Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Carols]

Re: Re:

My only point is, and pay close attention now. IF Merckx rode now instead of when he did, he wouldnt have had those results thats all im saying.

Probably true. We talk about stuff like that in the Clinic all the time.

Cycling is 50 times bigger today than back then and with that its only logically to draw the conclusion that lvl of competition is miles ahead aswell as with the technology etc!

It would be cool if the man we know as Contador had been born the same year as Merckx and they had raced head to head. But, of course, if that were the case, most of us alive today, including me, would not have ever seen Contador race. So I guess it's best we leave them each in their own time.

I have been alive to see them both race. It has been a privilege and I've enjoyed them and countless others as well. Alberto is the best of his generation and one of the greatest stage race riders ever. But he's no Merckx.

If you follow golf, Tiger has proved to be great but he's no Nicklaus!

 

[Dedelou]

Re: Re:

Refering to Merckx, he was the best ever on the bike, but when he opens his mouth he's no better than the average poster here

Opinions are like asses: everyone has one. Problem is that often times some of them are valued way above others, just because its owner was once, for instance, a rider. So the problem isn't really in Eddy, but in all the media.

and yet fans that take it to heart too much.

The exciting part of living in the internet age is the facility we have to connect and hear the opinions of large quantity of people.. a humbling experience because it shows how little value most opinions are at the end of day. I have followed cycling for 61 years now and stood at road side watching races, hung around press rooms at big events and heard plenty of opinions . I am glad to have learn that i can't enjoy cycling by comparing numbers and statistic but only by appreciating the excitement of today racing while being happy i can still remember (LOL) the thrills i had watching when i was younger. I love watching Contador Race , it matter not where he stands in history for me, it matter that he can turn a dull race into an event i wish to remember

 

[lenric]

Re: Re:

Refering to Merckx, he was the best ever on the bike, but when he opens his mouth he's no better than the average poster here

Opinions are like asses: everyone has one. Problem is that often times some of them are valued way above others, just because its owner was once, for instance, a rider. So the problem isn't really in Eddy, but in all the media.

Eddy said something a year or two ago that I thought really interesting. He said, "Everybody thinks I'm so great because of what I did on the bike when I was young, but, really, I'm not the young man who did all that. I look back on that young man and I don't even know who he was. I know it was supposed to be me but I don't recognize myself in him. I'm not that person anymore."

That said, I don't see how anybody can seriously maintain that the Eddy Merckx of old wasn't the greatest GT rider and bike racer ever, and by a wide margin.

Just to bring this back on topic (see what I did there? ), I'm sure Contador is quite happy with his life, and with his results, more or less, but I'm equally sure he'd much prefer to have been Eddy Merckx, or at least to have the results of Merckx.

Definitely the results. The rest is debatable, since today cycling is way more specialized than it was 40 years ago. Nobody can say that today Merckx would beat Contador and Froome, but neither can nobody say that Contador would have beaten Merckx if he raced 40 years ago. Both top class riders in their era, two of the best GT riders ever.

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Refering to Merckx, he was the best ever on the bike, but when he opens his mouth he's no better than the average poster here

Opinions are like asses: everyone has one. Problem is that often times some of them are valued way above others, just because its owner was once, for instance, a rider. So the problem isn't really in Eddy, but in all the media.

and yet fans that take it to heart too much.

The exciting part of living in the internet age is the facility we have to connect and hear the opinions of large quantity of people.. a humbling experience because it shows how little value most opinions are at the end of day. I have followed cycling for 61 years now and stood at road side watching races, hung around press rooms at big events and heard plenty of opinions . I am glad to have learn that i can't enjoy cycling by comparing numbers and statistic but only by appreciating the excitement of today racing while being happy i can still remember (LOL) the thrills i had watching when i was younger. I love watching Contador Race , it matter not where he stands in history for me, it matter that he can turn a dull race into an event i wish to remember

Well said Sir! The guys that make the race special are the ones we remember decades later. Alberto is one of those special guys .

