Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[perico]

Re: Re:

Well if he gets to the point where he can only do top 5 in the Tour then competing for a Giro win is 100% the better option.

That would makes it even sadder though that he wasted one of his peak years - 2015, on the Giro.

"For of all sad words of tongue or pen..."

Contador didn't look "peak" to me at the 2015 Giro, HITCH. Landa and Aru both had him dead-to-rights, despite each doing horrible time trials.

One more mountain stage, and Contador would have finished 3rd. Also, if Astana had shifted to backing Landa midrace, Landa would have beaten AC outright. The last "peak" Contador I saw was in 2011. One could argue the end of 2014, although I'm not sure.

Yeah after Contador absolutely tore the doors off the race after starting stage 15 mountain a minute behind.

 

[perico]

Seriously, Contador needs one last tour de france. We are living in a world full of julyers and another giro or vuelta win won't add anything special to his palmares. I know Flo and many others will disagree but I try to look at this topic from the perspective of someone who doesn't spend a few hours every day in a cycling forum. Try to look at his career from the perspective of someone who watches this sport one month every year. People already discuss if Froome or Bertie are the best gc riders of their generation and Froome has won 2 gt's. But still those two gt's were tours and although I still think it's nonsense to say Froome is better than Contador (I'd say Froome at least needs 4 tours for that) the fact that this discussion even exists shows that the big times of Contador are already forgotten and outside of this forum there aren't thousands of cycling fans still saying Contador is one of the best ones ever.

If Contador wants to be the legend, which he is according to a few people here, he has to win the only race which would still add something big to his career.

He has a tremendous following on FB and many people saying he is a living legend there.

Well, you are probably right. Contador has a crazy fanbase, but outside of that fanbase I have the feeling Contador doesn't really get appreciated anymore. I wrote about the Froome vs. Contador discussion because GCN made a video about it this week and when I looked through the comments I read hardly any pro-contador posts.

No s**t he wouldn't on GCN. Asking the Anglo- Brits about Murray vs Nadal and you'd get a similar answer.

 

[sir fly]

He'll have his piece of glory in the Tour.
What will be shape of it depends on this weekend.
He already has a good opening chapter for his Tour epos.

 

[Matteo.]

I am optimistic: he survives today

 

[miha1234]

If he is hurt, in pain, without his form, he always give us show and that is the point, his rivals are always in fear when they see Alberto jumping like mad man

So he does not need to win another GT (it would be nice ) but he just needs to be Alberto Contador and that is all

 

[Pennino]

Re:

If he is hurt, in pain, without his form, he always give us show and that is the point, his rivals are always in fear when they see Alberto jumping like mad man

So he does not need to win another GT (it would be nice ) but he just needs to be Alberto Contador and that is all

Exactly. I want to see his class, this year's route is way too beautiful to waste on a Sky parade.

 

[Kokoso]

Regarding Kreuyiger its all about who you want or dont want to believe. There no proofs really. That photo Mr.White or someone posted doesnt prove that Kreuziger is lying in any way. It only proves that some 350 metres to finish he saw Contador struggling and slowed down. So its about who you want or dont want to believe; De Jongh and Contador who are friends, or Kreuziger. And its not like Contador and de Jongh never cheated, is it. Contador fans blame kreuzoiger, logically. But truth is they blamed him even before all the informations we have were known. It clearly shows what they want to believe.

kreuziger was all the years totally loyal to contador. There can be background we dont know; Kreuziger promised by Contador/team to ride Suisse for as a sole leader, only stage race this season where he could show yourself and fight for his future but denied that and called to help Contador at Dauphine comes to mind immediately. Serving Contador loyally but never being helped by Alberto as act of gratitude, never given chance to fight for stage win, never being mentioned by Contador in interview, some words like good help from Kreuziger today. And you dont know how he was treated by Contador, it is not like we know that Contador cant act like an ***hole. Also before tour it was told by team that majka will be the man with contador in the mountains. Obviously that changed. That may be why kreuziger could be pissed.

