Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Carols]

From FB:
"For a little we couldn't take the leader, this is an extra motivation to continue working and improving.Tomorrow more!"

Whenever he says Tomorrow More it is a good thing

 

[ferryman]

Just saw the highlights. Nothing really wrong with Contador's ride. He countered without a teammate who really should have been there to counter the first BMC attack. And then he had to counter again. Knacked after that. Wee Nairo took off and that was that. Not a big deal IMHO.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

Actually his attacks have great punch this year, I didn't expect it, he's really explosive. But maybe he just lacks some power/stamina.

In Pais Vasco he'll race against Valverde, Purito, Henao, Landa, Aru, Quintana, Pinot, Dumoulin - it'll be difficult.

Valverde isn't riding, Purito seems to be past his prime, Henao is a thread most definitely, Contador is the more explosive rider than Quintana. Landa shouldn't be able to touch Contador, neither should Aru in this state, while Pinot is a diesel and Dumoulin seems to have trouble finding his rhythm in year 1. Then you have Martin and Mollema.. just nah. Contador should win this race if he is as good as have been proclaimed for months. Its time. Its especially frustrating to read time and time again that "if not for the cold", "he closed way to many gaps" or "his team his lackluster" when in fact, he just simply lost out to the better climber today.

I mean, can you just win?

 

[faster]

his reign is/was over 2 years ago. i find he rides quite anxiously pushing what seems taller gears than froome & Quintana. sure he's good but i wouldn't put him with the greats at any stretch.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re:

Actually his attacks have great punch this year, I didn't expect it, he's really explosive.

This seems true and I don't really know how to explain it. He still isn't at all a match for the real puncheurs, but he has been quite good for a big climb guy on the punchy finishes. And his attacks even when they don't stick in the end have produced quick gaps. He does seem a bit more powerful in that sense. But he looks lean, not like he's bulked up in a way that helps short efforts and hurts longer ones.

Any ideas why this should be? Given that he's not just in the kind of super form that just means a rider looks good at everything.

 

[dacooley]

Re:

Quintana knew that Contador wanted to win the race and took full advantage of that by letting him do the job. I still think that with Froome in the mix today, it would have been a different outcome.

since when bertie should to rely on froome to pave the way to the victory? that would've been exploitation not, he's strong enough by his own

 

[Publicus]

Re:

Don't think Quintana is stronger at all. Contador closed way too many gaps, first to TJ, then chased Porte, then worked on the front to gap Dan Martin, and then followed Quintana. He's good, but Quintana is also very good. I expect victory at Pais Vasco

Based on what I've read I think your summation plus the fact he's recovering from a cold explains the bulk of the elastic snapping. I think Quintana is actually stronger at the moment, simply because he's spent more time at altitude and probably doing lots of long climbs back in Colombia. I think the silver lining here is that Contador doesn't have anything resembling a team capable of defending a lead for two stages. If he had won today, he almost certainly would have been ambushed by Movistar, Sky and BMC. Having Majka or Roman would have been very helpful today to cover some of these attacks. I'm frankly baffled by Tinkoff sending him here with so little support...Speaking of which, has anyone heard anything about Roger's health?

 

[Jakub]

A lot of interesting points and analysis here. I must admit I was very frustrated yesterday. Anyway I would like to stay positive somehow:

It seems he is somewhere between '14 and '15 form. He clashed Quintana in Tirreno in those years, Quintana seems to be in '15 form, which is a shame. Some people mentioned that he was better at PN, the difference is not big, but he seemed a bit tired yesterday.

It is certainly harder for him to win one week race than GT, simply because there are too many contenders and it is not possible to let even the pathetic freaks like Tejay go. Somebody here said he shouldn't focus on winning these races so much. Might be a good point, yesterday he shouldn't have chased down anyone for sure, just like on wednesday when he rode very smart.

Froome watches the stem too much, Bertie too little. Bertie cannot ride his own pace when someone is quicker and he is dropped. It is obviously so, because earlier he didn't need that and now it is too late to learn such thing. That means in TdF he must be able to stay with the best ones and never get dropped. He is very good in taking advantage of others' weakness - this is the way.

