Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Miburo]

Re:

Kinda worrying that Berto says he has lost his spark compared to the others. His spark is what has always made him stand out

It's good that he said it, i don't know why you believe wht contador says about his form. He's known to lie about it.

 

[contador977]

Re:

Kinda worrying that Berto says he has lost his spark compared to the others. His spark is what has always made him stand out

He also said he was aiming for stage wins at the Vuelta and that he had a little pain when he went full out in the knee just at the start of the Vuelta. Blowing smoke. Him admitting he has lost a spark could be false security for the rest, it could mean the opposite, that he is finding his spark like when he closed down that little gap on his own after Sagan was working for him.

One time I thought he showed some confidence was when he said " I dont know what happened" refereing to the Huy. HE mentioned sugar possibly as well. But that quote, hints that pre Tour he felt he was on the right track. I hope he does well tomorrow, Ill feel somewhat physically ill to see him struggle.

 

[Jelantik]

so what's everyone's feeling for AC tomorrow? I'm for once.. like.. uh.. dunno what to expect. He is like mystery to me. Hot and cold. He didn't say anything on his press conference either. Everything seems to be in a low key at TS camp since Basso's news. In one way I'm just happy to see him follow wheel without problem, but in another I want to see him taking advantage. But knowing Contador, he won't do anything if there's no opportunity present, especially since so far, he is not in super monster form with a dominance vibe where he can dictate the race as he wish. (i hope I'm wrong). Tomorrow will be exciting. Nibali and Quintana, Contador must make their move to start chipping the deficit. I also secretly rooting for Uran. He has been flying under the radar.

 

[Ryaguas]

I think that he could be losing some time tomorrow trying to follow Froome, Dawg OFC will go Alien trying to kill 'em all and trying to seal his overall like he did in 2013, He doesnt know other strategy, just go as hard as possible looking at his stem. If Contador is able to follow him the whole mountain we could conclude that He is going to peak really nicely in the 3rd week.

I just dont want to watch another 2013

 

[BlurryVII]

I think that he could be losing some time tomorrow trying to follow Froome, Dawg OFC will go Alien trying to kill 'em all and trying to seal his overall like he did in 2013, He doesnt know other strategy, just go as hard as possible looking at his stem. If Contador is able to follow him the whole mountain we could conclude that He is going to peak really nicely in the 3rd week.

I just dont want to watch another 2013

If Contador can follow Froome tomorrow to the line like he did in the Dauphiné 14', there will be no doubt for me, he'll destroy him in the alps and win the Tour.

If not then it depends on the final gap, 10 - 15 seconds max would be just fine.

 

[Energy Starr]

I think Froome will gain time on all tomorrow. We'll know AC is on form and looking to attack only when/if we see his tell. If he is standing and at a relatively low cadence and looking all over the place, exaggerated looks behind and beside, then he feels well and will look to pounce. If he sits for long periods and has a higher cadence he will wheel suck the whole mountain. Basically the anti Froome (style).

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Re: Re:

I'll be surprised if Contador doesn't try anything tomorrow.
He always attacks on the first uphill finish of a race and surely would like to make the time he's already lost as soon as possible.

No he doesn't.

Didn't do it in the vuelta 2014 or tour 2013 or tour 2011 or tour 2010 or giro 2008.

You've got an "A".
Sit down.

no dark sarcasm in the class room
all in all you are just another sky brit for them to dislike

As to the race i do not think Velasco will attack he will just to hang on for dear life.

 

[Electress]

Basso is a class act. I was at the hotel during the rest day and saw him signing things for fans not long before the press conference. Alberto too. Atmosphere was a bit tense in the am no surprise now. Can't imagine they are feeling their best at the mo. still consummate professionals.

If I were Alberto I know who I'd be chatting to to devise a way forward. Shouldn't be surprised to see it as a matter of fact.

This kind of news has a way of putting things into perspective though. The lack of spark thing sounds fair enough to me. I wonder honestly whether AC has the appetite for it he once had. I think this will provide an extra motivation. One hopes so, because the confidence oozing out of Sky is hard to take and frankly, the kind that makes you want them to be punished by someone. But Froome is clearly very strong and will be tough to beat.

Cannot believe how tiny Nairo is. Looks like a boy!

