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If he has this shape he won't be able to win either.Scarponi said:Just target the Giro / veulta next year
sir fly said:Contador still has a lot to offer. This Vuelta is slowly but surely slipping away of him, but he still has the will and power.
Fresh and recovered Contador with more dedicated management can achieve another GT victory.
I'm sure you understand this stage was way different.lenric said:LaFlorecita said:Well, he did crash... we don't know how much that affected him.lenric said:Retire. Can't compete with guys with one more GT in their legs.
No 10th GT...![]()
According to some here, the crash had not affected him.
And 2 days ago it didn't seem to have to.
Nope, he's signed already.I believe this is also why no contract has been announced yet. Some how, it is dependent on his performance in this GT.
He'll win the Giro unless Froome, Quintana, Nibali or Valverde show up - which they probably won't.LaFlorecita said:If he has this shape he won't be able to win either.Scarponi said:Just target the Giro / veulta next year
lenric said:LaFlorecita said:Well, he did crash... we don't know how much that affected him.lenric said:Retire. Can't compete with guys with one more GT in their legs.
No 10th GT...![]()
According to some here, the crash had not affected him.
And 2 days ago it didn't seem to have to.
One way or another, he's almost 3 minutes down on GC and though there is a slight chance of him recovering some time, winning seems to be an almost impossible task and Contador isn't anymore the rider who can do the impossible.
I believe this is also why no contract has been announced yet. Some how, it is dependent on his performance in this GT.
It's obviously sarcastic, they posted similar tweets during the Tour. It's pathetic and makes me feel really bad for Alberto. He deserves more respect. At least the guys at the race seem to support him. Not like a certain other teammate:Lexman said:"#LV2016 @albertocontador jumps to 5th in the GC after his late push on today's stage. Stellar ride from the Spanish Tinkoff leader @lavuelta"
I don't know who wrote this but makes me cry...
How are these 2 any close?Jelantik said:ow well.. as I have said, I'm not convinced with Contador's fitness to begin with even without his injury. He didn't seem that all confidence on his form prior to the start. Yes, he sometimes sandbagging. But he just didn't have the same vibe as when he has great form type of confidence. Don't know whether he just lost his motivation to train hard or his TDF injury was so severe. His form now looks like his 2013 TDF or 2012 Vuelta. Encouraging, but not good enough.. Now he almost down to what 2+/ close 3 minutes? With that kind of form it will take miracle (like someone crashing).. or Quintana/Froome has to fade really really bad. Ow well, it's like watching him at 2013 TDF. I guess no GT win this year.
On a side note: I'm just amazed to see how the TDF+RIo guy are dominating this vuelta so far. Chavez and Contador who are supposed to be fresher than them are being left in the dust. Maybe this is just a week 3 game? But as Froome has shown us at TDF, .. gain as much as time at the beginning, so when they fade, they have enough buffer to fall back.
Exactly. Once again he blew his legs off. It's really frustrating.Red Rick said:This is just self-sabotage. He tries so hard to win, that his result doesn't reflect his shape most likely.
Jelantik said:ow well.. as I have said, I'm not convinced with Contador's fitness to begin with even without his injury. He didn't seem that all confidence on his form prior to the start. Yes, he sometimes sandbagging. But he just didn't have the same vibe as when he has great form type of confidence. Don't know whether he just lost his motivation to train hard or his TDF injury was so severe. His form now looks like his 2013 TDF or 2012 Vuelta. Encouraging, but not good enough.. Now he almost down to what 2+/ close 3 minutes? With that kind of form it will take miracle (like someone crashing).. or Quintana/Froome has to fade really really bad. Ow well, it's like watching him at 2013 TDF. I guess no GT win this year.
On a side note: I'm just amazed to see how the TDF+RIo guy are dominating this vuelta so far. Chavez and Contador who are supposed to be fresher than them are being left in the dust. Maybe this is just a week 3 game? But as Froome has shown us at TDF, .. gain as much as time at the beginning, so when they fade, they have enough buffer to fall back.
LaFlorecita said:I'm sure you understand this stage was way different.lenric said:LaFlorecita said:Well, he did crash... we don't know how much that affected him.lenric said:Retire. Can't compete with guys with one more GT in their legs.
No 10th GT...![]()
According to some here, the crash had not affected him.
And 2 days ago it didn't seem to have to.
Nope, he's signed already.I believe this is also why no contract has been announced yet. Some how, it is dependent on his performance in this GT.
Nibali will be at the Giro, and most likely also Aru and Chaves. It hardly matters - sponsors will demand he rides the Tour.DFA123 said:He'll win the Giro unless Froome, Quintana, Nibali or Valverde show up - which they probably won't.
'That's nonsense. There is literally no scenario in which Mollema is a better bet for the Tour than Contador, except for the scenario in which Contador crashes again.It's difficult to see an argument for him leading the team at the Tour ahead of Mollema anyway at the moment.
LaFlorecita said:Ooof, hard to see what he should do know. Lose time on purpose and go for a stage?
PremierAndrew said:LaFlorecita said:Ooof, hard to see what he should do know. Lose time on purpose and go for a stage?
No. You never know what can happen in the 3rd week, and a champion like Berto won't give up
I see Froome going to the Giro, not in top shape but as a stab at the Giro-Tour double. Hopefully he'll see that even if he ends up with 6 Tours he'll be less revered than even if he wins and podiums a Giro-Tour double. Valverde has expressed desire to go back after his (slightly lucky) podium this year, and Nibali will 100% go in my eyes, he cannot miss the 100th Giro. Kruijswijk will be there too, and he is better than Valverde on the climbs of the Giro. In this shape flo is right, he would not have been the best climber at the Giro, and would not have podiumed.DFA123 said:He'll win the Giro unless Froome, Quintana, Nibali or Valverde show up - which they probably won't.LaFlorecita said:If he has this shape he won't be able to win either.Scarponi said:Just target the Giro / veulta next year
It's difficult to see an argument for him leading the team at the Tour ahead of Mollema anyway at the moment.