 

[LaFlorecita]

Fran Contador spoke to a Spanish journalist and says the final "yes" or "no" from the potential sponsors for the new team should come soon so hopefully we'll know more soon. They've put the deadline for formation of the team at the end of May
He also said Alberto has no other offers for 2017

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Fran Contador spoke to a Spanish journalist and says the final "yes" or "no" from the potential sponsors for the new team should come soon so hopefully we'll know more soon. They've put the deadline for formation of the team at the end of May
He also said Alberto has no other offers for 2017

Thought the plan was Bertie rides for his own team next year?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Fran Contador spoke to a Spanish journalist and says the final "yes" or "no" from the potential sponsors for the new team should come soon so hopefully we'll know more soon. They've put the deadline for formation of the team at the end of May
He also said Alberto has no other offers for 2017

Thought the plan was Bertie rides for his own team next year?

Yeah, that's the plan, but the journalist asked if Alberto had any offers in case the team wouldn't be able to go ahead.

 

[Red Rick]

The offers will come sooner or later. Problem is that his salary is too much for many teams, and many of the big budget teams already have a very good GT rider. Furthermore, Nibali is on the market as well.

If Tinkoff finds a new sponsor, he might as well stay.

If not, I don't really know where he could go.

Trek - seems logical, they really need someone better than His Baukeness
Astana - Nibali is leaving, but it doesn't make much sense otherwise
Etixx - Lefevre said no, but he has a history of talking nonsense
BMC - maayyyyyybe if they get sick of LRP and TJVG failing
Kat - I don't see it
Movi - nope
Sky - nope
Lotto-Jumbo - allergic to winners
Lotto-Soudal - nope
IAM - nope
DD - lol
Lampre - no
Orica - no
Giant - no
AG2R - no
FDJ - no
Cannondale - no

Interest will change with Tour+OlympicRR+TT+Vuelta+Lombardia rampage though

 

[LaFlorecita]

Remember when Alberto was actively looking for a team in 2007 and Rabo said no

In my dreams I see Berto at Caja Rural, Lampre, Bardiani or Androni highly unlikely though

 

[PremierAndrew]

He'd have even less support in the mountains with Etixx than he does at Tinkoff. Realistically, I can only see him going to BMC or Astana - Trek wouldn't be able to offer much support either. Katusha is also a possibility, but can't see him going there

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Remember when Alberto was actively looking for a team in 2007 and Rabo said no

In my dreams I see Berto at Caja Rural, Lampre, Bardiani or Androni highly unlikely though

I though it was for 2008? Anyway, Rabo would've ruined him, or vice versa. No idea why they'd say no.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

He'd have even less support in the mountains with Etixx than he does at Tinkoff. Realistically, I can only see him going to BMC or Astana - Trek wouldn't be able to offer much support either. Katusha is also a possibility, but can't see him going there

Do BMC have a policy of not taking previously banned riders? I forgot.

Imagine Contador with the Astana train

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

He'd have even less support in the mountains with Etixx than he does at Tinkoff. Realistically, I can only see him going to BMC or Astana - Trek wouldn't be able to offer much support either. Katusha is also a possibility, but can't see him going there

Do BMC have a policy of not taking previously banned riders? I forgot.

Imagine Contador with the Astana train

Ah yeah, they do actually - they fired Ballan when he got busted

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Remember when Alberto was actively looking for a team in 2007 and Rabo said no

In my dreams I see Berto at Caja Rural, Lampre, Bardiani or Androni highly unlikely though

I though it was for 2008? Anyway, Rabo would've ruined him, or vice versa. No idea why they'd say no.

Yes, it was for 2008, in 2007 which makes it even worse because he wasn't just some promising talent, he'd won the freaking Tour ffs

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

Remember when Alberto was actively looking for a team in 2007 and Rabo said no

In my dreams I see Berto at Caja Rural, Lampre, Bardiani or Androni highly unlikely though

I though it was for 2008? Anyway, Rabo would've ruined him, or vice versa. No idea why they'd say no.

Yes, it was for 2008, in 2007 which makes it even worse because he wasn't just some promising talent, he'd won the freaking Tour ffs

Lol :-D I didnt know that ..hillarious rabofail

 

[Singer01]

I doubt he needs the money, he should go with the team that gives him the best chance of success. if, instead of taking about 4 million euros, he takes 1.5 that puts a lot of talent at his disposal when he needs it (though out of all GC contenders he relies on support the least IMO).

