Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Angliru]

Re: Re:

Lol.. I see Old&slow's posts have already been deleted but I just wanted to say that I thought it was hilarious he basically 100% copy-pasted his own post from 2015 viewtopic.php?p=1783418#p1783418

They can delete and hide the truth and only allow delusional Contador fanboy posts. But the bottom line is Contador is a third tier rider. He has never been a Tour de France contending rider and never will be. As I said in my other posts his two TDF wins were against Leiphiemer Schleck and others who could never dream of a top 10 in a tour like this years or last years.

The fanboys and the media may want you to think Contador has a chance but he has no chance unless 10 riders better than him drop out. He is what he is and that is the equivalent of Bauke Mollema and that is where he will end up again this year fighting with Mollema, Barguil, Mientes and others for a top 5-10 placement. Maybe next year he can just focus on the Giro and/or Vuelta where he can ride against riders who are not as strong or in peak form and fool people into thinking he is a great rider. All he is and has ever been is hype. Wake up in 4 weeks and we will see the same thing we always see, Contador finishing close to 10 minutes down and this forum flooded with posts about how he should have won and of course will win again next year when this fantastic series of events magically transforms him into their version of Cinderella.

I am posting this here simply to give you the chance to tell me I told you so after the race. I could do the same thing I do every year and simply post this after Contador's glass falls off and he ends ups being who he is and that's a better than average rider but not a top tier rider that can contend for the TDF. My advice is start preparing the excuses now as you will need them in a few weeks.

I'll have what he's having.

Not me. It's likely toxic.

 

[ILovecycling]

Re: Re:

I mean Contador did in '08 too with the olympics, he was dicking around in the road race, didn't look good at all.

And was then 4th in the ITT, having the best time on the first intermediate. That first part was a beast ride.

That was 8 years ago and he's still highly relevant. Who can say that? Only a select few.

Froome was a known talent back then.

To Who?????? He may have been riding as a pro but hadn't even been tossed from the Giro yet, his most memorable deed before the 'transformation'.

Back to Alberto. I'm glad he isn't going to Rio. No way he could ride it to win. No worries about getting Zika and missing the Vuelta.

Why should/would he care about Zika?

Because people dont know.......annoying

 

[Netserk]

Re: Re:

I mean Contador did in '08 too with the olympics, he was dicking around in the road race, didn't look good at all.

And was then 4th in the ITT, having the best time on the first intermediate. That first part was a beast ride.

That was 8 years ago and he's still highly relevant. Who can say that? Only a select few.

Froome was a known talent back then.

To Who?????? He may have been riding as a pro but hadn't even been tossed from the Giro yet, his most memorable deed before the 'transformation'.

Back to Alberto. I'm glad he isn't going to Rio. No way he could ride it to win. No worries about getting Zika and missing the Vuelta.

Why should/would he care about Zika?

He doesn't need another setback, read ill with Zika, before the Vuelta!

Setback?! Are we talking about the same virus??? How would it set him back if he got it???

 

[Carols]

5 quote limit reached

Setback?! Are we talking about the same virus??? How would it set him back if he got it???

From the CDC site:
The most common symptoms of Zika are
Fever
Rash
Joint pain
Conjunctivitis (red eyes)

Other symptoms include:
Muscle pain
Headache

Just what an elite athlete needs to make his best preparations....NOT.

 

[Red Rick]

Let's not do this again. There's much greater hazards in basically any place in the world than zika.

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

I mean Contador did in '08 too with the olympics, he was dicking around in the road race, didn't look good at all.

And was then 4th in the ITT, having the best time on the first intermediate. That first part was a beast ride.

That was 8 years ago and he's still highly relevant. Who can say that? Only a select few.

Froome was a known talent back then.

To Who?????? He may have been riding as a pro but hadn't even been tossed from the Giro yet, his most memorable deed before the 'transformation'.

Back to Alberto. I'm glad he isn't going to Rio. No way he could ride it to win. No worries about getting Zika and missing the Vuelta.

Taxus.
It was a joke.

Is San Sebastian hard enough for him to do anything?

 

[Sciocco]

Re: Re:

Taxus.
It was a joke.

Is San Sebastian hard enough for him to do anything?

http://www.klasikoa.eus/en/2016/1/info/

 

[hulkhogansknees]

Bjarne Riis on Tinkoff's Tour de France: "With Alberto in the race I think they still would have won two jerseys, but one of them would be a different color".
He must be the biggest Contador fan, a shame they won't work together next year.

 

[Matteo.]

