Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Netserk]

Ezaro has a gain of 265m.
Camperona has a gain of 397m (the steep last 2.8km).

They have roughly the same average gradient, but Camperona has the steepest single km, while Ezaro has the highest maximum gradient.

 

[dacooley]

Re: Re:

Why was contador allegedly supposed to reach his peak condition in week 3 of the tour 2015 as it was planned whilst froome / nairito will very likely fade in the 3rd week of the vuelta. seems weiiird.

chaves is a top favorite. he's followed by quintana, froome and contador.

Contador didn't peak for the Giro 2015 - Froome and Quintana peaked for the Tour this year. Difference between reaching peak form and maintaining it. Though, in regards to Contador, I guess it was unlikely to happen anyways

Yes, theoritically it is, but the race doesnot ask you if you peak for it or not and excausts you very much. it's uncontrollable process.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I just got home and saw the result, can anybody tell me how Alberto looked?

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

I just got home and saw the result, can anybody tell me how Alberto looked?

Safe to say I didn't keep a close eye on him throughout, I only also watched the last 40 kms, but decent. While it was a hard stage, it wasn't overly hard and didn't get that many pictures from the favourite group on the last climb. Kiserlovski DNF which could prove to be very bad on a couple of stages (well, I guess just one).

 

[Lexman]

Re: Re:

I just got home and saw the result, can anybody tell me how Alberto looked?

Safe to say I didn't keep a close eye on him throughout, I only also watched the last 40 kms, but decent. While it was a hard stage, it wasn't overly hard and didn't get that many pictures from the favourite group on the last climb. Kiserlovski DNF which could prove to be very bad on a couple of stages (well, I guess just one).

Kiserlovski didn't even start the stage...

 

[filipepc]

Ezaro has a gain of 265m.
Camperona has a gain of 397m (the steep last 2.8km).

They have roughly the same average gradient, but Camperona has the steepest single km, while Ezaro has the highest maximum gradient.

I understand your point, but ezado is less than 2 km, and in camperona you have much more action and with the close stepiest gradients... I think there will be more diferences than in ézaro.

 

[Netserk]

Yes, of course there will, the steep section is 50% longer. Not to mention that Camperona actually ascents before that as well. I just tried to present the two climbs as factually as possible.

 

[Red Rick]

Last time the time gaps among the top 5 were rather small, with only Valverde losing more than 20s I think, though I guess it just could be that those guy's were very even that day.

 

[Poursuivant]

No crashes for anyone to spoil it now please , the vuelta is evenly poised right now.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

No crashes for anyone to spoil it now please , the vuelta is evenly poised right now.

Between Quintana and Froome, perhaps. Chaves crashed and Contador lost a lot of time and doesn't seem at his best.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

No crashes for anyone to spoil it now please , the vuelta is evenly poised right now.

Between Quintana and Froome, perhaps. Chaves crashed and Contador lost a lot of time and doesn't seem at his best.

Technically speaking, a minor Chaves crash that hinders his recovery a bit but doesn't really affect him isn't all that bad as far as the race is concerned, considering he's most likely going to be the biggest challenger to Contador. And Contador being this far behind is a great thing for the race. He's still in contention, but far enough behind to be forced to go all out

 

[Valv.Piti]

While its nice objectively that Contador is behind, it all depends on his legs anyways. If he doesn't have it, it will be TdF 2013 and 2015 over again with small attacks leading nowhere. Obviously its better than nothing, but the Vuelta-route doesn't exactly invites to attack from far out so its likely to just come down to the final climb anyways.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

While its nice objectively that Contador is behind, it all depends on his legs anyways. If he doesn't have it, it will be TdF 2013 and 2015 over again with small attacks leading nowhere. Obviously its better than nothing, but the Vuelta-route doesn't exactly invites to attack from far out so its likely to just come down to the final climb anyways.

Well he's still likely to be the strongest, and if he wasn't so far behind, he wouldn't attack on stages like yesterday

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Technically speaking, a minor Chaves crash that hinders his recovery a bit but doesn't really affect him isn't all that bad as far as the race is concerned, considering he's most likely going to be the biggest challenger to Contador.

For what, the podium? :lol: I realize Contador may get slightly better while Quintana and Froome raced the Tour, but I don't see Quintana fading much and Froome, well, if Contador is 3 minutes behind after Pena Cabarga, how is Froome ever going to lose that? We can point to 2012 when Froome lost 10 minutes or so but he was already behind at that point, it is a way different story when he's ahead and defending a 3 minute advantage. Personally, I feel if Contador doesn't lose more time on Camperona and Lagos de Covadonga, he's still very much in it to win it, if he does lose time (and I don't mean 3 or 4 seconds in a sprint) forget about it.

And Contador being this far behind is a great thing for the race. He's still in contention, but far enough behind to be forced to go all out

People keep saying that but let's be honest, when was Contador ever "exciting" while far down on the GC? 2011 TDF perhaps, but that was a different time, teams weren't as dominant in that race. Nowadays, when Contador is far down and it's not because he lost 3 minutes or so in a TTT or in crosswinds, he'll try some weak attacks which get reeled in by either Sky or Movistar within a minute. Now I can't speak for you but I cannot see how such attacks are great for the race when you know there is zero chance of them succeeding.
Objectively, the best thing for a race is Contador down on GC, but in good shape and still in striking range (30s or so). Then we'll see the best racing. In such a case he'd actually have the power to make a difference and pose a real threat to the leader(s).

