Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Miburo]

If you want to watch Contador's best attack of all time, then don't watch verbier or etna. It's none of those.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr4ed0C7IZo

This is the one.

The prelude was amazing too, at least for me. A legendary belgian radiocaster (day before) said on a belgian show how impressed he was with contador on tignes. Not one person noticed that, except for him, no one else of the media mentioned him. The presentator obviously was laughing at his face, thinking "why is this guy talking about Contador? Piti is the spanish hope"

Then he does this.

Edit: Poor Gusev, you prob didn't see him, contador blew him away from the mountain. Never seen a rider get passed like that.

 

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

Sure, i was saying andy's talent was pathetic... Pay attention.

No it wasn't. He was not a great TT rider and not good on wet descents. He did the best he could with the talent he had. Do you think if he worked even harder at TT he would all of a sudden become a great TT rider? If that was the case we could all become great TT riders. Do you think he never ever practised going downhill?
Andy did fine for most parts. A fit Andy could have won this years Tour.

Once again you missed the point, getting drunk in hotels or at the vuelta.

That's what i'm talking about, doesn't care about the sport.

So someone who had a drink doesn't care about the sport.
He was racing at Tirreno-Adriatico and had to pull out after 50km. He was still suffering with injury,health problems. He has a drink at the airport that night and gets spotted by a French MP ...

He also had a drink at the vuleta with Stuart o Grady, Four days after the race finished he left the team ,
obviously was not happy there.

So a rider in difficult circumstances had a drink [ twice] and you say he " doesn't care about the sport"

What about all the other riders that have a drink "it does happen" that you don't hear about.

If I was to take you post literally then most of the peloton " doesn't care about the sport"

You have know idea of Andy's circumstances and to make a judgement about something you HAVE NO INSIGHT INTO , is ridiculous.

PS please make your posts clearer in future so posters know what your talking about .

My primary concern with the Vuelta incident is that he (and O'Grady) were supposed to be riding in support of his brother who had crashed out of the Tour. How can anyone justify their bar hopping in the middle of a grand tour?

 

[Miburo]

Yea Andy doesn't care about his sport, he's a quitter.

 

[dpm1991]

Re:

If you want to watch Contador's best attack of all time, then don't watch verbier or etna. It's none of those.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr4ed0C7IZo

This is the one.

The prelude was amazing too, at least for me. A legendary belgian radiocaster (day before) said on a belgian show how impressed he was with contador on tignes. Not one person noticed that, except for him, no one else of the media mentioned him. The presentator obviously was laughing at his face, thinking "why is this guy talking about Contador? Piti is the spanish hope"

Then he does this.

Edit: Poor Gusev, you prob didn't see him, contador blew him away from the mountain. Never seen a rider get passed like that.

Remember this one. I was frustrated as at then i was Chickens follower. I don't have a good memory, but i'm not sure if there wasn't a quite big hype on Alberto before the Tour? He won Paris-Nice that year as far i remember and did fine in Dauphine. He was learning in TdF '05 and ended up around 30th place, so he definitely had GT pedigree. Maybe not for a '07 TdF podium but top 10 for sure. Still, IMO the star of that year was no other than Andy Schleck. He was before Giro considered as one of the best climbers maybe in the whole peleton being just 21-22y old just to confirm it in the Giro.

I've jumped into Contador's bandwagon in Giro '08 because i just wanted a win by someone else than Ricco or Sella. Let me say it in the lightest way possible - I'm not friends with them. That Giro was the most horrific thing I ever saw, having several palpitations and "out of body" experiences. Even Vuelta '12 and Tour '07 were not that influential to me. Then time passed by and i stayed with Contador to today. Heck, i've even watched his Karpacz ITT win in TdP '03 i think it was. Geez, this time is not passing by, it's flying by.