If he'll ride the tour in 2017 , the podium will be a great result. At 35 y.o and with this high level , victory is unlikely

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re:

If he'll ride the tour in 2017 , the podium will be a great result. At 35 y.o and with this high level , victory is unlikely

I think he still has a shot for the overall win and it depends how the route is going to look like next year. He just needs to avoid crashes and must have a good team around him and in my opinion that is good enough to fight for the podium for sure but maybe overall win as well. If anyone can surprise Sky train it is Contador because unpredictability is one of his strengths.

 

[Jspear]

I definitely think AC can win the Tour again. Froome isn't invincible. This year he just rode very smart. He gained time in some great ways and his team was of course superb. If AC could just not lose time early in the race, not crash, ect. he definitely has a chance to win the Tour again. Who cares about the Tour though...I'm hoping he finds form for the Vuelta.

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re:

I definitely think AC can win the Tour again. Froome isn't invincible. This year he just rode very smart. He gained time in some great ways and his team was of course superb. If AC could just not lose time early in the race, not crash, ect. he definitely has a chance to win the Tour again. Who cares about the Tour though...I'm hoping he finds form for the Vuelta.

He was in good form before crash and I think that form hasn't gone anywhere. He shouldn't be as tired as other Tour riders who come to Vuelta eventhough 1st week was more exhausting for Contador because of injuries I assume.

 

[Cookster15]

Re:

I definitely think AC can win the Tour again. Froome isn't invincible. This year he just rode very smart. He gained time in some great ways and his team was of course superb. If AC could just not lose time early in the race, not crash, ect. he definitely has a chance to win the Tour again. Who cares about the Tour though...I'm hoping he finds form for the Vuelta.

ACs last win in the Tour was 2010 if you ignore the ban. That's 6 years ago when he was 27. By next year he will be 34 and been riding pro for 13 years and winning Grand Tours since the 2007 TdF. I tend to agree he should target the Vuelta or Giro as a Tour win is no longer realistic at his age with the Tour strength of teams like Sky, Movistar and Astana. Sad but I think this is the reality now.

AC is a victim of his own success. A Tour podium for a guy like Richie Porte would be an enormous achievement. But for Alberto Contador a Tour podium might be seen as a failure - only a win would be acceptable. I can't see that happening in 2017 at his age and longevity as a Pro.

 

[perico]

Re:

If he'll ride the tour in 2017 , the podium will be a great result. At 35 y.o and with this high level , victory is unlikely

He'll be 34 next Tour. Old, but not the oldest. Even Cadel was 33 when he won.

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

I definitely think AC can win the Tour again. Froome isn't invincible. This year he just rode very smart. He gained time in some great ways and his team was of course superb. If AC could just not lose time early in the race, not crash, ect. he definitely has a chance to win the Tour again. Who cares about the Tour though...I'm hoping he finds form for the Vuelta.

ACs last win in the Tour was 2010 if you ignore the ban. That's 6 years ago when he was 27. By next year he will be 34 and been riding pro for 13 years and winning Grand Tours since the 2007 TdF. I tend to agree he should target the Vuelta or Giro as a Tour win is no longer realistic at his age with the Tour strength of teams like Sky, Movistar and Astana. Sad but I think this is the reality now.

AC is a victim of his own success. A Tour podium for a guy like Richie Porte would be an enormous achievement. But for Alberto Contador a Tour podium might be seen as a failure - only a win would be acceptable. I can't see that happening in 2017 at his age and longevity as a Pro.

This fact only means something to July fans. I think he has been perfectly capable (form wise) of winning Tours since then. We all know what has happened through the years since then.

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

I definitely think AC can win the Tour again. Froome isn't invincible. This year he just rode very smart. He gained time in some great ways and his team was of course superb. If AC could just not lose time early in the race, not crash, ect. he definitely has a chance to win the Tour again. Who cares about the Tour though...I'm hoping he finds form for the Vuelta.

ACs last win in the Tour was 2010 if you ignore the ban. That's 6 years ago when he was 27. By next year he will be 34 and been riding pro for 13 years and winning Grand Tours since the 2007 TdF. I tend to agree he should target the Vuelta or Giro as a Tour win is no longer realistic at his age with the Tour strength of teams like Sky, Movistar and Astana. Sad but I think this is the reality now.

AC is a victim of his own success. A Tour podium for a guy like Richie Porte would be an enormous achievement. But for Alberto Contador a Tour podium might be seen as a failure - only a win would be acceptable. I can't see that happening in 2017 at his age and longevity as a Pro.

This fact only means something to July fans. I think he has been perfectly capable (form wise) of winning Tours since then. We all know what has happened through the years since then.

Mostly this. The Giro and Tour are done for this year, but I still think the but both weren't won uphill. Contador still came up with some of the best climbing of the season so far. I don't think he's the kind of rider that is satisfied with anything less than competing with the very best.

