You're not alone. But I can deal with it better when I focus on the riders I like and ignore the Sky robots. Maybe it works for you toorhubroma said:I'm not focused upon Sky. It's just that certain metamorphoses by the Murdoch sponsored enterprise make my stomach churn.
I am focusing on other riders, but they keep getting beaten by Sky. There's no escape.LaFlorecita said:You're not alone. But I can deal with it better when I focus on the riders I like and ignore the Sky robots. Maybe it works for you toorhubroma said:I'm not focused upon Sky. It's just that certain metamorphoses by the Murdoch sponsored enterprise make my stomach churn.![]()
Perhaps you should not tell us what we should do and what we should think.dacooley said:if i were you guys i'd try to convince myself that sky boys are anyway entitled to beat bertie in my hierarchy of values otherwise it really aches to watch.
I understand completely. Makes me think it is the turn of the century or something.rhubroma said:I'm not focused upon Sky. It's just that certain metamorphoses by the Murdoch sponsored enterprise make my stomach churn.
The fact that Thomas isn't their top-Dawg makes me curious about the actual state of his form. That is perhaps right now he's at a higher level than even Froome. If that isn't the case, then it will certainly be an uphill battle for Contador this season, if his margin for improvement isn't quite large.Carols said:I understand completely. Makes me think it is the turn of the century or something.rhubroma said:I'm not focused upon Sky. It's just that certain metamorphoses by the Murdoch sponsored enterprise make my stomach churn.
But I'll enjoy the riders I like and the sport I love regardless!
This exactly. Sure in years past when he's been good in the late season he's also been good in the early season, but things could change with age. For once things might be different. He still might get into excellent shape. At least wait till his second race.BlurryVII said:What bothers me is that even his Algarve TT in 2014 was supreme, he was 4th in a flat short route IIRC.
Anyways, let's not give any significance to his results in Algarve for now, maybe he's really getting into rhythm.
However, if he does poor in Paris Nice, then you can ring the bells. I'll just conclude it'll be an empty season, no hopes or anything by then.
Even in 2014 he wasn't dominate / great (for him) lost to Kwia - Volta ao Algarve, Rodriguez - Volta a Catalunya Talansky in Critérium du Dauphiné with an unusually bad tactical decision, ---TDF his crash/ injury,Miburo said:It's not good, even worse than yesterday imo
Yesterday you can blame it on a bad day, or whatever the excuse was but now he underperformed again. Twice in a row? That's just not a good sign
Losing so much on G Thomas? The best Contador is a better ITT than Thomas, it just wasn't good. And it doesn't look like we'll see Contador 2014
I'll keep supporting him, but i'm being realistic and knowing how Contador's beginning of the season is always very telling, i don't think it'll be a good year for him. Hopefully i'm wrong
Well I guess AC saying he was never in as good a form as at the start of that Tour means nothing then.cantpedal said:Even in 2014 he wasn't dominate / great (for him) lost to Kwia - Volta ao Algarve, Rodriguez - Volta a Catalunya Talansky in Critérium du Dauphiné with an unusually bad tactical decision, ---TDF his crash/ injury,Miburo said:It's not good, even worse than yesterday imo
Yesterday you can blame it on a bad day, or whatever the excuse was but now he underperformed again. Twice in a row? That's just not a good sign
Losing so much on G Thomas? The best Contador is a better ITT than Thomas, it just wasn't good. And it doesn't look like we'll see Contador 2014
I'll keep supporting him, but i'm being realistic and knowing how Contador's beginning of the season is always very telling, i don't think it'll be a good year for him. Hopefully i'm wrong
I think the idea he had a great year that year is mostly derived from him beating an injured / crashed (both TDF and Dauphiné) Froome. Froome never looked 100% that whole year.
For any other rider that would be a great year for AC maybe good year
Equal terms? not sure how you determine that. We never saw those big 20 - 30 minute surges we see from Froome when he's in top form that whole year.rhubroma said:Well I guess AC saying he was never in as good a form as at the start of that Tour means nothing then.cantpedal said:Even in 2014 he wasn't dominate / great (for him) lost to Kwia - Volta ao Algarve, Rodriguez - Volta a Catalunya Talansky in Critérium du Dauphiné with an unusually bad tactical decision, ---TDF his crash/ injury,Miburo said:It's not good, even worse than yesterday imo
Yesterday you can blame it on a bad day, or whatever the excuse was but now he underperformed again. Twice in a row? That's just not a good sign
Losing so much on G Thomas? The best Contador is a better ITT than Thomas, it just wasn't good. And it doesn't look like we'll see Contador 2014
I'll keep supporting him, but i'm being realistic and knowing how Contador's beginning of the season is always very telling, i don't think it'll be a good year for him. Hopefully i'm wrong
I think the idea he had a great year that year is mostly derived from him beating an injured / crashed (both TDF and Dauphiné) Froome. Froome never looked 100% that whole year.