 

[rhubroma]

Contador has lacked "spark" all season. We saw that in the first races of the season, both in Spain and Italy and then at the Giro he never put in a dominating performance in the mountains. Given his ride on the Mur de Huy there isn't anything to make us think that he can hang with Froome today, who, by contrast, is obviously on 2013 level.

Having said that, I can't imagine that Contador at all plans to go through another 2013 humiliation (how else can it be called?). Here, then, is where the enigma lies, since all indications don't lead to a vote of confidence, yet he may have planned to ride into top shape for the mountains. If this is the case then he will have to perform to that today, which means arriving with Froome or loosing very little time.

Today he will be forced to lay his cards on the table, so we will see what hand he really has. If Froome drops him from several ks out, then its over. If Contador is able to stay with him more or less to the finish, the he's still got a fighting chance in my opinion.

PS. As to Electress' thoughts about Sky, being smug is never a way to win my sympathy so I can relate to your sentiments. All the more so when done without compunction, but I can't say any more than that here as it's for the clinic.

 

[cellardoor]

Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst is unfortunately how I feel about today's stage. I hope that Contador can just stick with Froome and perhaps lose a few seconds in the last K. if that happens, I agree with Blurry that he's in very good shape to go on and win. I really hope he doesn't go into the red trying to following a big attack 3K out, he'd be better hanging with the TJ/Nibali group and minimising loses so that he's still in contention in the Alps.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst is unfortunately how I feel about today's stage. I hope that Contador can just stick with Froome and perhaps lose a few seconds in the last K. if that happens, I agree with Blurry that he's in very good shape to go on and win. I really hope he doesn't go into the red trying to following a big attack 3K out, he'd be better hanging with the TJ/Nibali group and minimising loses so that he's still in contention in the Alps.

Whilst that is all very well and good on paper that's going to leave him a lot of time to make up next week. Say he loses 20-30s today and again on Thursday, its going to leave him needing a minor miracle in the alpe's if Froome's form doesn't drop. Added to that he will probably then have no advantage over Quintana too so that's another big negative.

I think for Contador to win he probably needs a little gap still to Quintana and for the gap to Froome to not grow by much, if anything at all by the next rest day.

 

[cellardoor]

Re: Re:

Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst is unfortunately how I feel about today's stage. I hope that Contador can just stick with Froome and perhaps lose a few seconds in the last K. if that happens, I agree with Blurry that he's in very good shape to go on and win. I really hope he doesn't go into the red trying to following a big attack 3K out, he'd be better hanging with the TJ/Nibali group and minimising loses so that he's still in contention in the Alps.

Whilst that is all very well and good on paper that's going to leave him a lot of time to make up next week. Say he loses 20-30s today and again on Thursday, its going to leave him needing a minor miracle in the alpe's if Froome's form doesn't drop. Added to that he will probably then have no advantage over Quintana too so that's another big negative.

I think for Contador to win he probably needs a little gap still to Quintana and for the gap to Froome to not grow by much, if anything at all by the next rest day.

The underlying assumption is that Froome's form will dull a bit, while Contador will get stronger. I know you would disagree, at least on the Froome bit, but the data points this way in my view. In that scenario I don't have any concerns about him holding off Quintana and indeed putting more time into him and I think he can also gain 1.5mins on Froome. Having said that, I did have in mind more like a 5-10 second loss than 20-30s.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re: Re:

Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst is unfortunately how I feel about today's stage. I hope that Contador can just stick with Froome and perhaps lose a few seconds in the last K. if that happens, I agree with Blurry that he's in very good shape to go on and win. I really hope he doesn't go into the red trying to following a big attack 3K out, he'd be better hanging with the TJ/Nibali group and minimising loses so that he's still in contention in the Alps.

Whilst that is all very well and good on paper that's going to leave him a lot of time to make up next week. Say he loses 20-30s today and again on Thursday, its going to leave him needing a minor miracle in the alpe's if Froome's form doesn't drop. Added to that he will probably then have no advantage over Quintana too so that's another big negative.

I think for Contador to win he probably needs a little gap still to Quintana and for the gap to Froome to not grow by much, if anything at all by the next rest day.

The underlying assumption is that Froome's form will dull a bit, while Contador will get stronger. I know you would disagree, at least on the Froome bit, but the data points this way in my view. In that scenario I don't have any concerns about him holding off Quintana and indeed putting more time into him and I think he can also gain 1.5mins on Froome. Having said that, I did have in mind more like a 5-10 second loss than 20-30s.

