Teams & Riders Alberto Contador Discussion Thread

[Jelantik]

Ow well.. Contador is going backward in every mountain stage. Did he just purposely loose time so he can get into breakaway? win a stage? (won't likely if he finishes with the main contender.. ops, correction, behind the main contender). I'm curious what's next for him? trying a long range attack for the spectacle maybe? *He doesn't have the form, so it's more likely not going to stick*

 

[roundabout]

Re:

20s so the podium's target is still alive...very good.
Challenging Froome and Quintana is impossible

Yes, he only lost 1 place on GC today,

very good

 

[LaFlorecita]

Alberto's wife looked happy enough at the finish... I thought he was quite good, not great obviously but he killed himself with that attack.

 

[Scarponi]

I think he was as strong as chaves but didn't attack at the right time and they responded to him

 

[Red Rick]

He isn't improving. I think that Tour did a bigger number on him than we'd anticipated. It's like his worst race this year.

 

[Matteo.]

Re: Re:

20s so the podium's target is still alive...very good.
Challenging Froome and Quintana is impossible

Yes, he only lost 1 place on GC today,

very good

first you accepted the fact that the time of the GT victories is over, and the better for everyone.
might expect from an older (and worn) 34 y.o. champion? can still fight on par with a talented boy of 26? It could be his uncle.
the podium is still possible, there is some way to go

 

[LaFlorecita]

Re:

I think he was as strong as chaves but didn't attack at the right time and they responded to him

I doubt it was a matter of time, think he would have been chased down regardless.

 

[DFA123]

Decent result today. Nearly blew himself up, but limited his losses well in the end. With Valverde out of the picture, there looks to be a great opportunity for 3rd. He should take plenty of time on Yates and Chaves in the TT. Konig is a bit of a concern now though - if he sacrifices himself for Froome then Contador should really make the podium.

 

[roundabout]

Re: Re:

20s so the podium's target is still alive...very good.
Challenging Froome and Quintana is impossible

Yes, he only lost 1 place on GC today,

very good

first you accepted the fact that the time of the GT victories is over, and the better for everyone.
might expect from an older (and worn) 34 y.o. champion? can still fight on par with a talented boy of 26? It could be his uncle.
the podium is still possible, there is some way to go

I don't think it was a matter of age the allowed Chaves to use his head an not try to follow Froome at all cost like Contador.

 

[SafeBet]

When Nibali cracked on the MTT in the Giro I said perhaps he was declining. And he obviously proceeded to rise from the dust and win the Giro.

So here I am, saying Alberto looks on the decline to me. Let's hope.

 

[Matteo.]

Re: Re:

20s so the podium's target is still alive...very good.
Challenging Froome and Quintana is impossible

Yes, he only lost 1 place on GC today,

very good

first you accepted the fact that the time of the GT victories is over, and the better for everyone.
might expect from an older (and worn) 34 y.o. champion? can still fight on par with a talented boy of 26? It could be his uncle.
the podium is still possible, there is some way to go

I don't think it was a matter of age the allowed Chaves to use his head an not try to follow Froome at all cost like Contador.

mine is a general discussion on its current potential.

however, there are just t 1.30s from the podium with 40km ITT and a couple of stages where he can retrieve something IF he'll race on Chaves and Yates.
tomorrow Yates could pay the efforts made today

 

[Matteo.]

Re:

When Nibali cracked on the MTT in the Giro I said perhaps he was declining. And he obviously proceeded to rise from the dust and win the Giro.

So here I am, saying Alberto looks on the decline to me. Let's hope.

Contador is older than Nibali. Next year he'll be 35...really I do not see how he can still compete for GT victories( 1st place i mean )

 

[Red Rick]

Re: Re:

When Nibali cracked on the MTT in the Giro I said perhaps he was declining. And he obviously proceeded to rise from the dust and win the Giro.

So here I am, saying Alberto looks on the decline to me. Let's hope.

Contador is older than Nibali. Next year he'll be 35...really I do not see how he can still compete for GT victories( 1st place i mean )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVXdFIfUIcY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70LfkGe0KVY
https://youtu.be/HYcbQYNGm7g?t=111
https://youtu.be/mvRzvltCjm0?t=129

All this year, and all significantly better than anything he's shown this Vuelta

 

[Miburo]

Yea maybe the injury affected him more than we think. He rode with it for over a week.

At least we've another excuse

 

[bob.a.feet]

Re: Re:

When Nibali cracked on the MTT in the Giro I said perhaps he was declining. And he obviously proceeded to rise from the dust and win the Giro.

So here I am, saying Alberto looks on the decline to me. Let's hope.

Contador is older than Nibali. Next year he'll be 35...really I do not see how he can still compete for GT victories( 1st place i mean )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVXdFIfUIcY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70LfkGe0KVY
https://youtu.be/HYcbQYNGm7g?t=111
https://youtu.be/mvRzvltCjm0?t=129

All this year, and all significantly better than anything he's shown this Vuelta

Aru's riding looks hideous on Malhao.