Only thing we know that DS ***** that stage. And truth is - whether kreuziger was lying or not - they decided to bash him publically (ar least contador and de jongh) and thats something you just dont do. They could solve it internally. We

 

[boasson]

Re:

Regarding Kreuyiger its all about who you want or dont want to believe. There no proofs really. That photo Mr.White or someone posted doesnt prove that Kreuziger is lying in any way. It only proves that some 350 metres to finish he saw Contador struggling and slowed down. So its about who you want or dont want to believe; De Jongh and Contador who are friends, or Kreuziger. And its not like Contador and de Jongh never cheated, is it.

There can be background we dont know; Kreuziger promised bz Contador/team to ride Suisse for as a sole leader, only stage race this season where he could show yourself and fight for his future but denied that and called to help Contador at Dauphine comes to mind immediately. Serving Contador loyally but never being helped by Alberto as act of gratitude, never given chance to fight for stage win, never being mentioned by Contador in interview, some words like good help from Kreuziger today. And you dont know how he was treated by Contador, it is not like we know that Contador cant act like an ***hole.

Only thing we know that DS ***** that stage.

It doesn't matter if Kreuziger knowed that Contador was struggeling or not. Kreuziger as a helper have to ride at Contadors wheel. And that is the problem. He wasn't near by his captain. He wasn't care about him. Contador was sitting at the back of the bunch without any teammate. What is when he have a puncture? How will Kreuziger help him, when he rides 50 metres in front of his captain?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

For once I agree with Taxus. Who cares about a Giro/Vuelta double. He's been there and done that.

Contador isn't putting off retirement to win the Giro again. He said so himself. He was going to sign with the team that will support him fully at the Tour. His words.

Of course. I know.
I think people are mixing up what I wish he would do and what I think he will do. I wish he would abandon this race and go for the Vuelta. I think he will struggle on, try two or three desperate attacks with 80k to go and finish 6th or 7th in GC.
I wish he would lose his Tour obsession and ride the Giro and Vuelta instead. I think he will keep trying to win it despite it being more and more of an uphill battle. How many riders won the Tour at age 34 or older? 3?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

never being helped by Alberto as act of gratitude, never given chance to fight for stage win, never being mentioned by Contador in interview, some words like good help from Kreuziger today. And you dont know how he was treated by Contador, it is not like we know that Contador cant act like an ***hole.

From several ex-teammates we know Alberto is always very grateful of his teammates and thanks them after the stage for their hard work. Does he have to say it in public for those words to count? Do you think private conversations not mean anything to riders?

 

[RattaKuningas]

Anyone knows if there is a filter so that I can turn off all the people who think that Contador should abandon?

 

[the-big-bad-wolf]

Re: Re:

For once I agree with Taxus. Who cares about a Giro/Vuelta double. He's been there and done that.

Contador isn't putting off retirement to win the Giro again. He said so himself. He was going to sign with the team that will support him fully at the Tour. His words.

Of course. I know.
I think people are mixing up what I wish he would do and what I think he will do. I wish he would abandon this race and go for the Vuelta. I think he will struggle on, try two or three desperate attacks with 80k to go and finish 6th or 7th in GC.
I wish he would lose his Tour obsession and ride the Giro and Vuelta instead. I think he will keep trying to win it despite it being more and more of an uphill battle. How many riders won the Tour at age 34 or older? 3?

quick search

Firmin Lambot (Belgium) who was 36 years old in 1922

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Anyone knows if there is a filter so that I can turn off all the people who think that Contador should abandon?

After today they'll be quiet.

Vamos!

 

[LaFlorecita]

But still those two gt's were tours and although I still think it's nonsense to say Froome is better than Contador (I'd say Froome at least needs 4 tours for that) the fact that this discussion even exists shows that the big times of Contador are already forgotten and outside of this forum there aren't thousands of cycling fans still saying Contador is one of the best ones ever.

I really don't care much what people who don't know very much about the sport think of him. As long as he is appreciated by the fans of the sport I am happy.
As for that GCN video, I didn't watch it because I didn't want to get angered - I have no idea what the guys concluded in the end - but look at the replies to their tweet
https://twitter.com/gcntweet/status/750302022423834624?s=09
There are a lot of idiots on Youtube who love to point out Alberto as a drug cheat, no doubt about that. And as Carol wrote GCN's audience is mostly British/Anglo.
GCN did some interviews with Alberto in earlier years and many of the commenters were surprised that he was actually "a nice dude" or "pretty cool". Of course the dumb haters didn't even click on that video at all.