 

[ice&fire]

Re:

Fran Contador spoke to a Spanish journalist and says the final "yes" or "no" from the potential sponsors for the new team should come soon so hopefully we'll know more soon. They've put the deadline for formation of the team at the end of May
He also said Alberto has no other offers for 2017

When they first talked about this new team they set a deadline in April. Fran's words are just adding a delay to that deadline.

 

[Jakub]

Re:

The offers will come sooner or later. Problem is that his salary is too much for many teams, and many of the big budget teams already have a very good GT rider. Furthermore, Nibali is on the market as well.

If Tinkoff finds a new sponsor, he might as well stay.

If not, I don't really know where he could go.

Trek - seems logical, they really need someone better than His Baukeness
Astana - Nibali is leaving, but it doesn't make much sense otherwise
Etixx - Lefevre said no, but he has a history of talking nonsense
BMC - maayyyyyybe if they get sick of LRP and TJVG failing
Kat - I don't see it
Movi - nope
Sky - nope
Lotto-Jumbo - allergic to winners
Lotto-Soudal - nope
IAM - nope
DD - lol
Lampre - no
Orica - no
Giant - no
AG2R - no
FDJ - no
Cannondale - no

Interest will change with Tour+OlympicRR+TT+Vuelta+Lombardia rampage though

Well, I hope he will FINALLY avoid post-sovietish land's freaky teams, which should be btw. banned from sport immediatelly (Katusha, Astana, also staying in Tinkoff if Oleg stays), and freaky US-Postal like teams (Sky) - this is almost sure I would also like him to avoid empty teams like Tinkoff is now, I don't agree that Trek or Etixx have no support for him, I mean yes they don't have now, but they should be able to buy 2 or three mountain domestiques and that's it.

Personally I would love him to go to Trek or even BMC (Porte, TJ train ) or any other smaller team (Cannondale, Giant, DD), if the team pays enough money. The problem I see is - where to get potential domestiques? I cannot see any free or at least some that are not in Sky, Movistar or Astana. Uran maybe.

 

[LaFlorecita]

There are loads of class riders out of contract at the end of the year. There was a list in the Transfers and Rumors thread. It should be no issue to find strong domestiques if he wants them.
Uran is not a domestique.

 

[carolina]

long shot here, but Caja-Rural would be perfect. They just need to be invited to the Giro.

 

[LaFlorecita]

From the interview it also sounds like Basso would be involved.

 

[Jakub]

Re:

Uran is not a domestique.

But he should be.
Majka is not a domestique either. Perhaps should I've said super-domestique...

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Uran is not a domestique.

But he should be.
Majka is not a domestique either. Perhaps should I've said super-domestique...

Uran should lead. Majka should probably lead too, although Majka will always finish top-10, top-5 and maybe squeak out a podium if the starts align. Uran can win a TT heavy Giro, especially one with hilly TTs. Uran came 2nd two years in a row, Majka has two top-10s in a row.

 

[Jakub]

Re: Re:

Uran is not a domestique.

But he should be.
Majka is not a domestique either. Perhaps should I've said super-domestique...

Uran should lead. Majka should probably lead too, although Majka will always finish top-10, top-5 and maybe squeak out a podium if the starts align. Uran can win a TT heavy Giro, especially one with hilly TTs. Uran came 2nd two years in a row, Majka has two top-10s in a row.

that was already some time ago, wasn't it? He hasn't shown anything like that this or last year or did I miss something? (I don't follow him much) He might be a good superdomestique for Bertie.

 

[Brullnux]

Re: Re:

Uran is not a domestique.

But he should be.
Majka is not a domestique either. Perhaps should I've said super-domestique...

Uran should lead. Majka should probably lead too, although Majka will always finish top-10, top-5 and maybe squeak out a podium if the starts align. Uran can win a TT heavy Giro, especially one with hilly TTs. Uran came 2nd two years in a row, Majka has two top-10s in a row.

that was already some time ago, wasn't it? He hasn't shown anything like that this or last year or did I miss something? (I don't follow him much) He might be a good superdomestique for Bertie.

No, but last year at the Giro something went wrong prep wise I think and he never really performs out of GTs.