I'm glad that this GT is nearly over, bring on La Vuelta

 

[dacooley]

The fact that Contador hasn't succeded in the Tour since 2009 (2010) is not the reason to downplay the role of the Tour and come it down to pathetic july-fans rhetorics (one might think the forumboard is full of them). Oddly enough, nobody seems bothered to remember Merckx's prediction. If my memory serves me right, Cannibal was being fiercely ridiculed back then. Well, really looking forward to what team Trek will be building around AC.

 

[Cookster15]

Re: Re:

If he'll ride the tour in 2017 , the podium will be a great result. At 35 y.o and with this high level , victory is unlikely

He'll be 34 next Tour. Old, but not the oldest. Even Cadel was 33 when he won.

Evans was 34 when he won. But Evans road career started late and was interrupted by broken collarbones and being put in hibernation while at Telekom. AC has been riding at peak level for a full 13 years interrupted by his ban. Something has to give and I also think it is obvious the Giro and Vuelta are much easier to win than the Tour especially with how it is ridden these days, this year being another prime example.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Be interesting to see what kind of team Trek-Segafredo puts together. With Mollema, they have a guy who can podium @ the Tour or Giro. Will Contador play the role of superdomestique, like Valverde has very recently?

 

[Jspear]

Re:

The fact that Contador hasn't succeded in the Tour since 2009 (2010) is not the reason to downplay the role of the Tour and come it down to pathetic july-fans rhetorics (one might think the forumboard is full of them). Oddly enough, nobody seems bothered to remember Merckx's prediction. If my memory serves me right, Cannibal was being fiercely ridiculed back then. Well, really looking forward to what team Trek will be building around AC.

I personally don't downplay the Tour. I know it's the biggest stage race of the year. What I meant was, AC has had great form since 2009/10. Form that likely would have won him the Tour. We all know when he had that great form and why he wasn't at the Tour with that great form. This statement doesn't take away from the grandeur of the Tour.

 

[Jspear]

Re:

Be interesting to see what kind of team Trek-Segafredo puts together. With Mollema, they have a guy who can podium @ the Tour or Giro. Will Contador play the role of superdomestique, like Valverde has very recently?

Maybe once he's Valverde's age or when Mollema proves he can podium at the Tour.

 

[Ramon Koran]

Re:

Be interesting to see what kind of team Trek-Segafredo puts together. With Mollema, they have a guy who can podium @ the Tour or Giro. Will Contador play the role of superdomestique, like Valverde has very recently?

Why would contador play domestique to a guy with awfull recovery and no chance of making the podium in either the tour or the giro no matter what you say? Alberto can still win those races he's 34 next year and still has at least 2-3 years at the top if Valverde is anything to go by.

 

[LeSensei]

Re: Re:

Be interesting to see what kind of team Trek-Segafredo puts together. With Mollema, they have a guy who can podium @ the Tour or Giro. Will Contador play the role of superdomestique, like Valverde has very recently?

Why would contador play domestique to a guy with awfull recovery and no chance of making the podium in either the tour or the giro no matter what you say? Alberto can still win those races he's 34 next year and still has at least 2-3 years at the top if Valverde is anything to go by.

He's obviously trolling. Just ignore. Don't feed the troll.

 

[myrideissteelerthanyours]

Re: Re:

The fact that Contador hasn't succeded in the Tour since 2009 (2010) is not the reason to downplay the role of the Tour and come it down to pathetic july-fans rhetorics (one might think the forumboard is full of them). Oddly enough, nobody seems bothered to remember Merckx's prediction. If my memory serves me right, Cannibal was being fiercely ridiculed back then. Well, really looking forward to what team Trek will be building around AC.

I personally don't downplay the Tour. I know it's the biggest stage race of the year. What I meant was, AC has had great form since 2009/10. Form that likely would have won him the Tour. We all know when he had that great form and why he wasn't at the Tour with that great form. This statement doesn't take away from the grandeur of the Tour.

He hid from the big boys at the giro last year youre right hes better than the best he proved it winning lesser races against Aru and um Landa?

 

[RattaKuningas]

Re: Re:

The fact that Contador hasn't succeded in the Tour since 2009 (2010) is not the reason to downplay the role of the Tour and come it down to pathetic july-fans rhetorics (one might think the forumboard is full of them). Oddly enough, nobody seems bothered to remember Merckx's prediction. If my memory serves me right, Cannibal was being fiercely ridiculed back then. Well, really looking forward to what team Trek will be building around AC.

I personally don't downplay the Tour. I know it's the biggest stage race of the year. What I meant was, AC has had great form since 2009/10. Form that likely would have won him the Tour. We all know when he had that great form and why he wasn't at the Tour with that great form. This statement doesn't take away from the grandeur of the Tour.

He hid from the big boys at the giro last year youre right hes better than the best he proved it winning lesser races against Aru and um Landa?

But he won it against a superior team.