 

[dacooley]

contador results in 2011 and 2014 are very difficult to assess like things in themselves without looking back at the opposition. on paper attempts of the double are totally equivalent 1st in the giro 5th in the tour. in reality in 2011 alberto was overtoping the rest of the field, in 2015 this gap significantly shortened and probably even disappeared completely. one cannot remain assured the giro form would be enough to outplay froome and quintana in the tour. after all prior the tour everyone understood the tour wouldn't be won by contador in a dominant fashion. it could be done only with a bigger experience, tactics and great team play but something went wrong. i don't think it was up to preparation, tactics, planning or something. human body is a very strange thing and it doesn't care at the most decisive moment what you planned, what stages you were aiming your peak for, what tactics card you can try to play etc and at a crucial time contador's organism to the great regret responded a huge NO. that happens with anyone best of the best included. one year you are able to reach your peak form, the other one - you are not. i'm looking forward to the next season to see alberto in full force. gotta see him in great battles against froome and quintana. i don't see anyone among them having an appreciable edge over the rest 2 atm.

 

[ray j willings]

Re:

Yea Andy doesn't care about his sport, he's a quitter.

That's two accusations you have made and you don't have any evidence or facts to back you stupid remarks up. You seem to have the remarkable gift of reading andys mind
Was Andy a quitter when he attacked alp d huez in 2011?
He doesn't care about cycling

 

[dpm1991]

Re: Re:

Yea Andy doesn't care about his sport, he's a quitter.

That's two accusations you have made and you don't have any evidence or facts to back you stupid remarks up. You seem to have the remarkable gift of reading andys mind
Was Andy a quitter when he attacked alp d huez in 2011?
He doesn't care about cycling

I dunno why Andy is popping out in a thread not dedicated to him. I always was frustrated with him. He had an enormous climbing talent (IMO better than Contador) but his unprofessional behaviour and passivity resulted in, considering his status, underwhelming palmares. His hightest point were '07 Giro and Galibier '11. Next day he did't want to take a pull because he was busy watching backwards, propably in search for his brother who was doing his Evans checking job well on his own. I dunno what could have happen if he rode 100% with Contador. Maybe he was at his limit, as l'Alpe was very lacklustre by him - like he was cooked. Those are only insignificant speculations, but the l'Alpe stage costed him the TdF. The TdF that he should won. '10 TdF could be his too (officialy he won it, but not on road) but he didn't have enough luck #chaingate.

 

[Miburo]

There wasn't much hype for Contador pre'tour 2007. His performance in the basque and dauphine weren't really good and he still hadn't proven anything in a GT and he was young.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

My favourite stage is Mount Etna at the 2011 Giro, it was so good that my friend who wasn't a fan of AC changed his mind

That and Fuente De are the ones I watch when I need a cheer up . His pedaling style was just magical on Etna, poetic.

Now he seems to push a larger gear and isn't nearly as fluid......

And this too http://youtu.be/1eJn0Sjkl6g

That is indeed a good one . I Loved that day, it went a Long Way towards making Alberto my favorite rider since Il Pirata.

 

[hulkhogansknees]

Contador does a Twitter Q&A for those interested: https://twitter.com/albertocontador/status/629564689131929600

 

[Scarponi]

My favourite Contador attack was on stage 5 of the 2014 Tirreno.

He attacks over 30km from the finish and sweeps up the entire breakaway and gives everyone but Geshcke a masterclass on 30% gradients.

Puts 1.30 on peraud and 2 minutes on Quintana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucCDWigs4Rg

+ its cycling without super teams

 

[Carols]

My favourite Contador attack was on stage 5 of the 2014 Tirreno.

He attacks over 30km from the finish and sweeps up the entire breakaway and gives everyone but Geshcke a masterclass on 30% gradients.

Puts 1.30 on peraud and 2 minutes on Quintana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucCDWigs4Rg

+ its cycling without super teams

I have that one saved on dvd also

 

[Carols]

Alberto is answering questions on twitter right now. The most surprising thing he has said, at least to me, is that to relax he uses Celtic music! I possess quite a Celtic music library but then it is part of my heritage. I never knew it was popular in Spain!

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Alberto is answering questions on twitter right now. The most surprising thing he has said, at least to me, is that to relax he uses Celtic music! I possess quite a Celtic music library but then it is part of my heritage. I never knew it was popular in Spain!

