Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[jilbiker]

Re:

He performed as expected. If Froome and Quintana fade a bit in the third week, he could win on Aitana.

not to dampen hopes but I do not see any fade in froome or Quintana. Which is baffling, its as if they did nothing major in the last few months.

 

[IMA]

Re: Re:

Contador still needs to raise his game considerably to get the podium place that has eluded him throughout his career.

Did you know 1st place is also a place on the podium?

It will be interesting to see if he has the mental strength and humility to fight it out for 3rd place for two weeks, or if he will just take the easy option of a showy, but ultimately hopeless long range attack, like usual when he's out of contention.

The easy option...oh, boy. It´s the only choice for a winner. What he did in Tirreno 2 years ago was a hopeless long range attack too, right?

I see now why you admire Valverde so much. You and Valverde keep the podiums and the top tens...and leave the wins for the winners.

 

[cantpedal]

Re: Re:

It is totally ridiculous to either suggest Contador or Nibali was 100% certain to win that 2014 TdF at the moment Contador crashed out. We'll never know. All we have is one hill top finish, where Nibali lost 3s in at the end.

Oh dear we are having this discussion again )

This discussion should be revived every few months, you can't blame us humans for it.

It would have been the greatest tour in the last 15 years if Contador didn't crash out.

It should have it's own thread called "yeti" or "mythical seasons" we can all discuss the improbable fitness of our favorite rider in 2014. At some point someone will chime in with why TJV would have won and we can close it down for good.

 

[Jspear]

Re: Re:

Pretty clever racing by Alberto today. This could have gone a lot worse if he had tried an attack. Just look at Chaves' failed attack

Yeah but I would have preferred a do-or-die attack like Chaves Clever racing and limiting losses won't get him anywhere at this point

I'm fully expecting Quintana and Froome to be 1-2, BUT....Never say never! I'm dreaming about a Fuente De situation....

Movistar ain't Katusha!

I know! That's why I'm dreaming. It's much better than watching sometimes.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re: Re:

Contador still needs to raise his game considerably to get the podium place that has eluded him throughout his career.

Did you know 1st place is also a place on the podium?

It will be interesting to see if he has the mental strength and humility to fight it out for 3rd place for two weeks, or if he will just take the easy option of a showy, but ultimately hopeless long range attack, like usual when he's out of contention.

I would think that it's very hard for him to accept that he's no longer good enough to compete with Froome and Quintana.

Of course it hard ...it was hard for every one before him and will be hard for everyone to come even Froome & Quintana ..All life is about adjusting to loss and moving on.What makes it folly is the lack of acceptance...the "Contador only rides for the win" This has an element of desperation and self deception. This maybe what Kreuziger was alluding to.

Contador is not the only champion to fade.And there is no shame in that ..if you accept it . From now he must accept he is not the strongest in the Vuelta ...Mayeb if he stopped chasing the race like today and took some timeout mentally he can improve and guarantee the podium

I'm not saying he won't win again but he certainly won't win in the sitaution he is in now ...and chasing this race smacks of desperation ...and it is never pretty ...he was the same in 2013.

I would say to him...let it go...go out and ride your bike and enjoy
Sometimes it takes more courage to let it go than to hang on

Paridoxically by letting it go he may be up there again

 

[Miburo]

I'm honestly used to Contador dropping when Froome and Quintana go at it. So today wasn't depressing.

I'm just waiting for that one day when Contador drops both of them, just one time. Then he can retire in peace.

I want to see that look of Contador where he isn't suffering, that look he had when he was facing nibali in the tour of 2014. Just one time

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Contador still needs to raise his game considerably to get the podium place that has eluded him throughout his career.

Did you know 1st place is also a place on the podium?

It will be interesting to see if he has the mental strength and humility to fight it out for 3rd place for two weeks, or if he will just take the easy option of a showy, but ultimately hopeless long range attack, like usual when he's out of contention.

I would think that it's very hard for him to accept that he's no longer good enough to compete with Froome and Quintana.