Oh man.. thinking about 2011 got me all nostalgic back when the strongest block of riders was Frandy Schleck and leaders would actually respond to attacks. Now when someone tries an attack, the other GC riders just sit in the group of favorites and wait for Sky to bring back the nonconformist attacker.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

While its nice objectively that Contador is behind, it all depends on his legs anyways. If he doesn't have it, it will be TdF 2013 and 2015 over again with small attacks leading nowhere. Obviously its better than nothing, but the Vuelta-route doesn't exactly invites to attack from far out so its likely to just come down to the final climb anyways.

Well he's still likely to be the strongest, and if he wasn't so far behind, he wouldn't attack on stages like yesterday

I didn't see yesterday' stage but I read he tried a small attack, a spark of hope for me because if he was suffering he wouldn't do so, but anyway as a reply to your comment above (if he wasn't far behind he wouldn't attack on such a stage) what about stage 8 of the 2011 Giro, when he finished 2nd behind Gatto in Tropea ahead of the sprinting peloton
after launching an attack on a short ramp a km or 2 before the finish.

 

[Jelantik]

Everything about Contador up until now is a question mark. I'm not convinced yet that he has good form (I fear a 2013 TDF). But I'm not convinced either that Froome and Quintana can hold their form after TDF/Rio leg (for Froome). This is just the first week and everyone has been racing really hard. I'll be surprise if Froome/Quintana won't be fading .. at least a bit on the 3rd week. Contador? .. so far his vibe isn't convincing. Technically if it weren't ITT, he lost 28 seconds to Froome and Quintana which Contador in a good form would have stayed with them. It felt like he doesn't really want to win it that bad (or maybe he plans to peak on 3rd week?.. ow yeah right heard about that too) . I guess if Contador lost more time on the next stages, Oleg can't complaint about being fair. This time Contador has advantage for being fresh, while Quintana and Froome have one full GT leg and Rio.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re: Re:

Personally, I feel if Contador doesn't lose more time on Camperona and Lagos de Covadonga, he's still very much in it to win it, if he does lose time (and I don't mean 3 or 4 seconds in a sprint) forget about it.

Agree with that

People keep saying that but let's be honest, when was Contador ever "exciting" while far down on the GC? 2011 TDF perhaps, but that was a different time, teams weren't as dominant in that race. Nowadays, when Contador is far down and it's not because he lost 3 minutes or so in a TTT or in crosswinds, he'll try some weak attacks which get reeled in by either Sky or Movistar within a minute. Now I can't speak for you but I cannot see how such attacks are great for the race when you know there is zero chance of them succeeding.

He lost the best part of a minute in a TTT and then supposedly dehydrated and paid for it for another 30 seconds. Stop overreacting, his form will be fine. He was better in 2014, but he needed to be better as Froome wasn't coming off the back of 3 weeks in France either. At this point, it looks like a showdown between Froome Quintana Chaves and Contador. Which one of those 3 is going to be anything other than a sitting duck in the 3rd week when Contador turns the gas up? It's great for the race, and Contador definitely has a chance too (the highest chance out of the 4 imo)

I didn't see yesterday' stage but I read he tried a small attack, a spark of hope for me because if he was suffering he wouldn't do so, but anyway as a reply to your comment above (if he wasn't far behind he wouldn't attack on such a stage) what about stage 8 of the 2011 Giro, when he finished 2nd behind Gatto in Tropea ahead of the sprinting peloton
after launching an attack on a short ramp a km or 2 before the finish.

He was toying with the peloton in the 2011 Giro. When was the last time you saw Contador attack on a parcours like yesterday apart from that? And he fully committed to the attack btw, definitely had a gap, although the cameras didn't stick around on him long enough to see how large the gap was

 

[Red Rick]

Contador has made plenty of attacks like that over the years. Even this year he tried on easy climbs in Pais Vasco to test himself without doing major damage. The Imola stage in the Giro last year is another example.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Well the point is it certainly gave him an extra reason and motivation to attack, so it's only good for the race

 

[Thepirateisgood]

"Contador: Today's Vuelta a Espana stage was for the GC riders" (yesterday)

Didn't realize he hurt his head as well in TdF.

Seems very defensive, but I think he can still win it.

 

[Miburo]

I still don't know why many are worried. It's proven in the past 15 years that it's impossible to be at the same level in the tour as in the vuelta.

Froome and quintana won't be 100% in the last week, Contador prob will. Will be quite the show

 

[silvergrenade]

Re:

I still don't know why many are worried. It's proven in the past 15 years that it's impossible to be at the same level in the tour as in the vuelta.

Froome and quintana won't be 100% in the last week, Contador prob will. Will be quite the show

Froome for the past week has been saying that hes not 100% and needs a week to ride into form.
You can take what you want from this, but if he's saying the truth, the 3rd week fade aint coming.
Plus hes got an ace up his sleeve: ITT(37 Kms of Flat)
Contador needs to kill him in the mountains to have any chance of winning.

 

[Miburo]

3rd week fade always comes, with someone who podium'd the tour and does the vuelta.

Doesn't matter what Froome says

 

[gerundium]

can this guy please stay on his bike? Once again involved in a crash

EDIT: lotto soudal guy coming under him in the final corner, couldnt keep it up with the resulting shove.

 

[portugal11]

Alberto is out. What a shitty year