For any other rider that would be a great year for AC maybe good year![]()
He also put on one of the greatest performances at TA, droping Quintana, catching the break and soloing for the win.
Froome overtaxed himself trying to drop AC on the first MTF at the Dauphine. The crash broke him more mentally than physically imo.
Then AC smashed the Vuelta on equal terms with Froome, both having crashed out of the Tour.
No, overall he had astonishing form in 2014.
Was a different story though cause he got cleared only 24 hours before the start of Algarve. So didn't have time to prepare.BlurryVII said:Alright, take it as reassuring or not, here's a good comparison with Alberto's current performance: Algarve 2011.
In 2011, he also started the season skinnier than he usually looks like (look up pictures), he finished behind Cummings and Van Garderen on Malhao and disappointing 15th place (!!) in the ITT, 45 seconds off Tony Martin.
Finished 4th overall.
He was then imperial in Tour de Murcia, uphill and crushed the TT with an impressive performance. And the rest is history.
Assuming It's Yates calling the shots. never been impressed with himbuchanan said:One has to wonder how smart Tinkoff tactics are at times. They seem to regularly burn themselves out doing a lot of work, when it's perhaps not always necessary. I recall them doing that a lot in last year's Giro. Then Contador is usually left isolated too early. Sounds like that happened yesterday. Plus it sounds like he then also hit the front for much too long on the penultimate climb and sorta burnt himself out. Agree with the people saying he really ought to just be following wheels, conserving energy and sussing out the opposition at this stage. And also not making the team overwork.
Froome looked just as prepared for the 2014 Tour as other years at the start of the race. Contador said he never had better form as then. We were deprived of the spectacle, alas, however, all the rest being equal after the crashes, Contador showed he was better at the Vuelta, both in the TT and on the climbs.cantpedal said:Equal terms? not sure how you determine that. We never saw those big 20 - 30 minute surges we see from Froome when he's in top form that whole year.rhubroma said:Well I guess AC saying he was never in as good a form as at the start of that Tour means nothing then.cantpedal said:Even in 2014 he wasn't dominate / great (for him) lost to Kwia - Volta ao Algarve, Rodriguez - Volta a Catalunya Talansky in Critérium du Dauphiné with an unusually bad tactical decision, ---TDF his crash/ injury,Miburo said:It's not good, even worse than yesterday imo
Yesterday you can blame it on a bad day, or whatever the excuse was but now he underperformed again. Twice in a row? That's just not a good sign
Losing so much on G Thomas? The best Contador is a better ITT than Thomas, it just wasn't good. And it doesn't look like we'll see Contador 2014
I'll keep supporting him, but i'm being realistic and knowing how Contador's beginning of the season is always very telling, i don't think it'll be a good year for him. Hopefully i'm wrong
I think the idea he had a great year that year is mostly derived from him beating an injured / crashed (both TDF and Dauphiné) Froome. Froome never looked 100% that whole year.
For any other rider that would be a great year for AC maybe good year![]()
He also put on one of the greatest performances at TA, droping Quintana, catching the break and soloing for the win.
Froome overtaxed himself trying to drop AC on the first MTF at the Dauphine. The crash broke him more mentally than physically imo.
Then AC smashed the Vuelta on equal terms with Froome, both having crashed out of the Tour.
No, overall he had astonishing form in 2014.
I'm not saying it wasn't a great year by any standards other then those he set himself. I think he'd trade that year for any he had from 2007 through 2010
More in line with his 2011 year
It's De Jongh.cantpedal said:Assuming It's Yates calling the shots. never been impressed with himbuchanan said:One has to wonder how smart Tinkoff tactics are at times. They seem to regularly burn themselves out doing a lot of work, when it's perhaps not always necessary. I recall them doing that a lot in last year's Giro. Then Contador is usually left isolated too early. Sounds like that happened yesterday. Plus it sounds like he then also hit the front for much too long on the penultimate climb and sorta burnt himself out. Agree with the people saying he really ought to just be following wheels, conserving energy and sussing out the opposition at this stage. And also not making the team overwork.
Cavendish and Froome don't think to highly of him
He obviously prepared in the winter regardless. He wasn't doing nothing while waiting for the decision.LaFlorecita said:Was a different story though cause he got cleared only 24 hours before the start of Algarve. So didn't have time to prepare.BlurryVII said:Alright, take it as reassuring or not, here's a good comparison with Alberto's current performance: Algarve 2011.
In 2011, he also started the season skinnier than he usually looks like (look up pictures), he finished behind Cummings and Van Garderen on Malhao and disappointing 15th place (!!) in the ITT, 45 seconds off Tony Martin.
Finished 4th overall.
He was then imperial in Tour de Murcia, uphill and crushed the TT with an impressive performance. And the rest is history.
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