Of course it hard ...it was hard for every one before him and will be hard for everyone to come even Froome & Quintana ..All life is about adjusting to loss and moving on.What makes it folly is the lack of acceptance...the "Contador only rides for the win" This has an element of desperation and self deception. This maybe what Kreuziger was alluding to.

Contador is not the only champion to fade.And there is no shame in that ..if you accept it . From now he must accept he is not the strongest in the Vuelta ...Mayeb if he stopped chasing the race like today and took some timeout mentally he can improve and guarantee the podium

I'm not saying he won't win again but he certainly won't win in the sitaution he is in now ...and chasing this race smacks of desperation ...and it is never pretty ...he was the same in 2013.

I would say to him...let it go...go out and ride your bike and enjoy
Sometimes it takes more courage to let it go than to hang on

Paridoxically by letting it go he may be up there again

Great post. You get the feeling he's putting too much pressure on himself to perform at a level that he just can't obtain nowadays. He should have fun fighting for the podium and trying to grab a stage; lighten up a bit. And in the future he should try his hand at new things - peaking for classics or stage hunting. Just enjoying his final couple of years riding, without caring so much about results; like Purito did and like Valverde is doing.

 

[carton]

Re:

I want to see that look of Contador where he isn't suffering, that look he had when he was facing nibali in the tour of 2014. Just one time

YouTube?

Sorry, but you just wound that one up for me.

 

[Miburo]

Rewatching is too painful.

If i rewatch verbier or etna, the tears start coming up. I'm not ready for that

 

[carton]

Re:

Rewatching is too painful.

If i rewatch verbier or etna, the tears start coming up. I'm not ready for that

I get it. It's why I've never rewatched Soler at Briançon.

 

[Miburo]

Don't bring up that stage, that was the best Contador ever.

Man he flew from everyone, i still remember the acceleration. What a time

Poor soler btw

 

[Valv.Piti]

This is his level. Doesn't have it, pretty simple, unfortunately.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Of course it hard ...it was hard for every one before him and will be hard for everyone to come even Froome & Quintana ..All life is about adjusting to loss and moving on.What makes it folly is the lack of acceptance...the "Contador only rides for the win" This has an element of desperation and self deception. This maybe what Kreuziger was alluding to.

Contador is not the only champion to fade.And there is no shame in that ..if you accept it . From now he must accept he is not the strongest in the Vuelta ...Mayeb if he stopped chasing the race like today and took some timeout mentally he can improve and guarantee the podium

I'm not saying he won't win again but he certainly won't win in the sitaution he is in now ...and chasing this race smacks of desperation ...and it is never pretty ...he was the same in 2013.

I would say to him...let it go...go out and ride your bike and enjoy
Sometimes it takes more courage to let it go than to hang on

Paridoxically by letting it go he may be up there again

I understand it may be hard to understand for people like us who lack the champion mentality, but attacking, pushing himself to the limit, hurting his rivals, going all out for the win is what he enjoys, even if it means a bigger loss. He prefers losing in a spectacular way because it allows him to entertain himself. It's not desperation. The thought of winning is what motivates him to go out and train. If he let go of that thought, if he focused on getting podium places instead, he would have no reason to continue. He gets no satisfaction, no joy out of riding defensively, riding within himself to secure a podium place. It would be cruel to make him ride that way.

 

[lenric]

So, he wasted his last good year attempting the double. Glimpses of regret may have already come.

 

[Valv.Piti]

Re:

So, he wasted his last good year attempting the double. Glimpses of regret may have already come.

Are you referring to 2011? I'd say 2014 was pretty darn good as well, but 2013, 2015 and 2016 has been quite a bit worse to what he was able to pre-ban.

 

[jilbiker]

Michael Jordan said something about Tiger Woods and his recent drop is form. "One thing that he will eventually realize is that he will not be as awesome as he used to be anymore, the biggest task is accepting that fact. When he accepts that fact he can make a sensible decision about his future, either to go out and just enjoy playing or just end the career."

If you are a very competitive person like Jordan or Woods or Contador, you really call it quits, a big part of their enjoying playing is the competitiveness. Its not just making the numbers or being satisfied with Podium place. All good for Valvede, he is okay with Podium place, but that is meaningless to Contador or a Woods or Jordan.