That seems to be the big question, I think those who don't want Froome to win are hoping his form dives. I'm not so sure, it obviously did in 2013, however he also spent the whole season leading up to the Tour trying to win almost every race he entered to prove he could handle the race leadership (Oman, Crit-international, Romandie and Dauphine with a close 2nd at Tirreno). It's been much more laid back his year as he aims for a week 2-3 peak.

As for contador I don't want to write him off. I think he will come good at some point over the next 2 weeks, the only question is will the race have gone from him by then? As you say if he only loses a few seconds then he has a real chance.

 

[cellardoor]

@Pricey - you're right that he hasn't gone all out in the spring in quite the same way as 2013, although he was no Nibali either. However, I still think the 2013 Tour is the best marker we have for him, where he did fade a bit and this time around he's looking even stronger in the 1st week than he did then. The 2014 Vuelta is not a good marker in my view as his form there was more luck than judgement based on unexpectedly changing plans after the Tour crash. He seems to have come into form in the Dauphine (I accept he was not in top form and perhaps not as good as 2013 there) and it's quite a long time to hold it from there until the end of the Tour for someone who did have a mini peak in the spring. Then his form is the first week has been nothing short of sensational, schooling Stybar on the cobbles, schooling Quckstep in the echelons and schooling Cav in the sprints (ok, I'm exaggerating now I'm not saying he's going to totally lose it, but he's coming on very strong very soon and this suggests to me it will fade a bit.

 

[Miburo]

Yes zam I don't know why people think he'll attack, he'll be happy if he can hang on, would be almost a miracle.

 

[Matteo.]

Re:

Hoping for the best, but fearing the worst is unfortunately how I feel about today's stage. I hope that Contador can just stick with Froome and perhaps lose a few seconds in the last K. if that happens, I agree with Blurry that he's in very good shape to go on and win. I really hope he doesn't go into the red trying to following a big attack 3K out, he'd be better hanging with the TJ/Nibali group and minimising loses so that he's still in contention in the Alps.

I totally agree.
My fear is that he wants to resist at all costs and then he blows up loosing minutes. Like on Ventoux 2014 or Mur .

 

[LaFlorecita]

Honestly hanging on is all he can do, even though he'd risk blowing up. If he has to let Froome go with several KM to go, he can forget about it. You don't limit your losses to 5-10 seconds by letting Froome go. You can limit your losses by following him to the finish. If he blows up, so be it, at least he tried.

 

[Baldinger]

How will the hot temperatures affect him?

 

[Pantani Attacks]

Re:

How will the hot temperatures affect him?

He's Spanish, he'll be fine.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Re: Re:

How will the hot temperatures affect him?

He's Spanish, he'll be fine.

What if his body is in siesta mode?

 

[Publicus]

Re: Re:

How will the hot temperatures affect him?

He's Spanish, he'll be fine.

What if his body is in siesta mode?

That's going to be the big question for ALL of the top riders. The first day after a rest day always produces one rider who's body is in siesta mode

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

How will the hot temperatures affect him?

He's Spanish, he'll be fine.

What if his body is in siesta mode?

Then there is a mañana.

 

[gregrowlerson]

All the signs seem to point to Froome gaining significant time on Contador tonight, but Alberto is a legend, and maybe he will just add to that.

A Vuelta '14 follow and then late attack for the stage victory....

I'm sorry, I do believe in miracles

Hopefully he does better against his rival than AX-3 Domaines....

 

[Jelantik]

gosh.. today feels like waiting for a needle to drop. Can he hang in the mountain or not? Million dollar question. He said he didn't have the spark,.. that's no good. All sign today pointing to .. no way he can follow Froome or Quintana for that matter. He might probably hang on dear life as sky starts drilling the pace. I can't phantom the sight of 2013 dejavu.. that is painful!! especially if TJ is out climbed him.. ow boy.. I'm going to melt down. Darn AC, i hate this insecurity air about him. I hope he can muster the strength to hang on all of them today... good luck AC!

 

[ad9898]

I'm confident of a 10-15 second gain on Froome today from Alberto, I think his form is much better than anyone suspects. With the stature of the competition in this tour he's purposely flying under the radar. Froome in veiled comments is writing him off, that's just what Alberto wanted to happen.