Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[fantomas]

Oh, FFS, people saying he should quit and prepare for Olympics or Vuelta or whatever. Hell no. Let's wait and see, and if project GC fails, which it might already have, he should stay and try something spectacular.

 

[Nacho]

Re: Re:

Bordure (french word I guess) is basically when crosswinds produce breaks in the peloton. I don't know the specific word.

Thanks! I understand now.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

This certainly doesn't look good.

 

[moonstation2000]

Looks like arm/shoulder pain as he made the last few pedal strokes to come over the finish line. His one arm was sticking out noticably.

Personally I don't think Alberto's going to give up unless he has to, or if things get worse.

He had a gutsy ride today and almost made the grade but obviously is still in some pain.

 

[ferryman]

I think, after much consideration, I'd like to see Bertie ride on Friday. If he gets hammered, and I fear he might, just best to get out of there before Sat/Sunday. Forget the olympics, where he doesn't have a chance anyway, just focus on the Vuelta. Get that 10th GT under his belt. If he retired after that, what a legacy...simply the best in my 30 plus years of watching GT racing...

 

[The Hegelian]

The two days on the weekend will reveal all. I think he has every chance of hanging in there today and tomorrow, and maybe being able to ride defensively through the Pyrenees. Then he could come good. And if he came good, he'd have that fiery warrior attitude that would be capable of putting anyone to the sword. He has a history of such feats - 2015 Giro comes to mind. So much of a GT is played out above the shoulders.

So, lots of maybes, ifs and woulds......but if I was Froome or Quintana, I would be wanting to put time into him now. Some riders you write off when the situation turns adverse, but not Contador. He's got a bit of the Hinault's about him in that regard.

 

[jens_attacks]

Re:

After to see the way Kreuziger danced drunck in the disco in Vuelta 2010 party, and how he tried to kiss and spanish journnalist having girlfriend I can wait anything from him.

From Oleg Tinkoff there is no words to explain what I could wait for.

So,,, things are in this way.

Hahaha who, ainara or laura?

 

[jens_attacks]

It's a sad tour...
If he doesn't get any better in pyrenees, he definitely should abandon. Forcing his body can make even more problems, it's obvious that he can't push with both legs.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

I actually think it's quite reasonable to not have Kreuziger drop back. At this point he might actually be Tinkoff's best bet for GC now.

So why did he drop back with 200m to go? That achieved absolutely nothing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Oh, FFS, people saying he should quit and prepare for Olympics or Vuelta or whatever. Hell no. Let's wait and see, and if project GC fails, which it might already have, he should stay and try something spectacular.

I'm sorry, but I rate a Vuelta win with a stage win or 2 way way higher than a 5th or 6th place on GC and 1 or 2 failed attempts at something "spectacular".
I doubt he will quit, but it would definitely be the smartest thing to do.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I really don't think it makes any sense to retire before the restday. As for the years to come, he has to target the Tour and give it his all, but he can of course ride the Vuelta as well (which was the plan all along in 2014). I don't think he can/will retire without finishing the Tour with good shape and without crashes (having a major impact).

If he follows your advice he won't win another GT. That would be a sad way to end his career. I prefer #10 and maybe even #11 and a Vuelta record. And he could do the Giro-Vuelta double which gives him a chance at two GC wins each year.
Of course, he himself has said that he wants to focus on the Tour and only the Tour in his last years. I hope he reconsiders, I think he would regret that obsession once he is actually retired.

 

[Kokoso]

Re: Re:

I actually think it's quite reasonable to not have Kreuziger drop back. At this point he might actually be Tinkoff's best bet for GC now.

So why did he drop back with 200m to go? That achieved absolutely nothing.

to piss you off. / but seriously - why? Whoevee was directing this did bad work. Nobody gained nothing withmaybe little exception majla. Serioisly i don't get why you at least arent bashing majka same as kreuziger.

 

[cellardoor]

Is he actually a lock on for the Olympic team? Considering he didn't ride the nationals I would think his inclusion in the team is dependent on how he goes in Tour and that may be one reason why he doesn't want to quit yet.

Personally I'd like to see him at least ride the Aspin stage so we can see how he goes on a real mountain. He did ok when he was just dealing with pace on the climbs yesterday - it was the explosive finish he couldn't handle. It seemed like he lost 50 metres on the climb and then just needed a team mate to close what was a small gap for him.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

to piss you off. / but seriously - why? Whoevee was directing this did bad work. Nobody gained nothing withmaybe little exception majla. Serioisly i don't get why you at least arent bashing majka same as kreuziger.

Majka is a lost cause.

 

[Matteo.]