 

[HelloDolly]

Re:

Michael Jordan said something about Tiger Woods and his recent drop is form. "One thing that he will eventually realize is that he will not be as awesome as he used to be anymore, the biggest task is accepting that fact. When he accepts that fact he can make a sensible decision about his future, either to go out and just enjoy playing or just end the career."

If you are a very competitive person like Jordan or Woods or Contador, you really call it quits, a big part of their enjoying playing is the competitiveness. Its not just making the numbers or being satisfied with Podium place. All good for Valvede, he is okay with Podium place, but that is meaningless to Contador or a Woods or Jordan.

Well then Contador will have to retire...He is not the best anymore and if he only enjoys wining or wanting to win then he is on a hiding to nothing

I actually thinks it is a weakness not being able to accept second place..On here everyone worships Contadors wanting to win all the time ...but that was fine when he was the strongest ...not so much now

And as I said before letting go can be paridoxically when you do your best work. It is not a 'punishment' to accept defeat and change. On the contrary its a liberation

 

[Valv.Piti]

Why should he retire? If he enjoys riding his bike competitively, for the love of god, continue. He has obviously considered it, but we assume he has signed a contract at this point, so he at least have 1 year more.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re: Re:

Michael Jordan said something about Tiger Woods and his recent drop is form. "One thing that he will eventually realize is that he will not be as awesome as he used to be anymore, the biggest task is accepting that fact. When he accepts that fact he can make a sensible decision about his future, either to go out and just enjoy playing or just end the career."

If you are a very competitive person like Jordan or Woods or Contador, you really call it quits, a big part of their enjoying playing is the competitiveness. Its not just making the numbers or being satisfied with Podium place. All good for Valvede, he is okay with Podium place, but that is meaningless to Contador or a Woods or Jordan.

Well then Contador will have to retire...He is not the best anymore and if he only enjoys wining or wanting to win then he is on a hiding to nothing

I actually thinks it is a weakness not being able to accept second place..On here everyone worships Contadors wanting to win all the time ...but that was fine when he was the strongest ...not so much now

And as I said before letting go can be paridoxically when you do your best work. It is not a 'punishment' to accept defeat and change. On the contrary its a liberation

He does not only enjoy winning. He enjoys fighting for the win, he does not and never will enjoy defending a podium position. Even if he has only a 1% chance to win he'd rather try and grab that chance than race for a podium or top-5.
You say he should go out and enjoy. Well, that is what he does. I don't see why he should change his approach to racing if that is what he enjoys, if that approach is what gets him out of bed in the morning and onto his bike to train.

 

[HelloDolly]

Yes but I see very littleenjoyment in that face when dropped ....

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

Yes but I see very littleenjoyment in that face when dropped ....

Of course, I never claimed he enjoys getting dropped. Would that be any different if he were to aim for a podium or top-5 instead?

 

[HelloDolly]

I said he should retire only if he enjoys wining and beating the best not he should retire..please read the full posts
I said he must accept defeat to move on
I said that is what happens to all

But this is a circular pedantic argument ..
If as you say Contador wants to get up every morning to fight for the win even though any by stander can see he is not going to beat Froome/Quintana ....I call that deluded ....But hey if he wantss to do that and a team is happy to pay him and a team will ride for him then fine.....but its not healthy

 

[Brod107]

What am I reading here? No matter his form, his mentality never changed. He didn't care about 2nd place 8 years ago, he won't start to enjoy them 1 or 2 years before his retirement.
I'm sure he is able to accept his poor form but that doesn't change who he is. I believe he would rather go for a stage win before methodically aiming for a podium place and consider it a great result. He very well knows that he isn't the strongest rider in the field and that alone is more disappointing (for himself) than a "desperate" long range attack that doesn't work.

 

[portugal11]

I'm intrigued to know how hard he will training next only to get froome's level

 

[Brod107]

Re:

I said he should retire if only if he enjoys wining and beating the best not he should retire..please read the full posts
I said he must accept defeat to move on
I said that is what happens to all

Would've been a valid point 5 years ago. This guy is going to retire very soon - no matter if he is winning or losing.