 

[laurensde+]

Re:

Yea maybe the injury affected him more than we think. He rode with it for over a week.

At least we've another excuse

Yup. When he gets dehydrated, the pollen is really bad for his road rash.

 

[Matteo.]

Re: Re:

When Nibali cracked on the MTT in the Giro I said perhaps he was declining. And he obviously proceeded to rise from the dust and win the Giro.

So here I am, saying Alberto looks on the decline to me. Let's hope.

Contador is older than Nibali. Next year he'll be 35...really I do not see how he can still compete for GT victories( 1st place i mean )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVXdFIfUIcY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70LfkGe0KVY
https://youtu.be/HYcbQYNGm7g?t=111
https://youtu.be/mvRzvltCjm0?t=129

All this year, and all significantly better than anything he's shown this Vuelta

this is...in that GT context that I fear will not see other again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9zQ5QhjlTo

 

[Lexman]

Re:

Decent result today. Nearly blew himself up, but limited his losses well in the end. With Valverde out of the picture, there looks to be a great opportunity for 3rd. He should take plenty of time on Yates and Chaves in the TT. Konig is a bit of a concern now though - if he sacrifices himself for Froome then Contador should really make the podium.

Chaves might be doable but how does Yates TT?

 

[Ramon Koran]

Re: Re:

Decent result today. Nearly blew himself up, but limited his losses well in the end. With Valverde out of the picture, there looks to be a great opportunity for 3rd. He should take plenty of time on Yates and Chaves in the TT. Konig is a bit of a concern now though - if he sacrifices himself for Froome then Contador should really make the podium.

Chaves might be doable but how does Yates TT?

 

[Arredondo]

Re:

Decent result today. Nearly blew himself up, but limited his losses well in the end. With Valverde out of the picture, there looks to be a great opportunity for 3rd. He should take plenty of time on Yates and Chaves in the TT. Konig is a bit of a concern now though - if he sacrifices himself for Froome then Contador should really make the podium.

It's not like Chaves is a horrible time trialist. He did a fairly good one in Burgos last year.

Contador doesn't show massive progression. Not at all. And Chaves is riding stronger and stronger.

 

[Ramon Koran]

S Yates is a better ttist than his brother or Chaves plus he hasn't got a GT in his legs and Alberto looks off from i suspect he will take third after tt if he doesnt crack tomorrow

 

[DFA123]

Re: Re:

Decent result today. Nearly blew himself up, but limited his losses well in the end. With Valverde out of the picture, there looks to be a great opportunity for 3rd. He should take plenty of time on Yates and Chaves in the TT. Konig is a bit of a concern now though - if he sacrifices himself for Froome then Contador should really make the podium.

It's not like Chaves is a horrible time trialist. He did a fairly good one in Burgos last year.

Contador doesn't show massive progression. Not at all. And Chaves is riding stronger and stronger.

Sure, it's still not going to be easy for Contador. But if he can ride himself into something like his Basque form of earlier this year, he should be looking to take some time out of both the Orica guys. I can't think of any reason why Contador should be losing form at this stage in the race; should still be gaining in fitness and he's been no weaker than Chaves/Yates up to now. He probably would be third now if he hadn't tried ridiculous attacks and trying to follow Froome/Quintana a couple of times earlier in the race. PLus of course the TTT didnt help.

 

[Big Doopie]

Re: Re:

Yea maybe the injury affected him more than we think. He rode with it for over a week.

At least we've another excuse

Yup. When he gets dehydrated, the pollen is really bad for his road rash.

rotflmao

 

[PremierAndrew]

Simon is indeed better than his brother but I'd expect Quintana to take time on both Yates and Chaves in the TT for reference

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Decent result today. Nearly blew himself up, but limited his losses well in the end. With Valverde out of the picture, there looks to be a great opportunity for 3rd. He should take plenty of time on Yates and Chaves in the TT. Konig is a bit of a concern now though - if he sacrifices himself for Froome then Contador should really make the podium.

It's not like Chaves is a horrible time trialist. He did a fairly good one in Burgos last year.

Contador doesn't show massive progression. Not at all. And Chaves is riding stronger and stronger.

Sure, it's still not going to be easy for Contador. But if he can ride himself into something like his Basque form of earlier this year, he should be looking to take some time out of both the Orica guys. I can't think of any reason why Contador should be losing form at this stage in the race; should still be gaining in fitness and he's been no weaker than Chaves/Yates up to now. He probably would be third now if he hadn't tried ridiculous attacks and trying to follow Froome/Quintana a couple of times earlier in the race. PLus of course the TTT didnt help.

Well, you can't say Chaves is likely to lose fitness either. He said before this Vuelta his intention was to be good in the third week. It looks his words are becoming reality.

I agree about Yates. He's still young and inexperienced. And he could suffer tomorrow from his monster ride today. Contador could profit from that and his own (good) level. But he needs to stop focussing on Froome and Quintana. Those two guys are a class above anyone else.