The team. When I saw Catalunya team I thought it was a joke, however more because of absence of Tossato or Valgren. Kiserlovski? Trofimov? That guy was 4th at last year Giro! He needs far better team for Tour.

We'll see what he is like in Pais Vasco with Roman. I think the hopes are still there. He must find a way how to improve just a little bit more and TdF will be only about following Froome and Quintana and attacking them only in time of their weakness.

 

[cellardoor]

Kiserlovski has been a major disappointment since joining Tinkoff in my view and Trofimov hasn't exactly impressed so far this year. Hopefully Trofimov improves for the Tour. Having Majka or Kreuziger to close down the TJ attack yesterday would have been very helpful.

Anyone think Contador has a chance on the final climb today? It looks like a much better chance for him than the final stage. He has been quite "punchy" in this race so could do ok on a climb like that.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Kiserlovski has been a major disappointment since joining Tinkoff in my view and Trofimov hasn't exactly impressed so far this year. Hopefully Trofimov improves for the Tour. Having Majka or Kreuziger to close down the TJ attack yesterday would have been very helpful.

Anyone think Contador has a chance on the final climb today? It looks like a much better chance for him than the final stage. He has been quite "punchy" in this race so could do ok on a climb like that.

Kiserlovski isn't even in the race.
He has a chance, but I don't think he'll be able stay away from the Movistar train.

 

[ad9898]

Not making excuses but perhaps he's just behind the curve form wise. Look at Algarve, bit ragged but won the last stage, just being beaten by Thomas. Paris-Nice, getting stronger, would've beaten Thomas if that crucial stage hadn't been cancelled. We come to Catalunya, Thomas and Sky in general are nowhere, Contador even though he suffered a cold has trounced them with no team and closing gaps on his own. Quintana was beaten on the first mountain and only recovered yesterday what he lost the day before, the bonus seconds have helped him no end

Add to the fact Quintana has done virtually nothing and should be fresher, let's not be too down just yet.

 

[del1962]

Wrong thread

 

[Singer01]

Re: Re:

Actually his attacks have great punch this year, I didn't expect it, he's really explosive. But maybe he just lacks some power/stamina.

In Pais Vasco he'll race against Valverde, Purito, Henao, Landa, Aru, Quintana, Pinot, Dumoulin - it'll be difficult.

Valverde isn't riding, Purito seems to be past his prime, Henao is a thread most definitely, Contador is the more explosive rider than Quintana. Landa shouldn't be able to touch Contador, neither should Aru in this state, while Pinot is a diesel and Dumoulin seems to have trouble finding his rhythm in year 1. Then you have Martin and Mollema.. just nah. Contador should win this race if he is as good as have been proclaimed for months. Its time. Its especially frustrating to read time and time again that "if not for the cold", "he closed way to many gaps" or "his team his lackluster" when in fact, he just simply lost out to the better climber today.

I mean, can you just win?

Do you mean because he is just coming back from illness? Because Giro Landa can climb with anybody.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re: Re:

Actually his attacks have great punch this year, I didn't expect it, he's really explosive. But maybe he just lacks some power/stamina.

In Pais Vasco he'll race against Valverde, Purito, Henao, Landa, Aru, Quintana, Pinot, Dumoulin - it'll be difficult.

Valverde isn't riding, Purito seems to be past his prime, Henao is a thread most definitely, Contador is the more explosive rider than Quintana. Landa shouldn't be able to touch Contador, neither should Aru in this state, while Pinot is a diesel and Dumoulin seems to have trouble finding his rhythm in year 1. Then you have Martin and Mollema.. just nah. Contador should win this race if he is as good as have been proclaimed for months. Its time. Its especially frustrating to read time and time again that "if not for the cold", "he closed way to many gaps" or "his team his lackluster" when in fact, he just simply lost out to the better climber today.

I mean, can you just win?

Do you mean because he is just coming back from illness? Because Giro Landa can climb with anybody.

Yeah, Landa in form is obviously a whole different story..

 

[Taxus4a]

Re: Re:

He'd need no tactical plan if he reaches this kind of form. Catalunya is not Tour

That is not enough againts Quintana and Froome, at least with good weather. To put 2 seconds to Nibali in a really hard 2 km climb is so impressive?

