Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

But still Contador did not look super like in 2014

Remember Cittareale in Tirreno 2014? This was easier. There he took 5 seconds on Porte. Here he took 6.

He won the stage then beating Quintana and arguably a better field than this.Porte is still not at his best i guess after his troubles at Oman

But the last 2 kilometres there were 8%. Not a false flat like this. Once again, I bring up the Porte comparison. Porte there was pretty bad and lost 5s. Here he is pretty bad and lost 6s.

It may be not be the same Porte but it's the most similar comparison I can find.

 

[perico]

Coo d'Eze is steeper near the summit and it's a descent right into Nice. Contador actually won a similar stage on the finale in 2005 for his first major victory as a pro. He'll attack, and it'll be up to Thomas to avoid the telephone poles (luckily Barguil is absent ).

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

A good result.
On a shitty climb it was hard do differences. 3-4-5% , what did you expect?!
Then he wasted some energy in 3 acceleration so Berto arrives empty in the end. I'm happy for his shape

You're right. He tried to drop the others on the 3-4% sections because he knew he had to get a gap. But if he had conserved his energy maybe he could have at least won the stage.

 

[roundabout]

Re:

Btw, no way in hell do I believe those last 500 meters were 11%

Of course not.

 

[Scarponi]

Re:

Btw, no way in hell do I believe those last 500 meters were 11%

yeah I was waiting for the steep section and then i saw the finish line.

 

[Jakub]

I would really say that he's not in his 2014 form. Sad, but it is like that, he is somewhere between 2014 and 2015. The question is: can he improve it by July?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Coo d'Eze is steeper near the summit and it's a descent right into Nice. Contador actually won a similar stage on the finale in 2005 for his first major victory as a pro. He'll attack, and it'll be up to Thomas to avoid the telephone poles (luckily Barguil is absent ).

He'll try for sure In 2007 he managed to win the race with an attack on Col d'Eze. But back then the Sky train didn't exist!

 

[indianfanboy]

Sky train looks stronger and stronger and i think this year Froome will have the best mountain train ever

 

[Red Rick]

Attack on Col d'Eze will happen, then he'll be brought back on the flat thereafter by 7 Sky dronies, 2nd place is not good, so the only respectable thing would then be to abandon

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Attack on Col d'Eze will happen, then he'll be brought back on the flat thereafter by 7 Sky dronies, 2nd place is not good, so the only respectable thing would then be to abandon

Exactly, no one rides for 2nd place

 

[MatParker117]

Have to question Tinkoff's transfer policies that €4 million they pay Sagan could of bought Contador some more help for today.

 

[Alexandre B.]

The Mont Brouilly stage cancellation was a considerable blow to the race overall.

 

[damian13ster]

He got all the help he needed today. Tinkoff lead from 35km out to pretty much 5km out. What else do you want?

 

[rm7]

Re:

I would really say that he's not in his 2014 form. Sad, but it is like that, he is somewhere between 2014 and 2015. The question is: can he improve it by July?

I'm not really sure about the comparison with his 2014 form. Even in his 2014 form he would not have dropped G. Thomas or Porte on this climb.

I think people should see the 9 % section where Contador attacked. G. Thomas got dropped, and Porte and Zakarin was at least 10 seconds behind.

Henao helped Thomas up to Contador on the lesser gradients, and then the tempo dropped. If it was a steeper climb Thomas, Porte and Zakarin would never have recovered.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Really, Alberto looked good to me, his attacks packed a lot of punch and he was able to go on for quite a long time. I didn't see that in 2013 or 2015. His first attack, he dropped everyone, even Thomas. The climb just wasn't hard enough. Of course he can't get a gap on a 4% section. It's a shame the Brouilly stage got cancelled, it may have cost him the GC win, but hey, tough luck.
Remember, before the race, Alberto said there are two MTFs: one for true climbers, and one for slightly heavier riders. Taking everything into consideration he did well. He lost only 1s. 3 weeks ago he lost 23s in the final sprint on a similar finish

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Even in 2014 Alberto was beaten on some mountain top finishes, also typically in the sprint. Think Catalunya 14'. This was a good showing by all standards

 

[rm7]

Re:

Even in 2014 Alberto was beaten on some mountain top finishes, also typically in the sprint. Think Catalunya 14'. This was a good showing by all standards

Excatly. It's like some people forgot that even in 2007-2011 and 2014 Contador didn't win all MTFs. He won a lot of the big MTF's, but he also got beat sometimes, and he didn't win all the easy climbs at all.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Have to question Tinkoff's transfer policies that €4 million they pay Sagan could of bought Contador some more help for today.