Celtic!
Berto answered my question & I see Tinko Saxoff has been doing well in Denmark

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Alberto is answering questions on twitter right now. The most surprising thing he has said, at least to me, is that to relax he uses Celtic music! I possess quite a Celtic music library but then it is part of my heritage. I never knew it was popular in Spain!

Celtic!
Berto answered my question & I see Tinko Saxoff has been doing well in Denmark

Indeed and thanks for asking in English so I didn't need to translate . He does like his coffee and sweets

 

[Scarponi]

My favourite Contador attack was on stage 5 of the 2014 Tirreno.

He attacks over 30km from the finish and sweeps up the entire breakaway and gives everyone but Geshcke a masterclass on 30% gradients.

Puts 1.30 on peraud and 2 minutes on Quintana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucCDWigs4Rg

+ its cycling without super teams

I have that one saved on dvd also

I also gained an appreciation for geschke on that stage

 

[Carols]

My favourite Contador attack was on stage 5 of the 2014 Tirreno.

He attacks over 30km from the finish and sweeps up the entire breakaway and gives everyone but Geshcke a masterclass on 30% gradients.

Puts 1.30 on peraud and 2 minutes on Quintana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucCDWigs4Rg

+ its cycling without super teams

I have that one saved on dvd also

I also gained an appreciation for geschke on that stage

Geschke was awesome. But as soon as Alberto knew he was around he left him for dead .

 

[Matteo.]

His best memories are about Etna 2011. I'm pretty surprised, i thought somthing else like Fuente De, Verbier , Mortirolo ora, why not, 2011 Alpe stage with the crazy attack 100km to go.

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

Alberto is answering questions on twitter right now. The most surprising thing he has said, at least to me, is that to relax he uses Celtic music! I possess quite a Celtic music library but then it is part of my heritage. I never knew it was popular in Spain!

Celtic music is not alien to Spain. The Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula was populated by Celts long before the arrival of the Romans. Most of the ancient ruins you've watched on TV when the Vuelta has visited the North-western region of Galicia were Celtic settlements. So folk music from Galicia and Asturias is closely related to that of Ireland and Scotland.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Alberto is answering questions on twitter right now. The most surprising thing he has said, at least to me, is that to relax he uses Celtic music! I possess quite a Celtic music library but then it is part of my heritage. I never knew it was popular in Spain!

Celtic music is not alien to Spain. The Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula was populated by Celts long before the arrival of the Romans. Most of the ancient ruins you've watched on TV when the Vuelta has visited the North-western region of Galicia were Celtic settlements. So folk music from Galicia and Asturias is closely related to that of Ireland and Scotland.

Thank you kindly, that explains it .

 

[BlurryVII]

Really liked this idea of answering people directly via twitter. Great to read.

It's surprising to see that he suffered most in that Tour 2007, agonic pain on the final TT and worst feeling ever on Aubisque 07'. Maybe because he was still very young and not used to those levels of pain.

Also he said his had his best legs in Tour 14' and Tour 09'. As I thought.

 

[Matteo.]

Really liked this idea of answering people directly via twitter. Great to read.

It's surprising to see that he suffered most in that Tour 2007, agonic pain on the final TT and worst feeling ever on Aubisque 07'. Maybe because he was still very young and not used to those levels of pain.

Also he said his had his best legs in Tour 14' and Tour 09'. As I thought.

It did not need a genius to figure it out

 

[SeriousSam]

Verbier Tour 2009 fue muy importante por muchas cosas

You can say that.

 

[BlurryVII]

Really liked this idea of answering people directly via twitter. Great to read.

It's surprising to see that he suffered most in that Tour 2007, agonic pain on the final TT and worst feeling ever on Aubisque 07'. Maybe because he was still very young and not used to those levels of pain.

Also he said his had his best legs in Tour 14' and Tour 09'. As I thought.

It did not need a genius to figure it out

Yes indeed, and you didn't need to make this useless post .

Some people still have doubts because of the "we'll never know" what would he have been able to do, well there you go he said it again basically.

 

[SeriousSam]

Him saying he felt about as good obviously doesn't come close to proving he would have been able to replicate the feats of 2009 in 2014, which is what the doubt is about