If Contador wants to be the legend, which he is according to a few people here, he has to win the only race which would still add something big to his career.

The world championship?

 

[CheckMyPecs]

The Olympics.

 

[johnjanovic]

Re: Re:

For once I agree with Taxus. Who cares about a Giro/Vuelta double. He's been there and done that.

Contador isn't putting off retirement to win the Giro again. He said so himself. He was going to sign with the team that will support him fully at the Tour. His words.

Of course. I know.
I think people are mixing up what I wish he would do and what I think he will do. I wish he would abandon this race and go for the Vuelta. I think he will struggle on, try two or three desperate attacks with 80k to go and finish 6th or 7th in GC.
I wish he would lose his Tour obsession and ride the Giro and Vuelta instead. I think he will keep trying to win it despite it being more and more of an uphill battle. How many riders won the Tour at age 34 or older? 3?

Do you it is better to help him for 5 sec and lose 1min, when AC propably will not continue next week? Or he will lose chance for win during next stages during weekend? It is not good tactic to call RK for losing minute when he shoul be a leader after weekend, the name of guy who had to be called is Raphael Majka. But whne he helped somebody else except himself?

 

[Gigs_98]

If Contador wants to be the legend, which he is according to a few people here, he has to win the only race which would still add something big to his career.

The world championship?

Well I think winning a big one day race would also add something big to his career but I still think the tour is more likely. (Although if he really rides two more years he could ride in Innsbruck which will have a very hard route, so who knows )

 

[Pennino]

Oh, and Fleur, won't a Vuelta win be something even more spectacular if he does that even after finishing this Tour? I believe that is quite easily possible. Finishing this Tour in a heroic mode with attacks, maybe a stage win (the uphill ITT?) and hopefully the podium, and then kicking everybody's ass in the Vuelta.

But then again, I don't really care much about the results at the moment. Just hope to be able to enjoy some good show of class by the man.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

People need to calm down about the Tinkoff riders not being "loyal".

They are all out of a team at the end of the season, so ofcourse they get a little more selfish, especially when they see their captain is not in a good shape.

It's a natural consequence of the *** UCI rules, that riders cannot negotiate until august, even if their team is closing.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re:

People need to calm down about the Tinkoff riders not being "loyal".

They are all out of a team at the end of the season, so ofcourse they get a little more selfish, especially when they see their captain is not in a good shape.

It's a natural consequence of the *** UCI rules, that riders cannot negotiate until august, even if their team is closing.

They should move the deadline one month earlier, to 1 July.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Oh, and Fleur, won't a Vuelta win be something even more spectacular if he does that even after finishing this Tour? I believe that is quite easily possible. Finishing this Tour in a heroic mode with attacks, maybe a stage win (the uphill ITT?) and hopefully the podium, and then kicking everybody's *** in the Vuelta.

But then again, I don't really care much about the results at the moment. Just hope to be able to enjoy some good show of class by the man.

Of course that would be better, but also very hard. Riding the Tour with injuries will take even more out of him than usual. But we can hope

 

[Carols]

Re: Re:

Oh, and Fleur, won't a Vuelta win be something even more spectacular if he does that even after finishing this Tour? I believe that is quite easily possible. Finishing this Tour in a heroic mode with attacks, maybe a stage win (the uphill ITT?) and hopefully the podium, and then kicking everybody's *** in the Vuelta.

But then again, I don't really care much about the results at the moment. Just hope to be able to enjoy some good show of class by the man.

Of course that would be better, but also very hard. Riding the Tour with injuries will take even more out of him than usual. But we can hope

I just hope he doesn't get shelled today. They will be out for blood and elimination

 

[Petr_H.s.k.]

Really looking forward to Col d'Aspin, its spectacular view is priceless.

 

[buchanan]

I'm just worried he's going to crash on the Col d'Aspin descent...

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Really looking forward to Col d'Aspin, its spectacular view is priceless.

Hahaha, that picture is great