. But i was before today of the belief AC were superior to the likes of Nairo/Froome on the cobbles why they could have made a little more organised effort to distance those with Sagan doing a more controlled push. But with Froome as a newly certified wobble on the cobble-rider and even Nairo doing the ride of his life that is what makes Contadors ride hard to put into perspective. Didnt saw him much to be honest either since Eurosport showed their stream from the helicopter the entire day more or less.

But they survived, did a hell of a job and with supposed equipment failure it could even be considered a strong ride.

Hope he gets a little stronger soon. So far, I haven't seen a lot to cheer for, but today ended with the same time as Froome. With a bad wheel. I never doubt the heart of this man. No one else is even close. Just wish there was a couple more weeks between the giro and the tdf.

I am [strikethrough]slightly[/strikethrough] pessimistic (OK, I am a liar about the slightly part) on the giro/tdf double and have been since he said he was going to do it.

 

[Miburo]

This tour isn't over at all. Froome's team doesn't look as good imo. Porte certainly looks meh.

There's nibali, contador and quintana. I rate all of them as champions meaning they won't go for anything less than 1st. And this tour suits them, there are also many descends. And i wanna see froome riding away from them cause imo i doubt he can if they're 100%.

We'll see, and i also think his team won't be that good in the TTT compared to the other teams of the big 4.

 

[damian13ster]

Re:

i think it says a lot about contador that looking like absolute dogshit, and with froome looks like the second coming of merckx, he is only 48 seconds down (less on froome), is 8th overall, and has major time on his other 2 main competitors.

It says much more about the route than anything else. Very short TT, 1km climb, flat stage, and cobbles. None of those Froome's territory. As I said previously. We will know everything by stage 11. Froome might have almost 2 minutes on everyone but TJ by then