Contador doesn't benefit from a train. All he needs is 1 or 2 strong riders that can launch him. Like Majka today or Kreuziger in the 2015 Giro.
Poljanski looks strong, him and Hansen might end up fighting for a Tour spot. Trofimov and Kiserlovski were good too, although Kiserlovski looks a bit heavy.

 

[Red Rick]

Some real observations

The pace on the final climbs was too low. Majka wasn't pulling very hard and their of going for one all out anaerobic burst almost worked, were it not for Henao. Contador is the best at attacking when everyone's at the limit. After that, Majka was gone, they could all recover somewhat and his attacks on a 4/5% gradient were just a waste of energy.

If Contador crests the Col d'Eze alone tomorrow there's nothing to worry about

 

[Matteo.]

Re: Re:

A good result.
On a shitty climb it was hard do differences. 3-4-5% , what did you expect?!
Then he wasted some energy in 3 acceleration so Berto arrives empty in the end. I'm happy for his shape

You're right. He tried to drop the others on the 3-4% sections because he knew he had to get a gap. But if he had conserved his energy maybe he could have at least won the stage.

I agree. He was riding to win the GC , so it was necessary to attack early to make a gap.
i'm sure if he waited the last 500m to lauch the big attack , he would win

 

[ray j willings]

I am a big Bertie fan but IMO I think he's should have retired at the end of 2014.
He just lacks that edge of old. 2014 season form and he would have won a stage like this easy
Its not a good sign for the tour and its no good saying its early days because in 2014 Bertie war destroying everyone in the early season

 

[damian13ster]

Re: Re:

I would really say that he's not in his 2014 form. Sad, but it is like that, he is somewhere between 2014 and 2015. The question is: can he improve it by July?

I'm not really sure about the comparison with his 2014 form. Even in his 2014 form he would not have dropped G. Thomas or Porte on this climb.

I think people should see the 9 % section where Contador attacked. G. Thomas got dropped, and Porte and Zakarin was at least 10 seconds behind.

Henao helped Thomas up to Contador on the lesser gradients, and then the tempo dropped. If it was a steeper climb Thomas, Porte and Zakarin would never have recovered.[/quote

Come on now, noone got dropped by the attack (from the group that arrived on top together).
That's what Contador does. If he is in shape, he accelerates, and there is a couple of minutes before he starts fading. If he is not in shape, he accelerates, and fades within 30s. Acceleration is still there, but someone staying 20-30m behind and catching up in 30s is hardly getting dropped.

 

[TheYouyou7]

OMG that climb was flat X) no way he could've done what we expected. I'm not that worried, we'll see soon enough in Volta 2nd summit finish.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Some real observations

The pace on the final climbs was too low. Majka wasn't pulling very hard and their of going for one all out anaerobic burst almost worked, were it not for Henao. Contador is the best at attacking when everyone's at the limit. After that, Majka was gone, they could all recover somewhat and his attacks on a 4/5% gradient were just a waste of energy.

If Contador crests the Col d'Eze alone tomorrow there's nothing to worry about

Bolded: very good observation. That was clearly the strategy, have Majka accelerate and then Contador attacks when the climb gets steeper. But, after that, he just lacked the power to keep it going on the flatter part and Thomas was lucky that Henao was there.

I can't see him getting the time he needs over Thomas tomorrow, unless Thomas overshoots a corner on the descent (it's not that unlikely ).

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I am a big Bertie fan but IMO I think he's should have retired at the end of 2014.
He just lacks that edge of old. 2014 season form and he would have won a stage like this easy
Its not a good sign for the tour and its no good saying its early days because in 2014 Bertie war destroying everyone in the early season

Hindsight is 20/20.