He said he will race two more years . Well , if he continues to chase the tour as the only goal , the Giro 2015 will be his last big win and finish his last years almost in anonymity
I hardly mistaken predictions

 

[cellardoor]

Re:

He said he will race two more years . Well , if he continues to chase the tour as the only goal , the Giro 2015 will be his last big win and finish his last years almost in anonymity
I hardly mistaken predictions

Something tells me that if Froome wins the Tour this year then either he or Quintana will race the Giro next year. So the Tour may in fact be slightly easier than this year.

To be honest I think it's a sad day when Contador goes out of his way to avoid the top GC men. Winning the Vuelta when it's obvious he's trying to find the least competitive GT just won't have the same feel to it as when he won it in the past notwithstanding the possibility of creating new records. I also don't think Contador is the sort of person who will be motivated if he isn't going for the biggest prize and I'm sure in the past he's mentioned that he isn't all that interested in records - it's the here and now that interests him - going on the attack and making others suffer.

 

[Miburo]

Contador wasn't that bad yesterday, he was better than pinot and ala for example. At the end he just cracked but imo, if he keeps improving like this he might be good for sunday.

I give it a 20% chance though

 

[buchanan]

Who would have thought after 2009 that he would never again win a stage of the Tour de France or even (officially) make the final podium again (assuming you discount his 2010 "win"). It's really been one disaster after another for him at the Tour. Disqualified (2010,2011); banned (2012); showing up fatigued from Giros (2011,2015); numerous crashes (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016); poor form (2013). One has to feel sorry for him and his fans who desperately have wanted him to win another Tour and put Froome to the sword at biggest race of all.

 

[Pennino]

Re:

Is he actually a lock on for the Olympic team? Considering he didn't ride the nationals I would think his inclusion in the team is dependent on how he goes in Tour and that may be one reason why he doesn't want to quit yet.

Personally I'd like to see him at least ride the Aspin stage so we can see how he goes on a real mountain. He did ok when he was just dealing with pace on the climbs yesterday - it was the explosive finish he couldn't handle. It seemed like he lost 50 metres on the climb and then just needed a team mate to close what was a small gap for him.

Exactly. These were 20 or so fresh riders going flat out to the line and he just couldn't hang on. Indeed with Kreuziger they might have easily closed that gap enough to be on s.t.

Long climbs where above all it comes to stamina are a different story and I'm sure he knows that and somebody like De Jongh as well.

On his Tour ambitions instead of a Vuelta or GT record I only want to say that I fully understand him as well as you who want see him winning. The Tour is the biggest thing, especially when everybody is there, bringing their A+ game. The other GT's are beautiful and the ways he won them were absolutely outstanding, but this is it and this is the moment.

And his star deserves to shine there. Bringing them to the sword, killing that uphill ITT, massive attacking on the first col, he could still absolutely do it.

 

[sir fly]

Re:

Contador wasn't that bad yesterday, he was better than pinot and ala for example. At the end he just cracked but imo, if he keeps improving like this he might be good for sunday.

I give it a 20% chance though

His dropping at the end yesterday was mental thing , as well. He though the worst has passed, and then another acceleration. You could see it by the way he tried to respond... Like he was thinking: "Not again, when will this end."
Nevertheless, the mental fatigue was caused by physical discomfort.

 

[gerundium]

I expect contador to lose more time this weekend, possibly definitively for the GC. Depending on how much he loses this weekend i would like to see him mount an all out attack on the Alpes / Ventoux to take back time or to take some stages. Retiring sends him back into anonimity, but if he can come back to some form and at least shine in the end of the Tour i think that would be so much better for him confidence wise as well.

 

[Red Rick]

The day that Contador gives up on trying to compete with the best and beating the best is the day that he quits cycling competetively

 

[happychappy]

I believe he could remain a GC contender into his 40s if he chose to. I just hope he doesn't run himself into the ground with these injuries. The way he's riding lop-sided is worrying, stuff like that will create other issues.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

Contador wasn't that bad yesterday, he was better than pinot and ala for example. At the end he just cracked but imo, if he keeps improving like this he might be good for sunday.

I give it a 20% chance though

Of course he was bad by his standards. He was hanging around the back of the bunch and went off the back a few times before the final climb. Pinot isn't going to win the Tour or make the podium. Obviously Movistar knew what was going on with Contador's condition. The pace slowed again when Sky went to the front and then Bardet attacked and Contador was struggling again. He will get an easier day today but tomorrow won't be easy.

 

[Miburo]

I'm just saying that compared to sunday he was way better and that acceleration of bardet really killed him. If by some miracle he can use his "left leg" again...(if that's really true of course)