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

He'd need no tactical plan if he reaches this kind of form. Catalunya is not Tour

That is not enough againts Quintana and Froome, at least with good weather. To put 2 seconds to Nibali in a really hard 2 km climb is so impressive?

considering the illustrious 2014 bertie's season, there's a certain amount of posters who think contador was prepared to put minutes into nibali in the mountains in that tour.

 

[PremierAndrew]

All I'm saying is that Froome was hardly in bad form himself at the 2014 Tour, and he may have crashed out on the cobbles stage, but it was all due to that stupid stupid crash early on stage 4 that wasn't really his own fault (and completely the Belkin rider's fault), and left him unable to handle his bike with that injured wrist. At least Contador's crash was at least partly his own fault

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

All I'm saying is that Froome was hardly in bad form himself at the 2014 Tour, and he may have crashed out on the cobbles stage, but it was all due to that stupid stupid crash early on stage 4 that wasn't really his own fault (and completely the Belkin rider's fault), and left him unable to handle his bike with that injured wrist. At least Contador's crash was at least partly his own fault

When Froome is the best in an explosive climb, it means he is at destroyer way in a long climb or and ITT.

He was really strong that Tour, but with the rain he is not the same (for Valverde is the same and he did a bad Tour compared to the sunny 2015), the cobble stage was technical with the mud and maybe Contador or even Nibali with that weather could have beaten him...but no very likely.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

All I'm saying is that Froome was hardly in bad form himself at the 2014 Tour, and he may have crashed out on the cobbles stage, but it was all due to that stupid stupid crash early on stage 4 that wasn't really his own fault (and completely the Belkin rider's fault), and left him unable to handle his bike with that injured wrist. At least Contador's crash was at least partly his own fault

When Froome is the best in an explosive climb, it means he is at destroyer way in a long climb or and ITT.

He was really strong that Tour, but with the rain he is not the same (for Valverde is the same and he did a bad Tour compared to the sunny 2015), the cobble stage was technical with the mud and maybe Contador or even Nibali with that weather could have beaten him...but no very likely.

You just have to look at Porte during stage 5. Froome is heavier and stronger, and Thomas carried Porte to a decent gap over Contador. Therefore, you could definitely expect Froome to gain a similar gap on Contador during that stage if he hadn't been injured. And from there, AC would have had to drop Froome on the climbs (and that's before you consider the 54km TT (where you'd also expect froome to gain time)

 

[Gigs_98]

Its actually the wrong thread to discuss the tour 2014 again but whenever this topic is discussed I have the feeling that everyone forgets that Nibali was just super strong in that tour. If you ask me, I don't hink Contador would have been able to beat Nibali that year. Taking 2.5 minutes back from a Nibali who dominated the rest of the peloton like they were school kids is anything but easy.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I came back home and see this has turned into the Froome thread?

 

[Matteo.]

Re:

I came back home and see this has turned into the Froome thread?

Also Nibali

u_u

 

[rick james]

Re:

I came back home and see this has turned into the Froome thread?

I'm sure deep down youlike that

 

[Taxus4a]

Its actually the wrong thread to discuss the tour 2014 again but whenever this topic is discussed I have the feeling that everyone forgets that Nibali was just super strong in that tour. If you ask me, I don't hink Contador would have been able to beat Nibali that year. Taking 2.5 minutes back from a Nibali who dominated the rest of the peloton like they were school kids is anything but easy.

Well, but the same I say is not so impresive Contador put 3 seconds in a 1.8 hard climb lokking at Quintana- Froome current potential, looking at 2.5 minutes to Nibali is to take into accountl, becouse is was a really rainy day, the best environment for Nibali. I am not sure about that, Nibali was strong and 2,5 minutes is time, but posible for Contador.

But what I sayin relation with the treath is in that in the only day could Froome showed how superstrong he was and that good level of Contador in le Tour 2014 IMO is not enough to beat Froome or Quintana, althogh is a level to try to win with strategy, with luck, with wheater, with is ambition and reading of the race... something similar to the Giro 2015.

 

[Red Rick]

2014 version would be the favourite, and a massive favourite if Froome can't peak for 3 weeks.